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1. Each business facing Garden Way must provide an individual customer door facing the street; <br /> 2. The buildings along Garden way must have at least two functional floors; and <br /> 3. Drive-though facilities are not permitted. <br /> <br />The range of permitted uses is similar to the City's General Commercial (C-2) Zone, except that some <br />automobile dependent businesses are not allowed, much like the/ND Nodal Overlay zone and <br />Broadway's "great street" standards. Otherwise, there was quite a bit of flexibility allowed in the new <br />zone. To encourage nodal investment, no site review or conditional use permit is required if <br />development adheres to the basic use and design standards contained in the new S-CN zone. <br /> <br />Claiming that the three special standards listed above were not economically feasible at this location, <br />Gramor stopped pursuing the site after several months of analysis. The property owner, Simpson <br />Housing, claimed after one year that it could not sell the commercial property with the first two <br />standards listed above, but would not submit its concerns in writing to the council. <br /> <br />Simpson Housing has sold its property to two entities, Public Private Partnerships (P3), a housing <br />provider, and W&G Properties, who propose to build a medical/orthopedic surgery center on the <br />commercially zoned portion of the property. <br /> <br />Public Private Partnerships (housing) has applied for a building permit for an apartment complex on its <br />residentially zoned property. <br /> <br />W&G has not yet submitted a building application, but there was a 'limited consultation' on November <br />30, 2004. The company expressed a desire to build 150,000 square feet of medical offices, probably <br />built as two buildings in two phases. The medical use is currently permitted subject to design standards. <br />Professional offices (including medical) were not limited in the Chase Gardens commercial area to <br />encourage use of upper floors above retail. There is also commercial land located east of Garden Way <br />where professional offices would not interfere with the desired retail center, so no size restrictions were <br />contemplated on office uses. <br /> <br />At the consultation, staff encouraged the prospective developers to bring retail and other professional <br />services to the site, including a grocery, to better satisfy the neighborhood needs and to create a 'special <br />place' along Garden Way. The applicants expressed interest in providing additional services that would <br />be good for their building occupants, customers, and the broader neighborhood, and noted that the <br />addition of retail to their plan may require adjustments from other criteria, such as height limits. Staff <br />was positive in trying to offer win-win situations. W&G have since reported to staff that it has pursued <br />retail businesses, including grocers, without satisfactory result. A letter from W&G is attached. <br /> <br />In separate letters, Harlow Neighbors request that a moratorium be considered, that a zone district <br />amendment be initiated by the City to remove the three standards that were problematic for the retail <br />developer, and they offer several other alternatives that may facilitate retail development. The letters are <br />attached. <br /> <br />Even if the zoning standards are changed, or a moratorium initiated, there is a high probability that the <br />medical offices would not be stopped unless the property owner agreed. Their development rights under <br />current zoning can be easily vested, and Measure 37 may provide obstacles to new use restrictions. <br /> <br /> L:\CMO\2005 Council Agendas\M050411\S05041 lC.doc <br /> <br /> <br />