10-26-2016 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

MINUTES CITY COUNCIL OCTOBER 26, 2016 that he is not trying to turn the property into a truck terminal or anything else, and was under the impression that he was in compliance. He stated Buck Blacktop has been on this property since the 1960's, and he has been with the company since the 1980's. His request is to continue operating the site as exists today. The City Administrator stated that City Staff does not go looking to pick on a business, and this is a matter of consistency and fairness to other businesses. Montour stated he wants businesses to be able to have outdoor storage, but there is stuff on this site that has probably been there since 1960, and he is not going to dictate neatness, but there is a lot of stuff that could be removed. Mr. Erdmanis stated he has started working on removing things from the site, and will continue to do so. The City Administrator stated that the City has tried to get the site to become more orderly, and it is difficult to determine how much outdoor storage was there initially, so we have not put any limitations on how much space Buck Blacktop uses. Torkelson asked if, for example, the tree trimmer rented an office, could they then have some outdoor storage. The Planner stated theoretically that would be possible. However, a new tenant would have to comply with the current I -P district rules, and based on how much outdoor storage space that is already used, there would not be any left to give another tenant. Mr. Erdmanis is concerned that his current operation is being compared to how it was 30 years ago, and he is asking for some flexibility. The City Planner stated that the staff report identifies three options, and option 2 is where Mr. Erdmanis would ask for an interim use permit and set a new baseline without worrying about what is grandfathered. He explained that the appeal simply would state whether staff was right or wrong in their determination, but maybe there is another path that should be taken. McGraw asked if during the 60 day timeline for the Council to decide, could Staff work with Mr. Erdmanis to see if there is a different route. Mr. Erdmanis is concerned that if a new list of allowances is given now, down the road things will change, and they would not comply anymore. Keis stated his initial thought right now is to deny the appeal. Fischer asked what happens if it is denied. The Associate Planner stated City Staff would do an inspection and the non -tenant occupants and aggregate materials on site would need to be removed. The City Planner stated if the appeal is denied, Mr. Erdmanis still has two options: to either comply or choose a different planning route. Montour asked does the Council want to approve the aggregate storage on the site and do they want to allow the non -tenant occupants to remain, and if not, this appeal should be denied. Mr. Erdmanis stated that having some aggregate stored in the yard is very important to his business. Fischer stated that he understands that businesses change over time, but the City needs to set some standards. 11