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Mounds View Planning Commission June 7, 2006 Regular Meeting Page 16 ________________________________________________________________________ E. DE2006-002. Development Review for an Expansion to Midwest Motor Express building, Midwest Motor Express. Planning Associate Heller informed the Commission that the applicant and property owner of Midwest Motor Express is requesting a development review for a proposed 10,500 square foot building addition to be added onto the north side of the existing building at 2169 Mustang Drive. This expansion would help the company continue to be competitive in their market and streamline their current processes. Midwest Motor Express provides direct trucking services to 13 states in the Midwest and western United States. The Midwest Motor Express property is zoned Industrial with motor freight terminals being allowed as a conditional use. With the expansion, they expect to hire about eight to ten new employees consisting of drivers, dockworkers and office personnel. The building was constructed in 1974 as a trucking terminal, and was expanded once in 1994 by 3,500 square feet along with surfacing approximately 90,000 square feet. The building is currently 19,000 square feet and the site also includes a 3-bay repair garage on the west side of the building. Midwest Motor Express would like to add a 70’x150’ expansion to the north end of the building. This expansion would consist of warehouse space and an additional 24- dock doors (12 on each side of the building). They are not expanding the building in anticipation of additional business, instead, they want to perform their dock operations more efficiently and productively. Additional truck traffic after the expansion is not anticipated. This property is zoned Industrial and is just over eight acres in size. The Comprehensive Plan designates the current and future land use specifically as “Heavy Industrial.” According to the City’s parking code requirements, this facility would be required to provide parking according to the following schedule: at least eight spaces plus one space for each two employees on each shift based on maximum planned employment; or at a minimum, at least eight spaces plus one space for each five hundred square feet of floor space. At maximum expansion, this would result in the need to provide a total of 67 parking stalls when based on the total square footage of the building. There are currently about 40 marked parking spaces in the front of the building. More than enough space for parking exists at this facility since much of the site is paved. Staff is confident the site can support any parking needed. Planning Associate Heller advised that none of the setbacks would be changing except the rear of the building would be moved to within 225 feet of the north property line. This setback is much greater than the minimum requirement in an industrial district of 40 feet when abutting a residential area. Townsedge Manufactured Home Park abuts Midwest Motor Express on the north side. There is a grassy area with a berm and trees at the north end of the property separating Midwest Motor Express’ property from Townsedge. Staff feels that a building setback of 225 feet plus the vegetative separation between the properties should be an adequate buffer for the residential area.