2022.11.14 - Packet
4141 Douglas Drive North • Crystal, Minnesota 55422-1696
Tel: (763) 531-1000 • Fax: (763) 531-1188 • www.crystalmn.gov
Crystal Planning Commission Agenda Summary
Monday, November 14, 2022
7 p.m.
Crystal City Hall and Zoom Video Conference
Zoom call information: https://go.crystalmn.gov/zoom14 (meeting ID is 880 2210
4454 and password is 414141) or call-in toll free at 888-475-4499
1. Call to Order
2. Approval of Minutes*
a. Monday, October 10, 2022 meeting minutes
3. Public Hearing*
a. UDC text amendment request from Dan and Debbie Pearson to revise
requirements for vehicle sales (Application Number 2022-10)
4. Old Business - None
5. New Business - None
6. General Information
a. City Council actions on previous Planning Commission items:
– Variance request from Scott Endres for a new monument sign at 5730
Bottineau Boulevard
b. Update from Council liaison
c. Staff preview of likely agenda items for Monday, December 12, 2022 meeting
7. Open Forum
8. Adjournment
* Items for which supporting materials are included in the meeting packet
Page 1 of 2
CRYSTAL PLANNING COMMISSION
DETAILED AGENDA
Monday, November 14, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.
Council Chambers, Crystal City Hall
Commissioners, please call 763.531.1142 or
email dan.olson@crystalmn.gov if unable to attend
* Items for which supporting materials are included in the meeting packet
1. CALL TO ORDER
The regular meeting of the Crystal Planning Commission convened at ______ p.m. with the
following members present:
Commissioner (Ward 1)
Sears [Vice Chair]
Commissioner (Ward 2)
Selton [Chair]
Commissioner (Ward 4)
Einfeldt-Brown [Sec. Vice
Chair]
Commissioner (Ward 1)
Heigel
Commissioner (Ward 3)
Maristany
Commissioner (Ward 4)
Johnson
Commissioner (Ward 2)
Strand
Commissioner (Ward 3)
Buck
Commissioner (At-
Large) Scholz
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES *
Moved by _______________ and seconded by _______________ to approve the minutes of
the October 10, 2022 regular meeting with the following exceptions:
Motion carried.
3. PUBLIC HEARING*
a. UDC text amendment request from Dan and Debbie Pearson to revise requirements for
vehicle sales (Application Number 2022-10)
Staff presented the following:
The following were heard:
Page 2 of 2
Planning Commission discussion:
Moved by _______________ and seconded by _____________ to recommend ______
to the City Council of the UDC text amendment application from Dan and Debbie Pearson.
Motion carried.
4. OLD BUSINESS - None
5. NEW BUSINESS - None
6. GENERAL INFORMATION
a. City Council actions on previous Planning Commission items:
- Variance request from Scott Endres for a new monument sign at 5730
Bottineau Boulevard
b. Update from Council Liaison
c. Staff preview of likely agenda items for Monday, December 12, 2022 meeting:
7. OPEN FORUM
8. ADJOURNMENT
Moved by _____ and seconded by ______ to adjourn.
Motion carried.
The meeting adjourned at ______ p.m.
Unapproved Planning Commission Minutes – October 10, 2022
CRYSTAL PLANNING COMMISSION
MINUTES
Monday, October 10, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.
Council Chambers, Crystal City Hall
1. CALL TO ORDER
The regular meeting of the Crystal Planning Commission convened at 7:00 p.m. with the
following members present:
X Commissioner (Ward 1)
Sears [Vice Chair]
X Commissioner (Ward 2)
Selton [Chair]
X Commissioner (Ward 4)
Einfeldt-Brown
X Commissioner (Ward 1)
Heigel
X Commissioner (Ward 3)
Maristany [Sec. Vice Chair]
X Commissioner (Ward 4)
Johnson
X Commissioner (Ward 2)
Strand
Commissioner (Ward 3)
Buck
X Commissioner (At-
Large) Scholz
Other attendees: City planner Dan Olson, City Council liaison Brendan Banks, Scott and
Rita Endres (representing Crystal Vision Clinic) and other interested persons.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Moved by Sears and seconded by Heigel to approve the minutes of the August 8, 2022
regular meeting. Ayes: Strand, Heigel, Sears, Selton, Johnson, Einfeldt-Brown, and
Scholz. Abstain: Maristany Nays: None
Motion carried.
3. PUBLIC HEARING
a. Variance request from Scott Endres for a new monument sign at 5730 Bottineau
Boulevard (Application 2022-09).
Chair Selton opened the public hearing.
Olson presented a summary of the staff report and stated he is recommending
approval of the variance.
Commission member Heigel asked if there was a way to control the light intensity of
the sign. Ms. Rita Endres said she wasn’t sure, but Planner Olson said that electronic
readerboards can be programmed to adjust the brightness. Heigel expressed concern
that motorists on Highway 81 will be distracted by the electronic movement of the sign.
Ms. Endres said that they have had problems in their current Douglas Drive location
with patrons finding their clinic and they want to make this sign visible in their new
location, but do not want to have a sign with negative impacts to the community.
Unapproved Planning Commission Minutes – October 10, 2022
Commission member Heigel asked if the Crystal Medical Center has an electronic
sign. Olson said he wasn’t sure, but if there isn’t one now, the medical center could
install that with an approved sign permit application.
Commission member Maristany asked if the sign would conflict with airport operations.
Olson said he sent hearing notices to both the on-site airport manager and the airport
owner, the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC). When the clinic was going
through its approval, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) found the building
height in compliance with airport operations, and this sign will be shorter than the
building. Commission member Maristany asked why the sign was not located at the
Colorado entrance to the property. Ms. Endres said they want visibility on Highway 81.
A Crystal resident said she’s concerned that the sign will flash in her windows and is
too close to Airport Road. She also expressed concern that the clinic’s entrance was
on Colorado. Olson explained that the Colorado driveway entrance was approved
through a public hearing process last year and there was no other option to access the
new clinic. The sign will be set back some distance from Airport Road since the
County owns quite a bit of land between the clinic and Airport Road. The resident
spoke about the past history of the commercial area west of Colorado Avenue and is
disappointed that the area continues to have commercial uses. Olson showed the
Planning Commission the location of this resident’s home in the Powerpoint slides and
the location of the proposed sign.
Hearing no one from the public who wished to speak, Selton closed the public hearing.
Commission member Sears asked if the sign could be located in the southwest corner
of the lot. Mr. Scott Endres said there is a large tree in that area located on the
property owned by the Medical Center. Since he did not want the sign to be blocked
by this tree, he located the sign near the intersection of Highway 81 and Airport Road.
Commission member Scholz said she understood the concerns of both the resident
and the Endres’, and there’s not an easy solution to satisfy both. Commission member
Strand said that she believes the sign will be difficult to see by residents to the east
due to its orientation along Highway 81 and it being screened by the taller clinic.
Commission member Heigel asked if the sign will be lit continuously. The Endres’ said
yes.
Commission member Maristany asked if the sign could be shut off or dimmed
overnight. Olson said that the Endres’ could be asked to dim the sign at night, but the
city may not be able to require that. Maristany asked if the sign could be installed on
the clinic itself. Ms. Endres said it would be too far from the highway to be visible if it
was on the building.
Moved by Strand and seconded by Einfeldt-Brown to recommend approval to the City
Council of the variance application for Scott Endres at 5730 Bottineau Boulevard with
the conditions in the staff report. Ayes: Sears, Strand, Selton, Einfeldt-Brown and
Johnson. Nays: Heigel and Maristany. Abstain: Scholz.
Motion carried.
Unapproved Planning Commission Minutes – October 10, 2022
4. OLD BUSINESS - None
5. NEW BUSINESS - None
6. GENERAL INFORMATION
• City Council actions on previous Planning Commission items: Olson stated that the
Council approved the property rezoning from Crystal Housing Group for the property
at 5232-5256 West Broadway and also approved miscellaneous UDC amendments.
Commission chair Selton asked about litigation relating to the UDC amendments and
asked if the Commission should be informed of the specifics of the issue if members
are called to testify in court. Olson said he would look into how much can be divulged
to the Commission. Commission member Strand reviewed the Commission’s past
actions on this issue and didn’t think they would be called to testify. She said she
doesn’t necessarily need to know the details of the litigation.
• Update from Council Liaison: City Council liaison Brendan Banks did not have any
Council updates, but agreed with Planner Olson that he can’t say a lot about the
litigation relating to the UDC amendments, but he will convey to the Council the
Commission’s thoughts on the UDC amendments and their desire to be informed
about the litigation. Mr. Banks said the open house for the new police station was well
attended.
• Staff preview of likely agenda items for Monday, November 14, 2022 meeting.
Planner Olson said he has not received any applications for the November meeting,
but the application deadline is not until next week.
7. OPEN FORUM
Commission member Scholz said she sees stormwater draining from the new police
station to the library property and wondered who she could speak to about that. Olson
said she could contact the city engineer. She said she would do that.
Commission member Einfeldt-Brown asked what’s going on with the former Burger King
property and former Pizza Ranch on West Broadway. Olson said the Burger King
restaurant is being converted to an office building and the Purple Rose restaurant and
smoking lounge will be occupying the Pizza Ranch space.
8. ADJOURNMENT
Moved by Heigel and seconded by Maristany to adjourn. Ayes: All. Nays: None
Motion carried.
The meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.
UDC TEXT AMENDMENT
PAGE 1 OF 3
___________________________________________________________________________
FROM: Dan Olson, City Planner
TO: Planning Commission (for November 14 meeting)
DATE: November 8, 2022
RE: PUBLIC HEARING. UDC text amendment request from Dan and Debbie
Pearson to revise zoning requirements for vehicle sales (Application
Number 2022 - 10)
__________________________________________________________________________
A. BACKGROUND
Staff has received a text amendment request from Dan and Debbie Pearson who own
Premier Motors, a vehicles sales business at 6048-6058 Lakeland Ave North. The
applicants would like to amend the use specific standards for vehicle sales to allow
vehicle sales north of Lombardy Lane.
Attachment:
A. Proposed text amendment
B. PROPOSED AMENDMENT
Vehicle sales north of Lombardy Lane. The city received a request from Premier Motors
at 6048-6058 Lakeland Ave N to allow vehicle sales north of Lombardy Lane
(attachment A). Currently vehicle sales are allowed as a permitted use in the
commercial district, but not north of 56th Avenue (Bass Lake Road). Therefore, vehicle
sales at Premier are classified as “legally nonconforming”, which allows for the use to
continue but it cannot be expanded. With this change Premier Motors and Jack’s Auto
Sales would be able to expand and improve sales lots on their current properties. The
aerial photo on the next page shows the two properties.
PLANNING COMMISSION STAFF REPORT
UDC Text Amendment
UDC TEXT AMENDMENT
PAGE 2 OF 3
There is precedent for allowing vehicle sales in a smaller area – vehicle sales are
allowed to a point 660’ north of the intersection of Winnetka and 36th Avenues. The
zoning map excerpt below shows the properties where vehicle sales would be allowed
as a result of this amendment. Jack’s would have to combine 6043 Florida Avenue
with their 6030 Lakeland lot to take advantage of this change.
UDC TEXT AMENDMENT
PAGE 3 OF 3
C.REQUESTED ACTION
The Planning Commission is asked to make a recommendation to the City Council to
either deny or approve the proposed UDC text amendment. Staff recommends approval
of the amendment.
The following is the proposed schedule for adopting the text amendment:
December 6 Council considers first reading of ordinance
December 20 Council considers second reading and adoption
December 29 Summary of ordinance published
January 28 Effective date of ordinance
80
CR225-464-620540.v5
(1)Repair is allowed for a retail establishment, but a conditional use permit is required if the
repair is done outdoors. The applicant shall demonstrate that such outdoor repair will not
negatively impact neighboring properties;
(2)Within the TC district, retail space is limited to 15,000 gross square feet per floor.
Additional square footage may be allowed with a conditional use permit, not to exceed a
building footprint of 20,000 square feet;
(3)Within the Commercial district, retail establishments may have up to 50% of the gross
floor area as storage or warehouse space; and
(4)Within the Industrial district, retail establishments are limited to 50% of the gross floor
area of the principal use.
(k)Vehicle repair. Vehicle repair is subject to the following standards:
(1)The property abuts at least one of the following street segments:
(i)Lakeland Avenue/Bottineau Boulevard between the Canadian Pacific Railroad and
56th Avenue North;
(ii)West Broadway between Corvallis Avenue and 56th Avenue North; or
(iii) Winnetka Avenue between 36th Avenue North and a point 660 feet north of 36th
Avenue North; and
(2)There is no outdoor parking or storage of vehicles that are to be worked on, are being
worked on, or have been worked on.
(l)Vehicle, boat, or recreational sales or rental. Vehicle, boat, or recreational sales or rental is
subject to the following standards:
(1)The property abuts at least one of the following street segments:
(i)Lakeland Avenue/Bottineau Boulevard between the Canadian Pacific Railroad and
56th Avenue North;
(ii)Lakeland Avenue between Lombardy Lane and the north lot line of Lot 1, Block 1,
Storm’s 1st Addition, said distance approximately 368 feet;
(ii)(iii) West Broadway between Corvallis Avenue and 56th Avenue North; or
(iii)(iv) Winnetka Avenue between 36th Avenue North and a point 660 feet north
of 36th Avenue North;
(2)There is no outdoor parking or storage of inoperable, unlicensed, abandoned or junk
vehicles; and
(3)No vehicle or equipment shall exceed 32 feet in length.
(m)Vehicle fuel sales. Vehicle fuel sales are subject to the following standards:
(1)The property abuts at least one of the following street segments:
Attachment A