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May 13, 2013 Roseville City Council and Planning Commission 2660 Civic Center Drive Roseville, MN 55113 City Council Members, We attended the City Planning Commission meeting held on May 1, 2013 regarding the proposed Josephine Heights preliminary plat. We would first like to state, that we and other neighbors in the community welcome the development of said property. We are not against it, but instead have concerns with water drainage issues that have been an ongoing problem for the neighborhood. After learning that the proposed cul-de-sac will be raised 7 feet above street level, to develop the property for maximum amount of structures, (and tax revenue for the city) is a concern even after the assurance by the city engineer that everything is up to code. Repeatedly, it was brought up at the meeting, with skepticism. Why? An example is, that after the city rebuilt the sewers and street for Millwood Ave., they raised the street level above the homes on the north side of the street allowing even more water to be directed at their homes. The home across from us never had any water in their home until then. The city's (engineered) solution was a speed bump at the end of their driveway! Do we have to look forward to an unsightly compromise, for a future issue that may arise on our property? Does the plan also include more catch basins in the cul- de-sac or on Millwood? The existing catch basin on the East side of our property already cannot catch all the water that flows down Millwood. The saving of any trees was not addressed. There are more then 2 trees worth saving! Of the 2 trees they are saving, one is partially on our property. There's more species of trees on the property then mentioned in the proposed plat development and bigger. There are several beautiful trees (King Crimson Maple, Paper Birch, mulberry, apple, walnut and several popple/aspen trees on the back of the property worth saving. Why cannot these be saved? Should there be a more comprehensive tree study done? If the city requires the development to replace trees for the ones taken down, those trees should be used to create a buffer zone between existing homes and the new development? We have enjoyed the wild life that this property has brought in, has anyone thought about how the clearing of these trees during Spring, will destroy nesting birds? This property has been home to 4 different known species of woodpeckers that nest in these trees. Green herring, hawks, nuthatch, cardinals, horned owl, pheasant and wild turkey, have all nested in these trees.