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Don Sobania, 3lyear resident of 1510 Crawford, loves Falcon Heights, wants "more landscaping • and less drive-through." Dennis Porter, proprietor of DJs Embers America, also questioned the validity of the purchase agreement between Sherman Associates and his landlord. He said the latter has assured him that "no firm offer" has been received and that he is in support of Ember's remaining on the site. Wendy Noble, 1539 Crawford, has concerns about the drive-through, the traffic and the noise. When she looks at Embers now in the evening, it is quiet. "There's nothing going on there." She is not opposed to Dino's, but it would bring more disturbance and make her family reconsider remaining where they are. She cited the noise from car radios and the glare from headlights as potential problems. A realtor she talked to had told her (when asked about the impact on property values), "You absolutely don't adrive-through" next to your house. Fast food patrons, she said, are more likely than Embers customers to litter. The existing traffic already makes it very dangerous here; she doesn't want to see more. George Sherman of Sherman Associates spoke next to say that it is probably a reality that adrive- through restaurant would be located there eventually. The high cost of building such a business requires the additional business that would be generated by adrive-through, whether it is Dino's or a national chain such as MacDonalds. He feels the proposed setback is not out of line with similar businesses at the Snelling/Larpenteur area, and that the proposed landscaping offers some improvement over the existing amount. Considering the constraints on this site, he feels the variances asked for are reasonable. He added that there is a purchase agreement on the property signed by the present owner and that earnest money has been paid. He explained that he is developing the property but that Dino and his family would own the restaurant. • In response to a question from Commissioner Harris, Mr. Sherman pointed out that the drive- through, while controversial, is a permitted use in this zone, whether it comes now or at some time in the future. Commissioner Harris responded that if enforcing the lot coverage requirement for the site prevented the drive-through then the Commission could, in effect, rule on the drive- through by denying the lot coverage variance. Amy Hanson, 1729 Arona, doesn't like the "underlying threat" that something else will some into the neighborhood if Dino's doesn't. She doesn't understand why something like that has to come into the neighborhood. Dan Fisher, who lives on Arona Street, contrasted the cost of the building the new restaurant with the cost of "destruction of a neighborhood." He mentioned by name a number of small children and toddlers who live nearby, who would be directly subject to hardship caused by a reduction of required landscaping. The important thing, he respectfully suggested, is not what is there now but what should be. The young children in the neighborhood are the ones who will have to put up with 66% increase in traffic over the noon hour. Josh Berger spoke again to add his argument against "paving paradise to put up a parking lot." In response to a resident (name not audible; lives at Crawford and Pascal) who asked about the landscape plan, Jason Adamides, member of the family that owns Dino's, presented some drawings of the plans. He said that the family is committed to the community, to improving the site. Commissioner Harris asked if it would be economically viable to have a restaurant there without adrive-through. Mr. Adamides said the drive-through would provide the best return on the large investment. He is not sure the investment would be worthwhile without it. He said • Dino's would be a considerate neighbor. Although the new development on the SE Corner is "beautiful," he said, the family wants to own the land under their business. 03_0527.doc Falcon Heights Planning Commission, May 27, 2003 Page 6 of 8