The Crookston Planning Commission met on Tuesday night in the Council Chambers at City Hall to discuss the Gateway Overlay District. The Gateway Overlay District refers to the transportation corridors that lead into the city of Crookston including Old Highway 75 from US Highway 75 to South Main Street and US Highway 75 from 290th Street Southwest to County Road 233/Marin Avenue.
Highlights of the new zoning ordinance along these Gateways would include the prohibition of adult use establishments, transmission towers, prefabricated/modular home sales, and accessory structure sales, and salvage junk yards along entry points into the city. Also, several different design requirements would need to be met by any future buildings built on the defined roadways within the new Gateway Overlay District.
A few local business owners expressed concerns with potentially needing and being unable to receive loans to cover costs of repairs this new ordinance might require. One thing that was made clear to those concerned business owners currently within this new potential district was that businesses and buildings on the gateway already would be grandfathered in, “they would not be impacted at this point,” clarified Stassen. “We would hope that they would look at what our ultimate goal is and opt-in on their own, but no they wouldn’t be required to as long as they keep the use of their business the same going forward, they’re not required to do anything.”
Any new business would have to follow the new zoning requirements to encourage an improved look to the entry points of the city. The ordinance was mailed out to all businesses located on the gateway, but the material led to some confusion for a few business owners whose properties would be affected. The ordinance was lacking certain specifics including how transferring of ownership within the family would impact whether or not an existing business would need to meet compliance or what the penalties for failing to meet zoning requirements would be. The cost for current companies to opt-in to renovations that would fit the proposed ordinance is something the commission hopes to address going forward added Stassen, “I think what was identified is the (businesses) that do need help, a lot of the time they need financial help. That was something that came up from the feedback that people do want to make improvements, but there is not necessarily the funding to do it. Whether it’s through the small cities development program or other opportunities to make investments into the community, obviously there is a cost-sharing, there is a match component. That is something we should definitely consider, and I think we will.”
While the ultimate goal of this proposed ordinance is to enhance the visual appeal of entry points into the city, this is not a goal anticipated to be achieved quickly explained Stassen, “over time as we begin to see improvements to existing businesses that opt-in, because this isn’t a situation where it’s going to be enforced on existing businesses if the use doesn’t change, but hopefully as they look at what our intent is, like Tri-Valley they’re opting in on their own. They’re not required to, but they’re making changes here in 2019. That would be a really happy outcome. Over time, as we said this is kind of a decades-long process, as building change uses and ownership and new business are constructed, they’re built to this standard. Over time you’re going to see a real improvement along those gateways.”
Stassen cited the University of Minnesota Crookston along highway 2 as one such entry point to the city that achieves what this ordinance hopes to replicate across the other major routes into the city in the future, “we do have some areas that are tremendous gateways, and that’s great. We want to try and model that. The University, if you’re coming in from the East Grand Forks side, seeing the University as the first thing you see when you come in gives a tremendous impression of our community. We want to have kind of that similar feel regardless of which direction you come from.”
Crookston residents have until April 5 to submit any feedback they have regarding the Gateway Overlay District and can do so by contacting City hall or speaking to any member of the planning commission.
Tags:
