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Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday, February 26, 2018 <br /> Page 7 <br /> Chair Roe asked for clarification on the 2010 zoning code update. <br /> Mr. Paschke noted the Comp Plan, done two years prior to that, guided that area as of- <br /> fice/business park. In order to have a consistent zoning, those need to match up. Staff <br /> had to come up with a zoning designation for that area, and that was office/business park. <br /> That does not guide the uses in that area or any other area that may have a PUD. Until <br /> the PUD is cancelled or taken away, whatever it allows or does not allow in its design <br /> and development standards would apply to those properties. <br /> Board Member Laliberte asked to review the PUD permitted uses as outlined in the staff <br /> report. She asked about the fourth item down which includes "research, design, devel- <br /> opment, laboratory and clean room." <br /> Mr. Paschke explained that college/post-secondary learning is not a use that is listed here. <br /> Bringing a college into a building would require that educational be listed somewhere as <br /> a permitted use on the chart. <br /> Grover Saver, Jim Johnson, and James Jorissen represented the appellant, Univer- <br /> sity of Northwestern—St. Paul. <br /> Grover Sayer, Board of Trustees, University of Northwestern— St. Paul, introduced him- <br /> self as well as Jim Johnson, the University's Vice President of Advancement, and James <br /> Jorissen, appearing as legal counsel. <br /> Mr. Jorissen, attorney for the University of Northwestern — St. Paul, indicated he thinks <br /> the staff s interpretation of the PUD agreement is incorrect. The plain language of the <br /> agreement itself is at odds with the interpretation that has been provided by staff. Sec- <br /> ond, he pointed out that staff seems to rely on extraneous information when it suits their <br /> interpretation but then argues that one cannot consider it when it does not. To the extent <br /> that the language of the agreement is susceptible to more than one interpretation, then the <br /> City's obligation under the law is to interpret the agreement so as to favor the property <br /> owner, to provide the broadest use of the property consistent with a reasonable interpreta- <br /> tion of the PUD agreement. <br /> Mr. Jorissen continued that granting the building permit is the right thing to do. The <br /> University of Northwestern is not disputing that the intent is to use it for educational pur- <br /> poses. Currently 75 kids are enrolled in this program, and the Northwestern is scram- <br /> bling to find a home for the program. This is the plan to try to accommodate kids who <br /> are in the hard sciences. He pointed out two things as it relates to the language of the <br /> PUD. First, he recalled Mr. Paschke commented on the permitted uses within Exhibit E- <br /> 2 as well as one exhibit discussed was for laboratory uses. The University of Northwest- <br /> ern believes that that language authorizes the use of this facility for educational laborato- <br /> ry uses. In fact, many of the research labs in the country are operated out of universities, <br /> just like the University of Northwestern. There is nothing in the agreement that says it <br /> cannot be used for educational purposes or that a lab is prohibited for educational purpos- <br /> es. He noted that it is important that the issue be about uses. This is not about identities, <br />