From: Brian H Sent: Thursday, September 3, 2015 4:08 PM To: Dermody, Bill (CI-StPaul) Subject: Planning Commission Follow Up Flag: Follow up Flag Status: Flagged Mr. Dermody, Please find below letter in support of the "Stone Saloon" project. Barbara Wencl, Chair, Planning Commission c/o Bill Dermody, City Planner Chair Wencl and members of the Planning Commission, A few Saturdays past, I was walking back from the St Paul Farmer’s Market with family. We took a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood, looking at the historic architecture and urban gardens. Along our route, we passed apartments, houses, and condos. We also passed the Salvation Army, women’s shelter, restaurant, tattoo and body piercing business, and an auto body repair shop. Yet, we didn’t face a hint of negativity until encountering a neighbor who started yelled at me and family (including small children). Our Crime? Daring to stand on the sidewalk by her house and talk about how nicely the “Stone Saloon” project was coming along. This story leads into the first of three brief points I’d like to make in support of the “Stone Saloon” project. If you want large lots, to never see or hear your neighbors, want to drive five miles to the nearest store, and have everything the same, we have places for that and they’re called suburbs. This neighborhood, my neighborhood, is not suburban residential. It’s plain as day to anyone who walks through that this is a mixed-use urban neighborhood. We already benefit from the variety of residential and commercial mixed together near-by. And the neighborhood will benefit from this project, also. My second point is about parking and congestion. Some have objected to the “Stone Saloon” project on the grounds that it will bring a flood of new cars and parking problems. I take issue with this assumption. This is a walkable and bikeable neighborhood, making it easy for neighbors to visit without need of a car. For those outside the neighborhood, there is good public transit (70, 74, 54) with the possibility of more to come. Further, as there are already many (with more opening) other places to dine, be entertained, shop, and socialize in the neighborhood, we’re a destination. Visitors to the “Stone Saloon” may start their evening at dinner, walk over for an historic-style lager or soda, then end with desert at a third location, all while leaving their car parked at a ramp. Lastly, I’d like to pose the question, what do we want from our urban neighborhoods now and in the future? A project like this adds interest, excitement, and vitality. While tougher to define, vitality is a key component in making a neighborhood truly great. It’s a reason to live here and a reason to spend money here. Investment feeds investment; one neighbor fixing up their property leads to another fixing up theirs. And this is something we could use more of. On that subject, if everyone treated their property with the same care, respect, and attention to detail as Mr. Schroeder has with this property, the West 7th Neighborhood would be the envy of the entire Metro. These and many other reasons are why I support the “Stone Saloon” project and urge this commission to support the project and grant the related variance requests. Thank you for your time and consideration. Brian Harvey 201 Goodrich Ave #4 Saint Paul, MN 55102 briancpharvey@gmail.com