Three council members voted against calling for a public hearing for the proposed Gateway Overlay District Ordinance that would amend City Code Chapter 152 “Zoning” during Monday’s Council meeting. The resolution to call for the public hearing was pulled from the consent agenda. The proposed ordinance had passed the Ways & Means Committee two weeks ago with a 6-1 vote.
Councilman Jake Fee, who was out of town for the previous meeting, pulled the resolution from the consent agenda. Fee said there was a lot he liked but didn’t think it should include the industrial area of town along Old Highway 75. One area that Fee said was cause for concern was not allowing gravel driveways or parking lots, saying he could think of at least three businesses that he was under the impression would have to pave those lots if sold.
City Administrator Shannon Stassen explained to Fee that the initial assumption that property being sold would trigger the ordinance was no longer active and that only a change of non-conforming use would trigger the need to conform. City Attorney Corky Reynolds also explained it was on a case-by-case basis and each situation would need to be evaluated individually. Reynolds did, however, cite the only example he was aware of from the City of Duluth. In that instance, a business that manufactured iron products was sold for a lumber manufacturer. In that case, Duluth determined it was a significant enough change in use that the lumber business was not grandfathered in.
Fee said while there was a lot he liked in the district he worried he worried about business buildings sitting empty trying to wait for similar non-conforming uses to move in. Councilman Tom Vedbraaten also said an ordinance such as this shouldn’t be put in place when the city is trying to land a big business-like Epitome Energy. The time to put in is when there aren’t businesses considering moving in or out of town. A public hearing will be held May 28, during the next council meeting at the resolution passed 5 to 3 with Fee, Vedbraaten and Councilman Bobby Baird voting against proceeding.
Baird said he would like to see a similar non-conforming use be better defined so that a new council has more clarification. “There is many questions there,” said Baird. “They say each case is different but many of us might not be on this council two years from now. For clarification then there could be a lot of questions. I’m just not comfortable with it.”
A planning commission preceded council with both the commission and council voting to approve a variance allowing First Community Credit Union to build their new facility within 36 feet of North Acres Drive. The lot on the north end of town was platted in 1979, well before the ordinance requiring a 50-foot setback creating the need for the variance explained Stassen. “The design of their building and their drive-thru was constrained by the current setback,” said Stassen. “We have a 50-foot setback on the books right now and they asked to move that down to 36 feet to have the layout and design that best suits them. That difference of 14 feet doesn’t impose any hardship on any businesses surrounding them. We did send out a notice to all businesses in a 350-foot radius and didn’t hear any negative feedback.”
The City of Crookston Tobacco-Free Policy passed unanimously for all city facilities and buildings with the added line that a personal vehicle is not considered city property. Also passing were the remaining consent agenda items including the April 22 minutes, bills and disbursement for $479,369.13, a liquor license for El Gordito, authorization to execute the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Airport Maintenance and Operation Grant contract, the awarding of 2019 Street Improvement projects to R & Q Trucking out of Roseau for $921,126.10, and an agreement with MnDOT for use of the city’s parklets along and adjacent to Highway 2.
Mayor Guy Martin also issued three proclamations. The first proclaiming 2019 “The Sisters of Saint Benedicts 100-year Centennial”, the second declaring the month of May “Community Action Month”, and the third declaring May 12-18 “RiverView Health Week” in the City of Crookston.
