2003-12-01 CC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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city of Centenille November 12. 2003 Council Meeting Minutes Mayor Sweeney indicated that Council Member Capra submitted a written letter that she had asked to have entered into the record. That letter is entered below as written (nq: corrections have been made): November 12, 2003 Honorable Mayor and Fellow Council Members I will not be in attendance for tonight's meeting due to a family emergency. I did want to express my opinions and concerns and am requesting this to be read into the public record regarding the proposed rezoning of the commercial property on 20th Ave. to a residential classification and the propoSed TIF district. Rezoning and amending the Comprehensive Plan - To my understanding by State Statue you can change the classification of a zoned area with a simply majority, but you need a super majority to change the comprehensive plan. It is to my understanding the comprehensive plan is the legal document over any zoning ordinance. Therefore in order to make the change to the proposed property it would take amending the City's Comprehensive Plan. Even with my absence it requires a supermajority vote of all of the members to adopt and amend the comprehensive plan or portion thereof as the official municipal plan. Rezoning of Property - I am opposed to the rezoning of the present commercial property on 20th Ave. to residential. This City has limited commercial property available for development and I personally feel it should not be rezoned for residential. There are good arguments for the tax value of high-density housing verses commercial development. On the flip side of that high density house requiring more public service therefore in my opinion the benefit is outweighed by the expenses we historically have incurred by this type of housing verses the same tax value of commercial development. This City needs to evaluate the increased public service costs we will be facing from the current advancement of housing within our City before we add anymore. Livable Communities Act - The numbers that we all seemed to be concerned about from what I have found out are merely goals set by the Met Council and are only requirements if we want to apply for any Met Council Grants under the u :Li1;'able Communities Act. The City has had these goals since 1995 and we have never applied for any of these grants. TIF District - My personal opinion regarding the proposed TIF district on 20th Ave. for the purpose of developing residential is only a benefit to the developer and not to the City. I am disappointed in the Councils opinion to only offer TIF for housing in this area and not for development of this area for its intended use as commercial. Mr. Drilling had request to building town home~ in this area without TIF so why would be give TIF now. Page 70f15