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B-2 General Business District The applicant has requested that ambulance dispatch facility be added as a conditional use in the B-2 General Business District so that the proposed ambulance substation at 1209 County Road E could be permitted through the conditional use approval process. The B-2 District is comprised of those properties in the area bound by Lexington Avenue on the east, Snelling Avenue on the west, the Minneapolis-St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad on the north, and approximately Harriet Avenue on the south (Attachment B). Section 1320.04, Subdivision 7 of the Zoning Ordinance states that the purpose of the B-2 District is as follows: 1.To be a place in which people can live, work and play. 2.To create a compact, architecturally diverse, pedestrian-and bicycle-friendly community with a distinct identity. 3.To provide a connected sidewalk system and places for people to gather and socialize. 4.To implement design standards to promote an attractive environment with lasting and sustainable value. 5.To group compatible retail and service business uses that tend to draw trade that is naturally interchangeable and promotes business prosperity. 6.To provide an adequate supply of business and professional service areas to meet the needs of residents. 7.To minimize the effects of traffic congestion, noise, odor, glare and similar safety problems. 8. adopted by the City Council on October 27, 2008. Discussion The City does not have specific criteria for evaluating proposed Zoning Code Amendments. At the Planning Commission meeting on February 5, 2014, Commissioners reviewed the application and considered the following questions: 1.Would the proposed use be compatible with the other uses in the B-2 District? 2.Would the proposed use be consistent with the purpose of the B-2 District? The Planning Commission was split on whether the proposed ambulance dispatch facility land use would be appropriate in the B-2 District. Three Commissioners determined that this use would not be consistent with the long-term vision for the district as a pedestrian-friendly, noise, lights, traffic congestion on County Road E, and potential conflicts with pedestrians were discussed as areas of concern. ______________________________________________________________________________ City of Arden Hills City Council Meeting for February 24, 2014 P:\Planning\Planning Cases\2014\PC 14-004 - Zoning Code Amendment - Ambulance Dispatch Facility\Memos_14-004 35 Page of