07.b Bruce and Janet Swenson letter to CouncilJune 6, 2022
RECEIVED
JUN 15 2022
CITY OF SCANDIA
Janet and Bruce Swenson's Request to vacate the 1,600 feet long "Pedestrian
Way" walking easement
Dear Mayor and Council Members:
First, Janet and I want to clear the air. With a fairly recent letter to the City, Mr.
Newell accused us of breaking a promise to build a baseball park on Outlot A of
"Swenson's Goose Lake Farm Estates". In the year 2000, as Janet and I were in
the process of building the ballfield, we installed $2,350.00 worth of lime rock and
Mike Peterson had also completed grading the lime rock for the ballfield.
Following this progress, the backstop was delivered and was ready to be installed.
Upon seeing the backstop, some Goose Lake Farm Estates residents went to the
town board and asked that the ballfield NOT be created. The residents said they
"didn't want any ballfield there because of the noise it would create, and they
didn't want people parking on their street". The Town Board then contacted us
and asked us not to finish the ballfield. We agreed to do so. Clearly, we did not
break any promise and Mr. Newell's accusation of breaking a promise, is false.
Ironically, a few years later the City of Scandia asked us if we would agree to let
the City establish a public bee habitat on Outlot A. We agreed to sign off on that.
Now, some old history:
In the late 1800's, my grandfather donated a tract of land to Scandia Township.
This tract of land is now and has been for many years, the public landing on
Oldfield Avenue, on the west side of Goose Lake.
Since that time, Scandia Township and the City have come to us two times, asking
to purchase two additional tracts of land; one to provide access for the lake
aerator and one tract of land to improve the landing and to also expand the
parking area. We agreed to sell both times the City made the request. As I
remember, we received a total of $2,000 for the two parcels. We appreciated
receiving a payment from the City, but most importantly, we simply wanted to
help our City, and also help preserve Goose Lake.
Page 2.
We are confident that you know, our farm practices have always been focused on
protecting and preserving Goose Lake.
Now, some recent history:
When we agreed to a proposed walking easement in 2001, we did not know that
we would one day be fortunate to have someone buy our property in order to
establish a beautiful tree farm on our land. Had we known this may happen, we
would have never agreed to dedicate a "walking easement" that if used, may
most often be misused.
Over the years, we have mostly witnessed residents using snowmobiles and four
wheelers, thinking that they are in the easement, but are most often not on the
easement, and instead they are in our fields and on our property.
For many years and up until the time the small group of people who illegally
mowed, brushed, and cut trees in the easement in the spring of 2021, the
easement had not been used as intended.
The very small group of people who are opposing the vacation of the easement,
have no interest in actually letting the people of Scandia, and the public, use the
easement as it was originally intended to be used. They simply want it for
themselves.
We ask that if you truly want to see the ENTIRE walking easement, from Oren to
the lake, we wish you to do so. Please begin your walk from Oren and continue
south over the rear sides of the four lots that abut the easement. Then continue
south on Outlot B through the wetland, and proceed further south to the second
wetland which is now under water and cannot be navigated on foot. Please do
not start your walk on our property, as this will not give you the complete picture
of the entire easement.
For the future of Goose Lake, for the environment and for the people who want
to use the lake, as they always have, we are asking you to realize that the small
group of people opposing the change, have no real interest in the people of our
Scandia community using the easement.
Page 3.
If you indeed believe the easement should be available for all the residents of
Scandia to use, then we suggest that the City develop it as such, maintain it,
police it and insure it for liability.
We hope our City Council will realize that they are representing not only a given
few who live in the Goose Lake Estates, but they are representing all of the
Scandia community, including us, along with Jim and Peggy Simpson. We also
hope you realize that by granting the vacation of the "walking easement" you are
removing a possible liability to the City.
In 1990, the City Council decided to sell an unused public lot/easement to a
homeowner on the southeast side of Goose Lake, which eliminated and closed
that access to the public. We are hoping that we have provided enough factual
information to help you understand that there is no good purpose to allow this
easement to exist.
In closing, Janet and I are life-long residents of Scandia. We are, and always have
been very proud of our community, and also of the great respect our residents
have for each other.
Very Sincerely,
Ja et Swenson
C
Bruce Swenson Y-12 0 2Z