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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC MIN 01.20.1976CITY OF ST. ANTHONY PLANNING BOARD MINUTES January 20,1976 The meeting was called to order by Chairman Letourneau at 7:39 P.M. The oath of office was administered at 7:40 P.M. by Jim Fornell, Adm. Asst., to Wil Johnson, Ken Hiebel, George Marks, Richard Letourneau, Wm. Bowerman, Jerry Cowan and Richard Rymarchick who are all incumbent members of the Board. Harry Lekson was also present. Mr. Fornell invited the Board to attend the joint meeting of the Council and the Board with the City Planner, Mr. Howard Dahlgren at 5:30 P.M. February 10th for consideration of the new zoning ordinance. Mr. Johnson presented the names of Mr. Bowerman and Mr. Hiebel as Chairman and Chairman Pro Tem, respectively, to serve during the calendar year of 1976 and Mr. Cowan seconded the nominations. Motion by Mr. Marks, seconded by Mr. Cowan to close nominations and accept the slate of Bowerman and Hiebel as Chairman and Chairman Pro Tem for 1976. Motion carried unanimously. It was agreed that the precedent had been set to rotate the positions of Chairman and Chairman Pro Tem each year hereafter. Expressions of appreciation were then offered to Mr. Letourneau and Mr. Marks for the excellent service they had given the Board in these positions the past year. Mr. Fornell left the meeting to attend the Human Relations meeting. Mr. Bowerman assumed the chairmanship of the meeting and opened the Public Hearing at 8:00 P.M. for consideration of the Bryant Investment Company application to erect a two story building for offices and shops at what is approximately 2651 Kenzie Terrace. Mr. Richard Ernst, 2841 Johnson St. N.E. identified himself as the prospective partner and builder of the project for which he was requesting the above developed lot be rezoned from a R-1 and C to C -Commercial to allow the construction of a two story building designed for professional offices and retail shops. He said the latter might possibly be a beauty nbarber- and flower shop as well as a delicatessan carry -out business similar to the Brothers Delicatessens. The builder then presented site plans including landscaping and parking plans to the Board and about a dozen interested residents including those who signed the attached petition; Mr. & Mrs. Paul Wehr, Mr. George Moore, Mr. Gordon Culhane) as well as Mrs. Virginia Kieffer, Mr. Martin Frederick, Mr. Joe Schluender and Mr. Archie Whiting who also reside on 27th Avenue N.E. which borders the property in question. Mr. Ernst told them all access to the building would be provided by the existing curb cuts on Kenzie Terrace and that he thought the five foot berm and six inch concrete curbing which he planned as a boundary for his 70 stall parking lot would prevent the use of the alley to the rear as an exit as well as provide a shield for the residences to the west. He promised a more detailed landscaping plan with Pg. 2 the recommendations of the Sieffert Nursery would be presented before a building permit is issued. Although the contractor named no specific tenants for the building he said he had two dentists who had an interest in renting a portion of the top floor and he and the investment company were confident they would be able to quickly lease the remainder of the building. They were therefore anxious to begin construction in March. The traffic congestion now experienced in front of the bakery and butcher shop a.few doors away was mentioned and Mr. Hiebel asked Mr. Ernst why he thought this development would be easy to lease when there was so much empty building space in the Shopping Center across Kenzie Terrace and another just a short distance further south. The builder said he thought his location would prove more attractive to prospective lessees and it was his contention that the proposed development would greatly improve the appearance of the area which he felt was a justification for changing the zoning. He also mentioned the tax revenues which would be collected by the City. The proposed building would only be 22 feet high and would meet City requirements as well as the 70 parking spaces which were provided. The residents said the proposal for the professional offices and retail shops would be acceptable to them but indicated that, if the change in zoning should result in the allowance of a restaurant, they would be adamantly opposed to the project. Mr. Ernst assured them he had no such plans and felt he would have difficulty renting the top floors of the building for professional office space if the lower portion were to be used for a restaurant. The Public Hearing was closed at 8:45 P.M. The Board members also expressed their approval of the proposal as presented by Mr. Ernst but were uncertain whether a restaurant or other uses of the building which they would consider objectionable for that area could be legally prohibited if the request to change the zoning to the existing "Commercial" classification were granted, which uncertainities were the basis for.the following motions: Motion by Mr. Rymarchick, seconded by Mr. Marks to recommend to the Council denial of the request from the Bryant Investment Company to rezone Plat 63507 , Parcel 7620 from R-1 (single family residential)to C (commercial) to permit the construction of a two story professional offices -retail shops building because of the fear that by rezoning the property to the existing commercial classification the City possibly would be subjecting itself to the acceptance of an undesireable land use before the desired classification for such zoning had been established by the new zoning ordinance with such an undesirable use proving to be an in- compatible buffer between commercial and residential area involved to which the residents of the neighborhood have indicated they are opposed. Before voting on the above, reluctance to deny the specific proposal made by Mr. Ernst brought the following motion to defer action: Motion by Mr. Cowan and seconded by Mr. Hiebel to table action on the Ernst proposal until the Board ascertained whether specific uses could be legally prohibited under the existing zoning ordinance. i Voting on the motion to table: Aye: None Nay: All seven members Motion to table not carried. Pg. 3 Voting on Mr. Rymarchick's motion to recommend denial: Aye: Rymarchick, Letourneau, Marks Nay: Johnson, Hiebel, Bowerman, Cowen Motion not carried. The meeting was recessed from 9:50 P.M. to 10:01 P.M. Mr. Fornell who had returned to the meeting at 9:45 P.M. then questioned whether the amount of signage allowed would be sufficient to provide the necessary identification for the type of tenants Mr. Ernst sought for the building. Motion by Mr. Cowan, seconded by Mr. Johnson to recommend the Council approve the Ernst request for rezoning to "Commercial" contingent upon it being legally permissible to prohibit from operating on the premises certain commercial businesses such as motor vehicle sales rooms, undertaking parlors, auto repair and service stations, car washes, restaurants or cafeterias, ice cream parlors or dry cleaning establishments or any other heavy commercial uses which could not be considered a desirable transition from the commercial shopping center to the residential area to the west; but, in the event such prohibitions are not legally permissable, to then recommend denial of the request by the Council. Motion carried unanimously. Wm, Bowerman will report these recommendations to the Council at their meeting January 27th. Motion by Mr. Marks and seconded by Mr. Rymarchick to approve the minutes for the December 16th meeting of the Board. Motion carried unanimously. The public hearings regarding the use of Land Development Grant funds scheduled for January 26 and 27th were noted. Mr. Letourneau read a letter from Mr. Ed Hance representing the owner of the G E G Body Shop indicating his client's request that his shop be allowed to continue its present operation under the new zoning ordinance. Mr. Fornell said this letter and other similar requests would be considered at the joint meeting scheduled for February 10th. Motion by Councilman Marks, seconded by Mr. Letourneau to adjourn the meeting at 10:45 P.M. Motion carried unanimously. Helen Crowe, Secretary.