03-13-08 Council Workshop Minutes

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MINUTES CITY COUNCIL MARCH 13, 2008 it has been experiencing with auto repair businesses. Keis also felt that putting a limit on these licenses creates some artificial competition, and it was his position that the market will support a viable number of auto repair licenses without the City needing to legislate that number. Rossow asked if the City planned to limit the number of roofing companies operating in the City noting the outdoor storage problems with some of these existing businesses. Rossow pointed out that an auto repair business does not make money unless it moves vehicles through. Rossow felt it was up to the Ryan Industrial Park property owners to make the area look better. He noted that he gets a lot of interest from auto repair businesses looking to lease space. Rossow suggested there will be a waiting list of auto repair businesses should the City put a limit on the number of licenses it will issue. Bruce Kath suggested that the City not place the limit on auto repair licenses, or any licenses, and that property owners take responsibility for cleaning up their properties. Kath agreed with earlier comments that the market will dictate the number of viable licenses and that the tighter Code standards will regulate outdoor storage more appropriately. Roger Stanke felt that the limit of 8 licenses proposed in the ordinance amendment was not enough. Knudsen commented that the limit of 8 licenses may be somewhat arbitrary, but felt that more diversity of business in the I-1 District would be a good thing. The City Administrator estimated that there are currently 10 major auto repair businesses in Ryan Industrial Park, and there are a total of about 18 in the City. The Administrator asked if the interest that Lee Rossow gets fiom auto repair businesses was for major auto body repair or major auto engine repair. Rossow reported that the ones interested in major auto body repair typically cannot afford to install a paint booth. Therefore, the more serious interest is for major auto engine repair. Rossow felt that the Code provision that does not allow unlicensed autos to be stored outside was a good thing, and something that property owners can enforce with their tenants. Rossow again stated that he felt the property owners should be policing their own properties. After lengthy discussion of what would be the proper limit for the number of major auto repair licenses, the consensus of the Council was 12 in the I-1 Zoning District. The City Planner noted that major auto repair is an allowed use only in the I-1 District, and again the ordinance amendment would make it a conditional use.