Laserfiche WebLink
ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — APRIL 14, 2025 4 <br />3. AGENDA ITEMS <br />A. Thrift Store Use Zoning Standards <br />Senior Planner Fransen presented the information regarding current zoning language for thrift <br />store uses for Council's discussion and consideration. She pointed to the Staff memo that outlined <br />historic background of previous city reviews of businesses with the thrift store characteristics and <br />the definitions used for those reviews. <br />Senior Planner Fransen said in 2015 the Council approved a PUD amendment to allow for the <br />construction of a Goodwill at County Road E and Lexington Avenue. The business was classified <br />as a retail sales and services use. There was no thrift store definition, at the time. The use was <br />permitted. In 2016, a separate thrift store definition was added and it was incorporated into the <br />code. With these amendments the definition for retail sales and services was updated and <br />additional conditional use permit criteria for thrift store uses were added to the code. Thrift store <br />uses were added as a use allowable by conditional use permit in the B-4 and I Flex zoning <br />districts. At that time, existing thrift stores in the B-2 zoning district would be grandfathered in. <br />Senior Planner Fransen said Staff surveyed how 11 neighboring communities define and <br />regulate retail sales/services and thrift store uses. Six of the I l communities include separate <br />definitions for the two uses. Of those six, two communities zone thrift store use separately from <br />retail businesses. In five of the 11 communities a second-hand dealer license is required. Of those <br />five, one community requires a conditional use permit and a license. She said Staff is seeking <br />direction on the zoning of thrift store use. <br />Mayor Grant asked for the definition of thrift store. <br />Senior Planner Fransen said a thrift store is currently defined as `a business for which the stock <br />of goods is primarily used and may include the following operational characteristics. 1) Receipt of <br />used items directly from the public at the business location. 2) Processing, conditioning, cleaning <br />or repair of used or returned items for resale. 3) Storage of used items onsite for processing, resale <br />or disposal. 4) Receipt of goods through purchase, consignment or donation. <br />Mayor Grant asked Senior Planner Fransen to recount her first meeting with Brett Foss, the <br />owner. <br />Councilmember Weber brought a point of order that this discussion is surrounding thrift use, not <br />Odds and Ends. <br />Mayor Grant said Council can discuss whatever it wants to talk about. <br />Councilmember Weber understands that but wanted to point out that the item on the agenda is <br />thrift store use, not the history of Odds and Ends in Arden Hills. <br />Mayor Grant believes they are part and parcel to each other. We just had several people testify <br />specifically about Odds and Ends. It is appropriate to ask Staff about their interactions with Odds <br />and Ends. <br />Councilmember Holden asked who has the floor. <br />