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City of Gem Lake City Council Meeting Minutes March 15, 2022 2 | Page Councilmember Lindner asked about the information on the presentation where it showed case referrals and charge rates, but wondered if there was a conviction rate to which Mr. Choi replied there was, it just isn’t represented on the report. Councilmember Johnson asked how the officers decide to charge for drug cases and referrals to which Mr. Choi replied that he leaves it up to the officers to come up with solutions or ways to approach it. Luther Cadillac Project Luther Automotive is looking to build a new dealership on a site that straddles two municipalities. One parcel for the site is located in Gem Lake at 3516 Highway 61, which is east of Highway 61 on the southeast side of the city, while the other two adjacent parcels are located in Vadnais Heights. The Gem Lake portion of the project would include parking, landscaping, and a future frontage road with a cul-de-sac. The portions of the site within Vadnais Heights would have the showroom building and parking. The proposal requires multiple zoning approvals. The use of the site is a permitted use within the city of Vadnais Heights; uses permitted in adjacent municipalities are able to be permitted in Gem Lake via a conditional use permit (CUP). The project will also require variances to zoning requirements, due to the setbacks of the parking facilities from the south lot line. The south lot line is the municipal boundary with Vadnais Heights. The plat of the site also requires approval from the city. The project originally went through review and approval through the city in 2019. Some unexpected delays, and the COVID-19 pandemic, put the project on hold. The city’s approvals from 2019 have since expired, so the applicant is now restarting the approval process with the city. The applicant recently received approvals from the city of Vadnais Heights at their March 1st council meeting. The applicant has made some minor revisions to the project plans compared to those that were approved in 2019, most of which are on the portion of the site within Vadnais Heights. Conditional Use Permit for Luther Cadillac See attached staff report from City Planner Evan Monson Variance for Luther Cadillac See attached staff report from City Planner Evan Monson Zoning for Luther Cadillac See attached staff report from City Planner Evan Monson The Council briefly discussed the project and Mayor Artig-Swomley stated that the development agreement is being finalized between the City Attorney Patrick Kelly and Luther Cadillac’s Attorney, which will address the park dedication and entry location for construction vehicles. Councilmember Lindner introduced a motion to approve the Variance based on the four recommendations suggested by City Planner Evan Monson, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Voice vote taken, all voted yes, motion passes, Variance request is approved. (See attached Staff Report) Councilmember Lindner introduced a motion to approve the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) based on the five recommendations suggested by City Planner Evan Monson, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Voice vote taken, all voted yes, motion passes, Conditional Use Permit is approved. (See attached Staff Report) Councilmember Lindner introduced a motion to approve the Zoning Minor Subdivision Plat based on the two recommendations suggested by City Planner Evan Monson, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Voice vote taken, all voted yes, motion passes, zoning request is approved. (See attached Staff Report)