CC 08-09-1976 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Minutes of Regular Council Meeting Page trhee Fredlund referred Council to the letter report from Robert Roscoe (6/14/76) which he said, In general states that, with certain design modifications, it would appear that traffic will not create a problem of magnitude detrimental to the area or the area road systems. Fred- lund said that the policing Is now being done by the Col lege through the hiring of off-duty policemen; the traffic report recommended that the entranc~ point on Lydia be modified so emergency vehicles could have an easier turn into the site and that police controls be used at the time traffic Is exiting from the site. August 9, 1976 . Letter from Roseville essentially substantiated the traffic needs for the site and recommended further modifications In the road design - that It be widened slightly so there would be no problem for emergency vehicle access to the Arden Hills portion of the campus and that no other access points be created to provide access or egress to the College site either In Roseville or in Arden Hills. Fredlund reported additional concerns re parking on the site Itself, and the impact of this parking on the neighborhood to the east, after which the site and landscape plans were modified severa~ times; the final recommendation with regard to the site was made on July 6th by the Planning Commission, and the Planning Commission, on August 3, 1976 recommended approval of the Special Use Permit subject to 14 conditions (Minutes of August 3, 1976 Planning Commission Meeting) and plan dated 7/23/76. Attorney Lynden referred Councl I to his opinion letter of 7/29/76 re Special Use Permit (page 2) in which he states that It Is his opinion that the College Is properly applying for a Special Use Permit for the construction and operation of a fine arts building on Its campus for the reasons cited in the letter. He stated that even if Northwestern College Is a non-conforming use, as argued by the attorney for the neighbors (Arden Hills #3), the non-conforming use provision of the Zoning Ordinance (Section II C. thereof) in his opinion does not prohibit the expansion, Intensification or enlargement of a non- conforming use. Lynden stated that In answer to Councilman Crichton's previous ques- tion, he would like to see the application be one for not only the Fine Arts center, but also for the College Itself. Lynden stated that one concern he has is the fact that this Is a Special Use as permitted pursuant to a Special Use Permit. It doesn't have a Special Use Permit; technically it is non-conforming; however the non-conforming use provision does not prohibit enlargement of a non-conforming use, which he has pointed out before In opinions to the Counc II . . Attorney Thomas Erickson, attorney representing Northwestern College, stated that a Col lege has been here since 1866, or at least since 1923 when they bul It Nazareth Hall. He said the first zoning ordinance for Arden Hills was adopted in 1953 and Northwestern's predecessor was there at that time; it was an approved operation at that time; North- western has not bui It any new buildings since that time, so a Special Use Permit has not been required. Northwestern has now applied for a Special Use Permit for the construction of a new bui fding, the Fine Arts facility, on the Arden Hi lis portion of the campus. A site plan for the entire Arden HI lis campus has been submitted, showing future tennis courts, future possibl lfty for a gymnasium (as shown) and, as a part of an overall permit we're showing all of the parking that Northwestern would be improvlng and adding to for the Fine Arts center. Northwestern has applied only for the Special Use Permit for the Fine Arts building, because that is what Northwestern intends to build at this time (Ord. limits permit to 6 months); tennis courts and gymna- sium are an~icipated for construction at some future date; therefore, were not included in this application. Erickson said that the plans submitted tonight include the changes recommended by the Planning Commission - moving the tennis courts closer to the building (30' from the property line) .nd Including an addi- tional berm (equal to height of hill to the north). These changes per- mitted the addition of another row of trees at the corner for additional screen for the residential to the oast. -3-