1p. Addumption Seminary Property 1
CITY OF
CHANHASSEN
\\, 1/4\?
690 COULTER DRIVE • P.O. BOX 147 • CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA 55317
(612) 937-1900
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Don Ashworth, City Manager
1 DATE: July 5 , 1988
SUBJ: Assumption Seminary
As this item had previously appeared as a Council presentation
item, I am replacing the item onto the agenda for interim
1 action.
Although the City Council may desire removal of all buildings,
such will assuredly result in lengthy court action. The City
1 can point to nuisances/dangers. However, the court will look
primarily to structural condition prior to allowing the City the
right to contract for demolishing the structure(s) . The cost of
1 demolition would have to be borne by the City with the potential
of reimbursement.
1 In light of the above statements , I believe the actions taken by
our Public Safety Department to date have been prudent and far
less costly than demolition. In essence, we are asking for
clean-up, dormatory building removal/demolition, securing of the
1 main structure, and regular security patrol . If the property
owners comply with the conditions outlined by Public Safety, I
believe we have a workable solution during the period of time
1 that the owners decide the future fate of the main structure.
Authorizing this office to confirm with the property owners that, by
meeting all conditions outlined in Scott Harr' s memorandum of
1 June 21, 1988 , the City agrees that such represents an interim
solution for the property while providing the property owners
with an opportunity to determine whether to sell/demolish/renovate
the main structure.
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CITY OF
Ai CHANHASSEN
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690 COULTER DRIVE • P.O. BOX 147 • CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA 55317
yr t (612) 937-1900
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MEMORANDUM 1
TO: Don Ashworth, City Manager
FROM: Scott Harr, Asst. Public Safety Director e
DATE: July 19 , 1988
SUBJ: Assumption Seminary 1
Today Mr. Jim Schumacher, owner of the property, called me to
inquire as to whether we would accept an alarm system on the
property rather than the on-site security guard.
I told him to send us a letter but that off the top of my head it
seemed like a very reasonable alternative. I told him to send
his proposal to me for consideration.
cc: Jim Chaffee 1
Mayor Hamilton
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CITY OF
CHANHASSEN
vi , _, 690 COULTER DRIVE • P.O. BOX 147 • CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA 55317
(612) 937-1900
MEMORANDUM
TO: Don Ashworth, City Manager
' FROM: Scott Harr, Assistant Public Safety Director 00.0
DATE: June 21, 1988
SUBJ: Assumption Seminary
This memo is to outline the results of the meeting held on June
21, 1988, at Chanhassen City Hall regarding the Assumption
Seminary.
Present were:
James Schumacher, property owner
Roger Knutson, City Attorney
Jim Chaffee, Public Safety Director
Dale Gregory, Fire Chief
1 Scott Harr, Asst. Public Safety Director
The purpose of this meeting was to provide attending parties the
opportunity to clarify positions and to set goals . Throughout
the meeting, concerns were expressed, questions asked and
answered, and alternatives explored. Specific tasks and dates
were agreed upon as well.
The meeting began by having participants read the introduction
material supplied by me ( see attached) . The general history
of the property was also discussed.
Mr. Schumacher explained the general position of the group that
he owns the property with. The property was purchased as invest-
ment property and while willing to cooperate, the group does not
want to see the main building destroyed unless there are no
other alternatives .
The primary concerns discussed were the safety issues presented
by the present state of the property. In response to the
discussion, Mr. Schumacher agreed to the following:
1 . The property owners will legally remove all of the barrels on
the property as soon as possible. It was recommended that
the owners contact Mr. Michael Shotliff, Carver County
Environmentalist, as well as contacting Ms. Ingrid Verhagen,
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
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Mr. Don Ashworth
June 24, 1988
Page 2
2 . The property owners will provide a private security officer on
the property by July 1, 1988, as Well as to provide security
lighting of the main building by July 21, 1988 . The property
owners will also immediately secure the main building (a
basement door is open on the west side) .
' 3 . The property owners will work with Fire Chief Gregory to
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arrange for the dormitory building to be burned (and possibly
Ithe granary) as soon as Chief Gregory permits the barn.
Mr. Schumacher stated that he will continue to investigate alter-
natives by which the main building might be dealt with. This
would include the razing of the building or the sgle of the
property.
Public Safety Director Jim Chaffee asked that I include in this
memo that the owners are required to take care of the cistern to
the rear of the main building within two weeks of this dated memo
( although this item was not discussed at this meeting) . Director
Chaffee is also requiring that the interior of the barn be
cleaned up, including the removal of the dead chickens .
I have requested that the Carver County Sheriff' s Department pro-
vide extra patrol of the property (memo attached) . While the
aesthetics of the property were discussed, the emphasis of this
meeting by those attending was public safety.
NOTE: MR. SCHUMACHER REQUESTED A LETTER FROM THE CITY MANAGER
I STATING THAT THE SPECIFICS SET FORTH IN THIS MEMO WILL SATISFY
THE CITY, AND THAT HE WILL COMPLY UPON RECEIVING THE LETTER.
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June 20 , 1988 '
Page 2
me expressing a strong interest in purchasing the property (she
stated she would have material here for this meeting for distri-
bution advocating that the buildings not be destroyed) .
I did meet with the Carver County Environmentalist at the prop-
erty. Unfortunately, he is unable to be with us at this
meeting, but did provide the attached material . '
THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING IS TO ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION BETWEEN
INVOLVED PARTIES. Thank you for attending. I
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I - ' 11 CARVER COUNTY COURTHOUSE
:A 600 EAST 4TH STREET
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ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES ,1 CHASKA.MINNESOTA 55318-2186
(612) 448-3435
4vArhE;S O
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COU\TY Of CAINEQ
MEMORANDUM
TO: Scott Harr, City of Chanhassen
' FROM:
DATE: Michael Shotliff, Environmentalist, Carver County
06-16-88
SUBJECT: Preliminary environmental assessment of old Assumption
Seminary site, Highway 212, Chanhassen
Thank you for allowing me, as a representative of Carver County
Environmental Services, to view and evaluate the building and
grounds of the old Assumption Seminary site on Highway 212 within
the City of Chanhassen. As we discussed, several areas of con-
' cern were identified and need to be addressed by the current
and/or future owners of the site.
listed below: These areas of concern are
' 1 . Several 55-gallon and 5-gallon drums were found to be
burst open and leaking their unknown contents. Analy-
sis should be conducted to determine the nature of
' these wastes.
2. A probable underground storage tank for petroleum
products exists and would 1) have to be removed or 2)
filled with a neutral material such as sand, concrete,
etc.
3 . If demolition proceeds, all demolition debris must go
to a permitted landfill . Scrap tires and some other
debris may not, however, be landfilled in any instance.
' 4. There is good reason to believe that asbestos is
present in many locations. Pending analysis, this
material must be removed by a special asbestos removal
firm, properly packaged, and disposed in a permitted
asbestos landfill.
' 5. Generally, most transformers installed prior to 1979
have PCB containing oils within them. While it was
admittedly difficult to detect the presence of such
' transformers on our preliminary visit, I feel this is
one area which needs attention. PCB containing oils,
generally, are a regulated hazardous waste, and must be
disposed of as such.
' Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer
Let me emphasize that this evaluation is preliminary based on our
site visit on June 13 . I regret that I will be unable to attend
the meeting of interested parties on June 21. However, I hope
that Carver County Environmental Services may continue to be of
assistance and that any removal of wastes that may prove harmful
to the public health or environment proceed in a fashion that is
agreeable to all interests. If you have any further questions or
concerns, please contact me at 448-3435, ext. 249.
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June 20, 1988
' Scott Harr
Asst . Public Safety Director
City of Chanhassen
City Hall
' 690 Coulter Drive
Chanhassen, MN 55317
RE: City Council Meeting June 21
Dear Scott:
First of all, I want to thank you for all your encouragement
and support with our plans . Enclosed please find several
' items of interest .
I have enclosed a copy of an article that was in the Shakopee
' Argus on July 23 , 1909 - when the Mudcura first opened it ' s
doors ! It may help to pass this article around to the council
members so that they can get some idea of what the place was
like when it first opened. You may want to tell them that the
Franciscians tore out the large staircase and the lobby desk,
enclosing the lobby area - to build more rooms on the second
and third stories . Our intention is to REBUILD THE STAIRCASE
' to restore the front lobby area to it ' s original grandeur ! This
will once again open the lobby area to the top of the building.
The elevator will also be re-opened (the Franciscians enclosed
that also ) it will once again be an open-air wrought iron car
next to the main staircase.
Another item of interest is that we intend to start a local
' preservation society to aid in the process of having the site
put on the National Register of Historic Sites .
' There is also another article enclosed showing a picture of
the Sanitarium as it first appeared upon opening. The article
is from the August 1 , 1951 Shakopee Argus , detailing the sale
of the property to the Black Francisicans . ( Sorry about the
' poor quality of the copy - the newspaper is quite yellowed and
very fragile ! )
' I look forward to working with you and the City of Chanhassen
as we see our plans and dreams come to reality.
Sincerely, cc: Todd Gerhart
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' Grace Morgan
Director of Research & Development
Yesteryear, Inc .
' 2871 Irving Ave So
Minneapolis , MN 55408 823-6325
June 20 , 1988
Chanhassen City Council
City Hall
690 Coulter Drive
Chanhassen , MN 55317
RE: Development of the "Mudcura Sanitarium"
Members of the City Council:
This letter comes to you from our organization, Yesteryear, Inc ,
in the hope that we can impress upon you the historical significance
and potential of the above mentioned "Mudcura Sanitarium" .
From preliminary research that has been done, it has become
apparent that the site is eligible for inclusion in the
National Register of Historic Sites . The Sanitarium was something
of a novelty in those days , in that they used the nearby sulfer
soaked mud to help alieviate rhumatoid arthritis . I believe
this has since been refuted by modern medical science , but it was ,
in it ' s day, quite a progressive treatment !
Our purpose is to restore the Mudcura Sanitarium to it ' s former
beauty, to be used as a Bed and Breakfast Inn.
We will restore much of the interior woodwork, as well as the
original double wide staircase and front desk in the main lobby
of the building. Many of the floors throughout are Birch and
Hard Maple ; these too will be restored.
Part of the main floor will be a public restaurant , serving fine '
cuisine . We are planning a menu of classic american and
continental entrees .
The whole of the interior will reflect the era of the early
1900 ' s (the structure was completed in 1909 ) .
The grounds will be restored to their original state as much
as possible. There will be a flower and shrub garden for guests
to stroll through and the old Gazebo will be refurbished to
accomodate quiet reflection. A vegetable garden will also be
tended on the grounds (as was done then ) and the creekbed will
be re-lined with the polished granite' slabs , that still remain.
( It should be noted here that the parking area for the guests
and restaurant will be screened off from the highway by a row
of large shrubs and trees , so as not to disturb the image of a
quiet country estate that we wish to project . ) '
An arrangement will be worked out with several local businesses
to chauffeur our guests to and from. These are Canterbury Downs ,
The Chanhassen Dinner Theater and Paisley Park Productions .
This amenity would re-emphasize the feeling of service and
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luxury that we will strive to maintain.
This enterprise , we hope , is in keeping with Chanhassen ' s plans
for development that is neither extremely commercial nor garish.
' We assume that , as Chanhassen grows , it will wish to do so with
dignity and forethought . That is what we are going to reflect
with our development of this property.
' When the property is put on the National Register of Historic
Sites , it will result in positive publicity for the City of
' Chanhassen in that it will be recognized as a municipality
that is striving to grow without forgetting about it ' s colorful
and varied history.
' In closing, I would like to let you know that we are working
on a financial Prospectus for the purchase and restoration of
this fine property. We will continue to keep the City Council
' posted on further developments in that area.
Please feel free to contact us with questions or concerns
regarding these developments . We are more than willing to
cooperate in any way with the City of Chanhassen.
Very Sincerely,
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CII!!--//
' Grace M. Morgan
Director of Research and Development
YesterYear, Inc .
2871 Irving Ave So.
Minneapolis , MN 55408
CHANHASSEN CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL MEETING 1
MAY 31, 1988
Mayor Hamilton called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.. The meeting was opened '
with the Pledge to the Flag.
COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Councilman Boyt, Councilman Geving and Councilman
Johnson
COUNCILMEMBER ARRIVING LATE: Councilman Horn arrived during the last item of
discussion.
STAFF PRESENT: Don Ashworth, Roger Knutson, Barbara Dacy and Larry Brown '
OLD ASSUMPTION SEMINARY DISCUSSION.> '
Mayor Hamilton: I'll just move ahead with one item I had and that is the old
(Assumption Seminary. It's been brought to our attention a few times that there
is a problem with the Assumption Seminary. Scott Harr has been talking with the
'owners and trying to work with them and he's done an excellent job of trying to
;keep on top of this project. I've gotten so many complaints about that property
that last week I went down there with Jim Chaffee. Walked the whole property
and let me tell you, that's a scary place to be in. It's just awful. You can't
;believe how bad that place is. We spent a lot of time Friday and today talking
about it trying to figure out what we're going to do to resolve this issue. I
think what we need to do, what I would like to see us do tonight is pass a
resolution saying that the seminary property in total is a public health hazard
and a safety hazard so that will give Scott the ammunition he needs and a little
more clout to move ahead with the owners, and Roger also, to get additional
things done with the seminary. Board it up. Close it up. Torn down. Burned
down. I don't care what we do with it but it's got to be changed. I found
about ten 55 gallon drums stored behind one of the buildings. There is
something in them leaking and it's going right into the creek. There's hundreds -
of tires out there. The place is supposed to be totally secure and we had them
board up all the doors and windows so you couldn't get into it. I had never
been there and within about two minutes I was in. The door was wide open so
it's not very secure. Once I got in I wasn't so happy I was in there. In the
basement level there are huge walk-in coolers like you see in a grocery store or
in a big apartment building but the door is still on. We have some very, very
serious problems there and I think our staff can probably take care of the doors
so we don't have the problem of somebody being put in there. I know that Scott
will be contacting Roger to find out how do we move ahead to secure the
property. There are a total of about six buildings there and two of them are
being occupied. I would like us to even pursue the possibility of telling the
owners that the buildings that are being inhabitated can not be until they get
the others cleaned up. There are certainly a lot of hazards for the people
living there because they have children and the whole property is just unsafe.
I'd like to see us pass a resolution saying that it's a health and a public
safety hazard. Perhaps Roger could draft wording for that so we could send that
to the owners.
Councilman Geving: Let's go ahead with the resolution. I noticed it was up for
sale. It's up for sale and will that have an impact on the sale? If we declare
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it as a safety hazard. Of course, I don't know what the people were doing with
it anyway.
Mayor Hamilton: It would seem to me that anybody who would come in here to
purchase that property, we should tell them that until such time as it's cleaned
' up, the building taken down and the debris removed, that they're just going to
have to do that or the City wouldn't be satisfied.
Councilman Geving: The houses that are occupied, I drove by yesterday, and it
' seems like I remember that we had almost declared it uninhabitable at the time
because we were concerned about water pollution I believe. Contamination
possibly from the well. I don't recall that specifically but it seems like the
' homes that are being occupied were almost unfit because of the wells. I have no
problem with that. It looks like we should do something because the windows are
all broken out. It's a shabby looking place.
' Mayor Hamilton: It's such a beautiful setting. A beautiful area. It's a
shame that it's gotten to this point.
Councilman Geving: There have to be some of us who remember what it looked like
when the Seminarians were there.
' Mayor Hamilton: There are big trees that have been cut down in the area. We
should try to eliminate that. There are some huge, huge trees out there. I
don't remember if they're oaks or poplars but those things are this big around.
They're huge. It's just a beautiful piece of property when you get behind the
' seminary. A creek running past the seminary behind it's all wooded. It's just
gorgeous. To have a mess like that, it's a shame.
' Councilman Johnson: Did you see what was in the drums?
Mayor Hamilton: No I didn't even want to touch them, to be honest with you.
They've ben there for a while and one of them had tar running down it. That was
' down by the barn and it was leaking out. All I know is one of them was leaking
out.
' Councilman Johnson: We should get the MPCA site investigation to go out there
immediately. If you saw something coming out of the drums that were there,
that's enough for them to respond and they will go out and look and call the
' homeowner and everything.
Mayor Hamilton: That was the direction we gave to Scott. To talk to the MPCA.
Councilman Geving: Tom, do you know who owns that property?
Mayor Hamilton: There are five attorneys who are attempting to sell it. They
' realize that they've got a white elephant and they have a million dollar
pricetag on it. There's no way it's worth near that.
' Councilman Geving: You're interested in directing Roger to go ahead with the
resolution.
Roger Knutson: I'll just draft a resolution for your next meeting.
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' Mayor Hamilton: We could have it on our consent.
Councilman Geving moved, Mayor Hamilton seconded to direct the City Attorney to
draft a resolution declaring the the Old Assumption Seminary as a public health
hazard and a public safety hazard to be available for the next City Council
meeting. In the meantime, directing staff to move ahead to proceed to do
whatever they can to close it down. All voted in favor and the motion carried.
PARTIAL VACATION OF WEST 64TH STREET.
;Mayor Hamilton: We've gone over this a number of time. I guess Barb, has
anything changed since last week that you want to bring to our attention?
Barbara Dacy: It's my understanding from the Reed's that Roger Reed has signed a
petition agreeing to the vacation.
'Councilman Johnson: So now we're at a three-fifth's vote.
Roger Knutson: Last time there was a concern that two people owned the property.
Have they both signed?
:Mayor Hamilton: Gary, your brother is owner with you, is that correct? 1
,Roger Knutson: Now you both signed the petition?
Mayor Hamilton: Including your wife so there's three of you.
Jan Reed: We haven't actually signed it. '
Roger Knutson: If they sign it and if they own a majority of the land abutting
the road to be vacated, then it is. ..
Mayor Hamilton: Maybe you could examine the document and tell us what needs to
be done.
Roger Knutson: I guess know someone needs to sign it.
Barbara Dacy: They are signing our standard application. You should probably
write on there we're going to vacate 64th Street.
Roger Knutson: From point to point.
Councilman Boyt: It's a little sketchy isn't it?
Roger Knutson: Yes. Why don't I draw something up right here. '
Councilman Johnson: Of course his brother's not here.
Mayor Hamilton: Barbara, could you review what the current plan is at this '
point in time?
Barbara Dacy: The Council at last Monday's meeting was talking about one of the
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