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Regular Planning CommissionMeeting <br />Minutes –Wednesday, October 8, 2014 <br />Page 15 <br />Bonnie Vogel, Vogel Sheetmetal Owner <br />714 <br />While not having attended the September 15, 2014 meeting, Ms. Vogel asked to address <br />715 <br />the Interim Use, current zoning situation, and the requirements of their bank forfinancing. <br />716 <br />Mr. Vogel clarified that their firm was pre-approved for their loan for a complete <br />717 <br />renovation of the project subject to zoning in accordance with SBA requirements.Ms. <br />718 <br />Vogel opined that it was their error from the beginning in agreeing with staff that in the <br />719 <br />“interim” it would serve their purpose to apply for an Interim Use until the current zoning <br />720 <br />and comprehensive plan amendments were processed.Ms. Vogel noted that it was <br />721 <br />subsequent action of the City Council in not approving the rezoning, and their desire to <br />722 <br />look at zoning and comprehensive plan guidance for the Aramark building and that area; <br />723 <br />and whether this use was good in the long-term.Ms. Vogel read part of the record form <br />724 <br />that meeting discussion, with Community Development Director Paul Bilotta commenting <br />725 <br />that the current zoning designation for HDR was not desirable at this time either. <br />726 <br />Ms. Vogel advised that their firm was looking for a new and long-term building for their <br />727 <br />business, and the bank needed to assess their risk, with the market value of the building <br />728 <br />directly tied to zoning of the property.As another example, Ms. Vogel noted that they now <br />729 <br />own a property zoned HDR, and were led to seek an Interim use because a <br />730 <br />nonconforming use property was typically appraised significantly lower than the tax base, <br />731 <br />which makes a big dollar difference; and created a situation where they were unable to <br />732 <br />obtain a loan on the appraised taxable value since the bank was looking at the zoning <br />733 <br />value.Ms. Vogel advised that the only way the Interim Use could work for their firm and <br />734 <br />satisfy the SBA loan and other private bankers she’d consulted, would be for a <br />735 <br />permanent zoning change or a transferrable Interim Use, again tied to property value. <br />736 <br />Ms. Vogel further clarified that the former Aramark building was not usable as is due to <br />737 <br />previous damages from vandalism and an absentee landlord resulting in a burst sprinkler <br />738 <br />system; and therefore was unusable without a significant investment, which they were <br />739 <br />willing to do, but not if they do so within four years and subsequently find out in the fifth <br />740 <br />year, when the Interim Use expires, that a new City Council chooses not to renew, or <br />741 <br />neighbors decide they’re not suitable in that area and they’re told to leave or vacate that <br />742 <br />use.From an investment standpoint, Ms. Vogel advised that this isn’t only about their <br />743 <br />business, but as a tool for the City to take into consideration for thefuture. <br />744 <br />At the request of Member Daire, Ms. Vogel reviewed the SBA loan term of twenty years, <br />745 <br />and their unwillingness to accept anything less than a matching Interim Use term with the <br />746 <br />loan tied to it., and not willing to take a risk if Vogel or a similar use cannot locate on that <br />747 <br />property. <br />748 <br />At the request of Member Cunningham, Mr. Paschke advised that an Interim Use was not <br />749 <br />transferrable to someone else or if the business was sold. <br />750 <br />At the request of Member Murphy, Ms. Vogel advised that their interim bridge financing <br />751 <br />for the building itself, as part of the SBA loan, would be called on December 31, 2014. <br />752 <br />Ms. Vogel advised that they now owned the building which they purchased at a <br />753 <br />discounted cost due to significant issues with the building and property.In hindsight, Ms. <br />754 <br />Vogel noted that their firm took a risk in buying the property due to variety of reasons, <br />755 <br />and perhaps it was not a good choice.Ms. Vogel advised that part of the building was <br />756 <br />already financed as part of the project, but SBA loans didn’t close out until construction <br />757 <br />was completed, but would be subject to call pending full commitment assurance. <br />758 <br />Ms. Vogel stated that, could she back up the clock, she would have gone for a zoning <br />759 <br />change and forced the issue, but in trying to play nice, they agreed to this Interim Use <br />760 <br />route and didn’t anticipate it would take this long or that they would become involved in <br />761 <br />this political quagmire. <br />762 <br />City Planner Paschke <br />763 <br />In an effort to clarify things, and regarding Ms. Vogel’s desire to rewind the clock, Mr. <br />764 <br />Paschke clarified that the Planning Commission had reviewed and unanimously <br />765 <br />approved and supported the Interim Use, as well as the parallel comprehensive plan and <br />766 <br />rezoning amendments. <br />767 <br /> <br />