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5.1. PCSR 06-12-2007J~ City of Elk ---~ River REQUEST FOR ACTION To Item Number Plannin Commission 5.1 Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by Plannin Items une 12, 2007 Chris Leeseber ,Park Planner Item Description Reviewed by Request by Alliance Machine for Ordinance Amendment To erem Barnhart, Plannin Mana er Section 30-1294 -Business Park Regulations, Regarding Reviewed by Accessory Structures, Case No. OA07-07, Public Hearing Action Requested Staff recommends that the Planning Commission recommend denial of the Ordinance Amendment request, as presented, for the following reasons: 1. The request as presented by the applicant is open ended in what would be allowed for sizes and design guidelines. Should the Planning Commission feel accessory structures are appropriate, staff would recommend: 1. The maximum size allowed for accessory structures be limited to 1,200 square feet per property. 2. Accessory structures would need to meet the design guidelines for the Business Park zoning district. 3. A Conditional Use Permit would be required for all accessory structures. 4. Accessory structures shall not be allowed in front yards. 5. Setbacks: a. Front: N/A b. Side: 10-Feet c. Rear: 10-Feet 6. Building height shall be limited to 15-feet. Background/Discussion The reason the applicant is requesting an amendment to allow accessory structures in the Business Park zoning district is they need to provide separate warehousing space to store certified material (steel and aluminum bars) for an aerospace customer to meet the military and aerospace compliances, which are mandated. Case File: OA 07-07 Page 2 Attachments • Location Map • Applicant's Narrative • Site Plan • Building Sketches • Section 30-1294 BP Business Park District ordinance General Information Ordinance Amendment Alliance Machine Applicant Alliance Machine 60 Day Rule The application has been deemed complete as of May 10, 2007. The City must take action by June 30, 2007 Requested Action Ordinance Amendment Location and Size All Business Park zoning districts Overview The applicant would like to construct an accessory structure for storage of certified material. Attached to this structure would be a dumpster enclosure which is required by the City. They have indicated the structure would be built of the same materials as the existing building, which does meet the design guidelines for the district. The storage of certified material does not have to be in a separate structure. With the applicant's specific property, they want to build a detached structure, verses an attached structure, so they can expand the size of our current building when needed in the future. Their hope is this will occur in 5-10 years. If they attach the new structure to the current building, it will block emergency vehicle access to the back of their building, which they built per the City's request specifically for emergency vehicle access. Although it is clear why the applicant wants to pursue an Ordinance Amendment, the specifics of the Ordinance Amendment are vague. There is no proposal on allowable sizes fox accessory structures or whether they would have design guidelines. Also, would they be permitted uses or require a Conditional Use Permit? Recommendation The request, as presented by the applicant, is open ended in what would be allowed for sizes and design guidelines. Staff would recommend denial of the request, as presented. Should the Planning Commission feel accessory structures are appropriate, staff would recommend: 1. The maximum size allowed for accessory structures be limited to 1,200 square feet per property. S:\PI,ANNING\Case Files\OA\OA 07-07 Alliance Machine Request\OA 07-07_PC.doc Case File: OA 07-07 Ordinance Amendment Page 3 Alliance Machine 2. Accessory structures would need to meet the design guidelines for the Business Park zoning district. 3. A Conditional Use Permit would be required for all accessory structures. 4. Accessory structures shall not be allowed in front yards. 5. Setbacks: a. Front: N/A b. Side: 10-Feet c. Rear: 1O-Feet 6. Building height shall be limited to 15-feet. Respectfully Submitted Chris Leeseberg Park Planner /Planner Action Motion by Second by Vote Follow Up S:\PLANNING\Case Files\OA\OA 07-07 Alliance Machine Request\OA 07-07_PC.doc ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Il ~~ li ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~\ ~ i~ ~ ~~~ ~ii ~ ~s ~i ~~ ~ ~ ~ I ~ '~~-~ y ~ ~~ii ~II '' ~ I I ~~ I -. ' ~' Location Map City of El -~-, R1VeY' Case Number: OA 07-07 ALLIANCE MACHINE Greetings, The following is a proposal for a small storage building with an attached dumpster enclosure on the Alliance Machine Inc. property at 17520 Tyler Street, Elk River. This location is in the Northstar Business Park. The purpose is to store certified material (steel and aluminum bars) separate from our current in house stock. Our aerospace customer insists we do this to meet the military and aerospace compliances which are mandated. If we cannot provide separate warehousing for this material we could jeopardize our business relationship with one of our largest accounts. This additional structure would be constructed of the same materials and conform to the same architecture as our current building. We would also attach to this storage building a dumpster enclosure as requested by the city. Alliance Machine Inc. moved to Elk River in April of 2006. Alliance Employs 32 people. We have approximately parking for 50 vehicles and expansion for 50 more if need be. We currently do not have any outdoor storage. Because of appearance, we do not wish to store anything outside. There would be no grading or tree removable needed to put up our storage building. The building would be constructed of rough faced block to match the building and have a steel gate locking the dumpster area. The estimated time frame would be about 60 days to complete. The reason we ask for the amendment to allow us to build a detached structure, verses an attached structure, is so we can expand the size of our current building when needed in the future. If we attach the new structure to the current building, this will prevent any future expansion and block fire truck access to the back of our building. We had a drive way built in back just for fire truck access. Alliance, by request of the city, needs to build a detached structure for the dumpster enclosure. We are currently asking to build a storage facility connected to the dumpster enclosure instead of the existing building. If this is permitted, the structure will be done tastefully and professionally. It will have matching stone and fit the theme of the surrounding buildings. The benefit to the city will be that this storage building will prevent any outside storage that seems to take place in some of the older industrial parks. It will be made from block and other maintence free material so it will look uniform to its surroundings and, it will promote a more safe and secure area in and around Northstar Business Park. Thanks for your consideration. Sincerely, Bryan Provo Alliance Machine Inc. 17520 Tyler Street Elk River, MN 55330 (p)763-425-1616 (f)763-425-2067 cx~i sa - o• ~oGe of ~~ee~ a4raK dumpstet FUTURE PARKING Shed future expansion n - u n - II - II - II - II ,u ReTAINING. WALL 34 PARKING s~ACeS ~' ~ ~ J U ~ ~- //^'~ y ~ ~ ~.G ~"' ~t V `'~. ~- E` ~ ,~ .. .~~, ` t t. . ,. . f ~k r f)) ~.- f f 4 l i ~ ..a--.~.,, .s.-.. ~ f . 1 ~ O ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ j a ~ ~ ~ G "`~" Q ~ .~ L L _~ "i" t,~ p P ~~ _~ X ~ .- ~ ~ lL ~ 4 ~ Sec. 30-1294. BP business park district. (a) Purpose. (1) The business park district is established to encourage a planned, integrated environment for certain industrial, office, and commercial uses, which axe compatible with and complement each other as well as the surrounding land uses. The underlying land use designation within the district may vary and may be either light industrial or highway business. Development within the business park district will correspond with the land use designation. Industrial and office uses are allowed where the land use designation is light industrial, and commercial uses are allowed where the land use designation is highway business. (2) It is the intent of this section that development reflect common themes using compatible architectural design and consistency in signage, landscaping, and lighting. It is also the intent to encourage businesses, which generate a high number of jobs per square foot rather than predominantly warehouse type uses. (b) Permitted uses. Permitted uses in the BP district are as follows: (1) Permitted uses allowed are as follows: a. Light manufacturing. b. Research and development laboratories. c. Business and professional offices. d. Mail order operations. e. Telecommunication operations. £ Sherburne County fair. g. Warehouse space not exceeding 50 percent of the entire building. h. Showroom space. i. Repair and maintenance, excluding auto repair. (c) Accessory uses. Accessory uses in the BP district are as follows: (1) Off-street parking lots or facilities. (2) Private recreational facilities. (3) Public shelters and essential services. (4) Retail sales, provided the following conditions are met: a. The retail sales activity shall not be located in an administrative office facility, but shall be located within a business, the principal use of which is not commercial sales. b. The retail sales activity shall not occupy more than 15 percent of the gross floor area, or a maximum of 5,000 square feet of the occupied quarters, whichever is less. c. The retail sales activity shall be related and subordinate to the principal use. d. No sign identifying or promoting that retail sales occur within the building shall be visible from outside the building. e. Freestanding retail shops and stores shall be limited to those which complement other uses within the business park and provide a service to those other businesses, and shall not exceed 20,000 square feet in size. f. Retail/wholesale sales incidental to products manufactured, assembled, or warehoused on the premises may be permitted as an accessory use provided no more than ten percent of the building is used for retail/wholesale sales. (5) Therapeutic massage when offered within the confines of a medical or chiropractic clinic. (6) Temporary signs as permitted in section 30-851 et seq. (7) Permanent signs. (d) Conditional uses. Conditional uses in the BP district are as follows: (1) Conditional uses axe as follows: a. Warehouse space exceeding 50 percent of the total building floor area up to a maximum of 65 percent. b. Vocational, technical and trade schools. c. Loading areas/overhead doors when located in front yards. d. Aboveground storage tanks. e. Government buildings and facilities. £ Motor vehicle repair shops, provided that they meet the following conditions: 1. All repair services shall be conducted inside the building. 2. Merchandise shall be stored inside the building. 3. All damaged vehicles stored on the premises shall be stored within an area which is screened by a six-foot high 100 percent opaque fence constructed of factory finished metal or vinyl material. 4. The building shall comply with the material requirements of this section, and 30 percent of any building face and all overhead doors facing any public street shall be constructed of glass material. 5. No sales or display of merchandise outside the building. 6. 'The building shall be a minimum of 15,000 square feet. g. Governmental offices. (e) Additional rtandardr. The following additional standards apply in the BP district: (1) Loading spacer and overhead doors. a. Loading spaces/overhead doors shall be located in designated rear yards and secondarily in designated side yards. Loading areas/overhead doors shall not be located in designated front yards unless approved as a conditional use. b. Loading spaces and overhead doors shall be designed to be compatible with the principal building. Architectural techniques and landscaping shall be employed to reduce visual impacts from adjacent properties and roadways. (2) Dumprterr and refuse enclo.rure.r. a. All dumpsters shall be completely screened from public view by using enclosures constructed of similar material as the principal building. b. Refuse enclosures shall include gates and be located in designated rear or side yards. (3) Kooftop orground electrical equipment; .rign.r. a. All utility equipment shall either be: 1. Screened from the eye level view of adjoining properties by use of exterior walls and/or landscaping; 2. Painted to match or complement the building structures; or 3. Incorporated into an architectural design, as approved by the building and zoning administrator. b. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision II of division 5 of this article, the following requirements regarding signage shall be met: 1. All freestanding signage shall be of a monument style sign and have a maximum size of 64 square feet and height of eight feet. 2. One on-premises business wall sign per occupanry, not to exceed two square feet in sign area for each linear foot of the building frontage up to a maximum of 128 square feet per occupanry, is permitted. (4) Exterior building finisher. a. It is the intent of the city to promote and encourage high standards of creative architectural design in the bu"siness park district. b. In the business park zoning district, the following are acceptable building materials and finishes: 1. Brick. 2. Natural or cut stone. 3. Integrally colored split face (rock face), burnished, or glazed concrete masonry unit (excluding plain or painted). 4. Integrally colored and exposed aggregate precast concrete panels (excluding single-T or double-T panels, plain, uncolored, or raked finish) or specially designed, cast-in-place concrete. 5. Glass, architectural metal, fiberglass and aluminum, provided such panels are factory fabricated and finished with a durable nonfade surface and their fasteners are of acorrosion-resistant design. 6. Stucco, E.I.F.S., and other cementitious coating. 7. Wood, provided the surfaces are finished for exterior use or wood of proven exterior durability is used, such as cedar, redwood, and/or cypress. 8. Other materials determined as acceptable by the planning department. c. Major exterior surfaces that are adjacent to any public street, public trail/path, or adjacent residentially zoned properties shall be of one of the acceptable materials and shall be combined with at least 30 percent of one or more acceptable materials, or with 40 percent punched openings, with or without glass (or as much as allowed by the Uniform Building Code, whichever is less), neither of which are to be concentrated in any one location, unless to accentuate a design feature. Major exterior surfaces that are visible from but not adjacent to any public street, public trail/path, or adjacent residentially zoned properties shall be considered transition walls and may have less than the 30 percent combination or less than 40 percent punched openings, but either shall not be reduced to zero percent). Reductions below 20 percent shall require staff approval. Such walls shall be screened from view with additional landscaping. The requirement to have at least 30 percent of one or more acceptable materials shallnot apply to the loading dock wall. d. Major exterior surfaces that are adjacent to any public street, public trail/path, or adjacent residentially zoned properties shall not exceed 160 feet zero inches in length without a minimum four-foot depth change (recesses, protrusions, or a combination thereo~, with at least two feet of such change to be in the entire height of the facade. e. Alternatively, exterior wall surfaces are to be designed with architectural interest through multiple design techniques such as, but not limited to, architectural forms, reveals, textures, cornice detailing, changes in surface planes, color, punched openings and/or changes in parapet elevations. The use of design techniques alone or lower percentage of additional acceptable materials noted in subsection (e)(4)c of this section shall require site plan review and approval by the city planning commission. f. The building shall be designed so as to prevent the appearance of straight, unbroken lines in the horizontal and vertical surfaces. g. Main entrances shall be emphasized with a complementary material which is different from the primary building material. h. Garage doors shall have a color that matches or coordinates with the building's primary body color. i. The building shall be designed to screen equipment located on the roof of the building. Alternatively, such equipment shall be located in such a manner so that it cannot be seen from the adjacent public street, public path/trail, or adjacent residentially zoned property at the same elevation of the first floor of the building. (5) Landreaj~ing. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision N of division 5 of this article, the following requirements shall be met: a. Of the total number of overstory trees required, a minimum of 25 percent shall be ornamental trees and 25 percent shall be conifer trees. b. A landscaping credit of up to 25 percent may be given to a site plan which contains exterior sculptures, fountains, ponds beyond those required for storm drainage and other site enhancements as approved by the building and zoning administrator. c. Underground irrigation shall be installed within the front yard and all landscaped areas adjacent to a public right-of--way.