As plans for the Southwest Corridor light-rail project take shape, some Minnetonka residents worry they'll find themselves on the wrong side of the tracks.
They're concerned about a stretch that would run through Opus Hill, a wooded area that includes a heavily used recreational trail. If the route goes ahead as planned, hillside trees will be cut down.
Jerry Kavan, who owns the Claremont Apartments, said 171 units that face Opus Hill pay extra for the view. Under current plans, the train would pass 89 to 120 feet from the apartments, obstructing the view and adding noise, light and vibration that could drive those residents out.
"We view this as pretty devastating to our property," Kavan said.
So he's leading a push for an alternate route that would arc out, on pylons, into a nearby wetland — adding a station and about a minute of travel time.
Minnetonka City Council Member Tony Wagner said the council is taking the request for an alternate route seriously, but until more study is done, it's tough to say whether it would be a viable option.
The light-rail project, which will extend the Green Line from downtown Minneapolis into St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Eden Prairie, is still in the development phase. It's expected to be complete by 2019.
"It's never too late, right?" Wagner said. "But this is pretty far down the road."