04-08-91 PC Agenda GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION �
Regular Meeting ':
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� GOLDEN VALLEY CITY HALL
' Council Chamber, 7800 Golden Valley Road
Golden Valley, Minnesota
April 8, 1991 j
7:OOP.M.
AGENDA
I. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - March 11, 1991
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iI. INFORMAL PUBLIC HEARING - AMENDMENT TO CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT N0. 49
APPLICANT: Airborne Express
ADDRESS: 830 Boone Avenue North, Golden Va11ey, Minnesota
REQUEST: Amendment to a Conditional Use Permit ta allow expansion
of a terminal for package delivery service in the Light
Industrial district
III. INFORMAL PUBLIC HEARING - AMEND ZONING CODE/COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN
MAP
. APPLICANT: U.S. West NewVector Group, Inc.
ADDRESS: Southwest Corner of Brookview Park
Golden Valley, Minnesota
REQUEST: Amend zoning code from Institutional I-4 to a Radio and
Television zoning district and amend the Comprehensive
Land Use Plan Map from ;
IV. INFORMAL PUBLIC HEARING - CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT N0. 52
APPLICANT: Systems Control .
ADDRESS: Standard Oil 3rd Addition, Golden Va11ey, Minnesota
REQUEST: Allow for a motor vehicle emissions testing station in an
Industrial zoning district
V. REPORTS ON MEETINGS OF THE HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, CITY
COUNCIL AND BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
VI. OTHER BUSINESS
VII. ADJOURNMENT F
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' MINUTES OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY
PLANNING COMMISSION
� March 11, 1991
A regular meeting of the Planning Commission was held at the Golden Valley City
H al l , Counci 1 Chamber, 7800 Gol den V al l ey Road, Gol den V al l ey, Mi nnesota. The
meeting was called to order by Chair Prazak at 7:OOp.m.
Those present were: Johnson, Kapsner, Lewis, McAleese, McCracken-Hunt and
Prazak. Also present were Mark Grimes, Director of Planning and Development;
Beth Knoblauch, City Planner and Mary Dold, Secretary.
I. Approval of Minutes - February 25, 1991
MOVED by Lewis, seconded McAleese and motion carried unanimously to approve the
February 25, 1991 minutes as submitted.
*II. Reschedule Annual Meeting to April 8, 1991
Commissioner McAleese suggested that the annual meeting take place at this time.
Chair Prazak called for nominations. Nominations were as follows: Chair -
McAleese, Vice Chair - McCracken-Hunt and Secretary - Lewis.
MOVED by Kapsner, seconded by Johnson and motion carried unanimously to approve
the nominated Commissioners.
III. Informal Public Hearin - Amend Cit Com rehensive Land Use Plan Ma /
� Amend Zoning Co e
Applicant: ACC/McCaw Cellular of Minneapolis and Golden V alley
Housing and Redevelopment Authority
Address: Part of Outlot F, North Wirth Parkway 3rd Addition
Request: To amend the City Comprehensive Land Use Plan Map from
Business and Professional to Industrial and the Zoning
Code from Light Industrial to Radio to permit the
construction of a cellular telephone monopole.
Chair Prazak introduced the agenda item and asked Mark Grimes for a brief
summary of the request. Mark stated that the applicant will be leasing approxi-
mately 2,500 sq.ft. of HRA owned property in the North Wirth Redevelopment
District to construct a cellular monopole and a 12' x 28' shelter building that
houses the radio equipment, power converters, computers and batteries. This is
needed in order to better serve the growing mobile phone industry. The above
actions are needed because radio towers are permitted only on property zoned
"Radio".
The HRA believes that the lease of this property to Cellular One is consistent
with the Redevelopment Plan for this area. Staff recommends approval of both
the Amendment to the Comprehensive L and Use Plan Map and the Zoning Code.
• Commission�r Lewis asked about the start-up cost to the City on this site. Mark
Grimes stated that there were no costs to the City other than administrative.
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r Mi nutes of the Gol den V al l ey P1 anni ng Commi ssion
March 11, 1991
• P age Two
Chai r Prazak asked the appl icant for a brief summary. Warren Dunl ap, the Site
Acquisition Coordinator, talked about the how transmissions are done between
monopoles, talked about a grid area, which shows where monopoles need to be
constructed and discussed future growth of the cellular phone industry.
Commissioner McCracken-Hunt asked about vandalism problems and how often there
are calls for police assistance. Mr. Dunlap stated that calls for police
assistance are very few because of the remoteness of the locations and the
equipment is fenced in. There are no pegs in the monopole so it cannot be
climbed. Maintenance checks are done twice a month or more if needed.
Commissioner McAleese asked about the output power wattage and the power coming
into the station -- is it coming from standard NSP lines off-site. He also
asked if the City had a bad storm and the power grid goes down would the cellu-
1 ar system go down? Mr. Dunl ap stated the output power i s a 100 watts and if
there is a bad storm the power grid would not go down. A power converter inside
the building would take the AC power which converts it to DC and runs this into
a cell of batteries and the cell is run off batteries. If there is an outage,
the power source from NSP would be eliminated but cellular one could stay on the
air for eight to ten hours. The building has a plug-in for a generator for
further use.
MOVED by Kapsner, seconded by McCracken-Hunt and motion carried unanimously to
recommend approval to the City Council to amend the City Comprehensive Land Use
� Plan Map from Business and Professional to Industrial and the Zoning Code from
Light Industrial to Radio to permit the construction of a cellular monopole.
IV. Reports on Meetings of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, City
Counci and Board o Zoning ppea s.
Mark Grimes briefed the Commission on City Council items from the March 5th
meeting, such as the pool referendum. No other reports were given.
V. Other Business
No other business was presented.
VI. Adjournment
Chair Prazak adjourned the meeting at 8:15p.m.
*Agenda item Noo II was moved to the rear of the agenda.
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Linda McCracken-Hunt, Secretary
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MEMORANDUM
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DATE: April 2, 1991
T0: Golden Valley Planning Commission
FROM: Elizabeth A. Knoblauch, City Planner
SUBJECT: INFORMAL PUBLIC HEARING -- AMENDMENT TO A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT
TO ALLOW EXPANSION OF A TERMINAL FOR PACKAGE DELIVERY SERVICE IN
THE LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT; AIRBORNE EXPRESS, APPLICANT
When the original permit for Airborne Express was approved late last year, the
company moved into an existing building at 830 Boone Avenue North. At that
time, plans were already on the board for an expansion to the terminal (garage)
portion of the building, but the company did not provide sufficient detail at an
early enough point in the approval process for the expansion to be considered as
part of the original application.
Plans are now complete, and Airborne Express is requesting an amendment to its
CUP so that the additional construction can take place. The site plan (enclosed
separately) calls for an extension of almost 55 feet at the east end of the ter-
• minal area, with a new loading dock extending about 30 feet east of that. This
is currently parking area. Replacement parking and new parking to serve the
enlarged terminal will be provided by rearranging some of the existing parking
area and by paving a portion of the property's north side, where there is a very
generous setback between the building and the property line. The enlarged ter-
minal area will accommodate up to 53 vans (18 more than at present). The new
loading dock will face north, away from the nearby Mallard Creek apartments,
instead of facing east as at present. The "proposed office area" shown on the
site plan was approved as part of the original CUP, but it apparently has not
yet been remodeled, and so is still referred to as proposed rather than
existing. The expansion appears to meet all zoning requirements.
Factors of Consideration
1. Demonstrated Need - The proposed expansion meets the City's standard defi-
nition o nee .
2. Consistenc with the Com rehensive Plan - Consistency was determined when
t e origina application was approved.
3. Effect U on Pro ert Values - New construction is expected to match the
existing bui ing, w ic as an attractive appearance. The site plan
shows retention of as many existing trees as possible given the need for
additional paving. The expanded use is not expected to have a negative
impact on adjacent properties in this industrial area.
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P age Two
• 4. Effect of Traffic Generation - As with the original application, this is
one of the greater concerns regarding the proposal . No significant impact
is anticipated at this time by the addition of 18 vans and the employees
who will drive them. However, as indicated originally, Boone Avenue has
the potential for experiencing increasing peak period congestion, and
there is a possibility that site access by way of Boone may have to be
restricted during peak periods in the long term future.
5. Effect of Increases in Po ulation and Densit - The increased development
of the site is re ative y minor in terms o industrial facilities, and is
not expected to have a significant impact on the area.
6. Increase in Noise Levels - Most activity will continue to take place
indoors. T e reorientation of the loading dock may actually help to
buffer the nearby Mallard Creek Apartments from noise related to the
unloading of packages from the semis. Because this is an industrial area,
with the exception of the apartments, noise is not expected to cause
problems for most of the neighboring uses.
7. Odors, Dust, Smoke, Gas or Vibration - No significant impact is expected.
8. Flies, Rats, Other Animals, or Vermin - No significant impact is expected.
9. Visual A� earance - As discussed in relation to #3 above, the visual
appearance of t e site is expected to be maintained as close to current
� conditions as possible.
10. General Public Health, Safety, or Welfare - No other major effects have
been identified.
Recommendations
Based on consideration of the ten f actors as required by City Code, staff recom-
mends approval of the amendment to the CUP for Airborne Express. The following
conditions are suggested (only the first two have been changed from the original
permit) :
1. The site plan submitted by the applicant and dated March 11, 1991 shall be
made a part of the approved permit.
2. The floor plan and elevation sketches submitted by the applicant in con-
junction with the site plan shall be made a part of the approved permit.
3. The use shall meet all applicable City, State and Federal regulations.
4. The business operators shall work with the City Inspections Department on
reasonable measures to mitigate any unnecessary noise between the hours of
10:OOp.m. and 8:OOa.m., if complaints are received from the nearby apart-
ments.
�► 5. The City reserves the right to limit access to or from Boone Avenue during
peak traffic periods if and when it appears that such access may be
contributing to congestion of that arterial street.
Page Three
• 6. Failure to comply with any of the terms of this permit may be cause for
its revocation.
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attachments: Location map
Applicant description of site usage
Oversize plans enclosed separately
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� SITE USAGE
The e�sting office space is 11,520 square feet of which 2,848 square feet will be remodeled for
use by Airborne Express. The remaining off'ice area will be leased to another tenant by the
building owner.
The existing warehouse space is 18,000 square fee� The proposed warehouse addition is 7,614
square feet for a total of 25,614 square feet of wazehouse to be used by Ai.rborne Express to store
delivery vehicles and to sort packages. Drivers will park their personal vehicles to the east of
the building. Pazking on the north and south will be used by off'ice employees and three spaces
on the north side will be reserved for the occasional Airborne customer who drops off a package.
The proposed loading dock will receive one tractor-trailer per day.
The Airborne offices will have five employees and the wazehouse area will have twenty-five
drivers/sorters maximum.
Business hours will be from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The majority of this operation takes place within the building and should not present any adverse
effects on its neighbors.
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MEMORANDUM
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DATE: April 3, 1991
T0: Golden Valley Planning Commission
FROM: Mark W. Grimes, Director of Planning and Development
SUBJECT: AMENDMENT TO COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN MAP FROM MUNICIPAL PARK TO
INDUSTRIAL; AND AMENDMENT OF THE ZONING CODE FROM I-4 (INSTITUTIONAL -
PARKS) TO RADIO AND TELEVISION IN ORDER THAT A CELLULAR TOWER AND
EQUIPMENT BUILDING MAY BE CONSTRUCTED AT THE SW CORNER OF BROOKVIEW
GOLF COURSE - CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY AND US WEST NEWVECTOR GROUP, INC.
APPLICANTS
US West NewVector Group has approached the City to lease a 50' x 60' parcel of
property at the southwest corner of Brookview Golf Course. This parcel is at
the NE quadrant of General Mills Blvd. and I-394. The proposed use of the prop-
erty is the construction of a 90 ft. monopole tower for cellular phone trans-
mission and a 36' x 12' building which would house the necessary equipment that
goes along with the tower.
• In order to use this site on the golf course, the property must be properly
designated on the Comprehensive Land Use Plan Map and also zoned Radio which
permits tower construction. Currently the property is designated on the Plan
Map for park use and also zoned for Municipal parks. The Golden Valley Zoning
Code only allows towers on property zoned Radio. Towers are not allowed as per-
mitted or conditional use in any district other than Radio.
Designation of Proposed Use of Site
The proposed site is at the SW corner of Brookview Golf Course. The site is
southwest of the second tee box by about 70 ft. The proposed tower and building
would not physically interfere with the operation of the course and would allow
for the second tee box to be moved south to extend the yardage on No. 2 (this
may or may not be done).
Access to the site will be from a gate in the fence along General Mills Blvd.
This access drive will be gravelled and used by both golf course vehicles and US
West (see attached site plans). It is necessary to access the site about once a
week for routine servicing.
The building, antenna, pole and landscaping are described in the letter dated
March 15, 1991 and submitted by US West's attorney, David Larson. I will not
discuss these matters that are in the memo. However, I have the following com-
ments to make about the site and building:
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P age Two
• 1. The building is very unique in design in order to "fit in" with the
golf course environment. US West has submitted sketches of the
building and how it will look from various angles on the course. The
building is not their typical design. It has a hip type roof and is
brick. Most of these buildings in industrial locations look like
manufactured buildings with minimal design features.
2. US West has also submitted a landscape plan for the building and site
in order to screen the building as much as possible. They are also
planning to landscape areas east and south of the building that is on
property they are not leasing in order to minimize the impact of the
building and pole.
3. The pole is proposed to be 90 ft. in height with the antenna on top
of the pole. The pole will be within 10 - 12 ft. of the I-394 wall .
Within the area, there are other poles such as light poles along
I-394 and the poles holding up the net for the driving range.
However, this pole will be higher than these other poles in the area.
4. The site will be fenced with a security type chain link fence to pre-
vent access to the site. Also, there is an alarm system in the
building to notify US West personnel of any smoke, fire or entry.
Open Space and Recreation Commission Recommendation
• At the February 25, 1991 Open Space and Recreation Commission meeting, the
Commission recommended that the US West proposal is not in keeping with the
park/open space designation of the golf course. At that meeting, US West pre-
sented plans for landscaping and the building. At the March 25, 1991 meeting
the Commission reviewed a revised building and landscape design which is part of
the current US West proposal . The Commission still recommended against the pro-
posal for the same reason as indicated at their February 25th meeting (see
attached minutes).
Lease Provision
The City of Golden Valley is proposing to lease this property to US West con-
tingent on zoning approval . The lease is for five years with four-five year
extensions (total 25 years). Essentially the City will receive $950 per month
with the rent escalating 4% per year. The funds from the rent will go to the
golf course.
BZA Review
This proposal must be reviewed by the Board of Zoning Appeals prior to sub-
mission to the City Council for decision. The BZA must address the setback
issue along I-394. The required setback from streets is 35 ft. The proposed
setback from I-394 is about 20 ft.
•
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Recommendation
The Planning staff recommends the approval of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan
. Map amendment and the rezoning from I-4 to Radio. In review of the request it
appears that the proposal to use this 3,000 sq.ft. parcel at the SW corner of
the golf course will not have a major impact on the operation of the golf
course. In addition, I make these findings:
1. There is a demonstrated need for the construction of the cellular tower to
meet current and future demand.
2. Due to its location away from residences and other businesses, the tower
will not depreciate property values.
3. The tower will not increase traffic congestion in the area due to the
minimal use of the building.
4. The building will create no noise other than air conditioning noise in the
summer. This noise would be "masked" by I-394 noise.
5. US West has tried to make the building as attractive as economically
feasible in order to blend into the golf course. The planned landscaping
will help the building to blend in with the area.
The tower will be visible to anyone in the area. However, high towers and poles
are seen frequently in the metro area and they tend to become part of the
landscape. They do plan to build a monopole structure which is the least intru-
sive.
� MWG:mkd
Attachments: Location Map
Site and Landscape Plans
Open Space and Rec Commission Board Minutes
•
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MEMORANDUM
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DATE: April 4, 1991
T0: Golden Valley Planning Commission
FROM: Mark W. Grimes, Director of Planning and Development
SUBJECT: CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT (CUP) TO ALLOW A VEHICLE EMISSION TESTING
STATION ON LOT 2, BLOCK 1, STANDARD OIL 3RD ADDITION -- SYSTEM CONTROL
(SC), APPLICANT
Introduction
Systems Control (SC) is a private company that has been selected by the State of
Minnesota to measure vehicle emissions from existing registered vehicles in the
State. It is my understanding that the inspections were originally to begin on
July 1, 1991. I have heard a rumor that it is now delayed until January, 1992.
SC has selected a 6.1 acre site on lOth Avenue North to construct a testing sta-
tion. The station is proposed to be located on property previously owned by the
Medicine Lake Lines.
• In order to operate the vehicle testing station, SC must obtain a CUP. Within
the Industrial Zoning District, all automotive repair shops and drive-in type
establishments require a CUP.
Description of Operation and Site
SC has submitted a written "Operations Overview" that gives an excellent
description of what they do and how they will operate on site. Please refer to
this for details. SC has also submitted detailed site plans that will become a
part of the CUP.
The site plans indicate that the building is 48' x 115' or 5,520 sq.ft. There
are five inspection bays and one bay on the west side at the building for those
cars that fail the test and must be reinspected.
The site plan indicates 22 parking spaces on the site. Since there is no speci-
fic parking standard for this type of use, the staff has analyzed the proposal
and determined that the parking proposed is adequate. The plan indicates they
want to build 14 spaces initially. This will exceed their employee demand which
is 8 - 10 at any one time. Drivers coming to the site do not park but stay in
their cars and queue up at the inspection stalls. There is no exchange of money
on site so there is no need to get out of the car to pay.
SC has indicated proof of parking for 10 additional spaces along the east prop-
• erty line. The CUP will require that these spaces be built if it is determined
there is a need by the Director of Inspections.
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P age Two ,
Access to the site is from lOth Avenue. SC believes this is a good site because �
of its rel ative ease of access from TH. 169 and TH. 55. Hopeful ly, MnDot and
the Pollution Control Agency will be placing signs on State and local roads
directing traffic to the site. SC is planning to indicate TH. 169 to the lOth
Avenue exit is the best way to get to the site. This route would be used in
advertisements.
The building is constructed at the southeast corner of the lot which requires an
approximately 200 ft. long driveway from 10th Avenue. Although SC does not
expect long lines of cars, this driveway space will allow stacking space for 10
or more vehicles.
SC has submitted a landscape plan for Planning Commission review. It appears
that this plan is adequate for this location. This plan would be reviewed and
approved by the Building Board of Review prior to issuance of a building permit.
A grading and utility plan has also been submitted. This plan indicates that a
pond will be created west of the building to handle drainage from this site and
the surrounding area. At this time, it appears that the proposed drainage plan
will work. However, the City Engineer is reserving judgment on the plan until
the plan has been reviewed by the Bassett Creek Comr�ission and the US Army Corps
of Engineers. It is anticipated that both these agencies will allow the filling
of property necessary to provide the ponding area. SC has already determined
from the Minnesota DNR that the wetland area on the site is not a DNR protected
wetland so, therefore, a portion may be filled.
When this plan was first reviewed by staff, the City Engineer was concerned �
about development on the south end of this lot because this area has accepted
drainage from this and surrounding areas. The Engineer is prepared to review
and, hopefully, approve the drainage plan after the other agencies give their
approval . The staff will withhold this CUP a lication from City Council review
until the C;ty Engineer approves the drainage p an for the site.
The testing station takes up only about 1.5 acres of the 6 acre site. The plan
of SC is to eventually market the remainder of the site for other uses. At
first, the staff was concerned about the creation of "flag lot" (only frontage
on lOth Avenue would be the driveway). However, within an industrial area, the
staff does not have the same problem with flag lots as in a residential area.
First, the zoning and subdivision code do not prevent Industrial "flag Lots".
Second, the long driveway may be beneficial in this circumstance due to the
nature of the business. Third, the lot that is left does provide more of the
"best" land on the 6 acre site. Another business can be located that along
almost all the lOth Avenue frontage. Before this other lot can be used, SC
would have to subdivide and plat the property.
CUP Findings
As part of the evaluation af a CUP application, the Planning Commission must
make findings on ten f actors. The staff recommendation on those factors are as
follows:
1. Demonstrated Need of Project - The State of Minnesota has stated that all �
cars in Minnesota will be tested in order to meet Federal clean air stan-
dards.
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P age Three
2. Consistenc with the Land Use Plan - An auto testing station is consistent
� wit t e Industrial escription or this area.
3. Effect on Pro�erty Values in the Area - The staff does not believe there
wil`�1—be a signi�icant effect on adjoining property values due to this use.
4. Effect of an Antici ated Traffic Generation u on Current Traffic Flow in
the rea - e testing station wi increase traf ic on lOt Avenue and
surrounding roads that give access to TH. 169 and TH. 55. Tenth Avenue is
a designated collector street which is designed to carry higher levels of
traffic. I have been told by SC that the traffic flow to the site will be
handled by the existing street system.
I have spoken to SC regarding the capacity of the testing station. Mr.
Stan Krzywicki of SC indicated that they anticipate an average of 718
vehicles per day with a peak day of 1,135 in the year 1998. SC antici-
pates that there is more than adequate space on the site to handle stack-
ing at the peak time. They anticipate that at a peak period approximately
7-8 cars would be waiting on site without stacking on lOth Avenue.
According to SC, the volume of traffic wi11 be closely monitored by the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). If waits get to be con�
sistently longer than 15 minutes (7-8 cars per stall ) a new station will
be constructed in the area or alternations will be made to the site. SC
does feel confident that there is more than adequate space on the site for
stacking based on their experience in other states.
� 5. Effect on Increase in Population - The proposed use will not increase
popu ation.
6. Increase in Noise Level in the Area - The testing on the vehicles will be
done indoors. T ere may e s ig t increases in noise from cars waiting to
be tested.
7. Any Odors, Dust, Smoke, Gas or Vibration Caused � the Use - There may be
some �ncreased odors and pollution ue to t e id�in'� g of cars. However,
the proposed use is adjacent to the Medicine L ake Lines where buses are
required. Also, there is a fair distance between buildings in the area
that would minimize any odors. SC was required to prepare an air quality
study for testing station sites that was submitted to the PCA. Based on
the average day of 718 vehicles and the anticipated peak day, it was
determined that the effect on air quality is minimal due to traffic to the
site and testing.
8. Any Increase in Flies or other Vermin - No increase is anticipated.
9. Visual A earance of the Structure - The planned building would be in
c aracter wit ot er ui dings in the area. The buildings are accep-
tionally designede
10. General Public Health, Safety, or Welfare - No major effects have been
identifiied.
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P age Four
Recommendation �
The staff recommends approval of the CUP for auto service in order to allow SC
to construct a vehicle emissions testing station on the lOth Avenue site. The
staff is recommending the following conditions:
1. The site plans submitted (A-3, A-4, A-5, and C-1) shall become a part of
the CUP.
2. A final drainage plan shall be approved by the City Engineer after all
necessary approvals have been received by the US Army Corps of Engineers,
Minnesota Department of National Resources and the Bassett Creek
Commission.
3. The applicant will work with the City Engineer to insure that there is
adequate signage to guide drivers to the site from TH. 169 and TH. 55.
All site signage must be approved by the Directar of Inspections.
4. If stacking on lOth Avenue North does occur, the applicant will take
measures to eliminate such stacking. These measures may include the
construction of a turn lane along the south side of lOth Avenue North or
providing traffic control . These measures would be at the expense of SC.
5. The "proof of parking" stalls will be constructed if it is determined to
be needed by the Director of Inspections at his or her sole discretion.
6e All other applicable City and State requirements shall be meto �
7. Failure to comply with any of the terms of this permit shall be grounds
for revocation.
NOTE: At the April 8, 1991 Planning Commission meeting, several representatives
from SC will be present to answer questions about the site plan and the
program. They plan to show a short slide show.
MWG:mkd
Attachments: Location Mlap
Operations Overview Report
Site and Landscape Plans
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SYSTEMS CONTROL
� OPERATIONS OVERVIEW
Systems Conuol (SG7 is a private company contracted by the Staxe of Minnesota. to
measure vehicle emissions from exisdng vehicles registered in the state. These
inspecdons, due to begin July 1, 1991, are required by a recendy passed Minnesota law
mandating a vehicle inspection program.
We have over twenty year's experience in the automotive testing field as a leader in the
development, certification, and application of Federal and short-cycle idle, two-speed
idle and loaded mode vehicle emission tests. SC has a proven track record as the
successful operator of the large Inspection Progtams in IIlinois, Maryland and
Washington sta.te and has successfully performed nearly 22 million inspections during
the 1980's. As part of SD-Scicon, one of the Top Ten computer systems and services
companies in the world, SC has successfully married advanced computer systems
technology with sophisticated vehicle inspection equipment and procedures to offer the
most reliable, convenient and advanced technology vehicle emission inspection service
available tc�day.
� We are proud of our Ins�ction Program accomplishments. Staie Program Managers of
the Inspection Programs we now operate, tell the SC story the bes� According to Bruce
Diehl from the Maryland Insgection Program "the success of the program is the result
of...the constant consideration for service to the vehicle owner... our experience has
been that you go the extra mile...': Frank Sherman of Illinois had this to say about SC.
"We have been very pleased at the courteous and professional treatment (motorist)
receive from your(SC)employees."
Under the program, each vehicle will be required to take the test prior to re-registering
their license plates. Owners will take their vehicle to the test facility and pull directly
into a test bay where an inspector will insert a probe in the vehicle tailpipe. The test
results will automatically print ou�
The entire test will take on an average under two minutes. An information o�ce with
ample parking is provided at each facility to provide personalized. assistance for
customers requiring additional help. .
Less than 10% of the vehicle owners will need to park to use the information office.
Most vehicle owners will simply leave the facility after receiving the vehicle test report.
� .
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OPERATIONS OVERVIEW Page Two •
SC's Inspection Facilities design and operation appmach has been developed utilizing
this experience and ex�rtise. SCs inspection facilities and equipment provide
Minnesota with the following benefits:
• A clean computer equipped facility designed to measure area resident's
vehicle emissions using state of the art technology emission inspection
system with electronic pass/fail decision making.
• Average test taking less than two(2)minutes per vehicle.
• Minimal or no waiting (test facility network is designed.to provide a peak
period average daily working time of 3.2 minutes or less to all inspection
facilities).
• Convenience of facilities are located to service over 90% of the vehicle
owners residing within a five(5)mile radius.
. •
ADDITIONAL FACTS ON THE STATION MAKEUP AND OPERATION:
• Hours of Operarion:
Sunday and Monday: Closed
Tuesday and Thursday: 7:OOa.an. - 7:OOp.m.
Wednesday and Friday: 7:30a.m.- 5:30p.m.
Saturday: 8:OOa.m. - 2:OOp.m.
• Sta,ff:•
Each facility will employ a staff of ten to fifteen, with half that
number on-duty at any one time. The breakdown of the employees
consists of; two inspectors per lane, one station manager,and one
MPCA waiver inspector.
. •
.
• OPERATIONS OVERVIEW Page Three
• Parking:
Ample parking supplying more than the following; one parking
space for each employee on duty, one additional parking space per
each lane, one parking space for handicapped, and a space for the
MPCA inspector.
• Vehicle Through Put.
Each stadon is equipped with the number of inspection lanes
required to perform inspections based on the local population
served by the station.
• Vehicle Size:
Only gasoline vehicles with a gross vehicle weight less than 8500
pounds are required to be tested. All heavy duty vehicles are
excluded from this program,and will not come to these facilities.
•
The vehicle ins�ction business is SCs only business. We are dedicated to providing the
highest quality Inspection Program to the citizens of Minnesota. It will be convenient,
reliable and cost effective. It will be staffed with courteous and well trained service
oriented personnel.
We look forward to working in close cooperation and partnership with communities and
state officials to develop and operate a noteworthy Inspection Program. We believe that
SC can make a substantial contribudon to improving air quality in the Twin Cities area
sand to maintaining the quality of life you have come to expect and enjoy.
• .