PL MINUTES 12021985 - Laserfiche WebLink

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-7- • 1 Motion by Commissioner Madden and seconded by Commissioner Bjorklund to amend the 2 motion to change the size of the proposed commercial from 33,000 to 11 ,000 square 3 feet. 4 5 Voting on the amendment: 6 7 Aye: Madden and Bjorklund. 8 9 Nay: Bowerman, Wagner, Hansen, and Franzese. 10 11 Motion to amend not carried. 12 13 Original motion carried unanimously. 14 15 The meeting was recessed at 9:05 P.M. and then convened at 9:25 P.M. , the public 16 hearing to consider a request from META Operating Limited Partnership for -the 17 necessary variances to remodel and redevelop the American Legion and gas station 18 property at 2701-2709 Kenzie Terrace which the developers had acquired in con- 19 junction with the development of the Kenzington next door. The notice of the 20 hearing had been published in the November 20th Bulletin and mailed to all 21 property owners of record within 350 feet of the subject property. No one present 22 reported failure to receive the notice or objected to its content and the Manager 23 indicated he had received no calls for or against the proposal . 24 25 In his November 27th memorandum to the Commission , - Mr. Childs had indicated the 26 applicants proposed to retain both existing structures but to connect them at • 27 the second floor level with an additional floor added to the Legion Club building . 28 Mr. Childs had also -advised the Commission members that a variance would be 29 required because the request represented an expansion of a non-conforming use 30 because of the existing rear yard encroachment, which he said the META project 31 would expand no further. 32 33 Because the original concept had been for medical offices which would have required 34 more parking, the notice had indicated a larger variance would be needed, but, 35 the Manager said, since that concept had been abandoned by the developers, there 36 would now be 48 spaces provided where the ordinance called for 55. 37 38 As he had indicated in his memorandum, Mr. Childs reiterated that staff was 39 recommending both variances be granted because, with the unusual triangular shape 40 and .characteristics of the parcel , it would be extremely difficult to provide a 41 quality development without them. 42 43 META' s Vice President, Greg Gustafson and project architect, James Guttormson of 44 Environmental Expressions, 5416 - 45th Avenue South, Minneapolis, were present to 45 discuss their proposal and drawings of the project they were requesting. Mr. 46 Gustafson told the Commissioners his firm is developing the Kenzington and had 47 bought the property next door to "spruce up the neighborhood and protect our large 48 investment in the Kenzington by providing a compatible use for the condominiums. " . 49 He indicated that as far as the parking went, there had been 142 parking spaces 50 provided for 150 condominiums next door which the developer indicated he. perceived 51 was more than would be needed, leaving spaces to accomodate any overflow in the 52 shopping center 15 feet away. He said the way Kenzington sales are going, where i • 53 buyers are not purchasing garage stalls the way they had been expected, as owner 54 of both properties, META would be able to sell or lease any excessive parking 55 space to the store or office owners next door. Mr. Gustafson indicated he would 56 also anticipate a lot of foot traffic between the buildings, since the type of