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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—MARCH 9, 2026 15 4. The Subject Property has been used for manufacturing continuously since 1959. Manufacturing is not a permitted use in the B-2 General Business District. 5. The Applicant submitted site plan review and variance applications to establish a retail sales use in an existing manufacturing and warehousing facility at 3628 Connelly Avenue. Retail sales is a permitted use in the B-2 General Business District. 6. Site Plan Review is required when a project proposes to reuse an existing property for a use that requires more parking than the previous use. In the parking requirements table, manufacturing use falls under the category of Other Business and Industry, which requires a minimum of I for each 1,000 square feet of floor area, or 10 required parking spaces. The minimum number of off-street parking spaces required for retail sales use is 1 for each 150 square feet of gross retail sales floor space.The Applicant proposes to dedicate 7,500 square feet of the structure sales floor space, which would require 50 off street parking spaces. 7. The Applicant is seeking a variance to provide 24 off street parking spaces where the Zoning Code requires 50 parking spaces, a variance of 26 spaces. 8. The Applicant is seeking a variance from design standards in Section 1325.06 related to required parking location,parking islands, landscaping,boulevard trees, architectural style, building character, materials and design, and windows and door openings. 9. The Applicant is proposing to remove three existing parking spaces that encroach on the right-of-way from Connelly Avenue and to increase the landscaped area on the property. 10. The Applicant requests to waive the requirement for a traffic study. The Applicant offers sufficient data in the application to demonstrate the proposed use will not result in a large amount of additional traffic and that the current conditions of the site can support the anticipated traffic. 11. The proposed plan does not conflict with the general purpose and intent of the Zoning Code or the Comprehensive Development Plan for the City. 12. The proposed use is not anticipated to create a negative impact on the immediate area or the community as a whole. 13. The proposed plan will not produce any permanent noise, odors, vibration, smoke, dust, air pollution, heat, liquid, or solid waste, and other nuisance characteristics. 14. The proposed plan is not expected to have significant impact on traffic or parking conditions. 15. A public hearing is not required for site plan review. 16. Property owners within 500 feet of the subject property were notified of the application as established in city code. Variance Findings: 17. The Applicant is seeking variances from design standards in Section 1325.06 related to required parking, parking location, parking islands, landscaping, boulevard trees, and windows and door openings. 18. Variances are only permitted when they are in harmony with the general purposes and intent of the ordinance. 19. The proposed is in harmony with the general purpose and intent of the ordinance. 20. The proposed is a reasonable use of the property that would not be allowed under the rules of the Zoning Code without the requested variance. 21. The proposed would not alter the essential character of the neighborhood. 22. The variance request is not based on economic considerations alone. 23. A public hearing is not required for variance requests.