11-28-2001 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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NOV -21 -2001 15:08 NRC 612 595 9837 P.08/09 H4ttb*Wt$T ASSOCIatt* tO$$Ut7Aw'Ix3 4N t. 5775 Wayzata Boulevard, Suite 555, St. Louis Park, MN 55416 Telephone: 952.595.9836 Facsimile: 952.595.9837 planners @nacplannfng.com MEMORANDUM TO: Little Canada Mayor and City Council FROM: Stephen Grittman DATE: November 21, 2001 RE: Little Canada - Industrial Area Moratorium Study FILE NO: 758.10 - 01.07 The Planning Commission discussed the planning study of the industrial area and the B -W zoning changes at its November meeting. The majority of the discussion centered on development standards in the area. There was some consensus that the land uses in the area should be oriented toward commercial office space, with showroom retailing an additional option. Industrial uses were less favored, but would be considered acceptable if the site planning and architecture of the buildings was of higher end design. Outdoor storage, and uses similar to the Knox facility should be discouraged. There was also some discussion of a campus -type office development for the area. Planning staff expects to develop some draft amendment language affecting the B -W District, the l -P District, and the PUD District for formal consideration as a part of the December planning agenda cycle. In the interim, it is staff's understanding that Boise Cascade has expressed a strong interest in the Knox site, including a belief that they would be allowed as a continuation of the Knox use of the property. This position would be based on the claim that even if zoning changes made Knox non - conforming, they would be continuing the same use under the lawful non - conforming clause of the Zoning Ordinance. Staff is taking a different view, based on an assumption that the City intends to discontinue this type of site development, as reflected in the Planning Commission's discussion. Knox was a retail facility, and was designed to accommodate retail traffic, including retail customers and parking demands. The 8 -W District was established to encourage some commercial use of the area, with the understanding that retail traffic from one enterprise was beneficial to others in the district. Boise Cascade, on the other hand, would not operate a retail facility. The elimination of both the intensive employment and retail trade traffic to the area could have a negative impact on the operation of other retail facilities in the district. As a result, staff believes Page 23