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The applicant came forward and shared that before purchasing the property he came to both <br /> Ramsey and Elk River and had asked what lot in these areas would allow him to run his business. <br /> He said a gentleman had shown him the property which he currently owns which was not up for <br /> sale at the time; however, he spoke to the property owner who was willing to sell it to him. He <br /> stated he started the business and after a few months, he found out he was not able to run his <br /> business on the Ramsey side, which is when they started the annexation process. He added that <br /> City Planner Chris Anderson is the person who suggested this annexation in the first place. <br /> Councilmember Woestehoff asked if there was a reason that they preferred Elk River over Ramsey <br /> or if the reverse would be acceptable if they changed the zoning in this area to allow the business. <br /> The applicant stated that Ramsey has a lot of restrictions and does not allow the business to be run. <br /> He explained that he would have to put asphalt or concrete throughout the entire property. He <br /> added that he also spoke with Elk River and because the only entrance and exit to the property is <br /> on the Elk River side, that is why having the whole property in Elk River was suggested. <br /> Councilmember Woestehoff said if they were to annex the Elk River portion to Ramsey then the <br /> entrance and exit to the property would be on Jarvis in Ramsey, so this is a non-exclusive point. <br /> The applicant added that Ramsey also did not want him to have outdoor storage on this property <br /> and the City wanted him to have a building on the property. <br /> Community Development Director Hanson explained that the zoning code in Ramsey does require <br /> there to be a principal structure on the property and it could not just be used as a trucking terminal. <br /> She added that the building also needs to be a certain size to allow for a trucking terminal on the <br /> property. She noted that the code also requires paved or concrete surfaces for parking. <br /> Councilmember Howell said she would rather work with the applicant on this use than lose the <br /> land to Elk River. <br /> The applicant added that the previous property owner also used this land for outdoor storage and <br /> his use was not as structured and clean as he keeps the property. <br /> Councilmember Specht agreed that he would be happy to work with the property owner to see <br /> what compromises they can make to retain this land in the City. He said he would never just give <br /> this land to Elk River unless they were offering the City land in return. <br /> Mayor Kuzma noted that even if they change the zoning for this property, he is not sure if they <br /> would allow the surface to not be paved. <br /> Councilmember Specht said they would have to have these discussions as a Council to work out <br /> the details. <br /> Councilmember Musgrove said they will have to look at the City requirements and see what they <br /> would have to change to allow this business. She noted that with home occupation permits there <br /> is a template that they give people permission to have a home-based business with certain criteria <br /> City Council Work Session/June 11, 2024 <br /> Page 3 of 10 <br />