Planning Commission Minutes 01-16-1979
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HINUTES
REGULAR MEETING - MONTICELLO PLANNING CO~4ISSION
January 16, 1979 - 7:30 P.M.
Members Present: Jim Ridgeway, Fred Topel, Dick Martie, Ed Schaffer,
Loren Klein (ex-officio)
Members absent: Dave Bauer
1. COnsideration of Appointment of Chairperson.
Nomination was made by Ed Schaffer, seconded by Fred Topel and unanimously
carried to appoint Jim Ridgeway as Chairperson for 1979.
2. Public Hearing on Consideration of a Conditional Use Permit, and Consideration
of variances for Holiday Stationstores, Inc.
HOliday stationstores, Inc. has made application for a conditional use permit
to build a combination gasoline station and convenience store on the easterly
half of Lot 2, all of Lot 3 and 4, and part of Lot 5, in Block 5 in Monticello.
This location is just northwest of the intersection of Seventh Street with
Highway 25 in Monticello, and would be situated between the Kentucky Fried
Chicken and Dairyqueen on Highway 25.
since the area in question is zoned as B-3, a conditional use permit is
necessary for approval of this request. Additionally, Holiday Stationstores
is applying for the following four variances, and they are as follows:
A. Variance to allow two (2) thirty foot driveway openings to Seventh
Street. According to Monticello's City Ordinances, driveway openings are
to be twenty-four feet. Holiday Stations in the request indicate that
because of the nature of the business, the driveway opening should be
large enough to accommodate gasoline and merchandise semi-trucks as well
as safe passage for automobiles.
B. Variance requests to have driveway opening on Seventh Street twenty-
five feet from the property line to the east, rather than the required forty
feet. According to the Holiday Stations, Inc., it is necessary to try to
have the driveway opening as close as possible to Highway 25 and still
provide sufficient setback of twenty-five feet in order to make easy ingress
and egress for automobiles and trucks.
C. Variance request to infringe on the setback requirements for the proposed
pylon sign and the gasoline pumps. pylon sign is set back fifteen feet from
Seventh Street and ten and one-half feet from Highway 25, and normally the set
backs from both streets should be thirty feet. In addition, the setback of
the gasoline pumps from Seventh Street is nineteen feet and thirty feet is
required.
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Planning Commission - 1/16/79
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D. Variance request to provide twelve off-street parking spaces, rather
than the eighteen required by the City of Monticello. Holiday Stations, Inc.
indicates the reason for this is that there is room for eight cars at the
gasoline pumps, and that the requirement of parking spaces are somewhat
stringent since most of the people using the convenience store will be
parking right within the islands themselves, and these are not counted as
part of the parking spaces provided.
Brad Steinman, with Holiday Stationstores, Inc., reviewed the variance
request with the Planning Commission, and additionally indicated the
following:
1. Station would be similar to Big Lake's Holiday Station Store.
2. All trash would be stored inside.
3. The station would be strictly salarie-operated and the people would be
hired for the most-part from the community.
4. Immediate employment would be eight individuals.
5. There would be no self-service.
6. Hours of operation would be 7:00 A.M. to 11:00 P.M.
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A motion was made by Fred Topel, seconded by Dick Martie and unanimously
carried to grant the conditional use permit. On the variance request
mentioned in Item A. a motion was made by Ed Schaffer, seconded by Fred
Topel and unanimously carried to approve the 30' curb-cut openings.
On Variance B. a motion was made by Fred Topel, seconded by Dick Martie
and unanimously carried to deny the variance request of a 25' setback
from Highway 25 for the first curb-cut opening on Seventh Street. On
Variance C. a motion was made by Fred Topel, seconded by Dick Martie
and unanimously carried to deny the original request, but to allow the
setback request on the gasoline pumps and to allow the sign to set back
the same distance from Seventh street, or 19', and also in light of the
fact of denying variance request B, a 25~' setback from Highway 25
would be allowed. On Item D. a motion was made by Dick Martie, seconded
by Ed Schaffer and unanimously carried to approve the request to provide
12 off-street parking spaces rather than 18 spaces.
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On Item A., the Planning Commission felt that because of the truck traffic
to the gasoline station for deliveries and also for service, that 30' curb-
cut opening was a reasonable request. On Item B., it was felt that because
Seventh Street would one day be part of the collector road just North of
I-94 in Monticello, and also because of the traffic congestion in this area,
that the first curb-cut opening on Seventh street should be a minimum of 40'
back from Highway 25. On Item C., the Planning Commission felt that since
variance request B. was denied, that this would leave adequate room for the
pylon sign to be at least 25~' from Highway 25 and additionally, that the
pylon sign should be the same distance from Seventh Street, that is 19',
as the gasoline pumps. On the gasoline pump setback of 19' it was felt
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Planning commission - 1/16/79
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this was a reasonable request since this was not the major structure on
the property. On Item D., the Planning Commission felt that since there
was adequate parking provided by the gasoline pumps themselves, and in
large part the traffic would be utilizing this area, it was not necessary
to require more than the l2 additional off-street parking spaces.
It should be mentioned that no comments were received objecting to the
variance or conditional use permit requests, and additionally, a letter was
received from Ken Bureau, secretary-Treasurer of Rosewood Corporation,
owner of the Monticello Mall, that the variance requests were reasonable
and they recommended approval of these various variance requests.
3. Public Hearing on Consideration of Rezoning Request from R-1 (Single Family
Residential) to B-3 (Highway Business) for Property OWned by Olga J.
Swanson Estate, along the West Side of Highway 25 in Monticello.
The request has been made from the personal representative of the Olga J.
Swanson Estate to have a 20.16 acre parcel rezoned from R-1 to B-3. Legal
description of the parcel is as follows:
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That part of Lot A of the SW~ of the NW~ of Section l4,
Township 121, Range 25, Wright County, Minnesota according
to the plat thereof as recorded in Book 1 of Plats, Page
571 in the Office of the County Recorder, Wright County,
Minnesota lying westerly of the westerly right-of-way
line of Minnesota state Highway #25. Containing 20.l6 acres.
Cecile Muehlbauer, with Sandberg Realty, and also a representative of the
Olga J. Swanson Estate indicated that although there is no specific use
being planned for the property at this point, tentative plans are to use
the property for the possibility of a health club, as an example, or
possibly a motel. Ms. Muehlbauer indicated that since the adjoining
property was all zoned commercial in this area, that a rezoning to B-3
of this particular parcel would be compatible. Additionally, she felt that
the wetlands area, which is approximately half of the parcel, would blend
in with any ultimate use of the property to provide a buffer-zone and
a degree of quiet for the ultimate use.
A motion was made by Ed Schaffer, seconded by Dick Martie and unanimously
carried to approve the rezoning from R-1 to B-3.
4. Consideration of Variance Request of Front Yard Setback for Lot 7, Block 1,
Sandberg's Riverside Addition - Me1 Wolters.
Me1 Wolters is requesting a variance from the front yard setback requirement
of 30', and is proposing to put a house on the above-referenced lot 25'
back from the property line.
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Purpose for the request is to allow adequate room to build a house since
the rear setback is 50', which is 20' more than normal setback requires,
since the rear of the lot borders Otter Creek. According to the Shorelands
Management Act, which is required to be adopted by the City of Monticello,
any lots bordering Otter Creek require a 50' setback in the rear. Since
this lot is on a cul de sac, the setback will not affect the adjoining
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Planning commission - 1/16/79
property owners, which was one of the concerns of granting a variance on a
front yard.
A motion was made by Dick Martie, seconded by Fred Topel and unanimously
carried to approve of the variance request.
5.
Consideration of A Variance for a Portion of a Commercial Establishment
to be utilized as Residential Rental Purposes - Dr. Joel Erickson.
Dr. Joel Erickson is requesting a variance to put a residential unit
above the Monticello-Big Lake Pet Hospital, which is located South of the
I-94 interchange and East of Highway 25 in Monticello.
Since the area in question is zoned as B-3, it is necessary to obtain a
variance for this type of use since residential uses are not allowed within
a commercial area.
Dr. Joel Erickson appeared before the Planning Commission and indicated
the primary purpose for the residential facilities would be for employees
of the Monticello-Big Lake Pet Hospital. The Planning Commission felt that
the variance was justified because it was making utilization of an
existing facility, but did express concern with future requests of this
nature. Motion was made by Dick Martie, seconded by Ed Schaffer and
unanimously carried to recommend approval of the variance request.
6.
Consideration of Approval of December 19, 1978 Minutes.
A motion was made by Fred Topel, seconded by Dick Martie and unanimously
carried to approve the Minutes.
Motion was made by Ed Schaffer, seconded by Fred Topel and unanimously carried
to adjourn.
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(;;City dministrator
GW/ns
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