02-27-2018 PC MINMeeting of the Elk River Planning Commission
Held at the Elk River City Hall
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Members Present: Chair Eric Johnson, Commissioners Alexander Feinstein, Jill Larson -
Vito, Robert Rydberg, and Brad Thiel
Members Absent: Commissioner Mike Nichols
Staff Present: Planning Manager Zack Carlton, Senior Planner Chris Leeseberg,
Planner BrieAnna Simon, Sr. Administrative Assistant/Recording
Secretary Jennifer Green
Also Present: Councilmember Jennifer Wagner, Council Liaison
I . Call Meeting to Order
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the meeting of the Elk River Planning
Commission was called to order at 6:40 p.m. by Chair Johnson.
2. Consider February 27, 2018, Planning Commission Agenda
Moved by Commissioner Larson -Vito and seconded by Commissioner
Feinstein to approve the February 27, 2018, Planning Commission agenda.
Motion carried 5-0.
3. Consider Planning Commission Minutes
Moved by Commissioner Larson -Vito and seconded by Commissioner Thiel
to approve the December 19, 2017, Regular Planning Commission minutes.
Motion carried 5-0.
Moved by Commissioner Thiel and seconded by Commissioner Feinstein to
approve the January 23, 2018, Regular Planning Commission minutes.
Motion carried 5-0.
4.1 Cargill Animal Nutrition — 10383 165`s Ave. NW
• Conditional Use Permit for Agricultural Research CUP Amendment, Case
No. CU 18-03
Ms. Simon presented the staff report. Staff recommended approval of the
conditional use permit with conditions.
Planning Commission
February 27, 2018
Chair Johnson opened the public hearing. There being no one present to speak,
Chair Johnson closed the public hearing.
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Moved by Commissioner Larson -Vito and seconded by Commissioner
Feinstein to recommend approval of the request by Cargill Animal Nutrition,
Case No. CU 18-03 for a Conditional Use Permit with the following
conditions:
1. The Conditional Use Permit shall not be recorded until all conditions
have been completed.
2. The authorized use shall not begin until the Conditional Use Permit is
recorded.
3. If the proposed work described in the application and Conditional Use
Permit has not been substantially completed within two years after the
Conditional Use Permits date of issuance, the permit shall expire and
become void.
4. The applicant must apply for and receive approval for all required
permits before any construction may begin.
5. The city's Building Official and Fire Marshal shall inspect the building
for compliance with all state and local building codes.
6. All refuse collection containers shall be stored within an enclosure
facility large enough to accommodate the collection of all materials.
Refuse containers and materials must be out of sight from neighboring
properties and street.
7. The applicant shall submit a site plan for staff approval identifying the
required 89 required parking stalls.
8. Parking stalls shall be striped in accordance with City Ordinance,
Section 30-892 and as shown on an approved site plan.
9. As buildings being to be built all work must be submitted to the city
for staffs approval prior to application of permits.
10. All maintenance or shop work shall take place indoors.
11. Outdoor storage areas shall be completely screened from view within
all public rights-of-way and commercial or residentially zoned parcels.
Screening will consist of at least a six foot tall fence made of wood,
factory finished metal or vinyl panels, or chain link with vinyl slats, if
not screen by an adjacent building.
12. Outdoor storage areas shall not be located in designated parking areas
or areas striped for parking.
13. Expansion shall comply with the request outlined in the following
table:
Total of Cargill
Existing
Expansion
Request
Total w/add
Office Space s ft
25,000
0
25,000
Warehouse (s ft)
60,000
10,000
70,000
Process space s ft
15,000
5,000
20,000
Lab Space s ft
11,000
14,000
25,000
Shop Space s ft
7,500
0
7,500
Animal Housing s ftl
80,000
40,000
120,000
Animal Units
600 1
300
900
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Process Tons/Year
3,000
0
3,000
Lagoons al of capacity)
3,600,000
0
3,600,000
AcreMe (total)
920
0
920
Employees Ft & Tem)
125 1
25
150
_Fuel Storage (gallons)
35,000
0
35,000
14. Any expansion that is consistent with the expansion request summary
in the table above shall require administrative site plan review.
15. Any expansion that is not consistent with the expansion request
summary above shall require an amendment to the conditional use
permit.
Motion carried 5-0.
4.2 Ordinance Amendment — City of Elk River
■ Chapter 30 Definitions, Case No. OA 18-02
Mr. Leeseberg presented the staff report. He recommended approval of these
recommendations which will provide clarification to meanings that aren't defined in
city ordinance and to minimize overlap of like meanings. He indicated some
definitions are removed entirely, may be located elsewhere in the ordinance, or
combined with other like definitions, and some uses are self-explanatory.
Chair Johnson asked for clarification on the salvage yard definition.
Mr. Leeseberg stated he understood the discussion at the Planning Commission
work session on January 23, 2018, to be regarding what salvage yard meant and that
keeping it in the definitions provided another layer of protection toward not allowing
the storage of junk vehicles on residential properties.
Chair Johnson opened the public hearing. There being no one present to speak,
Chair Johnson closed the public hearing.
Moved by Commissioner Thiel and seconded by Commissioner Larson -Vito
to recommend approval of amending Chapter 30-1, Definitions as outlined in
the staff report.
Motion carried 5-0.
4.3 Ordinance Amendment — City of Elk River
0 Industrial and Commercial Zoning District Uses, Case No. OA 18-03
Mr. Leeseberg presented the staff report. He indicated staff recommended approval
of the changes to industrial and commercial zoning district uses to simplify the city
code, clarify uses, combine repetitive uses and terms, and tie them back to a
definition. He stated this will also reduce the number of uses requiring a conditional
use permit to entice more business and be more business -friendly. He explained the
proposed changes to the code as outlined in the staff report. He discussed the
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February 27, 2018
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proposal to remove commercial recreational facilities from I-1 district to strive for
job creation and add to the residential zoning districts where schools are allowed.
Chair Johnson opened the public hearing. There being no one present to speak,
Chair Johnson closed the public hearing.
Councilmember Wagner asked questions regarding the I-1 district and commercial
recreation facilities located in that district. She asked staff and the commission how
many jobs per facility would be required. She stated, as an example, the youth
baseball facility holds clinics during the winter months and jobs are created when
holding those clinics, which technically are created jobs. She also stated the minutes
referenced that "staff will return to the commission with a map of where these types
of businesses are allowed in the city with a CUP."
Mr. Leeseberg apologized for not providing a map where those types of businesses
were allowed and how many jobs would be created. He indicated he could research
that information if the commission was interested in providing that information to
the City Council.
Councilmember Wagner stated when she thinks about those districts, she worries
about the unintended consequences these revisions could create. She stated these
youth sports facilities do some employ people and since she is pretty well -versed in
youth sports organizations in the community and the difficulties they face, she wants
to consider all factors of the bigger picture.
Chair Johnson indicated they discussed this specifically at the work session and asked
if a map could be provided to show other possible locations for youth sports
facilities in the city.
Mr. Leeseberg again apologized for not having a map available for this meeting and
indicated he would bring back a map for the council to consider. He was also in
support of not creating any unintended consequence and stated while these types of
facilities fit perfectly in an industrial park, job creation isn't supported. He also stated
the commission could postpone their decision for a month while this was further
discussed.
Commissioner Larson -Vito stated she felt like the Commission could proceed with a
recommendation as their work session discussion regarding this topic was in-depth.
She agrees that there should be a place for youth sports facilities but doesn't feel an
industrial park is one of them, noting the hours of use and job creation doesn't
match the purpose of the district.
Commissioner Rydberg stated he travels through industrial sections on a daily basis
and he sometimes sees a martial arts or dance studio mixed in a manufacturing
industrial or warehouse locations. He stated the uses Councilmember Wagner is
referring to are typically adjacent to higher volume retail areas with more people
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coming into an area. He stated they need to look at areas that are more amenable
with higher traffic and better access that would not take away from industrial uses.
Councilmember Wagner stated she is in agreement with Commissioner Larson-
Vito's comments, noting the area she was referencing was not a busy industrial use
spot. She asked what areas the city has that are zoned for their purpose.
Chair Johnson said the city would be aware of those locations and offer them as
possibilities. He stated it would be challenging without applying spot zoning, which
the Commission did not want to do.
Mr. Leeseberg indicated there are locations that would support the recreation
facilities and the challenge would be affordability for associations in a larger retail
space that's already zoned commercial recreation in comparison to a national chain.
It was the consensus of the Commission to recommend approval as presented by
staff, keeping industrial locations zoned for industrial uses only and look individually
at any future requests for a commercial recreational use in an area not zoned for that
use.
Moved by Commissioner Larson -Vito and seconded by Commissioner
Thiel to recommend approval of the ordinance amending Chapter 30,
Sections 30-1022, 30-1023, 30-1024, 30-1025, 30-1026, 30-1292, 30-1293, 30-1294,
30-1295, 30-1562, 30-1565, and 30-1583 (Industrial and Commercial zoning
district uses) as outlined in the staff report.
Motion carried 5-0.
S. General Business
There was no general business.
6.1 City Council Liaison Update
Councilmember Wagner updated the Commission on the reappointments of
Commissioners Brad Thiel and Robert Rydberg to the Planning Commission and the
council appointment of John Jordan, who would be sworn in at the March
commission meeting. She thanked them for their volunteerism.
The Commission recessed at 7:05 p.m. in order to go into work session. The Commission
reconvened at 7:06 p.m.
7.1 Ordinance Amendment — Beekeeping Regulations
Ms. Simon presented the staff report. Since the January work session, she attended a
beekeeping short course offered through the University of Minnesota - Department
of Entomology to gather information regarding beekeeping to fine tune the
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ordinance amendment and address .public safety concerns. She outlined information
regarding stings, swarms, education, and the permit process.
Councilmember Wagner asked what residents can do if they're extremely allergic to
bees.
Ms. Simon explained the resident would have to submit a doctor's note once they
received notice that a neighbor would be raising bees. The doctor's note would be a
reason for denial of a beekeeping permit. She explained that out of 3,600 known U.S.
bee species, only .0003% are honey bees and the likelihood that someone would be
allergic to honey bees is not impossible but extremely low. She emphasized
education by utilizing social media campaigns and the city website for an interactive
bee hive location map.
The Commission asked questions regarding the permitting process, inspections, and
fees. The consensus of the Commission was to raise the permit fee to $185 with the
option of taking the University of Minnesota beekeeping class and reducing the fee
by $135 (the cost of the class). Staff would inspect the properties and ensure hives
are placed correctly on the property once every other year.
Commissioner Thiel and Councilmember Wagner expressed concerns with allowing
beekeeping in the city.
There being no further business, Chair Johnson adjourned the regular meeting of the Elk
River Planning Commission at 7:33 p.m.
Minutes prepared by Jennifer Green.
t"�V�
Eric Johnson
Planning Comin"on Chair
f
Tina Allard
City Clerk
P a 1 1 a E I I Y
I�riATURE