Opponents of the Noble Hill plan for homes near Fredrick-Miller Spring say they’ll appeal the Eden Prairie City Council’s recent decision to not order an additional environmental study.
Justin DeAngelo, whose name is attached to a GoFundMe effort to raise money for legal help, said opponents have been told it might take $15,000 to $20,000 to fund such an effort. The GoFundMe page for the project indicated May 13 that about $6,500 has been raised from 112 donors.
The city council voted 5-0 on May 4 to deny opponents’ request for preparation of an environmental assessment worksheet (EAW) for the Pulte Homes project, saying they’re comfortable that the possible environmental effects of the 50-home plan have already been outlined, addressed, and mitigated.
But state law allows citizens to seek reversal of that decision before the Minnesota Court of Appeals if the court is petitioned within a specific time frame, which DeAngelo said appears to be early June.
“We have enough money raised to get the process started,” he said.
“The city’s response to the request for an EAW was really short – it didn’t address all of the concerns,” he added. “And that’s why we think we have a strong case.”
Noble Hill is expected to be part of the city council’s meeting agenda June 15. A lengthy public hearing on the PulteGroup, Inc. project was held May 4 and is now closed. Next month’s second-reading approval on June 15 is considered automatic.
(Mark Weber is executive director of the Eden Prairie Community Foundation. Two of the Foundation’s board members are on the city council.)
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