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Memo to Planning Commission/CU 03-27 September 23,2003 Page 2 • Overview The applicant is proposing to lease 5,000 square feet within the Great River Energy industrial building located within the Elk River Business Park south of Home Depot for a 24/7 fitness center. Fitness centers are not a permitted or a conditional use when the zoning is Business Park and the underlying land use is Light Industrial. They are, however, a conditional use if the zoning is Business Park and the underlying land use is Highway Commercial. As the Commission is aware,this scenario does not exist within the Business Park Zoning Districts scattered throughout the City. In order for this use to be considered,we have determined that it could be allowed as an Interim Use,provided there is an end date and it does not create adverse impacts to adjacent uses. This process was used to allow the gymnastics facility that is also located within this building. Analysis Fitness centers typically are located in commercial areas; hence the provision in the Business Park District to allow fitness centers when the underlying land use is Highway Business. The Commission has in the past discussed the purpose of the Business Park District,which is, of course,to attract higher paying industrial jobs. If the Interim Use Permit is granted, the fitness center will occupy space that could have potentially occupied by an industrial or • manufacturing companies providing jobs consistent with the goals of the Business Park District. As with the gymnastics facility,this use is neither compatible nor consistent with the goals of the Business Park District. Staff would therefore,recommend against granting approval of the Interim Use Permit to locate the fitness center within the Business Park District. An alternative to the Interim Use Permit request, considering the types of uses the property owner desires to locate within the building,would be to rezone the northerly portion of the Business Park area to Highway Commercial and to re-guide it as Highway Business. This would resolve the conflicts that the owner and the City are having with the types of tenants the owner is attempting to locate within the building. Economic Development Authority Review This request was reviewed by the Economic Development Authority at their September 8, 2003 meeting. The Authority recommended denial of the interim use, but did not agree with staff's recommendation that the owner consider a land use and zone change for the north half of the business park area. Recommendation Staff recommends that the Planning Commission recommend that the City Council deny the Interim Use Permit request for the fitness center. • S:\PL.ANNING\Case Files\2003\CU 03-27 Donner\9-23 PC memo.doc