5.2a PCSR 07-14-2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

of Request for Action River To Item Number Planning Commission 5.2a Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by Planning Items July 14, 2015 Chris Leeseb erg, Senior Planner Item Description Reviewed by Ordinance Amendment to add a new extreme Zack Carlton, Planning Manager commercial recreational zoning district, Case No. Reviewed by OA 15-04—Public Hearing Action Requested Recommend,by motion, approval of the ordinance amendment creating a new zoning district. Overview Elk River Extreme Motor Park (ERX) proposes to expand their current facility. ERX is a year-round complex hosting snowmobile events in the winter and car, truck,ATV and go-cart racing in the summer months. The applicant is requesting to create a new zoning district,Extreme Commercial Recreation (XCR), to accommodate their long term vision. Current zoning district standards and uses do not provide the needed flexibility that a unique business like ERX requires. In working with the applicant, the city has determined that establishing a new zoning district allowing the growth and expansion of their operation will be a benefit to the city and the applicant. The new zoning district, like any other district,will include a variety of permitted and conditional uses specific to the applicant's plans for expansion. The creation of a new zoning district also provides the applicant more flexibility than a Planned Unit Development (PUD) district would. When approving a PUD, the city reviews a specific site plan that must be followed as growth occurs, and any deviation from that plan requires an amendment and approval from both the Planning Commission and City Council. By creating a new zoning district the applicant can acquire, subdivide, and develop property within the zoning district as needed.Amendments to the zoning district are not required, and when developing a permitted use (as identified in the zoning ordinance) only an administrative site plan review is required. Any property owner within the city can apply for a zone change to their property. Creating this new zoning district would allow any property owner that has at least 10 acres to request their property to be zoned XCR. Background/Discussion ERX has historically operated under the regulations of an Interim Use Permit (IUP),which was first issued on July 21, 2008 to operate at the current location. The current IUP has expired and the proposed ordinance amendment will eliminate the need for an IUP in the future. P O W E R E D ® Y NATURE