PL PACKET 06212005 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Planning Commission Meeting Minutes May 17, 2005 Page 7 1 John Dennison, 2821 Silver Lane, stated that he and his family have lived in St. Anthony for 2 many years adding that his parents are buried at Sunset. He stated that his mother and sister used 3 to take regular drives through the area just because it gave them a sense of peace. He stated that 4 the view of the Bell Tower and music coming from the Tower sets a beautiful tone to the area. 5 He expressed his agreement with the Residents stating that this is a beautiful facility and asked 6 the Planning Commission to the language and cemetery the way it is. 7 8 Florence Iverson, 2812 Highway 88, asked why they feel the need to disrupt the cemetery and 9 build a big funeral home. She stated that there are several funeral homes in the area and what is 10 happening. She asked the Planning Commission to vote against the changes. 11 12 Steven Weise, 2513 St. Anthony Boulevard stated that the verbiage is extremely important and 13 changing the wording would impact the cemetery considerably. He stated that many utilize the 14 cemetery just because it is such an amazing place. He expressed concerns stating that the 15 architecture of the building is beautiful and it would be a shame to tear it down. He stated that it 16 is his understanding that the building is eligible for the National Registry and suggested taking 17 this avenue versus removing the building. He urged the Planning Commission to vote no on the 18 proposed changes. 19 20 Laura Faucher, 2058 St. Anthony Parkway, Board of Preservation Alliance, stated that she is on 21 board with Charlie Nelson. She stated that she disagrees with the proposed changes. She 22 explained that she is an architect noting that she works, on a regular basis,with zoning issues for 23 historic buildings. She stated that would like to state that the Preservation Alliance, as a whole, 24 is very concerned about the issues and had they been aware of this situation sooner they would 25 have nominated Sunset Memorial to the top ten list of places in jeopardy. She urged the 26 Planning Commission to vote no to this request. 27 28 Will Stark, 2840 43rd Avenue South, Board of Preservation Alliance, stated that he has an interest 29 in representing other Minnesotans who have an interest in preserving historic buildings and 30 locations in Minnesota. He reminded the Planning Commission that the conclusion of the survey 31 shows that Sunset Memorial is a historical cemetery with eligibility to register with the National 32 Register for Historic Places. He explained that the loss of the building would impair the integrity 33 of the Historic District. He noted that this hearing is only about the proposed text changes and 34 suggested that zoning could be a way of protecting the historical resources in this Community. 35 He explained that a funeral home is a commercial use adding that it is not appropriate use for a 36 residential zone. He urged the Commission to keep in mind all of the historic factors. 37 38 Vernie Bjorklund, 3207 Silver Lake Road, stated that she has lived in St. Anthony for 40 years 39 noting that her son is buried at Sunset Memorial. She stated that one of the reasons it would be 40 nice to keep the cemetery as it is, is because the City mainly consists of buildings and this is one 41 of the few places people can go where they are not surrounded by huge buildings. She stated that 42 the view is wonderful to see in all the seasons and urged the Planning Commission to vote no, 43 this is an asset to the Community that should be preserved. 44