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-6- <br /> southwest side of the store Capproximately 10.0. square feet). which would identify a new <br /> business to be located on those premises and operated in conjunction with the exist- <br /> ing sewing machine business in the store, with the stipulation that the new sign would <br /> not be lit after business hours. <br /> In granting the variance, the Council , as did the Planning Commission, finds that: <br /> 1 . The new sign would substantially reduce the square footage of the existing, non- <br /> conforming signage and the quality of signage would be much improved; <br /> 2. Several stores with corner locations in that immediate shopping area had pre- <br /> viously been granted variances for similar signage; <br /> 3. The proposed signage could be considered to be an asset to the community which <br /> would provide a necessary service because it would identify a second business in <br /> the store which the community might not know about without the sign; and <br /> 4, The three questions in the application required by statute to be answered in the <br /> affirmative, have been done so by this applicant and accepted by the Commission <br /> and Council . <br /> Motion carried unanimously. <br /> In relation to the requested conditional use permit for a pizza bakery and delivery <br /> service to be operated in the vacant store at 3005-37th Avenue N.E. , Commissioner <br /> Madden reiterated that his own opinion, as a resident in the same area, was that <br /> this type of business might have .a better chance of succeeding than the previous <br /> • enterprises in that location, which couldn't help but be better for the neighborhood <br /> as a whole than an empty storefront. <br /> The Commissioner reported that attempt to impose the same restriction on the number of <br /> hours which the sign could be lit had failed by a two to two vote, even .though this <br /> sign could be perceived to have a greater impact on surrounding residential than the <br /> Nationwide sign. However, Commissioner Madden added the applicant had indicated a <br /> willingness to work with staff to meet City requirements in that regard. Mayor <br /> Sundland agreed the two cases before the Council that evening certainly pointed up <br /> the inconsistencies related to lighting signs. <br /> Dick Peterson of RPA, Inc. discussed the type of operation he was proposing and <br /> assured the Mayor that, since less than 10% of his business at this location could be <br /> --expected to be take-out, parking spaces would only be necessary to accommodate, at the <br /> most, five employees cooking and handling orders on the very busiest of nights, and <br /> the delivery trucks who would necessarily make "very short stops" to pick up their <br /> orders. He also reiterated that his landlord, the owner of the Autotraac building <br /> next door had indicated there would be no problem if overflow from the pizza opera- <br /> tion had to use his parking spaces since that station would be closed during the pizza <br /> operation's busiest hours. His landlord, Gene Crowley, was present but his testimony <br /> during the Commission hearing was considered sufficient. <br /> When Councilmember Marks questioned whether there might be cooking smells from the <br /> kitchen which. dould prove to be annoying to the residents across the street, Mr. Peterson <br /> introduced John Sanquist, one of his managers and "the person responsible for opening <br /> new stores", who told the Councilmember they had no complaints about odors from <br /> • neighbors to their operations in either Highland Village or Falcon Heights, both of <br /> which were very close to densely inhabited residential areas. <br />