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Attachment 2 82 Member Cyra asked for clarification on the appeals process, specifically whether the 83 applicant could appeal a denied variance to the City Council within 10 days. He also inquired 84 about the timeline for when the City Council would consider such an appeal and make a 85 decision. 86 Mr. Paschke stated that while he was not certain of the exact language of the ordinance, his 87 understanding is that the City Council would need to consider the appeal within 88 approximately 30 days. He added that the intent would be to bring the matter before the 89 Council as quickly as possible. 90 Chair Aspnes asked whether the applicant had any comments. 91 Mr. Josh McKinney, representing the applicant as a consultant, stated that he understood 92 concerns about the significant reduction from ordinance requirements to the proposed 93 number of charging stations. He explained that there are technical and infrastructure 94 limitations that impact the project, particularly for a site of this size. 95 Mr. McKinney noted that each charging station requires substantial electrical capacity, and 96 meeting the full ordinance requirement would necessitate a transformer comparable to 97 powering the entire facility. He indicated that the site does not currently have sufficient 98 electrical capacity to support that level of demand and that coordination with the utility 99 provider has been limited. He added that, working with engineering consultants, the team 100 developed a plan to initially install eight charging stations, with infrastructure in place for an 101 additional 22, while still maintaining adequate power for the building overall. 102 Member Campbell Jensen acknowledged the applicant’s explanation regarding electrical 103 capacity constraints but emphasized the broader importance of expanding energy 104 infrastructure. She cited examples of solar installations, such as those at the University of 105 Minnesota and a local church, noting that alternative energy solutions can help meet 106 electrical demand, even though they may pose challenges for grid integration. 107 Member Campbell Jensen expressed her longstanding concern about climate issues and 108 stated that increasing support for electric vehicles is an important step toward a more 109 sustainable future. She indicated that, while she understands the project’s limitations, she is 110 inclined to support stronger encouragement of EV infrastructure in line with the City’s 111 ordinance. 112 Chair Aspnes asked about the placement of the electric vehicle charging stalls, noting that 113 they are located near the front of the building. She confirmed that the green stalls represent 114 those to be installed initially and the orange stalls represent future installations. 115 Chair Aspnes then asked for clarification on the reasoning behind this location and who is 116 primarily expected to use those charging spaces. 117 Mr. McKinney explained that the charging stations are intended for use by employees of the 118 facility, which is a private medical research lab. He noted that the site is not designed to 119 function as a public charging location. 120 Chair Aspnes clarified that she was asking whether the facility would have frequent foot 121 traffic, rather than about public access to the charging stations. Qbhf!44!pg!299