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Memo to the Planning Commission/CU 00-25 <br /> August 8,2000 <br /> Page 2 <br /> Overview <br /> • On July 25, 2000, the Planning Commission held a public hearing then <br /> continued this item to tonight's workshop in order to provide the applicant <br /> time to submit appropriate site plans. <br /> On September 30, 1997, the City Council approved a request for a conditional <br /> use permit to remodel the gas /convenience store /carwash at 335 Lowell <br /> Street, then called Beaudry Oil. At that time, the issues raised by the <br /> expansion included parking, pedestrian safety and traffic circulation and <br /> landscaping. In particular, there is no green space between the road surface <br /> and the building facade and no separation between the sidewalk and driveway. <br /> As part of the approval, Staff had prepared a recommended landscape and <br /> curbing plan for the Highway 10 frontage. The plan recommended removing <br /> some paving and adding some curbing and landscaping between the existing <br /> sidewalk and the building to provide greater safety and buffer for pedestrians, <br /> and to beautify the road frontage. The landscaping and curbing was never <br /> installed due to resistance from the MNDoT and because Beaudry Oil was <br /> concerned that the landscape strip restricted vehicular access and visibility. <br /> In early 1999, staff again approached Beaudry Oil about the conditional use <br /> III permit requirements for landscaping and curbing. The City Engineer studied <br /> the access issues and provided a radius study to show that there was adequate <br /> access into the carwash with the requested landscaping and curbing. The <br /> curbing and landscape plan prepared by staff is still unacceptable to Beaudry <br /> Oil, and they have prepared a revised curbing and landscape plan for the <br /> Commission and Council approval. <br /> In early 2000, the MNDoT returned most of the right-of-way between the <br /> sidewalk and the building (the area to be landscaped) back over to Beaudry Oil <br /> Company. <br /> Conditional Use Permit Case No. CU 97-24 <br /> As part of the conditional use permit, required parking was to be obtained <br /> through an agreement with Cretex. No copy of that agreement has been <br /> found in the City files. <br /> • <br /> \\elkriver\sys\shrdoc\planning\stevewen\pcmmo\cu00-25.doc <br />