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Pl anni ng & Zo ni n g B o ar d <br />A p r il 13 , 200 5 <br />Page 15 <br />APPROVED MINUTES <br />Chair Rafferty opened the pub lic hearing at 9:42 p.m. <br /> <br />Chair Rafferty invited the applicant to make comment. <br /> <br />Jim Bermel, 400 Stinson Boulevard, NE, Minn eapolis 55413, Fairview Health Services, <br />Corporate Real Estate Department, introdu ced himself and asked if they had any <br />questions. <br /> <br />Chair Rafferty asked for the architect to come forward. <br /> <br />John Harris, Principal Harris Architects , 331 Second Avenue North, Minneapolis, <br />architect. <br /> <br />Chair Rafferty asked if he did the first plan. Mr. Harris replied he had not. <br /> <br />Chair Rafferty expressed concern that this was a large building a nd there was not enough <br />architectural design element to this. Mr. Ha rris responded Fairview wanted this to blend <br />into the existing building as much as possible. He stated they were adding a trellis, a bay <br />window and well as other elements, and he did not feel this would look like a plain brick <br />box. He stated they had worked with City st aff on this and staff appeared satisfied they <br />were doing the appropriate thing. <br /> <br />Chair Rafferty asked if Mr. Harris believed this was a good plan architecturally. Mr. <br />Harris replied he would not have put his name on this if he did not believe this was not a <br />good project. <br /> <br />Chair Rafferty asked if Mr. Harris believed mo re architectural elements should be added. <br />Mr. Harris replied he believed the elements they added were appropriate and they had <br />worked with City staff on this. <br /> <br />Chair Rafferty stated he belie ved this proposal was “extremel y boring” and he did not see <br />any strong elements in the design, except the trellises, but expressed concern that the <br />trellises were too few and too small. <br /> <br />Mr. Tralle agreed there were insufficient archite ctural design elements in this proposal. <br />Mr. Harris replied he believed this existing building was a strong statement and he <br />believed the new addition would maintain and enhance the original expression. <br /> <br />Mr. Tralle asked if they could add another gable end on the east side to give it some <br />symmetry. He expressed concern that this was a long building with no break. Mr. Harris <br />noted the original design concept of the build ing was an austere building with a strong <br />gable element that ran the length of the build ing. The gable was intended to be the one <br />major design element of the building and it was their intention of keep ing this as a strong <br />element and not repeating it just to repeat it. <br /> <br />Mr. Laden noted by making the building longer, the proportions did not match up and <br />now the gable was no longer a major design el ement, but he did not think they should <br />simply add another gable either . Mr. Harris stated they had worked with staff and did the