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4 , <br /> City of <br /> E <br /> 4lk ...- Request for Action <br /> River <br /> To Item Number <br /> Planning Commission 4.7 <br /> Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by <br /> Public Hearings October 25, 2016 Zack Carlton,Planning Manager <br /> Item Description Reviewed by <br /> City of Elk River BrieAnna Simon,Planner <br /> • Ordinance amendment to define outdoor Reviewed b <br /> e Case No. OA 16-1 by <br /> storage, 6 <br /> Action Requested <br /> Recommend,by motion, approval of an amendment to the Elk River City Code that adds definitions and <br /> standards for outdoor storage. <br /> Background/Discussion <br /> The city code does not currently define outdoor storage, nor does it outline performance standards for <br /> approved outdoor storage areas outside of the Business Park (BP) zoning district. Staff reviewed these <br /> concerns and asked for direction on outdoor storage during the August 1, 2016,work session. The <br /> minutes from that discussion are attached. <br /> Definition <br /> The ordinance does not include an outdoor storage definition. For examples, staff looked at the Planners <br /> Dictionary,published by the American Planning Association, and other Minnesota cities,which have <br /> been attached. Staff recommends the following definition: <br /> Outdoor Storage -The storage of any materials, products, or equipment outside of a principal or <br /> accessory structure,including but are not limited to items for sale,lease,processing, and repair <br /> (including vehicles). <br /> This definition includes all products and materials (finished or not),parked trailers, and equipment. Uses <br /> which may overlap with parts of this definition, car dealerships and auto repair businesses for example, <br /> are reviewed via the CUP process and their screening requirements will be evaluated during that process. <br /> Additionally, some definitions include a timeline that allows the staging of materials, giving businesses the <br /> opportunity to temporarily store and prepare materials for transport. This option was discussed with the <br /> Council in August,but clear direction was not reached. Including a timeline allows businesses to better <br /> use their open areas,but staff is concerned that it becomes a continual rotation of new materials every 24, <br /> 48, 72 hours, and the long-term goal of maintaining consistently clear sites throughout the city is not <br /> achieved. <br /> Performance Standards <br /> Regulations specific to outdoor storage exist for the BP district,but do not apply to other zoning <br /> districts. Those standards were added in 2012 in response to a request from the community, and read as <br /> follows: <br /> T1 [ REI ® r <br /> NATURE <br />