12-21-2020 Regular CCM - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Minutes December 21, 2020 Page 4 Gordon Bynum, 420 Rush Avenue, indicated he agrees with the comments made by Ms. Clark Johnson in the letter she submitted. He stated he would like to keep the zoning as restrictive as possible as he would not want to see industrial or multiple units in the building if Elk River Municipal Utilities moves in the future. He explained if Elk River Municipal Utilities takes care of the setback, traffic, and screening as outlined he's comfortable with this request. Chris Kerzman, Elk River Municipal Utilities Engineering Manager, explained the landscaping challenges with building. He stated they do not anticipate an increase in traffic as it will be the same number of employees. He added there may be a slight increase in deliveries at first because the new building will have more storage space. Mayor Dietz assured Mr. Bynum Elk River Municipal Utilities is not going anywhere anytime soon. He explained they have been in their current building since the 1920s or 1930s. There being no one else to speak to this issue, Mayor Dietz closed the public hearing. Councilmember Westgaard indicated there is nothing this Council can do to prevent future Councils from changing the zoning or use of the area, but he does not see it becoming an issue anytime in the near future as Elk River Municipal Utilities has been around for a long time and he believes will continue to be around for a long time. Councilmember Wagner stated the landscape plan seems like it provides good coverage. She agrees the building has an industrial look, but she believes it blends in well with the background. Councilmember Christianson understands the concerns with the building being in the middle of a neighborhood but feels comfortable because of the condition requiring staff approval of all site, engineering, landscape, and utility plans. Mr. Bynum questioned if an 5-12-foot fence would be preferred over the landscaping. Mayor Dietz indicated he believes landscaping would be preferred over a fence. Mr. Bynum agreed but wanted to throw the option out. Moved by Councilmember Westgard and seconded by Councilmember Wagner to approve the Conditional Use Permit request by Elk River Municipal Utilities for expansion of an existing government facility to satisfy the standards set forth in Section 30-654, subject to the following conditions: 1. The hours of operation shall be limited to 7:00 a.m. — 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for emergencies. 2. Dumpsters, recycling, and/or scrap metal shall be screened from view with materials that match the building. 3. Staff approval of all site, engineering, landscape, and utility plans. rINAT-UREI