05-22-2023 CC (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mounds View City Council May 22, 2023 Regular Meeting Page 4 neighborhood and the neighbor’s fear how their property value would be impacted. She commented further on all of the variances the developer would require and reported this project would require too much take from the City. Rene Johnson, 7385 Pleasant View Drive, requested the Council address a Charter issue. She explained when she was notified about her street there was 100% participation in a petition and according to the Charter a special meeting should be held, a ruling is given and the petitioners can challenge this in court and the Council has to abide by the court ruling. She reported because the City does not assess for streets, the residents were not allowed to go through this process. In addition, she asked that staff post meeting meetings to the City website. Kathy Lee, 7719 Woodlawn Drive, expressed concern regarding the value of keeping greenspaces in cities. She reported greenspace was a valuable benefit to the community and helped protect air quality. In addition, there were huge benefits to having greenspace for both mental and physical health. She reported wildlife also needed a place to live and this wetland has been their home. She discussed how the proposed development would add another 150 cars into a very small area. This would create more pollution and noise pollution. She reported if there was very little buildable area left in Mounds View, she questioned why the City wanted to over populate this one area. She believed the City needed more retail space or shops along with invaluable greenspace. She stated the movement to increase greener cities was increasing worldwide. She encouraged the City to reconsider the Arden Park plans and to take into consideration the thoughts and concerns being voiced by the Mounds View residents. Irena Sablak, 8466 Long Lake Road, spoke to the Council regarding the Arden Park project stating she would like this project stopped. She reported the Council was elected by the residents of Mounds View to represent the public. She noted the majority of Mounds View residents were against the proposal. She discussed how this project was creating great stress for many residents. She stated she wanted her children and her grandchildren to enjoy Mounds View as it is now. She did not want to the wellbeing of this peaceful town to be lost because of this development. She urged the City Council to not compromise on this project, but rather to hear the voices of the public. Dennis From, 7840 Bona Road, stated he grew up in the inner city in Chicago and he has been in Mounds View since 1996. He explained he loved this town and liked the amenities within the community. He stated he was afraid the yard waste site would go away and the City would build more housing on this location. He reported Mounds View had nice homes on larger lots and not shoebox style homes on tiny lots. He feared who would be able to live in the yard homes when they had no garages or yards. He encouraged the City to reconsider what the motive was behind the Arden Park development. He stated the residents of Mounds View do not support it. Lily ____________, resident of Mounds View, stated the City wants to not only build homes in the back of her home, but all of her neighbor’s homes as well. She did not believe this was a fair decision and encouraged the Council to listen to what people had to say. She did not agree with getting rid of all of the forest and indicated her neighbors felt the same way. She understood the City wanted to develop its own land to make money, but she reminded the Council that a decision to remove the forest would be permanent. She stated the wildlife would be lost in the community