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Saturn CUP Amendment Report <br />January 25, 2010 <br />Page 2 <br /> <br />due to various rules, such as being a minimum distance away from other car dealers. There <br />are some small auto manufacturers that want to begin selling their vehicles in the United <br />States, and Saturn of St. Paul may be able to add one of these brands to the Mounds View <br />location. If this were to work out, their plan would be to sell the new car brand along with the <br />used vehicles in the Motor Trend program. <br /> <br />The Rydell Group (St. Paul Saturn’s parent company) owns many dealerships in several <br />states. In the Twin Cities area, they also own the “Apple Auto Group” dealers in the south <br />metro. Their Apple Valley Ford locations in Apple Valley and Shakopee have both added the <br />Motor Trend program to their stores. Their website has information and a video about the <br />Motor Trend program (www.appleautos.com). Motor Trend’s program website address is <br />www.motortrendcertified.com. <br /> <br /> <br />CUP Considerations: <br />The City reviews and addresses a conditional use permit amendment just as a regular <br />conditional use permit. Chapter 1125 of the Zoning Code requires that the Planning <br />Commission review and address any potential adverse effects which include, but are not <br />limited to, relationship with the Comprehensive Plan, geographical area involved, potential <br />depreciation, the character of the surrounding area and the demonstrated need for such a <br />use. Each of these potential adverse effects is addressed below. <br /> <br />Relationship with the Comprehensive Plan. Saturn’s property is zoned B-3, Highway <br />Business. If the City approves the requested conditional use permit amendment, it would <br />remain in line with the “Highway Business” land use designation for this property. <br /> <br />The Location and Character of the Surrounding Area. Saturn is surrounded by Highway 10, <br />County Road H2, and the partially vacant lot owned by Multi-Tech. There is one business <br />(Vino & Stogies) and several residential properties across County Road H2 from this location <br />and across Highway 10 are the Taiko Japanese Restaurant, the former Premium Stop vacant <br />site, the self-serve car wash, and two other vacant commercial properties. The land directly <br />adjacent to the east is a partially vacant lot owned by Multi-Tech, which has a light industrial <br />PUD (Planned Unit Development) zoning designation. The proposed amendment should not <br />cause much change to the business as it currently exists and it should not negatively affect the <br />character of the surrounding area. <br /> <br />Depreciation. Since the surrounding area is mostly commercial and vacant land, the proposed <br />amendment should result in little, if any, adverse effect upon the surrounding area. This <br />amendment would not change the type of business operating here, only that they may not be <br />selling new cars here. When Saturn Development built this dealership, they planted pine trees <br />along County Road H2 as screening for the nearby residential properties. These trees are quite <br />tall now and provide much screening for the properties across the street. <br /> <br />The Demonstrated Need for Such a Use. Due to the discontinuation of the Saturn brand of <br />vehicles and the rules that prevent another existing new car brand to open in the Mounds View <br />location, force the owners of Saturn of St. Paul to change the type of vehicles they would be <br />selling in order to keep this location open.