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LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES MAY 1, 1990 PAGE 4 Council a recommendation by December 5th which the Commission had not been able to do. The staff suggested to Mr. Salus to change his application from the Large Lot Subdivision and Rezoning to a Conditional Use Permit (refer to Section 301.060D, Page 302-21 of the Municipal Code). The PZ held a public hearing on this amended request for a C.U.P. which included a minature golf course at its April 23rd meeting where one person opposed the proposal and three persons supported it. The PZ tabled the action until its May 14th meeting. Mr. Salus indicated he would remove the request for the minature golf course, and asked to be placed on this Council agenda to obtain a consensus, one way or the other, from the Council on the golf driving range. Mayor Dunn noted for the record the Council received a letter from Robert Engstrom Companies requesting that the application be denied. (See letter 4/27/90 from Robert E. Engstrom) Administrator Kueffner suggested downzoning the property to Ag with a C.U.P. This application could be treated similarly to H. Springborns' application which was commercial recreation of a rural nature. Mr. Salus was willing to be downzoned to Ag. Mayor Dunn indicated she had no problem with the golf driving range. Councilman Graves indicated he had no problem with a golf driving range or the minature golf course. Infact, he felt it would be a nice addition to the community. Councilwoman Armstrong stated she had no problem with the golf driving range, but felt the minature golf course was too much for the area. The golf driving range retains the open space of the land, and it is surrounded by business, such as, Cimarron, Trans -City Investments, and the Drive -In Theater This would not be a detriment to the neighborhood. Armstrong suggested the parking area be dropped down below the berm next to the road so the cars were not seen. Councilman Hunt had a problem with a C.U.P. for this use in a Rural Residential area and felt it would be a dangerous precedent to start allowing C.U.P.'s of any type in a RR area. We do allow uses in Ag with a C.U.P. that would fit this recreation of a rural use, but felt the minature golf was an intense use. A golf driving range would not destroy the neighborhood. Councilman Williams felt this use was a commercial use in a residential area, and the Council has tried to very carefully define where commercial uses should go in our City. One of the areas is just south of this property and along the I-94 corridor. The Council needs to look at the overall proper planning for the City and decide if this is a use which belongs in a residential area or should this use go in a predominantly commercial area. Because there are residences already in the neighborhood and a new development is being built across the street, this is not an appropriate use for a residential area and