Memo from Bev Thomas 10-15-04
October 15th, 2004
Clr{ OF CHANHASSEN
RECEIVED
TO:
SHARMEEN AL-JAFF
DCT 1 5 2004
FROM:
BEVERL Y THOMAS
GHANHASSEN PLANNING DEPT
RE: LOTUS VIEW ADDITION
745 PLEASANT VIEW ROAD - CHANHASSEN. MINNESOTA
Nestled within the heart of Minnesota's western suburbs and boasting
beautiful views of Lotus Lake, this historic farmhouse was originally built in
the 1860' s on 66 pristine acres of land. Serving as home to fourteen families
since its original construction, including prominent wartime Hero Captain
George Wert Schuman, this estate has offered a unique blend of charm,
character and history to its proud owners for over a century.
Today, the remaining estate includes 3.0 acres(130,680 SF) of land that
preserves its rich heritage. During the 1990's, Sunrise Cottage - the
property's 'carriage house' - was added to complement the original
farmhouse. This structure was designed to not only offer garage and storage
facilities for the main dwelling which had been absent until that time but
capitalized on a vision to include added facilities for an aging parent should
the need arise. Sunrise Cottage offers a three-stall garage on the upper level
that directly serves the main farmhouse and three additional lower level
stalls with added storage space which serve the cottage.
Given the complementary design, construction and overall functionality of
these two structures, it is clear that they were originally intended to co-exist
and operate as a single estate. With its recent purchase, the property's new
owner wishes for that to remain in tact in an effort to preserve its status as a
landmark property in Chanhassen - and as such we are requesting a variance
from the City to allow us to maintain the existing non-conformity.