WALLS TO COME TUMBLING DOWN
PREPARING FOR DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT
In preparation for downtown redevel-opment, councilmembers approved on April 10th the demolition of two city-owned buildings in downtown Victoria. 
The Jerry Noreen house, located next to the Victoria House, will be demolished to make room for the new public parking lot.  And the former Victoria Auto Body Shop, located across from Schmitty's on  Stieger Lake Lane, will be demolished to make room for a temporary parking lot for the city during downtown redevelopment construction.
Wickenhauser Excavating had the lowest bid for the demolition at a cost of $13,150 for the combined total on the two properties.
Demolition is expected to begin the first week of May, 2003.

PUTTING A CAP ON NOISE VARIANCES
AND HOPING IT DOESN'T BLOW OFF
Council held a public hearing April 10th on a revised Noise Ordinance and adopted it that evening, with a couple of minor changes.  It puts a cap on the num-ber of outdoor music events allowed beyond normal curfew this summer at Floyd's, for example.
City Planner Mark Kaltsas compared the situation to putting a limit on the num-ber of garage sales allowed at a residence.  "Neighbors would have a problem if there was a garage sale next door every week-end all summer long," said Mark.  "A cap gives people a knowing break.  We're try-ing to put measures in place so people know."
He explained that granting variances to the noise ordinance will allow Floyd's to exceed the city standards at specific times.  "We're trying to find a balance," said Mark.  "They can only do it a certain number of times."
Said Councilmember Richard Tieden, "My concern is that the place brings a lot of revenue to the city.  It does a lot of positive beneficial things for a lot of people."  He said the noise should be addressed only if it causes a problem.
Replied Councilmember Dave Lind-gren, "It has caused problems in the past."
Councilmember Mary Thun suggest-ed some minor rewording of the ordinance to give councilmembers the opportunity to grant any number of outdoor summer events, depending on the problems that may or may not arise.
The ordinance as passed places a cap of six events on the variance request, but the variance can be renewed or denied, depending on the problems or lack there-of.

SEEKING THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE
WILL IT BE A TAX-EXEMPT OFFICE BUILDING?
Councilmembers were informed on April 10th that MABSSCO would like to buy the house at the Dairy Queen inter-section on Highway 5 and use it for office space for its Step Group Home.  The Group Home is located nearby, on Lake Auburn, across Co. Rd. #11 from the Lake Auburn Moravian Church.
MABSSCO stands for Mid American Baptist Social Services Corporation.  The property it wants to acquire, and for which it has already entered into a purchase agreement, would have to be rezoned to allow for office use.
City Planner Mark Kaltsas informed council that the private home and lot is currently zoned residential and that the surrounding land use is parkland.  Speak-ing of the immediate site, which is a group of homes wedged between the lake and the roads, Mark said, "It is somewhat of an isolated cluster of housing.  It seems you could make sense out of it becoming part of the Central Business District.  The Dairy Queen right across the street is in-cluded in the Central Business District."
Mark said that the request has been reviewed by the Planning Commission, which seemed to be in favor of allowing the new use as long as the home would be brought up to downtown design standards.
"Design standards do require certain exterior sidings, lighting, parking require-ments," said Mark.  "There'd probably be some significant modifications required.  There is a gray area where council can choose some standards."
About the actual site he stated, "It's a key corner that has a lot of potential to the city.  We'd want it to look like an office building."
Stated Eugene Allen, executive direc-tor of MABSSCO, "I'm not assuming that we'd have to tear the building down and start over."  He said the Step Group Home needs new corporate offices.  He added that their residential house that was moved onto the Lake Auburn property some years ago was approved for residen-tial use, but has in fact been used for office space. 
"I'm hoping everything will work out," said Mr. Allen.  "I don't like to back out on a deal ... I want to stay in Victoria.  It's centrally located between our other facilities in Watertown and Shakopee.  It allows us to expand the program."
Councilmember Dave Lindgren seems to have asked the million dollar question about MABSSCO's proposal to buy the home across from the Dairy Queen.  "Will that house be taken off the tax rolls then?"
Replied Mr. Allen, "Since we're church related and qualified to be off the tax rolls, we'd probably be so, but we'd pay fees for fire and police protection."
Stated Mayor Jerry Bohn, because of its location at an intersection on State Highway 5 in Victoria, "It could be of significant value to the city.  I'm a little bit chagrined that it would become tax-exempt property ... It certainly wouldn't be able to look like a house."
"I don't like it taken off our tax rolls," said Councilmember Lindgren, and added, "I, too, would like it not to look like a house."
Councilmember Mary Thun consid-ered adjacent residential neighbors to the proposed commercial building.  "I'm wondering what the people next door would think about having a public build-ing located next door," she mused, but added, "It sounds like it could be a good thing for Victoria and the young men."
Mr. Allen said that the Step Group Home is currently licensed to house 20 young men "in transition."  The request will be studied further.  Stated Mayor Bohn about the property in question, "I do think we have to talk about the highest and best use."     Click here to continue.