CCP 01-14-2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

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. . . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES NOVEMBER 26,2001 5 He added that when Bethel College development starts taking place beyond its boundaries he thinks there should be some discussion about this issue, Mr. Christian stated they are willing to put an II-year time limit on it. He noted that was their intent. He added it is not a Bethel College development. He stated it was his development and Bethel College is the tenant. Councilmember Larson stated he could not separate the two, Mr. Christian stated the Bethel College use of the building is relatively short part ofthe life ofthe huilding, Councilmember Aplikowski stated the issue is whether they want to change the zoning, She asked that if one of the other institutions came forward and said it wanted to put housing on that comer, would the Council's response be different. She questioned whether they wanted an apartment building on that comer or wanted to save it for a business use, Councilmember Rem stated since it is a neighborhood business zone, it would be a smaller business, She noted the zoning has not been in place long enough to see if it was appropriate, She added she would prefer to see it kept neighborhood business for a longer time to see what might go in at the site, Councilmember Aplikowski stated she liked the proposal. She noted an apartment building was a better choice for the comer then a small business, Mr. Christian stated their original proposal was to do an office building. He noted since that time office demand has fallen off rapidly. He added this was an opportunity for all of the parties to have something that does work. Councilmember Grant stated he was willing to entertain the idea to change it to multi- family use. He noted was not sure about these particular plans, but he would want to see something that fits the site aesthetically, He added he does have some issues with the traffic flow and parking, Mr. Raymond Fitz, 1676 Chatum Avenue, stated he was a retired general contractor. He noted he had seen this comer remain for sale for 22 years. He added it was a sore spot in the City of Arden Hills for looks and tax purposes, He stated he does not see a business going in there without a double access. He noted he would oppose that. He added he does not feel there would be a traffic problem, He stated the building is tight but fits in on the site. He noted this housing would be available to seniors in the summer time, He added many people look for a summer place, because they go south for the winter. He stated it was a good choice. He noted they should get that comer developed,