HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-11-02 Applicant Ltr to OPHIii ,jj
OPPIDAN
Builder of towns. Creator of value.
5125 COUNTY ROAD 101 • #100 • MINNETONKA, MN 55345 • PHONE: 952/294-0353 • F.Ax: 952/294-0151 WEB: www.oppidan.com
Date: November 2, 2001
To: Honorable Ma Members of the Cit Council, Members of the Plannin
Commission, Cit Staff
From: Keith Ulstad — KTJ Limited Partnership Eleven
As man of y ou know, 'oak .Park Ponds Shoppin Center has stru since its
development in 1997. Its major challen have been:
I
o It was built earl in the Oak Park Hei buildin boom. Housin to the
east and southeast has started to accelerate, but it's taken several y ears.
• It is anchored b Rainbow Foods in a communit that is widel know as
"Cub's hometown", the Stillwater/Oak Park Hei area.
We have been perceived b retailers to be on the less favorable side of
Hi 36. Cub and Tar are ver stron commercial draws and as
lon as there continues to be an inventor of space available near them, we
are at a competitive disadvanta
• Visibilit of the shoppin center to area motorists is poor compared to
competin centers with si directl in Hi 36.
For a p criod of time there was a serious concern that Rainbow Foods would close
its Oak Park Hei store. The even made some "behind the scenes" efforts to
sub-lease it. Those fears are somewhat reduced with their investment in g asoline
service, but the store is still an under-performer in the Rainbow Foods chain.
We want, and have an obli to help our tenants in an wa possible to make
Oak Park Ponds a success. It is g ood for them, g ood for us, and g ood for the Cit
of Oak Park Hei With that in mind, we are re y our consideration of
a variance to the existin si constraints imposed on the project.
Specifically we are asking for:
1) An increase in height for the project's pylon sign from 30 to 45 feet. The
pylon sign was barely visible from the Highway 5 off-ramp to begin with.
New construction has rendered it totally ineffective.
2) Increase in sign area for the pylon sign, from 30 to 145 sq. ft. Rainbow's
sign panel would be increased from 30 to 45 sq.ft, with addition of four 25
sq.ft. sign panels for other tenants in the shopping center.
3) Placement of the illuminated tenant signage on the south face of the retail
building which backs up to 5 81h Street. We have had excessive tenant
turn -over in that building, and the current tenants all complain about lack
of business because "no one know we are here ".
4) Placement of an illuminated 150 sq. ft. Rainbow Foods sign on the near
(northeast) corner of the Rainbow Foods building, so that cars coming
westbound on Highway 36 can see it before the Highway 5 ramp.
The above requested changes sound like we are asking a lot. We are. oak Park
Ponds needs a jump -start and needs the variances we have requested to get on the
map, and get into shopper's minds. We have discussed our proposal with Scott
Richards at NAC, and he has agreed that now is the time to bring this forward.
Drawings of all of the changes we are requesting are included in our application.
We sincerely appreciate consideration.
Yours truly,
Keith Ul stad