01-13-00 Planning Comm. Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION JANUARY 13, 2000 ZONING CODE The Commission reviewed the City Planner's repot relative AMENDMENT- to the amendment of the Zoning Code regulating location and AUTO SALES number of motor vehicle sales lots within the City. The Planner LOTS pointed out that this issue arose as the result of the application by Valor Enterprises for an auto sales license in Ryan Industrial Park. The property that Valor Enterprises is proposing to occupy is located directly across the street from another business holding a license for a motor vehicles sales lot. The Code requires a 500- foot distance separation between auto sales lots. The Planner reported that staff has surveyed surrounding cities to determine their criteria for regulating auto sales lots, and found that each city addresses the issue in its own way. The City of White Bear Lake requires a minimum lot size of two acres and a building at least 20% of the lot size. They also have additional landscaping requirements. The City of Vadnais Heights allows used vehicle sales in conjunction with new car sales except that certain auto-related uses can have a license for used car sales with a limitation of not more than five vehicles for sale. The Planner explained the rational that the Council used in creating the separation requirement as well as placing the limitation on the number of licenses. The Planner also noted that auto sales and storage has continued to be an issue for the City, particularly in the industrial park. There is not much of an issue with this along Rice Street given the redevelopment potential in that area. The Planner reported that it is staff's opinion that because of the issues the City has with motor vehicle sales and the difficulty regulating these businesses, the recommendation is to make no changes to the ordinance at this time. Knudsen suggested a limitation on the number of vehicles similar to what Vadnais Heights does. The City Planner indicated that he was not sure that afive-car limitation would be adequate for Valor's needs. Carson pointed out that the City wanted to limit the number of used car dealers to four. The Planner agreed that the intention was to limit the number of dealers as well as avoid the clustering of these dealers in the same area.