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Regular City Council Meeting Monday, December 8,2014 Page 38 Councilmember McGehee stated that he had told her that he was told from the outset that he was not to discuss or consider extension of the Parkway in his plan- ning, thus circumventing his options. Councilmember McGehee opined that traffic plans had changed, and while lots of modeling had been done, she further opined that she was not a big fan of model- ing. Councilmember McGehee opined that the impact of the University of Northwest- ern had been huge: traffic, parking and expansion off their campus; and further opined that their campus's pollution of Little Johanna and Lake Johanna itself had been overwhelming. Councilmember McGehee stated that she just found this whole thing as an unreasonable clinging to something planned for in 1983 that was now completely different. Councilmember McGehee opined that the whole idea originally was that this area would become another CenterPointe, which it was not going to become. Councilmember McGehee opined that it was businesses, not retail, that provided tax base revenue versus simply more traffic generation that the City and its tax- payers needed to pay for. When talking about the City's tax base and protection of residential neighborhoods, Councilmember McGehee opined that to deny this neighborhood an opportunity to work with Community Development Director Bi- lotta was not fair. Councilmember McGehee opined that this was not City Engi- neer Culver's problem to solve, but one of tax benefits and the expense to resi- dents to build yet another structure to maintain. Councilmember McGehee opined that additional traffic routed up Fairview Avenue and onto County Road C-2 even with planned intersection changes were also additional expenditures and the tax increment financing proposed to pay for them could be used to buy or clean up land. Councilmember McGehee stated that she'd seen the City of Roseville al- ready lose two really good business prospects to the City of New Brighton be- cause the land was not cleaned up yet; and suggested that this was another case of "If you build it, they will come." Councilmember McGehee further opined that to deny the neighborhood a voice in the process, with little thought given to the cur- rent market and environment, was a terrible action environmentally. Specific to Councilmember McGehee's reference to Parks & Recreation Director Brokke, Councilmember Willmus opined that Mr. Brokke had done more for the City's parks than Councilmember McGehee had ever done. Specific to access to the interior of developable properties (e.g. the former PIK parcel) Councilmember Willmus noted the potential for smaller businesses and the need to provide a manner of access to allow those parcels to further subdivide, and providing for access from all directions. Councilmember Willmus opined that the Parkway would facilitate that, and would actually get the City away from potential big box uses and allow those smaller businesses to come in.