The fate of the much-disputed 55 acres of land west of the J.

Saturday, May 13, 2000

The fate of the much-disputed 55 acres of land west of the J.C. Hormel Nature Center is expected to be decided Monday by the Austin City Council. Now farmland, the question is whether or not the city council members will vote to annex the land, so plans to put homes there can proceed.

The recommendation from the ordinance committee would seem to indicate a "yes" vote, but not a unanimous vote. The ordinance committee recommended the council vote in favor of the annexation by a vote of 2-1, Jeanne Poppe and Neil Fedson for, Dick Lang against.

All the council members are aware that a vote to annex the land by ordinance – an earlier attempt at an orderly annexation failed – will most likely mean a referendum. They are OK with that. In fact, when Fedson cast his ordinance committee vote it was with the comment that he hoped it would come to a referendum.

A referendum would have to come from the people, however.

No problem, activist resident Mike Pratt already had more than enough signatures to start the initiative and referendum process on Monday.

Will a delay make the developers go away?

"Absolutely not," Dave Wellstone said Monday. Wellstone is a partner in Greater Minnesota Affordable Housing, which is proposing the development, and which has an option on the 55 acres. "We’re going to build even if it takes until next year to get started. We’re committed. If it goes to referendum, we’ll do what we need to do to win a referendum, which I think we can."

Wellstone indicated that the development company is also pursuing projects in other parts of the state, including St. Cloud, where he said they have gotten a "warm welcome."

Other items on Monday’s Austin City Council agenda include the following:

n Licensing for SPAMTOWN and SPAM Jam.

n A public hearing on decorative lighting for Main Street South.

n Two public hearings for the Robert Goetz property, 900 17th Ave. SW, one for a rezoning, the second for a variance.

n A resolution approving an equity loan agreement for $1 million between the City of Austin and the Austin Housing and Redevelopment Authority.

n A resolution approving the property transfers at First Drive and Fourth Street NW, where, because of the rerouting of the streets, the city has land that was once public right of way. Lots that are there will be sold to Gregg Johnson ande Austin Medical Center.

n Resolutions awarding bids for this summer’s street construction projects.

n An ordinance granting Hormel Foods Corp. the right to install fiber optic cable from its corporate office at 1 Hormel Place to its Corporate Office South at 1101 Main St. South.