HomeMy WebLinkAbout1973 07-26 Citizens attack Mall lighting proposal REVIEW •
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HIGH MASS LIGHTING as illustrated in this areal photo by the
Homart Development Co., which is directing the construction of the
Maplewood Mall, eliminates glare to motorists and increases ex-
terior parking security. The lighting is proposed for the Maplewood
Mall, White Bear ave. and Beam ave. But some citizens are critical
of the proposal. )LIS Ni 3
Citizens attack Mall
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by Scott Carlson "This is the type of lighting which we plan
Plans to illuminate a$30 million shopping for all future shopping centers," Sandvig
center in Maplewood with high-mass said. "The light would come down bet-
lighting were met with citizen opposition ween cars and create a better sense of
at last Thursday night's village council well-being for the shopper at night."
meeting.
But Ron Monroe, 2975 Furness, said the
The Homart Development Company, now lighting would be a disconvenience for the
directing the construction of the regional well-being of nearby neighborhood
Maplewood Mall shopping center at Beam homes. "This seems to be a callous
and White Bear ayes., said the lighting disregard for the slobby neighbors, not to
would eliminate glare for the shopping mention the environmental concern that
motorists leaving and entering the center. this is waste of electricity," Monroe said.
Homart representative Jerry Sandvig He claims that the center identifying
said the plans include construction of symbol alone, a Maple leaf, "sticks out
eight 120 foot light poles dispersed like a sore thumb," one-quarter mile
throughout the center, two at a con- away.
venience center and one for a proposed
cinema.
The council and manager Mike Miller
displayed neither support nor rejection of
those plans along with ones on revised site
planning, sign criteria, sanitary sewer
capacity or peripheral land use. But it
instructed Homart to go through the
review process and appear before the
village's Community Design Review
Board (CDRB).
The CDRB met Tuesday night and it along
with Miller are expected to make
recommendations to the council on site
and lighting plans at a special meeting of
the council at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
Monroe said Homart's plans to use high-
mass lighting"sounds like they might try
to abolish night and they're getting close
to perfection." Jim St. Onge, spokesman
for Citizens Against Residential Ex-
ploitation (CARE), also expressed alarm
at the proposed intensity of the lights.
"If we allow this Aurora Borealis of
North Maplewood we won't be able to see
something called the Northern lights,"St.
Onge, 2116 Beam, as facetiously.
But in a more serious vein he asked the
council to "establish guidelines on
lighting if you don't have them already."
Miller said the village has ordinances
controlling construction factors and
lighting is included in the Uniform
Building Code.
Police Chief Dick Schaller said some
tizen inconvenience, while un-
derstandable, would have to equate with
the lighting. "It's been proven that where
light goes up, crime comes down,"
Schaller said. "There's no question that
lighting is a security factor."
Councilman John Greavu expressed
surprise in not seeing 100 light poles
proposed instead of only 10.
The Homart Co. said it had originally
believed a review was not necessary for
lighting or other related plans since
concept approval was previously granted.
Sandvig said if plans to alter the lighting
plans, i.e. the conduit, were required the
company would have to tear up the
blacktop parking lot which has beer
paved to date.
Sandvig said, prior to citizen comments
that the main intensity lighting would b'
left on from 7 to 10:30 p.m. After that the
main bank of lighting would be shut off