I drove by the house this past weekend. The driveway comes right off of Skyline Parkway. Apparently the numerous homes for sale throughout the City just weren't good enough for this family.

My husband and I have recently noticed this house on the hill while coming from Superior over the Bong bridge.  Your eyes are drawn right to it as it sits in such stark contrast to the area all around it.  It made us wonder how and when any of that area was made available for development.  And made us wonder further how much more of it is available, and how quickly others will follow suit and build on the hill.  It truly does feel like the end of an era.  Far be it from us to say that anyone cannot or should not build there, but I still reserve the right to say that the hill looks horribly changed and marred.

It's possible this property was one of the many tax forfeit parcels that we all take for granted as "green space," but which is really just land that hasn't been developed yet because whoever first staked a claim to it stopped paying taxes so it reverted to the county. 

The St. Louis County Commission(which has oversight all tax forfeit land in the county, including within the city limits), has pretty actively been trying to sell parcels of tax forfeit land for the past several years. I'm currently on the mayor's Environmental Advisory Council (EAC), and one of the main items the council monitors and comments on is tax forfeit sales. We have a lot of what looks like park land in the city of Duluth, but much of it has no formal protection from development.

If this is something you think is important, you should let your county commissioners know that you want them to consider the "green" value of not developing tax forfeit parcels, including recreation, aesthetics, water runoff treatment benefits of undeveloped land, etc. 

(And now I've said all this, I'll repeat that it's possible that particular property was NOT in this category).

I believe the city council just rezoned some wetlands by Kohls for another strip mall on Monday.

I was told the other day the owner might be a psychiatrist......what was it that Yvonne use to do? You don't think?,.....no, that would be too damn funny. 

Whatever, now we'll have to be burdened with that extra tax base and such.

Wonder what the taxes should be on a place that is just west of the unofficial stereo test area and burnout pad of town. Hope they're music lovers and enjoy the smell of smoking Toyos.

Not to speak of the great view and proximity of the new Western middle school. If they have kids they can just roll down the hill to school in the fall and ride their toboggan in the winter.

Hey Green, just to put you at ease, poop runs downhill and connects to Northwoods West. Water is provided by a drilled well.

If the land is for sale why get mad at someone for buying it?  I could use the same arguement about all the McMansions on London Road that obscure the beautiful view of Lake Superior.

Plus, don't you think the house is the "most visible" one on the skyline because its the only one that's still covered in Typar/Tyvek and not yet sided? I'm sure (hoping) it will blend in more once its sided.

I also was wondering how water and sewer were to be provided.  Must be an expensive well when you have to drill through bedrock.

Hell, I'm quite willing to say I'm anti-development, except I don't bother with euphemisms and just say I'm anti-destruction. I'm opposed to the destruction of any acre of land in semi-natural condition and I don't care if it's for businesses, McMansions, dead veterans, abandoned pets, or homeless people. There's already more than enough housing for everyone who lives here. If we run out, we start neutering.

I noticed the lot being cleared and construction equipment present several weeks ago, but only today did I see it was actually a house. Sad.

Get used to the idea of that hillside being developed, though. The new Western Middle School is going in on it right below the house.