Agenda Packets - 2009/10/26 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Staff Report Community Development Update Page 2 Community Development Director Roberts and Planning Associate Heller have been working with the Planning Commission on several code amendments that have come to staff's attention over the past few years . Staff and the City Council has completed and adopted some of the code amendments , and staff continues to work on more as time allows . Recently completed planning cases : • Dan Hall , owner of the Mermaid and Americlnn hotel , has applied for four planning requests in the last 18 months . One of the requests was for a major subdivision to split the Americlnn hotel and the Mermaid Entertainment Center into two separate parcels. Mr. Hall requested this subdivision in response to an offer he received from Twin City Lodging to purchase the hotel . Mr. Hall submitted the request for the lot split in January 2009 and the City Council approved the subdivision . Planning Associate Heller spent many hours on this case during the sale process . After weeks of delays , the sellers and the buyers completed the sale of the hotel on July 22 , 2009 . City staff continued to wrap up problems with the plat through mid-September, and is now processing an easement vacation requested by the buyer's attorney. Greenfield Estates received a permit from Rice Creek Watershed District in September 2009 to rebuild their garages and parking lot. Construction has now begun and they plan to be finished by early December. Planning Associate Heller processed a variance for covered parking and an easement vacation for this project, and assisted in their application with Rice Creek Watershed District. Staff began working on this project with the owners of Greenfield Estates in November 2007 . • The Station gas station at 2280 County Road I requested a zoning code amendment , conditional use permit and development review in order to build a car wash . The City Council approved these requests on August 24 , 2009 . Construction on the car wash is underway and the contractor should be done with the project by December. Planning Associate Heller continues to monitor a few approved planning cases that the applicants or owners have not yet completed including : • A minor subdivision involving three lots on the northeast corner of Greenwood and County Road H . One of the parties involved has not completed their requirements , which has held up the completion of this subdivision . Staff has been working on this case with the applicant and other parties since July 2008 . • Select Senior Living continues to struggle to secure their financing due to the current economic conditions . This problem is not unique to Select Companies , and several people have told City staff that the problem is not a reflection of Select Companies ; it is a reflection of the banking industry right now. Only a couple of senior housing projects have been built in the last year in Minnesota due to the financial industry's hesitation to give out development loans . At this point, Select Senior Living continues to work on finding a second bank to complete their financing . Planning Associate Heller and Economic Development Specialist Steinmetz have been working with Select Companies and the staff of the primary committed bank to assist in finding an additional financing partner for this