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PLM 12/18/2013 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING December 18,2013 Chairperson Kondrick called the Planning Commission Meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT: David Kondrick, Brad Sielaff, Jack Velin, Dean Saba, Tim Solberg, and Leroy Oquist MEMBERS ABSENT: Brad Dunham OTHERS PRESENT: Scott Hickok, Community Development Director Bruce Powers,Kurt Manufacturing Approval of Minutes: November 20, 2013 MOTION by Commissioner Saba to approve the minutes as presented. Seconded by Commissioner Oquist. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 1. PUBLIC HEARING: Consideration of a Special Use Permit, SP #13-14, by Kurt Manufacturing, to allow an expansion of the existing outdoor storage area,generally located at 520 Main Street NE. MOTION by Commissioner Oquist to open the public hearing. Seconded by Commissioner Solberg UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY AND THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS OPENED AT 7:01 P.M. Scott Hickok, Community Development Director, stated the petitioner, Bruce Powers, on behalf of Kurt Manufacturing, located at 5280 Main Street, is seeking a special use permit to expand their existing outdoor storage area which they received a special use permit for in 2009. The special use permit in 2009 was approved to allow a storage container on the west side of the property. The petitioner would like to expand the outdoor storage area on the west side of the property, next to the storage container, for plastic tote storage and then add an area on the south side of the building for pallet storage and plastic tote storage. Mr. Hickok stated the property is zoned M-2, Heavy Industrial as are the properties to the north and south. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad property is to the west and Single Family Residential properties are located to the east. It is located on Main Street, south of Interstate 694. The property was originally developed in 1959. Several additions have been constructed to that original building since 1959. Mr. Hickok stated City Code allows limited outdoor storage in the industrial districts that is up to 50 percent of the building footprint with a special use permit. The building's square footage is 114,450 square feet, so City Code would essentially allow up to 57,225 square feet of outdoor storage on this site. Planning Commission December 18, 2013 Page 2 of 6 The special use permit approved in 2009 allowed the storage of one storage container on the west side of the property. That storage container remains on site and is 320 square feet in size. The petitioner would like to expand the outdoor area next to the storage container on the west side of the property to allow plastic tote storage. This area is proposed to be 240 square feet in size. So, the west outdoor storage area will be 560 square feet in size. The proposed area on the south side of the building for pallet storage and plastic tote storage, especially during the winter months is 960 square feet (40 feet by 24 feet) in size. Both storage areas combined is 1,520 square feet which is well below the allowable outdoor storage area for this property. Mr. Hickok stated it should be noted that although City Code would allow up to 57,225 square feet of outdoor storage on this site based on the square footage of the building, the site still needs to comply will all other requirements, which are discussed below. So, it is unlikely that 57,225 square feet of outdoor storage could actually occur on this site. Mr. Hickok stated based on the breakdown of uses within the building, parking needs for this site are 273 parking stalls. There are 179 parking stalls on site. The petitioner has articulated they have more than enough parking on-site for employees and have never had a parking issue. Their manufacturing space is full of machine tools and large pieces of equipment used in the manufacturing process. As a result of there are fewer employees. Mr. Hickok stated staff has not noticed that parking has been a problem, but will stipulate that at which time parking does become an issue for this tenant or future tenants of the building that the interior space may need to be re-worked to better meet City Code parking requirements. Mr.Hickok stated the storage container the property owner received a special use permit for in 2009 is in the northwest corner of the property and is not visible from the Main Street. The storage container itself provides sufficient screening. It also provides screening for the plastic totes from the rail right-of-way. The pallet and tote storage location on the south side of the building also is not visible from any public right-of-way, so no screening is required. Mr.Hickok stated the proposed site plan meets all other Code requirements. Mr. Hickok stated City Staff recommends approval of this special use permit, with stipulations as limited outdoor storage is a permitted special use in the M-2, Heavy Industrial zoning district, provided specific Code requirements are met, subject to stipulations. Mr. Hickok stated staff recommends that if the special use permit is granted, the following stipulations be attached. 1. Outdoor storage area shall be limited to the two areas as shown on Exhibit B of the resolution approving this special use permit request. 2. The types of materials stored within the two outdoor storage areas shall be reviewed and approved by the Fire Marshal. 3. If a parking shortage occurs on the site, the petitioner shall develop an agreeable plan approved by City staff to re-work the interior space of the existing building or find other parking options. Commissioner Oquist asked Mr. Hickok, regarding Stipulation No. 3, did he mean interior or exterior? Planning Commission December 18, 2013 Page 3 of 6 Mr. Hickok replied that might seem puzzling, but it is worded correctly. It is saying if a parking shortage occurs on site, the petitioner would work on the overall plan to possible redistribute space inside. If you have a really large open area that can accommodate a number of employees inside the building, it may be that you do not have enough parking outside and to look for alternatives outside. Staff takes a look at the relationship between the space inside and outside of the building. That is where the petitioner's comment about the machinery becomes extremely important because that space would be huge and would represent an enormous number of parking stalls. It is not anyone's desire to have more parking than would ever be the demand. However, if they find out they have a parking problem, it may be that there needs to be interior space adjustments so that it is not an imbalanced relationship. Commissioner Oquist asked whether he meant they would have to knock walls down? Mr. Hickok replied not necessarily. There is always the option of buying additional land. Considering that they are already boxed in and buying additional land is probably not a good reality, then maybe the site then is overpopulated in terms of employment there. The City is not trying to tell them how to run their operation other than to say that if parking becomes an issue here, their solution may be an internal fix as opposed to trying to find parking elsewhere. It might mean they do have other facilities, shifting of staff, having something at this facility that is less demanding in terms of employment population. They might have to do some adjustments in size, and this is putting them on notice that at a point where they have a parking issue,they might have to look at that interior balance. Chairperson Kondrick asked the petitioner if he had any questions about the stipulations or any comments? Bruce Powers, Kurt Manufacturing, replied he was a little confused about Stipulation No. 3; but, good and bad, their machines are getting more efficient all the time and require less employees. They expect their employee count will go down in the future instead of going up. Commissioner Sielaff asked,what is their employee count right now? Mr.Powers replied right around 250. Commissioner Sielaff asked,the shifts overlap then? Mr.Powers replied,yes, slightly. Commissioner Sielaff asked they have no parking problems? Mr.Powers replied, no. Chairperson Kondrick asked, what kind of items are stored in the storage containers? Mr. Powers replied,their raw materials come in the totes and on those pallets. Chairperson Kondrick asked,there is nothing hazardous is out there? Mr.Powers replied,no. Planning Commission December 18, 2013 Page 4 of 6 Commissioner Saba asked whether there are any oils or lubricants? Mr.Powers replid, no. Commissioner Oquist asked, and those two storage areas are not going to take any parking spaces? Mr. Powers replied, no, none. MOTION by Commissioner Sielaff to close the public hearing. Seconded by Commissioner Saba. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY AND THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS CLOSED AT 7:10 P.M. Chairperson Kondrick stated he has no problem with it. He drove by there. MOTION by Commissioner Saba approving Special Use Permit, SP #13-14, by Kurt Manufacturing, to allow an expansion of the existing outdoor storage area, generally located at 520 Main Street NE with the following stipulations: 1. Outdoor storage area shall be limited to the two areas as shown on Exhibit B of the resolution approving this special use permit request. 2. The types of materials stored within the two outdoor storage areas shall be reviewed and approved by the Fire Marshal. 3. If a parking shortage occurs on the site, the petitioner shall develop an agreeable plan approved by City staff to re-work the interior space of the existing building or find other parking options. Seconded by Commissioner Oquist. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 2. Receive the Minutes of the November 7, 2013, Housing and Redevelopment Authority Commission Meeting. MOTION by Commissioner Oquist to receive the Minutes. Seconded by Commissioner Saba, UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 3. Receive the Minutes of the November 4,2013,Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting. MOTION by Commissioner Sielaff to receive the Minutes. Seconded by Commissioner Velin. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. OTHER BUSINESS: Planning Commission December 18, 2013 Page 5 of 6 Planning Commission End of Year Review Mr. Hickok stated they had no comprehensive plan amendments, but they do have one coming around the corner. Also,they had 1 lot split, 1 master plan amendment, 2 rezonings, 1 special use permits, 0 text amendments, 1 TOD master plan, and 2 vacations. Mr. Hickok stated they were at 19 land use items this year; 21 last year. They have a lot of development around the corner for this year. It has been a fairly typical year in 2013, but staff is sensing a lot more activity next year. Mr.Hickok stated the Planning Commission approved a very big development master plan this year with the Paul Hyde rezoning and BAE property to an S-2 redevelopment district. Mr. Hyde continues to work on this very exciting project. He has been given some of the early grant dollars that were necessary for the clean-up of his first phase. He does plan to begin the first phase, both the clean-up portion of it and construction of the first building in this next 2014 season. His early projection is it is not going to be a matter of finding people interested in this site, it is producing land fast enough to keep up with the demand. Mr. Hickok stated they have the TOD master plan they approved for the John Allen site. Staff does believe that the first building, Phase I, is going to happen in 2014 which will be a 134,000 square foot office building. There were also two five-level, 150,000 square foot a piece office buildings and 120-unit multi-family building as part of this complex as well. They do anticipate that Mr. Allen will move ahead with Phase I of this. Mr. Hickok stated they had some health-related facilities that made some nice big additions this year. Special use permit was approved for the construction of the new transitional care facility at Unity Hospital, and theirs started already. Also, the Fairview Clinic has started with their new construction. One of the things they will accomplish is a pharmacy back in the facility. Also, they will have a gurney- sized elevator that is being built on the southern corner of the building which they are excited about because they do perform some day surgeries and have some needs for gurneys. Mr. Hickok stated they had 7 special use permits for outdoor storage, very much like tonight. Much of that comes back through the City's systematic code enforcement process. The industries have been very good to work with. Their sites are all getting cleaned up, and their stuff is now stored very neatly on their sites. It has been a very good year. Mr. Hickok stated also the Citgo station on University Avenue and 61"will be demolished. That will be a great improvement. As they may recall the City has an exclusive development agreement now for the Gateway Northeast site, and staff will be bringing the Planning Commission a master plan right around the corner. It is 256 units of residential and a very nice, high class complex of three buildings that will be the City's first real significant TOD building. Both this development and the John Allen project are within walking distance of the train station. The building south of this Citgo that is coming down will be built in a way that will have an elevator core potentially on the north portion of the building so it can connect to an overpass over University Avenue. If their master plan comes to the Planning Commission the way they have seen it in its early round, they would have a skyway connecting their northernmost section and their second building so people in that building can walk through skyway, get to that corner, and walk over University at some point in the future. Planning Commission December 18, 2013 Page 6 of 6 ADJOURN MOTION by Commissioner Saba adjourning the meeting. Seconded by Commissioner Oquist. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY AND THE MEETING ADJOURNED AT 7:23 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Denise M. Johnson Recording Secretary