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<br />Applicant seeks flexibility in the number of parking stalls, distance between drive <br />through facilities, and signage. <br /> <br />The retail center does and will contain a mixed variety of retail and commercial uses. <br />There will be shared parking among these uses pursuant to cross easements and <br />maintenance agreements. According to a study done by Wenck Associates, the traffic and <br />parking consultant, a total of 317 parking stalls are recommended. The proposed <br />development has 408 parking stalls. This parking study is included with this Application. <br />Avoiding excessive parking and impervious surface is in the public interest and is <br />consistent with the objectives of the City's Plan and Ordinances. <br /> <br />The other drive through facility in the vicinity is the TCF drive through bank tellers. The <br />TCF drive through is significantly enclosed and has a large roof area, and almost appears <br />to be part of the TCF building. Applicant's drive through is surrounded by other <br />commercial uses and no residential uses. Applicant's drive through also has signiflcant <br />landscaping and green space around it to lessen any visual impact. The Applicanl's drive <br />through will have no negative impact on surrounding uses and will be a convenience to <br />the public. <br /> <br />Applicant also seeks approval of approximately 315 square feet of monument signage: <br />one for Walgrcens at the intersection of County Road E and Lexington Ave; one for <br />Arden Plaza at the entrance on County Road E; and one for Arden Plaza at the entrance <br />on Lexington Avenue. This signage will be first class quality and have brick and stonc <br />structures which match the brick and Slone at the existing retail center. <br /> <br />The project is more than 12.5 acres in size. It has two major entries and is located at a <br />major intersection in Arden Hills. The proposed signage is not out of scale with the size <br />of the development and the large number of tenants at the project. If the site was vacant <br />and was platted into separale lots, there could be up to 6 lots on County Road E and <br />Lexington Avenue and at least a total of20 lots (using the 13,000 square foot minimum <br />lot size, plus roadway circulation), all with separate signagc that did not have any <br />common theme and which far exceeded the requested 315 square feet. It is in the public <br />intercst to have signage with a common theme, a first class image, and proportionate to <br />the site size and site usage. <br /> <br />DENt''",,";,;, LLe <br /> <br />By Denny Trooien, Chief Managcr <br /> <br />3 <br />