Laserfiche WebLink
Page 1 of 2 <br /> <br />AGENDA ITEM – 1D <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />DATE: June 8, 2020 <br /> <br />TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers <br /> Dave Perrault, City Administrator <br /> <br />FROM: Joe Hartmann, Associate Planner <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Call Center Definitions <br /> <br /> <br />Council shall consider: <br />The City Council shall consider amending language in the City Zoning Code as it relates to the <br />definition of call centers and their parking requirements. <br /> <br />Background: <br />At its December 2019 work session, the Council discuss call center parking requirements in regards <br />to National Recoveries. National Recoveries is a debt recovery service, which operates a call center <br />at 4265 Lexington Avenue North within the Arden Hills Corporate Center. The available parking <br />within the corporate center does not meet the needs of National Recoveries as they employ <br />approximately 350-400 persons. Because of this National Recoveries has contracted with North <br />Heights Lutheran Church to provide overflow employee parking. National Recoveries decided to <br />collaborate with North Heights Lutheran Church as the site has significant excess parking during <br />the week. National Recoveries has a shuttle that transports staff from the church to their facility. <br />The existing offsite parking is permitted by ordinance section 1325.06 Subd D, 6. <br /> <br />Following the discussion the City Council directed staff to review and propose a zoning code <br />amendment to add a definition for “call centers” and parking count standards for the use. <br /> <br />Summary: <br />Under City Code Section 1305.04, definitions for items found in the Zoning Code are laid out in a <br />glossary of terms. However, City Code does not have a definition for a “Call Center”. City Code <br />Section 1325.06, Subd. 1, J defines the number of parking spaces requirements under each category <br />of use within the Zoning Code, however, Call Center uses are not explicitly defined under City <br />Ordinance in this section, either. This section of the code also stipulates that uses not specifically <br />noted would have to be defined as determined by the City Council after receiving a recommendation <br />from the Planning Commission. Staff determined that the closest category would be “Business & <br />Professional Office”, which requires one parking spot for every 250 square feet of office space. <br />