2021.04.05 CC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Agenda Number: G.7 CITY OF HUGO PLANNING AND ZONING APPLICATION STAFF REPORT TO: Bryan Bear, City Administrator FROM: Emily Weber, Community Development Assistant SUBJECT: Xcel Energy: 414 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55401 – Variance and CUP Amendment for site located at 13620 Fenway Boulevard North DATE: March 31, 2021 for the City Council meeting of April 5, 2021 ZONING: Business Park (BP) LAND USE: Business Park (BP) 60-DAY REVIEW DEADLINE: April 30, 2021 1. PLANNING COMMISSION UPDATE: At its March 25, 2021 meeting, the Hugo Planning Commission held a public hearing and considered the variance and CUP Amendment request. There were no residents who spoke during the public hearing. The Planning Commission generally agreed that Xcel Energy training facility has been a benefit to the City of Hugo and did not think that the variance would noticeably alter the character of the site. The Planning Commission found that the applications meet all requirements necessary for approval and they unanimously approved the applications for Xcel Energy, subject to the conditions in the resolution. 2. BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION OF REQUEST: Xcel Energy currently owns and operates a training facility on property within the Bald Eagle Industrial Park. The site plan and conditional use permit were originally reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission and City Council in 2012 and later amended in 2017 to include a 12,000 square foot building addition. The overall site is used to train many different electric and gas utility operational disciplines, including electric distribution, substation, and gas distribution. The addition is used for indoor training exercises to compliment the electric and gas field training. The large open area of the site is utilized for hands-on training such as breaker maintenance, smaller transformers, load tap changers, direct transfer trip schemes and relay packages.