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Leeseberg, Chris
<br />From: Annie Deckert <annie@decklangroup.com>
<br />Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2016 3:30 PM
<br />To: Leeseberg, Chris
<br />Cc: Chris Baumgardt; Harley
<br />Subject: Re: Property Line - Storage vs Salvage vs Junkyard
<br />Hi Chris,
<br />Upon reviewing your email, we have several comments/questions:
<br />—LSR does not "wreck" vehicles, as supported by the Planning Commission and their unanimous approval of
<br />LSR's CUP, indicating that LSR does not salvage vehicles.. Vehicles are brought and/or towed to their site - at
<br />no time is the vehicle disassembled, salvaged, or anything of that nature. The vehicle literally sits there until it's
<br />picked up and transported to another site. LSR simply acts as a vehicle for interim storage of the vehicle. At no
<br />point is there over ten vehicles on site, and the vehicles remain on site for one week or less - any delay in the
<br />vehicles being picked up is a result of the transport provider being unable to schedule a pick-up.
<br />Recycling of vehicles is 10-15% of LSR's business; when you compare the definitions of Recycling processing
<br />center vs. Junkyard, it is clear LSR is a recycling processing center, further supported by the fact that the city
<br />has been classifying LSR as such since they opened in Elk River over five years ago. Seeing as 85-90% of
<br />LSR's business falls under the definition of a recycling processing center, we are confused as to why the
<br />definition of junkyard is applicable
<br />Based upon your reasoning of LSR being a junkyard - wouldn't that mean that automobile dealerships, and
<br />businesses such as Hi -Tech Motor Sports, Vision Bus, and even residential homes throughout the city be
<br />classified as a junkyard? There are countless sites throughout the city in which 1) there are two or more
<br />inoperative vehicles stored, and/or 2) disassembled, stored, clean or handled.
<br />Below are the two definitions:
<br />> Recycling processing center means land or buildings where reusable materials are bought, sold, exchanged,
<br />stored, baled, cleaned, packed, disassembled or handled, including metal, rags, plastic, paper, cardboard, rubber
<br />(excluding tires), glass and wood products, or where segregated waste materials are reprocessed into usable,
<br />salable products. The salvage of automobile and machinery parts are not included and shall be prohibited at a
<br />recycling processing center.
<br />> Junkyard means land or buildings where products resulting from the wrecking of vehicles or other machinery
<br />are bought, sold, exchanged, stored, baled, cleaned, packed, disassembled or handled_ The outdoor storage of
<br />two or more inoperative motor vehicles shall also be considered a junkyard.
<br />LSR has been a family owned business in Elk River for over five years; they operated in their first location off
<br />CR 1 for five years, with a CUP approved by the city, as a recycling processing center. They purchased their
<br />existing building and have invested significant time and capital in purchasing the building, and ensuring the
<br />correct process has been followed using the city's applied definition of their business, a recycling processing
<br />center. The two definitions have a lot of overlap, and we have not found any other ordinance that helps clarify
<br />how a business is defined, with the exception of staff s discretion. Changing a business's definition, after five
<br />years in operation with a valid CUP, after a building was purchased on this classification and in the middle of a
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