The fate of a wooded, nine-acre property near Woodbury City Hall could finally be decided by Aug. 14, according to a court hearing Friday. Or the long-running dispute could proceed to trial if the two sides cannot reach an agreement.
Both the City of Woodbury and the family of Raymond Lee claim partial ownership of the property through different heirs of an earlier owner. The dispute over the site near the intersection of Afton Road and Tower Drive drew public attention last year after a fire destroyed an abandoned house on the property.
According to Washington County court records, Lee acquired his 50% interest in the property in 2014 through the estate of the previous owner. The city owns an undivided 50% interest through another heir in the same estate.
Lee owned an undivided 50% interest in the property, while the city purchased its interest from the other heir using park dedication fees “with intent for a portion of the Property to be dedicated as a park, open space, and/or for tree preservation,” according to the city’s court filings.
Lee filed suit in September 2023 asking the court to facilitate and oversee the sale of the entire property, with the net proceeds split evenly between himself and the city. He argued the property could not be divided because of its characteristics and city requirements and that he and the city were unable to reach an agreement on how to divide it. The city responded in October 2023, arguing the property could be adequately divided and that it wished to do so.
The case was scheduled for a pretrial hearing in April 2025, but in March 2025 Lee’s attorney, Chad Lemmons, filed a notice with the court stating that he and the city’s attorney, Kevin Sandstrom, had reached agreement on a plan to settle the matter. He asked that the April hearing be continued for 90 days, and the court granted the request.
The July 11, 2025, pretrial hearing also came and went, with both sides filing notices stating they were still negotiating and believed an agreement was close but needed additional time. In the meantime, Lee died, further delaying the matter. At the most recent review hearing on June 26, Lemmons represented Lee’s son, Douglas.
During Friday’s remote hearing, Sandstrom told the court the parties were nearing agreement on both a financial proposal and a possible division of the property, but requested another 30 days to “work through the issues” that remained. Lemmons agreed.
Washington County Judicial Officer Viet-Hanh Winchell noted that “pretrial on the matter was set a year ago” and appeared frustrated by the pace of the case. She acknowledged the city’s need to balance its obligations under Minnesota’s Open Meeting Law with attorney-client privilege, which requires multiple meetings, but added, “I also have a duty to not let these cases linger. My calendar is only getting more difficult.”
Winchell granted the parties another 45 days and scheduled a remote review hearing for 10 a.m. Aug. 14. She urged both parties to reach an agreement by then or the case would proceed to trial.
