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Planning Commission Case No.471-97: O'Neil Property March 28, 1997 Page 11 1111 Conclusions: The community must decide what its goals are for this property and how it fits into the bigger picture. One consistent theme in the adopted Comprehensive Plan and in all the subsequent versions is that the O'Neil property is very significant and it is located in what the community regards at its City Center. The desire in 1979 was for this area to become a strong, vital, identifying community focal point, with a mixture of commercial, public, low, medium and high density residential and open space uses (p. 172). The 1979 Comp Plan also included a Community Development Concept and land use recommendations (see Appendix 4). The concept is described as "the basic idea behind the plan." It then discusses two topics ■ The importance of the O'Neil property and the need to create a compact, functional center incorporating retail commercial activity, the civic center and medium and higher density residential development, and ■ The importance of providing protection to the quality of life in residential neighborhoods. There, in a nutshell, are the two main issues raised by this application. Staff is supportive of the request from Anthony properties for amending the Comprehensive Plan and rezoning the property to allow development of the theaters and office buildings because we believe it: • Is designed in a manner which provides protection and buffering for the surrounding residential neighborhoods a Preserves the wetland and leaves the undeveloped portions of the site in their natural, wooded • state. ■ Will create a draw or attraction to the Mounds View City Center for the community, and neighboring communities; provides a"meeting ground"type business; will bring vitality ■ Will bring customers to existing Mounds View businesses; will provide employment ■ Adds uses which are missing from the City's land use mix ■ Preserves the commercial land base • Strengthens the City's tax base and generates revenue ■ Will not create traffic or drainage impacts; has infrastructure available. ■ Takes advantage of an opportunity being presented by the marketplace, but establishes planned unit development controls which will assure neighborhood and community interests are protected. • Staff does not regard that portion of the O'Neil property having Highway 10 frontage as suitable for single family development. Efforts to make it a liveable environment will create a"blank wall"in the City Center. Recommendation: The Planning Commission, by a vote of 5-0, and the staff recommend approval of the general concept plan(Resolution 5119) and for rezoning from B-1 and R-2 to Planned Unit Development(PUD) (Ordinance 598),to allow development of a 16-screen theater,three 11,000 square foot office buildings, and 2 restaurant sites on the O'Neil property, subject to the PUD stipulations. N:\DATA\USERS\PAMS\SHARE\DEVCASES1471-97\471-97.CC2