Annexation foes spread the word
Published 12:00 am Monday, October 23, 2000
As Election Day draws nearer, efforts to stop the annexation of land near the J.
Monday, October 23, 2000
As Election Day draws nearer, efforts to stop the annexation of land near the J.C. Hormel Nature Center are gaining momentum.
Radio and television interviews are being taped and signs bearing the number 450 inside of a circle with a line through it are appearing on the lawns and boulevards of Austin.
"Please Vote ‘No’ on Ordinance 450," the signs say, referring to the annexation by ordinance of 55 acres of land just west of the nature center passed by the Austin City Council earlier this year. The land in question, now farmland, has been proposed for a housing development, which would contain homes ranging in price from $100,000 on up.
So far, it seems the momentum favors the efforts of those who are trying to stop the annexation and subsequent development of the land.
First, the Lansing Township Board voted not to allow the orderly annexation of the land into Austin. That forced the annexation to go through the council by ordinance, which led to a second triumph for the group opposing the development – the forcing of a referendum on the annexation. Now they’re eagerly anticipating their third triumph – winning the referendum by persuading the majority of voters to "just say no."
"We want to emphasize that it’s not our intention to stop the development of housing in Austin," group member Dean Dykeman said. "Just to stop it in this particular location. There are lots of other places already annexed where people could build that aren’t across the street from the nature center."
A question about rumors that the motive behind the group’s activism was a fear that ethnic minorities would occupy the proposed homes brought an immediate response at a Thursday night meeting of the core members of the group.
"That’s absurd," Rodney Middlebrook said.
"That has been mentioned one time and that was by Mr. Wellstone," group treasurer Bill Rollie said, referring to developer David Wellstone, son of U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone and a partner in the Greater Minnesota Affordable Housing group that has designs on the property.
The focus, group members said, is green space and wildlife, not housing.
"This referendum gives people a unique opportunity to vote for the environment," Dick Dixon said. "This land can provide homes for wildlife."
And, while the city has all but declared it wouldn’t expand the nature center to the west, the anti-annexation activists haven’t let that deter them. They have a vision and high hopes for the state Department of Natural Resources and other public and private funding sources.
"Wildlife friendly," is the general idea, satisfying, according to Dykeman, a dual purpose: "to foster wildlife and to serve as a deterrent to flooding."
Members agreed that the money to make the land a place of refuge for wildlife is out there – it’s just waiting for the election to be over.
"I think you can find the money out there to convert the land to natural prairie," Middlebrook said. "Once it’s not a political hot potato."
The group will meet again at 7:30 p.m. Thursday to pass out fliers and schedule a voter education blitz the weekend before the election.