Laserfiche WebLink
NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS, INC. <br />4800 Olson Memorial Highway, Suite 202, Golden Valley, MN 55422 <br />Telephone: 763.231 .2555 Facsimile: 763.231 .2561 planners @nacplanning.com <br />MEMORANDUM <br />TO: Little Canada Planning Commission <br />FROM: Stephen Grittman /Michelle Barness <br />DATE: March 3, 2014 <br />RE: Little Canada — Stockness Outdoor Storage Variance & I -P District <br />Rezoning Request (3065 Spruce St.) <br />FILE NO: 758.09 — 14.02 <br />BACKGROUND <br />Dan Stockness is requesting a variance to allow outdoor storage areas exceeding the amount <br />permitted by the I -P, Industrial Park District, for his property located at 3065 Spruce St. within <br />the Ryan Industrial Park. In the alternative, Mr. Stockness is requesting that the City consider <br />rezoning the property to 1 -1, Light Industrial District, so that the site's current outdoor storage <br />coverage will be in conformance with City standards. <br />Outdoor storage in both the I -P and 1 -1 industrial districts requires approval of a conditional use <br />permit and the provision of an outdoor storage license from the City. Once an outdoor storage <br />license is provided, the City requires annual inspection of the subject property to verify that <br />conditional use criteria for the outdoor storage use continue to be met. The City visited the <br />subject property in 2013 and discovered that outdoor storage significantly exceeded that <br />allowed. The I -P District requires that outdoor storage areas not exceed 25% of the gross floor <br />area of the principal structure or 10% of the lot area. <br />The building on the subject property is approximately 20,000 square feet in area, and the lot is <br />approximately 84,000 square feet in area, in which case outdoor storage on the site should not <br />exceed 5,000 square feet (25% of the floor area of the principal structure). Currently the site <br />contains approximately 35,000 square feet of outdoor storage, which is 1 % times the size of <br />the principal structure (or 150% of gross floor area), and approximately 42% of the total lot <br />area. <br />Following the site visit the City indicated to the applicant that an outdoor storage license for the <br />property would not be renewed until outdoor storage is reduced below the maximum allowed in <br />