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Silverview Plaza Report Nov 16, 2005 Page 2 Adverse Effects Test To assess whether a proposed rezoning is appropriate or not, many factors should be considered, some of which are explicitly articulated in the Code. The first benchmark may be the area in which the subject property is located and the zoning designations of surrounding uses. A rezoning to a more intensive designation may not be inappropriate if the surrounding uses already bear a more intense designation. In the present case, Silverview Plaza is bordered on three sides by roadways so properties beyond those adjacent to the site will be examined. To the northwest of Silverview Plaza is SuperAmerica, a property which is zoned B-3, Highway Business. Almost directly west, adjacent to SA, is Mounds View Gables, a 20- unit residential facility for mobility-impaired adults operated by the National Handicap Housing Institute. The facility is zoned R-4, High Density Residential. To the south and southwest of the Silverview Plaza is Silver Lake Woods Townhome Association, developed at about the same time as Silverview Plaza. Silver Lake Woods is zoned R-4, High Density Residential. To the southeast of Silverview Plaza is the Ramsey County Branch Library. Its lot is also designated B-2, Limited Business. Adjacent to the Library further southeast, is Wildwood manor, a senior residential facility zoned R-4. To the north of Silverview Plaza, across County Road 10, is Moundsview Square, the City’s largest retail center and most intensely zoned commercial property at B-4, Regional Business. From this review, a zoning amendment to B-3 would not seem inappropriate. Other factors to explore would include the potential traffic impacts as well as the potential increased demand for parking that more intensive uses might create. Traffic (vehicle trips in and out) from the site is presently minimal, due in part to the vacancies as well as because the largest tenant (Calvin Academy) essentially generates traffic volume only twice a day— during times of child drop off and pick up. At full capacity, traffic circulation at Silverview Plaza becomes more problematic as there is no direct access out to County Road 10 and only one right-in access which is shared with SuperAmerica. Access to the site may also be gained through SuperAmerica or from Mounds View Drive to the west or Silverview Drive to the south. A more intensive zoning designation may exacerbate the circulation difficulties. Finally, concerning parking, the applicant indicates that there are presently 172 parking stalls to serve the facility. As with the traffic flow, presently parking is not an issue due to the tenant mix (or lack thereof.) There is 34,500 square feet of leaseable space in Silverview Plaza, which equates to a parking ratio of 1 stall per 200 square feet of leased space. Since not all tenant space is public, a more realistic present parking ratio is likely to be about 1 space per 175 square feet. In comparison, general retail requires parking at the rate of 1 space per 100 square feet of retail space plus one space per employee. Because of the fluctuations of tenants and the diversity of demands for even the uses within a B-2 designation, shopping centers and multi-tenant strip malls are often parked to accommodate a worst-case scenario, usually resulting in a sea of unused asphalt 360 days of the year. Many communities, encouraged by watershed districts and environmental concerns, are trending away from excessive parking ratios. For example, many communities nation-wide utilize a generic ratio of 1 space per 200 square feet of leased space, or expressed differently, 5 spaces per 1,000 square feet of space, recognizing that individual demands tend to average out. The applicant will indicate that aside from the fact that they believe to