01-16-1996 Planning Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Proposed Zoning Code Amendment - Section 10.20, Subd. 3 - Conditional Uses in Residential Zones January 11,1996 Page 5 of 6 The proposed amendment of this section would list the various accessory uses associated with a school use. These associated uses might include playgrounds, tennis courts, ball fields, running tracks, spectator seating, concession stands, hockey nnks. nature areas, parking lots, etc. Additional associated uses might include separate and free-standing athletic facilities such as swimming pools, ice arenas, etc. which might serve a school use as well as a general public use, and which could conceivably be operated privately by for-profit or non-profit entities. The potential impacts on surrounding properties of any of the above uses is widely variable. The location of a specific use or facility in relation to adjacent residential property can have impacts due to noise, lighting, vibration, odors, encroachments on open space, and extending to concerns such as trespass on private property during sporting events. The wide range of potential uses suggests the need for development of reasonable setback standards and screening requirements, as well as some standards for a location that is in reasonable proximity to the principal use for safety and security reasons. The listing of accessory uses associated with a school use suggests that (and the City should have an expectation that) accessory uses will occur on the sam e propertv as a principal use. I.e., in the case where the school would own multiple tax parcels, an accessory use should occur on the same property as a principal use, which might require legal combination of parcels. While this may seem to be a minor issue, the possibility of outside organizations operating a "school-associated use" on a separate property, suggests the potential for that use to "break away" from the school and become a separate and possibly commercial recreational entity in a single family residential zone. Two specific applications have lead to the current discussion. The first was the Orono Baseball Association use of school properly for baseball diamonds. The property is o\vned by the school district, but leased by the City, and the City sub-leased the property to Orono Baseball Association for construction of baseball/softball fields which are totally under the control of OBA as far as operations, maintenance and scheduling. In this case, it is far-fetched to suggest that OBA’s use of the site is accessory to the school. In the second situation, Orono Hockey Boosters, Inc. proposes to lease a ciirrently vacant separate tax parcel fi’om the school district for the purpose of constructing an ice arena. The school district will own the land and control use of the site, but the Orono Hockey Boosters will own the improvements, i e. the building, parking lots, etc. In this case the school district will be a heavy user of the improvements on the site and will have right of approval over the design of the improvements. L ——■