With its endless empty storefronts, condos, and single family homes, Apple Valley’s City Council continues to allow the conversion of open land into residential and commercial development. While plenty argue that this is the time to build and to expand, you have to wonder how eliminating open/green space fits into Mayor Mary Hamann-Roland’s mantra of “go green”.
According to this Star Tribune article, 122 acres of farmland recently mined for gravel, was approved for development as multiple-family residential development by the Planning Commission and is expected to sail through City Council approval next week. With the way things have been progressing in Apple Valley and the surrounding area, you have to seriously wonder why the Planning Commission and City Council would want to approve development in an area that is devoid of of pretty much everything except pavement and housing.
Now everyone will say, “But Bill, you’re crazy. Everyone in the rest of the world wants this sort of thing to occur.” While me being crazy might be true, there are many others out there who agree with my sentiment that green space is important. The Star Tribune, surprisingly, allowed comments on this article and a couple of people have shared that they too are disappointed in this decision:
Please explain why it is a good thing to develop every square inch of land in an area until no open land is left? Please don’t refer to it as “progress”, for that it is certainly not.
posted by bobleon on Aug. 7, 09 at 5:19 AM
Just in case you forgot…I will be opening my check book for this new development unless they don’t plan on having any roads, water, sewer or electricity in the development. muscrat99 is right, why does EVERY square foot of land need to be developed. A couple of years ago, Farmington put a hold on building permits so they could keep some of the world from becoming a parking lot or neighborhood. If you really want to live in the concrete jungle, move to it.
posted by peoplewatchr on Aug. 7, 09 at 7:22 AM
In addition to this, Mayor Mary herself believes that the world should be “green” but as I’ve proven many times before this is nothing more than a way for her to get the commercial development she wants while appeasing the suburbanite masses who have been attracted to Apple Valley so they can live in their overpriced and oversized homes while shopping for Mexican grown organics at Cub and driving them home in SUVs packed with plastic grocery bags. Apple Valley has very little green space that actually has any trees and if you look at that entire development area (near that ridiculous SuperTarget and Liquor Store #3) you will notice that you can see for miles in any direction because there is nothing growing there at all. Why can’t we just reforest the entire 122 acres and create another park using money from her recently expanded liquor store operations and the emerald crown of her “green” initiatives?
I think it’s high time that the Apple Valley City Council takes a stand against more unnecessary development and reconsiders the mandate, set forth in words spoken by the mayor, and does something more to be “green” aside from pretending that a bunch of futuristic and unapproved street lights, two living roofs, and an underground-based HVAC system are enough to meet the bullshit that comes out of that woman’s mouth.
What do you think about the decision by the Apple Valley Planning Commission to approve this measure and do you believe that if the City Council also approves it that it will go against the constant “green” horseshit that comes out of Mayor Mary Hamann-Roland’s mouth? Would you rather see another 122 acres of green space in Apple Valley or do you prefer the sea of residential developments that stretch for many miles as you crest the top of the hill on CR-46 on your way into town? Whatever you feel about this topic, go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear what you have to say.
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August 7th, 2009 at 11:51 am
I think the problem is that the Comprehensive Plans for these suburbs drive the development in the future. That is, large portions of theses cities are assumed to be residential in the future. Based on that, I don’t think there’s any way the City Councils or Planning Commissions can deny approval of these new subdivisions. Legally, the land is zoned for that use.
What really has to happen is that the cities need to look at their Comp Plans and maybe re-think the future, and amend them now to protect the green space for the future.
August 7th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Oh I know why they are going to approve the zoning, that’s not what’s at issue here. What’s at issue here is why the Mayor can continue to spout off about how green she is when she’s doing very little to make any ACTUAL change (yeah, great, you spent $5 million on a fucking liquor store and put in a HVAC system that will save some money over the life of the building, woohoo for you).
If the woman had any fucking balls whatsoever, she’d move forward and change the zoning and have the city buy up more than a few acres for a cemetery and do shit that’s actually green.
August 7th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Well it is all about green Bill, Green backs going to the property owner, green backs going to the developer, greenbacks going to the city in property tax revenues. So to answer your question, yes it is green!!
August 7th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Bill if you do not spew the “green” plan, the state and federal governement will not even consider you for grants, bail out funds, stimulous funds. It is all a big game to shift around money under the guise of being “green”.
August 7th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
here’s growing VERY tired of hearing “green” this and “green” that. enough is enough.
August 7th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Bill–There was another article on this about a week ago and most of the comments in that one were against the fact that it was more multifamily units. Pretty interesting comments there too. I agree with many of them and I think AV is saturating its south end with cheaply built multi units that are not going to age very well.
http://www.startribune.com/local/south/51747582.html?elr=KArks:DCiUocOaL_nDaycUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUr
I share your concern about paving everything over, but this is nothing new. This land is not in a good location or condition for preservation. I’ve seen some beautiful pieces of land in Lakeville get bulldozed and cleared for things like Target, townhouses, and Rainbow. Some of these were parcels with huge old Oak trees and near Lake Marion.
It’s just the same thing over and over. Money drives the comp plan and your open space dreams don’t have much hope. The open spaces of today are not really open spaces….they are future expansion outlot A.
August 7th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
John,
I’m trying to make the point that the mayor is full of shit when she blathers on and on about green this and green that. “Our” dreams are what should drive the City Council’s decisions because we put those morons in their seats behind the desk. It’s time for those five people to listen to not only what the public is saying (like they didn’t when they renamed the Senior Center something THEY wanted) as well aswhat the mayor is preaching but not practiing.
August 7th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
I hear ya there. It would be awesome to hear of leadership on creating new green spaces vs. the green washing b.s. that seems to be fashionable today. Five million bucks would probably still buy a nice chunk of land vs. keeping up with Lakeville in a competition for most expensive liquor store. I think until residents really speak up (more than just a couple) we won’t get that.
August 7th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
If you want to catch criminals YOU ALL HAVE TO START THINKING like them!!
The ‘big-picture’ is on your own TRUELY LAZY lightening blog!!
Think:
What does a property-mgt. ‘partner co.’ Venuworks/Burnsville’s property-mgt. contractor (with undisclosed fin. operating/earning-statements ala mayor/V.P.-govt. relations employee for a ‘partner property dev. co’ of a venture capitalist firm) have to do with the green mayor/ex-rn/IND. GENERAL CONTRACTOR’s personal-lobby efforts for particular owners of the venture capitalist’s building-aggregate & development ‘partners co.s’? Hmmm…. (Clean-kickbacks have to come from somewhere! Check out Griffith Jr.’s shareholdings/investments… it’s the ‘who’s-who. )
What does ‘green’ have to do with the venture-capitalist firm with its ‘partner-property-mgt & developers co.s’? Let me ponder that as I crack out my wallet cause I’ll be paying now (big govt-subsidies up front to build), during (tax-increment-fin is such a perk!), and later by:
*owner charging higher lease-rent rates/”It costs more to build!” (also largely govt.-subsidies for the ever-included ‘senior- & low-income’ parts of the projects);
*owner has more control/rights over tenants with lease-clauses on expected-behaviors/use/operations/type of business under the operating-portion of the green-LEED certifications; and
* owner may ‘offer’ to pick-up ‘operating costs’- to recupe the $ that I didn’t shell-out when it was built in the first place (from less operating-cost for HVAC etc.)… what a deal… too bad all us little guys are’nt in on the fixed-contracts!)
Think!!
What does ‘Green’ have to do with the ‘environment’ and the venture capitalist’s very heavy ‘partner co’s’ in waste mgt. & energy (electric: coal/MSW-burners) … and corruption in govt.? (I’ll save that one for later, it’s a doozy that’s been in the works since 1979… wait til you here how they’re paving the US (in homes/schools/streets everywhere!)- and other countries- with the venture capitalist’s toxic waste & the fed/state’s super-fund site clean-up waste…. UMore here we come!)
I will leave you with an urgent tip– Whatever you do, since the mega-multi-govt.-$$/venture capitalist’s ‘efforts’ after Katrina, don’t touch, lick, or otherwise expose yourself to anything rebuilt in New Orleans… you need to wait until stormwater run-off/oceans and a couple good, salt-water floods happen (that really accelerates toxic-concentration in the leachate!)
August 7th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Ummm ok?
August 7th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Psssst….Elle Zorro….pssst…….the crow flies….at midnight man. You didn’t hear it from me.
August 7th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Did I miss something with that long comment? Giant airplane just flew right over my head.
“Green” is the new buzzword. I don’t think she fully grasps its true meaning.
The one thing I like about Farmington right now is the fact that I can see silos a 1/4 mile from my place, if I wanted to live in an urban area, I’d move to south Minneapolis. Apple Valley would not even be a consideration on that list if that was my requirement.
August 7th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Oh, I think you are being too nice to her. While most would snidely remark that the mayor is just stupid, I know better. I have already explained above exactly why she uses the “Green” buzzword so frequently…because it appeals to the large contingent of douchebags that are attracted to the suburbs but what to play new-aged hippie. She’s already pissed off the growing senior population with her Senior Center debacle so it’s apparent that she needs to continue to grow the group of willing retards that will happily vote for her to continue her needless spending spree as long as they can shop for liquor 500 feet from their overlapping McMansions.
August 7th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Oh, and no, you didn’t miss much other than I seem to attract at least a few raving retards.
August 7th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
I am going to guess that Bill was one of the many that voted for a tax increase to set aside land in Dakota County.
While I don’t know about making it all a park, I would like to see the Mayor take a stand and put some significant green space requirements on any sort of development that occurs. I’m sure Apple Valley has a comprehensive plan that outlines what they were intending to put in place there, but that doesn’t mean that they need to fill every square foot. Minnesota has plenty of space, and we’ve made it pretty clear that Minnesota residents are willing to pay for our space. I think if you ask, most people are going to be willing to pay a larger share of the taxes if that means that there are less rather than more residents per square foot.
August 7th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Eagan voters didn’t want to pay $10 million to preserve green space in their fair city: http://www.lazylightning.org/carriage-hills-golf-course-wasteland-or-parkland#comment-11600
August 7th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Yeah, I voted for the green space, but my fellow Eagan voters did not agree with me.
And Elle Zorro’s post was awesome, in a WTF? kind of way.
August 7th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Elle Zorro for post of the year imo. And I wont be licking anything from New Orleans for sure!
August 7th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
Elle Zorro makes me kind of nervous in a “Pelican Brief” careful-when-you-start-your-car kind of way.
August 7th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
I really need to start bookmarking all these great comments for end of the year voting.
August 9th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Now I’m curious as to what Elle Zorro’s other four comments were about…
August 9th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
It’s really all more of the same:
http://www.lazylightning.org/apple-valley-businesses-hate-cedar-transit-plans#comment-20978
http://www.lazylightning.org/apple-valley-businesses-hate-cedar-transit-plans#comment-20980
http://www.lazylightning.org/apple-valley-businesses-hate-cedar-transit-plans#comment-21006
http://www.lazylightning.org/farmingtons-100-million-tiger-sports-shrine#comment-21215
January 20th, 2010 at 7:31 am
[...] faux-environmentalist Apple Valley Mayor Mary Hamann-Roland has finally gotten her wish. After years of hearing her take every opportunity to tell anyone who would listen about the [...]