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The Epsteins spent BY AMY BECKER •
<br /> Pioneer Press
<br /> their savings on a
<br /> home in a development
<br /> ike and Cheryl Epstein built their dream home in Hugo
<br /> It
<br /> a wooded 2.2-acre lot without knowing it was part of
<br /> that officials now a solid waste dump.
<br /> Then they found tires, auto parts, bricks and other
<br /> say contained about debris buried in their yard. They had the developer and
<br /> III
<br /> one-time owner, Dave Schumann, partly clean the site. He
<br /> 85 yards of waste. has already removed about 220 tires from his Deer Park
<br /> Estates development,but more work must be done.
<br /> ,-' " .y IfE t{ W , . ,' ' i began w7 The alking arounsteins d ot n he lot,lot hey noticed g the ter Once tiress sticking
<br /> '1' Fs','` 'r r:ii;,.:, ."s4.xF up through undergrowth in the treed part of the lot.
<br /> '1,-U .. .~',:v�UN F< "The more he dug, the more stuff we found," said John
<br /> ' ii
<br /> SIZ,„; in `~,0� 4sGt�I1NTY(• Matthews, a Realtor who represents the builder, Integra
<br /> L" ,. , ., -14.a e; s.x,
<br /> i Ca, ,'h Homes.
<br /> ' � `� --4,,,,"' .�-. F' The cleanup of the Epsteins'half-million-dollar site is on
<br /> ;..;,,i '`61 € "�c:' „,z, ,;,- ,,>:•t -,'U1 hold right now The couple is awaiting soil and water tests
<br /> ' �`: "";'k. <- T& ', and reviewing their options.
<br /> 3 th;S x Deer Park " Mike Epstein said he can't understand why Schumann
<br /> i
<br /> li j, ` r, Estates `'
<br /> sur,(�$t� didn't completely clean the site before subdividing it and
<br /> I PIONEER PRESS DUMPED ON,3A
<br /> I ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS • WWW.TWINCITIES.COM MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2001 M 3A
<br /> FROM PAGE lA
<br /> Dumped O11 y� The city then filed civil suit that development agreement on tests show the site is safe, he
<br /> . against him. Schumann counter- the city's behalf. would like the builder to pro-
<br /> + sued. He said he keeps a plaque Washington County Public ceed with cleanup.
<br /> (continued) with a picture of the$20,000 settle- Health and Environment is also And now that he knows about
<br /> ment check the city paid him monitoring the situation since his home,he said,he would have
<br /> 'selling it as a housing develop- Now this development deal receiving a complaint about the to disclose the site's history: "I
<br /> ment. He says Schumann didn't has led to another round of fm- property this fall. Environmen- can't sell the property now with-.
<br /> disclose the covered debris. ger-pointing, allegations and tal specialists inspected the lots out disclosing what's out t '
<br /> Schumann said that he didn't threats. Schumann hasn't yet sold to the
<br /> know about it and that the Ron Lillestrand has been builder.The county ordered him Amy Becker,who covers Was -
<br /> debris was likely placed there in building homes on the Deer to remove solid waste "includ- ington County,can be reached at
<br /> 'the 1970s by his father as part of Park Estate lots. He said he ing a few tires and automotive abecker@pioneerpress.com or
<br /> a car-crushing business. feels caught in the middle. He parts,"from three lots.The two- (651)228-5465.
<br /> "Everybody just missed it," said he believed the develop- page order described three
<br /> said Schumann,who is also the ment agreement between the dumps in a common area that
<br /> Hugo planning commission city and Schumann, which contained items ranging from e
<br /> chairman. "I didn't know that called for the site to be cleaned kitchen chairs to old shingles
<br /> , stuff was there until this sum- up,would protect'him. and waste pallets. In all, the
<br /> ' mer." His former auto disman- Realtors are required to dis- dumps contained an estimated
<br /> _ Cling and repair business shop, close almost everything they 85 yards of solid waste. Schu-
<br /> DJ's Auto,was located on a dif- know about a property and mann has until mid-February to
<br /> ferent part of the 35-acre site. though sellers and homeowners finish the cleanup.
<br /> Why did the city let him aren't required to do the same, He has been cleaning steadi-
<br /> develop his former salvage busi- "it's good business," said Linda ly, Schumann says. However,
<br /> ness?Schumann knows why. Anderson, president of the St. Epstein halted the cleanup on
<br /> : "People hate junkyards," he Paul Area Association of Realtors his property to look into the sit-
<br /> _ says. and an agent with Edina Realty uation more closely.
<br /> - City officials long have dis- She is not an attorney,but Ander- As luck would have it, Schu-
<br /> . liked having the auto salvage son said she isn't sure if this is mann and Epstein live next door
<br /> yard on agricultural land,but the purely a disclosure issue. to each other.
<br /> -business pre-dated the city and "Did the city exercise due Angry feelings still linger.
<br /> its rules. Some officials thought care in making sure it was Schumann worries the negative
<br /> real estate values would push cleaned up?"she asked. publicity could cost the develop-
<br /> Schumann to change the use, Schumann has repeatedly ment home sales. He said he is
<br /> and they were right. been told to clean the site. The contemplating suing the
<br /> Other officials got technical city insisted he do so when he Epsteins for defamation and
<br /> with him,and it cost them.He was developed the property two wants his neighbors to move.
<br /> . sued on seven misdemeanor alle- years ago.Officials inspected the The Epsteins don't want to
<br /> gations,many involving dumping site and found nothing, so they move. •
<br /> and improper disposaL However, issued him development per- "We've put our life savings
<br /> he was only convicted of failing to mits,said John Rask,Hugo corn- into this property," Mike
<br /> obtain a building permit for a munity development director. Epstein said. He has told the
<br /> shop he rebuilt after a fire in 1988. An attorney is reviewing builder that if soil and water
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