4.5 PCSR 06-28-2016 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City of Elk .........„ Request for Action River To Item Number Planning Commission 4.5 Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by Public Hearings June 28,2016 Zack Carlton,Planning Manager Item Description Reviewed by City of Elk River Chris Leeseberg,Senior Planner • Ordinance Amendment Relating to Distilleries in Reviewed by Industrial and Commercial Zoning Districts, Case No. OA 16-06 Action Requested Recommend,by motion,approval of the Ordinance Amendment as described. Background/Discussion In 2015, the City Council adopted an ordinance amendment to allow craft breweries and tap rooms in a number of commercial and industrial zoning districts.This change was in response to the growing industry within the state,and the city's desire to attract new businesses to the city. Since the adoption of that ordinance, staff has been approached by a craft distiller to establish a distillery within the city.This industry has not experienced the same level of growth as brewing,primarily due to federal regulations and the barriers to entry,but the state and region has seen a significant growth in new operations in the last few years.To allow,and encourage,a distiller to open a new business in Elk River,an amendment to our zoning ordinance is required. Analysis Parking Parking for microdistilleries and associated cocktail rooms will be reviewed using the manufacturing, restaurant,or bar requirements as outlined in city ordinances. The parking requirements will be calculated based on the associated areas within the facility. Odor Manufacturing processes,like distilling, can create noxious odors that may be detected beyond the property lines of the facilities. However, staff has not found any evidence that small distilleries regularly generate complaints based on odor. Depending on the proposed siting and scope of the operation this could become an issue for neighbors,and for that reason staff recommends allowing them as a conditional use. The potential for noxious odors occurs when the drying or rotting byproducts are not properly disposed of. Provided the waste products are removed promptly, staff does not expect odor to be an issue for a majority of facilities. Fire Fire is of particular concern when discussing distilleries,as their ingredients and product can be highly flammable.The Fire Code addresses these concerns and would be evaluated by the Fire Marshal at the time of conditional use review and when a building permit is applied for. In situations where distilleries have been denied or limited in other communities, fire concerns were identified as a rationale. LNATUREI E1E1 � r