Council issues negative declaration on Limerick Village EAW; environmental review sufficient for now

The Lake Elmo City Council on Oct. 21 found the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) for the Limerick Village development to be sufficient and issued a negative declaration, meaning the city will not require a further Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project at this time.

Planning staff explained the EAW process required under the Minnesota Environmental Policy Act and said the EAW had been published and subject to a 30-day comment period ending Sept. 26. The city received comments from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Metropolitan Council and one public commenter. Staff said the MPCA’s questions (including about noise and wastewater detail) had been addressed in the findings of fact and that the Metropolitan Council had determined the EAW to be sufficient from a regional standpoint while offering advisory comments.

After discussing the agency comments and staff’s written response in the findings-of-fact record, Councilmember(s) said they did not see new, substantive information that would necessitate an EIS. The council voted to adopt Resolution 2025-073 approving a negative declaration on the need for an EIS and then approved staff’s findings of fact and record of decision supporting that negative determination.

What this means: with the EAW determination complete and the findings adopted, the project moves forward in the city’s permitting process subject to any permit-specific reviews and the plan approvals that follow. The council’s action does not grant project permits; rather, it closes the EAW stage of state-required environmental review.