City will send Carriage Hills fact sheet to residents
09/19/2008
Information piece aims to answer FAQs about taxes, ballot question, land use and more before November referendum
by Erin Johnson
Thisweek Newspapers
If voters approve the November bond referendum and the city purchases the former Carriage Hills golf course, the average homeowner in Eagan will likely see their property taxes rise between $19 and $30 per year for the next 20 years.
That is just one of the answers to frequently asked questions the city hopes to address in a fact sheet on the Carriage Hills bond referendum it will send to residents in October.
Voters are being asked to decide whether the city should purchase the 120-acre property – formerly a private golf course – for $10.25 million.
If voters approve the referendum, the city will hold the land for future use, and that use must fall within three specific categories: public facilities, recreation and open space.
If voters defeat the referendum, the land will be developed by Wensmann Homes into 480 units of mixed-use housing and 30 acres of open space.
The fact sheet will be included in the next issue of the city’s newsletter, Experience Eagan, which will be sent to every known household address.
It will also be available on the city’s Web site, www.cityofeagan.com
The fact sheet will include information about the ballot question, taxes, land use and more.
For instance, if the bond is approved, it would be paid back over the next 20 years. The owner of a home valued at $200,000 would see an estimated increase of $19 per year over that period, while the owner of a home valued at $500,000 would see an increase of about $51 per year.
Voting “no” means you are voting for the land to be developed into housing, while voting “yes” means you would like to see the city purchase the land for a future use and prevent it from becoming housing.
A non-vote has no effect on the outcome of the question.
If the land were to develop as housing, it would generate approximately $432,000 in property taxes each year if calculated at 2009 rates.
While that would mean additional revenue for the city, it could also mean additional expenses to extend city services to a new neighborhood, according to the fact sheet.
If the city acquires the land, it would likely be removed from the tax rolls and would not generate property tax income.
In addition to the fact sheet, the Eagan City Council will adopt a visioning statement to inform the public about allowable uses for the property under the three specific categories.
It will also lay out how the council envisions a community conversation and how it thinks decisions on future uses should be made.
That statement will be posted on the city’s Web site as soon as it is available.
The November bond referendum is part of a settlement agreement reached by the city and Wensmann Homes after a three-year legal battle.
Wensmann and Carriage Hills owner Ray Rahn sued the city after it denied a land-use change in 2004 to allow housing on the property, which Rahn said was no longer viable as a golf course.
The property, located at 3535 Wescott Woodlands, has been closed as a golf course since 2004.
