Should Mendota Heights Have Rules for Commercial Property Maintenance?

The Planning Commission wants to hear your opinion Tuesday night.

What would you tell the Planning Commission? Leave your comments in the space below. The Mendota Heights Planning Commission wants to hear from local businesses about a proposed commercial property maintenance ordinance. A public hearing on the matter is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 26 at Mendota Heights City Hall. The Planning Commission will discuss the ordinance following the public hearing.  The ordinance would set standards for property maintenance based on ordinances in surrounding communities. The city currently relies on nuisance laws for enforcement. See Also: Mendota Heights Council Reviews Draft Commercial Property Maintenance Rules Mendota Heights Commercial Property Maintenance Code Gets a Boost Mendota Heights Council …

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Agenda: White Pines Senior Living Up for Review by Mendota Heights City Council

Special meeting called to deal with deadline issue.

The Mendota Heights City Council will meet 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to review a senior housing project proposed for Mendota Plaza. The White Pines project was recommended for denial in its current form by the planning commission last week. A problem with paperwork put additional deadline pressure on the process. Tuesday's meeting had been originally posted for public notice to review applications for the vacant position of city administrator.

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Permit for Newly Built Fence in Mendota Heights Critical Area Narrowly Approved

The planning commission found themselves in an unusual situation.

In an unprecedented situation, the Mendota Heights planning commission moved to approve a permit to construct a fence that has already been built. The commission voted 4-3 at their May 24meeting to approve a Critical Area permit for a privacy fence at 1040 Sibley Memorial Highway. Despite the application’s straightforward request, basic improvements such as these tend to pass without a hitch, there was a small complication: the fence has already been completed. Property owner Beverly Sargent was aware she needed a permit, but was unaware that a permit could take weeks to obtain. She applied for the permit, then, built the fence before receiving it. “I already had guys coming,” Sargent explained to the commission. “I had already put down a …

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Mendota Heights Prepares for New Variance Law

Mendota Heights planning commission will hear about the effect of the new law passed last week at their meeting May 24.

Gov. Mark Dayton signed a bill into law May 5 changing the standard by which Minnesota cities may grant variance requests to property owners. After the Minnesota State Supreme Court ruled last summer that cities must adhere to a far more rigorous historic standard when granting variance requests–effectively ending cities’ ability to grant most variances–the new law allows cities to employ something closer to the standards developed over time prior to the Supreme Court’s June 24, 2010 decision. The bill passed unanimously. “This was obviously a point of concern for our city. When it comes down to it, the recently passed legislation regarding variances changes the way that the city of Mendota Heights processes variances,” said Jake Sedlacek…

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Mendota Heights Council Selects Appointments for Planning, Airport Relations and Parks Commissions

12 individuals interviewed for the seven open positions.

From a pool of applicants comprised of finance and business specialists, lawyers and engineers, the Mendota Heights City Council chose their picks for three city advisory committees Feb. 16. Two full terms and one one-year term are vacant on the planning commission. The same situation faces the airport advisory committee. The parks and recreation committee has one vacancy outstanding. Michael Noonan, Howard Roston and Mary Magnuson were selected for the planning commission. Magnuson will be appointed to the 1-year-term. Jim Neuharth, Kevin Byrnes and Gina Norling were selected for the airport relations committee. Norling was chosen for the one-year term. There are no term limits for the ARC, due to the learning curve for committee members …

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Mary Jeanne Schneeman

4:48 pm on Thursday, February 17, 2011

Congratulations to all the new commission appointees. You are a steller group. Mary Jeanne Schneeman   more ›

Dozens Apply for Mendota Heights Advisory Commissions

The city received the most applicants in recent memory, with residents volunteering to fill an unprecedented number of vacant commission seats.

Fifteen candidates have applied for seven open or opening seats on Mendota Heights’ advisory commissions. Candidates for three positions open on the planning commission and three positions open on the airport relations committee will be interviewed alongside candidates for a single vacant spot on the parks and recreation commission at a special meeting Feb. 16. "The city council will have a hard time making up their minds with so many qualified applicants," said City Administrator David McKnight, who has described both the number of vacancies and applicants as rare. The  council will vote to appoint applicants to all seven posts at their regular meeting on Tuesday, March 1. The three vacant seats on the planning commission are the result …

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New Mendota Mayor Brian Mielke Sworn in at Special Ceremony

A handful of citizens attended a special city council meeting Monday night at the VFW.

Mendota City Council members gathered in front of a smattering of residents Monday evening for a changing of the guard as mayor Steve Golias formally stepped down and new mayor Brian Mielke was sworn in by city attorney Tom Lehmann. Also sworn in Monday were new council members Adam Strain and Josh Lee. By meeting’s end the council decided that council member Alan Ralston would be appointed deputy mayor.  After opening the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance, Golias was presented with a plaque honoring his years of service. The departing mayor acknowledged that, while his tenure hadn’t dramatically changed Mendota, the city had remained a vital place during his time in office.  “We kept it a good place to live and I’m really proud of …

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Mendota Heights Planning Commission Anticipates Changes to Variance Approvals in 2010

The planning commission wrapped up 2010 business at their meeting Dec. 28.

Mendota Heights Planning Commission members said they don't foresee anything out of the ordinary coming up in 2011 in terms of development projects within the city, but they will be dealing with a recent Minnesota Supreme Court decision that may affect some of their regular business. "We'll probably be dealing with typical variance applications, critical area permits and wetland permits. Those are the three primary things we see," said commission member Stephen Norton. However, due to the Supreme Court ruling on municipal variance authority, civic bodies such as the planning commission are anticipating the need to change the kinds of variances they grant. "We'll probably see fewer variances," said commission member Litton Field Jr. "We do …

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