Planning Commission

REGULAR MEETING OAKDALE PLANNING COMMISSION September 7, 2023 The Oakdale Planning Commission held a meeting on Thursday, September 7, 2023 at Oakdale City Hall, 1584 Hadley Avenue North, Oakdale, Minnesota. The meeting began at 7:00 PM with the Pledge of Allegiance. In the absence of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, Commissioner Campbell nominated himself for the role of acting Chairperson for the meeting. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER MCCAULEY, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER STOLARSKI, TO APPOINT COMMISSIONER CAMPBELL AS THE ACTING CHAIRPERSON FOR THE MEETING VOTED IN FAVOR: Commissioner Campbell AYE Commissioner Stolarski AYE Commissioner Hagen AYE Commissioner McCauley AYE Commissioner Diatta AYE 5 Ayes. Motion approved. CALL OF ROLL On a call of roll, the following were present: Chairperson: Christopher Campbell (Acting Chair) Commissioners: Michael McCauley Lee Stolarski Yaya Diatta Janet Hagen Also Present: Luke McClanahan, City Planner Jake Ingebrigtson, City Council Liaison Erin Perdu, Stantec Consulting Jamie Emerfoll, 6700 4th St N, What the Fluff!?! LLC, Applicant Brittany Klindt, What the Fluff!?! LLC Linda Komarek, 6066 Upper 51st St N Not Present: Tom Willenbring, Commissioner Dallas Pierson, Commissioner APPROVAL OF MINUTES Planning Commission Minutes September 7, 2023 Page 2 A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER MCCAULEY, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER DIATTA, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF AUGUST 3, 2023 AS PRESENTED. VOTED IN FAVOR: Acting Chair Campbell AYE Commissioner Stolarski AYE Commissioner Hagen AYE Commissioner McCauley AYE Commissioner Diatta AYE 5 Ayes. Motion approved. PLANNING COMMISSION REVIEW a. NEW BUSINESS i. PUBLIC HEARING – JAMIE EMERFOLL, 6700 4TH STREET NORTH – CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR A HOME OCCUPATION (DOG GROOMING) Luke McClanahan, City Planner, stated that the property is 6700 4th Street North and the Home Occupation is for a Pet Grooming Facility, known as “What the Fluff!?! LLC”. The property is zoned R-1 Low-Density Residential, where Home Occupations are allowed via Conditional Use Permit. This is an existing pet grooming business. The request originates from a code complaint of the business operating without a permit. The applicant is working with the City to bring the use into zoning compliance. The applicant will utilize an existing grooming facility, located in the applicant’s detached garage. Business hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday, and 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Saturdays. The applicant anticipates a total of six to eight pet appointments per day, resulting in three to eight additional vehicle trips per day. Additionally, the applicant intends to work exclusively one-on-one with animals, eliminating the need for kennels. There will be no overnight boarding of animals. Currently there is no sewer line serving the use. To address this issue, the City’s building official has suggested that a condition of approval be placed on this permit so that the facility complies with State Plumbing code and that a new sewer line be established at least 60 inches below grade for protection from freezing. Parking is not expected to be a problem given the length of the driveway as it can accommodate at least eight cars. Mr. McClanahan referenced the review criteria of the Zoning Ordinance that must be used when reviewing Conditional Use Permit requests. Staff finds that the review criteria have been satisfied as detailed in the staff report on file, provided that certain conditions can be met. Staff recommends approval of the request subject to the following three conditions.  Hours of operation for the use shall be from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, and 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Saturdays. Planning Commission Minutes September 7, 2023 Page 3  The applicant shall ensure that the pet grooming facility complies with State Plumbing Code.  The applicant shall verify that any sewer line connections serving the use are at least sixty (60) inches below grade and sufficiently insulated to protect from freezing. Commissioner Diatta thanked the applicant for working with the City towards compliance. Commissioner Diatta asked for clarification on defining non-family employees. Mr. McClanahan said that it would include someone who is not related to the applicant, but trying to define who a family member is can be difficult. Commissioner Diatta suggested that the City consider making the definition of family members clear so it is easy for city staff to administer the Ordinance. Acting Chair Campbell opened the public hearing. The applicant, Jamie Emerfoll, 6700 4th St N, What the Fluff!?! LLC, introduced herself and her business partner, Brittany. They have been conducting grooming operations in the area for many years. Previously they worked at corporate grooming businesses and discovered a high need for people who want to bring their dogs to a more intimate setting, especially for dogs that are anxious or need special care in a quieter environment. Commissioner McCauley asked if making the sewer improvements will impact the business from continuing their operations. Ms. Emerfoll said they have been working with the City on this issue and as soon as the Conditional Use Permit is approved, they will break ground on the sewer improvements. Commissioner Diatta asked if city staff had received any complaints about the business. Mr. McClanahan said the only complaint that he is aware of is addressing the drainage through proper sewer infrastructure. Two of the conditions of approval on the permit are meant to resolve this issue. Ms. Emerfoll added that the business stays in close contact with the neighborhood and keep open communications. The business operations are small scale and people drop off their dogs and pick them up after they are groomed so dogs are not left on the property all day. Acting Chair Campbell closed the public hearing. Commissioner McCauley asked if the business operations are on pause until the City Council approves the CUP. Mr. McClanahan said that because the applicant is working with the City towards compliance, they can continue their operations but must receive Council approval to continue further. Commissioner Diatta thanked the applicant for their small business in Oakdale. COMMISSIONER STOLARSKI MADE A MOTION, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HAGEN, RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR A HOME OCCUPATION PET GROOMING FACILITY AT 6700 4TH STREET NORTH. Planning Commission Minutes September 7, 2023 Page 4 VOTED IN FAVOR: Acting Chair Campbell AYE Commissioner Stolarski AYE Commissioner McCauley AYE Commissioner Diatta AYE Commissioner Hagen AYE 5 Ayes. Motion approved. ii. DRAFT GLENBROOK SMALL AREA PLAN Erin Perdu, Stantec Consulting, presented an overview of the draft Glenbrook Small Area Plan. The plan is available for public review. This is not public hearing because the plan does not result in an ordinance being adopted or a comprehensive plan amendment. However, the public was invited to the meeting and their comments are welcomed. Ms. Perdu described recent meetings about the plan with the City Council and Planning Commission. She provided an overview of the public engagement efforts which included neighborhood meetings, online engagements and questionnaires, business visits, and meetings with other government agencies. Based on all the feedback received, the draft plan recommends that a new frontage road, paralleling Highway 36, be created to divert commercial truck traffic from the residential neighborhood. There are a few recommendations for future land use changes in the comprehensive plan for parcels along the south side of Upper 51st St N from Commercial to Mixed-Use. The changes are meant to better accommodate future development and better reflect some of the existing land uses, such as Eastgate Apartments. Another recommendation in the plan includes encouraging and working with industrial properties towards satisfying zoning compliance, such as installing stormwater management infrastructure and screening outdoor materials. The next step for this plan is to make any necessary changes based on feedback received. Then the plan will be brought to the City council on September 26 for consideration of final approval. In regards to the truck traffic analysis that was performed, Commissioner Hagen asked about common times when trucks drove through the neighborhood. Ms. Perdu said that most of the truck traffic appeared to be for commercial purposes and occurred in the morning time. Commissioner Hagen expressed concerns about the intersection of 50th St N and Geneva Ave N. Commissioner McCauley asked about the timeline for implementing the plan. Ms. Perdu said implementation is at the discretion of the City Council and the priorities of developing this area. However, some actions may occur at any time, such as amending the future land use map. Building the frontage road is unknown because there will be required coordination with the Minnesota DOT. Planning Commission Minutes September 7, 2023 Page 5 Acting Chair Campbell said that although the item is not a public hearing, anyone from the audience is welcomed to provide comments. Linda Komarek, 6066 Upper 51st St N, voiced concern about the amount of commercial truck traffic along Upper 51st Street. She also expressed concern about the impacts that will result from the future intersection project for Highways 120 and 36. Acting Chair Campbell asked Ms. Perdu if there were any other opportunities for public feedback, to which Ms. Perdu replied that there is information about the plan on the City’s website and people may contact planning staff if they have any comments. Ms. Perdu followed up about the commercial truck traffic data and said that the trucks were observed during business hours, from the morning to the evening. Acting Chair Campbell asked about previous signage in the neighborhood that prohibited truck traffic. Mr. McClanahan said that based on conversations with public works and public safety staff, enforcement is a major challenge for ensuring drivers comply with the signage and it presents an administrative burden to do so. Ms. Perdu added that the proposed road improvements would make it easier for trucks to utilize the frontage road in comparison to Upper 51st Street. Acting Chair Campbell asked if there was any action necessary by the Commission. Ms. Perdu said that no action is required unless the Commission wants to suggest changes to the plan. There were no recommended changes. OTHER BUSINESS a. Planning and Development Update Mr. McClanahan provided an update on three applications that were heard at the last Planning Commission meeting. The CUP for a Home Occupation at 6449 49th St N was withdrawn by the applicant. The CUP for an additional accessory structure at 7065 43rd St N was approved by the City Council on August 22. The Hudson Boulevard Apartments development was approved by the City Council on August 22. Mr. McClanahan said that there will likely be an October Planning Commission meeting because there is one application on file at this time. b. City Council Update Council Member Ingebrigtson did not have any updates for the Commission. ADJOURNMENT A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER STOLARSKI, SECONDED BY MCCAULEY, TO ADJOURN THE SEPTEMBER 7, 2023 MEETING OF THE OAKDALE PLANNING COMMISSION AT 7:39 PM. Planning Commission Minutes September 7, 2023 Page 6 VOTED IN FAVOR: Acting Chair Campbell AYE Commissioner Stolarski AYE Commissioner McCauley AYE Commissioner Diatta AYE Commissioner Hagen AYE 5 Ayes. Motion approved. Respectfully submitted, Luke McClanahan City Planner