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ARDEN HILLS PLANNING COMMISSION – November 9, 2016 7 <br /> <br />Mr. Zweber reported this was the case, but noted all zoning districts would be evaluated with <br />regard to their compatibility to higher educational uses. He noted this action was taken on <br />October 10, 2016. <br /> <br />Chair Thompson opened the public hearing at 7:07 p.m. <br /> <br />Chair Thompson invited anyone for or against the application to come forward and make <br />comment. <br /> <br />Alan Cureton, President of University of Northwestern, provided context as to why a proposal <br />was being brought forward to the City of Arden Hills. He explained the University has seen <br />increases in STEM degrees, which included science, technology, engineering and math. He <br />agreed with staff that the 2007 Campus Master Plan did include future additional space including <br />60,000 square feet of academic space. He stated that the Smiths Medical facility is wonderful for <br />the University because of the science labs for the students and offices for the faculty to move <br />right into a science facility. He stated that the University has a pragmatic perspective on this <br />request because a new science facility would likely cost up to $400 per square foot while the <br />estimates to renovate the Smiths Medical facility is between $125 and $150 per square foot. <br /> <br />Mr. Cureton stated he understood the City was working to attract strong businesses. He <br />encouraged the City also see the benefit of raising talented and well-educated employees. He <br />believed a strong workforce would attract businesses to the community. He discussed the <br />number of individuals that would be retiring from the engineering and health care industries in <br />the coming years. He saw an opportunity for the University to expand their programming to <br />meet this need. The University would like to explore a partnership with the City, the local <br />Colleges and Corporations (the Three C’s) to meet these needs and demands. While he <br />understood the concerns of the City, he stated it was his hope Northwestern could partner with <br />the City on this issue. <br /> <br />There being no additional comment Chair Thompson closed the public hearing at 7:17 p.m. <br /> <br />Chair Thompson requested comments from the Commission and if they believed a higher <br />education school use belonged in the I-Flex zoning district. <br /> <br />Commissioner Jones did not object to a higher education school use being located in the I-Flex <br />zoning district. However, he did have concerns about the proposal given the Ordinance recently <br />approved by the City Council. <br /> <br />Chair Thompson loved the idea of having a large pool of talented employees but she did not see <br />how the higher education school use would fit into the I-Flex district. <br /> <br />Commissioner Bartel agreed this was not the right place for a higher education school use. He <br />complemented the existing University of Northwestern site as walkable and bikeable with <br />underpasses under their roads. He feared that Smiths Medical was not pedestrian friendly <br />located within a industrial and commercial neighborhood and that it would be difficult to walk or <br />bike from the main campus. He described that it is unsafe to bike along the freeway section of <br />Snelling Avenue to Red Fox Drive and that the same crossing of Snelling would be at County <br />Road E which would require biking all the way to Lexington Avenue to cross the railroad track <br />and then come all the way back. He described the amount of industrial/commercial truck traffic <br />that would continue to come in and out of this area due to the mix of businesses.