1979 Memos re Development types and service costsCITYJF
EHfltfr[f,ffi$$ffi]fl
76,10 LAREDO DRIVE'P.O. BOX 147'CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA 55317
(612) 474-8885
MEMORJA}IDUM
To: Planning Commission Members
lt\P
FROM:
DATE:
City Planner, Mark Koeqler
November 26, L979
SUBJ: Development Types vs Service Costs
In reviewing future development within- the City of Chanhassen'
corunission members requestad additional- information on the
ii"i".iir aspects of iuture development options-and specifically'
i-aet"r*in.tion of whether or not multiple-famity developments
;"ia-i;; iheir share--of services through. propertv taxes' -Thisi"p".I-iaatesses these questions by utilizing the recent Dunn
""E-c"tty residential pioposal as an.example' Tlrree development
"pti"""-t"t trris parlei-riir u" examined:- The first as proposed
bv the developer with-i mix of housing types; the second containing
Ii.iiEri""i"si"-r;*iiv-=tr".l"r"= o" is,tr"oo square foot lots; and thirci,
total industrial develoPment.
Each of these aI ternatives are sub ective and are offered onl as
com arat r-ve exam 1es not as ac curate fi nancra I ro ect aons.
nu er of assumPt I ons have been made which were cl erived from
most accurate sou rces available and aP plied equallY to each a
where app}icable 'Major assumPtions are as follo\''s:
1. A1I flgures represent 1978/L979 dollars'
A
the
Iternative
2. Stateil market values and assessed
3, A11 ProPerties are homesteaded'
values are theoretical.
4. Taxes payable to the city fairly- closelv reflect the cost of
pi'J"tai"i-"eiri."Jl- il;;"r;-;;- the sch6ol district are potentialJv
ir,. *o.t "
= fgnirilant siice -it receives the greatest proportion
of property t"* aoir.t= and because residenfial development
creite-= th6 need for school services'
Schoo1 District 112 had a 1978/1979 per
$2,l37.g2. Of this, 4OE is covered bY
and the remaining 608 by local property
to agproximately $1,283 per pupil- unat
taxes.
5 pupil unit cost of
stale and Federal aids
taxes. This amounts
to be raised bY Property
MEMORANDUM
6. Value Assumptions:
TVDe
Single FamilY
DupIex
Townhouse
8-P lex
Multiple
7. Pupils Per Dwel}inq Unit:
Single FaniIY -
Dupl-es - .8
Townhouse - .7
8. Chanhassen l-979 MilI Rates:
City of Chanhassen
School District 112
Carver County
Other
Sing1e Family
Dup lex
Townhouse
8-P l-ex
Multiple
$90,000
75,000
65,000
60,000
55,000
$32,400
27 ,O00
23 ,4002l ,600
13,200
-2-
Market Value
8-P1ex - .5
Multiple - .55
November 26, L97 9
Assessed value
9
Tota1 LL6 -72
Alternative 1 - Development as ProPosed by Dunn and Curry
Dwe 1- 1i ngt Type Dwelling Units PupiL D,U.Est. Pupils
Type Unit s Assessed Value Tota L Assessed Valuation
280
7]-t
88
425
2'TT
690
224
498
234
53
1699
The total Property tax based school loail is I,699 pupils x $1'283
per pupil = $2,179,8]-7.
The total assessed valuation of the property would be approximateJ'y:
$32 ,400
27,000
23 ,4O02t,600
L3,200
767
280
711-
88
425
ZTTT
Total Gross Property Tax = $88 ,267,20
Homestead Credit at- $325 Per unit = $
Total ProPerty Tax = $9,564,472 -School oiitrict Tax Portion aL 56.22
Net =
9
8
7
6
55
0x
15tJ
116.72 mill-s
,075
= $5,375,233
$*3,195,416
$70 ,302,547
L7 .67
55.55
30.19
3.31
Single FamilY
DupIex
Townhouse
8-P Iex
Multiple
$24 ,850,800
7,560,000
16,637 ,4OO
l-,9oo,8oo
5,6f0 ,000
568,2T-7-;Z6d
MEMORANDUM
Alternative 2
557 acres of buildable land, 15,000 square foot lots, 2'904 lots
per acre - Total = 1,518 units
Total SchooL EnrollmenL = 1t456
1,618 dwelting units x $32,400 agsessed unit valuation = $52,423,20O
total valuation.
Gross Property Tax = $52,423,200 x 116.72 mills = $6,1187836
Homestead credit at $325 per unit = $525,850
Total PropertY Tax = $5,592,986
School- District Tax Portion at 56.22 $3,743,258
Per Pupil Unit Cost (1,455 stud ents x $f;283I $I,868,048
$+l ,2'1 5 ,10
Alternative 3 - fndustrial DeveloPment
557 acres of buildable land, 308 building coverage = 7 1274r52O
square feet.
y are approximately $1-00 Per
'7,274,52O
= $4,088,280
Property taxes on industrial proPert
squire ?oot. Hence, total taxes = $
School District Tax Portion at 56'29.
-3-
S j.ngle Family DeveloPment
November 26, L979
Per Pupil unit cost = 0 Net = 9+4,088,280
Each of the above alternatives reach the same concl-usion: all produce
enough property t""'i"""""" io "o.r"r the costs of governmental services.
Til;t-;";y in a-eqree rr"r"""t, lvith tle industrial devel-opment providing
it "- *ott'u"nefif and the singl-e-family option the least'
\d
Llneor & Mpnrz
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
I9OO FIIST NAIIONAL BANI( BUILOINC;
M IN N EAPOLI S, MINNESOTA 55402
CRAIG M. MERTZAssistant City Attorney
RU SSELL H. !A619ON
CiIAIO M. i'ERTZ
HARVEY E.5'(AAR
MARK C. i,tcCULLOUGH
t6rt) 335-9566
October 3, 1979
Mr. Bob WaibelAssistant Manager/Planner
7 610 Laredo Drive
Chanhassen, I\,linnesota 55317
Re: H. R.A
Dear Bob :
Encl-osed you will find a photocopy of the Publ-ic Hearing Notice
on the extention of the H.R.A. moratorium for Downtown. I have made
arrangements with the Carver County Herald to publish this notice inthe october 3, 1979, edition bf the paper.
Very truly yours,
O'*2'vh2't/t
CMl,1: rb
Enc losure
d
tt
3 (
ocl r97s
6+
You will note that the notice describes this as being a joint public
hearing of both the Plannj-ng Commission and the City Council. You
should give the Planning Commission members notice of this special
meeting. The section 462.357 subdivision 4 provides that zoning ordinance
amendments initiated by the City Council must be referred to the Planning
Commission for study. This statute also provides that the City Council
may not act upon the proposed amendment untif it has received the recom-
mendation of the Planning Conunission on the proposed amendment.
CITY OF CHANHASSEN
CARVER AND HENNEPIN COT]NTIES, MINNESOTA
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON
PROPOSED ZONING ORDI}IANCE AI\'IENDMENT
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Commission and
the City Council of the City of Chanhassen will meet on Monday, october
15t Lg7g, al 7:30 p.m. at City Ha1l, 7610 Laredo Drive, Chanhassen,
Mj,nnesota, for the purpose of holding a public hearing on a proposed
amendment to the Chanhassen Zoning Ordinance establishing a moratorium
on the issuance of building permits for the construction, remodeling,
alteration, erection, or moving any building on any tract of land within
the Downtown Redevelopment Project Area which is more particularly
described on Exhibit A attached hereto and made a part hereof.
copies of the chanhassen zoning ordinance and the proposed amendment are
av-.i1.bl-" for public inspection at chanhassen city Ha11 during regular
business hours.
AII interested persons may appear and be heart at the said time and p]ace.
Dated: October l, L979.
BY ORDER OT' CHANHASSEN CITY COUNCIL
Publish in Carver County Herald october 3, L979.
Thol porl of lhe Southsost CJuorler of llre Soutlreost Cluaiter of Seclion 1,Township I 16, Ronge ZJ[t vu Cou^ty,
^ti"n"r.,rn,
iyirrg e,r "f y oi fi,l""o1i"rf yright of wov rinc of Cour.r/ s,orc Aid riighwoy,o. iz,i,,,,t-tlmg'nlr,i*irr? ,r',"norlhcrly riglrt of rvoy line of County Srotc"ni(l iliglr*ny l,to. 16, ' "Y-"!! !, v'
ond
Thot porl of lhc Soulhcosl Guorler of lhe SoullrvrcstQuorter_of thc Southwcst (iuorrcr, nif in S".r'iu,i' f Z,Corver Cor.rnly, Minrrr:solo, dcscribcd o, totto*J,""'
Qucrr I cr ond lhe Southwest
Township I 16, Ronge 23,
Bcainni^g or rlre inrcrsccriorr of rrrc. cosr ri.e of srrid sourrreosr ouorrer of rllcsoulhvrcsr Guorrcr o.rr rrrc norrrr riqrrt of rr,,f "ri,," of Counry stote AidHiglrrvoy No. l6; lhcncc north(.rly olonf ,,,i,f ,.,,i, i;n" t., un inlt:r sectim wilhlhe soullrcoslerly extcrrsion of .tlrc nor tlieo*f
", f y ii,,. of lllock 4, I IICHLAI.JDPARK: lhence northwcsrcrry olo.9 soid .*t,r,,.,il,, nua rine ro rrrc vrcsr rine ofsoid .Block 4; thence sourheiry oroiq soid ,r",,i 'li,,.
o,,,a irs exrcnsion ro o lineporollel with ond 283 fccr norrheiiy frorn rc ,ou-ir., rinu "t ,"iJ s"rti""riGuorlcr of rhe sourhwcst euorrer; ienc.. *,irti'.ir"n,o,,,g soid poroIcr linc rolhe west line of soid Sorttrcost i)uortcr of rtr,.ioutlwl.rt d*;;;;;u;.;norrherly-olong losr soid rvesr-ri,e ro the ^orrrr li.c of the ,"rir, ild ri"i'.ilhe soid Souihwesr ouorrcr of 'rhe sourhrv.st e,r.,ii.r; rt,,"n".,r.i.irv-o'ion',]losr soid norrh rine ro rhe vesr linc of ilrc-co;i',,i3'f"ui.f-*ii's"lirr,_".IyGuorlcr of lhc Southwest Ouorter;
-t1.,,,,,.., ,.,o,il,,,rl-y olong f..ii"f ai,l'riiirillo lhc sourh li^e of rlre Norilr B6ri.9B fccr of soid SorrhJ"rr-'ornir;;;i]:southwesr ouorter; rhcnce *,csrerry orong tosr .u;i loutrr rine r.li.," *"ri ri"lof rhe eosr gg0 fecr of soid sourh*cir "ar;;r;;;i re sourhwesr Gr,,<rrrer:rhcnce norrherlv ororro rost soid wcsr linc ro ri,,, ,,,n, rt., [." "i i"ri's"iii,*""1iouortcr of rhe Sourr'ricsr ororrei;-itrc,.,;; ;'.;;ri;'.ro^g rosr soid norrh rinclo lhe west linc of soid sourhw.sr oI tlro sourtrn "si or*i"rl-irr"n-J"';.;;;#i;olong lost soid wcst tinc to soid northerty riqtrr oi *"i ii"J;ia;;#;'if:;lAid l'tighwov No. r5; ,rcncc eosrr.r lv ,:rong sni.l ""rri,.lry'rign"i i"JlI,iLllllhe poinl of beginning.
<rn<l
Thol porl of lhc l..lorllreosl Citr<rrlcr r.rf tlro 1.11 llrc.sl eu.rlcr,Guorlcr of lhe Nortlrcos_l Guorlcr, ftl" ilrrit,,',,,',,r (Juorlcr ofOuorlt:r, tlrc l.lortllvr:sl ()urrrtr..r oi If.t,, f.f.,rli,,r,j:l (),r,rrlcr ondOuorlcr of lhc Northwcst Orrrrrlcr, "if i.' :,,., ii",, l.l, TorvrrslripCtrrvcr Counly, Minrrc.solrr, rJcscr ibcrl,,. (,r11,.,,r.,.,,' ""'
llre Nor llrwesl
Itrc Norlhwcst
I lre Soutlrvrest
I 16, Rongc 23,
All in lhe City of Chonhosscn, Slolc of [1i^rr.strt<: (lr.rcirr collcd llre ,,Locolif
l3cainning or rhe i.rcrsccri<-rn of lrrc rvrrsr ri.c of soid Norrhwcst ouorrer ofrlrc Norrh"vcsr ouorrcr orrc, ,rc .o,,rrr ri,ri,r',,i v.,oy rirre of Counry stofe nidHighwoy l.,lo. l5; llr<.rrcc,.r:osterly olorr,l ',,,ri,1 s,,u r riglrl of woy line lo flrenorrherly rigrrr of rvoy. rine of itorc tii,rr..,,,,z Ilo, 5; rhc.cc .'orrii*.ir"rtyolorrg soid norrrrcrrv rigrrr ^of r,'zoy rirrr: t,, it,l, .n,,tt,, tine of soid ruorrrrcostQuorlcr oI lhe N.rrih.,v.-:st {,.,,,,1 1i,i; ii,",,,,,. r.r.,, ,,,, f y olong soid soulh lilc lolhe eosl line o[ the Nl{ ]./4 "t'fi.r. ii.,, t1.,,.u,,*t t)t,.,.te_-r; t h...,c.: soriil.rlyolong soid cost line to,tlre ..orlhcrly ri9i,t .,i ru,,y 1i,,,, of s;i(l Sloielic,;u/oyNo. 5; rrrencc vresrcrlv oror,9 soi<i nn?ri ,,iy'ril,,'i;';i,""';;,;'iilo oy'.oiaNorthwcst Ouortcr of l'e Nirthrv,rrt o.,n,ilr; rt.,un.o no,,it"ily'olo,ii soiawcsl line lo llrc 1:oinl of beginnirrg.
ond
Thol port of lhc l'.tor I lrcosl C)uorter of lhc Norllreosl euorler of Scclion 14,Township I1.6, Ronge 23, Corv.,r .C",,i,,r,
-frli,r".rolo,
lying norlherly of thenorlherly righl of woy lirrr. oI.Stnte lliqlnvr,f f.f". .S,,,,A soullrprly of lhe soutlr rightof woy line of County Stote nid l{igtrrvoy G: i;.' "
trXII I. BIT A
y");
IE CITY \)F
EH[NH[SSEI'I
(612) 414.8885
May 24, 1977
!1r. John Streed
I7824 Excelsior
Minnetonka, MN
Blvd.
55343
In regards to your letter of May L7, Lg?j, f believe you havemisunderstood the purpose of thl ciiy's temporary mor-itorium.Although. the- sewage disposal aspects of dev;lopmint are to-u. .orr-side_red by the cityis pranning bommission during the moriioriurn,the Planning conunission wirl ilso be reviewi.ng irr "r itru -ieveropment
criteria in the unsewered. areas, i.e. setbacki, estate developments,minimum acreage, aesthetic considerations, necessity of publicroads and/or other pubric improvements, methods to irinimirze rural/urban conflicts, etc. considering these aspects of the moritorium,the prohibition of construction ii the unsewered areas is moredescriptive of the land.s over which the moritorium applies ratherthan being the sole i-ssue for which rhe moritorium ,i!-pii""a.
I believe the information you have presented in regards to theclivus l'lultrum shourd be beneficiar to the erannin! Commission l"preparing their reconmendations to the city councii. However,r do not belleve this information is suf fi-cient for the city councilto reconsider the moritorium itself.
Given the facts presented in this r-etter, r have not placed this itemgl tlg Council agenda for June 6, 1977, but I have foiwarded such tothe.Planning Commi-ssion for their consideration. ff you stifldesire to pursue your request, please contact me and f will place youon a future City Council agenda. However, for you to have a reasonablechance of receiving consideration, additional justification wilt berequi red .
Dear Mr. Streed:
Sin Yt
Don AshworthCity Manager
76IO LAREDO DRIVE.P O BOX I4T.CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA 55317
I4ay 1/, ]-977
the members of the City CouncilCity of Chanhassen
Gentl emen ;
, Th," city of._chanhassen has a poricy which prohibits the buird-tng or homes on ,'unsewered,'_property. ft is, in my view, a soundand necessary policy. But r- beiievi.' there are "or" e"oini" ro"considering a certain kind of exception.
First, some background. f am a teacher in Minnetonka I{igh:gl::I-i"g live just.Sw. or Hwy ? and 1or. cnE-ciiv""i-iiinnetonrrap-Lans to burlcl a road through. our property, and it-appears that wemust move in a year-or trvo. A t3.0 "t"" ii"c"-.i-p;;;;;i; on Hwytl i".avaiIab1e, ancl it is on this p"op""iv-itr"i-";-;;i';'ermissionto buiId. The nronerty norv has a barn and a house, uui fr,e nouseis too smarl foi our flmily oi-.i*l--ci"r hope is to rent out thefarmhouse and build anothei.. However, unaei pres er,t- """t"i" tiorr"we cannot do that.
As_I -say, I believe those restrictions to be sound, based onvery valid concerns. There is concern over random devel0pmentin senerat and sewage. aisposii i" pirh"ri;":-"i#.;'iJ-r*or,""", or,".muni-c ipal, finances.- And there are'other concerns that nost of usare-on1y beginning to perceive, concerns about enerplg
-"rrJ-th" ,""of limited resources. -Altogethu. yo, do have . ;;;ft;i;iIity tovery carefully watch and guide devLlopment, not o.,iy -ii-ir"rert
just future discomfort and inconveniei"e, -uut';; ;;;+";; Ieal trageayand disaster as well . rt is therefore ,iti, irii l"J.ilitio" orpresent policies and their necessity that r ast thai-Iil-eiception uemade.
I plan to build a home that wil1 incorporate enerflf savingtechnologr-: fu1l insulation, solar heating, etc. f"-:,It"if, thisvrourd not be cause for an excepti.on. But-in "aoititn-io
-inu"
"features, the home wourd have i speciar waste disposar -system
knorvnas. the Clivus lHultrum._(Discriptive material attatrreal)-"it i" tn"Clivus Mul-trum which,. f be]ievL, p"o..ia"s groundJ ior mating ^.,exception to your policy aUout UuiIOing on unsewered property.
There are probrems vrrth the ordinary septic tank disposar system.ft uses a lot of water, almost iralf oi-tfte aie"ag"-i.riiv5= totrfwater .consumption, and_it puts at1 the hous ehord"vlasie-ul"i. irrto th"ground vrhere i-E mav affect- the water supply and aoes .ri""i the ground.Therefore we build- sewers. But sewer. 6-osi a rot for " iorg time andare a great inconvenience for a short time. s"pi:-"-i"nt-i" "u*"",either way there are disadvantiges.- The clivus Muftrum sorves .theseproblems. rt uses no l'rater so ialf as much water is i"t"" out of theground. That water i-s ,,grey water,' as the engineers ="V.-' f t i"clean^and goes righ.t.tac[ iirto_ the ground. rie ,"oi"-"Li on]y staysout of the grounrl , it eventually bedomes compost and improves thesoil. rhe system if crean ana Lnoutru;i";;-i;-i;";"i;ii;ety in_expensive. There is less need for electricity. Arl i; u.11,- the clivus
l.-
c\l
0?2 I+
M r*IN
t I
MAY1977
RECEIVED
VIU.AGE OF
cHANHA,sSElar
l'{ultrum is a pr.us . rt
. does away with the need f or a;s ewer andil";:l:";"Iilro"'""""aua-."-pii"iiiig'g"or,ds ror an exception
There are further. considerations. This- plan is somewhatexperimentar. and ir it-;;;;;-;;;';;ii, it might proviae-sone iaeasfor future devetopmeni; -N;i"";i; iliii """n-" i,"f;"-.r""ui.g"
"r_vrronmentartv sound building p".""tii"=l
. rui it l;".;";..iil;ssiblethat an enersp saving-trome;"iG";i;=diior= Murtrum wouri-be thel33i""lfrlli';:,i:"it"pnent wtriSn -;;,ia, not need- J"*"iJll"v"r. *,ehassen. re enormous and greatly to the U"""iit*or Cir".r_
d not regard such an exception as a dangerous precedent.precedent at all ror_roweiii;' y;;"-";ii_justified standards.al-l-owing a septic tank where"yir, -ao"Ii-r.nt one. ft is:";nlt*;:lt$i3l ?lt";;"="""itii! iJ'"iop.",',t,
",,a iri.tl
You neeIt is not aYou are nota precedentI believe, i
ohn Streed
The Citvbut I believLception to this based. It
I wiII attenrt the.June 6 Council meeting in ord.er to furtherdiseuss this matter ana-io-"Jr-;#;';.il act on this request.
Sincerely,
,l^^1i.o,-[)
if,.?nilnt;i:""13: :t-sound pgriev ror deveropment,
e policy, -ii"i il-ii3"r:l;:iJi:l*:"iffiI:flt;f;;llril;may be to the advantige of.aif.
1?824 Excelsior B1vd.
ili[:33$-"' tftt' sn43
copies tor Jerry Schlink
Don Ashworth
.- Clivus Multrum USA, Inc.._
PUBLIC HEALTH APPROVALS
Generally, state government.s neither approve nor disapprove of waste treatment systemsby brand name, rather, they permit county or town officials to grant case by caseapprovals, sometimes requiring state revieLr.
The comPany now has over one hundred and fifty local distributors located in fortystates and in Canada, a nunber of whom have already installeal demonstration units orwill soon do so.
The !,lultrum is now under study at Washington Unlversity, St. Louis (Center f.)r theBiorogy of Naturat systems). and at Danby, vermont and Laconia, Nere Eampshir,) (u.s.Forest servLce). At st. r.ouis, experimental units are being subjected to tests ofperformance, stack gas sampling and analysis and chemical analysi.s of composr material.The U.s. Forest service locations are testing Multruns under operat.ional contlitionsin pubJ-lc facirities, the preriminary biorogical and stack gas test results fromst. r.ouis are now avallable, but represent only the initiar stage of testing. rurtherresults wiII be forthconing.
clivus Multrum ls ParticiPating now in the formulation of testlng criteria for uastetreatment systens being sponsored by the National sanLtation Foundation, Ann Arbor,Michigan, and wllr subject the Multrum to tests by that institution when cril:eriahave been established.
To date, Multruns have been instal.led in the follording states and provinces c,f canada:
AIaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
colorado
Connecticut
Georgia
Idaho
I1I i noi s
Indiana
Nev, Hampshire
Ne$, Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Dakota
taA I:LtoT STREET, CAMDRtDcE, MASS. 02r3t . (6tr) 49t-5r2{t
\S rnntrl o ,.crtro rol
Tennessee
Texas
utah
Vermont
virgin Islands
Virginia
west virginia
Washington
Washington D.C.
wisconsin
CANADA
Alberta
British colunbla
Manitoba
Nelefoundland
Nova Scotia
Ontario
P.E.I.
Quebec
Slnce the lluLtrum was introduced lnto the United States in JuIy 1924, unj.ts have beeninstalled in thlrty-nine states and eight Canadian provinces, (see list belolr). Inthe upper New England states, approval has been general (Maine, and Nev, HanFshire)or easily obtainabre under state codes (vermont, rowa, Missouri), and in these statesapproximately 40t of u.s. Mul.trum sares have been made. The province of ontarlo,canada has classified the Multrum as a Class I system, and approval has been obtainedin Brltish Colurnbia, Canada.
fowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Malne
Michlgan
Minnesota
Miss issippl
Mi.ssouri
Montana
Clivus Multrum USA, Inc
WHAT THE PRESS HAS TO SAY .
our flle of reprlnts of artlcles about the cllvus Multrum has grown too thtck to coPy'
Instead, lte have prlnt€d on the back of thls sheet an uP-to-date blblto8raPhy of nalor
artlcles about the Multrum, and below we have lifted some shorE excerpta from them:
"Abby Rockefeller has tuo yeara worth of garbage and sewage Ptl-ed uP ln her
basement...But there is no need...to hold your nose"'there ls not a whlff.'r
-The llatl Streer Journal, June 6, 1975
,,It ls obvlous Ehar such an aeroblc, comPostlng waete dlaposal system hae advanlages
as to cost' environmental lmpact' and from lhe health gtandPolnl'r'
-The Conservat lonlst, Dec-Jan 1973-4
"...lt conserves the lncreaslngly valuable
rich fertlllzer."
fresh sater supply and produces nutrlent-
-The Chr lst ian Sclence !'tonltor, SePt 17' 1975
"If Abby Rockefeller's confldence
extlnct as Ehe gas ltght."
1s Justlfled, the flush toilet wlll becone as
-The Boston Clobe, August lZ' 1974
"By cornparlson. . . the flush tollet is a polluclon rnonster.rl
-Envlronment Magazlne ' Septernber 1975
beautlfully simPle piece of technology of which a aoclety". . . compostlnS, toi let
could be Proud "'-The Snlthsonian, MaY 1975
seems a perfect example of a careful technology'"
-The Futurlst Hagazlne, December 1974
,,...we thlnk the clivus l"Iultrum may help solve the world's lncreaslngly crltlcal
waste dlsposal Problerns . "
-The Mother Earth News, January 1975
"...it ls the flrst safe and snell-less syscem of sanitatlon that uses no labour'
el.ectrlclty and above all no uater"'
-ComPost Sclence llaBazine
"...one of the most promlstng devices for warerless dlsposal of human wastes"l
-The Washlngton Post, JulY 15' 1973
no
ls a
". . .Cllvus Mult rum
"The swedlsh Clivus uniL...provides comPlete autonony in seuage
-Sctence Magazlne, |taY 19 74
fi; ,u*.0 n" ,0r.,, ,,.,
rzlA Irl.lOT SrRtrt:T, CAMBtall)(;tl, MASS. 02llt ' (617) 'l9l-5E20
disposal..."
Br )76
Clivus Multrum USA, Inq.
TESTING OF THE CLIWS MULTRUM SYSTEM
The Multrum syster has been, and contlnues to be, subjected to probably the nost
rigorous and extensive testing of any alternative waste treatmenL system on the
market. since its introduction conunerciarry in scandinavia in 1964, biological
test's have been conducted to ascertain the pubric hearth implications of the
Multrum. Both raboratory and field testing have been performed in scandinavia
and the u.s. and a nunber of additional tests are either underway or pranned for
the near future.
Biological Tests of End-Product.
ln L972, the swedish Nationar Bacteriorogicar. Laboratory sampred eight Murtrun
units in Sweden and tested for m-icroorgan j.sns . No aamples contained E. coLi,
salmonella, shigelra or Enterococcus bacteria, and only sparce occurances of
gram negative bacteria were found.'
rn 1975, three sanples vrere drarrn from shredish Mutt.m' and were testeal by the
Center for the Biology of Natural Systerns (CBNS), tfashingEon University. St, Louis,
Missouri' These tests confirmed the absence of fecat cor-iforrn bactelia, and
any other bacteria not conmonly found in the topsoil. Further tests are underway
at CBNS on additionat sanples of end-product.
l4A ELIOI STREET, CAMBR|DGI], MASS. O2l]r . (617) 49t.5t20
over...
Chemical Anal ysis of caseous Bnissions.
rn late 1975, .BNS sampled gases emitted from the vent stacks of two u.s. units.
Tests revealed less than 5 ppm arnmonia, less than I p[m of carbon monoxide, and
no hydrogen sulfide, methyl nercaptan, ethyl mercaptan, sulfur dioxiile, trlchloro_
ethyl-ene or chlorine.
Field Testi ng.
Multrums have been in use in sweden for ten years, in both private residences,
and public facltities- None has ever been renoved due to narfunction. rn totar,
over 20OO units are now in place in Scandinavia.
rn the u's" Multrum units are under fier.d testing by the u.s. Forest service in
New Hampshlre, vermont and californra. Evaluation reports are expected Ln rg77
or 1978' once end-producE has begun to appear in the flnish chamber. Experi-nental
units have arso been instar-red in schoors, universities, public parks antt roadrsicle
comfort stations' A nane and address rist of au pubr.lc-faclllty purchasers is
available on request.
\\'HY?
The flush toilet is responsible for about half
of the average household's consumption of
uater. A family of four, using standard plumb-
ing, uses 100 gallons of water a day merely for
flushing toilels. This water is used to carry
wastes to the place of disposal. The conse-
quences of this use are serious:
. Enormous amounts of pure drinking water
are wasted.
o Lakes, rivers, oceans, and ground waters
are polluted by wastes.
o Valuable, recoverable nutrients are lost.
o So-called "advanced" waste treatment
plants must be constructed to attempt to purify
the water. These are expensive, unreliable,
and energy-intensive.
. Sludge, the producr of this "purification,"
simply creates a new disposal problem since it
is a mixture of organic matter, chemicals, heavy
metals and poisons that cannot be safely dis-
posed of anyrvhere. As "sanitary" Iandfill it
pollutes water tables. Dumping it in the ocean
causes pollution, no matter how far off shore
the barges go. Burning it pollutes the air.
This vast economic ard environmental
problem is the cost of using fresh water to flush
toilets. It is not necessary.
WHAT?
The Clivus Multrum, a self-contained system
for the treatment of organic u astes, is an answer
to these problems. It wastes no water, for it uses
none. Il protects our walerways from the waste
products of toilet and kitchen by retaining them
in an impervious container from which there is
no effluent, It preserves the nutrients in lhese
waste materials by converting them to a rich hu-
mus suitable for gardens. No external supply of
energy or chemicals is needed to effect the de-
composition, as the energy is inherent in the
wastes. The microorganisms present in them do
the work of conversion. Since it has no moving
parts! the Multrum requires virtually no main-
tenance other than the removal of a few pails of
humus a year.
As thc wastes are converled to a usable
product, on the site, there is no need for water
or sewer hook-up.
Clivus Multrum means literally "inclining
compost room," and it is just that: a composr
heap inside a container sitting at an angle. The
system is inrended to help eliminate the very
notion of waste and, as such, is well-suited to an
era of rational use of technology.
t ,r:
IIOW?
The Multrum consists of an impervious con-
tainer set at such an angle that the organic
wastes slide in a glacier-like fashion down the
sloping bottom at a rate slow enough to ensure
that they will be thoroughly decomposed by the
time they reach the storage chamber. Tubes
conne$ the container to the kitchen chute and
toilet. A draft, which is maintained by natural
convection, ensures that the process is essen-
tially aerobic (one in wbich oxygen-breathing
organisms do the work), and that rhe bathroof
and kitchen are kept free of odors at all tim{
As carbon dioxide and water vapor are lhe main
waste products of the aerobic bacteria, the vent
gases are not noxious.
The humus which finally reaches the storage
chamber represents only 5-1090 of the volume
originally put in. This is becausc 9G95 9o is
given off as waste gas which goes up the vent.
The end product is safe for use in gardens be-
cause of lhe long retention time in the container
(2-4 years) during which disease-producing
organisms are destroyed by the soil bacteria.
The process, being continuous, will generate 3-
l0 gallons of humus-like soil per person per
year.
t
,P
Oivus Muttrum
)
i ,(
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WHERE?
The Mulrrum is in principle adaptable to all
types of buildings, urban and rural. At pres€nt,
ho*'ever, it is most readily incorporated into
domestic and recreational structures. These
include new and existing houses, campground
and forest comfort stations, vacation cottages
and small commercial facilities, Thc system is
reliable for seasonal as well as for year-round
use in climates ranging from the desert to the
arctic. It may be installed in full or partial
basements, or outdoors under a specially
designed structute.
lVASHWATER
Bath, dish and laundry washwaters are not
handled by the Mulrrum. Health authorities dif-
fer in their requirements for the treatment of
this effluent, At the least, it must be disposed of
in such a way as to nol endanger human health
or water quality. With toilet wast6 and toilet
water eliminated from the effluent leaving the
house, this danger is greatly reduced. We have
prepared a paper describing several promising
washwater treatment methods. Ask us for a
copy.
THE COMPANY
Clivus Multrum USA Inc. is lhe exclusive
U,S. licensee of the Swedish Multrum system,
invenled over 30 years ago, and commercially
available for the past decade in Scandinavia,
where over 2000 units are in use. The Multrum
was introduced into Northamerica in 1974
and units have now been installed in most U.S.
states and Canadian provinces. The company
also holds world licensing rights to this system
and is seeking ovcrseas Iicensees, as well as
sub-licensees and distributors in the U.S. and
Canada. Write for in fornrat ion.
PRICES, TERMS OF SALE
The Multrum system cosrs $975.-S1500.
depending upon accessories and optional
equipment, exclusive ol lreight and installation
expense. Terms are full payment in advaace,
and a $400. deposit will hold an order.
WARRANTY
Unlike every other system, the Multrum is
guaranteed for a full ten years (exc€pt for the
loilet seat and mechanical options, which are
guaranteed for 2 years).
Clivus Multrum USA, Inc.
I4A EI,IOT STREET
CAMBRIDCE, MASS. 02I3I
(617) 49l.stm
CLryUS
MULTRUM
Organic
Waste
Treatment
System
I
(
I
m'(
t
INSTALLATION
The company has trained installers to advise
purchasers. The minimum area required to in-
stall the tank is: 7' vertical, 4'x 8' floor space.
A set of very detailed installation instructions
is available free to all purchasers, and to others
at $2. prepaid.
FREIGHT
The Multrum is shipped by common carrier
from Warren, R.1., at customer's expense.
The shipping weight is approximarely 300
pounds, and freig,ht costs will average l0c per
mile on long hauls, higher for short distances.
r,
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I lill up. Th. proccss is continlous wilh reBard lQ both
r d€cornposition and thr ilgw SlacicrJikc movcmmt of lhc
ss towardg thc ramoval chambcr. Tha containct is designad
lh.t th. ralc of input rcEu.lalas tha ratc of motion towards
5rorace chaliltEr (i.c., thc hcayicr tha lnass is lh. fastcr il
,!e5). Tic proccss dO6, in fact, worl bcsl whan th. con,
rcr 1t ncarly full during continuous use. D6pitc all.should
conraina, fill l,p, it must ba "rcsted"-talcn ouI of
vicc for a fcv waels.
Crn tb. llloltnrm rv.r 8o out ol rommbsion?
e \tlhrum i! ar cnvironrncnl \yhich suppofls a grat
icty of livinS cr.aturcs csscrli.l lo thc proc6s. Thcsc hrvc
c:fic aovironmmtal rcquiraJDcnls *hich musl b€ clnsidcr-
lf sutslantial quanliti6 of disinfcclanls, drai[ cl..ncr o.nilarb (i.a. poisons) arc inttoduccd, thc nurrbct of
:ani5ms rhat cary on d.composilion can bc tcducad to ttt
,nt *'h.rc th. proc6s will ceasc. FloodinS or Umitiog $c
ry of.ir inro thc Multrum !'ilt shifi thc..tobic adion to
' undcsirabla anrcrobic tor as loog at thala condilioEs
sr5l.
ls lha proc6! in lhG llullirm 5rnsidy. lo vraltlioaa
,,/oa arlaam6 i, lamprratutt:
e microor!,anisrns which do th. s, ,l in lhc Multrum atc
;rc flcxibl. with rcsD.ct to '.ir,lj.ral!rc. Allhough thcy
rclion hcsl at approximalaly l,]rxln body lernP€rallta, if
ifinpcrstJres 8o lo\.a, thcir aalivit, wil slow do$fl until
y arc finelly dorma.nt, only lo rasuma activity lvhcn it
ns up again. If temD{rat,rr.5 80 hj8,h.r lhan the optiInal
ge usld for lhis Sroup of microorSanisrns, somc may dia,
r lhcrc \^ill always bc.rough l.f! lo rnultiply rapidly again
el ram,tratu.as arc suilablc, (uolass, of aoursc, thc crttirc
is ii jubjGicd lo iDtcnic and prolonScd hcat, which would
iliz. n).
Whrt il som.thin8, ylluibl. fslls do\rn eithGr chot.?
n il ba rccovuad?
a.ss porls hara baen providcd in lhe sidcJ of the contdnct
lhis purpo5r. It miglt br no(ed that nothjnt is.vrI reeUy
r i,l th. Multrum; thar c\.rythinB is rctricvabl. cirtl€r
)ncr or latcr, and if it r! inorganic (c.8. spoonr and forks)
)dll hardly show any ctfects of th. proclss.
. CoBld lllsaats rtd rodcnls ba r Drobl.n?
thc ai. iDlcr aod outlrt above thc roof arc bolh s6c.n.d,
d the toil.t and garbagc [ids arc always clo6cd dc.f, wbt
ng, uscd, they should Dot bc e problcm. Mo.covcr, thc oDly
rc! from which atly odor .scapcr and which might thctcforc
ract such crcaturcs i! thc vent outlat abova thc roof. Tlra
Iy prccaution that Inurt b. tat.n ii to avoid lcaving crpotcd
Jd wa5t6 around bcfo.c d.positint lhem in thc garb.tr
utc, llst flics havc a chanc. ro lay lhcir.tt5 and in thir yry
iotroduced into th. lank. lf thc gaJba8c inl.l c.n bc
,ialled in lhc litchcn count.t, it is lcse litd, that this will
pp.n.
. Doe3 il osa r!, wrttr ra tll?
)nlcntiona.l toilats usc tralcr to tr3nsport lhc wsics to I
-!ral ir(rtmcnt plaot (if not a rivd, lalc or oean). As th.
rltrlm is lhc "trcatmcnt Planl" and i5localcd in tha houtc
'.cr:v r,nd ot clorc lo lhc loilcl, thcra is no nctd fot eatat
*riorm this furcrioo. wa5tas cntcr lha Mul(rum from thc
ict or kitchcn rcfurc opcnin8 dircctly by gavity lhrorth
rlical chutcr. Aoy watcr uiad in connc'lion with thc
rkrum ir for cLadng pilrposcs only, and for lhjt vary stnall
''urls aIa n6ded.
26. How much rirlcr is s$cd *hcn r Mullrum is uscd io.
sl6d of r nlt h loikr?
An averaSe fainily ot four uscs 40,m0 to J0,000 gallons of
fresh satar to flush toilcts alonc, pcr ycar. Usc of tha
Multrum pcrmits a srviEB of ell this valcr, which Scncrally
accounrs for rl0 lo 50% of ihc lolai watrr uscd in thc hotD!.
2?. . Doeslhc Multnrm hrve lo b. itrsul.l.d?
This depcnds on a combiDation of ratc of usr and ambicnt
temp.ralures. In cold climates whcrc it is .xposcd lo lop
winler lcmpsralurcs (€.g. in unhcatcd bascmentj or outdoots)
ard vhcrc ulc is regular and hcavy, insulatio[ wiU hdp
conscrvc thc haat Sencratcd by lhc activily of thc mictc
organi$E!, tIu! hdpirg to mainraiD a constant and adcquata
rarc of dcaohpositioar. Onc modd of thc tanl comcs
insuletcd,
26. Could !t. h6l g.n.rrtcd in th. M$llrum .fr.c-t lb.
IaEtpen(Erc of a btsaoaal:
Probably not, for ir Bivcs ofi vcry lifllc hcat as lh. outcr cd86
of thc wastc nass fuoclion aa insulation for lhc *arm,
activcly dccomposiog irlcrior part. AIso, tha haat Scnctatcd
by thc proc.ss is uscd lo cvrporala the liquid and ;nhancr
(hc draft.
29. Can it ba used in urbrn ir..s in trIulli'story dwellirgs?
Thcr. a.ra dcsiEn limr'talion5 (thc ncc.ssity of \crlica! chutts lo
roilct alxd tarbag. d.posito.r) *hich malc us. in,nul(i-story
buildings ioconvcnient. l{os.v.r, it could bc installcd quit.
ionvenicnlly irl 2-story apa,lment hous6 in urben arcas.
30. Can il b. sttsched lo ! sca!.d story loiht:
Ycs, akhouSh the rather larg. diamclcr of thc chutc ,nusl bc
con5idered \rhan desigr Dg tha housr with rhis arrangcmcnt in
mind. It may be neccssary to install an cthaust fan in such t
sel-up due to lhe Lssar distaDca bclwc.n air oudct and toilct.
31. Crn lh. tsnt b. set ln ground th.t i3 h.bitutlly ot
sa&sondly ?at?
Ycr. Thc containcr is impcrviou! lo watcr, but it should bc
plac€d on a drainad rurfacc lo prcycnl a noodad balrtnant
from floating ti! tarL.
32. Crl! tb. MultBm b. ioslall€d rt hith rl(ltudc.?
Yes, but cold wintcr wcarher combincd with conlinuous ura
may nE€ssitatc supplemcntary bal and/or insulation to
main(ai! an adcquata ralc of dccomposition. Bccarsc wltcr
evaDorrt6 morc GAily al hith althudcs, if strch conditioni
pcrmit, somc atra liquid mey bc add€d lo maintain oplimal
hunidity.
!1. IIor rboor (b. d6.nt
As witlr vcry cold climatcs. if thc Multrum is instdlcd it
d6qt aras, it shorrld bc iDsulat.d to grotcct lhc ptoatsi
frorn thc grcat l'lucluatjons in tmpdaturq occutrirS blt*catl
day ard night in ordd to maintaiD an cvcr ratc of dccort-
positio0.
3il. Whrt is tll. diftcr.occ bcliean trl. Molltum tnd an
oslhoG.?
l) The Vultrum is a rras(c lrcatmmt syslcm which ir most
frequcnrly plarcd la thc housc,
2) Tharc arc no odors 6capiot inlo thc housc from rhc
Muhrurn.
3) Dccomposition iD thc Multrum is r..oDic, anacrobic in an
oulhousc, Ttis maans that tha daaompa'silion is mora com-
plct. and cv.n tha odors which cscapc tlrough Ihc vcnt arc
ur ji.c !he ic n.rful orer produccd by an oulhousc.
AdditioErl inforn:llion is .rrilab!. on req 6l. All is
fr('. exc.pl for Ihe illuslrrled inslallalion mrnurl,
ihlch cosls S2 lrrprld.
Clirls MoltrurEg hrvc bccr inslrlH in Inosl rll lha
slttcs tld most CrnrdirD provinacs. PersorE corEid-
.ring purcbssr should contrcl lb€it Iocd public haslth
suthorilie5 lo determine rpplicsble requrrtlnCrt!.
Tt. srsl.I! cosrs 3975'51500 (depending uDon th.
choiac of trnl rBd lcccssorics) ercludin8 freight rnd
iislsllelion. Tha Jyslrm is mruufrctured in Wrrren,
Rhod€ Isl.nd.
QUESTIONS
and
ANSWERS
tiA
\i
Pr'nt!d cn recrijed !rocr
Clivus lUultrum USA, Inc.
I4A ELTOT STREET
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 02I3t
(617) 491-5E20
Clivus Multrum
4) The valuable nulri.nls coniaincd in thc warte malerials arc
not los( throuSh Icaching.
J) Th.r. is no pollutjng of subsurfac. watcr through !.aching-
35. Wh.l h to be do!. with lh. wrshr.rltr, given thel il is
no( lrertcd i! thc Multlum?
Thc balh, dish and walh riatcr from households (somatimcs
callcd "Brcy qatcr") is to bc dislin8uishcd from ordinary
sewaga, which conlains toilct waslfs, in scvcral rcspects. Th.
mosl irnponant diffcrcnca is that it is low jn nitrogcn which
malcs il caJier to treal in two inporlant *ays: l) il it oridizcd
(broken dowt from organic or un$abla to inorBanic and
stabla maner) corlsidrrably fastcr ihan r.gulal sewagc. This is
duc to tha diffeacn! charaatcr and quantily of or8anic maltct
in wash water as comparcd lo s6va8ic. 2) Il do6n\ grvc risc
to haaardous conccrtrations of nilralcs in thc grouod l"alar
*hich i. oftca th..is. v,/ith segtic lant efflu.nt (sc*ag.),
which is infiltralcd into thc ground. From a rhcorcticrl poi:rt
of vie'r', lh.n, Srcy waler could b. safcly infiltralcd in(o rhc
lop soil without causing damagc to ground varar, providcd
thar lhe soil b.low rh. iniiltratioo pipcs ir p.rm.nbl. and
porous, and provided rhc distancc batwccn th. Ieeching pipcs
and lhc lralcI tabla is at leait 4'. AIso, bccausc the use of thc
Mul!rum sav6 40q. of a liouschold's Ealcr, a leachi.S ficld
could bc .orr.spondinSly rrducad.
t''-...
Organic Waste Treatment
System
I
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l. whil crn bc Pol lDto lt. Multrurn?
Bcsidcs urinc and excrcmcnt, loilet pap.r, *lecncx' ampax'
ioicr, dispocable diaFrs (not lhc pla5tic Part) aod similar
bathroom sa5t6 ca.! 80 in thc loilet Praclicrlly all otganic
iiichcn and houschold wascs whjci could bc a pollntial odor
problcm can 8o in th. Sarbsgc chute Thcsc includc cootioS
iiquias, pap<i tou cls, 8r@sc and fat, dllst Flan and vacuum
iri"n.i i.fl., ,caaitle and mcat sc.aps and pe€lings, and
c!'cn bones and -cggshclls, although thcs. ale hineraliz'd
calcium and are actcd oo chsnically rathff lhan bact€rio-
lo8ically. Somc hrgc bones Bill cmerge incomplctely
dcicrioiatcd but, will help Bth.r lhan hatm th' prccss
bccause of their calcium conribution, Tlrc occaiional
ncwspapcr uscd for lilter for puppies or kittetu rnay, if tom
up a bit, also bc indudci.
2. lVhrt should not be Dut ln lhe Mullnrm?
Cans, Elass, Plastic, charnicals (including such things- as
saniii,-ui and other "saditary" agcnts) oa large arnounts of li
ouid of any kind. Nor should any large quantih'i of dry or
bulkv orcanic $astes such a5 cardboard bo\es or nex''spap€rs
, tricir ca-n casilv bc dispo6ci of hygienically b, oth'r mcans
1:,: includ.d. Atso, any materials which could tet hunt up on
lhc air ducls aad impcdc lhe scltling of th€ mass such as
staaw, hay or new5paft rs sholld bc.ithat shrcdded before
bcing put in or itot bc put in at atl. Absolutely no paints.o-r
othJ ioxic suhstances *tictt ^igtt damage plant! on Yrhich
tha humus is to b. used should be put in.
l. ls th. rddilion ol Lit htB Srrbsg€ declssrry?
Ycs, the addition of kitchen tarbagc (or some olher material
high in clllulosc such as leav6, sasdust. shredded hay or
str-a';) is necessary'. Thc hiSh ccllulose conlent of thcse
matcrials orovidcs a sqrrce of carbon, on€ of the lell_building
materials n.cessary for gowth of lhc orsanisms These
matcrials absorb and enabla thc conversion of tha nilroten in
tha urinc !o a slablc form which is usablc lo plalts Also, as
Dathogcric (discas.-produci[t) orSanisms, alory wilh othtr
oredaiors. aie constlrled by th. callulos. decomposers, lhe
prBencc of material high in cellulose hdps to €rsurc thal the
6nal product will be safe.
4. Hon ofl.n do6lh! Multrum have lo b€ rmpticd?
ft. cxcrement and garbag. chamb.rs arc iqvet emptied' But
altcr thc finishcd compost bcgins to appcar il the sto'age
chamb€r (l*o lo four yaars afler slar!_up), some can be
rcmoved wh€never Deeded. Fraquency and quaniily are
d.bendenr on thc uJe charactcristics of thr household ln an,
cas., lha Multruin is nevcr.mpriad, and only lhc surplus is
rcmoved from lha storage charnbcr, which i5 large enough to
stora uP to lcn yeaJs' lxollh of compost froln an averag'
family (+O bafore removal of any rhatarial is nccessary'
5. Hor much aoEPosr l! P.oduc.d?
Th.or.lically, if all oxidizablc (decomposabl!) matcrial w'r'
oxidizad, and the iltul!rum !,'erc used Ls lhe only toilcl and
kitchen waste depository, about 80 pourds of humus *ould
bc producad per p€rson P€r yaar. Bul bccause u5€ is bound to
bc in somc *iys irregutar (pcople worl du.in8 thc day and go
on vacations), it *ill be rnorc on the ord.r of onc to two
buckals pct parson Per Yaer.
6. Whrt rr. th. l.rtitlzint qorlilies ol lhe cnd product?
Roughly thc iam. iu othct orSanic f.rtiliz'rs - high in
hum,rs, rnejor outricnts (nirogcn, phosphorus, potassium,
caiciu;) and in a[ trac€ alerncnls that *clr prct'nt in lh'
lO. Does lhe hesp produce t.mperslures high anough to
Lill hqrmtul bict.ti, rnd other DrthoSa[lc or8!nlsmst
No- Thc Droccss in the Multrum produces t€mPgratures up
to gCl"F.. which i5 not high enou8h to kill most pathoSenic
orga0isms (which, aft.r ,ll, live in thc human body at
98:6f.). tt is not th. hcal in lhis proces5, bul lhc long pdiod
of dctc;tion (2-1 y€ars) in the Multrurn which destroys !hcm'
Thrsc orp.aniims are subie(ed to competition, Predation from
other orianisrns tnd lh. generally unfevorable cnviroDment
(from thcir point of view).
I l- Why do6n'l ll.tb.tl?
A nu,urul doft, lika that in a chimney, qruses a suction
cffcct at tha vcnt opcning abovc lhc roof, which in turo
ca,rscs ell eir to bc dra*n down thc Ftbagc or the toiltt
op.ning *tcn lhc lid is open. As a consaquena! lhe toil't
room ind kitchcn arc vcnlilatcd by the Mulrum and kcpt
frcc of odors.
12. Don'r tht abul.s rtld toilet stool glt soikd rnd prodoc'
odors?
Sdling is infrequent duc to lhc l3rge diarncter of thc nool
ana ciutc. Oaoi cannot be a paoblcm due to the continuous
do*rward drafl into thc containcr whcn the toilct cov'r is
opan.
ll. Cotrld oalors mcur in lhc hous. Eher lhere rtt down'
drsfls?
Ycs, but il wotid bc a rare o<lurrcnce wilh a properly in-
stalicd vcnr. For lho6c 'i ho *ant insuranc! ag3ilst lhe infre_
oucnt Dossibility of an odot coming in lhe house ciused
trv a downdratt. thr ule oI an .xhaust fan is advisable'
ll. Woutd eny odor coming ftom the Yenl rbov' the rool be
ofJensiv. o. conslitu(e iir Pollution?
Aerobic dacomposilion docs not produce notor'rs gases
(carbon dioide and waler vapor are the main waste products
of tha micro-organisms id lhis process). There is consequent_
ly, lcss odor fror. th. Mulirum vent than from the plumbing
,ant, on aoat houses. Tcsts of lhe gasat thal are produced
show them io no! excced tha fcde.al EPA'5 Poinl_source
emission! standarCs.
lJ. Ia ,n .rhaust trn dracstrat?
I
I
i
It
l
t
Clivus Multrum
vrastes. An anatysis made in Finland on compojt from a
Multrum showcd ah. N_P-K (fttrogen'phosPhorus-
pora!siun) ratio lo be 20-12-14.
7. Is the end P.oducl safe lo use in Satdens?
Rrsearch and eiperimce in Sweden suggcst thal it is Fu'ther
rcsearch is being donc in the Unitcd Slates lo confirm that it is
frce of plhogenic organisms which €luld ba transmit(ed
tkough ;.getetl.t *hich have used nutricnts in the Multrum
"o-oist. iu;therrnrre. sincc no industrial wastc products
thce'n netak. toric chemic,tls. etc ), which arc al*ayr prescnt
in r.*"g.,r.",*.nt ?13m,, ar. intloduc.d to thc Multrum.
rhe end- product will be frcc of theJc materia.ls lt should
be noted. howcvcr' that lhe comp'lst from thc Mukrum
is hichly concentrated as far as sucil nulricnls as nittogen are
conc'crned. and should be used sparingly or in solution when
sprcad onto lhe soil.
8. Is the end prodlct (humus) frGr ot discasa'lroducin8
ore!flisms?
Thi final producl is ai free of pathoSctlic organisms as any
sood cardin soil, Palhogens lhlt can survivc tha competi_
iion o-f ordinaty soil bacteria, as wcll as thc unfavorablc
climatc, may be pr.scnt in lha humus produccd by thc
Multrum. v€ry fcw palhogenic organisrns are abk 10 survive
rhese condilions.
9. What rboul yirus?s - sre lhet delltoyed by lha
grocess?
buch viruscs as hcpalitis, which find watcr to ba a b'tlet
rncdium for thcir ciistence lhan soil, will dic ioon.r in lhc
Multrum !han in a scwaSc trcatment plant. Any virusca *hjch
can survivc ext.ndcd pariods of tima in ordinary soil
condilions could be prcsent in lha humus from th' Multrum'
Idally, no, bul if for 5omc rcason it is impossibl. lo iI
thc vcnt pipc correclly, o. if ona wan(s to insure agairB
infrcqu.nl possibility of odor .aused by do$'ndtafts, it
bc neclssary.
16. Holi bigb doe. lh. vlnt st!.k hevc to b€?
This dcoendion the condilions of sit. and in(allstion' b
f..t abova tha toiLt or Sarbag. op.nins, whichever is hi
is Ecncrally adcqua!. to iniure a continuous natural i
fvicrc rtri dra-tt is insufficicnt, end cannot be suffici
imoroved bv incr.asinS thc vent height or where lcss hti!
priferrcd, iraft strcngth can be enhax:ed by a small '\lfan installed in the vcnt PiPa
l?. Docs il Droduce melhrne?
No. Only snaerobic dccomposilion produccs mclhanc'
Multrum process is aarobic (ic., dccorhposirion is cff
by microor8anisms which nced oiygen)-
18. How rnony p.oPla cin use lt?
k is difficuh to cslculat! prccisc usage parunacrs d
cnormout varilly of combinations of influeryi"l
(..g. t.mperaturc, huoidity, naturc of matcrial(
However, it is lnorYll !h3t roughl)' six p(ople :Jl
uaI
fa
.dr
us
I
standaJd Mullrum on a full-lime basis, wilhoul the ad(
of a mid-scction. For each mid_se.licr addec, up lo
more pcoplc can usa it. If use is iBterlrittenl or scas
ofcoursa morc P€oplc could usc it
19. Docs it hrva lo b! ln aonllnuous, ylsr_tound u
wo,k?
Tha dimcnsions of thc cofllainer al well a5 lhc naturc
process arc such lhat it can talc larSc fluctualions in u(
wasta materials bring with lhcm the microorganiqms
affcct their o\xn deslruction. Even iI lharc is no input fo
Dariods of lim. cnough organisms will hat. su'vlvrd s'
in combination with lhosa introduccd '*ith lh. lrcsh v
thc popularion will quickly incrcase.
20. Whrt hippen! lI It filk uP?
If urad eriti rcasonabl. coosidcration !o thc recamr
numbars of p.oplc p.r Multrum as well is to th€.ffecl
tain conditions (ambicnt tcmperatur.s, hutnidily, clc.)
f.'.
-t
i
:
:
{'
t:-
i'
it
May If, l9??
The members of the City CouncllCity of Chanhassen
Gentlemen:
. Th" city of chanhassen has a policy which prohibits the build-ing of homes on ,unsewered._prop"rty. it i", i;-;J-;i;;, a soundand necessary policy. But r-ueiievL there are norr"g"6i'i" ro.considering a certain kind of exception.
First, some background. I am a te?cher in Minnetonka HighSchool .and ll_ve just.Sw. of Hwy Z ana ioi.---Br,"'tiiv"Ii-iiinnetonrraplans to build a road througrr-our prolerty, and it"ap;e;;; that wemust hove in a year_or two.- A tj.6 abre iiece-"i-p;;;;;; on HwytI i". available, and it is on this property that we ask perrnissionto buird. -rhe proper\r now rras a uirn';;i""-il;";i tit ii" i,o"""is too small for our family of six. Our hope is i6 rent tut thefarmhouse and build anothei., xowever, unaei pres errt- i""tii" ti orr"we cannot do that.
As-T _say, r believe those restrictions to be sound, based onvery valid concerns. There is concern over random deveroDmentin general and sewage.aisposai i.-p."t':.""i;":*"i;;";"i!'r*or,"".r, or""nunicipal finances.- And trre"u .r"'oihu. .oro""ns that most of usare_only beginning to perceive, concerns about energ! -"rri-tn" ,."of rimited resources. -Altogeth". you-ao have a responsibility tovery carefullv watch ana guide devLlopment, not-oniJ"ii-p"""""tjust future di-scornfort and inconve"i"i"",.pr! Is p."i""i ieat tragedyand disaster as well . rt is therefor" *iti, irii ;;;;;iition orpresent policies and their necessity that r ast tirai-in-eiception bemade.
I plan to build a home that will incorporate enerry savingtechnolory_: full insulation, solar heatrng, etc. In itself, thiswourd not be c:use for_an- exception. -But*in aaaition-io-in"""features, the home would have I =p""i"i *";t"-di;;;J.r-Jy"t",n tr,o*,nas the Clivus :.:u ltrum. _ ( Dis criptive material attatfrea. )
-"it :.s tf,eclivus Multrun which,. r'berievE, -p"orrra"" grounds for making anexception to your policy aUout builaing on unsewered property.
There are problems with the ordinary septic tank disposar- system.ft uses a 1ot of water,-almost half-oi-t-tre aierage-i"riiyi= 1o1uawater.consumption, anrr-it puts alr the housetrold vraste back into theground where it mav affect- the water supply ana ooes
-"riE"t the ground.Therefore we buird selvers. But ""*e""-iir"i a lot for-a-iong time andare a great inconvenience for a short time. sepii;-i""k-;; sewerieither way there are disadvantages.- The crivus Multrum sorves theseproblems. rt uses no vrater so Ealf as much water is taken out of theground. That rvater. iS "g"gy water,, as the engineers ."J." ft i"clean ^and 51oes ri6;ht. tac[ iirto tr.r" grouna. rfie wasie-nli onty staysout_ of the ground, it eventuafly UeEomes compost and improves thesoil". rhe system if crean ana irnouiru;i";:-i;-i;'^;"i;ii;eIy in_expensive. I'here is less neecl for electricity. A1i-i; -*ti-," tt," crivus
l/lultrum is a p1us. It doestherefore may be regarded asto your policy.
away with the need forproviding grounds for a r-i s evrer andan except5.on
There are further considerations.
experimental , and if it works out $re11,for future development. llot only wouldvirorunentally sound building practices,that an energJr saving home using the Cli
plan is somewhatght provide s orB ideasa home encourage en-but it is not impossible
\rus Multrum would be the
means of future development which would not need sewers--ever. Thecost savings would be enormous and greatly to the benefit of Chan-hassen.
Thisit mi
suc h
You need not regard such an exception as a dangerous precedent.rt is not a precedent at alr for loweiing your werl--justified standards.You are not all-owing a septic tank where you dontt wint one. It isa precedent for intelligent and conservative development, and that,f believe, is what you vrish to support.
The City of Chanhassen has a sound policybut I bel"ieve that in this case an excentionisception to the policy, not to the principles' onis based. It may be to the advantage of- all.
for deveLopment,justified--an ex-which the pol-icy
I will attend the June 5 Council meeting in ordar to furtherdiscuss this matter and to ask that you act on this request.
S inc erely ,
John Streed
1/821[ Excelsj-or Blvd.
Minrretonka, l,{tr, 55)43tt?4-8089
copies to: Jerry Schlink
Eon Ashworth
Bruce PankoninJerry SchJ.enkAII Councilmen
RusgpLL E. L.r,n sox
ATTOFINEY AT LAW
IEOO FIFgI N TIONAL ! NX BUILOIXG
x rN N EApOLlS. I. NNESOTA 55a02
May 6, 1972
55317
Re:Moratorium Ordinance
Unsewered Areas
it tltlt H. |'Airoi.
cltato t.. ratttl
Chanhassen City Councilc/o Donald W. Ashworth
Chanlrassen City ManagerBox 147
Chanhassen, Minnesota
Pursuant to your requestherewith a redraft df thI have attempted to incomeeting. f believe youflnal reading at the meemeets your requirements.
Gentlemen :
RHL:nep
Enc1.
cc:
at the meetinge proposed moratrporate those thindicated that tting on
of May 2, I encloseorium ordinance, in whichoughts expressed at thehis draft would receiveI hope that the ordinance now
RUSSELL H. LARSON
Chanhassen City Attorney
ourVeryu
tfrN1gl7
+
a;t EA cooE att
YE!EPHONa 3!3-e!63
oRDTNANCE NO. _
AN INTERIM ORDINANCE TE},IPORARILY PROHIBITING CONSTRUCTIONDEVELOPII1ENT WITHIN THE AREAS OF CHANHA"EN NOT SERVED BYSANITARY SEWER, AND PROVIDING A PENAL?Y FOR THE VIOLATION
CITY OF CHANHASSEN
CARVER AND HENNEPIN COUNTIES, MINNESOTA
Intent and Purpose.
OR
C ITY
THEREOF .
prior to the date of
Section I
This
1.
z.
3.
4.
ordinance is adopted for the purpose of:
Protecting the health, _safety and vrelfare of the residentsand future residents of the tity oi chanhassen; -u;J----
Allowing a reasonable time for this City to develop andadopt an ordinance and other ofiici"r controls which:a. will regulate individual sewei aisposii-sy.lu.='=o u=to prevent -contamination of undergior.,a #;i;;-";-water or of streams, Iakes, rivers, or other surfacebodies of water; andb. will prevent individual sewer disposal systems fromcreating a health hazard or a nuiiance f6r th; ---
general public or for individuals; andc. will make it unnecessary to proviile central publicserdage disposat systens for ireas in the city-"i--Chanhassen not intended for urban aevefopmenl i., tt.foreseeable future, as shown by the Co*pief,ensive planfor the City of Chanhassen; and
Protecting the planning processes of the city of chanhassenand its citizens.
Protecting rightsthe enactment of
Section 2 Morator i um .
2 .0r
and=-offici Prohibi tion .
aL controls,
erectionconstruction,
land within the I imi tssanitary sewer sys tem;construct, erect or movIimits of the City not
2.02
property created
ordinance.
INthis
Pending the adoption of the aforesaidno building permit shall be issued foror moving of any buitding on any tractot-the City not served by the municipaland no person, firm or corporation sirale any building upon any land within theserved by the municipal sanitary sewer
ordinance
the
of
I
sys tem .
Exceptions to Plora torium.
A ricultural Uses.shal not proh The provisions of 52.Ol of this ordinancehe issuance of building permits forIized solely for agricuttural uses anddual sewer disposal systems. TheIture and agricul-turaI uses applicableshall be as set forth in the Chanhassen
1 ttstructures to be utinot employing individefinition of agricuunder this ordinanceZoning Ordinance.
I
-'t -
2 Sin Residential Construction.
her e na ter prov e e provrs aons o
Except as
52.0I of this,thordinance shall not prohibit the issuance of buildingfor single family residential construction or moving,sha1l not prohibit such construction or moving if suchproposed single family residence is to be Iocated:
Upon an unimproved unplatted tract of Iand whi-ch wasof record in the offices of the county recorder orregistrar of titles on March L5, 1971, and which isnot less than two and one-half (2-L/2\ acres in sizeand which shall have a front yard of not less thanfifty (50) feet, a side yard on one side of not lessthan one hundred (100) feet, and a side yard on theother side of not less than ten (10) feet, a rear yardof not less than fifty (50) feet, and which shalladjoin a public road or city street. The depth of eachsuch tract shall not be greater than two (2) timesthe sridth.
Upon an unimproved existing platted tot which shaIlcontain at least thirty thousand (30,000) square feetand which shall have a front yard of not less thanthirty (30) feet, a side yard of not less than ten (10)feet, and a rear yard of not less than thirty (30) feet.For purposes of this section an existing platted 1otshaIl include an unimproved registered land survey ofrecord in the office of the registrar of titles onMarch 15, 1971, and which meets the standards of thissection.
perm i ts
and
a
b
C
Any person, firm or corporationordinance shall be guilty of athereof, shall be punished by adorlars ($3oo. oo) , imprisonmentor both.
violating the provisions of this
misdemeanor and, upon convictionfine of not to exceed Three hundredfor not to exceed ninety (90) days,
-2-
1e Famil
Section 3.Penalty.
AIl proposed building sites under 52.02(2) (a) and (b)
above shaIl be inspected by the City Building Inspector,and no building permit shall be issued for any siteon which, in the opinion of the buitding inspector,an inad.equate surface or subsurface drainage or soilporosity condition may exist. The applicant for abuilding permit may be required at the expense of theapplicant to furnish such engineering tests as thebuilding inspector may reasonabl"y require to aid himin making his judgment, and in the exercise of saidjudgment he shall take into consideration the impactof the issuance of any such permit upon contiguousproperties.
fn the event any buitding or structure is constructed, erected, ormoved in violation of this ordinance, the zoning Administrator mayinstitute any proper action or proceeding in the name of lhe Citv-(a) to prevent such unlawful construction, erection, or moving,(b) to restrain or abate such violation; or (c) to prevent the useor occupation of any such building or structure.
Effective Date.
I977.Passed by the Council this _ day of
ATTEST:
City Ma na gerlC i ty Clerk Mayor
Published in Carver County Herald on 't o??
-3-
Section 4.
This ordinance sharr take effect from and after its passage and pub-lication, and sha1I remain in force until the date oi the adoptitnof the Ordinance contemplated hereunder or December 3L, 1g77,whichever date occurs first.
6IU3gEIL H. L^FSON
CRAIG M, MERIZ
Mr. Don Ash!'rorth
Ci.ty Manager
P. O. Box 147
Chanhassen, Minnesota
Rrrr;sr r-1, Il - l,lnsox
ATTORNEY AT LAW
I9OO fIRSI N IIONA! AANX BUIIT]LN"
lll IN N EAPOL IS, MINNESOTA 5540?
Apri 1 6, 1971
u
^F€ A COOE ar2
TELEPHONE 335.9355
lromr City Admini8trbr
Roltrrod Tor
Mtyor * -_-_.-_..-,Councrl
Planrcr.( t..- -
Bullding *.__-.--.-
Atioi:roI __-.--_.-_.*[nslneor*-__-
Yolic,r-.__-_
-
Prri,s y', Il: -
SllJs! l,:! nt.._-
Utllltics-.-. -Prrrs_**_._-_*
Clltt, _-_-*
oal€ --.--*---
RECEIVED P.
vll.l.aail: ()F
CHAlrt tAusLN'
Mttrn'
L,.v*41 .il
Village sanitary sewer
system is available toor subdivided. "
553r7
Subdivision of land not currently
served by sanitary ser.rer.(Ordinance 45 and 33-B)
areas
s ys tem
s erve
Re
Dear Don,
You asked this office to comment6, 1977 memorandum to you on the topic ofnot currently served by sanitary sewer.
on Mr. Pankoninr s March
the subdivision of Iand
-oE TEA-Village not served by theshall be prohibited until said sewer
each such area proposed to be platted
I976) provides AS
Section 2.01 of Ordinance 45 (enacted March 15, I97I) provides asfollows:
"2.01 Future Plats and Subdivisions. The platting and sub-division 6EJ and within
Section I3 - 01
fo I lows :
of ordinance 33-B (enacted l4ay 24,
"13.0f ResLriction on Eil-ing and Recording. No conveyance ofIand sha 1 efiAffi
veyance by metes and bounds, or by reference
land survey made after April 2I, 1961, or toafter June 2, L958. The foregoing provision
conveyance if the land described:
described in the con-
o an unapproved regis tered
n unapproved plat made
oes not aPply to a
b 1St
a
d
(4) is a single parcel of land of not less than five acres
and having a width of not less than 300 feet and its conveyance does
not result in the division of the parcel into two or more lots or
parcels, any one of which is less than five acres j.n area or 300 feet
in width. "
+
APIi9l /
/""r '(.
Don Ashworth -2-April 6, L97'l
Thus, Ordinance 33-B purports to all-ow any subdivision of landwithout City approval so long as the lots are at least five acressize, while Section 2.01 of Ordinance 45 purports to prohibit suchsubdivision.
1n
Chanhassen's power to regulate subdivision of land is derived from
Chapter 462 of Minnesota Statutes. In 1975, the legislature amendedM.S. S462.358(4) to provide a new exemption from municipal subdivisionregulation. By the 1975 amendment, the legislature provided that anysubdivision which resulted in lots of aL least 5 acres in area and
having a minimum width of at least 300 feet would be exempt from localsubdivision regulations. ordinance 33-B was enacted in order to conform
Chanhassen subdivisi-on rules to the new state law.
Legal- Question: Can the City, by Ordinance, override state I ar,i and
subject five acre (and Iarger) fots to our local subdivision regulations?
The answer is c1earJ-y in the negative. In 1975, the City of Maple Grove
asked the Attorney General whether that City could adopt subdivision
regulations which prohibited all subdivision of land which resulted in
lots of less than 20 acres unless City Council approval were obtained.
The Attorney General ruled that the proposed Maple Grove ordinance was
illegaI, because the City Council could not prohibit subdivision other
than those specifically enumerated in M.S. 462-358(41 . (Attorney General
Opinion 430-c-1, Dec. 31, I975).
Thus, developers can freely subdivide without City permission so long as
all resulting lots are at least 300 feet in width and at least 5 acres
in area. Such a subdivision into 5 acres, or larger, Iots woufd not
run afoul of the 2-l/2 acre rule which is established in ordinance 45
for unsewered unplatted lands. Accordingly, the City would be obligated
to issue building permits on such lots.
Ltl aI Question:to proh I t aII sIb
What is the effect, then, of ordinance
ubdivision, regardless of lot size, in
45, which purports
unsewered areas ?
There i-s a general rule of lar^r that when ttro statutes or ordinances on
the same subject matter are irreconcilable, the statute or ordinance of
latest enactment is paramount. Thus, Ordinance 33-8, enacted in 1976,
overrides Ordinance 45, enacted in 1971, to the extent that the two are
inconsistent.
Conclusion:
without City
many applicatCity may want
Developers can subdivide land into 5 acre or larger lots
approoil. If the Planner feels that the City will be seeing
ibns for building permits on five acre or targer lots, the
to establish stiingent performance standards for installation
Don A$hworth
of private
has wr i tten
standards rCourt (cas
-3-
ser./age disposal systems.standards for instal latheld in aton Count
ecently were upord v. Washi
I,Ie note that VJashington Countyion of septic systems. Thesecase before the Minnesota Supreme
April 6, 1977
P lanni Commi ss ion , Finance and
Comme rce , Marc
CMI{: sh
Very truly yours,
L-'-o..t !t-
CRAIG M. MERTZ
{
RUSSELL H. LARSON
CFAIG M. M ERTZ
Mr. Don Ashworth
City ManagerP. O. Box 147
Chanhassen, Minnesota
Re
Russrr,r E. Lln sor
ATTORNEY AT LAW
19OO FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILOIN6
M IN N EAPO LIS, MINNESOTA 55402
April 6, 1977
55317
Father-Son Farming Operations
AR EA CODE 612
TELEFHONE 335 - 9565
5N o6i8+
APn 1977
RECEIVED {:-
.t VTLLAOE OF
CHANHASEEN,
MINtiL
Dear Don:
We have been asked to exPress an opinion on whether two
houses may be erected on a single farm. we note that 56.04 of
ordinance 47 provides that "fiving quarters for persons employed
on the premises of the permitted use" are allowable upon the securinq
of a conditionaL use permit. The permitted uses in the R-IA district
are "agriculture" and "single family dwellings". Thus, a second
dwelling may be erected on a farm in an R-IA district provided that
the second dwelling is occupied hy a person or persons employed
on the farm.
Similarly, S7.04 of Ordinance 47 provides that "living quarters
for persons employed on the premises of the permitted use'r are
allowabte as conditional use in R-I districts. However, "agriculture"
is not a permitted use in R-I districts; rather it would be a non-
conforming use. S20 of Ordinance 47 prohibits the enlargement of
nonconforming uses. Thus, ordinance 47 would prohibit the erection
of a second dwelling on any tract of land whj-ch is zoned R-I.
Conc 1u s ion
The erection of a second farm dwel-ling would be allowable in R-TA
districts upon issuance of a conditional use permit, and would be
ftatly prohibited in R-I districts. The farmers in an R-IA zone could
avoid the conditional use permit requirements by merely splitting off
a tot larger than 5 acres and erecting the second dwelling thereon.
Simitarly, the farmer in the R-I zone could avoid the prohibition on
the second dwelling merely by splitting off a lot larger than 5 acres
and erecting the second dwelling thereon. (See ordinance 33-B).
v y truly yours,
CMM/sh
CRAIG M.MERT Z
Fmm City Administrlor
Rolcned To:
MrYorCouncii--Plannerfi
6url0lng .-/
Altorney-
rngtnSct
tica2utet
Pcliio--,-".--_..
Parts T-f;f]---
Stree: ila:nl.
-
utililie3
Prrii
-
0tlrr.-fu;6ffi
'Vr-
OLUTIO/V$c B/c:
'+)
q
1176 1916
CITY OF
CHINH,tSSEN
7610 LAREDO t)RrVE.P 0 BOX l47.CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA 55317.(612) 414'A885
MDI"IORAIIDUM
TO Don Ashworth, City Manager
Bruce Pankonin, City Pl-anner
March 6, 197 7
Subdivision of land not currently served by sanitary
and vrater
F'ROM:
DATE:
SUBJ:sewe r
As you know, I came on board as Chanhassenrs City Planner ln
December, 1974. At that time, Chanhassen l^ra s just about to .lose
the "war" brith the Metropolitan CounciL in regards to the
Development Framework Plan. To develop meaningful argrments
regarding Chanhassenis ability to determine its own destiny,
Dan Herbst, (who was at that time Chai-rman of the Planning Commission)
Mayor Klingelhutz and I assembled a scenario outlining our enlightened
planning practices and progressive land use controls. The basis
for our arguments were found in the attached opinion dated November
L4 , L9't 3.
Since "Winning the War with the l,letropolitan Councilr' and having
an understanding of Chanhassen's Iand use controls, I have used the
litera.I interpretations contained in Attorney Larsonr s opinion
regarding the subdivision of Iand rrithout sanitary sewer. My
interpretation is, and always has been as follohrs: if sewer is
not available to a particul-ar piece of proPerty, city ortlinance 45
prohibits the subdivision of said property until sewer is available.
In 1976, the City CounciI, as you know, adopted oddinance 33-B.
This ordinance, in my estimation, only amended certain sections of
ordinances 33 and 33-A and has no relation at all to the contents
of City Ordinance 45. SpecificalIy, the primary authority in
ordinance 33-B is the abiJ-ity to subdivide, by meets and bounds
description, single five acre parcels, 300 feet in width, in the
set^rered portions of the city. Parenthet i calIy, this is exactly the
-
Don Ashworth -2-I,larch 7, L977
procedure that Dan Sch irnrne Iphenni g followed in dividing a seweredten acre parcel into two pieces of property. Parentheticat Iy, thisprocess makes sense and provides some relief from the bureaucraticred tape for property owners who want to divide a large seweredparcel into tr,/o pieces of property. This procedure !ril1 not, in
my estimatation, usurp the review authority of the Planning Commission
and the subdivision approval authority which is vested in the City
Counci l, .
Since there appears to be disagreement between staff members regardingthe purpose and scope of Ordinance 33-8, I suggest that we alf sit
down and lay our biases on the table and come to some cotnmon agreement.If it appears that Ordinance 33-B aIlows the rrwiLderness" be dividedparcel at a time into five acre chunks of real estate, then I think
we have a serious problem which deserves our mutual attention.