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the mosque dilemma. I am stunned that after some of the poor planning of the past, we have sunk to a new low. In those cases, the planning committee did at least part of the work. The planning committee’s work on this project is shoddy. There seems to be no way other than rejection of the CUP because it was so poorly handled by the planning committee and now, at the direction of the Mayor, the city engineers are tasked to do work fundamental to the applicant’s CUP. It is unclear to me if the taxpayers will be paying for this service. Once again, we can only assume there will be legal challenges at the cost to the taxpayers. We have been down this road too many times. I’m asking for the Council and Mayor to reject the CUP. Any work done by the city for the applicant must be discarded. I would also suggest that the council investigate and evaluate what is happening at the planning committee and Mr. Grittman’s ability to do the job that St. Anthony needs in this moment. I am aware of much larger projects coming up that will require robust, detailed work by the planner and committee. I question the ability of the planning committee as well as the key person who is advising this whole process, the city planner. As council members, you have not been put in an enviable position as words are probably flying from both sides. This is why it is critical that the work be done to review job performance of the planner and planning committee. It will make all of our lives better to take the time to evaluate and take appropriate action however unpleasant it may be. To the credit of past planning committee members, city staff, and council members, the Lowry Grove debacle was resolved equitably after significant contributions from the constituency in this neighborhood. The city listened, recognized the deep expertise of constituents, and came to a better outcome and one to be proud of. I am wanting to be optimistic that the city planner will diligently watch the new, approved project. But can any of us really be optimistic? And here is another moment. Let’s look at the big picture of the south St. Anthony gateway. Does a carwash really fit into the 2040 vision of what is possible for a desirable gateway? Certainly, there are many types of land use options for the applicant that would garner support and even possibly excitement from their neighbors. In a meeting with neighbors, the applicant had actually asked for ideas from neighbors. Perhaps he is amenable to a different enterprise. It is a poor use of the land considering the R-1 zoning abutting the property. I’m not happy that I have had to drill down to understand all of this and “Fight City Hall” when I am clearly not a paid person, nor should I need to be an expert. I should be able to count on the city to follow and drill down into ordinances and hire personnel who are able to expertly do their jobs. Of course, as a citizen concerned with my neighborhood, I should remain engaged and I will continue to do so. I would appreciate hearing from all of you! I am open to an email or a phone call that could possibly lead to a meeting. Please send me an email telling me you have read my message to 223