4. PCSR 02-08-2012 - Laserfiche WebLink

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~~ Vanman Architects and~i3uilders •~ 'f 669 1Ninnetka Ave N '"' ' ~ SUfte 210 F ~~ ~ Galden Valley, M 55427 Project Narrative for: Elk River Lutheran Church Conditional Use Permit January 30, 2012 Douglns Derr Architects, LLC 1742 Portland Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55104 ~~~~ C~~~/~i® i~©~~ Elk River Lutheran Church, ELCA, has made an offer to purchase the former 1St National Bank Building at 729 Main Street for reuse as their new church home. Their purchase is contingent on the approval by the City of a Conditional Use Permit for the reuse of the former bank building and site as a church facility. This is allowable as a conditional use in the Downtown District. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is very excited about Elk River Lutheran Church establishing its new home in downtown Elk River. The ELCA is providing the financial resources for the purchase and initial remodeling for this project. The ELCA is the largest Lutheran Church Organization in the United States. Elk .River Lutheran Church sees a great opportunity at the former bank site to meet their needs and enhance the downtown experience. With this dual goal, they began their Master Planning process. The reconfigurations to the site and the building in their Master Plan reflect a stated effort to be a "good neighbor". Several of these "good neighbor" desires that the church asked their architects to express in the Master Plan include: • Bea "Green Neighbor" The adaptive reuse and improvement of an existing building and site is one of the highest forms of "going green". Even though the Master Plan calls for an addition to the building, the site will have more permeable surface than currently exists. This is due to the removal of the hard surface space used for drive-through tellers. These would be replaced with a plaza where the public could sit, rest and reflect. Grass would be highlighted with brick pavers to match the downtown sidewalks. The existing trees on Main Street would be retained and incorporated into this new plaza. • Complement and enhance the downtown experience The addition of the church's restful plaza is intended to complement the more active public plaza on the east end of the block. It also creates a transition to sites and buildings to the west on Main Street. Stone work, similar to that used as a highlight for the building, would be used to reinforce and enhance the church's plaza creating a unique downtown feature. VANMAN ARCHITECTS AND BUILDERS INC. 669 Winnetka Avenue North • Suite 210 • Minneapolis, Minnesota 55427 888.327.2817 • 763.541.9552 • fax 763.541.9857 www.vanmanab.com