At City Hall

VICTORIA HALL COMPLETED
THANK YOU, IRENE KERBER!
Mayor Mary Meuwissen thanked Irene Kerber of Kerber Homes, Victoria, for the beautiful design and renovation project at the Victoria Village Hall.  The Hall, built for the City of Victoria in the winter of 1965 or 1966 by Diethelm Construction for less than $30,000, according to Ken Diethelm, is no longer a gymnasium.  It no longer has basketball hoops on either end nor bars on the windows, and the carpet has been stripped from the walls.

ICE ARENA STAYS IN MINNETONKA
VICTORIA GAVE THE PROPER NUDGE

The ice arena as proposed by the Minnetonka Youth Hockey Association will not be built in Victoria; it will be built in Minnetonka.  Said City Administrator Steve Sarvi on January 11th, "We have quite a few options to discuss.  Regardless of what's happened, we've learned a lot and can move forward."
The facility will now consist of only one sheet of ice, instead of two as proposed for Victoria; it will cost $6.1 million, instead of $5.1 million as proposed for Vic-toria.  But a full track will be constructed around the ice and it will have seating for 1500.  It will be a major facility to Minnetonka's athletic department, not just an ice arena.
Said Mayor Mary Meuwissen, "Mike Ayres from Oppidan called me.  One of the reasons Minnetonka went with if after all is because Victoria was willing to go with it.  We probably helped them to get it where it should be.  Maybe it helped to give them that extra little nudge."
She said that Mike Ayres and Joe Ryan of Oppidan are willing to extend their ser-vices for free to help Victoria get an ice arena.  "I've been contacted by several people in the community who are hoping we won't just drop this.  Many people need ice -- in Victoria, Waconia, Chaska … I see this as a great opportunity for Victoria to move forward."

ANOTHER ACCIDENT ON HIGHWAY 7
VICTORIA NEEDS THAT TRAFFIC LIGHT

Because of another major car accident at and Rolling Acres Road, the in-tersection again received attention of the Victoria City Council on January 11th.  Redesign of the intersection and a much needed traffic signal was postponed by MnDOT and recently pushed back another year. 

Because of the seriousness of the accident, Councilmember Jim Paulsen asked, "When can a County Sheriff intervene and say this is enough of state politics?"


THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS "CLUTTER"
REGARDING SIGNAGE IN VICTORIA

Council suggested on January 11th that signage seems to have gotten a little out of hand in Victoria.  Said Councilmember Jim Paulsen, "We've got a sign ordinance, but I think we need to do something on the east end of town at Nature's Bounty, with all of the seasonal signs, with the For Lease signs at the Cabin Fever complex, and the Help Wanted signs at HEI."  Councilmember Jerry Bohn added there are several signs on the C.H. Carpenter Lumber building.
Jim suggested that seasonal signs be permitted, but that they could possibly be reduced in number.  "Maybe we only have to talk to our people about that," he said.
Mayor Mary Meuwissen agreed that "we definitely want to shore up our busi-nesses, but there is a balance.  People want to get their businesses up and going, and when new business comes in we've got to train ourselves to use them."
The word that seemed to define Victoria signage most clearly was "clutter."  Said Councilmember Jim Paulsen, "One of the major issues is clutter."


COUNCIL DISLIKES PROPOSED PLAT
SENDS LUNDGREN BROS. BACK TO DRAWING BOARD

Mark Anderson of Lundgren Brothers presented a sketch plat to Victoria council-members on January 25th that would divide 32.8 acres into 30 residential lots.  After much discussion of the plan and the topography, Mayor Mary Meuwissen said, "I would think you would come back with another sketch plat."
The property is located at the north-west corner of State Highway 5 and Minnewashta Parkway, across from Faith Luther-an Church.
Two of the proposed residential lots are in Chanhassen, the others in Victoria.  The subdivision would be called Tristan Heights.  The site has significant amenities southeast of Lake Tamarack and south of Lake St. Joe.
Said Councilmember Jim Paulsen, "I thought we made it clear what direction the city wanted to take with land like this.  I would see considerable change in this plan Unfortunately this plan doesn't represent the type of development Victoria likes to have.  The property has constraints with elevation and access.  We need to work with them, not eliminate them."

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