3(e) Amend Conditional Use Permit for Exterior Storage

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manufacturing operations. At peak tirnes, the applicant proposes to store 300 to 50o cords of wood, with the largest piles being stacked lo to 12 feet high at the most. This type of storage is classified as Exterior Storage, requiring a conditional use permit. Exterior Storage is defined as the storage of goods, materials, equipment, or manufactured products outside of a fully enclosed building." The Land Use Matrix in our current City Code lists E�cterior Storage as an "Accessory Use" in the Light Industrial zoning classification. A Conditional Use Permit would not be required. The applicant requests to remove Conditions 2 and 3 from the Conditional Use Permit approved in 200�which read: 2. The proposed trees to provide screening along the western property line shall be planted within one year of the date of permit approval. 3. The proposed alternate alignment will run adjacent to this property. To provide screening of the area as viewed from the proposed alternate alignment, the property owner shall install screening, consisting of trees and fencing or other similar materials, which would provide ioo% screening of the property as viewed from the highway, within six (6) months of the road completion. The proposed site plan dated August 1, 200� indicates 2o trees to be planted along Morehouse Drive, the western property line. Currently there are 5 pine trees and i deciduous tree along Morehouse Drive. There were more pine trees planted that did not survive. The applicant states there are no other requirements for screening or tree planting for anyone else in the Industrial Park and these requirements are inconsistent with the way other property owners have been treated. The Planning Commission directed Staff to review all Conditional Use Permits and Variances to verify all conditions had been met. During this review Staff determined that Condition Number 3 had not been satisfied. Staff does not believe the applicant intentionally ignored the Condition. With the ten years between the Conditional Use Permit approval and the completion of the alternate alignment, it is understandable this Condition was overlooked. In a prepared statement at the April i8, 2oi9 Planning Commission meeting, the applicant stated there was no plan to have a bypass when they decided to build their new production facility in July, 200�. There was a Resolution adopted June 6, 2006 in support of the re-routing of State Highway 371 to a corridor east of town. In that same statement, applicant stated screening the log yard would cut off visibility of signage directing people to his factory outlet showroom in downtown Pequot Lakes Staff Report 3(e)-2 June 20,2oi9