Laserfiche WebLink
1 PLANNING C01,24ISSION - MA-1- 21 , 1991 <br /> 22 Page 2 <br /> 1 to only . St . Anthony property for which the City would now be <br /> 5 able to allow construction of homes better suited to the <br /> 6 increasing value of land around the lake . Which of course, <br /> 7 in turn , would raise the City ' s tax base from those properties . <br /> 8 <br /> 9 Comprehensive Plan to be updated <br /> 10 The need to revise the City ' s Comprehensive Plan to better <br /> 11 reflect the existing uses was the next project on which the <br /> 12 Mayor perceived a reed for Planning Commission expertise and <br /> 13 recommendations . He said the Council realized these revisions <br /> 14 were long overdue and had staff research past City minutes to <br /> 15 find out why the ball had been dropped on a similar project <br /> 16 years ago when the need for revision had first been evident. <br /> 17 The minutes demonstrated that there had been a strong interest <br /> 18 in revising the Plan as far back as 1978 when the Council had <br /> 1.9 given the go ahead to match the zoning to existing uses which <br /> 20 were not in conformance with the zoning in the Plan. The Mayor <br /> 21 asked the Commissioners to reinstate the study of the Comprehen- <br /> 22 sive Plan and to work with the City Manager on recommendations <br /> 23 to the Council regarding necessary changes in the Plan. <br /> 24 <br /> 25 Commissioner Franzese asked the Mayor why, in view of the <br /> 26 dreary outlook previously held for changes at Apache, he seemed <br /> 27 so hopeful now. Mayor Ranallo recalled that at one time the <br /> 28 Apache Shopping Center had been considered the second best <br /> 29 shopping center in the Twin Cities . He recalled all the <br /> 30 reasons including Rosedale with a Daytons for an anchor for <br /> 31 Apache ' s decline but pointed to similar centers like Signal <br /> 32 Hills which have been completely turned around after years <br /> 33 of deterioration . <br /> 34 <br /> 35 Mr. Burt reported that since the center had- been put-on the <br /> 36 market, he had been contacted by several out of state firms <br /> 37 who had shown an .interest in developing the area with a <br /> 38 different marketing strategy than the regional marketing focus <br /> 39 the present owners insist on following. The Manager envisioned <br /> 40 a different developer even proposing to level the existing center <br /> 41 and putting something entirely different on the site. He said <br /> 42 he thought the Commission might want to rethink what would be <br /> 43 the best use of that site, maybe even a Planned Unit Development <br /> 44 with a mix of housing with commercial. In planning for the <br /> 45 the future Mr. Burt suggested the Commissioners might even want <br /> 46 to change the focus to a more neighborhood marketing strategy <br /> 47 which might prove more successful and generate more tax dollars <br /> 48 for the City. <br /> 49 <br /> 50 Mayor Ranallo pointed to the example set by the radevelopment <br /> 51 of the smaller St. Anthony Shopping Center on the other side <br /> 52 of town . He said that center had recently experienced a <br /> 53 complete turnaround to about 90 percent occupancy and a much <br /> 54 happier tenancy. Joe. DiSanto who handles the center for its <br /> 55 Portugese owners had been in town the previous week and had <br />