07-13-11 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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ADDENDUM A CITY OF LITTLE CANADA, MN MAY 23, 2011 Question 2 on the "CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT OR PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION FILING REQUIREMENTS" The intended use of the property at 3213 Country Drive, Little Canada is basically the same use that it has been operating under for many years. Distribution and re- manufacturing of wood products. We have been renting space and services from Drywall Supply since August 2010. We currently are storing lumber both inside and outside at this location. Our primary business at this location would be; 1). The unloading of railcars for lumber products (we also would be receiving some truckloads), 2). Storage of lumber products (inside and outside), 3). Remanufacturing lumber products (primarily cutting to length and splitting) and 4). Reloading trucks for delivery to customers In the upper Midwest. The lumber we receive comes in packages typically 33" high and range from 2 foot wide to 16' wide. We would ideally like to store the units five high, which is between 13 -14 feet tall. Some material will come in paper wrapped and the majority will not be wrapped. This location is important to us as it is located between our plants in Maple Grove, Minnesota and Knapp Wisconsin. A. How this operation would contribute to the public welfare would be to utilize this facility (which has significant soil issues which would make it difficult to build on) for a business purpose which it has consistently been used for many years. In addition, lumber packages store neatly and are generally uniform in height and depth. While outside storage is not the most desirable use of land in many cases, in this location, it serves the community well. We will start out by employing approximately five people (full time) and would project to grow this to 15 -20 (full time positions) over the coming three years. We currently employ approximately 80 people at our two existing locations. Even during these tough economic times, we did not have any layoffs and actually hired approximately twenty new positions in the last two years alone. Our Company has been very stable over the long term. 1 also did have a conversation with Jim Lee who sent me the Lumber yards outside storage of finished lumber products Minnesota 2007 State Fire Code Section 1909 which we would be easily be in compliance with (See attached Addendum B). B. We do not believe this PUD would injure or detract from the use of neighboring property or from the character of the neighborhood in any way. To our knowledge, there have been no complaints from neighbors and this type of business has been in this community at this location for many years. This facility Is well screened from all sides (see attached pictures). The entire north side of the property, which is really the only visible public portion is well screened by the existing buildings (22 to 26 feet tall) and the slope of the property actually drops nine feet from the north side to the south side. Current lumber storage that is on the site is not easily seen from street level and also well screened even from the elevated freeway level. C. This PUD we believe would have no effect on public facilities such as streets, sewers, waterlines, schools or parks. 4