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Gerald Kaufhold, Case No. 1787 <br />Page 2 <br />of this parcel is proposed to be zoned B-1. The southerly 30 feet of <br />this parcel would be a landscaped strip to protect the single-family <br />homes immediately south of Eldridge Avenue. Under the recent <br />Ordinance adopted by the Council, parking in the B-1 District is to be <br />utilized for the B-3 District. Application for this special use permit <br />has not been requested at this time, though that could be handled at a <br />later point (because the Ordinance had not been adopted by the Council <br />as yet). This parcel would consist of 2.3 acres with a frontage of 318 <br />feet on Lexington Avenue. <br />4. The remaining Parcel C would consist of 1.9 acres which equals 82,600 <br />square feet; 36,750 square feet of this land would be dedicated as <br />required where property originally zoned R-1 is platted and consists of <br />more than 5 acres. The remaining 45,850 square feet is proposed to be <br />sold to the City at a price of $125,000 or $2.27 per square foot. The <br />first parcel contains the existing ball field as it is. The retention of <br />at least this portion of the school site is deemed an important element <br />in the overall community park service system. <br />5. Attached is a copy of the development description as submitted by the <br />applicant. The statement is in the form of answers to some of the <br />questions on the application beginning with number 6 and ending with <br />number 19, which is the request for a statement on the application <br />form. Also attached is a copy of a proposal signed by Mr. Kaufhold <br />and dated July 1, 1987, offering the 45,850 square feet to the City at <br />a price of $125,000. <br />6. Frankly, we were hoping that a development proposal would come <br />forward that involved the total redevelopment of the land with new <br />structures and a retention of most of the existing recreational areas for <br />park purposes. We had suggested some months ago the adoption of an <br />ordinance amendment that would have provided for the development of <br />commercial space on the former school sites without rezoning, where up <br />to 50 percent of the land would be dedicated for public purposes. This <br />provision, however, was not adopted and cannot be used as a basis for <br />settlement in this proposal. However, we do suggest, and the developer <br />and architect concur, that the reuse of the existing school site will <br />likely be an interim use. There is no question that the 4 acre parcel <br />they propose can be better used if redeveloped for new buildings given <br />the excellence of the location. <br />7. The three story office building with Rose Galleries on the first floor <br />seems a reasonable density for the parcel since it is directly north of <br />Eldridge and across the street from the church. The retention of the <br />30 feet of planting along the south side of the site (suggested by the <br />Staff) offers some protection to the single-family home owners to the <br />south of Eldridge. <br />8. The retention of the park facilities in the neighborhood is extremely <br />important, and the retention of the southeast quadrant as proposed <br />offers a means of transition to the single-family homes near the <br />southwest of the site. Although the $125,000 seems like a lot of <br />money, when attempting to acquire existing development for park land <br />in the City in most cases, this amount would buy one single-family <br />home and its lot. Comparable with the proposed dedication and given <br />the sensitivity of the area, a figure in the vicinity of this amount is <br />