DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS - Bryan K. Schafer, Planning and Community Development Director
Title
GRANTING A COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE AMENDMENT FROM LI (LIGHT INDUSTRIAL) TO HI (HEAVY INDUSTRIAL) AT 9949 NAPLES STREET NE. CROWN ENTERPRISES, INC. (CASE FILE NO. 15-0051/BKS)
Schedule of Actions
|
Planning Commission (Public Hearing) |
10/13/05 |
|
City Council (Comp Plan Amendment) |
12/10/15 |
|
Action Deadline |
01/07/16 |
Planning Commission Action
The Planning Commission voted 4-1 (Commissioner York) to deny the rezoning, comprehensive plan and conditional use permit based on the rationale stated in the staff report. Public comment from the adjacent light industrial property to the south included support for denial of the request including concern with setting a precedence of this type of request in the future.
Background
Issue Summary: Crown Enterprises Inc wishes to purchase a 40 acre parcel of land located between Naples Street and 35W and construct a 67,000 sq foot cross dock transfer facility as well as a 12,000 sq foot truck maintenance building. The site in question is not zoned for this use as it is I-1 (Light Industrial). The applications therefore include a request by the applicant to reguide and rezone the property to I-2A (Heavy Industrial). This is not an action that is supported or recommended by staff as it believed to be detrimental to the City’s development goals for this area along 35W as well as possibly harming other developed light industrial/office uses in the neighborhood.
Project Details
Crown Enterprises is a national truck freight company with a facility located in the City of Mounds View. They have outgrown their space and have looked for alternative sites around the north metro including sites in Blaine. The use requires I-2A (Heavy Industrial) zoning and while there are several vacant I-2A sites in Blaine they are too small for this facility. Their decision to pursue the Naples Street site was made knowing that the site was not zoned or guided properly and that the City staff position was not favorable. Their proposal was also presented to the City Council at a workshop in June of this year and the council concurred that there was not support for the project. Regardless of that direction provided at the workshop, Crown chose to make formal applications and take it through the full process.
The site is just over 40 acres in size with significant wetland areas scattered around the site. As you can see from the site plan, they are proposing to build on the western portion of the site and utilize the eastern side for wetland mitigation. The site (hard surface area) is just over 10.5 acres in size. Wetland impacts are estimated at just under 3 acres. Approximately 27 acres of storm water improvements and wetland mitigation is proposed along the east half of the site. While applications have been made to the Rice Creek Watershed and the US Army Corp of Engineers, no agency concurrence or permits have been issued. Because of that, this application package should not be presented to the City Council until concurrence has been received from those two agencies.
The site utilizes one primary access point from Naples Street to access both the terminal as well as the areas used for vehicle maintenance and employee parking. The terminal building will contain a small office on the front of the building and a 112 door cross dock facility with 56 doors on each side. The 12,000 square foot maintenance building will be used to perform work on the truck and trailer fleet owned by Crown. The site is proposed to be landscaped to meet the City’s zoning standards. The buildings will be consistent with other masonry heavy industrial buildings with the front of the office designed at a higher standard with a nice mix of materials and architecture.
Crown would be expected to employ approximately 70-80 employees split between management, office staff, drivers (over 50%), dock personnel and vehicle maintenance. With 80 employees they would have an employment base of eight (8) employees per acre (based on their 10 acres of developed site) which is in the range of other heavy industrial uses but lower then typical light industrial uses. When developed, the site would have 6% building coverage with large areas dedicated for truck circulation and parking.
There a number of City Goals that are stated in the City’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan that guide development and Economic Development for the City. Several of these are very pertinent to this issue:
“The City will continue to implement practices to improve the image along major roadway corridors relating to building design, architecture and materials, signage, land use and landscaping”.
“The City will encourage, through land use, development that creates access to sustainable jobs for the residents of Blaine. Development of corporate offices, professional and financial services, research, medical manufacturing and medical services, education and emerging industrial technology will be focal points in helping to create a well balanced and vital economy for the City and its residents.
The sites (including this parcel) between Naples Street and 35W are not without development challenges based on the heavy truck traffic generated by the existing heavy industrial uses that are located west of Naples. Almost all of these sites also contain scattered wetlands making larger scale development more difficult.
Moving forward the City should facilitate a discussion with the development community and property owners to explore more flexible zoning options for this area that could include a wider option of office/industrial/warehouse uses. Given these challenges, large scale office type development is unlikely but staff believes there are better options than the proposed rezoning and land use amendments to allow a heavy trucking use.
Recommendation
If the City Council is supportive of the land use change from LI (Light Industrial) to HI (Heavy Industrial), then by motion, approve the Resolution.
Attachments
Zoning and Location Map
Crown Business Narrative
Site Plan
Landscape Plan
Grading Plans
Building Plans
Body
WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 462.355, Subdivision 2, prescribes the procedure for amending the Comprehensive Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission held a public hearing on October 13, 2015, and recommended denial regarding the Comprehensive Plan amendment request for:
THE N1/2 OF N1/2 OF NW1/4 OF SEC 26 T31 R23, EX N 330 FT THEREOF, ALSO EX RDS; SUBJ TO EASE OF REC
AND
THE N 330 FT OF N1/2 OF NW1/4 OF SEC 26 TWP 31 RGE 23, EX RD SUBJ TO EASE OF REC
WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed the Comprehensive Plan amendment request and finds the change to be in general conformance to the adopted Comprehensive Plan for land use compatibility.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Blaine that the land use plan be amended to change portions of the property, as described above, and based on land use maps contained within Case File No. 15-0051, from LI (Light Industrial) to HI (Heavy Industrial).
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Blaine this 10th day of December, 2015.