Kmart lot controversy continues

Mayor Norton didn't agree with council's terms

Tonight at ten á kimt news 3 continues to bring you new developments in the move to convert a kmart parking lot into a parking lot for mayo clinic st.

Mary's employees.

Developing story it started last year á when mayo clinic initially brought the proposal to council.

Last week á council voted 4 to 3 for developers to move forward with a parká andáride lease that could be as long as ten years.

But mayor kim norton wasn't completely satisfied with that and chose to go a different route.

Kimt news 3's isabella basco is finding out what's next in this rochester saga.

She joins us live now á isabella?

Katie and george... mayor norton was concerned a tenáyear lease could be too long.

She's since been in contact with the developer á who said he would compromise to 5.

For norton á it was a nice compromise á but not everyone agrees.xxx this parking lot may look exceedingly ordinary.

But for months now it has been at the center of a saga pitting developers and neighbors in a prolonged conflict.

<nats of dramatic music playing > first up... mayor kim norton drew fire from city councilmember s over meeting with developers about shortening a park and ride l ease.

"there was some concern that i had overstepped my reach in my negotiation but it was the developer that came to us because he wanted us to be supportive of his endeavor."

Which brings us to the residents of slatterly park.

Many remain outraged over what they see as a lack of transparency by developers and mayo clinic regarding the future of this lot.

Of late, residents say developers have been doing a better job at engaging with slatterly park about what's next.

"i'd like to see more housing, mixedáuse, residential shops, groceries, childcare, public facilities like the library or other public facilities."

City councilmember michael wojcik maintains mayo clinic simply got off on the wrong foot when launching its efforts.

"mayo made it harder for it to say yes to everybody.

This was a process that did not play out very well.

They understand how badly they messed it up.

There was nothing in the end that could make people happy because mayo just overstepped their bounds."

As this once heated drama begins to coolá ááá slattery park residents reflect on the item for a shortened lease will next hit city council on monday.

Live in rochester ib kimt news 3.

Thanks isabella.

Other than the length... no other terms of the lease have changed./// developing story new