5.17 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Memo to Planning Commission Page 2 May 28, 1996 Two of the seven ordinances reviewed had pawn shops as conditional uses; • they are Bloomington and Richfield. In Bloomington, they are allowed as conditional use in the B-3 (General Business) District. The purpose of this district is to provide centralized areas for businesses that do not belong in shopping centers, and for highway or automobile oriented businesses. Bloomington did not specify in the zoning code what specific conditions or standards will apply to pawn shops; that was addressed in the body of the licensing ordinance. Richfield allows pawn shops as a conditional use in the C-2 District. The conditions and standards that apply to pawn shops are included in the zoning code and not in the licensing ordinance. The remaining five cities allowed pawn shops as a permitted retail use in certain commercial districts By allowing pawn shops as a conditional use it provides additional time for public comment because a public hearing is required for conditional use permits. Secondly, by requiring a conditional use permit the City has an opportunity to address site plan issues and a forum to correct areas of the site that are not in compliance with the zoning code. Zones All of the ordinances reviewed allow pawn shops in at least one of their • commercial zones. Richfield also allows them in the industrial zone. The commercial zones in which they are allowed seem to be general business or highway commercial type zones. By allowing pawn shops only in the industrial zones the conflict with pawn shops being to close to other incompatible uses such as churches, schools, residences will be minimize. However, by allowing them only in industrial zones they are being restricted to areas with limited accessibility and not usually conducive for retail type uses. The highway commercial zones are more accessible, are found in wider areas of the city but the opportunity for conflicting uses is greater because of the proximity to churches, schools and residences. Conditions and performance standards All of the cities surveyed had conditions or performance standards of some type. Restrictions limiting the hours of operation was a common condition. Five of the seven cities limited the hours of operation. Elk River currently limits the hours of operation to 7am to 9pm Monday through Saturday. Setbacks from certain land uses was a condition in three cities. Blaine and Brooklyn Park require a 300 foot setback between pawn shops and a church or a school. Richfield requires a 1000 foot setback from schools, churches, • daycare facilities, library, government building or other pawn shop and a 250 s:\planning\scott\pawnshop.doc