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Plan for new homes on former Carriage Hills Golf Course moves forward

By SARAH LEMAGIE, Star Tribune

Last update: May 27, 2008 - 9:56 PM

A controversial plan for new homes on the former Carriage Hills Golf Course moved one step forward when the Eagan Planning Commission recommended approval of preliminary development plans Tuesday night.

But Eagan residents will still weigh in on the fate of the land at a November referendum, part of a legal settlement reached this spring after a four-year legal battle waged against the city by the golf course's owner and a developer.

Many residents have fought to preserve the 120-acre site as green space, while landowner Ray Rahn and Wensmann Realty have argued that they should be able to develop it.

Under a contingent deal reached in April, the city will let voters decide whether to buy the land or let it be developed. If they approve the purchase, the city will buy the land for $10 million, plus about $250,000 in bond fees and other expenses -- costs that do not include any improvements such as trails. But even before November, the city is reviewing a Wensmann proposal for homes that could be built if the referendum fails.

Wensmann's plan calls for up to 480 houses, townhouses, senior housing and apartments or condominiums on about 90 acres of the golf course, with 30 acres set aside as green space.

The City Council, which must approve any project plans, is slated to consider the preliminary concept at its June 3 meeting.

Sarah Lemagie • 952-882-9016