07/13/2011 P&Z Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Planning & Zoning Board July 13, 2011 Page 4 APPROVED MINUTES Mike W itham, 211 W oodridge L ane stated that since the neighborhood meeting, he does not see a lot t hat has changed except moving the loading dock to north. He understands mixed use, but thinks that can be smaller business. He said that the developer has not yet provided an example of where they have done this type of development before in the cities. He pointed out that there are a number of i tems with this proposal th at do not go along with the M aster P lan. He considers this to be a b ad fit for this neighborhood because multiple amendments would need to be made to the M aster P lan in order to accompl ish it . Keith K u hnly, 241 W oodridge L ane, shared the same concerns as Mr. Witham. He added that noise and sights from second -story floors should be considered when designing the buffer. Y a ron H emi , resident of S horeview, stated that this development w ould affect a larger area, including traffic and noise pollution which follow big box development . He doesn’t consider this to fi t the character of the neighborhood. He said t here are about six grocery stores wit hin easy driving distance of this neighbor hood. He wondered where people would be attracted to this store from . Mr. Hemi wondered how much of a stake Oppidan has if this development does not succeed. His opinion was that there are enough abandoned stores and businesses in the neighborhood. He added that he has t raffic concerns. Mike W itham spoke again to state that although he understands there is a desire for infrastructure improvements, would the improvements be necessary without the big box development. He wondered if there would be capaci ty issues with additional development. He questioned the need for improvements versus the desire for improvements. Mr. Witham w ould like to see a neighborhood friendly business. S teve Garfield , 208 W oodridge Lane, stated that whatever is going to be bui lt will be ther e for a long time. He questioned if the city should lock into development right now just because the e conomy only allows for this type of development at this time. Joe O lson, 223 W oodridge Lane , had concerns about the ventilation system an d what the residents to the west will see when they look out over their deck or upstairs windows. He noted that t raffic cutting through the neighborhoods is a concern for both Shoreview & Lino Lakes residents. Chair T ralle explained that the results of a market study are shared with city staff, but are not required to be shared with the public. He stated that the board will try to get the best possible product for both the developer as well as the neighborhood. He noted that the concerns of the citizens were heard by board members at the neighborhood meeting. He added that a developer will not construct a building if they do not expect it to succeed. Mr. Tucci addressed a number of the resident concerns.