BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (AP) - Residents of a Twin Cities suburb have launched a campaign to stop a developer from building a warehouse that would be half the size of the Mall of America, citing concerns that the facility will negatively impact their quality of life.
Developer Scannell Properties has proposed building Project Hotdish within the NorthPark Business Center in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota Public Radio reported . The four-story warehouse would have about 2.6 million square feet of space.
Officials haven’t given details about the prospective tenant. Scannell Properties development manager Dan Salzer said the facility would likely see 5,000 daily vehicle trips, including 200 semitrailer stops.
“But when you compare that to what we had approved in the previous development plan - it’s not that far off in terms of operation, and from a traffic perspective it’s a little bit less,” Salzer said.
The project is expected to generate at least $5 million in taxes and create about 2,500 jobs, said Mayor Jeffrey Lunde.
Resident Jen Geisinger started a petition opposing the development. Nearby residents say they don’t want the new project, citing concerns including potential increases in traffic, noise and pollution. Residents are also concerned that the project will be an eyesore and damage property values.
Aaron Balzer lives next to the project site. He said he never would’ve moved there if he’d known about Project Hotdish.
“It’s not safe for my kids. It’s going to be loud. It’s going to be annoying. It’s going to cost us a lot in terms of quality of life,” he said.
The Brooklyn Park planning commission voted against the project last month, but the City Council will have the final say. The City Council will vote on the project next month.
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Information from: Minnesota Public Radio News, http://www.mprnews.org
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