Parks commission recommends fee-in-lieu for Clear Lake project, approves 25% park-credit for Keith Avenue trail

The Lake Elmo City Parks and Recreation Commission voted to recommend acceptance of a fee in lieu of land for the Clear Lake project, including authorization for up to a 25% park dedication credit to be applied toward a trail along Keith Avenue, based on findings listed in the staff report.

The motion was offered by the chair and seconded by another commissioner; after brief discussion the motion passed. Commissioner (unnamed) said, “I feel this is a much better, use of the land than the previous, application.” The chair confirmed the motion had been seconded and called for the vote; commissioners voted in favor and the motion carried (vote tally not specified in the record).

According to the discussion recorded in the meeting, the recommendation was made “based on the findings listed from the staff report.” The commission did not record a numeric vote count in the transcript and did not finalize any implementation steps at the meeting; the recommendation will go to city council for final action.

The staff report was cited as the basis for the commission’s findings; no additional legal citations or ordinance references were read into the record during the deliberation. The commission did not specify a dollar amount for the fee in lieu or identify a schedule for council consideration during the meeting.

The recommendation affects the Clear Lake development’s compliance with Lake Elmo City’s park-dedication requirements by permitting payment rather than land conveyance and allowing a partial credit toward the Keith Avenue trail. Council review is required before any fee acceptance or credit is finalized.