By MaryHelen Swanson

In special session before the city council meeting Monday night, the North Branch council began to work on ideas for dealing with the city-owned development project called ESSBY.

The last discussion on the subject was at a town meeting held last fall.

Mayor Gloria Karsky had four issues she wanted to start with including the fact that the amendment to the cityís comprehensive plan is not approved, that there might be more commercial development north of 400th, that they review the I-35 interchange options and that the city might want to start development land south of 400th first to recoup costs of the project.

Councilwoman Amy Oehlers wanted to include a lower density in housing, also, somewhere around 319 units.

The hour-long discussion mainly centered on the idea of a future interchange at the freeway on 400th Street.

City finance director David Stutelberg gave four options for the kind of interchange that could be included and costs.

A full diamond interchange, using all four corners, would need $3.2 million for the land, a standard diamond, using 37.7 acres would cost a little over $2 million, if it were just an overpass and not an intersection, it would cost approximately $277,000.

A fourth option was called a ìfolded diamondî and needs only two corners. The cost for land for this choice would be about $1.6 million.

The city has purchased the southeast quadrant, but it is not paid for, as that is included in a bond package that comes due in 2009.
Most of the council liked the fourth option.

In discussing development of the city-owned land south of 400th, City Administrator Joe Lynch noted that a developer has some drawings but does not want to show them to the council until a letter of intent is in place. The plans call for 70-90 housing units depending on type.

It was decided that the council should meet with this developer. The council also wants Stutelberg to put together numbers associated with the options of the future overpass.

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