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The Elk River Vision <br />A welcoming community with revolutionary and spirited resourcefulness, exceptional service, and community <br />engagement that encourages and inspires prosperity <br /> <br /> <br />Request for Action <br /> <br />To <br />Planning Commission <br />Item Number <br />5.2 <br /> <br />Meeting Date <br />August 27, 2024 <br />Prepared By <br />Chris Leeseberg, Senior Planner <br /> <br />Item Description <br />Conditional Use Permit: Religious Institution, 21695 <br />Elk Lake Rd NW - River of Life Church <br />Reviewed by <br />Zack Carlton <br /> <br />Action Requested <br />Recommend, by motion, approval of the Conditional Use Permit with the following condition to satisfy the <br />standards set forth in Section 30-654: <br />1. Any addition, of any size, after Phase 2 will require the property to provide access onto 217th Avenue <br />with an upgrade of the gravel street to city standards from Elk Lake Road to the second approved <br />location of the second access. <br />2. A 20-foot-wide fire department access road shall be installed along the east side of the building, <br />connecting the northern and southwestern parking areas. <br /> <br /> <br />Background/Discussion <br />The applicant is requesting a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to construct an addition to the existing religious <br />institution (church) located at 21695 Elk Lake Road NW. The property, which spans approximately 30 acres, <br />is zoned R1a – Single Family Residential, where churches require a CUP. <br /> <br />The current proposed addition (Phase 2) will be approximately 4,800 square feet. Site work for Phase 2 will <br />also include preparations for a future 38,000-square-foot addition (Phase 3), including the construction of a <br />20-foot-wide gravel fire road around the east side of the building. <br /> <br />The property currently has a single access point on Elk Lake Road and 287 parking stalls, with plans to expand <br />the parking capacity by 34 additional stalls in the future. According to the 2020 Minnesota State Fire Code <br />(Section 503.1.2), a fire code official can require more than one fire apparatus access road if a single road <br />could be blocked by vehicle congestion, terrain, climate, or other factors. Consequently, any further additions <br />beyond Phase 2 will require the property to provide access onto 217th Avenue and pave the street to city <br />standards from Elk Lake Road to the second access point. <br /> <br />The church has a total of 13 employees and the typical hours of operation will be as follows: <br />• Sunday: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (Church Services) <br />• Monday: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Office/Staff) <br />o Fall: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. <br />Page 30 of 111