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2 <br />standards were raised for industrial buildings to build tax base, not lower it. Reducing standards <br />can lead to long term negative impacts in valuations. <br /> <br />Ms. Keller said the issue can be addressed by building fences just like they have on the freeway. <br />Ms. Divine noted that MnDot builds those freeway sound walls and they are very expensive and <br />would be cost prohibitive for any business. Mr. Salzman asked why we have a prison under the <br />Lino Lakes water tower. Mr. Bengtson noted the City had nothing to say about that, the state <br />owned the land. He said the intent is to make the area better, rather than putting up more prison <br />style walls. Mr. Salzman said you can only see the trusses for a couple of seconds. Ms. Divine <br />reminded members that this change doesn’t just impact this one business, it opens up outdoor <br />storage to all the businesses there. The city always considered the business park on 35W as a <br />very visible gateway to the city. Mr. Salzman said the truss company is a wheel of commerce, <br />and the more we have, the more it will attract business. Empty buildings attract other empty <br />buildings. In this economy, the city should not shoo away 15 employees because it’s a little bit of <br />a nuisance. Mr. Masonik agreed. <br /> <br />Mr. Stranik said the issue is whether the city’s policy of tougher standards, including the <br />restrictions on outdoor storage, has retarded economic development. Do aesthetic standards <br />hamper economic viability? What would the impact be to allow outdoor storage? Ms. Keller <br />asked why if it is temporary for one company, does it open it up for everybody else? Mr. <br />Bengtson said other companies can then make the same requests for interim use permits. Ms. <br />Keller asked what the city can do to move this business to where it would be allowed. Mr. <br />Salzman said the city should put up the funds to move them if the city wants them here. Mr. <br />Bengtson reminded members this was not an existing business. It’s a new, move-in business and <br />they did not ask the city if they could do outside storage. Now they are asking the city to lower <br />its standards to allow it. Ms. Divine said the existing businesses made a big financial investment, <br />wanting freeway visibility and a nice business park. <br /> <br />Mr. Thor said the question is about being fair. The city’s standards are in place and anybody who <br />comes to Lino Lakes needs to abide by the standards. If a business built a building with those <br />expectations, and the city later adjusted the ordinances to lower the standards, that’s not fair to <br />those businesses that followed the rules. He noted that many of the businesses aren’t just <br />manufacturing, they have offices, receive clients, etc. Mr. Masonik said it’s not lowering <br />standards, it’s adjusting them to meet current needs. Mr. Salzman said staff is too wedded to the <br />Comprehensive Plan, and needs more flexibility in these times. Mr. Masonik suggested the city <br />should not make them pay taxes. Ms. Divine stated the city doesn’t have any statutory authority <br />to decide this one company doesn’t have to pay its taxes, and Mr. Stranik wondered why the city <br />would award a company that didn’t do its due diligence by using tax dollars to help them move, <br />or not making them pay taxes. <br /> <br />Mr. Thor said the city should not focus on what is going on now, but how it impacts the future. <br />This ordinance change could create ripples in the future. Mr. Masonik disagreed that it will <br />necessarily be a problem. Mr. Stranik suggested that EDAC look at all the rules and standards <br />and see if ordinances are outmoded, and are there things that are retarding growth and expansion. <br />Ms. Divine said staff has been spending considerable time going through ordinances to see if <br />they are compatible to with Comprehensive Plan.