11-24-2004 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS, INC. 4000 OFson Mem erne Hiyhw y, Suite 202, Golder: Valley, MN 554.w2 Telephone: 763.231.2655 Faced ile: 753.221.2564 pr0rners@Th schlantling.roan MEMORANDUM TO: Little Canada Planning Commission FROM: Stephen Grittman DATE: November 11, 2004 RE: Little Canada — Fuhrman /Russell PUD Permit for Retail /Office Use FILE NO: 758.09 - 04.33 Background and Analysis The applicants are seeking approval of a permit to occupy a portion of the Market Square Town Offices. This project was approved as a PUD with the requirement that the occupants of the office space would be office in nature, without retail sales. The parking calculations were developed specifically for office use — retail would be expected to generate a higher parking demand which could raise issues with overflow parking onto the adjacent streets. The applicants operate a business that has a number of different aspects, including clothing, greeting card, and gift design, custom jewelry design, and office uses. The applicants indicate that the majority of their product design is licensed to others for manufacture and sale off -site. This aspect of the business would appear to be a common office function, within the allowances of the PUD approved for the Market Square Town Office project. The use issue is raised with the custom jewelry design aspect of the business. For this business, the applicants would create jewelry and sell it to clients on an appointment basis. They indicate that they would not advertise for general retail jewelry sales. In order to approve the PUD permit, the City would need to find that the proposed use is essentially office in nature, and that the retail transaction aspect of the business would not change the nature of the office project, nor create an undue demand on parking or public services. As it has been described by the applicants, the business would appear to be low 'aluma, and would not be expected to cause excessive parking demand. As the ',;licants note in their application letter, the "appointment -only' sales would be similar