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4749 Old Highway 8 Variance Request April 20, 2005 Page 1 Item No: 5 Meeting Date: April 20, 2005 Type of Business: Public Hearing City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Mounds View Planning Commission From: Kristin Prososki, Planning Associate Item Title/Subject: Public Hearing and Consideration of a Request for a Variance to Reduce the Front Parking Setback to Zero at Ace Supply Company Located at 4749 Old Highway 8; Planning Case VR2005-003 Introduction: The applicant, Bruce Hasselbring, representing Ace Supply Company, is proposing to expand the parking area at the Ace Supply Company building located at 4749 Old Highway 8. The applicant is requesting to construct the parking lot up to the front property line, with no setback from the Old Highway 8 right-of-way. 4749 Old Highway 8 is zoned I-1, Industrial. The Zoning Code requires a forty (40) foot front setback for parking areas located in Industrial districts. Discussion: Setback requirements are addressed in Section 1104.01, Subd 4 of the Zoning Code. Industrially zoned properties are required to maintain a forty-foot front setback for parking areas. Industrial side and rear parking setbacks are five feet. The applicant is requesting a forty (40) foot variance from the front parking setback requirement. He is proposing to locate the parking lot directly on the lot line. If constructed as proposed, there would be no setback between the parking area and the Old Highway 8 right-of-way. As shown on the attached site plan, the applicant would like to add a one-way drive aisle and 13 angled parking spaces between the building and the front property line. Currently, that area is grass and does not contain any parking spaces. The applicant has indicated that he would like to add parking spaces due to a lack of parking provided on the rest of the site. Section 1121.13 of the Code would require that this site provide 112 parking spaces, based on the size of the building and the uses on the property. Currently, the site has 44 spaces, which is 68 spaces less than the required number. The applicant is proposing to remove 28 spaces near the back of the building and use the area for a drive aisle and then add 20 spaces that would be directly against the building, in addition to the 13 parking stalls that are being proposed at the front of the building. If constructed as proposed, the site would have 49 parking spaces, which is 5 more than are currently on the site. One Staff concern is that if approved, nearly the entire two-acre site would be covered with impervious surfaces, which would prevent water from permeating into the ground. The applicant submitted a drainage plan, which is being reviewed by the Public Works department. If the Planning Commission approves the setback variance, the approval will need to be contingent upon the Public Works department approving the drainage plan. Old Highway 8 is a County road and Staff has contacted Ramsey County to find out their opinion on allowing a parking area to directly abut the right-of-way. At the time this report was printed, Staff did not receive a reply from the County. If the variance is approved, it will also have to be contingent upon County approval.