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<br />stormwater drainage and the wooded barrier to the south of the lake is <br />"opened up" for viewing from Twin Lakes Parkway. <br /> <br />Although the developers have claimed that this development is the only <br />way to clean up soil and water contamination in the Twin Lakes area, this <br />just isn't true. Under this proposal, the city is agreeing to pay all of the <br />costs of environmental clean up. The city has no obligation to agree to pay <br />any clean up costs at all and there is no reason why we should agree to clean <br />up for a project that does not benefit the community. Whether the city <br />ought to commit public money to pay for environmental clean-up is a <br />decision totally separate from the decision whether to approve this <br />particular development. <br /> <br />The proposed redevelopment will not create living wage jobs, or any <br />genuine economic growth. The proposed subsidy can't be justified on <br />economic development grounds. And how does it benefit the community to <br />unfairly subsidize large retailers at the expense of local small businesses? <br /> <br />The proposed redevelopment does not provide for any public needs, but it <br />does provide a lot of things that Roseville doesn't need: more large retail <br />development, more senior housing, more traffic, more pollution, a new and <br />expensive Twin Lakes Parkway, and additional costs for roads, police and <br />fire protection, and environmental clean-up (without any additional tax <br />revenues to pay these costs). <br /> <br />For all of these reasons, the city council should not agree, even "in principle" to provide <br />the public subsidies the developers are asking for. There are too many risks, and too <br />many unknowns for the city council to make such a momentous financial commitment <br />on behalf of Roseville residents and taxpayers at this point. I urge the council to take <br />this opportunity to slow the process down. Further investigation is needed on <br />environmental issues and further public input is needed on the proposal and its impacts <br />for the community. <br /> <br />Amy Ihlan <br />Roseville City Council Member <br />