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ITEM 4.2 <br /> <br />City of <br /> <br />E <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />River <br /> <br />TO: <br /> <br />FROM: <br /> <br />DATE: <br /> <br />MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL <br /> <br />STEPHEN ROHLF, BUILDING AND <br />ZONING ADMINISTRATOR <br /> <br />AUGUST 28, 2000 <br /> <br />SUBJECT: <br /> <br />ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY BOARD <br />RESPONSE TO PETITION <br />REGARDING THE CITY OF ELK <br />RIVER STATUS AS RESPONSIBLE <br />GOVERNMENTAL UNIT FOR THE <br />REQUESTED ENVIRONMENTAL <br />ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET <br /> <br />Staff has been in contact with the Environmental Quality Board (EQB) regarding the <br />issue of who would be the Responsible Governmental Unit (RGU) charged with the <br />preparation of the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) for the OPUS Facility, <br />if one was required. The RGU is generally the governmental unit with the greatest <br />responsibility for approving or supervising the project, which obviously is the City of Elk <br />River. The EQB has confirmed that the City of Elk River would be the RGU, if an <br />EAW were required. <br /> <br />If the argument that the city should not be the RGU because it stands to gain through <br />economic development (tax base) by a project being approved was valid, no city in the <br />state could ever be the RGU for any project. In this case, the point is somewhat moot due <br />to the fact that an EAW has already been done for the Country Crossing Project in 1994 <br />and OPUS' proposed facility is consistent with that document. Many of the same issues <br />raised in the petition were identified in the Country Crossing EAW. Those issues that <br />required some sort of action on the city's part, have been addressed through the <br />improvements already made as part of the Country Crossing plat improvements. <br /> <br />Considering the cumulative impacts of a project like Country Crossing is much more <br />useful than reviewing each proposed building individually. Individually, it takes a <br />300,000 square foot or larger warehouse or light manufacturing facility in Elk River to <br />trigger a mandatory EAW. <br /> <br />Although it is probably not necessary legally for the city to respond to the petition, since <br />the environmental review has already been completed for this area, staff felt it prudent to <br />address the issues and concerns raised. <br /> <br />13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490 · Elk River, MN 55330 · TDD & Phone (763) 441-7420 · Fax (763) 441-7425 <br /> <br /> <br />