The Crookston Planning Commission met on Monday night in the City Hall Council Chambers to review a conditional use request.
The agenda also included the approval of the last meeting’s minutes which took place in March. The Planning Commission usually meets once a month; however, there were no agenda items for discussion in April, May, or June. After the minutes were approved, a conditional use request was looked at for 320 West 6th Street property in Crookston.
Only four members of the commission were in attendance. They recommended removal and denial of the request and a commercial use of solar panels in a residential area was not permitted. Crookston City Attorney Charles Reynolds explained the problem with the request and regulations that would prohibit it. “Conditional uses can be allowed in residential areas if it’s considered a local neighborhood commercial,” said Reynolds. “I researched that phrase, and that term generally refers to grocery stores, restaurants, laundry mats, and types of services that people need on an everyday basis.
The use presented before the planning commission was a commercial use for solar panels, and while the commission believes solar panels are good, it could not pass the request. “It becomes a slippery slope, and eventually a business can locate anywhere,” said Zoning Administrator Greg Hefta. “Zoning has tried to prevent that within residential areas, so we do this more for the residents rather than the occupation that would be in that residential area.”
The property is fairly dilapidated and would need to be brought up to code if the conditional use request would’ve been passed. The property owner currently lives in Winnipeg, Canada, and had the opportunity to speak with the board during the meeting but did not join in via Zoom. Hefta said that he would follow up with the owner later this week to share the news.
Hefta expects the planning Commission to meet in August to cover at least one agenda item. If the meeting does occur, it will happen on the third Tuesday of the month, August 17.
