04-27-2005 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS, INC. 4500 0;5o? P✓teto or ai 611ghvva'v, Guise 202, Golden 'VatEey, MN 55422 Telephone; 763,231.2555 F irri He: 703,231.2551 O ennerciain ac planing. com MEMORANDUM TO: Little Canada Planning Commission FROM: Stephen Grittman DATE: April 12 , 2005 RE: Little Canada — Hillcrest Development Subdvision FILE NO: 758.09 - 05.09 Background and Analysis Hillcrest Development is the owner of a parcel of land at the corner of Country Drive and Spruce Street. The parcel is approximately 130,000 square feet in area, (2.98 acres) and is occupied by a billboard advertising sign in the northwest corner of the site. South of this site is another industrial site, until recently occupied by Orius, a communications contractor. The applicant is seeking a plat that would create three lots out of the current two parcels. The billboard site, at 40,004 square feet , would constitute Lot 1. The middle site (currently unoccupied) at 89,594 square feet, would constitute Lot 2. The former Orius site is the third lot of the plat. The proposed project also includes a stormwater pond in the northwest corner of the site that would serve development on both of the northerly parcels. The applicant has provided a concept development plan that illustrates how construction might occur on the two parcels. The larger of the two shows a 32,000 square foot industrial /warehouse building and 48 parking spaces. The smaller lot (the lot currently occupied by the billboard) shows a 10,500 square foot building. If this latter building were to be constructed, the billboard would be removed. The site plan and plat demonstrate that all requirements of the I -P, Industrial Park zoning district can be met, with regard to lot size, frontage, and setbacks. Parking would be evaluated at the time of actual construction, based on the proposed uses in the building. One potential issue involves the existence of the billboard. The current zoning ordinance defines such signs as prohibited, and all existing billboards are non- conforming uses. The intent of the zoning ordinance is that non - conformities eventually be removed. In addition, the ordinance provides that no expansion or intensification of