Minutes - Planning Commission - 05/02/1995

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Motion carded. Voting Yes: Chairperson Bawden, Commissioners Holland, LaDue, Deemer, Hendriksen, Terry, and Thorud. Voting No: None. David Taus, President of Trend Scientific, gave a brief presentation about their business wherein they manufacture FDA regulated laboratory diagnostic and test kits for hospitals. Case #4: Request for Site Plan Review; Case of Kenko, Inc. City Engineer Jankowski reported that Kenko, Inc. is requesting site plan approval to construct an office building and a maintenance building on Lot 3, Block 1, HY-10 Ramsey 4th Addition, and Lot 2, Block 1, HY~10 Ramsey 3rd Addition. The office building is designed to front Armstrong Boulevard but access would be derived from 147th Avenue and Ferret Street. The buildings meet the setback requirements from Armstrong Boulevard, 147th Avenue, and Ferret Street. The office structure is a 2-story, 2,200 square foot building proposed to be constructed of rock or broken face concrete block. The maintenance building is 6,000 square feet with a 750 square foot mezzanine level and is proposed to be constructed of pre-cast concrete panels. The site plan proposes a landscaped berm along Armstrong Boulevard that wraps around the northeast corner of the site to screen equipment storage from traffic travelling south on Armstrong Boulevard. Screening consists of a combination of fencing and trees is proposed to screen equipment storage from 147th Avenue, Ferret Street, the driveway to the office building, and the adjacent lot to the east. The property will be secured with a chain link fence and trees along the fence line. As the maintenance area is going to service heavy equipment, they are proposing surfacing the western portion of the property with a gravel road because bituminous will not hold up with heavy equipment travel. There will be concrete curbing. Noting the gross floor area restriction for accessory buildings outlined in the City Staff review letter, Commissioner Deemer suggested an administrative moving of lot lines (thereby putting each building on a separate lot) would eliminate the need for a variance. Mr. Jankowski agreed that is an option, and suggested doing whatever would be the least cost to the applicant. Commissioner Hendriksen inquired whether the City should be looking at a wider road easement for 147th Avenue. Mr. Jankowski agreed it may be wise to keep their options open. Commissioner Deemer objected to taking the use of that property away unless the City is going to pay them for it. Mr. Jankowski questioned the applicant as to how critical the area in front of the building was and whether they could consider moving the fence back. James Brommer, representing Kenko, Inc., stated restrictions are being put on this property vicariously and he objected to needless restrictions. He questioned the purpose for the 20-foot setback for landscaping and then the fence behind that. He felt that all the setbacks were cutting down a 7-acre useable piece of property and making it unuseable. Mr. Jankowski stated that if the site plan were approved as presented and the need arose to expand the road seven feet, there would still be room but there would no longer be a 20-foot setback of green space to the fence. Commissioner Deemer reviewed the City Code and stated he could find no mention of the requirement of 20 feet of green space. Planning Commission/May 2, 1995 Page 5 of 7