IV. 1. Minutes of the December 17, 2019 Planning & Zoning Commission
Draft Minutes of the Planning & Zoning Commission, December 17, 2019 – Page 1
PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION DRAFT MINUTES
December 17, 2019
A regular meeting of the Hopkins Planning & Zoning Commission was held on December 17, 2019
at 6:30 p.m. in the Raspberry Room at Hopkins City Hall. Present were Commission Members
Gerard Balan, Samuel Stiele, Nathan White, Emily Fiamova, and Kristen Hanneman.
Commissioners Laura Daly and Elizabeth Goeman were absent. Also present was City Planner
Jason Lindahl.
CALL TO ORDER
Chairperson Balan called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
ADOPT AGENDA
Commissioner Hanneman moved, Commissioner Stiele seconded, to adopt the agenda. The motion
was approved unanimously.
OPEN AGENDA – PUBLIC COMMENTS/CONCERNS – None.
CONSENT AGENDA
Commissioner Hanneman moved, Commissioner Stiele seconded, to approve the minutes of the
October 22, 2019 regular meeting. The motion was approved unanimously.
PUBLIC HEARING – None.
OLD BUSINESS – None.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Review Zoning Standards Related to Massage Therapy
Mr. Lindahl gave an overview of this item stating that this item is for review and discussion only.
Staff is looking for feedback from the Planning Commission and seeks further direction about
potential changes to the City’s massage therapy regulations. The key question to consider is: should
Hopkins allow independent Massage Therapy Establishments or continue the current policy, which
limits these businesses to an accessory use? Mr. Lindahl continued with background on current
message therapy regulations in Hopkins and the reason for reviewing these regulations now.
Discussion from the Commission included:
• Have the current regulations stopped any illegal activity?
• Continue to prohibit massage businesses as a home occupation
• Illegal activity can take place in many types of businesses, not just massage therapy
• The previous problem with illegal activity operating under massage therapy businesses was
solved with the 2013 ordinance. Would making changes risk these activities starting again?
Draft Minutes of the Planning & Zoning Commission, December 17, 2019 – Page 2
• The City should continue to protect small businesses in the downtown area by not allowing
franchises
• Allowing massage therapy as an accessory use as stated in the current ordinance is the best
compromise for massage therapists to operate in Hopkins without permitting large franchises
• Staff should research what communities similar to Hopkins have for massage therapy regulations
and report back to the Commission.
After thorough discussion, the Commission was split on the question whether Hopkins should allow
independent Massage Therapy Establishments or continue the current policy, which limits these
businesses to an accessory use. Commissioners Balan and White were supportive of changes while
Commissioner Hanneman was opposed. Commissioners Fiamova and Stiele were unsure and
requested more information. Staff will research massage standards in similar communities and
report back to the Planning & Zoning Commission at a future meeting.
2. Review Zoning Standards Related to Electronic Signs
Mr. Lindahl gave an overview of this item stating that this item is for review and discussion only.
Staff received a letter from Zion Lutheran Church requesting the City consider changes to the
zoning regulations for electronic signs. Specifically, the church asked about changes regarding the
length of time currently required between message changes. The current regulations require that
message changes in electronic signs be made no more than once every 24 hours. Mr. Lindahl
presented the Commission with the background on these regulations and the variety of standards in
surrounding communities. The Council is seeking feedback from the Planning Commission on the
duration of time between message changes.
Discussion from the Commission included:
• Less than 2 minutes between message changes may be too frequent and distracting, but could be
lessened from the current 24-hour requirement
• 30 minutes was suggested as a possible duration limit
• Is there any input from neighbors of current properties with electronic signs? Broader
engagement from the community would be part of the process should the Council move
forward with making any changes to the standards
• The surrounding land use pattern and type of road are important. Look into creating different
regulations based on zoning and road classification. It is important to protect residential use
• Updating standards to include electronic dynamic sign regulations
• Interest in more information or studies on the subject if available.
After thorough discussion, the Commission was generally in favor of revisiting the electronic sign
ordinance standards related to the duration between message changes and updating the standards to
apply to current technology options.
Draft Minutes of the Planning & Zoning Commission, December 17, 2019 – Page 3
ANNOUNCEMENTS
During the announcements, City Planner Jason Lindahl updated the Planning & Zoning
Commission on the following items:
• Planning applications for Two Men and a Truck and Bank of America were approved by the
City Council at their November 18, 2019 meeting.
• The Beacon item from the November 4 meeting and was further discussed at the November 12
work session. The first reading of the item was approved at the December 3 meeting and the
second reading will be discussed at the December 17, 2019 meeting.
• The February 25, 2020 Planning Commission meeting is scheduled on caucus night. Although
state law only requires City Council meetings be moved for this conflict, staff suggests moving
the meeting to Monday, February 24. The Planning Commission had no objections to the
change.
ADJOURN
Commissioner Fiamova moved, Commissioner Hanneman seconded, to adjourn the meeting. The
motion was approved unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Courtney Pearsall
Administrative Assistant