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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION – MARCH 16, 2015 9 Associate Planner Bachler reviewed the request before the Council noting that the garden center was being proposed to be expanded and that it would have a six foot fence. He noted that a PUD Amendment is required due to the proposed parking lot modifications to accommodate the expansion. Councilmember McClung questioned how the City allowed the garden center to get beyond the 3,500 square feet, which was allowed within the 1997 Conditional Use Permit. City Administrator Klaers stated that this Conditional Use Permit was approved many years ago, and that this was an enforcement issue that would have to be dealt with internally by staff. Mayor Grant commented that he would allow for the expansion of the garden center before he allowed the outdoor storage. Community Development Director Hutmacher stated that staff has spent a great deal of time talking with Frattallone’s and learning how their business works. She discussed how the purple area on the site plan was used as a staging area. Tom Frattallone, Frattallone’s Ace Hardware, indicated that mulch and topsoil was stored on the site during the months of April and May, which accounted for 20% of his sales. He provided further comment on the purchasing trends of his customers. He discussed the proposed height of the bags of topsoil and mulch. Councilmember Holmes asked why Mr. Frattallone was requesting the changes to his site. Mr. Frattallone reported that he wanted to purchase the building and parking lot where he is currently leasing and noted that the expanded garden center would assist him with expanding his business. He stated that he was asking that the mulch and topsoil pallets be allowed to be located on a six inch curb. Community Development Director Hutmacher reviewed how the outdoor storage on the site was currently being managed by Frattallone’s. She reported that the items in the back were mainly trash and recyclables, and that these items are regularly picked up on a weekly basis. Councilmember McClung suggested that the Zoning Code be amended to allow for outdoor storage as he would not support handling this request through a PUD amendment. Mr. Frattallone discussed the area on the south side of his building that has been used for exterior storage. He did not believe that anyone would be able to see the pallets stored in this area given the location of the berm and pine trees. Community Development Director Hutmacher discussed the adjacent condominium building noting that the residents could see into the storage area as it was built up higher than the retail space.