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MINUTES <br />PLANNING COMMISSION <br />MAY 11, 1995 <br />Street, and will close off development behind them. <br />For the Rice Street /Minnesota Avenue corner, the <br />Planner indicated that if the corner were vacant and <br />auto - related developed along the Rice Street frontage, <br />it would be surprising if any commercial development <br />occurred in the back. The Planner pointed out that <br />regional commercial development is not as highly <br />dependent on visibility because these are designation - <br />type businesses. <br />The Planner indicated that aesthetics must be <br />considered regardless of land use. The City will want <br />everything in a commercial area to look good. When <br />comparing Abra to other auto shops, Abra is clearly <br />much better than the typical auto body repair. The <br />City should make sure that Abra brings the same <br />aesthetic quality as other types of development it <br />would want to see. The City should make all uses <br />conform with how it wants the aesthetics of the area to <br />be regardless of the type of business it is. The <br />Planner pointed out that right now the building <br />ordinance says that concrete block is an acceptable <br />building material in the business district. The <br />Planner stated that it would be his guess that a <br />concrete block building is not the kind of aesthetics <br />that the Council wants along Rice Street. <br />Garske pointed out that Little Canada is not a <br />developing area, but rather a bedroom community. <br />Little Canada will not become a regional hub for <br />shopping. The City should try to upgrade and clean up <br />Rice Street, but it should not try to be something it <br />isn't. <br />The Planner replied that there are two kinds of <br />commercial market for Rice Street. The first is local <br />convenience goods such as grocery stores, drug stores, <br />localized stores. The second market is comparison <br />items such as stores selling grand pianos. These types <br />of businesses will attract people from miles away. The <br />Planner felt that these are the two kinds of commercial <br />markets that Little Canada could tap. <br />Carson suggested that the City require brick buildings <br />along Rice Street. <br />The Planner replied that the City can make that <br />requirement. The Planner also noted that there are <br />Page 83 <br />