Sponsor
Bryan Schafer, Planning and Community Development Director
Title
Public Hearing Case File No. 18-0062 Conditional Use Permit For Transportation Terminal//Safe Tree Transportation, LLC//9224 Isanti Street NE
Background
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Zoning: |
I-2 (Heavy Industrial) |
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Land Use: |
HI (Heavy Industrial) |
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Area: |
Site is one acre |
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Applicable Regulations: |
31.14 (k) - Private Transportation Terminal |
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Attachments: |
Zoning & Location Map |
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Aerial of Site |
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Site Sketch |
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Floor Plan |
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Fence Type |
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Picture of Safe Tree Van |
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Schedule: |
Planning Commission Public Hearing: 10/09/2018 |
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City Council: 11/01/2018 |
The applicant, Safe Tree Transportation (STT)), has reached an agreement on a lease for a 6,000 square feet multi-tenant space at 9224 Isanti Street NE. Safe Tree provides van transportation to students through contracts with various school districts around the metro area. Because of the transportation nature and outside storage of vans, a Conditional Use Permit is needed under 31.14 (k) -Transportation Terminal - public or private.
The business and site operations can be summarized as follows:
• STT provides passenger van transportation to students at various schools throughout the metro.
• STT has approximately 50 passenger vans with most of them leaving the site early in the morning and returning at the end of the day.
• Approximately 8 vans are driven home each day by their drivers and not stored at the site.
• Hours are generally 5:30 AM to 6:00 PM.
• The building will be able to park 22 vans with the balance of the vans, approximately 20, parking in the fenced storage lot in the rear of the site.
• Employees (drivers) would park their personal vehicles during the day in the same parking areas where the vans are parked a night.
• The balance of the STT tenant space will be used for their administrative offices and a single service bay for servicing and light maintenance on the vans.
• The storage yard will be fenced with a 6-foot high vinyl-coated chain link fence with security gate.
The site is zoned I-2 (Heavy Industrial) and is part of a larger industrial park area. Many of the other sites in the park also have outside storage as permitted by the I-2 zoning. The parking of the vans inside of the building poses special review of the building’s fire suppression system, which likely will need to be upgraded.
Recommendation
In Planning Case File No. 18-0062 it is recommended that the Planning Commission recommend approval of a Conditional Use Permit for Safe Tree Transportation to operate a private transportation terminal from a 6,000 square foot tenant space with outside storage of passenger vans at 9224 Isanti Street based on the following conditions:
1. Tenant to schedule a walk thru with Building and Fire for issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy (C.O.). A C.O. is required prior to occupying the site.
2. The building’s fire suppression system to be evaluated by a fire system designer to determine what is needed to handle the inside storage of vehicles. System upgrades to be reviewed by city with permit required.
3. Tenancy to meet all Building and Fire codes for the space.
4. Exterior van storage limited to the rear storage yard. No van storage (overnight parking) allowed in the front parking area. No vehicle parking allowed in the driveway (north of the building.
5. Rear storage area to be fenced with 6-foot high chain link and to meet 10-foot side yard setbacks. Side setback area to be returned to landscaping.
6. Security gate installation to be reviewed and coordinated with Fire Department for emergency access.
7. Outside van storage limited to not more than 25 passenger vans.
8. A 24-foot drive aisle to be maintained at all times in the fenced storage area.
9. All site work to be completed by June 30, 2019 and completion guaranteed with a $5,000 cash escrow.