From: Russ Stark ----------------
Please find note from Brian McMahon below and attached summary of what has happened to date.
----- Original Message ----- From: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Brian McMahon To: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, August 06, 2004 2:54 PM Subject: Aldi's
Wellington Management's site plan for Aldi's was approved last night at the Zoning Committee by a 6 to 1 vote, not withstanding the fact that the project is clearly not in conformance with the TOD provisions for this site in the City's Comprehensive plan. As we noted in our remarks, the proposed Aldi's has about 25% of the recommended job density �about half the job density of CVS; doesn't come close to meeting the parking- to-building ratio � worse than CVS or the Midway Shopping Center; has no real doors or windows on University Avenue or connection to transit, etc, etc.. We also expressed our reservations as to how pieces of this larger project are being reviewed and approved incrementally. The full Planning Commission will meet on August 13 and will most likely approve this Zoning Committee action. We would then have a 10 day window of opportunity to file an appeal to the City Council. In addition to the Aldi's site plan, we have already appealed the decision of the Zoning Administrator to approve the lot split, allowing Wellington to sell off the Aldi's parcel, and a restaurant parcel on Lexington Parkway. Our appeal will be held before the same Zoning Committee on August 19.
For the longer term it is important that we try to rectify the serious under-representation on the Planning Commission by residents from our area. This is an issue we will be exploring at our next Board meeting.
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Proposed Development at Lexington and University Summary prepared by University UNITED, August 6, 2004
Background:
The intersection of University Avenue and Lexington Parkway is a key intersection of a major transit corridor and residential parkway. Development on this corner must relate to the intrinsic character of both streets. Wellington Management recently purchased the dilapidated 6.5 acre shopping center site on the southwest corner, and has a purchase agreement for an additional 2 acres to the south. The site is substantially vacant and blighted. Three years ago Home Depot proposed a big-box project there but eventually withdrew it. Wellington Management is proposing a staged development starting with selling off retail pads around the perimeter. The pads would be low-density chain store retail, with a design that is not Transit Oriented Development (TOD). A later stage of development on the interior of the lot, and behind the one-story retail pads, is showing mixed-use housing above commercial.
Community Vision for this Site:
� Lexington-Hamline Community Plan approved in 2002 calls for mixed-use, transit oriented development at this corner.
� University UNITED Housing Plan done in 2002 lists this site as highest priority housing site along entire corridor.
� Recent community planning study, funded by Met Council, calls for TOD at both Snelling and Lexington. This was adopted as part of City Comprehensive Plan.
Current Status
Memorandum of Understanding:
Prior to purchasing the site, Wellington signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City Council/ HRA, spelling out his proposal for an auto-oriented retail project. (March 24, 2004). He subsequently modified his proposal to add mixed-use housing at the rear of the lot, to be developed after the perimeter lots were sold off. The MOU envisioned the need for Tax Increment Financing(TIF) assistance.
Lot Split:
Wellington is currently seeking to sell off a one- acre parcel on University Avenue to Aldi's, a private-label budget grocery that would provide 15 jobs. They filed an application on April 28, 2004 for a lot split showing three separate lots: Aldi's (Lot A); a restaurant pad site on Lexington (Lot B); and the remainder of the site (Lot C). It was approved as an administrative action by Larry Soderholm of PED on June 28, 2004. This has been appealed by the Lexington Hamline Community Council and University UNITED and a public hearing will take place before the Zoning Committee of the City Planning Commission on August 19, 2004.
Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
TIF financing was contemplated in the original MOU. On June 23, 2004, the City Council/ HRA established a TIF district making any re-development project eligible for public financing. This document references the possibility of residential development, including 110 units of rental housing and 72 units of ownership housing. The establishment of the District does not mean funds are assigned to the project, but rather creates eligibility.
Aldi's Site Plan:
Aldi's filed a site plan on June 30th proposing a one- story structure primarily accessible from a parking lot on the interior of the lot, with no direct entrance on University Avenue. A community meeting on the project was held on July 28th with over 105 people in attendance. A community vision and statement of principles ratified by numerous community groups was presented to Wellington Management. UNITED is a signatory to the Community Statement and is opposed to the Aldi's project because it does not meet TOD guidelines which call for a Floor-Area Ratio of 1.5; a job density of 40 to 100 jobs per acre, and/ or a housing density of 30 units per acre; a mix of land uses, transparency and orientation to the street, better connection to transit, etc. UNITED also believes that TN Zoning, which will likely be needed for the mixed-use portion of the development, should also be applied to the Aldi's lot.
The Zoning Committee of the City Planning Commission scheduled a public hearing on the Aldi's site plan, which took place August 5, 2004. At the hearing, UNITED and the Lex-Ham Community Council opposed the site plan until approval of a devlopment plan for the whole site that is consistent with TOD and the City's Comprehensive Plan. The Zoning Committee approved the site plan nonetheless, and it will be taken up at the full Planning Commission on August 13.
Underlying Issues:
What happens on this site impacts a wide array of important issues, including affordable housing, transit, environment, jobs, and the role and rights of the community in the development process. It will also profoundly shape future development patterns along the corridor.
Chronology
March 24, 2004 Memorandum of Understanding April 28, 2004 Application for splitting lot into 3 parcels June 23, 2004 Creation of TIF District June 28, 2004 Lot split approved ??? Aldi's site plan submitted July 27, 2004 Appeal of Lot Split August 5, 2004 Aldi's Site Plan Approved by Zoning Committee August 13, 2004 Full Planning Commission Acts on Aldi's Site Plan August 19, 2004 Public Hearing on Appeal of Lot Split August 23, 2004 Last day to appeal Aldi's Site Plan
-- ================================================= Tim Erickson http://www.politalk.com St. Paul, MN - USA 651-643-0722 [EMAIL PROTECTED] iChat/AIM: stpaultim =================================================
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