09-26-2018 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES CITY COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 12, 2018 6 would be great to have someone in the building, and it would be good for everybody. He is supportive of allowing the school in this property. Tim Walstrom, owns an insurance business in Little Canada and his son attends the AFSA High School. He wants the community to remain viable, and has talked to some realtors who confirmed that property values increase when they are located by elementary schools. He reported that he has dropped his son off and picked him up when AFSA was in Little Canada and now in Vadnais Heights with no issues. He noted that this is a chance for a known commodity to move in that you know will take care of the property and be a good neighbor. Bill Smith, transportation planner with Biko Associates Incorporated, stated that he prepared the traffic study for AFSA. He explained that he looked at issues both on-site and off-site. He looked at the intersection of Little Canada Road and Country Drive and the I-35E freeway ramps. He noted that there are already issues at these intersections now, but noted that when the school is added to the traffic, the intersection would not get appreciably worse. Mr. Smith reported that the two access drives to the site would operate at level of service A, and they did not find that there would be any backups onto Country Drive. He explained that any delays would be on site at the north driveway exit. He explained that they worked hard to determine the best way for traffic flow on this site. Montour clarified that the traffic study was mainly based at the Little Canada Road and Country Drive intersection and I-35E. Mr. Smith stated that is correct. Montour noted that there are other ways to access this site. He asked if it would be a good idea to post a no parking or no stopping sign on Country Drive. Mr. Smith stated he does not think it would be necessary. McGraw asked if the school is aware that they may need to haul snow off of the site in order to keep all of the parking and drive aisles open. Mr. Smith stated that it is currently a practice at the school now to haul snow off site. Bob Lunning, Lunning Wende Associates, stated they were asked by AFSA to review the building when the school was first looking at the site. He stated that the City needs to consider if this would fit in to the Comprehensive Plan, and noted that Planned Unit Developments are typically a blend of commercial and residential uses. He noted that he feels this school blends with the existing mixed uses in this Planned Unit Development area. He explained that research shows that schools tend to increase property values, and do not affect values unless there is a lot of traffic generated by the school, but Condit Street has no access to this site. He stated that there will be no changes to the architectural exterior of the building.