Success Stories

Following are just a few examples for some of our recent success stories.

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Boundary Commission Plat

Final 200 Acres Conserved on Dead Lake

Stefanie Brown has joined the Professional Advisors Council for the Central Minnesota Community Foundation.

Rinke Noonan is proud to announce Stefanie Brown has joined the Professional Advisors Council for the Central Minnesota Community Foundation.  Actively engaged in the nonprofit community as donors and volunteers, members are also leaders in their firms, in the professional advisors community, and the local community at large.

Stefanie is a shareholder at Rinke Noonan where she concentrates her practice in business succession and estate planning, general business and commercial transactions, and real estate.

She is involved in several professional and community service organizations in Central Minnesota including the Board of Directors for the Central Minnesota Community Foundation – Good Samaritan Fund, Minnesota Women Lawyers, Great River Rotary, Client Service Network, the Central Minnesota Estate Planning Council, and the Stearns Benton Bar Association Wills for Heroes Program.

Rinke Noonan is a proud supporter of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation.  We recognize their efforts to not only make our community a better place today, but in securing its prosperity for generations to come.

Rinke Noonan has completed the largest Boundary Commission Plat ever done in Minnesota.

Rinke Noonan has completed the largest Boundary Commission Plat ever done in Minnesota. The Plat in the City of Rockville on Grand Lake, in Stearns County, involved 37 separate property owners. The final plat has 52 lots and over 1 1/2 miles of roadway.

Attorneys David Meyers and John Kolb were principally responsible for the adoption of the plat. They worked with the property owners to first reach agreement on the common boundaries, and then to streamline the procedure through the Courts.

Due to the complexity of the survey work required for the Boundary Commission Plat, Rinke Noonan asked the Court to place Judicial Land Monuments at strategic locations. This will assure the property owners that their lots can be re-surveyed using Judicially determined markers.

The Boundary Commission Statute, Minn. Stat. §465.79, does not give lawyers a lot of direction on how to have the plat confirmed by the Court. Rinke Noonan used a Summons and Notice of Lis Pendens to notify property owners of the comfirmation hearing. At the first hearing, the Court adopted an Interlocutory Order confirming the plat and providing for the placement of the Judicial Monuments. The Final Order included the plat, which set out the property owners, the property tax identification number and all emcumbrances.

Thank you, Kurt, for all your great assistance and smart advice.

Thank you for your great assistance and smart advice. You were so kind in helping us resolve our land problems. Both my wife and I were so touched by your kindness, that we cried in the elevator when we left your office. Thank you again for your help and we pray for a blessed life for you.

JAD

Final 200 Acres Conserved on Dead Lake

TPL purchase concludes battle to sustain undeveloped lakeshore;

DNR adds land to Dead Lake Wildlife Management Area

DEAD LAKE, MINN., June 16, 2010: Two hundred acres on Dead Lake will forever remain undeveloped, The Trust for Public Land and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced today. The conservation deal concludes a battle over the proposed Blue Heron Bay development on Dead Lake.

Over the last decade the local Dead Lake Association has fought against development of 260 acres of sensitive Dead Lake shoreline. The 200-acre purchase announced today follows a 2007 purchase of 60 environmentally sensitive acres directly adjacent to the Dead Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national conservation organization, negotiated both purchases, and the property is now owned and managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and added to the adjacent Dead Lake WMA.

“The fight to protect Dead Lake’s sensitive shore land has been long and hard fought. The Dead Lake Association values the efforts of all the individuals and organizations that supported conservation of Dead Lake,” said Mark Steuart Dead Lake Association President. “Over eight years, thousands of devoted volunteer hours and significant dollars were needed to advance our conservation case through the courts and public agencies. TPL’s announcement of its effort to permanently conserve this resource is a great day for the people that love and value Dead Lake.”

When initially proposed, the Blue Heron Bay development along Dead Lake consisted of 151 residential housing units, a general store, a restaurant, two swimming pools, a marina, and mooring facilities. The Dead Lake Association of local landowners rallied to protect the land from being developed. The Dead Lake Association raised more than a quarter million dollars to support their legal efforts and consultant fees. The dispute even reached the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2007. In March 2007 TPL purchased the initial 60-acre portion of the property. In order to complete the protection of the remaining 200 acres, TPL navigated changing ownership from the original developer falling into foreclosure to a bank forced into FDIC receivership.

“With over 3 and-a-half miles of Dead Lake shoreline, this conservation effort enhances the wildlife area, provides critical habitat for fish and wildlife, and offers great public recreational opportunities for hunting, fishing, and wildlife observation,” Bob McGillivray, TPL senior project manager.

Contrary to its name, Dead Lake is actually teaming with fish and supports an abundance of waterfowl and other wildlife. At almost 8,000 acres, Dead Lake is the largest Natural Environment lake in the state. The Dead Lake Wildlife Management Area will now consist of more than 875 acres, miles of shoreline on Dead Lake and a small waterfowl interior lake. Four rare species found in the vicinity include the colonial water bird, Forster’s tern, pugnose shiner, and bald eagle.

“We’re grateful to The Trust for Public Land and the Dead Lake Association for working diligently to make preservation of this remarkable property possible,” said DNR Commissioner Mark Holsten. “And this is another success story for the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Fund and for the Reinvest in Minnesota Program.”

“This result proves that ordinary people banding together to protect the environment will succeed when a factual, scientific and legal basis exists to prevent development. The Dead Lake Association thanks and congratulates TPL for successfully acquiring and preserving this valuable resource and thanks DNR for their support in this effort,” added Steuart.

The $2.21 million purchase was largely made with funds awarded by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council from the from the Outdoor Heritage Fund, a result of the dedicated sales tax that Minnesota voters passed in the 2008 general election; and Critical Habitat license plate funds through the Reinvest in Minnesota Match Program.

The Trust for Public Land, established in 1972, specializes in conservation real estate, applying its expertise in negotiations, public finance, and law to protect land for people to enjoy as parks, greenways, community gardens, urban playgrounds, and wilderness. Since 1986, TPL has helped protect more than 87,000 acres of some of Minnesota’s most special land and water resources, valued at more than $88 million. TPL depends on the support of individuals, corporations, and foundations. Visit TPL online: tpl.org/Minnesota.