09-08-1997 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Page 5 September 8, 1997 Mounds View City Council Mayor McCarty asked that resident's questions and concerns be addressed prior to the staff report so that staff could respond to some of these questions. David Jahnke, 8428 Eastwood Road, stated he, as well as other residents of the community, do not want any more apartments in Mounds View. Cameron Obert, 8315 Greenwood Drive, wondered if there were residents in the audience who had not seen MSP Real Estate's proposal and if so, he felt it would be helpful to have the developer make a brief presentation. Mary , 8330 Eastwood, stated it is her understanding that residents throughout Mounds View have indicated to the Council that they would like them to delay any action on the project approval process and pursue other possibilities for the development and/or improvements for the property. However, because they did not feel they were being listened to, residents looked at alternatives to delay/stop the proposed development in order to allow more citizen input. A referendum has been drafted asking that resolutions recommending approval of the development be put on a ballot at the time of the next election or that a zoning change be initiated on the property. The required number of signatures has not been attained, however it is their intent to continue circulating the petition to get the number required if the city council refuses to put the development proposal on hold. . Mayor McCarty explained that the funds from Ramsey County have specially be earmarked for rehabilitation of the existing Red Oak Apartments. If the City Council rescinds their support of that resolution and funding, they would infect be stopping the renovation of the apartments. L. W. Stigney, 7841 Eastwood Road noted that the petition currently has approximately 450 votes opposing the project from all cross sections of the city (they are running a little over 90% disapproval rate on every street). Before any votes are made, he stated he would like to hear from the entire council as to how each one feels about the proposed development. Mike Anderson, 8350 Eastwood Road, stated he has an in-home business in Mounds View, where he has invested a substantial amount of money. In his opinion, renters generally do not care about their properties because it is not theirs. He feels the city already has too many rental units. He would prefer to see a nice business on that piece of property. He stated he, as well as several of his neighbors, are opposed to the project. Ann Connelly, a renter at Woodlawn Terrace, stated Mr. Anderson's opinions of renters is a common misconception and that the condition of many rental properties is a result of careless landlords. Mayor McCarty noted that some changes have been made to the original proposal. One change is that the developer has withdrawn his request for Tax Increment Financing and also his request to purchase the land from the city. As a result the number of new townhomes proposed for the site has decreased from sixteen units to ten units. Mr. Jim Ericson, Planning Associate, provided a brief summary of the changes to the original site plan. The city-owned parcel is no longer a part of the development project. The townhomes, now reduced to ten, will consist of seven three-bedroom units and three four-bedroom units, each with their own garage and driveway. New garages will be provided for the apartments. He noted that the location of the play area has been shifted, more plantings have been added to the property line adjacent to the city land.