Several UMore Development Projects Plow Forward

Editor's Note: This is just a brief summary of the UMore development projects. Rosemount Patch will be continuously covering each of these projects as more information becomes available.

Many areas of UMore development was recently discussed at a joint meeting with the City Council and Planning Commission. Mayor Bill Droste has previously characterized the UMore development as “complex, large, and hard to understand."

Here is a brief summary of various parts of the UMore development projects, as they currently sit with the :

• Wind Turbine – An experimental wind turbine is in the process of being constructed on UMore property. According to Larry Laukka, UMore, LLC director of development, this temporary structure will study and look for a solution to some of the problems with wind turbines, such as bird kill and noise. The city has no permitting jurisdiction over this wind turbine but wanted the planning commission to be aware of all the projects being worked on at the UMore site.

• GOW – Environmental Study – A study is underway on what was once the Government Ordinance Works (GOW) smokeless gunpowder plant that operated on a portion of UMore land around the time of World War II. According to Rosemount Director of Economic Development Kim Lindquist, “The environmental review is to assess the pinpoint locations of existing contamination associated with the GOW and also any other land uses that have occurred on the property since the university owned the land. They are interested in setting the geographic limits of the contaminated areas and also to define what the contaminated areas might be."

• Mining Permit – The University of Minnesota has entered into a lease agreement with Dakota Aggregates, LLC, for phased aggregate mining on a little more than 1,700 acres, some of which is located in Rosemount and the remaining in Empire Township. The city currently has no ordinance applicable to what Droste characterized as “the largest mining operation in the metropolitan area,” and is in the process of crafting such an ordinance.

• AUAR/Scenarios – Using the University of Minnesota Concept Master Plan for the UMore site as a basis, city staff is working with the U on developing an Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR), which will develop three land-use scenarios featuring varying mixes of housing and population density. The purpose of these scenarios is to assess the potential cumulative environmental impacts each different scenario may pose and to develop ways to avoid, mitigate, or minimize any identified impacts. When completed, the scenarios will be brought to the city council and each of the commissions and eventually will be brought to the public for comment.

• Transportation Study – Rosemount, Dakota County, Empire Township, the University of Minnesota, the Department of Natural Resources and others are in the process of conducting a corridor study as it relates to access to the developed UMore site.

• UMore Ballfields – The University of Minnesota has deeded 27 acres of land to the city to be developed into a baseball complex. According to Parks and Recreation Director Dan Schultz, the closing occurred on Aug. 9 and the city now owns the land. Current, preliminary plans call for grading of the land this fall, using an in-kind donation from SKB Environmental, with phase I development beginning in spring 2012. Full plans for the site are being compiled and will hopefully be brought before the City Council this September.