6.PCMemoVillageDistricts12 1 15 (003)
Memorandum
To: Scandia Planning
Commission
Reference: Village Districts Uses
Copies To: Neil Soltis, City
Administrator
Brenda Eklund, City Clerk
Project No.: 15745.000
From: Sherri Buss, RLA AICP,
Planner
Routing:
Date: November 23, 2015
The City recently adopted changes to its Development Code to reduce the number of uses in
the Industrial Park (IP) District that require a Conditional Use Permit. When that ordinance
amendment was adopted, the City Council requested that the Planning Commission review the
uses that require a Conditional Use Permit in the Village Districts as well, to consider whether
CUP’s should continue to be required for the large number of uses that currently require these
permits. The districts include the Village Mixed Use A (VMU A), Village Mixed Use B (VMU B),
and Village Neighborhood (VN) Districts. This memo focuses primarily on the VMU A and B
districts, which include a larger number of businesses uses. The VN District has a stronger
focus on residential uses and uses compatible with residential use.
The City received a recent inquiry from a potential hotel/motel developer for a property in the
VMU A District. Hotels and motels are currently permitted with a CUP in the VMU B District in
Scandia, but not in the VMU A District. The Planner included information about the permits
required for this use in the table below.
The Planner reviewed zoning ordinances for downtown/central business district areas in White
Bear Lake, Stillwater, Osceola, Wisconsin, Chisago City and Hugo to compare the types of uses
that require CUP’s in those communities to the same in Scandia. Many of the uses that require
a Conditional Use Permit in Scandia’s Village Districts do not require CUP’s in other
communities. The table below compares the permitted and conditional uses in Scandia to the
communities surveyed.
Abbreviations used on the table include: CUP=requires CUP (in Stillwater the equivalent is the
Special Use Permit, SUP); P=Permitted; AP=administrative or similar permit; blank=usually not
permitted
Sign Regulations Memo Page 2 August 4, 2015
Scandia Planning Commission
Scandia WBLake
- CBD
Stillwater -
CBD
Osceola
– B-1
Chisago
City-CB
Hugo CBD
VMU A & B - CUP
Accessory Apt (to
commercial or
residential use)
CUP SUP CUP CUP
Bakery P P P P P
Banks, no drive up P P P P P
Bars/Taverns CUP SUP P P P
Beauty salons,
barbers, day spas
P P P P P
Bed & Breakfast P CUP
Catering services P
Cemeteries
Clubs/lodges P P CUP
Commercial day care P P P CUP
Community residence
(7-16)
CUP SUP CUP
CUP
Conference facility
Copy/printing P SUP P P P-copy
services
Essential Services-
Transmission & Utility
P P P
Exterior Storage SUP CUP
Feed and Seed sales P P
General Store P P P P P
Gov’t Bldgs/Uses P P
Grocery Store P P P P P
Liquor, off-sale CUP SUP P CUP P - in
General
Business
Meat processing,
accessory to Grocery
Store
P- meat
market, no
processing
Medical/dental offices
& clinics
P P P P P
Motor vehicle repair P - minor CUP CUP P – in General
Bus.
Multi-family Residence CUP SUP CUP CUP
Museums P
Pet grooming P P P P P in General
Business
Place of worship CUP CUP
PUD
Plant Nursery N P CUP
Recreation (indoor
comm.)
P SUP P – less
than 4,000
P
Sign Regulations Memo Page 3 August 4, 2015
Scandia Planning Commission
Scandia WBLake
- CBD
Stillwater -
CBD
Osceola
– B-1
Chisago
City-CB
Hugo CBD
sq ft
Residential facility,
state-lic.
CUP SUP CUP CUP
Restaurants P SUP P P P, excluding
drive-thru
Schools P P CUP
Shopping Center P
Sporting goods/rec
equip.
P P P P
Theaters, indoor P P
Veterinary Clinic (small
animal)
P P P – no
overnight
P – in General
Bus.
Wireless
Antennas/Towers
CUP SUP CUP CUP CUP
Scandia VMU B only–
CUP
WBL Stillwater –
CBD & VC
Osceola-
C-2
Chisago
City-HC
Hugo – CDB
or C-2
Building Supply Stores
(outdoor display,
sales)
CUP SUP P CUP
Crematoriums
Department, discount
stores
P P P P P
Drive-through services CUP SUP CUP
Food/bev. processing SUP
Funeral Homes SUP
Garden supply P P P CUP
Hotel P SUP P P P
Laundromat P P P P P
Motel P SUP P P P – C-2
Vehicles sales P P CUP CUP
Vehicle service
stations
CUP SUP P CUP CUP
Nursing homes CUP SUP
Residence, assisted
living
CUP SUP
Restaurant, drive-in CUP SUP CUP
Sports/fitness clubs P SUP CUP P
Vet clinics, large
animal
SUP P CUP
Wind Energy Systems CUP SUP CUP
Interim Uses – VMU
A and B
Commercial Kennel
Private Kennel
Sign Regulations Memo Page 4 August 4, 2015
Scandia Planning Commission
Discussion
VMU A:
Some uses that require CUP’s in Scandia’s Village Districts that typically do not require
these permits in other communities include: bakeries, banks, beauty salons & barber
shops, copying services, general stores/department stores, grocery stores, medical and
dental offices and clinics, pet grooming, restaurants (especially those that do not serve
alcoholic beverages), sporting goods stores, and small animal veterinary clinics.
Residential uses require CUP’s in most village/downtown districts
Uses that serve or sell alcohol frequently require CUP’s
Exterior storage usually requires a permit or is not permitted
Motor vehicle repair and sales businesses usually require CUP’s
VMU B:
Uses that require a CUP in Scandia’s VMU B District that frequently do not in other
communities include: department and discount stores, garden supply businesses, hotels,
Laundromats, and motels.
Residential uses, drive-through businesses, vehicle-related businesses, and fitness
clubs often require CUP’s
Conditional Uses—General Guidance
A conditional use is a land use that is allowed in a zoning district as long as certain standards
are met. Zoning ordinances typically include both general standards that apply to all uses such
as the Environmental Regulations included in Chapter 2, Section 3.3 of the Zoning Ordinance),
and specific standards that apply to all conditional uses and/or particular conditional use in a
given zoning district.
A use is typically classified as a Conditional use rather than a Permitted use because of hazards
inherent in the use, impacts it may have to other uses, or because of special problems that its
location may present. The conditional use permit includes conditions to regulate those hazards,
impacts, or potential problems. The requirements for CUP’s for a particular use may vary by
zoning district—a use that is surrounded by other industrial or business uses may not have the
same potential for impacts that it could have if surrounded by residential uses.
As Planning Commissioners review the draft amendment attached, think about the uses that
require CUP’s in Scandia’s village districts, but often do not in other communities in similar
districts. Are there some potential hazards or impacts to surrounding uses that are a rationale
to require CUP’s for those uses?
Commission Discussion
The Council requests that the Planning Commission review Chapter 2, Section 2.8 and 2.9 of
the Development Code, and consider whether the list of permitted uses can be expanded to
include uses that are similar to those permitted in the village areas or historic central business
districts of other communities. The Commission should discuss whether hotel and motel uses
should be permitted in the VMU A District as well as the VMU B District.