HomeMy WebLinkAboutMarch 1977U
• Published By The Arden Association
No. 106 March 1977
T
OAs with Jimmy Carter, who started his new
term in the office of President of the United
States facing a nation and a world in the
throes of a Winter of our Discontent, so too
C N with the Arden Hills Council.
RThe issues of the Proposed Zoning Ordinance
and the expansion plans of Northwestern Col-
lege have been simmering and bubbling for a
long while and are now boiling. These two
issues are closely inter -twined and one can-
• • • not be discussed without reference to the
other. Here goes:
On February 29, 1976 Northwestern College made application for a Special Use
Permit to construct and operate a Fine Arts Center on its campus in Arden
Hills III. This proposed expansion of the institution, which is bounded on
two sides by an old and established Arden Hills residential community, on
the third by Lake Johanna and on the fourth by Roseville, was a source of
immediate concern to adjacent A.H. residents. The ArdenIIIAssociation, a
long-standing association of neighbors joined together over the years to
maintain the quality of their residential area and its beach, looked at the
plans for the building, expansion of on -campus parking facilities and other
growth possibilities, with growing alarm. The issue was under discussion in
the Planning Commission throughout the summer of 1976. On August 3, 1976
the Commission recommended to Council that the Special Use Permit for the
Fine Arts Building be approved, with a long list of 'conditions'.
Despite a history of normally supporting recommendations from its various
advisory committees, Council did not support the Commission's recommendation
for approval of the Special Use Permit and voted 3 to 1 to deny it. (At this
time Council was composed of the Mayor and three Councilmen instead of the
usual four Councilmen due to the recent resignation of Bill Feyereisen.)
Having great bearing on the issue and its outcome was the status of the new
Proposed Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance and Map, which by now was in the hands
of Council awaiting adoption. Discussion and development of this Ordinance
had been going on for some 3 -plus years, involving not only current members
of the Council and the Planning Commission, but also previous Council and
Planning Commission members. The purpose of a new Zoning Ordinance was to
up -date the existing Ordinance, adopted in 1966, and amendments made to it
in the past ten years. Naturally enough.after years of being -in -the -works,
those involved in government and planning would welcome adoption of the new
Ordinance.
According to state law, any changes in zoning must be presented at a Public
Hearing, and this was held before Council on January 10, 1976. The new Ord-
inance contained not only changes in zoning, but additional zoning categor-
ies and definitions which were apparently confusing. Supporters of the pro-
posed Ordinance felt it would provide "tighter" control over growth and dev-
elopment. Opponents disagreed, maintaining the residential character and
orderly growth patterns of the Village were better protected under the ex-
isting Ordinance.
Specifically, Arden III residents challenged the proposed zoning change of
Northwestern. The present zoning of that property is "Residential". The
proposed Ordinance and map placed Northwestern property into a new zoning
description, "P-1", described as "Public Facilities". P-1 was also proposed
for Bethel College, Presbyterian Homes, Baptist General Conference, Arden
Hills Public Library, Valentine Hills Elementary School, Lake Johanna Elem-
entary School, Mounds View High School, all Village -owned (municipal) prop-
erties and two churches. Under both the old and proposed ordinances, such
facilities require a Special Use Permit. (A Special Use Permit is issued
at the discretion of the Council, taking into account the advice and recom-
mendations of its advisors and the views of residents.)
Arden III spokesmen, gazing at all the new P -1's sprinkled on the proposed
Zoning Map, felt this new description allowed more and greater expansion
with fewer legal controls available to the Village. The residents and their
legal counsel made an impact, and at the next Council meeting, January 24,
Council voted to delete the P -10s, returning all so -designated areas to
their previous, _respec-tive categories.
Although the P-1 issue was dead, others were not..... Final adoption of the
Proposed Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance and Map certainly wasn't rushing its
way to conclusion, nor was the issue of Northwestern's request for permission
to build its Fine Arts building. The next chapter took place at the February
14 Council Meeting. The mood of residents and Council alike was testy and
tired. There was standing room only as Council convened, and unfortunately,
tensions increased when Council proceeded to discuss items relevant to the
new Ordinance which were not the issues on the minds of the citizens present.
After waiting some three hours to make a statement, residents' reaction to
the evening reflected their aching heads. The statement they intended to
make was apparently a brief one, a reminder to Council of their opposition
to the expansion of Northwestern College, attached to a Petition bearing
over 160 signatures. Northwestern countered with its Petition - 206 signa-
tures in favor of the expansion.
At the following Council meeting, February 28, there was again a full house.
On this occasion the subject was discussed early in the meeting. A motion was
made to adopt the new Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance and Map, and did not
pass. State law requires a 2/3 majority to pass resolutions pertaining to
zoning; the vote was 3 aye and 2 nay. Therefore Arden Hills is still oper-
ating under the "old" Ordinance and its addendums, and Northwestern College
does not have approval for construction of its Fine Arts Center.
NOW...... Will Northwestern approach Council and Planning Commission with
a proposal they hope will be more acceptable.....? Will Arden III residents
be agreeable to another sort of proposal, or any proposal at all, from North-
western......? Will the "old" ordinance continue to be our statute.....?
Will the "new" ordinance be re -worked and re -born ..... ? Will the Mayor and
Councilmen get the biggest ulcers.....? Or will the residents.....? Or
the lawyers:....? Tune in next month.
The City of Arden Hills was recently honored to learn from Moody's invest-
ors Service and from Standard and Poor's Corporation, that the Village is
rated "A" (Moody's) and "AA" (Standard and Poor's), meaning that we qualify
for more attractive interest rates when selling municipal bonds. The vil-
lage never asked for a rating until recently, and consequently this high
initial rating was reason for pride. A's and AAts.aren't handed out indis-
criminately in the financial world, particularly accompanied by additional
remarks. A.H. was described: ... a "well-planned, well-managed" community.
Over the years many elected officials and advisors, as well as the adminis-
trative staff have contributed to this state of financial well-being, and we
hope all of them, upon reading this, will note their years of work was of
real value.
Public apologies to Mary Blomquist, Arden Hills resident and Statistician
at National Biocentric, Inc., who prepared, at the request of this Editor, a
report on the Dutch Elm Disease problem.- Mary's report lies_on__top of the
pile of papers every month when preparing the Crier, but never quite gets
'in'. Next month (April) I hope to present it in its entirety, as it is an
interesting as well as educational report..... Meanwhile, Mark Peterson,
the Village's Tree Inspector will be around starting April 1 tracking down
Dutch Elm disease in trees and woodpiles..... And Council will be considering
bids for tree removal at the March 14 or 28 meeting ......
Public thanks to Jean Ltemberg, Skiles Lane resident, another gal who has
volunteered to help at the Village Hall when needed.....
Fire protection in the Village is another in -the -interim situation at the
present time, pending negotiations and agreement on a definitive contract.
Yes, we are protected, but prices are rising on putting out fires too, and
Council is grappling with that one - perhaps some decisions will be made at
the March 28 meeting.
The Planning Commission has had agendas full of requests for single-family
residential developments. To date none of these requests has been approved
by Council, but they total up to some 400 additional single family dwellings
Iin the Village, and cover the map from the Ban -Con development along County
Road E-2 to Karth Lake Estates to the Edgewater South Addition to Johanna
Heights. Some of these requests have had their Public Hearings before the
' Planning Commission, others have not. Next month we shall try to zero -in
on some of these with more information.
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MEETING SCHEDULES: (Verify specific,agenda items with Village Hall, 633-5676
Council
- March 14 -
7:30
P.M.,
Village
Hall
March 28 -
7:30
P.M.,
Village
Hall
Finance Committee
- April 14 -
7:30
P.M.,
Village
Hall
Human Rights Comm.
- April 7 -
7:30
P.M.,
Village
Hall
Parks & Rec. Comm.
- April 12 -
8:00
P.M.,
Village
Hall
,
Public SafetyApril
- P 4 -
7:30
P.M.,
Village
Hall
Public Works
- Apri16 -
7:30
P.M.,
Village
Hall
(Formerly
held in.
Public Works Bldg.)
Planning Commission
- April 5 -
7:30
P.M.,
Village
Hall
Next Town Crier Deadline:
March 25,
1977.
Call
Sec./Ed.
Janet Hollenhorst,
,
633-1822
(after
5:30
P.M.) or
write: 1822 Venus
Avenue, Arden
Hills,
MN, 55112