08-24-11 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS, INC. 4800 Olson Memorial Highway, Suite 202, Golden Valley, MN 55422 Telephone: 763.231 .2555 Facsimile: 763. 231 .2561 planners(iilnacplanning.com MEMORANDUM TO: Little Canada Planning Commission FROM: Stephen Grittman DATE: August 5, 2011 RE: Little Canada — Zoning Ordinance Amendment — Storage and Shipping Containers in the I -P District FILE NO: 758.10 — 11.06 Background and Analysis With changes to the City's outdoor storage regulations over the past few years, the issue of shipping containers as storage has been discussed, primarily in relation to proposals in the 1 -1 District. The initial ordinance amendment in that district addressed a fixed number of containers that could be employed, eventually amended to create a ratio based on lot size. In addition, a number of specific performance standards were created to ensure that when such containers are used, they are regulated to avoid deterioration or other potential problems. The language in the 1 -1 District reads as follows: When storage or shipping containers are utilized, the following regulations shall apply: a. Containers shall be those manufactured expressly for the purpose of storing and /or shipping materials. b. No container, for the purpose of this ordinance, shall be greater than forty (40) feet in length, eight (8) feet in width, or eight and one half (8.5) feet in height. c. No more than one (1) such container may be allowed for each seven thousand five hundred (7,500) square feet of lot area. d. Containers shall not he stacked or arranged to exceed the eight and one -half (8.5) foot height. e. Containers shall he painted to match or be complementary in color to the principal building, and shall be maintained to avoid rusting or other visible deterioration of the container. f. There shall be no storage of' hazardous materials, as defined by the zoning ordinance Section 902 of this Ordinance, within any such container. 2