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______________________________________________________________________________ City of Arden Hills Planning Commission Meeting for July 5, 2017 P:\Planning\Planning Cases\2017\PC 17-015 - Ramsey County - Organics and Yard Waste Collection Site – Tony Schmidt Park\Memos_Reports_17-015 Page 5 of 8 The City Council may place conditions on a permit if deemed necessary to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the community. Conditional Use Permits are granted for a specific use at a specific site and are not transferable. Traffic and Parking Ramsey County expects the SSO collection component to be relatively minor in relation to the overall activities on the site. Currently, the site averages approximately 50,000 visits per year. The yard waste sites in Mounds View and White Bear Township are the most comparable to Arden Hill in terms of local residential population. In 2016, the Mounds View site had 3,520 site visits attributed to SSO collection and White Bear Township had 3,872 visits. Ramsey County estimates the Arden Hills site will have approximately 3,000 – 4,000 site visits annually for SSO collection. Many of the residents participating in the SSO collection service would also likely already be using the site for yard waste drop off. The existing access road can accommodate high traffic volumes and measures approximately 600 feet in length from the end of Hudson Avenue to the collection area. The addition of SSO collection is not expected to significantly change current traffic volumes. There is sufficient space on the site for residents to park their vehicles and drop off SSO materials or yard waste. Odors and Nuisance Characteristics Ramsey County reports that odors associated with SSO collection have been kept at a minimum by requiring organic materials be placed in compostable bags and ensuring collection containers are regularly serviced. In general, odors from the SSO materials are typically noticeable only within a few feet of the containers. During the three years of SSO collection at the six other yard waste sites, no issues associated with odor have been reported by adjacent property owners. The closest residential property to the Arden Hills site is approximately 450 feet from the collection area. No issues with increased wildlife attraction have been reported at the other County SSO collection sites. Sites are monitored by County staff to ensure residents are bagging organic materials and properly placing bags within the container. When the sites are not open, containers are securely closed to prevent infestation. Additionally, in the first three years of operation, only one incident of illegal dumping has occurred at a site entrance. Findings of Fact The Planning Commission must make a finding as to whether or not the proposed application would adversely affect the surrounding neighborhood or the community as a whole based on the aforementioned factors. Staff offers the following fifteen (15) findings for consideration: 1. The property at 1761 Lake Johanna Boulevard is located in the Parks and Open Space District. The property is owned by Ramsey County as is part of Tony Schmidt Regional Park.