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Regular Planning CommissionMeeting <br />Minutes –Wednesday, December 2, 2015 <br />Page 10 <br />intensity that would mostly likely cause a nuisance without mitigation in place or <br />452 <br />determined by those regulatory agencies. <br />453 <br />Member Bull asked staff for a clarification as to whether indoor greenhouses would be <br />454 <br />involved as well as the outdoor research and development plots. <br />455 <br />Mr. Lloyd advised that there would be enclosed greenhouses regulated under normal <br />456 <br />zoning requirements, a current existing use, and clarified that this Conditional Use was <br />457 <br />specific only to the outdoor research plot, with other uses already permitted under current <br />458 <br />city code. <br />459 <br />As a previous owner of commercial greenhouses, Member Bull noted their significant <br />460 <br />light emission requiring black-out curtains in some areas; and questioned if that light <br />461 <br />would be monitored and regulated at a minimum at the property line as with outdoor <br />462 <br />lighting on a property. <br />463 <br />Mr. Lloyd advised that code parameters would address building lighting, even though it <br />464 <br />generally pertained to outdoor lighting, to the extent indoor lighting functioned similarly, <br />465 <br />cod provisions would come into play.However, with this property far removed from <br />466 <br />residential areas, Mr. Lloyd advised he didn’t see it being problematic. <br />467 <br />Member Bull questioned restrictions for equipment on city streets as well as storage off- <br />468 <br />road for implements indoor or in a screened area. <br />469 <br />Mr. Lloyd advised that the recent Commercial Mixed Use (CMU)-2 zoning designation did <br />470 <br />not allow for outdoor storage of any machinery or equipment, and it would need to be <br />471 <br />enclosed inside a shed structure. <br />472 <br />At the request of Member Gitzen, Mr. Lloyd confirmed that the Conditional Use would be <br />473 <br />recorded against the property going forward, no matter who the property owner was.Mr. <br />474 <br />Lloyd clarified that a Purchase Agreement was pending at this time for the applicant and <br />475 <br />was being granted for the land, not specifically to PIK Terminal owners and if granted, the <br />476 <br />Conditional Use would remain with the land itself as recorded. <br />477 <br />Applicant Representatives:BJ Haun, 1478 Cumberland Street, St. Paul, MN; Greg <br />478 <br />LaSalle, 5038 Emerson Avenue E, Minneapolis, MN; Tom LaSalle, 2001 Killebrew <br />479 <br />Drive, Minneapolis, MN; and Greg Smith, 3721 Glenhunt Avenue, St. Louis Park, <br />480 <br />MN <br />481 <br />TomLaSalleprovided a history of his involvement with major corporations to incubate <br />482 <br />companiesin conjunction with efforts of the University of Minnesota; with Calyxt, Inc. <br />483 <br />being one of those success stories, having now grown to the point of buildingthese <br />484 <br />headquarters. <br />485 <br />Specific to screening questions, Mr. Smithnoted it was important to the applicant that <br />486 <br />people didn’t see the greenhouse or outdoor test plots for proprietary reasons.However, <br />487 <br />Mr. Smithclarified it was an overstatement to define this research and development effort <br />488 <br />in any way as “farming,” and advised that the equipment, while specialized for this <br />489 <br />particular application was not large and would be only slightly larger than that used by a <br />490 <br />typically homeowner for maintaining their lawns, and would be stored inside. <br />491 <br />BJ Haun, 1478 Cumberland Street, St. Paul, MN <br />492 <br />Mr. Haun introduced himself, and his credentials as a research scientist and graduate of <br />493 <br />the U of MN with degrees in plant biology and genetics, serving asDirector of Product <br />494 <br />Development with Calyxt.Mr. Haun provided a more detailed description of their biotech <br />495 <br />company looking to grow with this new research facility.Mr. Haun assured the <br />496 <br />Commission and public they would not be doing intensive agricultural practices or <br />497 <br />producing crops that the level of typical farming operations, but simply using research <br />498 <br />plots for materials being developed and used in laboratories and greenhouses (e.g. <br />499 <br />seeds and plants).Mr. Haun further clarified that there would be no animals on site, nor <br />500 <br />would they use or purchase manure for application to the test plots; and noted the <br />501 <br />amount of chemicals and pesticides if and when used would not be anywhere near that <br />502 <br /> <br />