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Presentation <br />Associate Plannei Gladhill presented the staff report. <br />Board Business <br />John Weicht, Weicht & Associate, the applicant stated the lot is very unique and it has been a <br />challenge, the lot is three plus acres of which 1.54 is buildable. The site is totally screened from <br />the R-1 district and the building is 140 feet from the R-1 property line. They will be adding trees <br />in accordance with the landscaping ordinance. Transformation house is a quiet operation and <br />generates very low traffic. Clients are there one to two months: The program is controlled and <br />manned 24/7. The building is locked down at night and no one can leave the building after <br />certain hours. It has a low profile and fits into the residential look. He continued describing the <br />building and architectural standards. <br />Betty Matthews, Director and Founder of Transformation House, stated currently they have three <br />buildings and an outpatient building, which gives them a total of 90 clients. Two of the buildings <br />are housing women in Anoka and Fridley. -She would like to have a building that is beautiful and <br />would be a place of serenity for the women. Statistics show that 99.9% of addicted women have <br />been abused. The women need healing and need to be taken in, cared for and loved. She showed <br />pictures of the cunent facilities and explained Transformation House. <br />Cecilia Windsor, administrator of Transformation House, stated she believes in the dream of Ms. <br />Matthews and Transformation House. She will structure the days of the women in the house and <br />will work with the women to help them become independent and viable participants in their <br />community. <br />Rebecca Brown, 4780 154a' Lane, thanked Ms. Matthews for her explanation. She sees the <br />location as a problem because there is a liquor store and bar next door and if the residents can't <br />leave, then the park wouldn't be accessible to them and their children. River's Bend is a mid to <br />upper scale neighborhood and she thinks this would severely impact this neighborhood. She <br />thinks the Town Center would be a good location for this type of facility. <br />T V Rao, 14359 Waco Street, stated locating a transformation house next to a residential <br />neighborhood is a bad idea and he continued giving his reasons, which included the blight of <br />south Ferry Street, location next to a bar and liquor store. He stated he thought this should be in a <br />non-residential neighborhood and also thought Town Center would be a good location. <br />Commissioner Hunt stated this type of program is very necessary in today's world. As to the <br />location. he stated that the property has been for sale and been available and there would be <br />nothing stopping from a group of people buying the piece and making it a sliding hill and <br />donating it to the City to be a park. He stated that that would be a simple solution. <br />Wayne Bell, 14336 Waco Street, stated there would be meals for the residents, and wondered if <br />the traffic pattern had been considered for the deliveries. He wondered if the city had any <br />Planning Commission/August 5, 2010 <br />Page 5 of 10 <br />