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November 2002 Shore Report• • THE 4 4� O Ln U 4� O w NOVEL E 2002 ; Vote on November 5 E LECTION DAY Is TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5 . You may vote between 7 AM and 8 PM at your polling site. If you do not know your polling site you may call the City r find it on the Secretary tarY of State's Web site, www.sos.state.mn. us. Seepage 4 for ballot information. Shorewood Polling Locations Ward 1, Precinct 1 Residence, 4445 Enchanted Point Ward 1, Precinct 2 Minnewashta Church, 26710 West 62nd Street Ward 2, Precinct 1 Shorewood City Hall, 5755 Country Club Road Ward 3, Precinct 1 Excelsior United Methodist Church, 840 Highway 7 Ward 4, Precinct 1 Excelsior Covenant Church, 19955 Excelsior Blvd. INSIDE Recycling News ........ Early Shorewood........ Truth -in- Taxation ...........3 Council Activities ........... 3 Park/Trail Talk ............... Snowmobile Rules ......... Community Events....... . 4 Ballot Info .................. , Planning Commission ... . . Heating Safety ......... . A € w Help Wanted ............... Shorewood Map ........ Register to Vote I F YOU HAVE NOT YET REGISTERED to vote in the November 5 General Election, you may register to vote on election day with one of the following identifications: • A valid MN driver's license or ID card with your correct/current address. • A Notice of Late Registration received from your City Clerk. • A Voucher: An Oath- of a pre - registered voter in the same precinct or of a voter who registers on election day with one of the other authorized identifications. • One of the following documents that contains your name and photo: MN driver's license or state ID with a previous address, US passport, US military I.D., Student I.D. card from a MN college AND a utility bill with your name and current address (phone, cable TV, garbage, electric, gas, or water /sewer) with a due date within 30 days of the election. M Fire /Police Station Groundbreaking November 9 N OVEMBER 9, 2002, WILL MARK the culmination of more than five years of planning for much - needed improvements in fire and police facilities. At 10 AM local officials will break ground at 24140 Smithtown Road for the new, joint -use building. The new building will be about 55,000 square feet in size, which will include several areas to be shared by the Excelsior Fire District and the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department. There will be six bays for fire apparatus for the EFD. Everyone is invited to the groundbreaking ceremony. Refreshments and opportunities to warm up will follow at the Southshore Center, 5735 Country Club Road. As this issue of the Shore Report went to print, bids were being opened and evaluated for the first of two "bid packages" for the Groundbreaking Continued on page 2 Absentee Ballots E LIGIBLE SHOREWOOD VOTERS Who are unable to vote on Election Day due to absence from the precinct, illness or disability, religious beliefs, or if serving as an election judge in another precinct may vote byAbsentee Ballot. Absentee Ballots are available at City Hall during regular business hours until the day before Election Day. Extended absentee voting hours for the General Election will be Saturday, November 2, from 10 AM — 3 PM and Monday, November 4 until 5 PM. p Upcoming City Meetings an E vents 11, Election Day 17/6 7 :00 Planning Commission Meeting 1 10:00 PS Groundbreaking g 1111 Holiday, City Hall Closed 1112 7 :00 City +banal Meeting 11/ 7 :00 Park Commission Meeting 11/19 3 :OC Planning Commission Meeting 11125,7 >00 City Council Meeting 71/28 Holiday, City Hall Closed 12/2 7 :00 Truth-in-Taxation Hearing See inside for Council C able Schedule. Meeting Minutes and Agendas are available on the City Web site, www.cteshorewoor€.mn.u.s after they are approved. THE SHORE REPORT/ November 2002 Recycling News Completing the Recycling Cycle I F YOU COLLECT AND SORT items that can be recycled that's good. You help your community reduce the amount of garbage going to the landfill. Putting items out for collection is only the first of three steps in the recycling process. It may surprise you to learn that what you BUY is just as important as recycling. To Market, To Market... Approximately 21% of our trash is recovered annually for recycling. Manufacturers use recyclables to make new products – recycling's second step. The third and final step returns the new products to the marketplace. This step is one that YOU need to support if recycling is to remain part of the solution to the country's garbage issue. Why Buy Recycled? You "close the loop" when you buy items or packaging made from recycled materials. They have now come full - circle: from bag or bin to a manufacturer, to the store shelf, and back to your home. And after using the item, you can start the loop again by recycling it. When you buy recycled, markets are created and a use is assured for collected recyclables. How do I find them? Products and packaging made from recycled material are everywhere and are generally labeled as containing recycled material. Plastic milk jugs return to yards and parks as plastic lumber and picnic tables. Steel food Recycling News Continued on page 4 Recycling dates for the week of Thanksgiving will be: Mainland Wednesday, November 27 Island Friday, November 29 To receive more information or to register for any of the following events please call the Southshore Center at (952) 474 -7635. Holiday Boutique and Chicken Dinner, The Southshore Center will hold a holiday boutique and chicken dinner on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 1,2, and 3. The boutique and bake sale will be held on Friday, November 1 from 9 AM to 3 PM and on Saturday, November 2 from 9 AM to 1 PM. A Sloppy Joe lunch will be served on Friday, November 1 from 11 AM to 1 PM. A chicken dinner will be served on Sunday, November 3 from 11 AM to 1 PM. Tickets are $7.50 for adults and $3.50 for children. Tickets are available at the Center or can be purchased on the day of the event. Thanksgiving Danner and Party, Friday, November 22, noon. Cost $4, which includes dinner and entertainment. Entertainment will be provided by Songs of Joy by Mary Murphy. Mary is a vocalist and will provide a variety of music. .Reservations for the event are needed by Tuesday, November 19. Senior Driving Class, Wednesday and Thursday, November 20 & 21, 1 to 5 Pm. AAA will offer a 4 and 8 -hour senior driving class at the center on To register call toll free, 1- 888 - 234 -1294. My Father's Black Bag, Wednesday, November 20 at 10 AM. Cost $3. A program presented by Augsburg College of the Third Age tells of recollections of the son of a Pipestone country doctor. The speaker is Walter Benjamin, Professor Emeritus of Religion and Applied Ethics at Hamline University. Early Shorewood Shorewood's Beginning T HE VILLAGE OF SHOREWOOD was established in 1956. Prior to that time it was a part of the Excelsior Township, along with Excelsior, Greenwood and Tonka Bay. Excelsior Township, established in 1858, included 36 square miles and went north to the Narrows. In 1868, the Narrows area was taken from the Excelsior Township and joined the Medina Township and later became a part of Orono. A portion of Excelsior Township incorporated as a village in 1879 and became the village area. This was followed in 1900 by Deephaven and in 1902 by Tonka Bay. The remaining portions of the township continued as a township until 1956. It was during this year that these sections became two villages — Shorewood and Greenwood. Information Source: Darel and La Verna Leipold Southshore Center Available A Place To Meet For All Seasons T HE SOUTHSHORE CENTER might be just the place to hold your special holiday gathering. The Center can be rented for gatherings of up to 200 people. Popular gatherings at the Southshore Center include birthday and anniversary celebrations and various seasonal parties. Please call JoAnn at (952) 541 -1019 for more information. M Groundbreaking continued from page 1 EFD West /SLMPD Station. The first bid package involves excavation, site utilities, and foundation work. It is expected that this work will be completed by mid - March. Bid package number two will involve the remaining construction work, and should be awarded early in 2003. Groundbreaking for the EFD East Station, which will be built on the City of Deephaven's municipal campus, is expected to be mid -April 2003. & www.ci.shorewood.mn.us 2 Council Activities Since the last newsletter, the City Council: • Reviewed a petition from residents along Harding Road requesting solutions for drainage concerns in that area. Council agreed to work with the developer of a nearby residential development for a short-term solution, and also recommended exploration of long -term solutions for water drainage issues throughout the City. • Approved a Kids Voting Proclamation as part of an educational program to involve students in the voting process and to encourage citizen participation through civic pride. • Continued discussion of an off - street trail along Smithtown Road. Discussion centered on processes utilized in determining final plans for the trail. Future resident input was included as part of the process. • Approved a preliminary plat for Linden Hills subdivision. • Discussed but did not approve a feasibility report for a potential watermain extension from Minnetonka Drive to Highway 7. Resident Input Wanted: Park maps and comment sheets to aid in the development of the Parks Master Plan are available at City Hall. Interested residents are encouraged to comment by November 8. Council on Cable City Council meetings are broadcast on Cable Channel 8 at: October 28 Meeting FRIDAY, NOVEMBER] AT 5:30 PM TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5 AT 9:30 PM THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7 AT 9:30 AM November 12 Meeting WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13 AT 5:30 PM FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15 AT 1 :30 PM TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19 AT 9:30 AM November 25 Meeting WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27 AT 1:30 PM THE SHORE REPORTI NOVEMBER 2002 Preliminary Budget and Tax Levy Approved 0 N SEPTEMBER 9, the City Council approved a preliminary 2003 budget and tax levy. The budget was prepared according to the priorities and programs identified by the Council. The 2003 city levy is proposed to increase from $2,763,367 in 2002 to $3,201,847. Most of this increase ($350,000) is a special levy for Shorewood's share of the debt service for the public safety buildings. The good news is that the City's tax base continued to grow approximately 12% from last year. Park/Trail Talk Fast pitch Tourney at Freeman F REEMAN PARK WAS RECENTLY chosen to be one of four state sites to host a girls fast pitch tournament. The tournament, sanctioned by the Minnesota Sports Federation, was a fall season state qualifying tournament. Fifteen teams of girls 14 and under participated. In all, 300 girls participated at Freeman on Saturday, September 21. This was the first officially sanctioned post - season fast pitch softball to be played at Freeman. Minnetonka did well in the qualifying tournament and went on to the state tournament the next weekend where it finished in the top 8 teams. Tournament officials and visiting teams gave Freeman high marks for the quality of its fields and the facilities at Eddy Station. All said they would welcome the opportunity to play at Freeman again. TD Howard Young Park Commissioner Winter Pet Clean -Up A S WINTER APPROACHES and the snow begins to $y, dog owners are reminded to continue to pick up pet feces in parks and on trails. The run -off during thaws and the remaining feces left to be picked up in the spring will be greatly reduced if pet owners continue the great job they have been doing this summer picking up after their pets. 9 The City Council will hold Truth -In- Taxation public hearings this year on Monday, December 2 at 7 PM at the Shorewood City Hall. If necessary, a continuation hearing will be held on Monday, December 9. Residents are encouraged to attend these meetings and to comment on the proposed budget and tax levy. The proposed 2003 budget is available for inspection at City Hall during normal business hours or on our Web site. Dog Disturbances T HE CITY HAS RECENTLY received more complaints about barking dogs. Dog owners are reminded that even if your pet is in an enclosed space, such as a kennel, porch or garage, barking for more than a five - minute period of time, when audible from outside, is prohibited. According to Chapter 701 in the City Code, "It shall be considered a nuisance for any animal to bark excessively, continuously or untimely ... which includes the creation of any noise by any dog which can be heard ... from a location outside of the premises ... and which noise occurs repeatedly over at least a five - minute period of time with one - minute or less lapse of time between each animal noise during the five - minute period." Because it is difficult to control a dogs barking when you are away from home, pet owners are advised to keep pets in a location where barking cannot be heard from outside. The City of Shorewood contracts with the City of Orono for animal control services. All inquiries and complaints or requests regarding animal control should be directed to: Monday- Friday, 8 AM to 4:30 PM Orono Police Department (952) 249 -4700 or Shorewood City Hall (952) 474 -3236 After Hours Dispatch at (763) 525 -6210 or 911 Ask for an animal control officer to call or visit your residence. S www.ci.shorewood.mn.us I HE JHORE KEPORT / NOVEMBER 2002 City of Shorewood General Election Ballot T HE FOLLOWING CANDIDATES have filed for office and will appear on the ballot November 5. Eligible voters will vote for one mayor at -large and two at -large council members for two -year terms. Beginning with the 2004 election, voters will select council members within their ward for four -year terms. Mayor (vote for one) Council Member (vote for up to two) Woody Love Christine G. Lizde William C. Ruoff Scott Zerby Sample Ballots are available for your review at City Hall and on the City's Web site at wwwci.shorewood.mn.us. Snowmobile Rules and Regulations A complete list of Snowmobile Rules and Regulations is available at City Hall or online at www ci.shorewoodmn. us. NOWMOBILERS IN SHOREWOOD must be aware of a number of rules and regulations regarding snowmobile use within the City. Youth under age fourteen cannot operate a snowmobile on streets, highways, public lands or frozen water or make a direct crossing of a street unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. A person age fourteen and over, but less than twenty years of age, may operate a snowmobile in these areas if they have in their immediate possession a valid snowmobile safety certificate issued by the commissioner of Natural Resources. DNR certification classes are currently taking place. Schedules can be found on the DNR Web site, www dnrstate. mn. us. Click on Education and Safety Training, or call the DNR, (651) 296 -6157. Ordinance Rules and Regulations • Snowmobiles are permitted in Shorewood December 1 to March 31. Tickets will be issued to anyone found riding outside of these dates and their snowmobile may be impounded. • Hours of use are 7 AM —10 PM, Sunday through Thursday, and 7 AM —11 PM, Friday and Saturday. • Speed limit is 10 MPH on City streets and highways and within 150 feet of lake shoreline. Snowmobiles are prohibited from ALL City parks, wetlands and trails. • When crossing streets, snowmobiles must cross at a ninety - degree angle, come to a complete stop before crossing, yield to on- coming traffic, and cross with both front and rear lights illuminated. Snowmobilers are responsible for knowing and obeying the laws within the City. Questions regarding snowmobile use in the City of Shorewood can be directed to City Hall, (952) 474 -3236. p wwwxi.shorewood.mn.us 4 Community Events Holiday Arts & Crafts Show Saturday, November 2 9AM- 4 Pm, MHS HE SHOREWOOD PARKS FOUNDATION is sponsoring an arts and crafts show at Minnetonka High School to benefit Shorewood Parks. Over 100 artists and crafters will be featured. Entertainment provided by the Minnetonka High School Chamber Singers. Admission is free. Christmas in Excelsior Area Saturday, December 7th C ELEBRATE THE SEASON by oining in the festivities at Shorewood Village, Smithtown Crossing and Downtown Excelsior. Horse drawn hayrides, ice carvers, bell ringers, a visit with Santa and stores stocked with treasures. Christmas Pageant at Excelsior Elementary at 4 P.M and the Community Tree Lighting at 5:30. & Holiday Homes Tour Sunday, December 8th C LASSIC COTTAGES and cozy dream homes steeped in family traditions and all decked out in holiday decor. Call (952) 474 -6461 for tour information and tickets. M Recycling News Continued from page 2 cans return to the hardware store as nails and screws. Newspapers become egg cartons. Some products and packaging also have labels describing the amount of "pre- consumer" and "post- consumer" waste that was used. "Pre- consumer" waste is also known as "manufacturing waste," and includes any scraps, trimmings, over -runs, etc. from the manufacturing process. "Post - consumer" waste is a product or other material that has served its intended use and has been discarded and then collected for recycling. Heating and Fireplace Safety HERE'S SOMETHING VERY COZY about a fire crackling in a fireplace. But keeping safe while warm and cozy can require some preparation. Have your furnace checked yearly by a professional to ensure that everything is working properly and to prevent potential problems ' with carbon monoxide. If you use a wood r J stove or fireplace, the chimney should be cleaned and checked - yearly. The chimney should be free from obstructions to allow smoke to be drawn out. Make sure the damper is open and the chimney is drawing properly before lighting your fire. To check the draw, first open a window a bit to allow for ventilation. Either carefully hold a lighted match to the flue and make sure the flame is drawn upward or light a small ball of paper in the grate, making sure that the smoke is drawn up through the chimney. If the chimney does not draw smoke up and out, have the chimney inspected and cleaned by a professional. • Always keep a screen in front of the fireplace to prevent flying sparks from escaping. Never store flammable materials near any heating sources, especially fireplaces or wood stoves. • Avoid huge, blazing fires; never leave a fire unattended. • Burn paper only when starting a fire and only in small amounts. Never use chemicals or fuels to start a fire. Holiday gift wrap may contain chemicals that release toxic fumes when burned. • Use only dry, seasoned wood or logs. Avoid evergreen branches, which can flare up quickly and throw sparks, or treated wood, which can contain harmful chemicals. • Keep small children away from any heating source, especially open fires. For more information on heating safety, log onto the Minnesota Safety Council Web site, www.mnsafetycouncil.org, or call (651) 291 -9150. N Minnesota Safety Council THE SHORE REPORT/ November 2002 Planning Commission Notes HE MOST DIFFICULT issues that the Planning Commission regularly encounter are variance requests by Shorewood homeowners. Variances are a prominent illustration of the tension between residents' rights to do with their property as they please and the City's obligation to enforce a common set of property development standards. What is a variance? Quite simply, it is an exception from the City's rules that regulate how owners can use their property. The most common variances relate to setbacks. For example, the City's zoning code states that all single - family residential homes must be at least 10' from the side yard property line. But suppose you have recently purchased a home located 14' from the side yard property line. The home doesn't have a deck, a common amenity among Shorewood residences. Not only that, but your family room faces to the side yard and you want to build the deck off of this room. Your design calls for a modest 6'x 8' deck, but that would entail a 2'variance request. Two feet isn't that much, what could be the problem? By state law the Commission is required to determine that three criteria are met before recommending that the City Council approve a variance. • Undue Hardship. The owner cannot make "reasonable" use of the property without the variance. (Cost considerations cannot constitute a hardship.) • Uniqueness. The particular situation must be highly unusual and not be created by the current (or previous) property owners' actions. • Suitability. The variance must not alter the essential character of the neighborhood. Suitability Suitability is usually the easiest issue to handle. The variance must not be out of place within the context of the 5 surrounding properties, either in design or location. Uniqueness Uniqueness often hinges on physical surroundings — are there topological aspects of the property, such as wetlands and hills, which severely constrain building on substantial parts of the property? Hardship Hardship is by far the most difficult criteria — just what is reasonable use? Is it every Shorewood resident's right to have a deck or a three -car garage or an add -on bedroom and locate those structures on the most convenient parts of the property? The Commission generally attempts to explore alternative designs that avoid a variance; in the previous example, perhaps by building the deck along the back of the house. If a variance is indeed appropriate, the Commission will want the owner to minimize the setback encroachment; in the previous example, perhaps by shortening the width of the deck. Older homes in the City, built long before current zoning codes came into effect, often produce the most difficult variance issues. In the end, you might wonder why all this discussion about a two -foot variance. But if two feet is acceptable, why not ten feet (that is, build all the way to the property line)? Maybe that seems extreme, but here comes the slippery - slope conundrum. If two feet is fine, but ten feet is not, why not three feet or four feet? If the Commission were to decide each case subjectively, some citizens may be arbitrarily treated differently then others, bringing into question a whole host of good government issues. As a result, the Commission views recommending a variance as a last resort solution, wanting the justification for the variance to be clear and all other alternatives to have been exhausted. M Jeff Bailey Planning Commissioner www.ci.shorewood.mn.us What's Happening in the City? Public safety y, Buu�ny Site tr ity Haw out ho Center steithtovm 9 C Z m e 2 Map Descriptions The following items are on the November 19 Planning Commission agenda: 1 Lecy Construction, Inc. proposes to subdivide the property at 23520 and 23570 State Highway 7 into three single- family residential lots and four outlots including a street, open space conservation site, and space for future development. Apublic hearing will be held at 7 PM. 2 Review a revised site plan for the CUB Food Store project. Revision relocates the fire- protection water tank to the northeast corner of the site. Toys for Tots T HE CI TY OF S HOREWOOD City Hall is a drop -off site for the 2002 Toys for Tots campaign. A collection box is in the lobby of City Hall. Please drop off new, unwrapped toys and gifts by Thursday, December 12. Items for teens are especially needed. For gift ideas and needs, see http :Iltoys4tots.twincities.org. n Highway 7 Update A CCORDING TO AU DOt, weather permitting, black top will be put on remaining areas of Highway 7 the first week of November. Restoration work, including landscaping, and remaining roadwork will not take place until spring. For complete Highway information, contact MnDot at (651) 296 -3000 or see their Web site at wwwdot.state.mn.us. Help Wanted Rink Attendants T he City is accepting applications for warming house attendants. Positions are open to people 16 years of age and older. The position offers flexible hours in the afternoons, on weekends and during winter break. Warming Houses are open mid - December to mid - February, weather permitting. Call City Hall at (952) 474 -3236 or stop in for an application for this position. 0 4 T E Please Vote November 5! CITY OF SHOREWOOD 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD SHOREWOOD, MN 55331 (952)474.3236 FAX (952)474.0128 Monday - Friday 8 Ann to 4:30 PM DELIVER TO: REMINDER! General Election: November 5 Poll Hours 7 AM - 8 PM Newsletter Editor:Julie Moore PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #128 EXCELSIOR, MN 55331 This newsletter is printed on recycled paper. THE SHORE REPORT NOVEMBER 2002