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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—APRIL 24, 2023 14 <br /> Neighborhood Business sites are located at the edge of residential neighborhoods and are intended <br /> to provide a limited range of over-the-counter, convenience, retail, and service uses to <br /> accommodate the needs of the adjacent residents. Since these areas are located adjacent to <br /> residential neighborhoods, the City did adopt limitations on the type, size and intensity of uses <br /> within this district. On November 27, 2000, the City rezoned seven sites, including the Subject <br /> Property, to NB,Neighborhood Business District. Today, the Subject Property is considered legal <br /> nonconforming in this district. <br /> Community Development Director Jagoe stated the Applicants are applying for Site Plan <br /> Review for evaluation of the site layout and parking modifications that are being proposed as a <br /> result of the operational changes impacted by the County Road E/Old Snelling Avenue <br /> Roundabout project. There are no changes to the restaurant operations or the building as part of <br /> this application. As a legal nonconforming site, the County has allowed the continuation of use of <br /> the two driveway accesses along Old Snelling Avenue and one access off of County Road E. The <br /> access off of County Road E is a smaller commercial/residential driveway. With the roadway <br /> project, the Applicants are required by Ramsey County to eliminate one of the driveway accesses <br /> along Old Snelling Avenue in order to bring the property closer to conformance with current <br /> County standards. Thus, the proposed parking lot improvements have triggered the Site Plan <br /> Review process for reconfiguration of the site layout. <br /> Community Development Director Jagoe stated the Subject Property is approximately 1.5 acres <br /> which includes both a restaurant, a residential home, and a detached cottage. The main parking lot <br /> is located in the western and central portions of the lot. The site has significant tree canopy <br /> coverage with more green areas on the southern and eastern portion of the property. The parking <br /> lot reconfiguration will occur essentially within the same footprint that exists today with the <br /> exception of the addition of parking spaces between the building and eastern property line. For the <br /> Site Plan review, the proposed improvements include elimination of the southern most access on <br /> Old Snelling Avenue, upgrading the driveway access off of County Road E to full commercial <br /> standards, and the addition of parking stalls and a trash enclosure. <br /> Community Development Director Jagoe stated the Planning Commission reviewed this <br /> application at their April 5, 2023 meeting. During the meeting, the Planning Commission voted to <br /> strike the draft Condition of Approval #5 "All retaining wall materials shall be complementary to <br /> the building materials and shall be approved in writing by the Planning Division prior to issuance <br /> of a building permit. Retaining walls greater than four (4) feet in height shall be engineered and <br /> detailed calculations shall be submitted to the City." This motion was made after the Applicant <br /> clarified that there would be no retaining walls on the Lindey's property, but rather a retaining <br /> wall would be installed in the right-of-way as part of the roadway project and would be installed <br /> by the roadway contractor. He explained this retaining wall would be on a portion of land the <br /> County would be purchasing from Lindey's and the retaining wall would be maintained by the <br /> County going forward. For this reason, he requested Condition 5 be removed from consideration. <br /> The motion carried unanimously (7-0). The Planning Commission also recommended approval <br /> with conditions of the application from Lindey's for a Site Plan Review by a 7-0 vote. <br /> Community Development Director Jagoe reviewed the surrounding area, site data and Plan <br /> Evaluation in further detail with the Council. The Planning Commission reviewed this application <br />