6.8. SR 01-20-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Memo to Mayor and City Councfl/OA 03-08 January 20, 2004 Page 2 In 1995, Mr. Dickenson was granted a conditional use permit to expand the parking area and drive aisles. The property was still zoned I1 and truck terminals were allowed as a conditional use. In 1996, the City initiated an ordinance amendment that changed the uses allowed in the I1 and I2 zoning districts. The amendment included eliminating truck terminals as a conditional use in the I1 district but allowed them as a conditional use in the I2 district. Truck terminals were eliminated from the I1 district because of the intensity of the use and the amount of truck traffic generated. In October of this year Vision Enterprises applied for a building permit to construct a new bus garage. The applicant was informed that a building permit could not be issued because neither bus terminals nor truck terminals are allowed in the I1 district. As a resuk of the 1996 ordinance amendment, the bus terminal was now a non-conforming use and could not be expanded or enlarged. It was explained that in order to change the status of their bus terminal from non-conforming to conforming there were two options, an ordinance amendment to allow bus termirrals as a conditional use in the I1 zoning district or change the zoning of the property from I1. to I2. On the advice of staff, the applicant decided to apply for an ordinance amendment. ProPosed Amendment The proposed amendment would allow bus terminals as a conditional use in the I1 zoning district. Currently bus terminals are not listed as an allowed use in any zoning district. In the past, they have been dassified for zoning purposes as a truck terminal. Truck terminals are defined as, "any use, area, or building where cargo, trucks, truck parts, loading equipment, etc. is stored and/or where trucks load and unload on a regular basis." Because of the intensity of the use and the possible adverse impacts associated with truck terminals, they are only allowed in the I2 (Medium Industrial) district. Bus terminals, while similar in some respects to truck terminals, are not as intense a use. Buses, like trucks, can have adverse affects on traffic. By keeping the traffic off of side streets and away from residential areas, impacts can be limited. The buses, if they are school buses, come and go on a set schedule usually during school hours; whereas, trucks come and go arbitrarily, possibly 24 hours a day. In order to better define exactly what will be allowed and address possible traffic/access issues, staff recommends that the ordinance amendment include only school bus terminals and the property must have direct access to an arterial or collector street. Because all conditional uses allowed in the I1 district are also allowed in the I2 district, by recommending approval of this ordinance amendment the Commission is also recommending that school bus terminals be allowed as a conditional use in the I2 district. S:~PLANNING\Case Files\2003\OA 03-08 Vision of Elk River\OA03-15CC1-20.doc