2006.06.08 PC Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Planning Commission Minutes — June 8, 2006 Page 2 Jim Faulkner introduced Mike Fleischhacker and Andy Faulkner, and he explained the tenants in the building under demolition were being relocated to the building in the adjacent parcel to the north owned by Chuck Lowell. Schumann encouraged clean-up of the site. Faulkner complimented staff and the thanked the Commission. Amendment to Hugo City Code, Chapter 320, for notice requirements The City continued the public hearing to consider an ordinance amendment to change the notification area to extend beyond the standard 300 feet in the rural areas of the City. The CDD provided an update to the Commission. At the May 11, 2006 meeting the Commission members discussed this issue and decided to table the subject. The CDD explained that notices were published in the White Bear Press (the City's legal publication) and sometimes in the Citizen newspaper, except for variances where notices are only sent to property owners within 350 feet. He informed the Commission that State Statute required notices be sent to property owners within 300 feet of the subject property but practice has been to use a 350 foot notification range. Staff had drafted a text amendment reflecting the 300 feet notification for urban areas and 1,350 feet notification for rural areas. Schumann opened the public hearing. There were no comments and Schumann closed the public hearing. Schumann recalled discussion at the last meeting on certified letters with return receipts and asked if staff found out what the cost to mail notices by certified mail would be. The CDD said it would be approximately $4.25 per letter. Rosenquist said the 350 feet notification area was easier for the staff to manage and he noted that in other jurisdictions, signs are posted on properties when there is a land use application. Schumann said complaints were usually about not receiving their notice, not being outside the notification range. The more contiguous the property is, the more the public seemed to find out about applications. Hoffbeck said she felt 350 feet seemed reasonable in town but not in the rural areas. There needed to be an alternative way to let people know in the rural areas and she agreed that signage would help citing large developments affect a lot of people. Schumann said the State's requirement of 300 feet must have been carefully thought out and people needed to rely on each other to communicate what is going on. He said he was comfortable with the ordinance as it was. Weidt liked the idea, in theory, of a larger notification area in the rural area, but in practice, it was not all that practical. Weidt made motion, Rosenquist seconded, to deny an ordinance amendment to change the public notice