PL MINUTES 07191983 - Laserfiche WebLink

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-7- Commissioner Jones summarized their opposition by telling the appli- cant, Kin Lun Kwong,. 5001. Clearview Avenue N.E. in Fridley, and his •' interpreter, Simon Kwong., that he perceived that Mr.. Kwong 's neighbors believe that in the two or three years he has been in business , his method of handling garbage and weeds have resulted in difficulties for them as well as the poorly maintained appearance of his property since he took over the cafe ,after the .Three Circles restaurant closed. He said the neighbors agree with Dr. Williams that his present level of business would not seem to justify such a large expansion and are concerned that if he..were ever to have 88 persons seated in his cafe, the 22 parking spaces he proposes to provide would be grossly inadequate andhis customers would end .up parking on the .adjacent residential streets, which are overutilized now. Simon .Kwong, who had written the letter of application which accompanied the requests , served as translator for Kin Lun Kwong 's responses in Chinese to these objections .. He said .the 'restaurant proprietor would erect a six foot wood fence to buffer his property from the neighbors on the one .side and a brickwall around the garbage area. He had no solution for the on-street parking potential. but indicated all . truck deliveries would be made from the front of the restaurant to avoid damage to Mr. .Jadinak' s cyclone fence along the alley. Mr. Kwon was unable to give an explanation of why he had not maintained his property in a better fashion in the past, but promised to "do better" in the future. Although his present clientele could not justify the expansion he proposes , Mr. .Kwon indicated through his interpreter that many potential Chinese customers had told him they would patronize his place of business if it weren't so small . Mr. Jadinak indicated he would hate to see the traffic problems the neighbors had experienced in the past with the previous drive-in, repeated with this business and said it cost him $275 to keep his dandelions cut, which he attributed to the lack of weed control on the restaurant property. Mr. Drusch indicated he believes the quality of life- in that neighbor- hood would be devalued if the expansion were permitted and traffic and parking on adjacent street increased to the point it had been with the Three Circles . He suggested there was adequate space for a cafe of this size in the adjoining St. Anthony Shopping Center and suggested the City work with Mr. Kwon to make such- a move feasible so the lot which is now zoned commercial could be rezoned to R-1 to match the surrounding district zoning. Mrs. Loahr indicated she would rather see a "growing fence" like a growing hedge provided as a buffer, saying, "The last thing we need in this neighborhood is another large wooden fence. " The hearing was closed at 10 : 25 P .M. Mr. Childs indicated he perceives the owners insistance that he would need only the two employees -to run the expanded business was �' ✓ not realistic and there should be some provision in the plan for • employee parking. He emphasized to the Commission members that there had been no evidence submitted which proved the City Ordinance or unique topographyof this particular parcel of land caused a hardship