Looking to the lawsuit it lost in March over the Carriage Hills development, the Eagan City Council made zoning changes Jan. 3 to hopefully prevent such court decisions in the future.

"We found that we're being told [by the courts] that we have to be less restrictive [in our zoning laws]," Mayor Pat Geagan said.

The council unanimously voted to expand the land uses allowed in the city's Park Zoning District, which covers park and recreational land.

However, each of the newly allowed uses comes with a set of conditions intended to preserve the aesthetic of the land, Councilmember Mike Maguire said.

"I'm not excited about some of these uses for land zoned for park or recreation, but they are conditional and it preserves the natural aesthetic of the land if they are developed in the future."

Dakota County District Court Judge Patrice Sutherland ruled against the city last year in a suit over its denial of a housing proposal for the Carriage Hills Golf Course, which is zoned Park.

The newly allowed uses on land zoned park and recreation include such things as churches, schools, private recreational facilities and fields, as well as single-family houses.

Under the conditions placed on the new uses, a home or a church could be built on land zoned Park, but the structures would have to be on at least four acres and cannot cover more than 5 percent of the acreage. There are also several other conditions that apply to the new uses.

The changes apply not only to privately-owned land such as the Parkview Golf Club, the Lost Spur Golf Club and the West End Hunting & Fishing Club, but also city owned park and recreation property.

Eagan residents who spoke at the meeting said they were concerned the change opens the way for more development.

John Ward, a resident, said he was worried that some future council might not be as protective of green space as the current council.

Councilmember Peggy Carlson pointed to those conditions placed on the newly allowed uses as preventing that from happening.

"There are conditions on these uses," Carlson said. "You don't just walk in and get what you ask for. There's a roadblock or two."

Attorney Peter Coyle, who represents the owners of Parkview Golf Club, said his clients were worried the changes could affect their ability to redevelop the course in the future.

"That's not our present intention, but the way it reads to us is that the changes are intended to limit the discretion and options of the property owners in a way that would be detrimental to their financial interests," Coyle said.

The council started discussing the issue last year and directed staff at its Sept. 12 meeting to conduct a survey of what other communities allow on property zoned for park and recreational use.

"When this was done several years ago it was done with the best intentions of meeting the future," City Administrator Tom Hedges said. "But, the future changes and the council as the public policy body for the city, felt we needed to readdress it."

The council's move came after the city's Advisory Planning Commission (APC) recommended denial of the change Dec. 27.

In making its recommendation, the APC listed a lack of background information, lack of a clear benefit to park property in the city and the potential for unintended consequences.

"There are conditions on these uses," Carlson said. "You don't just walk in and get what you ask for. There's a roadblock or two."

Attorney Peter Coyle, who represents the owners of Parkview Golf Club, said his clients were worried the changes could affect their ability to redevelop the course in the future.

"That's not our present intention, but the way it reads to us is that the changes are intended to limit the discretion and options of the property owners in a way that would be detrimental to their financial interests," Coyle said.

The council started discussing the issue last year and directed staff at its Sept. 12 meeting to conduct a survey of what other communities allow on property zoned for park and recreational use.

"When this was done several years ago it was done with the best intentions of meeting the future," City Administrator Tom Hedges said. "But, the future changes and the council as the public policy body for the city, felt we needed to readdress it."

The council's move came after the city's Advisory Planning Commission (APC) recommended denial of the change Dec. 27.

In making its recommendation, the APC listed a lack of background information, lack of a clear benefit to park property in the city and the potential for unintended consequences.