Report: Excelsior Planning Commission Hears Pavillion Proposal

The Lakeshore Weekly News did a recap on last week's Excelsior Planning Commission meeting where they heard about the Pavillion proposal.

http://www.weeklynews.com/main.asp?SectionID=10&SubSectionID=10&ArticleID=4268

Excelsior Facing Future-Shaping Decisions (Editorial)

The City of Excelsior is considering two proposals for prominent developments in its downtown. One is for the development of the Port of Excelsior into a Pavillion resembling what once stood there, and the other is for the redevelopment of the Pizza Hut building which is being rumored as a proposed boutique hotel.

Excelsior has a long reputation as a place where development and redevelopment of property can be a hassle-laden process. Relatively strict guidelines for things like building heights and a vocal base of residents who deeply value the history and character of the city create an approval process which requires patience. Over the years, some developers have walked away from the commissions or Council feeling personal design preference was too often injected into the debate.

With both of these projects, however, the developers are asking for alot. In the case of the Pavillion, there would be the loss of lakefront views and the selling of prime lakefront property that is currently open space. With the proposed hotel, although details are sketchy, we are hearing there would be a significant height variance requested (as much as 20 feet). The new Council, while showing signs of being redevelopment friendly, is faced with proposals that are anything but routine or incremental.

If one or both of these proposals are ultimately denied by Excelsior's Council, nobody can accuse them of being anti-development based on these projects alone. The developers are asking for much more than a nominal setback variance or a slightly unusual building facade. They are asking for the City to grant them the authority to make major changes that would redefine the city for generations, using major exceptions to agreed-upon development codes which have been guiding development up until now. While we are not advocating for or against either project at this time, we believe Excelsior's Council is well-served to tread carefully and gather all the input before moving ahead.