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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION – MARCH 10, 2025 12 Councilmember Weber said that addresses his main concern. Getting those B-4 businesses into an area where they are viable is what is important to him. Whether it is taking those uses and moving them into B-3 or combining the two districts. Mayor Grant agrees with some of the points brought up, but he does not think the two should be combined. Councilmember Monson said the I-FLEX district sounds a lot like B-4. City Administrator Jagoe said the Commercial Districts will be discussed at the April Planning Commission meeting. There hasn’t been a lot of discussion yet. She clarified that the consultants are requesting direction on the base zoning district names. She will tell the consultants to start honing in on the uses and show the Planning Commission in April. The Council will see it again, after that discussion. C. Odds and Ends Again Discussion Mayor Grant summarized that a thrift store business owner approached the City about a year ago. He asked where thrift stores are permitted. The City learned that about a year later he decided to open in a location where it was not allowed, per the Zoning Code. The owner was told he could approach the City to have the zoning changed. He won’t do that. We are in a position where there is a non-compliant use happening in one of our Business Districts. He wants to make sure Council is on the same page about what we are going to do. Councilmember Weber thinks this would have been an important conversation to include the entire Council. He has been researching this over the past month. He has met with the business owner several times. They weren’t all great meetings. He thinks this discussion is right in line with the previous discussion regarding the uses in B-4. If thrift and cannabis were relegated to B- 4 as a means of not wanting it to be visible on our main thoroughfares. He thinks it was a reaction to Goodwill opening in 2016. He looked through the minutes for the assignment of the use of thrift into B-4 in 2016 and he doesn’t feel like there was a good, or any, justification given other than personal preference as to why thrift was assigned to B-4 only. His point of view is, we already have Goodwill in B-2. He has been in the store in question. He likes the store and the business model. He likes the use. We have a large senior population that may be moving out of their homes. For anyone not aware, this business owner meets with seniors who are looking to downsize and comes up with a plan to get them into smaller housing and he sells their belongings on consignment. That is the business model, as the business owner presented it to him. The items in his store are not the same as Goodwill, where you have a lot of items that people don’t want. This business owner has nice things for sale. As far as the zoning code goes, the items are used. He wouldn’t classify it as the same level of wear that you find at Goodwill. He would like to see thrift added into B-2. He doesn’t feel like there was justification given in 2016 other than personal preference. Councilmember Monson thinks the business owner put himself in a difficult position. She is sympathetic to that. She thanked Staff for enduring some of those discussions and maintaining professionalism. If you move in, you know you’re not allowed there, you treat Staff poorly and then you don’t come with a solution. You did not apply for the text amendment. That was the solution. Staff could not have individually or administratively waive away the problem. That being said, it’s clear the public really wants and really likes thrift, consignment, antique shops. It