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______________________________________________________________________________ <br />City of Arden Hills <br />Planning Commission Meeting for November 9, 2016 <br />P:\Planning\Planning Cases\2016\PC 16-028 - University of Northwestern - CUP & Zoning Code Amendment - <br />1265 Grey Fox Road\Memos_16-028 <br /> <br />Page 7 of 9 <br />3. Interim Ordinance No. 2016-008 <br /> <br />On October 10, 2016, the City Council approved an Interim Ordinance temporarily prohibit land <br />use applications and reviews for higher education uses in residential, business, industrial, and <br />other zoning districts (Ordinance No. 2016-008). The stated purpose of the Ordinance is to allow <br />the City time to study the impacts of locating higher education uses in non-traditional campus <br />settings. The Ordinance will remain in effect for 12 months after its passage. <br /> <br />The City received a complete application from the University of Northwestern for the proposed <br />Zoning Code Amendment and Conditional Use Permit on October 3, 2016. Because the <br />complete application was received before the Interim Ordinance went into effect, the City is <br />required to process the land use application. <br /> <br /> <br />Findings of Fact: <br /> <br />Staff offers the following twelve (12) findings of fact for consideration: <br /> <br />1. The property located at 1265 Grey Fox Road is located in the I-Flex Zoning District. <br />2. “Schools, higher education” uses are not a permitted use or conditional use in the I-Flex <br />Zoning District under Section 1320.05 of the Zoning Code. <br />3. The University of Northwestern-St. Paul has requested a Zoning Code Amendment to <br />allow “schools, higher education” as a conditional use in the I-Flex Zoning District. <br />4. The University of Northwestern-St. Paul has requested a Conditional Use Permit for a <br />“schools, higher education” use at the property located at 1265 Grey Fox Road pending <br />approval of the requested Zoning Code Amendment. <br />5. The “schools, higher education” land use is not compatible with the predominantly <br />industrial and employment-based permitted and conditional uses currently allowed in the <br />I-Flex District. <br />6. The proposed Zoning Code Amendment is not consistent with the land use goal within <br />the 2030 Comprehensive Plan to, “Develop and maintain a land use pattern that <br />strengthens the vitality, quality, and character of our residential neighborhoods, <br />commercial districts, and industrial areas while protecting the community’s natural <br />resources and developing a sustainable pattern for future development” (Arden Hills <br />2030 Comprehensive Plan, at 3-1). <br />7. The subject property is guided for Light Industrial and Office on the 2030 <br />Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map, which is defined as “areas designated for a <br />broad range of light industrial uses such as warehousing with manufacturing. This land <br />use may also include offices” (Arden Hills 2030 Comprehensive Plan, at 6-8). The <br />proposed Zoning Code Amendment is not consistent with the Future Land Use map. <br />8. The proposed Zoning Code Amendment is not consistent with the purpose of the I-Flex <br />District to preserve, protect, enhance and perpetuate existing development in the district.