Paisley Park opening put on hold by Chanhassen City Council
CHANHASSEN, Minn. (KMSP) - Prince fans may need to wait a little longer to get into Paisley Park. Monday night, the Chanhassen City Council delayed its approval of a rezoning request, following more than three hours of discussion and public comment.
Increased traffic, parking and pedestrian safety were some of the concerns voiced at the meeting. At a previous meeting, a neighbor proposed a pedestrian bridge over Highway 5 to make it safer and easier for visitors to walk from the museum to downtown Chanhassen
The planning commission voted 6-0 to approve rezoning Paisley Park, but when it reached the full city council on Monday, several council members said they need more time to consider the impact of opening a global tourist destination in the suburb.
In a statement released Tuesday, the City of Chanhassen said the mayor, city council and staff will continue to work with representatives from the estate to mitigate concerns on the current application to rezone Paisley Park.
The city council will vote again on the rezoning on or before Dec. 20.
However, as tickets have already been sold for public tours of Paisley Park beginning on Thursday, Oct. 6, the City of Chanhassen has granted Paisley Park a temporary permit to open the museum on Oct. 6, Oct. 8 and Oct. 14.
Paisley Park says it will attempt to accommodate as many guests as possible on those three days who have already purchased tickets for tours between Oct. 6 and Oct. 15.
Paisley Park says they are hoping to obtain additional temporary permit dates from the city to continue offering tours after Oct. 16.
In August, Bremer Trust filed paperwork with the city of Chanhassen to turn the 65,000 square foot recording studio into a museum, run by the same company that operates Graceland. Staff has been working to preserve and archive all of Prince's music, clothing and instruments so they can be put on display.
"Each room will be thematic. Different stages of his career,” Graceland Holdings CEO Joel Soden said. The soundstage has different small stages that show different pieces of his career. We'll show you live videos that were recently discovered within the last week that no one has ever seen before.”
Official statement from City of Chanhassen
On Monday, October 3, 2016 the Chanhassen Mayor and City Council voted to table the application for rezoning to establish a Planned Unit Development (PUD) which would have allowed Paisley Park to operate as a museum. In doing so, Chanhassen City Council acted within their authority as the city’s legislative and policy-making body. The application was submitted by Bremer Trust National Association, the court-appointed special administrator of the estate of Prince Rogers Nelson, who has formed PRN Music Corporation to operate the museum and offer tours at Paisley Park. Council members cited public safety and traffic concerns, necessary site improvements, and the need for additional information on impacts to the community as reasons for the 3-2 vote to table the issue.
The Chanhassen Mayor, City Council, and staff will continue to work with representatives from Bremer Trust, N.A. and PRN Music Corporation to mitigate concerns on the current application. The application, along with any changes will be brought to City Council for another vote on or before December 20, 2016.
PRN Music Corporation understood the risks of selling tickets prior to City Council approval of the PUD. All questions regarding ticket sales should be directed to PRN Music Corporation or Bremer Trust, N.A. The City of Chanhassen has no authority on the sale or refund of tickets for Paisley Park tours.
The Associated Press contributed to this report