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Regular City Council Meeting <br />Monday, October 10, 2016 <br />Page 12 <br />changes within the neighborhood over those years. Noting the attractiveness of <br />the streets in this neighborhood as a speedway, Mr. Phillips addressed hazards, <br />and what precipitated the proposed closure of Wheeler Street based on his percep- <br />tions, and as it related to redevelopment at Presbyterian Homes in Arden Hills, <br />with notices sent to the neighborhood requesting their contributions to that discus- <br />sion, even though the City of Roseville had been excluded from that mailed notice <br />that ended at the north end of Wheeler Street. <br />Mr. Phillips recognized the agreement being indicated by Mayor Roe and Coun- <br />cilmember McGehee as they recalled the process as well. <br />Since it was disconcerting to have this fate accompli made for changes to the <br />neighborhood by Presbyterian Homes and the City of Arden Hills, Mr. Phillips <br />noted this prompted neighbors to come to the Roseville City Council at that time <br />(2011) and seek recourse with their agreement that the City of Arden Hills could <br />have been more accommodating to receive input from Roseville, with a letter sent <br />by the Roseville City Council asking Arden Hi11s to listen to residents beyond <br />their borders and attempt to accommodate them. <br />Mr. Phillips noted the response from Arden Hills was to essentially not recognize <br />that request. When neighbors also met with owners of Presbyterian Homes at <br />their facility on Hamline Avenue and voiced concerns about the exit created and <br />traffic dumping onto Wheeler Street directly, Mr. Phillips noted they had been <br />very accommodating and created the pork chop to help divert traffic from going <br />straight down Wheeler Street, even thought that pork chop would now go away <br />based on his understanding. <br />Mr. Phillips advised that he had written a letter voicing his support of the closure, <br />and as mentioned by Ms. Brennan, the temporary closure had made their neigh- <br />borhood a true neighborhood and changed its quality. Mr. Phillips agreed it may <br />be a minor inconvenience to access the freeway at a different location to the <br />north, he opined it was extremely minor compared to the enormous benefit and <br />importance to all those affected in the neighborhood and creation of a substantial <br />enhancement to their property values by no longer having a throughway or race <br />track from Lydia to Presbyterian Homes. <br />Mr. Phillips stated he had not been aware of any residual resistance to the closure <br />before attending tonight, thinking all had been said and done. However, Mr. Phil- <br />lips advised that he couldn't allow some of the misperceptions to go unchallenged <br />without stating the actual events and process leading up to this requested action <br />for the benefit of the public and this City Council. Mr. Phillips opined that if <br />there had been considerable contention from the neighborhood, the City Council <br />would have heard it before tonight and certainly seen a larger contingent in oppo- <br />sition. Mr. Phillips reiterated his support for the closure, and asked that the City <br />Council also support that closure. <br />