6.7. SR 08-21-2000 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Memo to the Planning Commission / CU 00-25 August 21, 2000 Page 2 Overview On September 30, 1997, the City Council approved a request for a conditional use permit to remodel the gas/convenience store/carwash at 335 Lowell Street, then called Beaudry Oil. At that time, the issues raised by the expansion included parking, pedestrian safety and traffic circulation and landscaping. In particular, there is no green space between the road surface and the building facade and no separation between the sidewalk and driveway. As part of the approval, Staff had prepared a recommended landscape and curbing plan for the Highway 10 frontage. The plan recommended removing some paving and adding some curbing and 4 feet of landscaping between the existing sidewalk and the building to provide greater safety and buffer for pedestrians, and to beautify the road frontage. The landscaping and curbing was never installed due to resistance from the MNDoT and because Beaudry Oil was concerned that the landscape strip restricted vehicular access and visibility. In early 1999, staff again approached Beaudry Oil about the conditional use permit requirements for landscaping and curbing. The City Engineer studied the access issues and provided a radius study to show that there was adequate access into the carwash with the requested landscaping and curbing. The curbing and landscape plan prepared by staff is still unacceptable to Beaudry Oil, and they have prepared a revised curbing and landscape plan for the Council. In early 2000, the MNDoT returned most of the right-of-way between the sidewalk and the building (the area to be landscaped) back over to Beaudry Oil Company. Analysis The applicant has submitted a landscape/site plan that conforms to the Planning Commission's recommendation with no landscaping in the front of the building and curbing along the public sidewalk. Several plants are mislabeled, however the species selected are appropriate for theft locations. The Commission recommended that staff work with MNDot to get approval to remove the bituminous from the right-of-way and that the applicant then install turf. Staff contends that a few shade trees along the Highway will enhance the view to the carwash bays and signs and will not block them. Shade trees are small when planted and can be pruned up out of the view line as they grow. The Beaudry Oil on Proctor Avenue has many trees along the street and in front of \helkriver\sys'xshrdocXplanning\stevewen\ccmmo\cu00-25.doc