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LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES JANUARY 21, 1992 7 <br />The trucks are basically large delivery vans, appox, 15,000- <br />20,000 gross lb. vehicle weight. We would be happy with any <br />system that seems to have a rational basis and represents an <br />honest effect from the greenhouse on proportion of maintenance. <br />The Council wished to see additional landscaping higher on <br />the site and closer to the buildings which would breakup and <br />soften the visual impact of this facility, particularly from the <br />Regional Park. <br />Mayor Johnson noted this structure is 60,200 sq.ft. and is <br />the largest structure in the City. Each time we add to this we <br />establish a precedent in the Ag District. Johnson asked that the <br />Linders prove to him this facility would become invisible because <br />our comp plan and code states that we will preserve Ag land and <br />open spaces. In addition to plantings, he asked if there was a <br />way of making the plastic less reflective. <br />Councilman Johnson noted he didn't see greenhouse operations <br />as an ugly operation and considers the buildings as not a <br />permanent structure. He requests a condition that temporary <br />retail greenhouse structures will not be allowed to be put up on <br />site. <br />Councilman Williams explained when Phase I came in, he had <br />apprehensions about it primarily the visual impact from the Park <br />but you can also see it from 10th Street. There have been <br />concerns expressed publicly. Regardless of what Linders have <br />proposed right from the beginning as far as eventual expansion, <br />no one on the Council could conceive what it would be like <br />because they have never seen anything like it before. He <br />objected to the comment of changing the rules in the middle of <br />the game because now we have a better understanding of what this <br />is like. Councilmen Williams and Mottaz felt this operation was <br />more like a commercial operation than a farm field; therefore; <br />requires different criteria for mitigating its impact on the <br />environment. Along with the plantings, he would like to see <br />consideration of some berming. <br />Hoffman: We do have a problem with the suggestion with <br />additional screening. Linders have planted twice as many trees as <br />they were asked to do. If that was sufficient at the time, given <br />that Stage II was going to have a minimal impact in terms of <br />visibility from the park, this would be changing the rules in <br />midstream and felt it was unfair. As to additional plantings <br />along the edge of the gravel, the land is currently being used to <br />grow hay and the effective ability of the trees closer to the <br />building, increases the screening minimally by the time these <br />trees begin to grow compared to the trees that have grown <br />considerably at the edge of the property. <br />