CCP 10-25-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The applicant has requested a Master Plan PUD (5th) Amendment to allow the installation of a nitrogen generator and 50 foot tall (6 feet in diameter) nitrogen gas storage tank to the east of Building B at the Guidant Corporation's campus located at 4100 Hamline Avenue, Currently there are several storage tanks to the east of Guidant Building B which house the liquid nitrogen that Guidant uses for research and development of their products, The liquid nitrogen is frequently brought in by truck. Guidant has been interested in utilizing a nitrogen generator but until recently believed that the nitrogen from a generator would not reach the necessary purity level necessary. After discovering that the nitrogen generator unit could produce the necessary purity level, Guidant approached staff to discuss what process would be necessary to install the nitrogen generator and storage tank at the Guidant campus. Since the installation of the nitrogen generator would be a change to the uses contemplated at the time the original Master Plan was approved, a Master Plan PUD amendment and site plan would need to be approved for the proposal to go forward, Included in the information submitted by Guidant Corporation are plans, pictures of similar generator units and storage tanks, pictures of the location for the proposed generator and tanks, renderings of what the storage tank may look like viewed from a few angles, and a plan showing the noise levels that may be expected from the generator. The plans show that at points north, west, and south of Building B, the noise created by the generator would not reach the level of ambient noise, even at 4 AM, The storage tank would rise 4 feet above the penthouse of Building B and may be partially visible from the area west of Hamline Avenue, The areas south and north of Building B should effectively screen the storage tank from view, The wooded area to the north of Buildings A and B and distance to the homes to the north should provide effective screening. The area to the south of Building B is more commercial in nature, screening to the south should be provided by the wooded are along County Road F and by the recently constructed Parking Ramp # I. Plan Review Following is staffs analysis of the proposal relative to applicable requirements, 1. Zoning - Meets Requirement The Guidant campus is located in an I-I: Limited Industrial Zoning District and has a Master Plan PUD Overlay which is the governing docmnent for the campus. The addition of a nitrogen gas generator is not shown on the site plan for the Guidant Master Plan PUD nor is it mentioned in the Guidant Master Plan PUD submittals, The Master Plan PUD Amendment will ensure that the site plan is accurate and up to date. 2. Aesthetics - Meets requirement This proposal would present a potential visual impact on residents along the west side of Hamline Avenue and perhaps to the north of the Guidant Campus, The storage tank for the nitrogen gas generator is proposed at 50 feet tall with a diameter of 6 feet. Staff has discussed with Guidant the possibility of reducing the height ofthe tank but it appears that \\Earth\Planning\Planning Cases\2Q04\04-18 Guidant PUD Amendment Nitrogen Generator (PENDING)\IO-20"()4 PC Report Guidant PUD Amendment for Nitrogen Generator.doc Page 3 of6 - . .