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Item No: 06B Meeting Date: March 5, 2007 Type of Business: Planning Commission City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Mounds View Planning Commission From: Desaree M. Crane, Assistant to the City Administrator Item Title/Subject: Mounds View Planning Commission Resolution No. 860-07, a Resolution Recommending Approval of an Amendment to Chapter 1102 of the Mounds View Zoning Code to Define “Health and Beauty Services” Staff received a phone call from a Kari Murlowski, who would like to conduct alternative wellness at Mounds View Square. Some of the therapies she would conduct include, Healing Touch and Aromatherapy. The techniques, according to Ms. Murlowski require that her clients are fully clothed. Ms Murlowski is not a massage therapist and has no training in massage therapy. Her training is in Health Healing, Aromatherapy, and Raindrop Therapy at the Center for Aromatherapy Research Education (CARE). Alternative Wellness Centers are not regulated by the State, and are not currently covered under the City Code in business licensing. Since this type of business is not State regulated, Staff was directed by City Council to see what other cities are doing to regulate this type of business to include asking the League of Minnesota Cities for information and guidance on the issue. Staff received responses from the cities of Minneapolis, St. Paul, Coon Rapids, Blaine, Arden Hills, Roseville, and the League of Minnesota Cities. Unfortunately, these cities had no information, ordinances or anything in their code regulating this type of business. Staff also spoke to the League, and they also had no information to give us relating to this type of business or anything relating to Alternative Wellness. Since there was no information available, Staff researched the Mounds View City Code pertaining to Zoning. Mounds View Square is in the B-4 Zoning District. Permitted uses in this district include Health and Beauty Services. An argument could be made that Alternative Wellness could be allowed in our City Zoning Code under Health and Beauty Services. However, Health and Beauty Services are not defined in our City Code. Staff spoke with the City Attorney, and it was the City Attorney’s recommendation that we define Health and Beauty Services in our Zoning Code to include information on Alternative Wellness. The City Council concurred with the City Attorney. Staff, with the help and guidance of the City Attorney, drafted a definition for Health and Beauty Services. “Health and Beauty Services: Services performed for the purpose of promoting and maintaining personal health and beauty, including hair salons, fingernail salons, nutrition and diet centers, meditation and yoga clinics, Spa Treatments (such as Facials, Body Wrap Treatments, and Chemical Peels) and Alternative Wellness services (including such activities as Aromatherapy, Acupuncture and Hypnosis) and the like, excluding therapeutic massage or other businesses otherwise defined or regulated by this Code.”