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7.01: Public Hearing: Consider Request for a Home Occupation Permit at 6131 Green <br />Valley Road NW (Project No. 22-118); Case of J. Hill Container Company <br />Public Hearing <br />Chairperson Bauer called the public hearing to order at 7:05 p.m. <br />Presentation <br />City Planner McCann presented the staff report stating that staff recommends that the Commission <br />recommend denial of the requested Home Occupation Permit. The proposal exceeds the standards <br />set in Ordinance #22-06 regarding allowed number of employees and the “dispatch center” nature <br />of the business. <br /> <br />Commissioner Walker asked the definition of dispatch center by the City. <br /> <br />City Planner McCann reviewed the definition within City Code. <br /> <br />Commissioner Walker stated that at the last meeting a Home Occupation Permit was approved for <br />a food truck and asked how that would be different than this box truck leaving the site to make <br />deliveries. <br /> <br />City Planner McCann replied that the proposed items for the food truck would be stored inside <br />whereas these items would be stored outside. He stated that the food truck would leave the site <br />Friday and return on Sunday (two round trips per week), whereas this request would generate many <br />more daily trips. <br /> <br />Senior Planner Anderson stated that in the case of the food truck, everyone resides onsite whereas <br />with this request there would be employees that do not live onsite coming to the site to transport <br />materials offsite. <br /> <br />Citizen Input <br />Jeff Hillman, applicant, stated that the use of dispatch center seems weird to him as it is not used <br />as a dispatch center but is used as more of a warehouse. He commented that there is not a business <br />being run out of the site at this time but there are boxes and raw materials stored onsite. He stated <br />that his driver drops off or picks up items to bring to the other location in Elk River. He stated <br />that he has had his company for over 15 years and has been able to grow the company from a small <br />part-time business in a small garage to a full-time business. He commented that it is a difficult <br />business to grow, which is maybe why it is not that familiar. He stated that this property was ideal <br />because of the space. He stated that the business is not operating out of the site, but he does store <br />overflow material on the property. He commented that he is unfamiliar with the process of the <br />applicationand therefore projected future growth on the application. He stated that currently there <br />is one full-time employee but, on the application,he checked up to four as perhaps he would need <br />more employees in the future. He stated that when he purchased the property from the previous <br />owner, the seller stated that his desire was to sell the property to a small business owner and <br />Planning Commission/ April 28, 2022 <br />Page 3 of 20 <br /> <br />