2026.04.13 - 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, April 13, 2026
7 p.m.
Crystal City Hall and Zoom Video Conference
Zoom call information: https://go.crystalmn.gov/April13 (meeting ID is 825 0635
2509 and password is 414141) or call-in toll free at 888-475-4499
1. Call to Order
2. Approval of Minutes*
a. Monday, March 9, 2026 meeting minutes
3. Public Hearing*
a. Conditional use permit request from Robbinsdale Area Schools to repurpose
FAIR school at 3915 Adair Avenue North (Application Number 2026-03)
4. Old Business - None
5. New Business – None
6. General Information
a. City Council actions on previous Planning Commission items: Amend the
Official Zoning Map for the town center districts.
b. Development and construction update
c. Update from Council liaison
d. Staff preview of likely agenda items for Monday, May 11, 2026 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, April 13, 2026 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
Commissioner (Ward 4)
Vacant
Commissioner (Ward 1)
Heigel
Commissioner (Ward 3)
Sumnicht
Commissioner (Ward 4)
Johnson [Chair]
Commissioner (Ward 2)
Strand
Commissioner (Ward 3)
Buck [Sec. Vice Chair]
Commissioner (At-
Large) Scholz
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES *
Moved by _______________ and seconded by _______________ to approve the
minutes of the March 9, 2026 regular meeting with the following exceptions:
Motion carried.
3. PUBLIC HEARING*
a. Conditional use permit request from Robbinsdale Area Schools to repurpose FAIR
school at 3915 Adair Avenue North (Application Number 2026-03)
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 conditional use permit for Robbinsdale Area Schools.
Motion carried.
4. OLD BUSINESS - None
5. NEW BUSINESS – None
6. GENERAL INFORMATION
a. City Council actions on previous Planning Commission items: Amend the Official
Zoning Map for the town center districts.
b. Development and construction update
c. Update from Council Liaison
d. Staff preview of likely agenda items for Monday, May 11, 2026 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 – March 9, 2026
CRYSTAL PLANNING COMMISSION
MINUTES
Monday, March 9, 2026 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:
Commissioner (Ward 1)
Sears [Vice Chair]
X Commissioner (Ward 2)
Selton
Commissioner (Ward 4)
vacant
X Commissioner (Ward 1)
Heigel
X Commissioner (Ward 3)
Sumnicht
X Commissioner (Ward 4)
Johnson [Chair]
X Commissioner (Ward 2)
Strand
X Commissioner (Ward 3)
Buck [Sec. Vice Chair]
X Commissioner (At-Large)
Scholz
Other attendees: City Planner Dan Olson, Community Development Director John Sutter and
one interested person.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Moved by Strand and seconded by Heigel to approve the minutes of the February 9, 2026
regular meeting.
Ayes: All. Nays: None.
Motion carried.
3. PUBLIC HEARING
a. Amend the Official Zoning Map to rezone properties in the Town Center districts
(Application Number 2026-02)
Mr. Olson presented a summary of the staff report and is recommending approval of the
rezonings in the town center districts.
Commission member Strand asked when nonconforming uses must comply with the town
center regulations. Mr. Olson spoke about various uses that would become nonconforming
with this ordinance. Mr. Sutter added those uses that are nonconforming can continue to
maintain their properties and can also expand in a way that reduces any nonconformities.
Property owners can also request that their property be rezoned from TC, especially if that
owner has a specific future land use plan for the property.
Unapproved Planning Commission Minutes – March 9, 2026
Commission member Johnson asked if we know what the property tax impacts might be for
redevelopment. Mr. Sutter said immediate tax impacts are unknown because properties are
valued at what the market will bring. Long term the city council wants more intensive
development in the town center area that will alleviate some of the tax burden on other
neighborhoods in the city.
Commission member Sumnicht asked if there was thought given to expanding the TC-PD
overlay district beyond the one property in the staff report. Mr. Olson said the focus by the city
council was to expand the TC district. Mr. Sutter added that when the town center districts
were created, the idea was to not expand beyond the commercial area so that the low-density
residential areas would be protected. Having said that city staff is open to expansion of the TC-
PD. Some city council members have discussed creating redevelopment districts in other areas
of the city, such as south Douglas Drive or 42nd Ave. N.
Chair Johnson opened the public hearing.
A Crystal resident asked questions about potential impacts of redevelopment to the residential
neighborhoods surrounding the town center area.
There being no one else from the public to testify, Chair Johnson closed the public hearing.
Moved by Sumnicht and seconded by Strand to recommend approval to the city council of the
amendments to the official zoning map.
Ayes: All. Nays: None.
Motion carried.
4. OLD BUSINESS - None.
5. NEW BUSINESS
a. Election of Officers
Chairperson: Motion by Buck, seconded by Selton to nominate Johnson as
chairperson. No other nominations were made. Ayes: all
Vice-Chairperson: Motion by Strand, seconded by Scholz to nominate Sears as vice-
chairperson. No other nominations were made. Ayes: all
Second Vice-Chairperson: Motion by Selton to nominate Buck for second vice-chair,
seconded by Scholz. No other nominations were made. Ayes: all
6. GENERAL INFORMATION
a. City Council actions on previous Planning Commission items. Mr. Olson described the
following City Council actions and answered questions from the Commission:
• Amendment to TC-PD zoning for an apartment building at 7000 – 56th Ave. N.
Unapproved Planning Commission Minutes – March 9, 2026
b. Development and construction update. Mr. Sutter provided updates on the following
items and answered questions from the Commission:
• Lotus Pointe at 6000 - 56th Ave. N.
• Apartment building by Yellow Tree corporation at 7000 – 56th Ave. N.
c. Update from Council Liaison: Council Liaison David Cummings was not present at the
meeting.
d. Staff preview of likely agenda items for the April 13, 2026 meeting. Mr. Olson said there
are three potential conditional use permit applications for the April meeting, but that the
application deadline is not until next week.
7. OPEN FORUM
•
Commission member Heigel said that there is some tree debris in Bassett Creek Park, near
Welcome and 32nd Avenues, that should be cleaned up. Staff will pass this along to park
maintenance.
Commission member Scholz recommended other members review a news article about the
controversary of the city of Blaine’s accessory dwelling unit regulations.
8. ADJOURNMENT
Moved by Scholz and seconded by Selton to adjourn. Ayes: All. Nays: None
Motion carried.
The meeting adjourned at 7:59 p.m.
3915 ADAIR AVENUE NORTH – CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION
PAGE 1 OF 6
__________________________________________________________________________
FROM: Dan Olson, City Planner
__________________________________________________________________________
TO: Planning Commission (for April 13 Meeting)
DATE: April 7, 2026
RE: PUBLIC HEARING – Conditional Use Permit request for Robbinsdale Area Schools to
repurpose FAIR school at 3915 Adair Avenue North (Application Number 2026-03)
A.BACKGROUND
Robbinsdale Area Schools has applied for a conditional use permit (CUP) to repurpose FAIR
school at 3915 Adair Avenue North. The existing use as an arts school for grades 6 to 8 is
proposed to be replaced by three new school district uses: Robbinsdale Virtual Academy,
Highview Academy and the Education Service Center (district office). The property is zoned
Low Density Residential (R-1) and the proposed uses are conditional uses within that district.
Notice of the April 13 public hearing was published in the Sun Post on April 2, mailed to
owners, renters and business tenants within 500 feet (see attachment A), and posted to all
neighborhoods on Nextdoor. A sign was also posted on the property and a hearing notice was
sent to the City of Robbinsdale since the property is adjacent to the Robbinsdale/Crystal
boundary line.
Attachments:
A.Site location and public hearing mailing notice map
B.Zoning map
C.Photos of existing property
D.Applicant’s project narrative
E.Powerpoint
F.Floor plans (2 sheets)
PLANNING COMMISSION STAFF REPORT
Conditional Use Permit for 3915 Adair
Avenue North
3915 ADAIR AVENUE NORTH – CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION
PAGE 2 OF 6
2025 Aerial Photo:
B. PROPOSED CONDITIONAL USE
Existing Use
The existing 115,959 sq. ft. FAIR school was constructed in 2001 on the 431,811 sq. ft. (10
acres) property. The property has 121 parking spaces. The school is currently a middle-school
for grades 6 to 8 and the applicant is proposing to end that use by Fall, 2026. A CUP was
approved by the City Council for FAIR school in 1998 with one condition:
3915 ADAIR AVENUE NORTH – CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION
PAGE 3 OF 6
1. Whenever the theater is used for an assembly or production, such as a play or concert but
not including rehearsals, no part of the facility may be used for a purpose that is not a
school program or function, except when such occurrence does not result in parking
demand in excess of that which is provided on the site.
This use of the theater will continue in its current state and therefore this condition would
remain if the requested new CUP is approved.
Adjacent uses
The following are the existing land uses and zoning districts surrounding this property:
• North. Single-family homes, zoned Low Density Residential (R-1)
• East. Across Adair Ave. N in Robbinsdale, single-family homes zoned R-1
• West. Single-family homes and city-owned stormwater pond, both zoned R-1
• South. Across 39th Ave. N, single-family homes zoned R-1.
Proposed uses
After the middle school use is ended, the applicant is proposing to repurpose the property for
the following three uses:
➢ Robbinsdale Virtual Academy (RVA). The program is an online learning program for
grades 6 to 12.
➢ Robbinsdale Academy – Highview. The program is a secondary school learning program
for grades nine to twelve currently located at the Sandburg Middle School in Golden
Valley.
➢ Education Service Center (school district office). The current district office is located at
4148 Winnetka Ave. N. in New Hope.
The applicant is not proposing to enlarge the building or increase the size of the three existing
parking lots. The floor plan (attachment F) shows 16 classrooms devoted to Highview Academy
and 24,215 sq. ft. for district offices. For the three proposed uses there will be a maximum of
94 district staff during the school year, which will decrease to about 65 staff when students are
not present. The building will be open from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday. The
following are notable site plan elements for the proposed uses:
• Parking. There are 121 parking spaces on the property. The Unified Development Code
(UDC) has parking requirements for offices and secondary schools:
➢ District office. The number of required spaces for the office is 53.
➢ Secondary school. The number of required spaces for the secondary school is 25.
The UDC requirement allows for specific characteristics of the secondary school
use to be considered when determining the number of required parking spaces.
In this case the applicant has indicated that Highview students are based at two
3915 ADAIR AVENUE NORTH – CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION
PAGE 4 OF 6
area high schools and the majority of those students will be bussed to 3915
Adair, with no more than 25 Highview students driving to FAIR school. The plan
to bus students from area high schools will also reduce the number of buses on
the property from 19 to 2.
With the minimum number of required spaces at 78, the existing 121 parking spaces are
sufficient.
• Access and circulation. There are four existing driveways off Adair Avenue N., providing
access to the parking lot in front of the school and to the separate parking lots north
and south of the building. With the reduction of school buses from 19 to 2, traffic
circulation is expected to be less complicated for the proposed uses.
To aid in access and circulation, there are currently restrictions for parking on Adair Ave.
N.:
West side. No parking is allowed on Adair Ave. in front of the school while
students are dropped off from 7:30 – 8:00 A.M. and from 2:30 to 3:00 P.M. In
addition, parking is not allowed in that same area of the street from 2:00 to 4:00
P.M.
East side. The city of Robbinsdale does not allow parking on Adair Ave. in front of
the school.
The city’s Public Works Director and the West Metro Fire Rescue District staff have
reviewed the traffic circulation plan and found it adequate to continue meeting vehicle
movement into and within the site, including fire trucks and delivery vehicles.
Recommended Findings
The following are the relevant criteria for approval of a conditional use permit in city code
section 510.19:
(a) The proposed use has been approved as a conditional use in the zoning district for which it
is proposed.
Findings: Secondary schools and public buildings are conditional uses in the R-1 zoning
district.
(b) The conditional use will be in accordance with the general objectives, or with any specific
objective, of the city’s comprehensive plan and the unified development code (UDC).
Findings: The property is guided as Institutional on the 2040 Planned Land Use Map,
which includes churches, schools, cemeteries and publicly owned properties. The
proposed secondary school and district office use is in conformance to this designation.
3915 ADAIR AVENUE NORTH – CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION
PAGE 5 OF 6
(c) The conditional use will be designed, constructed, operated, and maintained so as to be
harmonious and appropriate in appearance with the existing or intended character of the
general vicinity and that such use will not change the essential character of the same area.
Findings: Since the applicant will not increase the size of the building footprint or parking
lot for this school use, the existing character of the area will not change.
(d) Impacts such as noise, hours of activity, and exterior lighting have been sufficiently
addressed to mitigate negative impacts on nearby uses.
Findings: The proposed use is not expected to generate unusual noise impacts. Hours of
operation will be similar to the current middle school use. No new exterior lighting is
proposed.
(e) Parking is adequately provided for the proposed conditional use.
Findings: As described in section B, above, the proposed secondary and district office use
will have 121 parking spaces. Based on the parking analysis provided by the applicant,
staff has determined that the number of spaces is sufficient for these uses.
(f) In the approval of a conditional use permit, the City Council may impose such conditions as
it determines is necessary to make the use compatible with other uses allowed in the same
district zone or vicinity.
Findings: The proposed conditions of approval for the CUP are found in section C of this
staff report.
Use specific standards
The following is the relevant use specific standard in city code section 515.19, Subd. 7 for
approval of a secondary school or public or semipublic building, followed by staff’s findings of
the standard.
a) The facility is served by arterial, collector, or municipal state aid streets and such
pedestrian facilities as are necessary to accommodate the traffic generated by the facility.
Findings: The property is accessed from Adair Ave. N., which is a minor collector street
and municipal state aid street. This means that it is designed for higher traffic volumes
and larger vehicles than a standard residential street. Adair Avenue connects the school
to 42nd Ave. N., a minor arterial street, and 36th Ave. N, a major collector street. There is
a public sidewalk along the west side of Adair, directly adjacent to the school, which
connects to a network of sidewalks minor arterials, major collectors and other minor
collectors in the surrounding area.
3915 ADAIR AVENUE NORTH – CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION
PAGE 6 OF 6
C.REQUESTED ACTION
The Planning Commission is being asked to make a recommendation to the City Council to
either deny or approve the CUP to allow Robbinsdale Area Schools to repurpose the property
by locating Robbinsdale Virtual Academy, Highview Academy and district offices at 3915 Adair
Avenue North. The Commission may reference the findings in Section B, above. Staff
recommends approval of the conditional use permit, subject to the following conditions of
approval:
1.Theater. Whenever the theater is used for an assembly or production, such as a play or
concert but not including rehearsals, no part of the facility may be used for a purpose that
is not a school program or function, except when such occurrence does not result in
parking demand in excess of that which is provided on the site.
2.Compliance. This conditional use permit is subject to the applicable requirements of the
city code, and the applicant is required to comply with all applicable federal, state, and
local laws, rules, regulations, and ordinances, and is required to obtain such other permits
and permissions as may be required.
3.No Waiver. Failure by the City to take action with respect to any violation of any condition,
covenant or term of this conditional use permit shall not be deemed to be a waiver of such
condition, covenant, or term or any subsequent violation of the same or any other
condition, covenant, or term.
4.Revocation. The violation of any terms or conditions of this conditional use permit
including, but not limited to, any applicable federal, state, or local laws, rules, regulations,
and ordinances, may result in revocation of the conditional use permit. The applicant shall
be given written notice of any violation and reasonable time, as determined by the City, to
cure the violation before a revocation of the permit will occur.
5.Binding Effect. This conditional use permit, and the conditions placed on it, are binding on
the applicant, their successors and assigns, shall run with the property, and shall not in any
way be affected by the subsequent sale, lease, or other change from current ownership,
until the conditional use permit is terminated or revoked as provided herein. The
obligations of the applicant under this conditional use permit shall also be the obligations
of the current and any subsequent owners of the property.
6.Acceptance of Conditions. Utilization of the property for any of the uses allowed by this
conditional use permit shall automatically be deemed acceptance of, and agreement to,
the terms and conditions of this conditional use permit without qualification, reservation,
or exception.
City Council action is anticipated on April 21, 2026.
Site Location and Public Hearing Notice Mailing Map
3915 Adair Ave N
4141 Douglas Dr. N.
Crystal MN 55422
Attachment A
Zoning Map
3915 Adair Ave N
4141 Douglas Dr. N.
Crystal MN 55422
Attachment B
Front of
building facing
Adair Ave. N.
Front parking
lot
Attachment C
South parking
lot
Rear (west) side
of building
North parking
lot
Attachment D
Planning Commission Meeting
April 13, 2026
Public Hearing
Conditional Use Permit for FAIR
School at 3915 Adair Ave. N.
Application Number: 2026-03
Attachment E
2025 Aerial
Photo
Site Location and 500 foot mailing radius
Also published in the
Sun Post, on the city
website, posted on the
property and to all
neighborhoods on
Nextdoor
General Information
•Proposed repurposing from FAIR middle school to
three uses: Robbinsdale Virtual Academy, Highview
Academy, and school district offices.
•Property is zoned R-1
Adjacent Uses
•North: Single-family homes zoned R-1
•East (Robbinsdale): Single-family homes zoned R-1
•West: City-owned stormwater pond zoned R-1
•South: Single-family homes zoned R-1
CUP for FAIR School
No expansion of facilities
•The applicant is not proposing to enlarge the
building or parking lots.
Parking
•The property has 121 spaces.
•Minimum requirement is 78 spaces (53 for the
office use and 25 spaces for Highview).
Notable Site Elements
✓The proposed uses are allowed as conditional uses.
✓Consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
✓Compatible with adjacent uses.
No increase to the size of the building or parking lots.
Hours of operation will be similar to the current use.
No noise impacts or exterior lighting added to the property.
✓Parking is adequate.
There are 121 existing spaces but only 78 are required.
✓Conditions may be imposed.
Staff proposes six conditions for approval (standard CUP conditions,
plus one from previous CUP approval in 1998).
Recommended Findings
Staff recommends approval of the CUP with the
findings of fact and conditions in the staff report.
Staff Recommendation
Planning Commission Action
❑Hold the public hearing to receive public comment.
❑Make a recommendation to the City Council.
Attachment F