By Nancy Huddleston, Editor

The developers of Dan Patch Trail might experience a little twinge of déjà vu next week when they come before the Savage Planning Commission looking for approval of a preliminary development plan.

That’s because last summer they were doing the same thing and the project was actually approved by the Savage City Council on Aug. 20, 2007. A year and a day later, developers will be before the Planning Commission on Thursday, Aug. 21 because all previous approvals for the residential project were rescinded earlier this year while an Environmental Assessment Review (EAW) was being done.

The entire 108-acre area fans out north from McColl Drive to 126th Street on either side of the Savage/Burnsville border. The land is owned by Karl Bohn, but Red Angus is the developer of the first phase of the project.

The overall plan is a three-phased development with 211 single-family homes in Savage. The first phase covers 45 acres and calls for 111 single family homes and the second phase has 100 homes on the other side of the wetland that divides the site.

The Burnsville portion of Dan Patch Trail originally called for three 48-unit apartment buildings and some single-family residential (total 197 units). But in June a different plan was approved by the Burnsville City Council that was detailed in a rezoning request, amendment to the Comprehensive Plan and a concept stage plan. Now, 25 acres of the Dan Patch Trail project in Burnsville will include 59 residential lots.

Since approvals were rescinded, city staff has continued to work with Bohn and Red Angus regarding necessary studies.

Although the EAW findings of fact indicate further environmental review was not needed, there were a few stipulations.

For instance, the findings spell out when the development comes back to the city for review, a detailed plant survey be completed by a qualified botanist to identify existing sensitive, rare or endangered plant communities or species. If such species are found, then a mitigation plan must be submitted.

Likewise, the findings mandate that a detailed archeological survey be conducted on the site by a qualified contractor to identify historical, archaeological or cultural resources.

A staff memo to the Planning Commission about the Dan Patch Trail request says the studies have been completed and have reaffirmed that development of the site will not have a significant impact on either the archeological or natural resources.

But the Woods & Wetlands Alliance has looked at the studies and has sent a letter to the city objecting to the findings. The letter notes that the Shakopee Mdewakanton Community believes there are Indian burial mounds in the area and have supplied GPS information to prove it. There is no mention of this information in the developer’s study.

What’s more, Woods & Wetlands contends that the plant and wildlife species study is also deficient, pointing out it only looked at impacts to the rare Blanding’s Turtle and not to other wildlife in the area. As well, they contend, the plant survey did not go far enough to explore impacts to plants that grow in a fen-like wetland on Bohn’s land.

Last year, the Planning Commission denied the request of the preliminary development plan for Dan Patch Trail, citing concerns if the developer had fulfilled requirements laid out by city guidelines for Planned Use Developments (PUDs).

If the Planning Commission approves the development this week, it will likely come to the City Council sometime in September.

 Nancy Huddleston can be reached at editor@savagepacer.com.  

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