The city of Roseville and a team of developers will ask the Minnesota Supreme Court to review a lower court's decision that has held up the controversial Twin Lakes development in the city's northwest corner.

With the retail and housing project apparently in limbo, the City Council voted 3-2 Monday night to ask the state's high court to review the case, but such action is far from a certainty.

"The Supreme Court does not accept review in very many cases,'' said Scott Anderson, legal counsel for the city.

It could take several months for the court to decide whether to hear the Twin Lakes case and several more months to render a decision if it does.

Mayor Craig Klausing and council members Dean Maschka and Tammy Pust voted to petition for the Supreme Court's review. Council members Amy Ihlan and Tom Kough opposed that motion, which had been discussed in executive session Monday afternoon.

The developers — headed by Rottlund Homes and Roseville Properties — sent a letter to the city Monday also indicating their intent to seek the high court's review, Anderson said. The developers could not be reached Tuesday for comment.

The state Court of Appeals two weeks ago ruled partially in favor of a lawsuit brought by a citizens group, Friends of Twin Lakes, alleging that the development requires a change in the city's comprehensive plan and further environmental review to move forward.

The key sticking point could be the requirement for an amended comprehensive plan, which by state law would require at least a 4-1 vote of approval from the council.

Over several hard-fought months of debate leading up to last summer's redevelopment agreement between the developers and the city, the project consistently received 3-2 approvals from the council.

The contested 80-acre first phase of the Twin Lakes project calls for construction of 730 housing units, 225,000 square feet of office space and 325,000 square feet of shops and restaurants.

The proposed 280-acre Twin Lakes redevelopment site, north and east of Cleveland Avenue and County Road C, is mostly abandoned and partially contaminated industrial land surrounding Langton Lake and Oasis Pond.

Steve Scott may be reached at 651-228-5526 or sscott@pioneerpress.com.