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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981 02-25 Council okays financing despite earlier denial of business complex THE REVIEW Council okays financing despite earlier denial of business complex _ s After a rather unusual turn of events, project,screening fences along the west ments,Mayor John Greavu reminded the the Maplewood City Council gave property line and allowing no through residents and the council members that preliminary approval for mortgage traffic from the complex to adjoining the hearing was specifically for con- revenue financing for a project it has Adolphus Street. sidering approval of revenue note twice rejected. The mortgage revenue financing will financing and not on the wisdom of past The council voted 3 to 2 to tentatively allow the developers to use the city's tax- council actions. okay Maplewood Business Center Part- exempt status for the issuance of low At that point,Joseph Hollenkamp,1984 ners'application for the financing on Feb. interest bods. Persons purchasing the Adolphus St., asked, "Are you (the 19.The revenue bond request totals$3.9 bonds will not have to pay state and council members)saying this is a cut and million and will be used to finance an federal taxes on the interest earned from dried thing?It seems that your attorney is office-service-warehouse facility at the the bonds. advising that you have to approve this nojthwest corner of the intersection of The owners of the business center will financing.Have we(the neighbors)just Roselawn Avenue and Interstate 35. not be exempt from city property taxes, wasted two hours?" Ironically,the council members have assessments and building fees. "No,"responded Greavu."You had a noI reversed their earlier decisions The center developers anticipate ap- lot of questions and so do other members against the project. proximately 250 full-time and 50 part-time of the council." However,the developers of the project persons to be employed at the complex. Councilman Norman Anderson added filed suit against the city in Ramsey Estimated annual sales are$12 million, that he had traveled from Duluth to at- County District Court over the denials. and payroll is projected at$4.5 million, tend the meeting in order to vote against The city attorneys and the developers Construction is set to begin next month, the financing request. have reached a tentative out of court with the completion date in March 1983. But after hearing discussions at the settlement. The project includes four buildings, meeting,Anderson said his opinion had divided into over 40 individual offices or changed. THE COURT CASE protested the service commercial units.The units will council's decision made on Sept.13,1979 be rented out to various businesses. "We are in a box.If we turn down the to turn down the developer's request for a financing,the developer will take us back planned unit development. That denial THE TWO TIMES the council denied to court.If we lose again in court,we will was based on there being insufficient this project,it was after hearing from have lost this planned unit development, access to the proposed building site. large groups of angry property owners which is the best of the alternatives In March, the Maplewood Business living near the proposed complex. The presented to us.So,I'm going to vote in Center Partners applied for a zoning groups were protesting having an office- favor, even though I'm against this change for the property, from farm warehouse facility located in their single- project." residential to light manufacturing.This family residential neighborhood. request was also denied. Their auger over this project did not HOWEVER, WHEN the votes were On April 18,the partners initiated the seem to have subsided during the past 11 finally cast,Anderson and Councilwoman district court suit, seeking monetary months. Fran Juker voted against approving the damages to recoup the amount they had Elden Brandt,2000 Adolphus St.,said, mortgage revenue note financing. invested in the project. "I thought we neighbors brought up a lot Greavu said, "We have already lost In a preliminary hearing, the courts more than traffic at the other hearings as some of the restrictions on this decided the city council's denial of the the basis for turning this thing down. I development as a result of the court case. planned unit development on the sole don't know if the attorney was If we go to court again,we will be losing basis of inadequate access to the site was representing the people,the city or the even more restrictions. insufficient, explained John Bannigan, developers in district court.Why didn't he "We realize there are going to be assistant city attorney. bring up the other problems mentioned problems with this project,"Councilman The courts had the city staff draw up like the noise levels from the truck traffic Gary Bastian said."We are going to have conditions by which the development that will come from this project?" to work with the neighbors in order to would be acceptable.The staff set down 24 Bannigan explained, the only reason work these things out." Among the conditions,which were approved by the given by the council in its minutes for remedies he suggested was having stop courts. denying the project in September 1979 signs erected along Roselawn Avenue If the city council denied the revenue was insufficient access to the site.He said where the project's driveway intersects financing project,Bannigan said,the case that was the only argument he could it. probably would have ended up back in legally use in court as a defense for the In other action the council: district court. council's decision. —Approved preliminary plans to Al Lindner,1928 Adolphus St.,told the upgrade White Bear Avenue from County SINCE THE COUNCIL approved the council members that his home will be Road B to Highway 36. The plans are financing,its earlier denial of the planned bordered by three streets once the being drawn up by the Ramsey County unit development will probably be business center is completed. engineering staff; reversed in the near future. "I almost need a stop sign to get in and —Passed the second reading of the Should that occur,the business center out of my property right now.I go to work residential estate district zoning city code partners may proceed with the project. at four in the morning just so I can get out amendment; However,they will have to adhere to the of my driveway.What is it going to be like —Decided to extend a city water line 24 conditions laid out by the courts.These when this project goes in?" the length of Voya Pitetich's property at requirements include building a 10 foot the intersection of Arcade Street and high fence along the access road to the NEAR THE END of the citizen corn- County Road B near Kohlman Lake.