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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL WORK SESSION – JUNE 26, 2017 2 <br /> <br />Senior Planner Bachler stated the ordinance was attached to the report from WSB as Appendix <br />A. He said the City approved a contract with WSB in February 2017 authorizing completion of a <br />study that included the following five components: an analysis of the existing campus Master <br />Plans for Bethel and Northwestern; an analysis of how other communities regulate higher <br />education uses; an analysis of the City’s various commercial and industrial zones in terms of <br />purpose and the mix of allowed uses; an analysis of employment and economic activity associated <br />with those uses; and an analysis of existing land and building space available in the City’s <br />commercial and industrial zones. He stated that WSB worked with the Planning Commission and <br />the Economic Development Commission (EDC) regarding technical analysis of the study and that <br />the Planning Commission Chair, Roberta Thompson, was in attendance at this meeting to discuss <br />the key components. <br /> <br />Mayor Grant asked if staff had worked with the Council. <br /> <br />Senior Planner Bachler stated that the contract with WSB was approved by the Council at its <br />February 13, 2017, meeting. In addition, staff introduced the study to the City Council at the joint <br />work session with the Planning Commission in March 2017. He said that since March, staff had <br />worked with the Planning Commission and EDC to review the five components of the study so <br />that findings could now be presented to the Council. <br /> <br />Councilmember Holden asked if the Council had to take some type of action no matter what. <br /> <br />Senior Planner Bachler stated that due to the deadline provided in the approved scope of work, <br />proposals for amendments to the zoning code were due in July. He indicated changes to the <br />Zoning Code must be made before the temporary ordinance expires on October 9, 2017. <br /> <br />Mayor Grant asked if the Council could simply let the temporary ordinance expire without <br />taking any action. <br /> <br />Senior Planner Bachler stated that this was correct – some Cities go through this type of process <br />and conclude that no changes are necessary. <br /> <br />Mayor Grant wanted to know if the Council could conclude that changes need to be made by <br />October 9, 2017, but that the changes themselves did not have to be made by October 9, 2017. <br /> <br />Senior Planner Bachler indicated the temporary ordinance would expire October 9, 2017. If no <br />changes were made by that time, then City staff must accept land use applications beginning <br />October 10, 2017, and follow the regulations that are in place at that time. He stated the purpose <br />of the temporary ordinance was to give the City a window of time to make changes so that they <br />did not have to react to land use applications that are submitted. <br /> <br />Roberta Thompson, Planning Commission Chair, stated the Planning Commission had reviewed <br />the study and that she was now providing its findings regarding the five key areas that included <br />the following: <br /> <br />• Bethel and Northwestern’s Campus Master Plans and five year growth plan; <br />• Regulation in other communities; <br />• Allowed uses in the City’s current commercial and industrial zones;