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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-08-18 PC Minutes MINUTES OF THE MAPLEWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION 1830 COUNTY ROAD BEAST, MAPLEWOOD, MINNESOTA TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2009 I. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Fischer called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Commissioner Joseph Boeser Vice-Chairperson Tushar Desai Chairperson Lorraine Fischer Commissioner Harland Hess Commissioner Robert Martin Commissioner Gary Pearson Commissioner Dale Trippler Commissioner Joe Walton Commissioner Jeremy Yarwood City Staff Present: Absent Present Present Present Present Present Present Absent Present Tom Ekstrand. Citv Planner Steve Love. Staff Enqineer DuWavne Konewko. Communitv Development and Parks Director III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Commissioner Pearson moved to approve the agenda as presented. Commissioner Hess seconded The motion passed. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. July 21, 2009 Ayes - all Commissioner Trippler moved to approve the minutes of July 21, 2009 as presented. Commissioner Desai seconded The motion passed. V. PUBLIC HEARING Ayes - Desai, Fischer, Martin, Pearson, Trippler, Yarwood Abstention - Hess a. 7:05 p.m.-The following are requested for a proposed Aldi's Store on White Bear Avenue to the north and east of Batteries Plus, 2832 White Bear Avenue: 1) Comprehensive Land Use Plan Amendment for the property east of 2832 White Bear Avenue from R1 (single dwelling residential) to BCM (business commercial modified); 2) Rezoning of this same property from R1 to BCM, and; 3) Rezoning of the property north of 2832 White Bear Avenue from LBC (limited business commercial) to BCM. Planning Commission Minutes of 08-18-09 -2- Planner Tom Ekstrand presented the staff report for this request to build a 16,619-square-foot grocery store on the east side of White Bear Avenue between Premier Bank and Batteries Plus. Mr. Ekstrand said this site would front on White Bear Avenue and include an access point on Radatz Avenue east of Batteries Plus. Mr. Ekstrand said in staff's view, the rezoning would be suitable with proper safeguards to make sure issues such as traffic, noise and lighting are properly safeguarded to protect the neighborhood. Planner Ekstrand said the applicant originally proposed a row of parking along the east side of the Radatz driveway, but staff felt it was not needed and asked the applicant to remove it to increase the buffer to the neighborhood. Mr. Ekstrand said traffic would then need to take a right turn toward White Bear Avenue when exiting the site to eliminate traffic from going into the neighborhood to the east. Planner Ekstrand said it is planned at this time that there be only one access point along White Bear Avenue to be shared by Aldi's and Premier Bank for a safer and more efficient roadway. Mr. Ekstrand said that staff would not recommend the combining of the two lots if the rezonings are not approved by the city council. Commissioner Trippler asked if the loading dock could be shifted from the east side to the west side of the site. Planner Ekstrand said he has not discussed any changes with the applicant, but he suggested that this is the time to look at these options and opportunities. Commissioner Trippler asked for clarification on the location and maintenance of the retention pond. Staff engineer Steve Love explained that the underground ponding will be located underneath the parking lot. Mr. Love explained a cross section of the ponding chambers and said there will be access points for each of the chambers in order to vacuum them. Mr. Love said that according to the drainage calculations, this system has been oversized beyond what is required by the Watershed District. Commissioner Desai suggested that if there is a driveway through the Premier Bank parking to access Aldi's, the inlet or outlet on Radatz Avenue is not needed since there will be two ways to get in and out of Aldi's and this could placate some of the neighbors' issues. Mr. Desai said the truck/dock access and garbage storage could then be moved to the other side of the building away from the neighbor. Mr. Desai said potential traffic issues on White Bear Avenue have not been addressed in the staff report and he would like to know what traffic study issues were considered. Engineer Steve Love explained the White Bear Avenue reconstruction plans, saying that a center median is planned with a right-in and right-out only allowed with the existing curb line along Batteries Plus and the vacant lot is proposed to stay in the same location. Commissioner Hess asked the materials proposed for the retaining wall and suggested that it be extended to cover more of the building. Planner Ekstrand said he understands it is proposed to be constructed with modular block. Commissioner Martin suggested that verbiage to control noise issues from the loading dock be added to the conditions of approval. Commissioner Martin asked if White Bear Avenue is planned for reconstruction south of this area. Director Konewko said there is a plan for reconstruction of White Bear Avenue south of this site, but he does not know the timeframe. Mr. Konewko said there is a required condition of approval for this proposal that the applicant meet with the city, Ramsey County and the consultant to ensure that all of the improvements are compatible with current and future White Bear Avenue reconstruction plans. Commissioner Yarwood said he has a problem with this proposal overall and has not heard reasons why this property's land use designation needs to be reguided and impose on the residential neighborhood. The applicant, Ryan Stem mons, said he is the real estate director for Aldi's. Mr. Stem mons said he does not believe that Radatz Avenue will be used as a main entrance or exit for Aldi's, but that White Bear Avenue will be used primarily. Mr. Stem mons said that he believes that traffic wanting to go Planning Commission Minutes of 08-18-09 -3- south on White Bear will exit through the Premier Bank access to Beam Avenue. Mr. Stem mons said that deliveries would be made to the store from their warehouse about six times per week, with an additional milk delivery made with a smaller truck at a maximum of three times per week. Mr. Stem mons said there is a doorbell that the driver would ring internally to inform staff of the delivery and trucks would not honk their horn unless it is an emergency situation or as a safety issue. Mr. Stem mons said there is not a safety or security issue, since the store has its own security personnel who could take care of any situation that might come up. Mr. Stem mons said that White Bear Avenue will be used as the access for all deliveries and Radatz Avenue will not be used for deliveries. Commissioner Desai mentioned that if the shared entry with the bank is moved further to the north, maneuvering will be tight for delivery trucks to make their turns and could create further traffic congestion. Mr. Stem mons agreed with Mr. Desai and said he would prefer separate curb cuts. Commissioner Desai responded that Ramsey County prefers a single curb cut, so this will need to be compromised. Commissioner Desai said he likes the idea of moving the dock area to the other side of the building and having trucks enter through the Premier Bank parking lot to the dock area. Commissioner Trippler asked if the applicant's engineer was present to discuss whether the loading dock could be moved to the other side of the store. Andy Brandel, with I&S Group, said that there is the ability to rearrange a store sometimes, but this store location is predicated on the site itself. Mr. Brandel said they feel that moving the delivery access to White Bear Avenue would make it more difficult to maneuver into and out of the site, along with traffic concerns. Commissioner Trippler asked if an access point could be put on the northwest side of the building and also move the loading dock to the west side of the building. Mr. Stem mons responded that to find if this could be done there would need to be a truck turning template run to see if a truck could actually get in and out in this manner. Commissioner Hess asked if a truck turning template was run on the proposed delivery access. Mr. Stem mons responded affirmatively saying the truck turning template was run on the various entrances to make sure the trucks could maneuver through the site. Commissioner Pearson said he does not agree with the environmental planner's recommendation suggesting the applicant apply for a variance to reduce parking stall size to allow more room for additional green space. Mr. Pearson said he does not believe that anything less than a ten-foot stall should be allowed for a grocery store. Mr. Pearson said this section should be removed entirely or the language concerning a parking variance be removed. Planner Ekstrand said he agrees and that he could clarify this item in a rewrite of the recommendation for the community design review board. Commissioner Fischer asked if the applicant had any concerns with any of the conditions of the staff recommendation. The applicant replied he did not have concerns. The public hearing was opened for comments from the public. The following spoke: Geoffrey Bull, 2035 Radatz Avenue, asked why we need an Aldi's when we have so many other grocery places in the area. Mr. Bull said that Radatz is a residential road and should not be used as an entrance and exit for a grocery store or a truck route. Diane Richardson said she lives on the corner of Radatz and Chisholm Avenues. Ms. Richardson said this proposal would affect her view, that Radatz is a residential street and this is a safety issue, and Aldi's would change the character of the neighborhood and decrease property values. Singdhansu Chatterjee, 1995 Radatz Avenue, said he is opposed to this proposal due to an invasion of privacy of the neighbors, objected to city staff's plan to retain groundwater and drainage issues, loss of trees and environmental damage issues, added crime, and decrease in property values. Planning Commission Minutes of 08-18-09 -4- Commissioner Yarwood commented that Mr. Chatterjee has reasons to be concerned about this development, but he has not helped his case with this presentation and suggested he rethink some of the statements he made tonight and in his letter. Commissioner Trippler suggested that staff respond to Mr. Chatterjee's comments on invasion of privacy and asked the difference in the final grading for Aldi's and the elevation for 1995 Radatz Avenue. Staff engineer Love explained that there is a difference of approximately 16 feet from the finished floor of Aldi's to the grade around the house at 1995 Radatz-that it is 16 feet lower walking into Aldi's than the grade around the west side of Mr. Chatterjee's house. Mr. Trippler said this would make peering into windows difficult. Commissioner Trippler said the planning commission does not determine if there is a market for another grocery store, but considers whether the application for a proposal meets the land use and zoning designations and then it is up to the market to determine if it is an appropriate place for a grocery store. Baishali Bakshi, 1995 Radatz Avenue, said she strongly opposes the construction of the Aldi's grocery store and spoke of the issues of crime, traffic, and loss of privacy. Joann Georgi, 2004 Radatz Avenue, said her concern is why there is a need for another Aldi's in the northeast suburbs. Ms. Georgi was concerned with trash, additional traffic, having an exit on Radatz, not having to pay for the installation and then plow sidewalks, and changing the land use and zoning designations for a big business. Commissioner Trippler said his measurements show that if the entrance onto Radatz Avenue is retained, it will only add traffic on 100 feet of Radatz Avenue. Bernie Hess, 1602 Thomas Avenue, St. Paul, asked when the swppp plan (stormwater pollution prevention plan) needs to be submitted, how the traffic study count was done, and when will the 60 day time limit expire. Director Konewko responded that this project will require a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit that would be issued by the MPCA. Mr. Konewko said the Watershed District would also have control and access to this site and inspections would be done to ensure compliance with the permit. It was noted the 60 day time limit for this application will expire on September 14 but could be extended. Gene Ganzer, 1984 Radatz Avenue, asked Mr. Trippler how he would like a commercial driveway across from his living room with headlights shining into the living room. Mr. Ganzer said the person is buying this property as residential and now selling it at a profit with a commercial zoning. Geoffrey Bull again spoke saying that Radatz has a higher traffic flow than Beam Avenue, since traffic going east tends to use Radatz rather than Beam because there is only one stop sign on Radatz as opposed to two stop signs on Beam. Commissioner Trippler responded that once a year neighbors can request stop signs from the city and this could help to control traffic. Staff engineer Love said he does not have traffic count figures with him tonight, but it is something he can provide. Baishali Bakshi again spoke asking if there has been an economic assessment done to find how many jobs this project would add or how many jobs would be lost from the region. Commissioner Martin responded that the planning commission does not consider the financial impact of a project. Singdhansu Chatterjee, Diane and Lowell Richardson, Laura and Geoffry Bull and Baishali Bakshi all submitted written statements to be entered into the meeting record which are attached to the end of these minutes. Planning Commission Minutes of 08-18-09 -5- Dan Regan, the seller's son, said he is in favor of this project and wants to see it go forward. Mr. Regan spoke regarding the drainage, safety, privacy and the proposed screening. Mr. Regan said they have a reciprocal easement agreement which allows traffic to flow through the bank parking lot. Don Regan, owner of this property, said he bought this property to protect what goes on next to the adjacent bank property. Mr. Regan gave a description of his properties in the area. Mr. Regan said he wants to work with everyone and extended an invitation to stop by the bank building's 2,d floor where people can view the adjacent property clearly. Commissioner Trippler said he has not heard a compelling reason why the 1985 Radatz property should be rezoned from R1 to BCM. Mr. Trippler said if the building were reconfigured and possibly decreased somewhat in size on the IBC property, they could still build the store on the single property on White Bear Avenue. Mr. Trippler said a small part of the northern portion of the 1985 Radatz property may need to be used for the building entrance and exit. Commissioner Pearson asked where the mechanical systems would be located. Randy Peak of Pope Associates said the mechanical systems are rooftop equipment consisting of three packages. Mr. Peak said that with the current building configuration they are to be located on the north face of the building, as far from the residential area as possible. Commissioner Pearson asked staff whether the current pond or the proposed underground drainage system would perform better. Staff engineer Love said they are similar systems designed to capture a certain amount of water and allow the rest to pass through and enter the storm sewer system. Mr. Love said one happens to be above ground and one below ground. The public hearing was closed for input from the public. Commissioner Yarwood said he cannot support a change in the land use or zoning designations of 1985 Radatz Avenue, since he believes the LBC designation should be limited with entrances and exits on White Bear Avenue. Mr. Yarwood said he is fine with this proposal if they can locate the building on the property on White Bear Avenue. Commissioner Desai agreed with Mr. Yarwood's comments saying he cannot support the land use designation change for 1985 Radatz Avenue. Mr. Desai said the presentation made was not compelling regarding the proposed zoning change being consistent with the spirit, purpose and intent of the code and also, the control of noise. Commissioner Pearson said he does not want to approve the R1 zoning change. Mr. Pearson said he feels they are trying to shoehorn something into this space. Mr. Pearson referred to Planner Finwall's report mentioning several times the insufficiency of green space and tree planting. Mr. Pearson said he is not in favor of reducing parking spaces in order to gain green space. Mr. Pearson said he is not opposed to the use, but is not in favor of this plan and cannot vote in favor of it. Commissioner Hess agreed with the previous comments and said the land use designation has been put in place to reguide this property to BCM designation. Mr. Hess said he objects to the zoning code change based on the logistics, flow of traffic and semi trucks. Planning Commission Minutes of 08-18-09 -6- The commission asked for input from the applicant on whether they would be willing to revise their plan to use only the north portion of the 1985 Radatz property and locate the entrance and exit on White Bear Avenue. Mr. Don Regan responded saying he believes the lot at 1985 Radatz goes all the way to the bank lot and is an overly large property. Mr. Regan suggested that something may be done with Batteries Plus, since they have an entrance on both Radatz and Beam Avenue. Mr. Regan said as the owner he would be willing to come back to the commission with a revised plan, but he will need to see if Aldi's is willing to do this since they would need to do a lot of revision. The representative from Aldi's said they are willing to reconsider and look at other options, but said the major concern with the reconfiguration of the site is the safety issues. Commissioner Trippler moved adoption of the resolution approving a comprehensive land use plan amendment to change the land use classification for the property located at 2836 White Bear Avenue from LBC (limited business commercial) to BCM (business commercial modified). This amendment of the land use classification is based on the following reasons: 1. It would be compatible with abutting commercial uses. 2. It would be compatible with the existing BCM zoning of the property. Commissioner Yarwood seconded The motion passed. Ayes - all Commissioner Trippler moved to table items B, C, D and E until the applicant and staff have time to review the possible changes to reconfigure the site layout and resubmit the proposal. Commissioner Pearson seconded The motion passed. Ayes - all Commissioner Desai requested that staff look at the plan amendment request information which requires that the commission fulfill conditions and bring back more information so the commission can make a better decision. Commissioner Pearson commented that he does not like the suggestion of reducing parking space size, but is in favor of utilizing a "proof of parking" parking reserve method. This is encouraged since it allows less paving and preserves green space. The parking could be put in as needed in the future should the need arise. Commissioner Hess requested getting copies of the roof and floor plans of future projects and getting car count logs. VI. NEW BUSINESS None VII. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None VIII. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS None Planning Commission Minutes of 08-18-09 -7- IX. COMMISSION PRESENTATIONS a. City Council Meeting of July 27, 2009: Commissioner Pearson reported on this meeting. b. City Council Meeting of August 24, 2009: Commissioner Walton is scheduled. X. STAFF PRESENTATIONS None XI. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 10:15 p.m. ~ ""^ .clil+I-.....?r"'~ Text of the contents of M S' dl. . 1 r. IIlg lansu Chatterjee's speech at tl I]' h . , . le pu ) IC earmg on the proposal t th . . A . . .0 rezone e resldentlallot at 1985 Radatz venue, and on building a Aldi grocery store on this residentL1110t. Ladies and gentlemen. My name is Singdhansu Chatterjee. My wife and I live at 1995 Radatz A venue, which is the property that is just next to the one that is up for re"oning and conversion to a grocery. vVe a.re very strongly opposed to the proposed rewning, and the setting up of a grocery business on a residential lot. Ours is a very nice residential neighborhood, and we would like to keep it that way. I shall take a few minutes of your time to record my objections. These objections can be tabulated into five broad categories. Frankly, I do not see how any amount of revision, redesigning, or any other modification to the current proposal can address some of the larger concerns that we have as residents of Maplewood. Hence, I call upon you to reject this proposal outright, and preserve Maplewood as a nice, American city where residents can live in peace, and enjoy a decent quality of life. The quality of life aspect in all this is very important; any city can be converted to a gradually creeping business waste-yard. You need people to buy into these businesses, so it does not help to convert people's backyards into commercial wasteland. My first MAJOR MAJOR concern with the proposed rezoning and grocery- building is about privacy. If you take a brief glance at the proposed building, you'll notice that it opens right on to our bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, dining space. It. has a grand view of Mrs. Vernie Mikiska's bedrooms, bath- rooms and kitchen next door to us. One house down the road, the situa.tion is same with Peg and Elmer. Part of the proposed parking lot is less than 20 yards from our living room. The situation is same for those across the road. for Darrell aJld his family, Gene next door, the house right in front of ours. The owners of ALdi grocery, and Mr. and Mrs. Regan who currently 1 own the property in question, might as wdl be putting video cameras in our bedrooms and bathrooms. No amount of fencing, no amount of setbacks and shrubs and trees will n~move our privacy concerns. The proposed construction is simply too close, which of course is inevitable, since this after all is a residential neighborhood. VVe don't want to live with people peering into our bedrooms and bathrooms, no matter how much PIltertainment it offers to the clients of Mr. and Mrs. Regan's businesses or of Aldi. My second Vt~ry major concern is with the systemic misrepresentation of the lay of the land over which the grocery is proposed to be built. Let me give you a brief description of it. The land in that neighborhood is a bit up and down, with some parts having a rather sharp gradient. The grocery is proposed to be built on what used to be a natural depression, and is the lowest point in the whole neighborhood. Some time back, when Premium Banks extended its parking lot just Korth of my property, this natural depression was converted to a small pond, or a water reservoir. The entire neighborhood grades into this body of water. This is where all the rainwater, all excess groundwater, the winter snow and ice melts drains into. This body of water does not dry up except during the severest of drought conditions, and I mean really really severe condition. I have a few photographs here (photographs distributed) of the water reservoir and the immediately close land mass, showing how much water it contains and how the land from all around slopes into it. You will notice that the reservoir is nearly full. This is after several days of 90+ temperature highs last week. Just for comparison, you may have noticed 'White Bear Lake was in the news three days back, because its level is 3 to 4 feet below normal (so that a new ramp cannot be used). Can you imagine what would happen if this reservoir is filled in, and a large chunk of the neighboring land surface paved over? The entin~ winter snow of the neighborhood, and all of our rainwater would have nowhere to go. D nfortunately, the next lowest piece of land happens in this region happens 2 """Ill to be the northern half of my property, and this piece of land would suffer from flooding and eventual destruction. That, ladies and gentlemcn, you cannot expect me to agree to. I will not accept wanton destruction of my property, or any attempt to convert it to a bog. If Maplewood city is bcnt on building a grocery bang in the middle of a residential neighborhood despite our strongest objections, we insist this water reservoir and the surrounding trees be left untouched. Perhaps alternativc reservoirs can be built where thcre is also a natural gradation of the land, for example at the site of Premium bank's parking lot just Korth of my property, or just West of that where Premium bank has its drive through windows. Surely:'vIr. and Mrs. Regan will not objcct to trading on a piece of Premium Bank's lot if they really want to set a grocery on their residential lot? In any case, we insist that the water reservoir and its surrounding land be preserved, or an alternative 100,000 cubic feet reservoir created in an adjacent location on Premium Bank's lot, before furthcr proposals before 1985 Radatz Avenue can proceed. I have mentioned only about the water-logging and the harm to my own property in the context of this body of water. I am passing on the very, very serious environmental concerns. Do you like the fact that a great American bald eagle is nesting at Keller Lake? Are you excited about it? Wcll, if you are, then you should try your best to preserve the small biosphere reserve of this water reservoir. I will not go into how these are connected through bio- cycles and other environmental ecology, but the main idea is that preserving nice neighborhoods like ours are not just crucial to the human residents, but for the bio-system as a whole. However, let me show you what we have already lost in the last couple of years. This (aerial photo of the neighborhood shown) is a satellite photo of the neighborhood. This region is free of trees now, and is just a barren piece of land. By staJldard methods, I estimate we have lost 70-100 trees of various ages, many of them fully mature. All of you have heard about 3 grcenhouse gases and global warming; many of you are awarc of carbon offsetting. Do you realize what the 70 trees that wc have lost reprcsent in this context'? This could have offset the entire carbon contribution of the Maplewood Mall. Instea.d, our neighborhood is up against elevated levels of noise, pollution and what have you. Now I say, we have lost enough peace and quiet, enough of our neighborhood, enough of our environment towards the profiteering of !vir. Regan. Let us put an end to it now, aJld save at lea.~t our rcsidential regions from being laid to waste. -..., What does a residential lot's conversion to a business bring for us neigh- bors? I have tried to do a little research on this, and based on public records, papers, minutes of town hall meetings like these, there is absolutely uniform evidence that there is a 15-40 % decrease in property values. Some instances of losses of up to 80 % have been mentioned. None of us can take a loss of an ad(litional 40 %, to add to the 20 % or morc loss we have suffered due to the current economic crisis. From my communications with the city, I have corne to know that convert- ing our residential properties to businesses was never ever a part of Maple- wood's development plan, it was not even at a concept stage ever. Our property lots have always been guided for being single family residences. Let us keep things the way they are, as a nice residential neighborhood. Another store, to add to two major grocery stores (Rainbow aJld Cub Foods), a whole- sale retailer (Cost co) and numerous small stores that are located within a mile from us, is completely unnecessary. All it will bring is misery, crime, job loss, aJld decrease in property values. Let us reject this proposal outright, and invite Mr. and Mrs. Regan to build their house on the lots in question, and enjoy our neighborhood. 4 Re: Proposed Aldi site - 1 August 18, 2009 Maplewood City Council To Whom It May Concern: We are opposed to building Aldi on White Bear Avenue between Beam Avenue and Radatz Avenue for the reasons outlined below. We would like first to respond to the June 19, 2009 letter to the City of Maplewood's Community Development Department from I & S Group: I & S Group Letter .... [proposed Aldi site] may help provide a buffer from the high traffic, heavy commercial areas into the residential." Rebuttal A commercial property cannot be a "buffer" against another commercial property. A buffer would be something which is different and which shields or protects the neighborhood from the harmful effects of having commercial property in their back yards. Having an Aldi in this location would actually create the things which the letter says it would be a buffer against. .This proximity may also promote pedestrian traffic to the site and should promote the character of the neighborhood by adding a small marketplace to directly serve it." 1. Extra pedestrian traffic is not a pro; it would be a safety concern along with the extra vehicle traffic that Aldi would bring. There are no sidewalks on Radatz. There have already been near accidents and at least one pedestrian- vehicle accident on Radatz and White Bear; the extra vehicle traffic would increase those safety risks. 2. Walgreens, Les's Superette, Rainbow Foods, and Cub Foods are nearby. These and other stores in the vicinity prOVide plenty of marketplace choices. Aldi would conceivably be a competitor for Les's, which has been a staple in this community for 30 years or more. Les's is a convenience store and it also has a gas station and a post office branch. If Aldi compromised the stability of Les's, it could be taking away some of the neighborhood options rather than adding to them. Re: Proposed Aldi site (8/18/09) - 2 3. The local trees, the wildlife, the two nearby parks and lakes/ponds provide the kind of character which appeals to homeowners and potential buyers; a commercial property like Aldi would not provide the kind of "character" a homeowner would be looking for- especially since so many other grocery options exist. "... [Aldi will] conserve property values..." If this were the case, we would be happy at the thought of Aldi moving to our neighborhood. On the contrary, we would not have considered moving to our current house if there had already been an Aldi there. "Location, location, location" is the catchphrase in real estate. An Aldi would not provide the kind of location ambiance that homeowners are looking for. ". .. [Aldi would] provide desirable services to the neighborhood and the City as a whole." See above comments about the plentiful services which currently exist nearby. "The proposed Aldi Grocery Store is a logical use for the property that frts well into the surrounding properties and is in accordance with the City of Maplewood's land use and zoning standards." 1. We do not believe a commercial property of this scope and magnitude is the logical choice for this location. It would disrupt the structure of the neighborhood. A more suitable option would be a business of smaller scope with an entrance only on White Bear Avenue-a business which would not invite the extra traffic on Radatz and which would be less conspicuous and intrusive to the neighboring homes. 2. Although this property is already zoned for commercial use, Radatz is zoned for residential use so an entrance on Radatz would be an issue. Re: Proposed Aldi site (8/18/09)-3 If Aldi is built at the above location, we are vehemently opposed to having an entrance on Radatz for the following additional reasons. . Creeping commercialism in a residential neighborhood. This would set a precedent for more commercial spread later. . Increased noise and traffic on Radatz-both cars and especially trucks. This would cause undue wear and tear on the road, which would mean residents paying sooner/more often for road maintenance work - especially in light of increased truck traffic, which causes far more damage to roads than car traffic. . Safety concerns. People (and their dogs) regularly walk and ride their bikes on Radatz, which has no sidewalks. School children walk to and from and wait for school buses on Radatz. There are many children in this area. There would be an increased risk of danger to them and others with the extra traffic. . Property value decreases. The present economy has already lowered property values of homes; the above issues would sink property values even more. We hope our concerns will be given serious consideration. Sincerely, ~ (OoJwul/UV\ Diane Richardson Lowell Richardson 2710 Chisholm Avenue North 51. Paul, MN 55109-1712 r~ ""31! ~ II -+o---iH ~d Radatz is a residential road and should not be used as a main entrance/exit to a grocery store, nor should it be used as a truck route. Increased foot traffic on Radatz would not be advisable as there are no sidewalks! Our already overtaxed property does not need the added cost of sidewalks being installed. No sidewalks and increased foot traffic seems to be an accident waiting to happen. We have already had a serious truck/pedestrian accident at the White Bear Ave / Radatz Ave intersection that involved a High School Girl walking, a school bus route, to school. Small children will not be safe with increased traffic and you are asking us to put our children in harms way in order that a another grocery store can be opened in an area that already has 2 major supermarkets and 2 smaller convenience stores. One of these convenient stores will certainly go out of business with the addition of a cut price/ low price major store. We are actually served by ( cub rainbow les's walgreens target cosco kmart And more) more than a dozen food stores in a 2 mile distance from the proposed new store. Only one has a Post Office attached. That is the store that will go out of business first. People in this area will no longer be able to walk to a post office. The go ahead will deprive our older people from a major way of communicating with the outside world and their families. It has been pointed out that there are plenty of areas of commercially zoned land not in use. In this economic time it would make more sense to utilize already available commercial land than to rezone a residential area. We believe that the lot on Radatz, that Aldi's wishes to use as the exit/entrance, should not be rezoned to accommodate this, but should instead be used as a sound/visual buffer between the store and the neighborhood. We believe we are not alone in saying NO to the rezoning of the lot on Radatz and use of Radatz as a major supply route for a store that is too big for the available space. Laura & Geoffrey Bull 2035 Radatz Ave E August 18 2009 Text of thc contcntH of Ms. BaiHhali BakHhi's spccch, at thc public hcaring on thc proposal to rcwnc thc rcsidcnt.iallot at. 1985 Radat.;., Avcnue, and build a Aldi grocery store on this residential lot. Ladies and Gentlemen, Good Evening! I am Baishali Bakshi and I live with my husband Singdhansu Chat.tcrjec at 1995 Radatz Avenue, :\'Iaplewood eity. I am here today to strongly oppose the rezoning of the neighboring property at 1985 Radatz Avenue and the construction of a Aldi grocery store on this property, as proposed by Mr. Don Regan of Premier Bank, also our neighbor. The main reasons for opposing this construction are: 1. Loss in market value of our property and neighboring properties. 2. Serious privacy issues for our property given the grocery store will look in on our kitchen and bedrooms. 3. Increase in t.raffic, pollution and noisc 4. Eroding community value by opening the neighborhood to criminal activity. 5. Environmental degradation owing to building on a body of water that currently serves as a) reservoir for wastewater runoffs, b)habitat. for local urban wildlife and c) urban oases for residents. As my husband has already spoken about the privacy and property value issues, I will draw your attention to the safety and environmental issues posed by the construction of this grocery next door t.o our house. Firstly, I am concerned about the continued safety of our neighborhood. This is a nice and quiet American community with several elderly residents as also families with young children and household pets who sometimes walk and play on Radatz Avenue. A grocery storc on t.his st.rcet. will not only 1 increase the flow of traffic in a resident.ial area but also increase the du- ration of traffic activity including 18 wheeler trucks that can now layover at odd hours. Consequently, noise, pollution and most importantly, crime in the area would increase. In a survey of urban crime it has been found that 80% of the crimes committed in shopping facilities actually happen in parking lots: many of these are hate crimes, homicides and rapes, drug and human trafficking and ot.her extremely serious violations. This implies that the proposed construction will be an open invit.ation to such crimes in this residential area eroding completely the spirit of this communit.y. Secondly, I am concerned about. the environmental degradation this construction will be causing. Currently t.here is a body of water on the northern end of the 1985 plot that acts as a reservoir for the wastewat.er runoffs from neighboring propert.ies including our own. This is clear from the photos that show the gradient of the land with respect to this water body that also serves as a habitat for local wildlife. To us, it is a rare urban oasis that we enjoy while walking/ gardening in our backyard. The grocery store is proposed to be built on this water body. Once again, owing to the gradient of the land, following the construction, the wast.ewater from neighboring propert.ies will settle on the far end of our property: 1995 Radatz Avenue, making a portion of our lawn a cesspool unfit for humans or wildlife but serving as a breeding ground for disease carriers like mosquitoes and other pathogens. Given the privacy and property value issues already raised, the construc- tion of the Aldi grocery store on 1985 Radatz Avenue will make our property unlivable and our lives unbearable in several ways. In short, it will lead to loss in privacy, loss in property values, loss in community value and envi- ronmental degradation. 1 put it to your judgment t.o consider whether the construction of another cheap chain store is worth all of these losses in the economy that we're currently in. Thank you for your time. 2