HomeMy WebLinkAbout06.11.96 Planning Packet
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AGENDA
PLANNING COMMISSION
REGULAR
JUNE l1, 1996
7:00 P.M.
1.
CALL TO ORDER
2.
APPROVE MINUTES
a.
b.
May 14, 1996 - Regular
May 28, 1996 - Special
2.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
a. 7:00 P.M. - Preliminary Plat of Farmington Industrial Park 2nd and
3rd Additions
b. 7:15 P.M. - Budget Oil Conditional Use - Car Wash
c. 7:30 P.M. - Rezone Lots 8 and 9, Block 17, Town of Farmington from
B-2 to R-2
d. 7:40 P.M. - Variance for Residential Building Permit for Property
with no Public Street Access
e. 7:50 P.M. - JIT Powder Coating Request for Driveway Width Variance
3. DISCUSSION
a) Schubert Outdoor Advertising Sign Permits
b) Metropolitan Livable Communities Act Action Plan
c) Request for Discussion on Driveway Width Variance
d) Review Tim Giles Proposal for Cameron Property
4 . ADJOURN
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AGENDA REPORT
PLANNING COMMISSION
REGULAR
JUNE l1, 1996
1.
Call to Order
2.
Approve Minutes
a.
b.
May 14, 1996 - Regular
May 28, 1996 - Special
3.
Public Hearings
· 7:00 P.M. - Preliminary Plat - Farmington Industrial Park 2nd and 3rd
The two plats are being presented by the HRA to provide expansion space for
existing industry, as well as to open more options for industrial uses looking
toward a move to Farmington. The reason for approving both plats is the HRA's
need for expansion options, the 2nd Addition, this summer. These plats are
different from others because the City Engineering staff is responsible for
engineering detail.
The main unresolved issue with both plats involves wetlands. The City's
Consulting Engineer has designed a complex NURP ponding system that uses a
sizable portion of the developable area. The City Engineer plans to meet with
representatives from the Soil and Water Conservation District to test a design
that would place NURP ponds in deteriorated wetlands on site. Because so much of
the plat involves flood plain, wetlands and proposed on-site ponding areas (which
need to be carefully delineated), a decision on the plat is not possible at the
present time.
Recommendation
Continue the hearing until June 25, 1996 when a more precise plan on water issues
can be presented.
. 7: 15 P.M. - Condi tional Use Request - Budget Oil Company Car Wash
Budget Oil Company has requested a conditional use to build a car wash on their
existing site on the east side of TH #3. The proposed automatic car wash
measures 24' x SO' and will be ten feet from the east property line and SO feet
from the proposed Larch Street.
City Code identifies car washes as conditional uses in B-1 Limited Business
Districts. Setbacks are as proposed by Budget Oil. The sign for this use is
identified on the enclosed site plan as split between the existing right of way
and right of way to be acquired as part of East Farmington 2nd Addition. In
order for the City to acquire the needed right of way, a small portion of the
triangle has been reserved by Budget Oil for a pylon identification sign. The
site plan indicates that the intended sign will be 49 square feet in surface area
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and 20 feet in height. This falls within the requirements of the City sign
ordinance. The only change that will be required is for the sign to be moved
into the triangle that Budget Mart will sell to the City.
The site plan also indicates a proposed canopy of the "proposed fueling center"
that will not meet setback requirements of the code when built. However, it does
meet the code currently and should be approved as a part of this conditional use
application. The existing canopy is separated from the right of way by only 4
feet. The new canopy, when built, will be 29 feet from the new right of way.
The only issue that needs to be addressed by the Commission is that the proposal
includes no landscaping. A recommended condition of approval would be for Budget
Oil to prepare and implement a landscaping plan that includes trees and shrubs to
help buffer the business use from adjoining residential uses. The areas that
need to be included are the unpaved panel between the new fueling center and
Larch Street, and the unpaved areas on both sides of the access to the car wash.
Recommendation
Approve the conditional use including future construction of a new fueling center
south of the existing building, subject to a revised placement of the sign and
the implementation of a landscape plan approved by the City Planner.
. 7:30 P.M. - Request to Rezone Lots 8 & 9, Block 17, Town of Farmington
from B-2 to R-2
This request was previously discussed and forwarded to the City Council with a
recommendation to approve. The hearing notice contained an error which directed
people to attend a City Council meeting rather than the Planning Commission. The
purpose of this discussion is to allow public input during the readvertised
hearing. The recommendation to approve has not changed since the people involved
still have housing that will be difficult to sell as legal non-conforming uses.
Recommendation
Forward the request to the City Council with a recommendation to approve.
. 7:40 P.M. - Variance Request to Obtain a Building Permit on Property
without Direct Access to a Public Street
The request from Maryann and Gary Zvanovec involves property west of Flagstaff
Avenue on which they wish to build a single family dwelling. The former owner,
James Schuhwerck, was able to transfer 40 acres of his 65 acre holdings to his
daughter and son-in-law without approval by the City. This creates a planning
problem for the City since there are now two properties rather than one which
have no access to a public street.
The zoning ordinance defines a lot as a parcel of land occupied or capable of
being occupied by one or more structures having principal frontage on a public
street and intended as a unit for transfer of ownership. This property has been
in the family for at least two generations and probably became landlocked when a
larger parcel was divided among heirs. It has been owned by Mr. Schuhwerck for
at least 26 years and used for growing crops during that time. since the
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property does not have frontage on a street, it is not considered to be a lot
and, therefore, does not qualify for a residential building permit.
Another problem associated with the site is the current driveway used for access
to an existing metal shed which is shown on the attached map. The driveway does
not fall within the easement which has been granted to the applicant. In
addition, the described access would require a bridge over the creek and would
travel for some distance through the flood plain. The proposed house site is
situated south of the existing shed in a grove of trees.
The major question for the Commission is to decide potential grounds for granting
a variance. The only other parcels of land with housing that are not served by
public streets have well defined easements for access which are not near a flood
plain. If hardship can be established, the Commission will need to know that the
house site will be out of the flood plain. The existing topography may be
helpful but, if not, questions about the use of this site must be evaluated by a
review of the City Flood Plain Ordinance.
Recommendation
Decide upon the grounds for granting a variance. If they exist, explore flood
plain issues.
. 7:50 P.M. - Variance Request from JIT Powder Coatings to Expand Loading
Dock Driveway
JIT Powder Coatings applied for and received an 8 foot variance for its loading
dock entrance when the building was first proposed. Staff attempted to minimize
the width, or amount of the variance, by tapering the opening at the street.
This approach worked for Lexington Standard, but the Lexington Standard docks
were further from the street right of way. In practice, the tapered openings at
JIT are continually being driven over by long trucks and the edge of the loading
area has become a mud hole during wet weather. The hardship in this application
is that the loading docks were placed too close to the street resulting in a need
for a 60 foot wide opening to the loading area rather than the 40 feet that
currently exists.
Recommendation
Approve the variance for a 60 foot wide opening since the existing 40 foot wide
entrance creates unnecessary problems for truck drivers and an unsightly loading
area for JIT.
4. Discussion
. Schubert Outdoor Advertising Sign Permits - South Side of CR 50 West of
Downtown
Schubert Outdoor Advertising and Tri-State Signs have billboards which will be
removed when County Road SO is improved. The current sign ordinance places
restrictions on spacing which may prevent the replacement of all four signs.
Schubert Outdoor Advertising has applied for two permits. Staff has notified
Tri-State, formerly Vogel Sign, and requested that they participate in the
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discussion. Dakota County Highway Department has provided locations of the
existing signs which can be used in evaluating the rights of both companies.
· Metropolitan Livable communities Act Action Plan for the Dakota County
Cluster and the Farmington Attachment
Both documents will be available for discussion at the meeting. The County
material is general in nature and extensive, whereas the brief Farmington
attachment focuses on rental housing needs. The Action Plan is due at the
Metropolitan Council by the end of June.
. Discussion of a Driveway that is 29' Wide at the Curb
Staff suggested an informal discussion of this request by the Commission since it
does not appear to be unique. The drawing suggests that a taper could be
workable between the property line and the curb of Essence Trail.
. Review of Tim Giles Proposal for West Half of Cameron Property
Tim Giles has not been to the office or discussed a revision to the proposed
subdivision layout presented during the last meeting. He did indicate when he
left the meeting that he wanted to discuss a revision very soon. If a revised
plan is presented, it will be reviewed prior to the meeting in preparation for
this discussion.
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Charles Tooker
City Planner
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