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Home My WebLink About2025 08-12 Planning Commission MinutesCity of Gem Lake Planning Commission Meeting Minutes August 12, 2025 1 City of Gem Lake Planning Commission Meeting – August 12, 2025 Meeting Minutes Planning Commission Chairman Don Cummings called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Commission Members Art Pratt, Derek Wippich and Stephanie Farrell were present. Not present was Commission Member Laurel Amlee. Also present were City Planner CJ Sycks, City Attorney Martin Norder, Commission Member Alternate Brad Naylor, Acting City Clerk Melissa Lawrence and resident Daniel Epelboim. August 12, 2025 A motion was introduced by Commissioner Pratt to accept the agenda, seconded by Commissioner Wippich. Motion carried 4-0. Minutes A motion was introduced by Commissioner Pratt to approve the July 8, 2025, Planning Commission Meeting minutes, seconded by Commissioner Wippich. Motion carried 4-0. Public Hearings 1599 County Road E East – Conditional use Permit for a Wall Mounted Illuminated Sign City Planner CJ Sycks summarized the request. The applicant is requesting a conditional use permit (CUP) for 1599 County Road E East to erect an illuminated sign on the wall of The Lakes Dispensary. Roger Vannelli is the applicant and owner of the business. The sign is proposed to be 24 feet long by 5 feet tall with the text “The Lakes Dispensary” and a logo on the left-hand side of the text. The lighting is to be illuminated internally by LED tubing. Signage is regulated by Ordinance 131, Consolidated Land Use Ordinance Section 19. Sign permits are required and are typically issued administratively. Section 19.5.2.4 outlines the standards for Illuminated signs and states, “Application for approval of lighting or electronic features shall be made in the manner of a conditional use permit, using the procedure stated at Section 17.5 of this Ordinance.” 1599 County Road E East is located in the Neighborhood Center Sub-Zone of the Gateway District. The property is located at the intersection of Scheuneman Road and County Road E East. The building also includes Al’s Gun Shop. Ryan Podewils Properties LLC owns the property. The parcel is 0.52 acres in size and addressed 1601 County Road E East County GIS, however the southern building is considered 1599 Country Road E East. Commission Chair Cummings informed those in attendance that the Commission would begin with the public hearing, and that the public would have a chance to provide input on the topic. Commissioner Pratt introduced a motion to open the public hearing at 7:13 p.m., seconded by Commissioner Wippich. Motion carried 4-0. The public had no comment. Commissioner Pratt introduced a motion to close the public hearing at 7:14 p.m., seconded by Commissioner Wippich. Motion carried 4-0. City planner CJ Sycks recommends the Planning Commission to recommend approval to the City Council of the requested Conditional Use Permit for 1599 County Road E East, with the following conditions: 1. The applicant is permitted to install an illuminated sign in the size and to the dimensions proposed, consistent with the plans received by the City on July 22, 2025, and reviewed with this request. 2. The applicant shall obtain all necessary local permits prior to construction, including but not limited to building, electrical, and sign. 3. The applicant shall adhere to all other applicable local, state, and federal requirements. 4. The applicant shall pay all fees and escrows associated with this request. Commissioner Pratt introduced a motion to recommend approval to the City Council of the Conditional Use Permit with the conditions listed, seconded by Commissioner Wippich. Motion carried 4-0. City of Gem Lake Planning Commission Meeting Minutes August 12, 2025 2 Ordinance No. 131 – Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 16 Amendments and Appendix A Definitions City Planner CJ Sycks summarized the amendments. Updating Ordinance No. 131 will increase zoning and permitting clarity among residents of Gem Lake. Amending the existing language and formatting will enhance the ease of use of the ordinance. The Commission began discussing proposed updates and providing staff guidance on further improvements to the Ordinance and its appendix of definitions in June 2025. At the July meeting, the Commissioners discussed the following items specifically: • Creating a table of uses for ease of use, like the Gateway District building uses (figures 16 and 17) • Ensuring agricultural animals are permitted in all zoning districts on lots greater than one acre • Ensuring consistency in swimming pool setbacks • Updating the agricultural and accessory structure setbacks • Ensuring townhomes and twin homes are properly permitted in certain districts Ord. No. 131 was enacted in 2017, replacing Ord. No. 43K (Zoning Ordinance). There are 30 Sections within Ord. No. 131. The definitions are found in Appendix A. The first four sections of Ordinance No. 131 provide a background to the purpose of the document and the related rules. Maps are provided to visualize each zoning district. Each zoning district is described in individual sections (section 5 through section 10), including the district purpose, permitted uses, and lot regulations. Concerns with the current ordinance include inconsistent formatting, combining conditional and interim uses, frequent back referencing, and unclear. Amendments were made to provide clarity on permitting within each zoning district. This includes updated formatting, language, and division of sections, as well as the minor changes of writing conventions. This proposed update to Ordinance No. 131 focuses on enhancing clarity surrounding the permitted, accessory, conditional, and interim uses in each residential district. Additional changes proposed go hand-in-hand with this focus, such as agricultural structure setbacks. Commission Chair Cummings informed those in attendance that the Commission would begin with the public hearing, and that the public would have a chance to provide input on the topic. Commissioner Wippich introduced a motion to open the public hearing at 7:49 p.m., seconded by Commissioner Pratt. Motion carried 4-0. The public had no comment. Commissioner Wippich introduced a motion to close the public hearing at 7:50 p.m., seconded by Commissioner Pratt. Motion carried 4-0. City planner CJ Sycks recommends that additional desired Ordinance 131 updates be done concurrently with the upcoming Imagine 2050 Comprehensive Planning update process. Updating the Comprehensive Plan and Ordinance 131 at the same time will ensure consistency between the two legal documents and ensure the City’s mission and goals are being accurately and effectively carried out. If additional and substantial changes to Ordinance 131 are desired, the Commission and staff should begin to make note of what those sections may be. The Metropolitan Council is releasing resources and requirements for this comprehensive planning cycle this fall. Comprehensive Planning updates can look different for every community and can be tailored to exactly what the community needs. Beginning in September, the Planning Commission should start discussing what types of updates are needed, what is desired, and how they’d like the Gem Lake Comprehensive Plan to shape the community. City of Gem Lake Planning Commission Meeting Minutes August 12, 2025 3 Commissioner Wippich introduced a motion to recommend approval to the City Council of the proposed amendments with the additional edits mentioned during the night’s discussion, seconded by Commissioner Pratt. Motion carried 4-0. Old Business None New Business None Open Items for Commission Members to Bring Up None Future Meetings City Council Meeting, Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at Heritage Hall, and Planning Commission Meeting, Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at Heritage Hall. Attendance Inquiry Commission Chair Cummings surveyed the Commission to see if any of the members would have any issues attending the September meeting if the City Council does not cancel it. At that time Commissioner Pratt and Farrell both had potential conflicts. Adjournment There being no further business, following a motion from Commissioner Wippich, seconded by Commissioner Pratt, the meeting adjourned at 8:03 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Melissa Lawrence