5.7. SR 09-20-2010~/
City of
Elk -,-~_
River
REQUEST FOR ACTION
~'O ITEM I~IUMBER
Ci Council 5 - ~ -
AGENDA SECTION MEETING DATE PREPARED BY
Communi Develo ment Se tember 20, 2010 erem Barnhart, Plannin Mana er
ITEM DESCRIPTION REVIEWED By
Request by GRE to Rezone Property From R3
(Townhouse/Multiple Family Residential) to I-1 (Light REVIEWED BY
Industrial), Case No. ZC 10-08 -Public Hearing continued
from Au ust 16, 2010 withdrawm
ACTION REQUESTED
The applicant has withdrawn the application to rezone.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
Following the Public Hearing and Council comments received on August 16, 2010, the applicant, Great
River Energy (GRE), has elected to withdraw the application.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
None
ATTACHMENTS
^ Letter of withdrawal received from GRE
ACtlOfl Motion by Second by Vote
Follow Up
C:\Documents and Settings\XPMUser\Local Settings\Temporuy Internet Files\OLK66\ZC 10-08 GRE SR to CC withdraw 9-20.10.doc
GREAT RNER
1~NERGY®
tZ300 Elm Creek Boulevard • Maple Grove, Minnesota 55369-4718 • 763-445-5000 Fax 763-445-5D50 • www.GreatRiverEnergy.com
September 16, 2010
Lori Johnson, City Administrator
City of Elk River
13065 Orono Parkway
Elk River, MN 55330
Great River Energy (GRE) appreciates the support of the City's planning staff in working with
GRE to rezone our five (5) acre parcel from R3 Townhouse/Multiple Family Residential to I-1
Light Indus"trial (Case # ZC 10-08). Due to the apparent lack of support for the rezaning by the
City Cauncii, we are withdrawing our request for rezoning at this time.
We are disappointed that the City Council did not unanimously follow the City's planning staff
and the Planning Commission's recommendation to approve the rezoning at this time.
Ear the retard, GRE wishes to restate our case far rezoning the parcel as follows:
1. THE CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SUPPORTS THE REZONING TO {-1: The
City's Comprehensive Plan Calls for the parcel to be rezoned to I-1. The City Staff and
Planning Commission unanimously recommend the' rezaning to I-1.
2. THE CITY OF ELK RIVER PLEDGED SUPPORT FOR REZONE: The City of Elk River
pledged their support of the re-zoning of the Hohlen parcel in exchange for the right to
acquire 1.4 acres of GRE land south of the wastewater treatment facility in the
agreement dated 2/20/07 and executed by Mayor Stephanie Klinzing. '~ See Page 2,
item 6 - °... This new storage location will require re-zoning and improvements to
support that activity. The Cooperative and the City will diligently pursue the re-zoning to
facilitate the transfer of property to the City.°
3. UNDER CURRENT ZON{NG THE PROPERTY CANNOT REASONABLY BE
DEVELOPED: Under the Current R3 zoning -Townhouse/Multi-family Residential, GRE
is not able to develop or use the property for our utility business. If GRE sold the parcel
to a developer for an apartment Complex, no reasonable access to the parcel exists.
Traffic congestion at the Main StreetlCarson Street alignment is already well below
service standards, and it is in the City's best interest to keep any additional traffic off
Main Street at this area.
A TouChseone Energy CooperaEive f Contains t QO°lo post consumer waste
r--
4. IF GRE WANTS TO USE THE BARGEE FOR OUTDOOR STORAGE,_A_
CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT IS REQUIRED: At such time as GRE would contract to do
the grading and fencing of the parcel to convert it to outdoor storage, GRE would provide
appropriate fence and/or vegetative screening such as was installed at the gas turbine
peaking plant fencing south of the Hohlen parcel or at our New Prague, MN facility. We
would work with the City and neighborhood to reasonably mitigate concerns about the
storage yard's visibility.
GRE has not determined exactly haw'we will use this parcel in support of our business, and as
such we are not willing to spend the money to prepare a Conditional Use Permit application for
outdoor material storage or site plans and building specifications for the City Council to review in
advance of the rezoning vote. GRE will consider bringing the rezoning request up again at such
time as we determine it is in GRE's interest to do so. In fact, GRE would prefer that the City's
planning staff undertake the rezoning effort in support of the city's awn comprehensive plan..
Again, this would preclude development of the land for multi-family residential, which is not in
the City or GRE's best interests.
Thank you again for the City staff's support of our rezoning effort. VNe look forward to a
satisfactory outcome far both the City and GRE regarding this issue sometime in the future.
Yours truly,
GREAT RIVER ENERGY
Michael T. Finley, .P.M.
Director, Business Operations
Cc: Jeremy Barnhart, Planning Manager, City of Elk River
Mayor Stephanie Klinzing, City of Elk River
Mark Lucas, Craig Heuring, Craig Poorker -GRE
H:1w1NwORDIMike FinleytHohlen parcel rezoning document 072810 Amended 090810 MNL {3) {2).docx
Direct: {763)445-5405 Fax: X7631445-6205
E-il4ail; mfinley@grenergy.com