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64)t 1M OW kr lit Wi L-UT1 r c6i z'2-4 20 10 Maddie, Mike From: Maddie, Mike COUNCIL EXHIBIT B Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 12:54 P To: 'MCurtis@ci.orono.mn.us' Public Comments / Information Cc: 'Shari Danielson'; Melissa Maddie #2 Subject: Emily Program - Moratorium Request n CUP vote Melanie— Thank you for allowing some of us to have a few minutes of floor t�me with the planning commission Tuesday evening (2/16). Most of us didn't realize the issue at hand was only the ga age variance. The agenda read CUP and related variances so we inferred the discussion included the CUP. Would you kindly forward this email to the members of the planning commission and city council ... On behalf of the surrounding community to theHill School we'd like to respectfully request a moratoriu m on the CUP vote until the community has had a chance to gather some indepe dent and objective facts with respect to the Emily program's presence and impact in the residential communities in hich they operate. Our desire is to allow time for several of us to gather this perspective from discussions with resid nts in the communities of Chaska, St. Paul, and St. Louis Park in which the Emily program operates. We'd also like th time to review public records in the surrounding communities to check for any issues related to the Emily program. Additionally,we'd also like time to confer with a few real estate professionals and appraisers in the area to understand What, if any, is the impact to surrounding property values should a treatment center be introduced. Our intention is tb gather relevant facts so we all can develop a more informed perspective and opinion for all parties involved, specifically the surrounding community and both our planning commission and city council members. This will help to take the emotion out of the discussion and focus on facts. If it would please the city, we'd like to engage this research collectively]with either a few members of planning commission or city council in order to provide transparency in our approach and ensure no personal perspectives influence the presentation of this data. i All indications are that this program could in fact be a great additi n to the community, and clearly, do some real good in people's lives. Again,their charter is exceptional. However, as community we owe it to ourselves to ensure we understand all considerations in this matter from an independent Ond objective perspective. Substance over form, please do consider that this program is a for profit business entity which is marketing itself to the city in return for a license to operate a business. In any business negotiation, any logical person is going sell their best points and not air I any downsides or dirty laundry. Our objective is not to refute any statements discussed in previous meetings but simply do some fact finding and bring in relevant perspectives from other,residential communities that are separate and distinct to the Orono discussion. Based on what the Emily progranp has communicated in recent discussions, we should find nothing but positive feedback from the surrounding residents •f their facilities. If true, this information should be considered in council discussions and presented to the community To recap recent events, here is a list of relevant concerns the com unity has expressed: 1. Is there enough space for this facility to operate without i terrupting the culture and tranquility of the immediate and surrounding neighborhoods? 2. Why can't we abide to the 100 foot setback requirement for hospital type facilities, why would we make an exception to this in a clearly residential area? 3. If there are 10 patients in the facility and 5-10 personnel •rking the facility at any one time as stated by delegates of the Emily program,will parking overflow on t e weekends during visitations... can Briar Street accommodate this? What is the impact to the neighborho•d? 4. If a CUP is to be approved, how will it be structured to pro'ect the community from another treatment center or halfway house whose residents could pose a clear risk to r:sidents and their children? Will the community have full disclosure with respect to the language of the permit? 1