Golf-course plan falters
Laura Yuen, Pioneer Press
Published June 24, 2004
Commission frowns on bid to rezone 120 acres for housing development
The Eagan planning commission threw a wrench into a local developer's plans to build houses
and condos on the Carriage Hills Golf Course.
In a 7-0 vote Tuesday, the commission rebuffed a request to change the city's comprehensive plan
and recommended that the 120 acres south of Yankee Doodle Road remain designated for public use.
The anti-development Carriage Hills Coalition cheered the unanimous denial. Neighbors contended the proposal by Wensmann Homes Inc. would make streets congested and unsafe, flood their yards, deflate the values of their homes and forever erase a valued stretch of open space.
The latter point clinched Duey Bendt's vote. Wensmann's plans, which devoted a third of the land to open space, actually appealed to Bendt, the commission's vice chairman. "The problem I had was, it's hard to kiss the golf course goodbye," he said.
Rahn Family Partnership, the company that owns and operates the golf course, vowed Wednesday to sue the city if it ultimately stands in the way of the development. The City Council will consider the request to change the comprehensive guide plan on July 20.
If the council struck down the request, Rahn said he and Wensmann
"would have no choice" but to pursue legal action against the city.
Terry Wensmann could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.
Rahn said he has lost several hundred thousand dollars on Carriage Hills,
which is just one of many small suburban courses losing out to bigger,
more challenging competitors.
But a dying golf course is no reason to mess with the comprehensive plan, which maps out a balanced blend of houses, businesses and green space throughout the city, Bendt said.
"Because a person is unsuccessful in running an enterprise, does that make the city responsible for changing the land designation?" he asked.
The plan calls for 480 units, including senior condominiums, single-family homes and townhouses. Nearly 40 acres would remain parks, storm ponds and wetlands, but neighbors contend the bulk of the open space is unusable.
