07-08-2002 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING MONDAY, JULY 8, 2002 • 7. #02 -2795 WJMProperties, 2605 Wayzata Boulevard — Commercial Site Plan Review and Conditional Use Permit — Continued building. Also, a new entrance and 4 large windows would be constructed. Weinberger stated that wholesale, or fleet customers, would fit under the current industrial zoning. Also, staff was supportive of the Planning Commission recommendation. Some changes that had been recommended were to screen the property with the installation of a berm with plantings. Other changes involved lower lighting at a 20' height that would display the front end of the building. Current light poles would be removed and 4 new ones would be evenly installed with no part of the light visible from neighboring property lines. Signage would be limited to a monument sign at the Highway 12 entrance. Johnson passed out information to Council on the site plan changes, demonstrating that they had complied with the Planning Commissions requirements for better screening. Johnson stated that the outdoor storage parking restriction of 250 spaces should refer only to the east, exposed lot, and not to the fenced lot at the rear. Sansevere asked if customers would bring their own cars to the site for repair work. Wagner stated that repair cars would be delivered by staff from the dealerships, and they • would have some insurance adjusters visiting the site, but not customers. Also, there would not be a gate at the entrance, so delivery trucks could enter and unload at any hour without backing up traffic on Highway 12. Nygard asked about the daily traffic flow. Johnson stated that there would be 40 full time employees on site, plus trucks and cars being delivered. The site would primarily be used by the dealerships along 394. Nygard stated he does not want Orono to be the center of Moores Automotive Group. Wagner stated that the site would be used by only two dealerships, as the others have adequate room on -site. Mayor Peterson asked if there was a turn lane into the property. Weinberger stated there was not, but there was no median in front of the site. Murphy asked if the landscaping was acceptable to the applicant. Johnson stated it was. Murphy asked if the fleet cars would have signs and banners advertising their sales. Johnson stated that they would be selling to professional corporate buyers, indicating they would not use such on -site advertising as is typical of car dealerships. Weinberger suggested Council consider the hours of operation. Johnson stated that the sales component would operate from 9 -9 Monday through Friday, and 9 -6 on Saturday. Sandee Smith stated that the Planning Commission felt the hours were too broad for a wholesale operation. Wagner stated that they needed to be flexible to meet the time • constraints of their clients. 0