06/17/2024 P&Z Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Planning & Zoning Board June 17, 2024 Page 4 APPROVED MINUTES Mr. Root opened the public hearing at 7:46 p.m. Matt Duffy, 7760 France Avenue South, Bloomington, MN 55435. Mr. Duffy is one of the attorneys working with Zikar holdings. He stated they remain adamant against the moratorium for many reasons that they have already stated. Mr. Duffy said they are under contract with the property. He said even though they had not submitted an application yet to the City they were willing to work with the City on the environmental assessment worksheet that is required for the project. Timing is more of their concern, consistency and some predictability as the board here and as the City Council considers the plan before them. He said Mr. Grochala pointed out there was a negative declaration on the Robinson sod farm a few years ago, the findings in that document we think are still relevant to the development that Madinah Lakes is proposing and currently before the city. He feels there is nothing in there that warrants a much deeper dive. He said in fact the city felt the same way by declaring a negative declaration where they found that there was no need for an environmental review. He said Anoka County has already addressed traffic by adding another roundabout at Century Avenue and Main Street. He stated the EAW process is what should be followed, considering that is what was done to the Robinson sod farm EAW a few years ago. He does not see a need to expand. The idea of an AUAR is not worrisome to Zikar Holdings. If that is the plan that the City decides to go forward with, they would like to be an active participant to collaborate. It is important to them that the City has what they need to make things cohesive. Zikar Holdings believes the EAW is the direction to go. But the AUAR could be done with more discussion with city staff to figure out what the parameters look like and what participation would look like. He said one of their concerns is the timing of the moratorium. He said due to the moratorium being in place for one year it takes two construction seasons for them. He said assuming they can get things done, the 2026 construction season may or may not be on the table. It comes down to how fast things can get approved by the city. The concern is that if they continue to do this and things do not move in a more systematic and more predictable fashion, the construction will not begin until the 2027 season. He said that is a big concern due to the increase in construction costs. He said the more time they wait, the less affordable the proposed houses become. Dean Dovolis, 331 Washington Avenue N, Minneapolis MN 55401, with DJ Architecture questioned the necessity for a moratorium. Mr. Dovolis feels the City has enough information already from previous studies. He said the AUAR is a sufficient process to accomplish all the goals that the City has outlined. He said Madinah Lakes meets a great deal of the City requirements already. He said Madinah is the best and only application right now but did acknowledge other discussions with potential builders. Mr. Dovolis said the City’s rush to stop major development seems unnecessary, especially with a