05-24-1995 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION MAY 11, 1995 Schletty pointed out that the area along Rice Street and Minnesota Avenue is developed as auto - related commercial. Schletty questioned who will develop this one vacant parcel as regional commercial. Garske asked if the Council was concerned about image or usage. The Planner reported that the Council is opposed to the Abra proposal from a land use standpoint. The Council expects that a regional commercial development could occur as easily as auto - related. Knudsen felt that expectation was unrealistic for this particular piece of land. Garske felt the Council's position was not consistent if the feeling is that physical image is more important. Garske felt that the City should be concerned about cleaning up the image of Rice Street, not necessarily the uses. Knudsen asked if a lower quality regional commercial development would be preferred over a higher quality auto - related development. Knudsen indicated that the Planning Commission's position is that image is the more important of the two considerations. Knudsen pointed out that the site north of Hardee's adjoins auto - related development. The site is a reasonably small site that will not attract regional commercial. The City Planner stated that auto commercial is not a bad use of this site pointing out that the school property cuts it off from the rest of Rice Street. Keis pointed out that the land use map shows the property along Rice Street in the area of Minnesota Avenue as auto - related, and the property set off from Rice Street as regional commercial. Knudsen stated that it is the frontage to Rice Street that drives the auto - related use. Garske felt that the City needed to accept Rice Street for what it is while making its best effort to clean up the appearance along Rice Street. Garske did not believe the focus should be on usage, but rather appearance. Garske felt that an auto - related use with Page 81