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Regular Planning Commission Meeting Minutes – Wednesday, October 7, 2015 Page 16 Ms. Lindsey advised there were 6 buildings on 3 acres (29 units) in her association and 754 tucked side by side with single-family homes. 755 Joseph Gianetti, 2209 Old Highway 8, Minneapolis, MN; President of Woods Edge 756 Townhome Association 757 While having heard testimony about the drainage issues from previous speakers, Mr. 758 Gianetti clarified that this drainage also served to drain the Runquist property as well. As 759 representative of this townhome association, Mr. Gianetti spoke in support of changing 760 this designation from HDR to MDR. 761 Katy Tharaldson, 3320 Highcrest Road, St. Anthony 762 Ms. Tharaldson added her support for designation from HDR to MDR. While not against 763 development, Ms. Tharaldson opined HDR would concentrate too many units in this 5- 764 way intersection area. Ms. Tharaldson further noted that the sidewalk is the only one 765 available for use by kids from schools in St. Anthony and many little kids also biked in 766 that area with this intersection already very congested at rush hour. 767 Ms. Tharaldson advised that she had called both the City of Roseville and Village of St. 768 Anthony repeatedly to manage speed in that area; and opined that adding HDR to that 769 intersection for those two properties would create an even bigger hazard than existed 770 today. 771 Mary Higgins, 2496 County Road C-2, #309 772 During the Commons’ PUD process, Ms. Higgins noted that the property had been 773 required to comply with regulations of the Rice Creek Watershed District, including the 774 addition of mitigation ponds to existing ponds to handle 10-year rain event runoff. As a 775 member of the Board for the last three years, Ms. Higgins noted that she was well aware 776 of the Commons’ diligence in keeping those ponds open and viable for that runoff and 777 safe for wildlife. Ms. Higgins opined that allowing HDR on these two parcels would 778 jeopardize those dictates of the watershed district through increasing runoff, including 779 fuel and oil residue from related parking lots, of concern to the entire neighborhood. 780 Ms. Higgins advised that the Commons’ development was on 2.8 acres and near the 781 maximum number of units for MDR, and was prudent in making sure natural growth 782 areas and vegetation associated with their development supported a good ecological 783 system, questioning if that would continue to be possible if HDR developed on these two 784 properties, opining from her perspective it seemed impossible. 785 Christine Welch, 3205 Old Highway 8 786 Ms. Welch echoed the comments of residents already stated, opining that the 787 neighborhood valued the area as is, and while wanting to be clear that residents are not 788 resistant to development, but only the volume of units allowed in HDR designations. If the 789 Commission considered the overall area, Ms. Welch noted it was a heavily wooded area 790 with mature trees supporting wildlife habitat, and she sought to retain it as much as 791 possible. Ms. Welch noted that drainage and wetland area issues were huge issues for 792 the neighborhood, but didn’t want to underestimate this area as a wildlife habitat area. 793 Brian Buck 794 Mr. Buck clarified that the Village of St. Anthony’s designated townhome district 795 previously referenced also provided a maximum building height of 30’ as well, which 796 would also be at play immediately adjacent to townhome parcels. 797 Chair Boguszewski closed the public hearing at 9:49 p.m.; no one else spoke. 798 Commissioner Position Statements 799 Chair Boguszewski 800 While unable to speak for the actions of past Planning Commissions, Chair Boguszewski 801 stated that this Commission needed to address current land use issues and where the 802 City wanted to be in the future. Chair Boguszewski recognized that this situation may be 803 related to a sequence of zoning for these properties, but focused this decision on whether 804 or not to bring the parcels from HDR to MDR, no matter where it fell historically or related 805