Agenda - Planning Commission - 04/27/2023

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From: Catherine Bean Sent: Wednesday,April 26, 2023 2:30 PM To: Ramsey Planning;Todd Larson Subject: AGAINST Proposed Hotel in COR Zoning District Ladies and Gentlemen: As a 18-year resident of Ramsey, I am strongly against the proposal to erect a hotel in the COR Zoning District for a number of reasons. Building a hotel in the COR would go against every reason Ramsey residents have chosen to live here. We bought our homes opting to enjoy living in peaceful, quiet, safe residential subdivisions. Hotels have a documented history of negatively impacting residential neighborhoods: First, hotels increase traffic. This traffic is noisy and disruptive to peaceful living, as people come-and-go from hotels round the clock, causing noise and light at times when permanent neighborhood residents are enjoying their homes or sleeping contentedly. Another source of noise is the people themselves. Hotel residents may host parties in their rooms, bringing with them even more people and cars. They may hold conversations in the parking lot late into the night, or early in the morning. This increased activity and socializing would necessarily contribute more unwanted noise and disruption to our peaceful Ramsey neighborhoods. Additionally, non-locals necessarily care less about maintaining a clean environment than permanent residents do, which could lead to an increase in trash and litter on our beautiful Ramsey streets, sidewalks, and trails. There is also an increase in illegal activities associated with the presence of hotels. Occupants are on vacation,away from home,and feel freer to do things that they might not in their own homes and towns. Hotel guests may engage in prostitution,and the buying and selling of drugs. The partying associated with hotel stays may result in drunken fights erupting. Whatever the illicit or belligerent activities, police are called more often to hotels than permanent residences. Increased police presence for such problems--as well as the activities themselves--is undesirable. It would destroy the calm peacefulness of our beloved homes and neighborhoods, making them less desirable for both current and future homeowners. Finally, safety is a legitimate concern. Transient people staying in or visiting others in a hotel can pose a threat to permanent residents. Hotel occupants may loiter in the parking lot, and pose a real or imagined threat to early morning and late night walkers. Building a hotel in the COR could lead to Ramsey residents being less likely to enjoy exercising outside, as they do now. Parents may opt to keep their children indoors, infringing upon their physical and emotional development, rather than risk their encountering unknown people. There already exists a full-size hotel--Comfort Suites--on Highway 10, within a mere 2 miles of the proposed hotel. Because Ramsey is not a hub for large conferences, nor the home of large national corporations, Comfort Suites can easily accommodate any local visitors visiting family and friends. Allowing a hotel to be built in the COR would ruin our ideal Ramsey neighborhood, so a scant few can profit financially. I strongly urge you not to let the tranquility of Ramsey be destroyed for its permanent