Striking Down a Roseville Ordinance; Why Did The Judge Do It?

A Ramsey County district judge this past week declared "invalid and unenforceable" a Roseville city ordinance that would impose an "impact fee"  on various Twin Lakes property owners who seek to develop their property in the future.

But why did Judge John Guthmann  strike down Ordinance 1417? To get the full story, check out Guthmann's 20-page opinion, which is attached to this post. ere.

Short story: Guthmann found that Roseville's powers were limited, and that the fee exceeded the city’s statutory authority.

Carolyn Curti, a Roseville city spokeswoman, on Thursday had no immediate comment. "We just received this and will not have a comment until we have time to discuss with the attorneys and City Council," she said.

The Roseville Council adopted the ordinance last September in a move that affects various Twin Lakes property owners who seek to develop their property in the future.

One of the Twin Lakes property owners, XTRA Lease, challenged the ordinance. Robert Hajek, an attorney for XTRA Lease, said Guthmann's decsion is the first time a Minnesota district court has directly tackled this issue.

The Twin Lakes area is generally north of County Road C and east of Cleveland Avenue. The redevelopment area consists of about 275 acres, including about 175 acres that is still vacant.