#13 - Stillwater School District Comp Plan Amendment & Rezoning

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6 ADJACENT OR AFFECTED JURISDICTIONS: The City must notify and allow any identified adjacent or affected government jurisdiction an ability to comment on Comprehensive Plan Amendment Requests for a 60 day period. City and Metropolitan Council staff established Washington County as the only adjacent or affected jurisdiction for this project. Washington County provided comments in the attached memo on the project, but did not oppose the Comprehensive Plan Amendment. PUBLIC HEARING: A public hearing was duly noticed for this item. The City’s Planning Commission held the public hearing at its regular meeting on February 12, 2024. Comments were made in writing and filed for the public record. Residents in attendance provided public testimony in support of both approval and denial of the School District’s requests. PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: The City’s Planning Commission heard staff’s presentation, asked questions of staff, held a public hearing, and discussed the item. An initial motion to recommend approval of the School District’s requests with staff's proposed conditions and findings of fact failed on a 2-3 vote for lack of a majority. A motion to recommend denial of the School District’s requests was adopted on a 3-2 vote. Findings articulated in the discussion of the motion to recommend denial included the following: 1. The Planning Commission had concern relating to amendment of the City’s MUSA boundary and found additional MUSA map amendments, and therefore the request for an extension of City sewer service, not to be in the best interests of the City. 2. The Planning Commission discussed concern relating to the proximity of the Oakdale Gun Club and conformance with Minnesota State Statute 87A relating to Gun Ranges, 3. The Planning Commission found that possible health or safety issues could be created by approving requests to allow an elementary school due to the location of the site near the Oakdale Gun Club. 4. The Planning Commission had concern for possible traffic impacts created if the City allows a school project on the site. 5. The Planning Commission had concern over the amount of tree loss that would result from development of the subject property with a new school facility. 6. The Planning Commission found that the relocation of the Lake Elmo Elementary School within the community would be a detriment to those with preference to the existing location. RECOMMENDATION: Comprehensive Plan Amendments require a 4/5 vote of the City Council to be approved. The City Council should weigh the recommendation of the Planning Commission, and the findings established during the Planning Commission’s 2/12/2024 meeting. It should determine whether to approve or deny the requests of the Stillwater Area Public School, and articulate findings accordingly.