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Mounds View Planning Commission February 16, 2005 <br />Regular Meeting Page 4 <br />________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br /> <br />Commissioner Zwirn noted that they might not leave them open if they had a garage door <br />opener. <br /> <br />Commissioner Hegland commented that he was failing to see a hardship. <br /> <br />Commissioner Zwirn agreed that there is none. <br /> <br />Commissioner Miller noted that in 2001 the rental rate was 70.8 percent, and in 2004 it was <br />44.79, and she asked why there was such a difference. <br /> <br />Mr. Menning remarked that back in 2001 the vacancy rate was less than 1 percent, and as such, <br />they could require that new residents also take a garage. He also stated that the owner of the <br />building wants to make these improvements to the property to make it more aesthetically <br />pleasing to potential renters. <br /> <br />Commissioner Scotch asked what the percentage of rented apartments was. <br /> <br />Mr. Menning reported it is at 94-96%. <br /> <br />Commissioner Scotch stated she felt they should have a few more garages than what they are <br />requesting. <br /> <br />Planning Associate Prososki suggested that the Planning Commission might want to consider <br />100 covered parking spaces, which would be 80 percent of what is required, rather than the <br />proposed 78 stalls. <br /> <br />Commissioner Scotch agreed that was a better idea. <br /> <br />Mr. Menning stated that they could add six stalls to each proposed garage building. <br /> <br />Commissioner Hegland stated that the hardship they are claiming is that they don’t think they <br />can rent all the garages, but it seemed to him that part of the rent is based on the condition of the <br />property, and they are improving the property and would have an advantage in that regard. <br /> <br />Mr. Menning explained that their competition is Woodlawn Estates, and they are renting an <br />apartment for $650 a month without a garage, so he also needs to rent his for $650 without a <br />garage because there is no difference in the apartments as they were both built by the same <br />builder. <br /> <br />Commissioner Hegland stated that that just means they would be renting to a different type of <br />person. <br /> <br />Mr. Menning remarked that there aren’t that many different kinds of people around. <br />