Friday, December 7, 2012
Jay Nygard has built his wind turbine—says courts are on his side.
Jay Nygard has built his wind turbine. Final touches were completed Wednesday, and the turbine is now up and operating. "I personally think it looks like art compared to what I could have bought," Nygard said earlier this week. "It is up and ready for action, as is my solar. I cannot wait to fire them up!" Nygard calls himself an entrepreneur and currently has ownership interests in several businesses. The turbine causing so much legal drama locally is made by a company which Nygard has an agreement with to manufacture in the U.S.—an opportunity he says he’ll capitalize on in the near future. “Now that I’m able to, I’m going to manufacture these here in Minnesota,” Nygard said. “I’ve had this opportunity on the table for a year and a half…
Friday, November 30, 2012
Jay Nygard claims the legal fight with City of Orono has cost him $50,000 and resulted in a two-year loss of business development. Orono Mayor Lili McMillan says city's hands have been tied due to lack of cooperation.
An ongoing legal dispute between a Lake Minnetonka homeowner and the City of Orono has once again been reignited. Jay Nygard thought his fight against City Hall was over when the Minnesota Court of Appeals issued a strongly worded decision last month ruling construction of a wind turbine adjacent to his lakeshore home was a permitted land use and that the City of Orono erred in blocking its placement. So Nygard was stunned when a letter recently arrived from the city demanding he dismantle the turbine’s concrete footing and immediately cease all construction activity. “At this point, all they are doing is costing everyone more money—especially the tax payers of Orono,” Nygard said. “I’m really not sure what they’re trying to do. It seems …
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
The Navarre Community Initiative co-hosted a recent local meeting to gather citizen input on Hennepin County's first ever Pedestrian Plan—a draft of which is due for review in the coming weeks.
Advocating for a safe and pedestrian-friendly Navarre, the Navarre Community Initiative has presented a petition with 200 signatures to the Orono City Council and Planning Commission asking that pedestrian, bike and auto safety be a No. 1 priority. The Navarre Community Initiative co-hosted a recent local meeting to gather citizen input on Hennepin County's first ever Pedestrian Plan—a draft of which is due for review in the coming weeks. Orono Mayor Lili McMillan joined members of the Navarre Community Initiative for an on-the-ground look at Navarre's issues. The Navarre Community Initiative says safety issues exist on Hennepin County property, County Roads 15 and 19, and the City of Orono has been granted a meeting with Hennepin County …
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Patch will highlight candidates from communities throughout Lake Minnetonka in the coming days. Look for your comprehensive election guide coming soon!
- ELECTIONS
- Jay Corn
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Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Lizz Levang is running against Kristi Anderson, Doug Franchot and Dennis Walsh for two Orono City Council seats up for election this November. Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Share something most people don’t know about you. I grew up in International Falls, a community famous for being the coldest spot in the nation. My parents, now in their 90s, still live in my childhood home. I feel fortunate to have lived in Orono for 30 years. When I leave my office, I feel a sense of peace and serenity as I turn off 394 and drive the last miles home. Here I find the quiet I need (I am a grief therapist) and the inspiration for writing (I am a published author). Here also I find the opportunity and joy of being involved in our city …
Patch will highlight candidates from communities throughout Lake Minnetonka in the coming days. Look for your comprehensive election guide coming soon!
- ELECTIONS
- Jay Corn
-
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Kristi Anderson is running against Doug Franchot, Lizz Levang and Dennis Walsh for one of two Orono City Council seats up for election this November. Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Share something most people don’t know about you. Since choosing to run for Orono City Council, I’ve made a point of meeting individually with city staff members and countless citizens door knocking. I believe it’s critical to collect as many perspectives from those impacted by council decisions as possible in order to draw informed and balanced conclusions. As a council member, this will be a matter of course. I will continue to remain accessible to staff and citizens, facilitate responsiveness, fiscal responsibility and make connections with our …
Patch will highlight candidates from communities throughout Lake Minnetonka in the coming days. Look for your comprehensive election guide coming soon!
- ELECTIONS
- Jay Corn
-
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Denny Walsh is running against Kristi Anderson, Doug Franchot and Lizz Levang for two seats up for election this November on the Orono City Council. Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Share something most people don’t know about you. I am the only recommended Republican running. I lived in Europe for a year from 2-3 years old. My first job was at Wendy's in Hopkins, and I love their burgers to this day. I am a master scuba diver, and I was a 200 average bowler in high school and went to the state championships in 10,11 and 12th grades. I took my first year off high school to play baseball, and live/take care of my cancer-stricken grandma, then went to college in Madison, WI, and graduated in three years. I put my self through …
Patch will highlight candidates from communities throughout Lake Minnetonka in the coming days. Look for your comprehensive election guide coming soon!
- ELECTIONS
- Jay Corn
-
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Doug Franchot is running against Dennis Walsh, Lizz Levang and Kristi Anderson for two City Council seats up for election this November. Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Share something most people don’t know about you. I am a 15-plus year resident of Orono who loves the large amount of natural space we have in the city. I try to keep up with quite a few kids (five) and even more grandchildren (12), although their legs get longer and mine seem to get shorter with each passing year. Professionally, I own an executive search business in Wayzata and, before that, held general and marketing management positions at General Mills and several smaller companies. I am very active in a number of non-profit groups and am the chair of …
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Jay Nygard says this week's ruling clears the way for a green energy endeavor based right here on Lake Minnetonka. Read the entire State Appeals Court ruling.
- GOVERNMENT
- Jay Corn
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Wednesday, October 24, 2012
A ruling made this week by the Minnesota Court of Appeals will likely end for good an at times contentious dispute between the City of Orono and a resident wishing to construct a wind turbine on his property. Jay Nygard first approached the Orono City Council in 2010 with plans to construct a vertical-axis wind turbine on his Lake Minnetonka property. Citing violation of city code, it took the city council just two days to deny his application. “Instead of trying to work something out, they decided to go down this path of stubborn indignation,” Nygard said. Nygard ignored the city’s decision and built the turbine anyway. The city eventually took the case to court, and months of complicated legal actions ensued. But the appeals court’s 10-…
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Letters to the editor can be submitted via e-mail to Jay.Corn@patch.com.
- OPINION
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Thursday, October 18, 2012
To the editor: My choices this year for Orono City Council are Kristi Anderson and Doug Franchot. I have known both of these individuals for a number of years and know they can do the job. Kristi Anderson is a lakeshore owner, has students in the Orono Schools and is the director of the Southshore Community Center. She is energetic, organized and will bring a refreshing can-do attitude to the thorny land use issues and budget balancing that every city council faces. Doug Franchot has been a voice of reason and judgment on the Orono City Council over the last four years. He is a partner in his own personnel recruitment business and has helped the City Council with his experience and insight into both personnel decisions and business …
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Letters to the editor can be submitted via e-mail to Jay.Corn@patch.com.
- OPINION
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Wednesday, October 17, 2012
To the editor: Watching the Orono candidate's forum, Councilman Franchot called the Orono Public Golf Course a money-losing sacred cow. He wants it closed and has no interest in history, preservation or protection. Perhaps he wants another low-income housing development dropped on an unsuspecting neighborhood. Two years ago, Franchot wrote that he was concerned that (now Mayor) McMillan displayed “a troubling lack of fiscal responsibility and financial acumen.” Yet Franchot backed the school board's $3.2 million Old Crystal Bay Road project. The new road was successfully completed for $93,000! Candidate Kristi Anderson also tips her hand in support of the $3.2 million boondoggle and champions the phenomenal Orono Schools. What about …
Privacy
6:26 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
I think the device looks fine. After reviewing the Orono City Codes I believe the limits for amateur radio towers are what should be used in that the wind/tower device should be limited to a height 45 degrees up and beyond all side & rear lot lines. So any tower should be limited in height by the lesser of a max 2.5 stories or the side/rear lot line min distance allowances. Hypothetically, If you… more ›