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ARDEN HILLS PLANNING COMMISSION - MAY 3, 2006 9 . B. PLANNING CASE #06-015: ZONING ORDINANCE ADDITION FOR THE B-4 ZONE; 1212 LLC Mr. Lehnhoff statcd the appliCallt was requesting a Zoning Ordinance addition to allow highcr cducation and special education as a pcrmittcd usc in the B-4 Zonc. He rccommcndcd approval of thc Zoning Ordinallcc addition to allow highcr and spccial cducation as a spccial use in thc B-4 Zone. Hc statcd whilc highcr and special education uscs arc unlikcly to negativcly affcct the community, thcse typcs of uscs are spccial uses or part of a planncd unit developmcnt in any othcr zonc whcrc they are allowed, and it is important to manage the parking and traffic patterns. Commissioncr Larson inquired about thc occupancy of the othcr cxisting buildings in the B-4 arca. He noted hc did not sce much rctail in this arca. Hc asked if officc was a pcrmittcd use in this arca. Mr. Lchnhoffresponded it was a pcrmittcd use. Vice Chair Zimmel111aIl opened thc public hcaring at 8:32 p.m. Vice Chair Zimmcrman invited anyonc for or against thc request to comc forward and make commcnt. . Rob Davidson, 3900 NOIihwoods Drivc #125, statcd he has workcd in Arden Hills for 25 ycars and has had a long-standing interest in thc City. Hc statcd he purchascd the 1212 Red Fox Road building approximately a year ago with the idca that it would bc a mini- dcvclopment project. He notcd thc 8-4 Zonc consists of nine buildings with thrce propcrty owners and the 8-4 Zonc was rcally an odd category for this part of the City. He indicatcd therc was no rctail in this 8-4 Zonc. Hc statcd thc retailers did not see this arca of the City as a viable retail location and hc agrccd with that asscssment. Hc noted this arca was an arca for profcssional scrvices. With the exccption of the Civic Ccntcr District and thc R-I District, the City Code did not provide for higher cducation usc in any othcr part of thc City. Hc statcd what they had in thc marketplacc right now was a trcmendous opportunity to servc educational nccds. He noted educational serviccs wcre a hugc industry and it was serving a need for post-secondary cducation and masters prograIlls. He stat cd this was a need that was totally undcrscrved, particularly in Ardcn Hills. Hc stated this building would fulfill onc of the goals of the B-4 zoning as a transition to rctail and thc building would ultimately be upgraded and look likc a profcssional officc facility. He notcd the building was a 30-ycar-old office building which was obsoletc alld nccded to bc rcnovatcd both jnside and outsidc. He stated hc wantcd to makc that this was an attractive facility and a quality dcvclopmcnt. Hc statcd the passport to cornpcte in the global economy was through education and thc rcason he purchascd this property was becausc it was unique among thc othcr ninc buildings as wcll as thc availability of 100 parking spaccs. Hc notcd all of the othcr buildings had vcry limited parking. He statcd his proposal would bc that half of thc building would be occupicd by traditional office spacc and the other half would bc occupied in thc cvenings and weckcnds and used as a highcr cducation space. . On bJ?l . i\.s ~