05-12-25 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — MAY 12, 2025 17 Councilmember Weber agrees. It is a conditional use. The consultants are proposing to keep it as a conditional use. Council would have the opportunity to review it. If it were something that Council disagrees with, there would be the opportunity say no. There are a lot of research opportunities that aren't abusive to animals. He doesn't object to anything opening back in that area. Mayor Grant asked Council their preference and the majority wanted to still allow animal research in the I -Flex district as a conditional use. Councilmember Monson said she would like commercial recreation outdoor to be permitted standard, mixed use, B, CB, BC. She doesn't know why we would limit that to only one district. We should let that happen as long as they meet the standards. Councilmember Weber agrees but he would also like to include Gateway. Discussion ensued regarding outdoor recreation uses and where there is space to build such a business. Councilmember Weber would like to see cannabis businesses permitted in more locations. Liquor store use is listed as permitted, across the board. He wonders if there is a legal reason that has to be permitted. City Administrator Jagoe said they are treating it similar to a retail use. She is not aware of any regulation. Councilmember Weber thinks cannabis businesses should be allowed exactly the same as liquor stores. He thinks a liquor store use should be permitted with standards, the same as a brewery, a distillery or a brew pub. Cannabis uses should mirror whatever standards apply to liquor store. Council agreed that the proposed districts that allow liquor store use should be permitted with standards. Councilmember Weber said all of the cannabis uses should be the same as liquor stores. Councilmember Holden said they keep changing the rules. Until there is some stabilization in the cannabis regulations she doesn't agree. Councilmember Weber said it still needs to be addressed. This is the time to do that. Mayor Grant doesn't agree that cannabis should be treated the same a liquor. He is fine with the way it was presented. They aren't finished with the cannabis rules and regulations so he would prefer not to open it up yet. Once it's open you can't close it so easily. Councilmember Rousseau is in favor of expanding the cannabis retail sales use and allowing them in the same spaces as the liquor stores. She thinks it will be very hard to attract a business when it's only allowed in the B-4 district. Councilmember Weber asked if she supported that use as permitted with standards in B-2, B-3 and B-4.