We'll soon have a research analyst two position posted.

That's a new new position.

We do have a current uh one research analyst um in our department.

Um and also this would be an additional position.

And then also uh two new planning manager positions.

So um if you know any uh seasoned planning professionals um potentially looking, that will be showing up very soon as well.

One would be folks on current planning, one would be focused on long range planning.

Um so keep a lookout for those.

Those should be live very soon.

Um also uh I wanted to share that I had the opportunity to uh testify on a uh on behalf of a Senate bill at the state senate uh a week or so ago, it's Senate Bill 2159.

There's a house file equivalent as well.

Uh the bills being carried by the city of Minneapolis and the Metropolitan Council, um as well as uh supporters of Minnesota APA's American Planning Association, so the local Minnesota chapter.

What the bill would do is was would clarify the part of the state law that governs the Metropolitan Council's uh uh sort of uh jurisdiction jurisdiction around uh regional planning, it would clarify that comprehensive plans and official controls such as zoning do not cause pollution, impairment or destruction under the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act, nor governmental actions under their environmental policy chapter of law.

So in other words, comp plans are not on their own subject to environmental review.

Um thing that has been noted is the bill does not this bill if adopted would not preempt residents or stakeholders from challenging individual site specific zoning decisions in court following a city decision.

The commission uh will recall that final zoning decisions for a specific site may be challenged in district court following a city decision.

Um the bill is as I understand it moving forward still at at the Senate.

Um and I'm still in touch with the folks there as well as Minneapolis.

If there's interest in learning more about it and potentially individual individually testifying or writing a letter in support of the bill, please let me know and I can uh we can talk about it.

Thank you.

Any questions for the director about his announcements?

Move on to the next item of the agenda, which is zoning committee.

I'll turn it over to Commissioner Ridley with the four items.

Um we met on Thursday, March 10th, um, to consider four items of business, which lasted approximately four hours.

The report will be shorter.

Uh the first case that we took um as a rezoning from office service to T2 traditional neighborhood for um a what is a um thing existing single story um business building um at 1416 grand, um which is between Albert and Pascal, so it's in the middle of the block.

Um we received a letter from the District 14 community council recommending denial.

We had one person speaking in support, um, two people speaking in opposition and five letters.

Um at least one of the letters was written by one of the people who spoke in fact.

One of the letters might have been written by two of the two people as well.

Either way.

T2 staff let us know is the closest thing that allows a retail space, which is what the applicant is proposing.

Retail space to sell sneakers.

T2 allows for retail.

There aren't any other um residential zoned uses or commercial uses that allow both this kind of retail and manage the surrounding zoning, which is RM2, if I recall correctly.

So that's a higher density housing opportunity.

The T2 um zoning district does allow for um would allow for potentially this building to be removed or replaced with a larger structure, but at this time the applicant was pretty clear that his intent is to operate his essentially destination business on Grant Avenue.

Um so the recommendation from the committee is the same as the staff recommendation, which is for approval um of the rezoning from OS office service, the T2 traditional neighborhood for 1416 grant.

And that decision final decision will be made by the C Cap.

That's our recommendation.

Okay, all those in favor say aye.

Aye seven aye.

Okay, all of the opposed light side.

That motion does carry unanimously to uh rezone from OS to T2 at the 1416 Grand Avenue.

Oh, grand.

Um conditional use permit, which was um coincidentally from the same applicant.

Um another he owns another building.

This one is at 1045 arcade.

This would be a conditional use permit to allow um what is described by in the code as a quote unquote auto service station.

Um, and then there's some modifications of the conditions that are really addressing the location of the property in its site.

Um, and because the building itself is not being changed, um, but in order to be used appropriately, there's a conditional use permit that would allow um that auto service station.

And then the scenario, um, the auto service station is really a what is known as a dentless paint, no paintless paintless dent repair.

So it's one of those deals where they like push it out from from the inside.

Um, so it's not like a high intensity kind of banging sort of a scenario.

And if you know the location at all, if the former um acme tattoo site on arcade there across from the there's a bank in nature.

Um so district five, not comment on this um at 1045 arcade between Cook and Lawson.

You had no one speaking in support or opposition other than the applicant and his tenant um who's operating the business and also living in the um residential space.

Um so the recommendation was the staff to move the staff approval um with those conditions as stated.

Um just so I'm already used to I tried to do my reading, but exactly what those conditional mean instead of right language.

Um sure.