Laserfiche WebLink
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 />Request for Action <br /> <br />To <br />City Council <br />Item Number <br />7.4 <br /> <br />Meeting Date <br />February 17, 2026 <br />Prepared By <br />Zack Carlton, Community Development Director <br /> <br />Item Description <br />Ordinance Amendment and Conditional Use Permit: <br />Educational Use, Good Shepherd Lutheran High <br />School — 630 Freeport Ave NW <br />Reviewed by <br />Jared Shepherd <br />Cal Portner <br />Jolene Richter <br /> <br />Action Requested <br />Direct staff to prepare an ordinance adding Educational Institutions as an allowed use in the MU-ERP zoning <br />district for consideration on March 2, 2026. <br /> <br />or <br /> <br />Direct staff to prepare a resolution making findings of fact denying the requested ordinance amendment for <br />consideration on March 16, 2026. <br /> <br />and <br />Continue the public hearing for the Conditional Use Permit request to March 2, 2026, as the Planning <br />Commission has not made a recommendation. The Planning Commission will review the application on <br />February 24, 2026. <br /> <br /> <br />Background/Discussion <br />The applicant, Good Shepherd Lutheran High School, has requested adoption of an ordinance amendment <br />that would add Educational Institutions as a conditional use in the Mixed Use Elk River Plaza (MU-ERP) zoning <br />district. The zoning district is a former Planned Unit Development (PUD) district that had the PUD <br />agreement added to city codes in 2010. The zoning district is divided into three separate areas: multifamily <br />residential, single-family residential, and commercial. Each of these areas are distinct in their location within <br />the district and act as separate districts with their own allowed uses. The proposed amendment would apply <br />to the commercial section as the proposed building site is within the commercial section of the MU-ERP <br />zoning district. <br /> <br />Commercial districts, especially those along major highways, support retail and commercial uses, providing <br />employment and economic opportunities throughout the community. Educational uses do not appear to <br />support the goals of commercial districts, and based on that analysis, staff do not recommend approval of the <br />amendment. <br /> <br />The associated Conditional Use Permit (CUP) application cannot be approved without the ordinance <br />amendment. <br />Page 45 of 71