Planning Commission Minutes 08-11-1981
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MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING - MONTICELLO PLANNING COMMISSION
Tuesday, August 11, 1981 - 7:30 P.M.
Members Present:
Jim Ridgeway, John Bondhus, Bill Burke, Dick Martie,
Loren Klein
Members Absent:
Ed Schaffer
l-A. Approval of the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of July 14, 1981.
A motion was made by Bondhus, seconded by Burke and unanimously
carried to approve the minutes of the July 14, 1981 Planning
Commission meeting as presented.
1.
Public Hearing - Ordinance Amendment - City of Monticello and Public
Hearing - Conditional Use for a Horse Arena- Little Mountain Riders.
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A horse riding association named Little Mountain Riders requested
permission to build a 100 by 200 foot horse arena on a portion of
property owned by Mr. Maurice Hoglund located directly east of the
County Road 39 across fram Curt's Storage and Sales. The area pro-
posed for the horse arena is presently zoned R-3, and as a result
it would be necessary for the city to either adopt an ordinance
amendment that would allow a horse arena in an R-3 zone as a con-
ditional use or to rezone the property from R-3 to A-O, agricultural-
open space, where a horse arena is allowed as a conditional use.
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In an agricultural district (A-O), a horse arena is allowed as a
conditional use provided that:
1. Animal holding, holding, grazing, and exercise areas are
located a minimum of 1,000 feet from any residential, com-
mercial, or industrial use district.
2. The land area of the property containing such use or
activity meets the minimum established for that district.
3. The Planning Commission shall consider possible adverse
effects of the proposed amendment or conditional use. Its
judgement shall be based upon (but not limited to) the
following factors:
A. Its relationship to the municipal comprehensive plan.
B. The geographical area involved.
C. Whether such use will tend to or actually depreciate
the area in which it is proposed.
D. The character of the surrounding area.
E. The demonstrated need for the proposed use.
4. All applicable requirements of the state Pollution Control
Agency are complied with.
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Planning Commission Minutes - 8/11/81
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Mr. John Uban of Howard Dahlgren and Associates, consulting city
planner, reviewed the horse arena idea and indicated in a memo
that he did not feel this particular use was appropriate for any
residential zoned property. Mr. Uban also indicated that even in
an agricultural district, one of the conditions should be that the
arena is compatible with the surrounding area and should still be
a 1,000 feet from any residential, commercial, or industrial use
within the district.
A spokesman for the Little Mountain Riders indicated that the associ-
ation would erect a three rail wooden fence for an arena and would
possibly erect a judges stand, but that no other building on the
property would take place. It was noted that such items as lights
and a PA system may be possible in the future, but at the present
time would not be part of the arena. The spokesman for the group
indicated that the property owned by Maurice Hoglund has not been
leased, but ~rr. Hoglund has given the group permission to use the
property until such time as the property develops or is sold. The
spokesman indicated that no animals or equipment would be parked or
kept at the site over nite and that dust shouldn't be a problem in
the area due to the fact that the riding area would be sand and
gravel.
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Mr. Chuck Ballard, a resident of the area, presented a petition
signed by over 30 people living in the area indicating opposition
to the construction of a horse arena. In addition, Mr. Ballard
indicated that he felt that a horse arena was totally incompatible
with a residentially zoned area and felt such a use was not suitable
for any area within a city limit. In addition, Mr. Ballard felt
that a horse arena complex could possibly devalue his property and
would also create traffic hazards along County Road 39, especially
with a large number of slow moving horse trailer vehicles.
Mr. Troy Chaplin, also a resident of the area, expressed opposition
to the proposal and felt that there was enough traffic generated
when Curt's Storage and Sales has their auctions monthly and felt
that the additional noise, etc., that could result from horse shows
would be a detriment to the area. Mr. Chaplin noted that parking and
traffic is already a problem when Curt's storage and Sales has
auctions and if a horse show would be held at the same time, addi-
tional traffic problems would result.
Eleanor Thompson, a member of the Little Mountain Riders, noted
that the proposed horse arena would be for recreational purposes
and was not intended to be a cornrnerical establishment. She did not
feel that crowds would be a problem and that traffic resulting from
a horse show would be minimal. She also indicated that the property
in question would be aesthetically pleasing in that only a white
three board fence would be seen on the property and would not be
unattractive to a residential area.
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Planning Commission Minutes - 8/11/81
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The Planning Commission reviewed the options available which
included either adopting an ordinance amendment allowing a horse
arena as a conditional use within a residential Zone or rezoning
the property from residential to agricultural to allow a horse
area as a conditional use. Even if the property was rezoned to
agricultural, it appeared that some of the conditions presently
provided for in the city ordinances such as 1,000 feet from
any residential property could not be met by this site location.
The commission members felt that by rezoning the property from
residential to agricultural, it would be contrary to the direction
of the city growth and the comprehensive plan of the city.
In light of the over whelming opposition from the residential
neighbors, a motion was made by Bondhus, seconded by Burke and
unanimously carried to deny the request for an ordinance amendment
thatwould~low a horse arena as a conditional use within an R-3
zone.
In addition, a motion was made by Burke, seconded by Martie and
unanimously carried to deny any rezoning of the Maurice Hoglund
property from R-3 (residential) to A-O (agricultural). It was
noted by the commission members to the organization that if an
area could be found within the city limits that would not be objected
to by the neighbors in the area, the Planning Commission might
reconsider the request.
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2. Public Hearinq - Variance Request - Marn Flicker.
Mr. Marn Flicker, owner of Flicker's T.V. and Appliance, requested
a variance from Monticello Sign Ordinances to place six (6) premise
identification signs on the new addition to his present building
directly to the south of the now existing appliance store. presently,
the east half of the new addition is leased to the Fifth Avenue Water-
beds with the west half of the building to be leased to a dental clinic.
r~. Flicker requested that the Fifth Avenue Waterbeds be allowed to
place an identification sign on the west, south and east sides of the
new building and that the proposed dental clinic be also allowed to
place an identification sign on the west, south and east side of the
building.
Under the current Monticello Sign Ordinances, the maximum number of
signs on any principal building shall only be two (2) premise identi-
fication signs with only two walls being allowed for the display of
the signs. Each wall can only contain one (1) premise identification
sign.
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Mr. Flicker noted that the reason for the request was that the waterbed
store located in the east half of the new addition would not have ex-
posure to the parking lot at the west end of the building without a
sign and also that the dental clinic to be located on the west end of
the property would not have exposure to the east along Highway 25
unless a sign was allowed on both ends of the building.
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Planning Commission Minutes - 8/11/81
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Concerns were expressed by the Planning Commission members that if
a variance allowing each business to have three signs for three
directional exposure, a precedent may be set, whereby other buildings
and businesses would also request similar type sign variances. Mr.
Flicker noted that to have exposure on three sides, a building would
have to be located on a corner and he did not feel that there were
that many buildings in Monticello that would have this opportunity.
Mr. Flicker indicated that if the six signs were not agreeable to
the Planning Commission, then he would request that each business
location be allowed two sides of exposure for two wall signs per
business. As a result then, the east half of the building would
have exposure on Highway 25 and the south side of the building, and
the rear occupant, being the dental clinic, would have exposure to the
west parking lot area and also to the south.
In light of the fact that the present occupants of this new building
would probably not need any product identification signs, a motion
was made by Bondhus "seconded by Hartie and unanimously carried to
allow four identification signs to be placed on this new building
with one sign located on the east, one sign on the west, and two
signs with south exposure provided that they are identification
signs only with no additional product identification signs allowed.
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3. Public Hearing - Variance Request - Northern States Power Company.
Mr. Ward King, representative of Northern States Power Company, re-
quested a variance for curbing on a portion of the hard surfaced area
of their new training center development. Mr. King requested that the
curbing between the parking lot and the heliport on the northwesterly
corner of the property and also the curbing along a portion of the
entrance driveway between the road and the service area towards the
rear of the building be eliminated. In addition, Mr. King noted that
the training facility is proposing an over flow trailer parking area
to be used only in the case of emergencies at the nuclear power plant,
and requested that this area not be required to be hard surfaced in
light of the infrequent use that it would receive.
In regard to the over flow parking area, it was recommended by the
Planning Commission that rather than having this area constructed
in a gravel surface, it may be more aesthetically pleasing to have
the over flow parking area surfaced with grass which would be more
effective for controlling dust and drainage, etc. Mr. King noted
that this would be agreeable to Northern States Power Company.
Hearing no comments from the public, motion was made by Martie,
seconded by Burke and unanimously carried to approve the variance
request for the elimination of curbing between the parking lot and
the heliport and also along a portion of the entrance driveway be-
tween the road and the service area towards the rear of the building.
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Planning commission Minutes - B/ll/Bl
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Motion was also made by Bondhus, seconded by Martie and unanimously
carried to approve a variance from the hard surface requirements for
the over flow parking area proposed at the training facility contin-
gent upon the area being surfaced with grass.
4. Public Hearing - Variance Request - Travelers Advertising.
Mr. Ray Galarneault, president of the Travelers Advertising Company,
requested a variance to allow the erection of two (2) outdoor ad-
vertising billboard signs on Lot 9 and Lot 11 of Thomas Industrial
Park. Mr. Galarneault currently has purchased Lot 9 in the Thomas
Industrial Park and would have a lease agreement for a sign site on
Lot ll.
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Previously, Blocher Outdoor Advertising Company of st. Cloud had
lease agreements for Lots 9 and 11 of Thomas Industrial Park for
outdoor advertising signs and recently that company has indicated to the
city that they will be relinquishing their grandfather rights to
the present signs located on these two lots. As a result, Mr. Galar-
neault and his Travelers Advertising Company requested that they be
allowed to replace those signs which Blocher Advertising Company
relinquished their grandfather rights to with new signs of steel
construction. Mr. Galarneault felt that this request was similar
to ones previously granted by the city in allowing an existing
billboard sign to be replaced with a newer type sign, which would
not increase the number of signs allowed presently.
It was noted by the Planning Commission members that although the
recently adopted ordinance amendment does allow a billboard sign
to remain until such time as the property further develops, it was
the intent of the council that if a sign was taken down or the rights
relinquished by the sign company and the property owner, replacement
signs may not be allowed.
Mr. Tim Franklin of Franklin Advertising Company spoke in favor of
Mr. Galarneault's request and also felt that the request was similar
to others granted previously by the council in allowing the replace-
ment of an existing sign with an up graded model.
Mr. Bidwell of Best In Webb printing Company located in the Industrial
Park felt that any billboard signs taken down along the freeway should
remain down. Mr. Bidwell indicated that his business along with others
located in the Industrial Park feel that the potential exposure that
the freeway provides is hindered, if the city continues to allow bill-
boards to be replaced.
A motion was made by Burke to approve the variance request allowing
Mr. Galarneault to replace the two existing signs relinquished by
Blocher Advertising Company with new signs. Motion died for a lack
of a second.
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Planning Commission Minutes - B/ll/8l
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Due to the intent of the ordinance to amortize the signs out over
a period of years after the properties develop along the freeway,
motion was made by Bondhus, seconded by Martie to deny the variance
request allowing Mr. Galarneault to replace the two existing signs
relinquished previously by Blocher Advertising. voting in favor
was Ridgeway, Bondhus, and Martie. Opposed: Burke.
5.
Public Hearing - Conditional Use for a planned Unit Development -
Marvin George.
Mr. Marvin George presented to the Planning Commission his develop-
ment and final plans for the planned unit residential development to
be located on Outlot A of country Club Manor. Mr. George indicated
that the streets within the planned Unit Development will be owned
and maintained by the Homeowners Association and that a Homeowners
Association By-laws have also been prepared for this development.
The final development plan as presented indicates that trees will be
planted along the freeway as a buffer for the residential area. In
addition, each cul de sac development area will have plantings sur-
rounding the buildings as an additional buffer. Mr. George also noted
that the present planned schedule of the development would occur over
a five to six year period of time with each housing block being de-
veloped separately.
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It was noted by the building inspector that the Homeowners Association
agreement is being reviewed by the city attorney who has yet to com-
ment on its contents.
Hearing no comments from the public, a motion was made by Bondhus,
seconded by Burke and unanimously carried to approve the develop-
ment and final plan stages for the Planned Unit Development presented
provided that two rows of alternating scotch pine trees are planted
approximately five feet apart along the freeway as a buffer zone and
contingent upon the review and approval of the Homeowners Association
agreement by the city attorney.
6. Public Hearing - Set Back Variance - Bondhus cor~oration.
Previously, the Planning Commission approved a variance for the Bondhus
Corporation to build a warehouse 22 feet from the front yard property
line rather than 40 feet as specified in the ordinance.
However, construction of the building has been recently started and
it was discovered that the set back for the building is somewhat less
than 22 feet and is closer to five or six feet from the property line.
As a result, John Bondhus requested that an additional variance be
granted allowing the building to set to within five feet of the front
yard set back line.
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Planning Commission Minutes - 8/11/81
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Mr. John Bondhus indicated to the Planning Commission that one of
his employees evidently moved the stakes indicating where the prop-
erty line was and as a result, the building location waS altered.
No comments were heard from the public regarding this variance and
since the property in question is bounded by the highway on one
side and the railroad tracks on the other, which would not effect
adjacent property owners, a motion was made by Burke , seconded
by Martie and unanimously carried to approve the variance request
allowing the building to be located to within five feet of the
front property line. Bondhus abstained from voting.
7. Public Hearing - C6nditionalU:::;e for a PUD.- Jack Kornovich.
Due to a conflict, Mr. Kornovich was unable to attend the Planning
Commission meeting concerning this item. It will be on the next
agenda at the Planning Commission meeting scheduled for September 8.
A motion waS made by Martie, seconded by Burke and unanimously
carried to adjourn.
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