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Item No: 5 Meeting Date: March 19, 2003 Type of Business: Discussion City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Mounds View Planning Commission From: James Ericson, Interim City Administrator Item Title/Subject: Review Changes to the Zoning Code Related to Pawnshops Introduction: As the Commission is aware, the City is in the process of amending it’s zoning and Business Code to allow for the regulation of Pawnshops in Mounds View. The City Council adopted an Interim ordinance on February 27, 2003 which directs the Planning Commission to review the zoning implications and to recommend applicable provisions. At he Commission’s last meeting on March 5, 2003, I indicated that a Planning Consultant was retained to assist with the development of the amendments. Attached is a first draft of the proposed zoning amendments. Discussion: The proposed amendments, attached as Exhibit 1, add definitions to the Zoning Code and identify which district such a use would be appropriate. Also contemplated by the draft language is whether the use would be considered a permitted or conditionally permitted use. As you can see from the attached language, the district identified for such a use is the B4, Regional Business District. The use is, at least thus far, is proposed as an permitted use. My initial reasoning why a Pawnshop could be considered a permitted use rather than conditionally permitted use is based on the requirements that will be addressed in Chapter 500 of the Municipal Code, which will address all of the specific licensing requirements. (That component of the ordinance is not yet ready for review.) The City Council would need to hold a public hearing regarding a requested Pawnshop license, a background investigation would be performed and staff would review any licensing requirements and conditions and provide such research to the City Council. It would seem redundant to require a public hearing for the license and then another public hearing for the use itself. Issues that will be addressed under the licensing provisions would include an annual license fee, a per-transaction fee, investigation fee, and all other operational requirements that reside outside the realm of zoning. Staff will be proposing the following fees relative to Pawnshops: o $2,500 annual fee o $500 investigation fee o $1.50 per transaction fee o $5,000 performance bond in force for the life of the operation