A bad place for a good project
From:
Dennis Hill
Date:
Jan 08 23:57 UTC
Short link
The closer I look into the Trader Joe redevelopment proposal the less I
like it.
Contrary to John's view that this is a win-win situation for Trader Joe's
and the Randolph/Lexington neighborhood, I remain unconvinced.
Trader Joe's is asking the city to rezone this 1.2 acre parcel from single
and multi-family residential to Traditional Neighborhoods zoning.
To create their vision for a Traditional Neighborhood development Trader
Joe's will remove from the neighborhood, four single-family homes on Juno
Avenue, a triplex on Randolph Avenue and the Mach 1 automotive audio and
security business at the southeast corner of Randolph and Lexington.
So the entire 1.2 acre site goes from being a primarily residential tract
of land to an exclusive commercial shopping center whose hours of business
may run around the clock.
From the St. Paul Zoning Code:
Sec. 66.311. General intent, TN traditional neighborhood districts.
"TN traditional neighborhood districts are intended to foster the
development and growth of compact, pedestrian-oriented urban villages. All
three (3) districts are intended to encourage a compatible mix of
commercial and residential uses within buildings, sites and blocks; new
development in proximity to major transit streets and corridors; and
additional choices in housing."
In my opinion what comes to mind when I read the definition of a
Traditional Neighborhood district is not what is being proposed by the
Trader Joe's redevelopment proposal.
Where is the compatible mix of and residential uses within buildings? They
remove residential properties to make way for this project. They degrade
the residential character of the neighborhood for the surrounding
residential properties that border the 1.2 acre site. Think of the noise,
light, and air pollution that will result for the residents whose homes
border this development and ask contemplate what this project will do to
the value of their homes and the residential character of the neighborhood.
How does this project does this development "foster the development and
growth of compact, pedestrian-oriented urban villages."? In my opinion it
doesn't. It encourages consumers for miles around to drive to the center to
shop. The intended consequences are likely to be to attract shoppers from
suburban communities south of the river to drive to the store thus
increasing the traffic on Lexington Pkwy, Randolph Ave, 35E and Ayd Mill
Road.
This project is not what I envision when I read the definition of a
"Traditional Neighborhood" zoning district.
It is my view that Traditional Neighborhood zoning would not be an
appropriate designation for this redevelopment project and should
not be approved by the city council at their January 9 meeting.
Dennis Hill
West 7th Street
Ward 2.
P.S. to John K, you can't really believe that 75 retail grocery store jobs
that pay over $50,000 a year are going to be created at Trader Joe's can
you? John, tell me your not that easily persuaded by highly paid corporate
PR salespeople.
On Jan 7 2008, Mike Mischke wrote:
>
>A proposed 20,000-square-foot retail development at Lexington Parkway
>and Randolph Avenue, anchored by a 14,420-square-foot Trader Joe's
>grocery store, would actually improve safety and reduce traffic
>congestion at that busy St. Paul intersection, according to a
>recently released 38-page traffic impact study.
>
>You're not alone if you're not buying the results of a traffic study
>that was bought by the developers themselves.
.