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Old 01-30-2012, 06:22 AM
 
25,840 posts, read 16,515,156 times
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What do you think of this? I live pretty close to Lake Elmo and I have to say that is a wacky place. I don't really get the "small town charm" Myself, I think it's just an undeveloped kind of dilapidated little town that needs a real shot of youth and new ideas.

They "love" Lake Elmo but only for themselves. They want to keep it to themselves and they are taking up some pretty valuable space in the metro area.

Lake Elmo: Small, and shrinking - TwinCities.com
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Old 01-30-2012, 09:14 AM
 
Location: Mahtomedi, MN
989 posts, read 2,960,660 times
Reputation: 329
Quote:
Originally Posted by PullMyFinger View Post
What do you think of this? I live pretty close to Lake Elmo and I have to say that is a wacky place. I don't really get the "small town charm" Myself, I think it's just an undeveloped kind of dilapidated little town that needs a real shot of youth and new ideas.

They "love" Lake Elmo but only for themselves. They want to keep it to themselves and they are taking up some pretty valuable space in the metro area.

Lake Elmo: Small, and shrinking - TwinCities.com
The charm of Lake Elmo is really about open spaces and a rural lifestyle. Best to let it develop at it's own pace I think. Pressure for growth will happen naturally as lots for building homes in surrounding area become scarce and rise in price. Not likely to see that for at least a few more years. I use several businesses in Lake Elmo because I feel we get very good service for competitive price (Vet, Dentist, Insurance). We also go to Gorman's for breakfast once a month or so. I find it a lot more wacky that the Met Council is getting up into the cities grill and trying to force the growth issue. There is a lot more of the same open space in surrounding areas like Bay Township, Grant, Lakeland and Afton. Why single out Lake Elmo as the problem child?
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Old 01-30-2012, 10:06 AM
 
20,793 posts, read 61,282,830 times
Reputation: 10695
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clifford63 View Post
The charm of Lake Elmo is really about open spaces and a rural lifestyle. Best to let it develop at it's own pace I think. Pressure for growth will happen naturally as lots for building homes in surrounding area become scarce and rise in price. Not likely to see that for at least a few more years. I use several businesses in Lake Elmo because I feel we get very good service for competitive price (Vet, Dentist, Insurance). We also go to Gorman's for breakfast once a month or so. I find it a lot more wacky that the Met Council is getting up into the cities grill and trying to force the growth issue. There is a lot more of the same open space in surrounding areas like Bay Township, Grant, Lakeland and Afton. Why single out Lake Elmo as the problem child?
I agree. Also, 3 miles away in Stillwater or a few miles in the other direction there is everything they are trying to push into Lake Elmo--WHY?? That is one thing I like about Rosemount is we DON'T have all that shopping here. It keeps it quiet, minimal traffic and keeps the small town feel--but, we are 3 miles or less away from everything we need, best of both worlds.
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Old 01-30-2012, 11:05 AM
 
25,840 posts, read 16,515,156 times
Reputation: 16024
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clifford63 View Post
The charm of Lake Elmo is really about open spaces and a rural lifestyle. Best to let it develop at it's own pace I think. Pressure for growth will happen naturally as lots for building homes in surrounding area become scarce and rise in price. Not likely to see that for at least a few more years. I use several businesses in Lake Elmo because I feel we get very good service for competitive price (Vet, Dentist, Insurance). We also go to Gorman's for breakfast once a month or so. I find it a lot more wacky that the Met Council is getting up into the cities grill and trying to force the growth issue. There is a lot more of the same open space in surrounding areas like Bay Township, Grant, Lakeland and Afton. Why single out Lake Elmo as the problem child?
Because I live near it, my kids went to Lake Elmo elementary school. A very frustrating town. They will not allow a stoplight on Hwy 5 and Lake Elmo ave even though it is a very blind intersection and very busy, especially in the morning when you are taking your kids to school--all to preserve some small town nonsense. Ridiculous things like that. Or city council meeting where the police are called because there is such bad blood.

They fought and fought and fought to not hook up to the metro sewer system and caused high legal fees and extra costs for the met council. That hurts everyone.

They have a long history of this kind of thing. It is a problem.
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Old 01-30-2012, 11:24 AM
 
20,793 posts, read 61,282,830 times
Reputation: 10695
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Originally Posted by PullMyFinger View Post
Because I live near it, my kids went to Lake Elmo elementary school. A very frustrating town. They will not allow a stoplight on Hwy 5 and Lake Elmo ave even though it is a very blind intersection and very busy, especially in the morning when you are taking your kids to school--all to preserve some small town nonsense. Ridiculous things like that. Or city council meeting where the police are called because there is such bad blood.

They fought and fought and fought to not hook up to the metro sewer system and caused high legal fees and extra costs for the met council. That hurts everyone.

They have a long history of this kind of thing. It is a problem.
It's not a problem if you want to live in a small town, which is what Lake Elmo is. I have to agree that if they allow this development to happen it is just going to be an extension of Stillwater and/or Oakdale and lose it's identity. If you don't like small town living, why did you move there? I've traveled through Lake Elmo thousands and thousands of times and have never had an issue with traffic.
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Old 01-30-2012, 11:53 AM
 
25,840 posts, read 16,515,156 times
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There are many people who actually live in Lake Elmo (I don't) who agree with me. It would be a big tax relief for them if the city allowed more development. Whether they like it or not, they are in the Metro area socked between Woodbury, Oakdale and Stillwater. Every time they give up a commercial business property like in this article, they are hurting their city. They have passed on millions in tax revenue that would have taken a burden off their residents and wouldn't have hurt the idea of Lake Elmo being a small town at all IMO.
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Old 01-30-2012, 11:59 AM
 
20,793 posts, read 61,282,830 times
Reputation: 10695
Quote:
Originally Posted by PullMyFinger View Post
There are many people who actually live in Lake Elmo (I don't) who agree with me. It would be a big tax relief for them if the city allowed more development. Whether they like it or not, they are in the Metro area socked between Woodbury, Oakdale and Stillwater. Every time they give up a commercial business property like in this article, they are hurting their city. They have passed on millions in tax revenue that would have taken a burden off their residents and wouldn't have hurt the idea of Lake Elmo being a small town at all IMO.
What is there to support? The schools are supported through the Stillwater School district, you don't have any other city amenities really. Small towns can and do survive without all of the commercial enterprises all the time. It's ok for a town NOT to have everything under the sun. If people are complaining about high property taxes, perhaps they shouldn't build $500,000+ homes....
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Old 01-30-2012, 01:12 PM
 
Location: Mahtomedi, MN
989 posts, read 2,960,660 times
Reputation: 329
Quote:
Originally Posted by PullMyFinger View Post
Because I live near it, my kids went to Lake Elmo elementary school. A very frustrating town. They will not allow a stoplight on Hwy 5 and Lake Elmo ave even though it is a very blind intersection and very busy, especially in the morning when you are taking your kids to school--all to preserve some small town nonsense. Ridiculous things like that. Or city council meeting where the police are called because there is such bad blood.

They fought and fought and fought to not hook up to the metro sewer system and caused high legal fees and extra costs for the met council. That hurts everyone.

They have a long history of this kind of thing. It is a problem.
Lot of small towns have that same type of tension. Two groups that see things differently and not much resolution. Tends to be the people that have been there a long time vs. newer residents that have a different vision or set of expectations.
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Old 01-31-2012, 08:53 AM
 
5,341 posts, read 14,134,112 times
Reputation: 4699
The Met Council has WAYYYYYYYY too much power. How in the world should they be allowed to dictate to a city that they have to tripple in size?? Just because the suburbs grew into them, now they have to go full blown mega development and change the whole make up of the city? Lake Elmo should be able to govern themselves as they see fit.
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