Dear Friends of Eagan's Open Space,

The Eagan City Council plans to drop its appeal of the Dakota County court decision on the Carriage Hills Golf Course and permit development on these 120 acres by Wensmann Homes. This action comes despite the support the City has received in its appeal from the League of Minnesota Cities, the Met Council, and the Carriage Hills Coalition.

I learned of this decision on Monday morning, November 14th, when Mel Wong from the Carriage Hills Coalition phoned me. He and two other representatives from the Coalition had just met with Mayor Geagan and City Administrator Hedges. It was an 11th hour meeting requested by the City the day before the City Council originally planned to vote on the proposal.

Given that analysts believed the City was going to win its appeal, many are confounded, especially since the City plans essentially to agree to Ray Rahn's original development proposal. Simply put, it doesn't pass the smell test.

Consequently, the Carriage Hills Coalition and the Eagan Open Space Coalition would like to see a large show of support at this Tuesday's City Council meeting. Given that the City has come to its decision to reverse course in complete secrecy, the Carriage Hills Coalition would like the City to postpone its action for 30 days in order to discuss---before the citizenry---the long term consequences of this action, a final action that has enjoyed no recent citizen input.

What: Eagan City Council Meeting
When: Tuesday, November 29th, 2005
Time: 5:30 p.m. --- This topic will be discussed at a special City Council Meeting
Where:Council Chambers in City Hall (the Eagan Municipal Center)
Address: 3830 Pilot Knob Road --- the southeast corner of Pilot Knob & Wescott Road --- Eagan, MN 55122
Phone: (651)-675-5000 (City Gov't)
Goal: To have the City Council no accept the settlement proposal.

Your attendance at this meeting will help send a strong message to the City Council that the citizens of Eagan are seriously concerned about this threat to the Carriage Hills parcel and are particularly disturbed by the closed door manner in which this reversal has materialized.

Please share this message with your friends, neighbors and family.

The Coalition needs your support and your presence at Tuesday's City Council meeting!

We hope to see you at City Hall tomorrow evening.

Thank you,

---Jack Conrad

www.EaganCoreGreenway.org/coalition.html