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Amdt7_RCA_070813.doc Page 2 of 5 4.0B ACKGROUND 16 As the City Council is aware, the Planning Division has been monitoring the 17 many different nuances of the Zoning Ordinances for areas that would be better 18 served by change. In early 2012, it became evident that certain clarifications in 19 the Regional Business and Office /Business Park Districts were necessary in order 20 for the Planning Division to continue supporting certain uses and/or to allow new 21 uses to occur in these districts. 22 Unlike the previous case regarding limited processing/production, this request is 23 predicated on language absent from the Code. Specifically, the Zoning Ordinance 24 makes no mention of warehousing and/or distribution as a permitted or 25 conditional use in the Office/Business Park District. This creates conflict and 26 ambiguity when limited production and processing is a permitted use and its 27 success relies heavily on the distribution and often warehousing of the goods 28 produced. The same clarification is necessary in the Regional Business District 29 assuming the City Council approves the Regional Business-2 District (RB-2). 30 As a way to understand the situation (for amendment purposes) the Planning 31 Division observed the Oakcrest Avenue area, generally from Fairview Avenue to 32 Cleveland Avenue along both sides of the street (although not specifically 33 observed/monitored, the same area along County Road C which has very similar 34 uses, was also considered). The Oakcrest Avenue properties (except for Roseville 35 Office Plaza, Radisson and Days Inn) have traditionally been used for light 36 industrial, manufacturing, production, processing, warehousing and distribution. 37 To gain a better perspective of what is occurring in the Oakcrest Avenue area, the 38 Planning Division visited different sites multiple times. This area consists of 39 eight multi-tenant office/warehouse buildings, all with dock doors; the newest 40 building, 1975 Oakcrest, was constructed in 2006. Our “inspections” confirmed 41 that many uses within these structures included varying degrees of production, 42 processing, manufacturing and warehousing, and nearly all had some form of 43 distribution.44 Fastenal, which bills itself as America's largest industrial supply store, at 1920 45 Oakcrest, is a good example of such a use. They occupy 6,000 sq. ft. of the 46 30,000 sq. ft. building and have approximately 10 to 16 pick-up trucks that are 47 used for distribution. Although one might consider that number of vehicles to be 48 high, the Planning Division never witnessed more than two vehicles entering or 49 leaving the site in a one-hour time frame. This is not to say that the frequency is 50 not greater at other times, but rather that such an ancillary use does not appear to 51 come and go frequently as other distribution uses or services. The Planning 52 Division would deem the distribution at Fastenal as clean and non-impactful to 53 the area with trucks either parked in the lot awaiting orders or parked indoors 54 awaiting loading.55 Another unique property/situation lies at 1995 Oakcrest at the former Arthur 56 Schuster building. Here, a building (initially designed and constructed to be used 57 as an office, showroom and warehouse) was modified years ago to house an 58 interior design firm consisting mainly of offices with limited warehouse. The 59 building, which the Planning Division was allowed to tour, has a modest office 60 component, but is largely a warehouse that boasts two rear dock doors (previously 61