Planning Commission Minutes 02-22-1994 (Special Meeting)
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MINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING. MONTICELLO PLANNING COMMISSION
Tuesday, February 22, 1994. 5 p.m.
Members Present: Cindy Lemm, Jon Bogart, Brian Stumpf, and Richard Carlson
Members Absent: Richard Martie
Staff Present:
Gary Anderson, Jeff O'Neill
1.
The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Cindy Lemm at 5:01 p.m.
2.
Public Hearin/?:--Consideration of amendment to the zonin/?: map which
would chan/?:e the zonin/?: district desi/?:nation of Part of Lot 4, Block 1,
Laurin/?: Hillside Terrace Addition, from R-3 (multi-familv residential) to
PZM (performance zone mixed) zonin/?:. Applicant, Vau/?:hn Veit.
Jeff O'Neill, Assistant Administrator, explained the applicant's, Hillside
Partnership, request to be allowed an expansion of the former PJ's Pizza
place to accommodate a restaurant and a bar within this remodeled lease
space. The proposal required 18 additional parking stalls with PJ's
restaurant and with this proposal would be required to have 56 total
additional parking stalls. As of this date, City staff has not received any
plans on the grading, drainage, or the proposed parking lot expansion
layout.
Cindy Lemm then opened the public hearing.
John Gries, attorney representing Hillside Partnership and Vaughn Veit,
proposed leasing the land from Vaughn Veit to the Hillside Partnership for
the proposed parking lot expansion rather than go through a simple
subdivision lot split. The rationale for that is the uncertainty of the
proposed development of this vacant lot and not to tie a proposed
development into a proposed subdivision at this time.
Vaughn Veit questioned the amount of land area that would be needed for
the parking lot. Some quick figures that were put together by City staff
would accommodate, depending on where he'd like to put the parking and
which would be most amenable to the property, that probably being an
extension farther east of the rear-most portion of the parking lot at the rear
of the building. The approximate figures brought out were 93 ft of width
that would be needed by approximately 270 some ft of depth to
accommodate the 56 required number of off-street parking spaces needed.
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O'N eill highlighted that proper notification had been sent to neighboring
properties within a 350-ft radius of the property, and we had received no
comment from the affected property owners with the exception of a phone
call from the management company for the Hillside Apartments, that being
that they would be unable to attend the meeting and that they were
definitely in opposition to any type of proposed rezoning of the lot from the
R-3 (medium density residential) zoning.
Cindy Lemm then closed the public hearing and opened the meeting for any
further input from the Planning Commission members.
Planning Commission members raised a good point, that being who's
actually going to utilize this additional parking. If the existing parking lot
is not utilized to its full extent right now, what are the chances of all the
businesses needing the off-street parking space at one time where we'd ever
see the possible need for the 56 additional parking stalls. There currently
exists a letter of agreement with Vaughn Veit in regard to the development
of those 18 additional parking stalls that were required for the fonner PJ's
restaurant.
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Planning Commission members asked the owner of the proposed to be
remodeled restaurant/bar to be known as the Sunshine Depot to explain his
proposal for the use of his business in relationship to what he has existing
in Elk River. The existing site in Elk River does not have any parking
problems. The majority of his business is 80% food and 20% liquor. His
establishment is proposed not to have any arcades, video machines, karaoke
music, or live music of any kind. His atmosphere provides light music with
several tv's that are installed within different locations of the leased space
area to more resemble a sports restaurantfbar atmosphere. His existing
business in Elk River caters to the athletics which happen in the Elk River
school program. He proposes to do the same thing in Monticello to promote
sporting events. Food is served until 10 p.m. from Sunday through
Thursday. Friday and Saturday nights the food portion is open until
11 p.m.
Discussion was also brought up about the amount of vandalism/crime which
occurs in this area. A comment brought up by Vaughn Veit was that the
rear parking lot has had recent additional lighting installed to better
lighten up the area in the rear at night and that he would be amenable to
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other things to open up this area as more or less to allow this leased space
to actually have two fronts, that being off of the front of the building and
also off of the rear of the building to allow access to this leased space.
John, one of the owners of Sunshine Depot, explained that he prefers to
have a double entrance. It would also allow the people to utilize the rear
entrance to this leased space if at all possible. Some possible suggestions to
the crime problem would be installation of windows along the east wall to
have that parking lot more accessible for viewing from inside the proposed
leased space during the nighttime hours it's open.
Steve Grittman's memo to the Planning Commission members and City
staff was highlighted that the entire lot should be rezoned to PZM zoning,
that the existing R~3 zoning is compatible with the PZM uses, as most of
the uses in a PZM are acquired only through the conditional use process.
Planning Commission members felt quite uncomfortable about rezoning the
entire lot, only at this time should an area sufficient to handle the proposed
off~street parking to handle the 56 additional parking stalls, that land area
be rezoned only to PZM at this time.
There being no further discussion amongst Planning Commission members,
a motion was made by Richard Carlson and seconded by Jon Bogart to
rezone the portion of the lot adjacent to the existing rear parking lot to be
only the area needed for this parking lot expansion and to keep it as close to
the existing shopping center rear parking lot as possible. Motion is based
on the finding that the rezoning is compatible with the character and
geography of the area. The motion carried unanimously with Richard
Martie absent.
3.
Consideration of an amendment to a conditional use permit that would
allow expansion of an existing- restaurant in a PZM (performance zone
mixed) zone. Applicant. Hillside Partnership.
Jeff O'Neill, Assistant Administrator, highlighted some additional conditions
which could be added to the conditional use permit previously granted to
the Hillside Partnership for the expansion of the PJ's restaurant into this
proposed leased space. Conditions are as follows:
1. The applicant submit a grading and drainage plan, and that be
approved by the City Engineer prior to leased space occupancy.
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2.
The applicant go through a simple subdivision to split off the
land area needed from the existing lot to accommodate a
parking lot expansion.
3.
A landscaping and screening plan be submitted for approval.
4.
The number of spaces that is short existing is 18 parking
spaces short, and that be increased to 56 number of parking
space short.
Commission members brought up the point that maybe the proof of parking
concept might be fine at this time, but a plan should be developed for the
area needed to allow the additional parking lot expansion. The area
proposed to be developed for additional parking lot be left into a green area
at this time, that the lot split and rezoning should be in place prior to the
issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
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The owners of the proposed Sunshine Depot restaurant/bar invited Planning
Commission members and staff to come over and take a look at their
existing Sunshine Depot restaurant/bar in Elk River to view that this is a
family dining restaurantlbar establishment.
There being no further input from the public, Cindy Lemm then closed the
public hearing and opened the meeting for input from the Planning
Commission members.
There being no further input from the Planning Commission members, a
motion was made by Jon Bogart and seconded by Richard Carlson to
approve an amendment to the conditional use permit which would allow
expansion of an existing restaurant in a PZM (performance zone mixed)
zone with the following conditions:
1. Approval of the grading and drainage plan by the City
Engineer.
2. Proof of parking be incorporated with the development
agreement.
3. A simple subdivision lot split occur for the parking lot portion
only.
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4.
A landscaping and screening plan be completed and submitted
for approval.
5.
To make the rear entrance more accessible to the public with
the installation of additional windows in the rear portion of the
proposed leased space area.
Motion is based on the finding that the operation of the restaurant is
incidental to the multi-commercial use and it is consistent with the
character and geography of the area. Conditions imposed will serve to
mitigate conflicts between the commercial and residential uses. Motion
carried unanimously with Richard Martie absent.
There being no further business, a motion was made by Jon Bogart and seconded
by Brian Stumpf to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried unanimously with
Richard Martie absent. The meeting adjourned at 6:26 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
~Pt<f~
Gar Anderson
Zoning Administrator
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