Clarion 1995-03-16 Vol. 70 No. 11

              Iridav/Marcli 16/1995
The official student publication of Bethel College
Volume 70, Number 11
Neighbors protest Bethel's decision:
Bethel chooses to sell its MGolden Triangle'f
By: HEIDI REMUS
Editor
Bethel's neighbors are hoping not to
see the day when the northwest comer of
County Road E2 and Old Highway 10 is
no longer 6.5 acres of wetiand and open
space, but an 18 unit townhouse
development.
Yet few remain hopeful that the day
won't come. Bethel, the owner of the
property, has agreed to sell the land to
Developer Dan Ogren of Edina Realty in
Shoreview. Mr. Ogren has proposed to build
on this site 18 townhomes, estimating that
each would range from $170,000 to
$230,000 in price. The final decision will
be made by die City Council of Arden Hills
on Monday, March 27.
The bill was met wilh its first approval
on Wednesday, March I, when the Arden
Hills Planning Commission voted 5-1 in
favor of the project, despite protest from the
community. The public hearing was called
in order for the commission to consider
amending the Land Use Plan of the City
Comprehensive Plan from open space to
low density residential use, a request made
by the applicant, Mr. Ogren. Though many
believed that the piece of property was part
of the Ramsey County Open Space system,
die site is currendy zoned R-1, which allows
low density, single family residential
development to exist.
Many neighbors were outraged lhat
Bethel did not make it known lo the
community dial the piece of property was
for sale, or that it was underdie consideration
of being developed, until two weeks before
die March 1 hearing was held. As a result,
many neighbors who were opposed io tins
action were left scrambling, trying to put
together leaflets, write letters and phone
Bethel about their concerns.
On Tuesday, March 7, a second town
meeting was called, this time held at Bethel.
Citizens who were opposed to the
development were invited to voice their
concerns and to direct their questions to
President George Brushaber, who was also
present. Joyce Kloncz, a Valentine Hills
science teacher, was one educator who
expressed her concern about the loss of the
land, citing the effect it will have on the
children she teaches. "It's an area where we
do camouflage simulations so that children
can understand how animals are
camouflaged lo protect themselves. We take
seasonal nature hikes, we discover the
science of watching nature move from
season to season, and we obviously observe
nature at its very best in all four seasons.
Let's keep that for our children," she said.
A second educator, Dr. Robert Mullin,
a retired professor of Horticulture and
Landscape Architecture at theU of M, gave
a slide presentation of the wetland,
wildfiowers, and grasses, all taken inside
the piece of property in question, or "the
golden triangle," as Mullin called it.
Moderator Mark Chapin said he would
like B ethel to ask the de veloperto be allowed
property in 1963, though Bethel never
intended to market it, despite inquires made.
The property has never figured in to Bediel's
"Master Plan" he said. "We were forced
two years ago when we had to make the
decision, the major decision, to put up a
building that was 4.5 times more cosdy
than any building we ever did before, we
had lo look at what our campus plan was
more seriously." The Board of Regents
determined two years ago that there was no
"future use" for lhe property, therefore il
was made available forsale, he said. Though
Brushaber said he has never seen the plans
for the townhouse development, he said it
seemed in concept to be a more appropriate
plan than previous offers made. He said the
price offered was higher, and the density of
people living on that property would be
lower.
Brushaber said "if we had been paying
attention, if we had not presumed on a good
relationship with the neighbors in Arden
Hills, we probably would've stopped and
said, 'What are folks going to think?' In all
candor, in all honesty, we didn't think
through those kinds of diings."
Some neighbors talked about how they
w alked their dogs through this area to escape
the busy roads and traffic, many said how
they allow their children to play in this
wooded area because it's relatively safe,
and one child shared a poem that she wrote
about the land. One man said that the main
reason why his son bought a house in this
area was because of the piece of undeveloped
land behind it. One neighbor, Jim
Sommerfield,   said   he   understood
Continued on page 2
Map illustrates the land in question
Affordable tuition is our mission
i
By: BARBARA SEWARD
out of the agreement. Chapin said a new
non-profitorganizationhasbeeii developed
called The Neighbors of Valentine Lake,
who would be willing to work wilh Beihel
toward a solution. "We arc asking for lhe
opportunity lo work wilh (he school in
partnership lo maintain ihis land us open
space .. . (o present some solutions to this
problem." Chapin listed many avenues
available to solve this problem: the
acquisition of the property through the non-
profit corporation (lo be later donated to
Ramsey County), pursuing tax exemption
for the property to evade taxes for the past
and present years until a solution is reached,
the start of fundraising efforts to repay the
contractor for his losses, or, lease the land to
neighbors for a 10-year period.
President George Brushaber said he
was "very surprised and unprepared for the
negative reaction thatemerged." Brushaber
emphasized the importance of
"neighborliness" that he said Bethel has
always shared with its neighbors, and how
he would like that to continue, despite
"whatever anguish is now being felt." He
cited how Bethel bought the piece of
Staff Writer
On Wednesday, Feb. 8, the Minnesota
State University Student Association
(MSUSA) held a press conference in the
state capitol building during their annual
lobby day. The theme for the MSUSA lobby
day was "Affordable Tuition is Our
Mission." Over 60,000 students rallied at
the slate capitol, representing Minnesota's
seven universities.
Going along with the theme of
affordable tuition, two major concerns for
students werediscusscd, along with possible
solutions. The two concerns were
maintaining affordable tuition rates and
full funding of the Minnesota Higher
Education Board's proposal. The full
funding of the Education Board entails a
request of $ 120 million to cover the costs of
merging Minnesota state universities and
the community and technical colleges into
one whole called the Minnesota State
Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) on July
1.
Students voiced dieir opinions and
concerns to stale senators and
representatives lhat were present. The major
concern of merging Minnesota's
universities with community and technical
colleges is the |x>ssible increase in tuition.
Currently cuts in budget spending could
reduce a funding increase to 1.1 percent
compared to the current allotment MnSCU
receives. This would be a loss of
approximately $9.1 million. As a result,
tuition could increase as much as 20 percent
in 1996 and 10 percent in 1997.
Keeping in mind already high college
tuition, the MSUSA students will return to
the state capitol on March 15 to rally for
affordable tuition rates and the full allotment
of budget funding from the Minnesota
Education Board.
How will this affect Bethel? Currently,
two- and four-year private colleges receive
over half of the stale grant dollars allotted.
A merger of Minnesota's universities and
community and technical colleges could
affect the future state grant money private
colleges receive.