Take Action!

Every voice in Scenic Hills matters — and the more neighbors who show up, the louder our message to the city becomes.

Why your individual voice matters

Form petitions are valuable, but individual emails and phone calls to elected officials carry disproportionate weight. When a council member receives a personally written message from a constituent, it signals genuine engagement — not just a signature on a list. You don't need to write much. A few sentences explaining that you live in Scenic Hills, that you oppose the HDR zoning, and that you want this property rezoned to low or medium density is enough. The contacts below are the people with actual decision-making authority.

Inver Grove Heights Mayor

Brenda Dietrich
651-450-2504
bdietrich@ighmn.gov

Here's an updated sample letter with that emphasis woven in:

My name is [your name] and I am a resident of the Scenic Hills neighborhood at [your address] in Inver Grove Heights. I am writing to express my strong opposition to the High Density Residential zoning designation for the property at 1401 80th St E.

The HDR designation on this property predates the development of Scenic Hills entirely. Our neighborhood was built, marketed, and sold as a single-family residential community while this designation already existed on an adjacent parcel. Almost all residents are unaware that a high-density apartment complex could one day be built at the center of this neighborhood. The city has an opportunity — and an obligation — to correct that now.

The property's new owner, Kurt, has made his intentions clear. He wants to develop this land as a continuation of the single-family homes that define Scenic Hills. The obstacle is not the developer — it is the city's unwillingness to revisit a zoning designation that no longer reflects the reality of the surrounding community. We are asking the city to do exactly that.

This is not about opposing housing development. There are multiple parcels of land surrounding Scenic Hills that are not embedded within established single-family neighborhoods and would be far more appropriate for high-density development. We are asking the city to pursue those alternatives seriously rather than forcing an incompatible use into the heart of an existing residential community.

Beyond the fundamental issue of character and fit, there are serious practical concerns that demand answers before any rezoning approval moves forward.

• Road Infrastructure and Traffic: 80th Street has no sidewalk infrastructure, and a 100+ unit apartment complex would introduce a significant and dangerous increase in both pedestrian and vehicle traffic along a road that was never designed to accommodate it. Of equal concern is the impact on Adler Trail and Austin Path, the private roads within Scenic Hills. These roads are maintained exclusively by Scenic Hills homeowners through HOA dues — they are not city-maintained streets. Increased cut-through traffic generated by a high-density development would accelerate wear and deterioration on infrastructure that our residents already pay out of pocket to upkeep. It is entirely unreasonable to expect homeowners to absorb costs caused by traffic from a development they opposed. The city must clearly establish that neither Adler Trail nor Austin Path would serve as access points for any high-density development on this property.

• Emergency Services: A high-density residential building of this scale presents unique and significant demands on fire and emergency services. How will emergency response be handled for a development of this size in this location?

• Water and Utility Infrastructure: A development of this scale would place considerable new demands on local water and utility systems. How will the existing infrastructure in this area support a high density residential building?

I am asking you to oppose this rezoning and to direct high-density development to one of the many more appropriate sites available in and around Inver Grove Heights. Rezoning this property to Low or Medium Density Residential would honor the character of Scenic Hills, protect our private road infrastructure, and still allow the city to meet its housing development goals in a location that actually makes sense.

Thank you for your time and for representing our community.

Sincerely,
[Your name]