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• FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -11- July 28, 2004 Proposed ordinance providing for the addition of rental storage space as an Interim Use in B-3 Zone (continued from July 14, 2004) Council member Talbot said that if 80% of the storage is not sprinklered, wouldn't TIES' insurance company increase their premium rates? How much potential revenue would be offset by increased insurance rates? The two members of the Planning Commission who voted yes didn't have clear or pressing reasons. They wanted to wait for more time and more information. He supports the Planning Commission's recommendation. Council member Kuettel said that TIES has all of this storage and in their mind they think they should store things there. Unfortunately, the location is the City's downtown. The City has code already in place that doesn't accommodate this storage. She is stuck between using, not using. These are storage buildings. She is prepared to vote tonight. Mayor Gehrz said that zoning is the major tool that cities have to protect the investments of people in private and commercial property. That zoning is sacred and an important obligation that the City has. It means there are carefully thought out laws determining what's appropriate within the City. The process includes staff, the Planning Commission, City Council and residents in the development of the Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan then goes to the Met Council for their review and approval. Cities take zoning responsibilities very seriously and that is appropriate. We should do that. Some of the issues that concern her about this request: Right now it can sound not that bad, particularly if tighter controls were put in place and it did not compromise things too seriously. However, what can happen when you make a zoning change, and we have heard this concern expressed by a couple of the residents who attended the Planning Commission meeting, is what she would call mission creep. TIES is not always going to own that building. Things change when you get the camel's nose under the tent. Then there's the next owner, and the next City Council, and the next Planning Commission. Precedent is important and that camel's nose under the tent is important. She understands TIES' intent, what they are trying to do and accomplish, and can appreciate that. With many of our businesses, it isn't unusual for them or our residents to come in with a plan to improve their property or increase their business revenue. The only protections the City has for the other residents and businesses from those glorious ideas are zoning codes and how they are enforced. Right now it sounds fairly limited. What starts out seeming to be tightly controlled doesn't always stay that way. We would not be protecting our property owners, residential and commercial, by overturning the recommendations of the Planning Commission. Their recommendation was well thought out. Enforcement would be a difficult issue, maybe not so much right now but as this moves on. She would not be in favor of overturning the Planning Commission's recommendation. Council member Lindstrom said that with regard to the camel's nose under the tent, the residents on Hollywood Court know all about that with the State Fair. One year it's the MSRA. The next year it's an auto show.