Laserfiche WebLink
Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday,June 3, 2019 <br /> Page 17 <br /> for twenty years and there was always the question about if it is the right spot. <br /> Typically, there are questions about supporting affordable housing, sometimes <br /> even supporting the developer but just not here. Rice Street has been a corridor, a <br /> mixed use, mixed income corridor for a long time. As a resident and a developer <br /> at heart, she sees Rice Street and Larpenteur are two really huge assets. If the <br /> City wants to look into the future and think about sustainability, buses, services, <br /> those are the places where mixed uses belong. Those are the places where the <br /> City wants density. She thought that living on Rice is definitely a place where we <br /> as a community should be building out and building stronger and putting density. <br /> As a developer, there is an equation about cost of land. Even if it is a penny the <br /> City should not be under utilizing arterial streets and that is where the density <br /> needs to go. She highly supported this project and thinks it is an amazing spot. <br /> She also understands the concerns of the neighbors around this area and felt <br /> CommonBond is addressing those concerns. <br /> Mr. Craig Klausing,447 Rose Place <br /> Mr. Klausing stated he has submitted written comments in support of the pro- <br /> posal. He spoke at the Planning Commission meeting as well. He stated he un- <br /> derstands the Council's position in making a decision because he has been there. <br /> He stated as the Council is looking at all of the information, he wanted the Coun- <br /> cil to ask themselves this question, will the community be better off as a result of <br /> this project moving forward, long term. He thought the answer is clear this is a <br /> proposal that in the long term will make this a better community. <br /> Mr.John Shardlow, 2988 High Court <br /> Mr. Shardlow is not an immediate neighbor but drives past the site a lot. He is a <br /> professional planning consultant by training and has been in the business for 41 <br /> years. He was at the meeting to support the project. He noted he has reviewed <br /> the Comprehensive Plan and had the opportunity in the 80's and 90's to help the <br /> City with a lot of redevelopment projects and everyone of them was met with <br /> some fear and trepidation in the beginning. It is always going to happen. Rose- <br /> ville is for all intents and purposes a fully developed City so wherever someone <br /> goes to do a project there is always going to be edges and will be issues. He stat- <br /> ed he can speak with personal experience about CommonBond. He has reviewed <br /> their projects in other communities and have reviewed their product. A number of <br /> people opposed to the project have said nice things about CommonBond but said <br /> it does not matter. He thought it does matter because it is CommonBond because <br /> this is going to be an immediate neighbor and the neighborhood needs someone <br /> who will do what it says it will do and will follow through and manage the prop- <br /> erty long term. He would urge the Council to support the project. He stated Ro- <br /> seville definitely needs affordable housing and there is never going to be a perfect <br /> site or an infill site that does not have edges, does not have challenges and from <br /> experience he has gone back ten years after controversial projects were approved <br /> and looked at the things people were concerned about and if the City does its job <br />