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Community Development Director Frolik stated that the question becomes is the City placing <br />undue hardship on small businesses in the commercial district by allowing other small businesses <br />to operate out of their garages. <br /> <br />Mayor Gamec noted that he had a discussion with a business owner that could move his <br />equipment into a building on his 10-acre parcel and it would save him the $50,000 in commercial <br />property tax he pays each year. <br /> <br />Counci hnember Elvig stated that the question is they setting up to have manufacturing plants on <br />their large lots throughout the community by changing the ordinance. <br /> <br />Councihnember Pearson inquired if there were any restrictions on the size of the accessory <br />structure. <br /> <br />Community Development Director Frolik explained that City Code allow for a 5,000 square foot <br />accessory structm'e on ten acres. <br /> <br />Councilmember Cook noted that the ordinance would still require a home occupation permit that <br />would have to be approved by the City Council. <br /> <br />Mayor Gamec stated that he did not think that a business in a principal structure, such as a hair <br />salon, should have employees. <br /> <br />Community Development Director Frolik noted that Councilmember Kurak forwarded her <br />comments to staff regarding the ordinance which were as follows: Ms. Kurak was not <br />corn tbrtable with terms and phrases "reasonable" and "as determined by City Council." In Subd. <br />4a it was her opinion that if there is not a home on the property where the business is occurring <br />the owner should be in close proximity. The owner of the business should not be absent. Ms. <br />Kurak felt that there should be no non-residential employees permitted. <br /> <br />Councihnember Cook stated that the City already has people that are working on their properties, <br />which the City is ignoring, but someone who wants to sell their property for business purposes is <br />being told they cannot do so. He questioned how the City is going to handle those situations that <br />already exist. <br /> <br />Mayor Gamec replied that they would be grandfathered in. <br /> <br />Associate Planner Wald replied that they could not be grandfathered in because City Code <br />currently does not allow for such activity. <br /> <br />Councilmember Elvig stated that his main concern has to do with the amount of employees and <br />the amount of traffic. He thought the number of employees being proposed was too high. <br /> <br />Councilmember Strommen stated that the ordinance language states that the business shall not <br />generate "excessive vehicular traffic", but who determines what is excessive. <br /> <br />City Council Work Session/November 3, 2003 <br /> Page 10 of 13 <br /> <br /> <br />