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<br />explained staff has been working with the property owner to allow some flexibility with the <br />Interim Use Permit and finds the use compatible with the surrounding area. She stated the <br />applicant anticipates a combined attendance of approximately 175 people on Sunday mornings, <br />along with some evening activities a couple of days per week that will focus on kids or youth <br />groups, in the range of 15-30 people. She stated the existing tenants include a pizza delivery and <br />liquor store; as a result, the additional activities do not conflict with the existing businesses. She <br />stated current parking includes 137 stalls including eight handicapped stalls; under City Code, <br />places of assembly require one parking space for every three seats, therefore, a total of 59 parking <br />stalls would be needed and based on the submitted site layout, there are adequate parking stalls. <br />She indicated that remodeling of the interior of the building will be necessary to accommodate <br />this new tenant and due to the change in occupancy from Mercantile to Assembly, a fire <br />suppression system (sprinkling) is required; however, staff has been working with the applicant <br />and has reached a compromise with respect to the fire suppression requirement only if the <br />applicant is granted an Interim Use Permit for a period of three years versus the maximum of five <br />years. She added the City will require certain fire safety measures, which are yet to be <br />determined. She explained that staff cannot be specific at this time on what those measures will <br />be because staff is unfamiliar with the building. <br /> <br />Chairperson Nixt. requested clarification from staff regarding the time period restriction on the <br />Interim Use Permit as opposed to some occupancy limitation and how the three-year period <br />ameliorates those requirements. <br /> <br />Fire Chief Kapler explained if the letter of the Code were followed, this building and its intended <br />use should be sprinkled. He stated the church is in need of a temporary space in order to hold its <br />services and he and the Building Official worked hard with the applicant to accommodate their <br />request. He indicated the only comfort he has is the temporary nature of the request and it did <br />not appear to make sense to require the applicant to go to the expense of installing a fire <br />suppression system for a temporary use; as a result, certain fire safety measures will be required, <br />including the requirement that there will be little or no storage of combustibles on site and the <br />layout of the building has been compartmentalized. He stated he and the Building Official feel <br />this is a reasonable compromise and noted that at the end of the three-year term of the Interim <br />Use Permit, there will be a full staff review of the use. <br /> <br />Commissioner VanScoy asked about emergency exits. <br /> <br />Fire Chief Kapler replied the required number of emergency exits will be determined by and <br />meet the Building Code and stated all doors inside the building will have electronic locks. <br /> <br />Citizen Input <br /> <br />Mr. Joel Buttenhoff, partner with Rum River Retail Ventures, and Mr. Eric Henry, representative <br />with Hope Fellowship of Ramsey, appeared before the Planning Commission. <br /> <br />Chairperson Nixt asked the applicant if the proposed three-year term of the Interim Use Permit <br />was acceptable to them. <br /> <br />Planning Commission/October 2, 2008 <br />Page 3 of 15 <br />