6.2. SR 09-13-2010Item # 6.2.
MEMORANDUM
l~.iver
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Jeremy Barnhart, Planning Manager
DATE: September 13, 2010
SUBJECT: Spectrum High School
I understand that some members of the City Council have been approached by Spectrum
High School asking for some help in relocating their operations currently located in the
northeast corner of County Rd 12 and Johnson Street in east Elk River. Officials of
Spectrum High School have approached staff in recent months with the same inquiry.
It is our understanding that, based on time, Spectrum requires an already built 24,000 square
foot building with the hope of taking occupancy June 1, 2011, when the lease on their
current location expires. They also stated their desire for space to expand the building to
40,000 square feet along with land for the tennis dome.
Spectrum High School, as all high schools, is classified as an institutional use in the city.
Institutional uses are a conditional use in all residential and commercial districts, excluding
planned unit developments. Institutional uses are not permitted in Industrial or Business
Park zoning districts. Spectrum has questioned whether it could be classified as a vocational,
technical, or trade school, which is a conditional use in the I-1 and BP zones. In staff s
opinion, this would be a creative application of the term as vocational, technical, or trade
schools specifically allowed in industrial zones implies hands on learning at manufacturing
trades, in areas where manufacturing would not be appropriate.
It is staff's understanding that Spectrum is considering several locations currently zoned
Industrial or Business Park. While staff understands the desire to retain Spectrum High
School in the city, adding institutional uses to those zones may have far reaching negative
impacts and should be considered cautiously.
• Industrially zoned property has been identified by the EDA and Council as a first
priority objective in the 2009-2012 EDA Strategic Plan. Using these parcels for non-
industrial uses would be inconsistent with this plan.
• There is not a wealth of vacant industrially zoned property in the city. There are
approximately seven business parks or industrially zoned parcels in the city with
water and sewer available immediately to the site. This excludes the FAST area
because water/sewer and streets need to be extended to serve the area. There are
C:\Users\jmiller\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\OLKE8DB\spectrum (2).doc
additional industrial lands in the Jarvis area, but outside of the urban services district.
Land served by water and sewer is in much higher demand, based on inquiries from
developers.
There is little opportunity to expand the industrial corridors in the city, at least in the
immediate future. The next available opportunity exists in the mining area, but
mining operations and the installation of infrastructure are likely not going to occur
for several years. Areas generally considered appropriate for industrial growth
(located near transportation and utility infrastructure, large lots) are built out, leaving
expensive redevelopment of areas as the alternative to waiting for the mining area.
Perhaps the amount of vacant developed industrial space is higher than desirable due
to the economy. However, the use of these spaces in long term non-industrial uses
hampers growth when the economy rebounds. Additionally, it is expected that more
intense manufacturing uses that we are trying to attract will not want to locate next
door to schools due to the incompatibility between uses and the potential for
conflicts.
Lastly, institutional uses can be located in every residential and commercial zone of
the city.
C:\Users\jmiller\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\OLKE8DB\spectrum (2).doc
1
a
I I I I' i t
~ I _,_,......,, I I
. d I _. _ - I
III I ~ I~ I~'
I I l I ~ %/ ~ I ~~
I IjI I I I
I II
I ~~ ~ i I
I I~ I I ____--~~__-_-- I i~
~-_- ' ' '
~ I I ~~/~ . ~ ~ 1
I I /
I I '~
I I
I I i
.
~~
I I I I ,, / l
I r / j l
j a c~
I~ I ~
',.~ ,.
G
~ hI
I I
~ " ` I I
i
~ ~ I I
~ ~
I
~~
~~ i ,. i
i
F
' '
1 a
1
--.- -~
~
~ 1 I ~ I MnY ~JOO
T
II
III ! I
I
8
III
` ~
~ °I
I I
-
I L.___ ____-_~_-
III I ..
I
° I:II
II
III § I
I
I I I
~ ~
a
I I .I
~ I.I
II
.I I
i l ,l
III I
~, ~I
I
I
~ ;
I
~ ~ ~
L
I,I '
~ I I < __
III
~ I I ~.
~ ~I I ~;
I I L ~;.°'
t ~
i6..L1__ -- _ ___ ~~°1~ ~~________
~~~
z
0
A
m
~` \
~ ~
~ ~
~~
i ~
>< / i
II
I~
I I
I
I,
II
I
II
II
I
I
I~ lu I~
II
I
I~
II
I
I~
II
I
I~
I~
I
I
Ckk ~'~~g ~~~g
~i~~ ~i~~
D
D
^^^®
a
A
~ ~~
A $
afmo cERIIFICw7aN
O ~~ ~ ~ ELK RIVER BUSINESS PARK ~~ °'°~
-^~-.
`r=-S
~b
,.
~` ~
(1 ~ ~
.XJ ;
~_
Q