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515 Little Canada Roact. Little Canada, MN 55117-1600 <br />(651) 766 -4029 / FAX: (651) 766 -4048 <br />www.ci.little-canada.mn.us <br />MEMORANDUM <br />TO: Mayor Blesener and Members of the City Council <br />FROM: Joel Hanson, City Administrator <br />DATE: June 22, 2007 <br />RE: 2825 Country Drive /Franklin Drywall <br />MAYOR <br />Bill Blesener <br />COUNCIL <br />Rick Montour <br />Barbara Allan <br />John Keis <br />Michael McGraw <br />ADMINISTRATOR <br />Joel R. Hanson <br />Mr. Phil Franklin called within the past week aslcing if the City would still be interested in <br />purchasing his property at 2825 Country Drive. This residence was purchased by Mr. <br />Franklin back in 1993. At that time, he was granted a PUD permit to allow the conversion of <br />the residence to an office and the garage for a storage area for his drywall business. A few <br />years later, Mr. Franklin constructed a new building for his business on Viking Drive. Since <br />that time, some code enforcement issues have resulted associated with attempts to reestablish <br />a residential use. <br />This property is part of TIF District 2 -1. The City allowed the sale of the residence to Mr. <br />Franklin as a compromise with some of the homeowners in the area who didn't like the fact <br />their property was designated for redevelopment. They were concerned felt their property <br />values were being negatively impacted due to the City's stated intent to change the use from <br />residential to commercial. The Council allowed the transfer, viewing it as an interim use until <br />a redevelopment project came along. The problem with the redevelopment project is that this <br />parcel and the other smaller ones in the immediate vicinity should be combined with Don <br />Gagne's larger parcel that sits to the west and north. (The City has already purchased the <br />parcel to the immediate south of this one as well as two smaller pieces overlooking the <br />waterworks right -of -way.) <br />Attached is an agreement we required as a condition of the PUD permit back in 1993. This <br />agreement requires Mr. Franlcliri to sell the property to the City should we need it for <br />redevelopment purposes. The value is to be determined by a "mutually acceptable" appraiser. <br />We have had a couple of false starts on this acquisition in the past. Mr. Franklin's past <br />concerns centered on his desire to have it valued as residential property because the value <br />1 <br />