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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORKSESSION - DECEMBER 18, 2023 17 <br />Councilmember Rousseau explained that she wanted to see if there was any appetite to change <br />the EDA to seven members. She would love to have one person from the Planning Commission <br />and one person from the Economic Development Commission come to help make decisions about <br />what their economic priorities are in this area. She felt there is a car wash coming to the Pace site <br />and another car wash interested next door, that seems like a great location that they could have <br />done something else with. What if they utilized the Planning Commission and Economic <br />Development Commission knowledge to try to come up with economic development <br />opportunities; what are they going to try to target in the area, such as do they want or not want <br />night life. <br />Councilmember Holden asked if she way saying the City would pay people to come in. <br />Councilmember Rousseau responded that Rice Creek Commons might be an opportunity to <br />reduce rent or something to get small businesses in. <br />Councilmember Monson asked how much staff time would there be to have an active EDA? <br />Community Development Director Jagoe replied that she didn't know that answer because it <br />would depend on what the scope of the EDA was setting out to do. <br />Councilmember Monson liked the idea of revitalizing the EDA. EDA's buy land and provide <br />incentives. The Pace site is a major corner and they could have had influence by incentivizing <br />there. She was open to seven members. <br />Councilmember Holden said they've had a seller who has doubled the price of the Pace site <br />above the market value and she didn't know how the City could have stepped in. The site has <br />significant environmental concerns; are they supposed to fund the cleanup? How did they as City <br />miss the boat on Pace? She didn't think that was a good example. Maybe they need to zone it <br />differently but there have been opportunities for nice things there but the seller hasn't been <br />willing to lower the price or allow them in to do a phase one. <br />Mayor Grant said he wouldn't want the City to buy property that has environmental concerns <br />like that one does and is overpriced. The good news is there is interest in the site. He didn't know <br />if expanding the EDA benefits them in any way, but it doesn't hurt them in any way. Just because <br />they can do something doesn't mean they should. He preferred to leave the EDA the way it is. <br />Councilmember Holden said at least as a Council you know of all of the other monetary <br />restrictions that are imposing on you as a city, where if you add two outsiders that are only <br />thinking about economic development, money is no object. <br />Councilmember Rousseau asked how they were going to address the development at Rice Creek <br />Commons, were they going to go through the developers and put together a plan? <br />Mayor Grant said the EDA can utilize the same tools with a five -member board as they can a <br />seven -member board. <br />Councilmember Rousseau said the key topic of conversation in the EDA over the last couple of <br />years had been gateway signs. <br />