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request to expand the greenhouse operations. After reviewing his future plans for the property, <br />City Staff recommended that Mr. Rowe apply for an amended' CUP that would establish a <br />maximum cap to the size of the operation. It is staff's opinion that operating under a building <br />coverage cap is more efficient than processing a CUP every time there is a need to expand some <br />aspect of the greenhouse facility. Since City Code restricts building coverage in the R-1 District <br />to 35% of the lot area, it seemed appropriate to use that rule as a cap to the size of the greenhouse <br />activities. The City Engineering Department has calculated that the ~eenhouse. facility is <br />currently at aPproximately 25% lot coverage, or 405,584 square feet in size. A cap of 35% <br />would allow up to 167,271 square feet of additional expansions to the facility. <br /> <br />Assistant Community Development Director Trudgeon advised staff also recommended that Mr. <br />Rowe plan for a perimeter buffer yard between his operation and surrounding residential <br />properties. City Code requires a 60 foot wide buffer yard between industrial and residential uses. <br />Mr. R. owe's site plan indicates that he will implement a 65 foot buffer yard around the perimeter <br />of the property. The City Engineering .Department has recommended that' the' applicant.obtain a <br />permit fi'om the Lower Rum River Water Management. Organization.to address the ultimate site <br />development. He advised staff recommends approval of the-amended conditional 'use permit. <br />The CUP has been drafted to require that all construction must comply with applicable City <br />codes and the Minnesota State' Building Code. The intent of this requirement is to ensure that <br />any buildings housing uses that are subject to the Building Code, would also have to go through <br />th'e site plan review and approval process at the City. <br /> <br />Chairperson Nixt questioned why a variance was not required in the past for the use that was not <br />permitted. . <br /> <br />Assistant Community Development Director Trudgeon replied the City apparently deten'nined <br />this was a legal non-conforming use and thought the best way to deal with it was through a <br />conditional use permit. The code previously allowed for uses not pen2itted under a particular <br />zoning district to be allowed through a conditional use permiL <br /> <br />Chairperson Nixt expressed concern of allowing a blanket expansion to the maXimuln limits <br />without at review process. <br /> <br />Assistant Community Development Director Trudgeon explained many of the buildings on this <br />site are green houses used for the nursery that in some sense can be considered temporary. <br />Expansions and additional buildings would require a site plan, although the ~eenhouses would <br />not require a thorough site plan review process. <br /> <br />Chairperson Nixt questioned how future.expansion will be handled. He stressed the need for the <br />property to come into code compliance at some point with future expansions. <br /> <br />Assistant Community Develop~nent Director Trudgeon replied there is serious discussion as to <br />what the calculated ston~ water ~nanagement fee would be. One of the purposes is to have the <br />information to better calculate what will be added. Stone calculations have been do.ne and staff <br />has a good base line. <br /> <br />Planning Commission/August 5, 2004 <br /> Page.9 of 40 <br /> <br /> <br />