INFORMATION NO.1 APR 2 9: 2013
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Mr Mayor John Dietz, and whomever else l need to write a plea to,•l am writing this letter after heaflng from my realtor#hat 1 am not bung allowed to split the-empty•lot"off of my main home: For over 40 years my husband and I kept the primary;residence lot and
the empty lot next to it mowed, cleaned"up, grass and trees planted and;thriving, knowing that•we could use thatlot as an investment for we retired <We always knew we would need to
sell and downsize into a smaller home when we got old together,"We paid our taxes on time,
even though each year they rose from $300 a year to what it is today,$3466 We believed that
Elk River was a place that.respected and appreciated;the.people whowanted to.,make it their
home;
My husband of 37-1/2 years died March 7 ' of this year Cneof the things he wanted me to do•
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was sell the house and the empty lot so i"could pay off he medical bills"and find a smaller senior
citizen friendly home, medical-debt free. i,contacted a realtor to begin the""process He went to
the Sherbume.County recorder and•tax offices and;wastold;I couldn't.split the lot aft;`t was.
heartbroken:You have to know how much that extra'money means to me, it means•1 can pay off:,
Bill's:medical debts and move into something l can handle..By not allowing this to happen,":I
don't know how t:can sell the combination of the'two Jots into one big one, when the rest of the
:homes up the,street, along-the flyer, are all smaller It,doesn't make sense or seem fair
l don't;unders#and why the neighbor on the otherside of my"empty,lot has the same size Cot
frontage, then back to the Mississippi) but;l can't'do anything with mine:The house next to`.
our residence has'IT of frontage Tl a lot my home is:on is 1;41'. is
Why doesn't Elk River want the additional tax revenue of having m.y 141° lot and splitting oft the
112' empty lot'
I walk down our quiet little street, and see many houses on lots that are smaller than what my
empty lot frontage;is, all";going:back to the river Right at the intersection of Yale Street NW and
167th Ave NW there is a`home on a lot that is 80'wide The next 4 houses up Yale Street are all
111'frontage, and;they all go",back to the river
Why am l"being forced to combined the tots 1 own, when theentirestreet isalready developed
and have much smallerlots' I;urge you to take,"a
• drive.down!our li tle street,:fosee each home
that has thriving young"families, who love living,on the river,so they can drop a fishing line'in
whenever they want, teach their kids •the joy of living n"ext to the Mississippi,,have kids and,pets.
who have space to live the good life pie all dream about The lots are not overly wide; but they
do extend back to the river, so':tizey are quite long Frorxi the road you can't really tell:how long
the lots are. My two lots;are welt above flood level
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Please reconsider the zoning of my two lots, to,.bett er reflect the development in our;:
neighborhood To increase tax revenue for Elk River Ta be lair
i Thank you for your consideration
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Pat Bruchert .
16934`Yale'Street NW'
Elk River, MN"55330
Cell 763 228 5090