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Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes March 20, 2012 Page 5 2 Mr. Giarushi stated the City has the right to change its Zoning Code after their request is heard. 4 Mr. Sadik Warfa, 620 East Franklin, Minneapolis, appeared before the Planning Commission 5 and stated they are concerned about the moratorium. He stated they are American like everyone 6 else and are concerned about the City's action and asked the Planning Commission to reconsider 7 because they did everything asked by the City. He stated they raised money, bought the land, 8 and they want to make sure their children receive a good solid education. He asked that the 9 Planning Commission please consider this and approve this proposed mosque. 10 11 Mr. Mohamed Heban appeared before the Planning Commission and stated he is one of the 12 community organizers and wants to bring their voice here. He asked the City to support their 13 project and indicated they want to make sure all Muslim residents have a place to go and bring 14 their children and where they can share and teach other people. 15 16 Mr. Bill Volna appeared before the Planning Commission and stated his son previously had an 17 earnest money contract to buy this building for $1.2 million and convert it into a business 18 property. He stated that in the course of his son's due diligence, it became evident that the 19 building needed a new boiler and air conditioning system and it would take approximately $1.3 20 million to put the building in a position to bring in revenue to pay the $100,000 in annual 21 property taxes. He stated his concern is there has to be a limit to the amount of area in the City 22 that can be dedicated to those institutions that do not support the system. He stated he has been 23 assessed $10,000 for road repairs being done this summer. He stated the City is going to lose 24 $100,000 in property taxes that this building would have yielded and urged the City to get 25 someone in this building with a cash flow. 26 27 Mr. Peters stated his client is only asking to use the basement area which is not rented to anyone 28 now and is the only area that is sprinklered, and use it for an assembly area. He explained his 29 clients want to rent the rest of the building to office tenants and stated they have four new tenants 30 and taxes are being brought into the City. He stated the only part they might request for tax 31 exempt status is the small prayer room downstairs which is less than 15,000 square feet. He 32 indicated there has been some misrepresentation in the media about the building being turned 33 into a mosque which is not true; they are asking for one small room in the basement to be a 34 prayer area. He noted they are not going to do anything to change the use of the building as 35 office space. He referenced the 120 day timeframe and noted the City Council can ask for 60 36 more days if it provides cogent, valid reasons why it needs 60 more days. He stated this 37 application preceded the moratorium and the moratorium is only on the issuance of Conditional 38 Use Permits. He showed the public hearing notice contained in the newspaper and reiterated 39 there was nothing to prevent the Planning Commission from considering this item. 40 41 Commissioner Crone stated a moratorium is in place and the City has informed Mr. Peters that 42 there will be a pause before further action is taken. 43 44 Mr. Peters reiterated they are present tonight because the City told them to be here and they are 45 following the City's rules. He stated they meet all the City's requirements and there is no way 46 the Planning Commission can say no; if it does, it would be arbitrary and capricious. He noted