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<br />Page Two <br />January 16, 1998 <br />Kim L. Lee, AICP <br />City of Roseville <br /> <br />We subsequently found out that staff leaked information concerning our informal <br />discussions to City Council members, 'Nhich prompted Council member Goedeke to <br />distort the information for use as an election campaign issue and to foment fear and <br />opposition among the Dellwood Avenue neighbors. <br /> <br />On November 7, 1997. we submitted a Comprehensive Plan amendment application for <br />our 3.2-acre property only. <br /> <br />In mid-November, Mr. Sarkozy and/or Dennis Welsch scheduled a City Council work <br />session regarding Everest's property without telling Everest and contrary to Everest"s <br />written requests. <br /> <br />At the November 17 Council work session, among other misstatements. staff <br />mischaracterized Everest's preliminary discussions as a TIF proposal and omitted <br />Everest correspondence from the planning packet. At the meeting Council member <br />Goedeke falsely portrayed the ~project~ as a ~ 1 O-story" building and other Council <br />members disparaged a supposed "project~ that Everest had not applied for nor <br />proposed and was not properly before the City. 'Alhat ~ before the City was our <br />Camp Plan amendment application submitted ten (10) days earlier and covering only <br />our property. <br /> <br />Challenged on the inadequate notice the day after the VJOrk session, Dennis Welsh <br />falsely claimed that the City had faxed notice of the meeting to Everest the previous <br />Friday. No evidence of such a fax transmittal has been produced, Our own facsimile <br />records show no such a transmittal was received. <br /> <br />The staff report prepared by Mr. Welsh fer the January 14 Planning Commission review <br />of Everest's application was biased, lacking in legitimate planning rationale. and in <br />recommending denial of the application, set forth as "findings~ conclusory opinions <br />without supporting factual basis. The staff report wholly disregarded the substantial <br />body of professional planning and appraiser opinions submitted with the application <br />which establish that the character and highest and best use of the property is <br />commercial office, and the numerous policy references in the Comprehensive Plan <br />which reinforce the importance of business development, job creation and tax base. <br />The traffic "analysis" included in the staff report was speculative and deficient, as <br />exempltfied by the fact that Everest's traffic consultant showed that traffic volumes on <br />Hamline Avenue would be less upon full development of a 50,000 square foot officp. <br />building on our site, even if 100% occupied by medical/dental users, than they were In <br />1985, owing to a decrease in Hamline Avenue traffic from 1985 to the present. <br />