8-15-00	Planning Commission Meeting Minutes

Teague presented a request by H. Brooks & Company for a special use permit and site plan review for the purpose of operating a food processing (fruits and vegetables), packaging, warehousing and distribution center out of the existing building located at 600 Lakeview Point (the old US West facility).

Activities proposed at the site would include storage of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables including ripening rooms, caramel apple dipping, fruit and vegetable cutting and packaging, distribution of the product, and the office operation.

Approximately 130-140 employees will be working on the site over two shifts. Truck traffic generated from the site will be around 285 trips in and out of the facility per day, including weekends. These trips include employees driving to and from the site each day. The company has 20 semi trucks in operation and an additional 15 trailer beds parked on site. An above ground fueling station will be located in the southeast corner of the off-street parking area and shall be well screened. There will be at most, a total of 35 semi trailers on the site at one time. The site contains 16 dock doors, therefore, there will be 19 additional trailers parked away from the dock doors in the parking area.

The special use permit is requested for the purpose of allowing the distribution portion of the request, and to install a gasoline fueling area in the future.

The following criteria shall be considered for a special use permit to be issued:

1)	That the establishment, maintenance, or operations of the special use will not be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, morals, or comfort of the general public.

2)	That the special use will not be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other property in the immediate vicinity for the purposes already permitted, nor substantially diminish and impair property values within the neighborhood.

3)	That the establishment of the special use will not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of the surrounding property for uses permitted in the district.

4)	That adequate utilities, access roads, drainage and/or necessary facilities have been or are being provided.

5)	That the special use shall, in all other respects, conform to the applicable regulations of the district in which it is located.

Teague reported that the proposed distribution operation shall not be detrimental to the area, or diminish property value. The use conforms to the regulation of the I-1 Zoning District. The facility will be well screened per the attached landscape plan.

Phil Brooks, President of H. Brooks & Company made introductions, gave a brief history of the company and described some of the operations of their business.

Baker asked if H. Brooks & Company had any plans for the tower on the building. Brooks explained they did not need the tower but it would be expensive to remove it and the company would use it to the best of their ability for now.

Livingston asked where most of the employees had to travel from to get to work and the accessibility of the new location . Brooks replied that most of their employees live north of town.

John Allen, Industrial Equities, spoke regarding the vacancy of the building, traffic problems , noise levels, and other issues regarding H. Brooks & Company putting their business into that location. Brooks commented on Allen's concerns.

Teague reported on a traffic study based on numbers from the previous use of the site and the consultant did not seem to have a problem with 2000 trips being generated a day. Ray Ralston, Treasurer of H. Brooks & Company, stated that every tractor trailer vehicle that comes into the facility will be staged or unloaded at the docks and will not be parked on the street. Ralston estimated less than 250 trucks will be going in and out of the facility every week. He also explained the hours the employees work, when deliveries would be made and also the route the trucks would take.

Allen talked about the amount of trucks coming in and out of the park in a two week period (maybe 40) compared to the 250 semi-truck trailers coming in and out of just the H. Brooks & Company site and asked in a Light Industrial Zone if there was a limit to the number of truck trips. Teague reported that there were no limits.

O'Brien asked if warehouse wholesale is a permitted use, then how do we get to a special use permit request? Teague stated it was tied in to the distribution and fueling portion of the business. Livingston asked if H. Brooks & Company would be distributing more goods than U.S. West was. Teague stated he didn't know what U.S. West was distributing. Questions on the fueling portion of the special use permit were asked. Teague stated that the company would be required to obtain an amended special use permit.

Approved with conditions and referred to the City Council:

5 Ayes - 0 Nays, Motion Carried.

H. Brooks Special Use Permit

Report 00-199

Resolution 00-077

City Council Meeting Minutes	August 22, 2000

Teague presented a special use permit for H. Brooks and Company for the purpose of operating a food processing, packaging, warehousing, and distribution center at 600 Lakeview Point. Approximately 130 employees will be working on the site and truck traffic would involve 600 trips per day, including weekends. The City Forester has requested modifications to the landscape plan for additional screening.

SEH performed a study and found that traffic levels do not warrant a signal on Old Hwy 8/Campus Dr./Lakeview Point and the current situation is adequate to support the use.

Staff suggested inclusion in the resolution that decibel levels of the refrigerated trucks shall not exceed EPA sound levels. Teague received calls from the owners of nearby apartment buildings expressing concern of noise generated from these trucks. The trucks would be located on the east side of the building which will shield noise from the residential area to the west.

The Planning Commission and staff are recommending approval subject to conditions.

Samuelson asked if a buffer between the residential area and property contains mature trees. Teague said the trees were planted five years ago and provide some buffering. Samuelson asked if the traffic patterns will vary from the previous tenant. Teague said the traffic analysis was performed to evaluate H. Brooks' usage as it relates to square footage.

Hoffman asked the hours of the operation. Raymond Rouse, H. Brooks, said the business operates 24 hour/7 day week. Most trucks leave the facility between 6:00-9:00 a.m. Teague noted a condition of approval which limits the number of trailers to 45 on the site and any increase would be subject to approval. Also, a letter was received from John Allen stating concerns of traffic generated from the site and the truck noise. Teague said the Planning Commission was uncomfortable with on-site fueling and construction of a repair facility on-
site, and asked the applicant to come back at a later date to request a special use permit.

Larson noted the need to prohibit truck parking on Lakeview Point. Rouse does not see a problem with prohibiting such parking.

Motion by Samuelson, seconded by Hoffman, to WAIVE THE READING AND ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING SP00-11 & LP00-10, SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS:

1.	LANDSCAPING/GREEN AREA PROVIDED AS SHOWN ON LANDSCAPE PLAN DATED 1-29-1999 AND 3-1-2000 AND STAFF SHALL INSPECT SITE FOLLOWING INSTALLATION OF PLANTINGS BY APPLICANT TO ENSURE ALL PLANTINGS SHOWN ARE IN PLACE.

2.	APPLICANT SHALL SEEK APPROVAL FROM RAMSEY COUNTY TO PLANT ADDITIONAL PINE TREES ALONG EASTERN PROPERTY LINE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SCREENING.

3.	THE NUMBER OF TRAILERS UTILIZED FOR DISTRIBUTION OF PRODUCT SHALL BE LIMITED TO 45 TRAILERS ON SITE; ANY INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TRAILERS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO APPROVAL BY THE CITY COUNCIL THROUGH AN AMENDED SPECIAL USE PERMIT.

4.	ANY SIGNAGE SHALL BE REQUIRED TO MEET THE PROVISIONS OF THE SIGN ORDINANCE SECTIONS 9-010 THROUGH 9-180.

5.	THERE SHALL BE NO PARKING OR STACKING OF TRUCKS ON LAKEVIEW POINT.

6.	SHOULD NOISE FROM REFRIGERATED TRUCKS BECOME A PROBLEM, H. BROOKS SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE TO HAVE THE EPA MONITOR SITE TO DETERMINE IF THERE IS A NUISANCE SHOULD THE EPA DETERMINE A NUISANCE CONDITION EXIST, APPLICANT SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE TO ELIMINATE NUISANCE CONDITION.

5 Ayes - 0 Nayes, Motion Carried.