Variance-North Coast Partnerso P ,
August 22, 1988 Planning Report: VN88 -8
VARIANCE - NORTH COAST PARTNERS
1600 Second Street South
Proposed Action.
Staff recommends denial of the request to park within the 75 foot
front yard setback.
Denial of this motion will not allow the applicant to park in the
front yard setback:
Overview.
Electro -Craft is moving from their present location at 1600 Second
Street South. The applicant will be leasing the 95,000 square feet
that Electro -Craft currently occupies. The applicant feels that the
leasing of 95,000 square feet to a single user will probably not
occur. Therefore, the 95,000 square foot area will be divided up in
smaller areas. The applicant wants to construct a parking area along
the front of his building abutting County Road 3 (Second Street
South). The ordinance allows no parking in the front yard setback.
The front yard setback in an 1 -1 district abutting a residential
district is 75 feet.
Issues to Consider.
o Does the property posses a hardship?
o Does the applicant have any alternatives?
Supporting Documents.
o Background
o Location Map
Nancy Anderson
Community Development
Analyst
o Site Plan
o Statement of Request
& Exceptional Condition
Resolution
•
VN88 -8
Page 2
Detailed Background.
The applicant is proposing to add 28 parking spaces in the front of
the existing building. The site currently has 300 spaces.
The building is required to have a 75 foot setback because the
property abuts a residential area to the north. The City garage is on
the east side of 16th Avenue and homes on the west. This setback
provides a buffer to the residential areas.
The existing building setback is approximately 50 feet from the
property line. The north edge of the existing sign is approximately
the property line.
The existing signs' north edge is located approximately on the
property line.
Approximately 15 -20 feet of right -of -way will remain landscaped
between the parking area and County Road 3. The applicant plans to
landscape the right -of -way.
The landscaped area shown on the plan is public right -of -way. If the
County were to widen County Road 3 this area will not exist and the
residential area to the north will look at a parking lot.
Does the property posses an undue hardship?
The State Statute states "undue hardship as used in connection with
the granting of a variance means the property in question cannot be
put to a reasonable use if used under conditions allowed by the
official controls, the plight of the landowner is due to circumstances
unique to his property not created by the landowner, and the variance,
if granted, will not alter the essential character of the locality.
Economic consideration alone shall not constitute an undue hardship if
reasonable use of the property exists under the terms of the
ordinance."
The subject property does not have an undue hardship. The building is
built and the applicant has had and will continue to have reasonable
use. The applicant may believe that he cannot have the best use for
the property because of the parking situation but the state statute
requires reasonable use.
There is nothing unique about the property to allow the granting of a
variance.
VN88 -8
Page 3
The State Statute also states that economic considerations alone shall
not constitute an undue hardship if reasonable use for the property
exists. The only reason the applicant is requesting this variance is
to make the property more marketable.
The 75 foot setback is to buffer the residential
industrial use. In this case, residential uses will
from 1/2 of the subject building. However, the homes
from the building need to be buffered.
Many residents from the abutting residential area
express their dissatisfaction in having a parking area
building.
area from an
never be across
directly across
have called to
in front of the
- Does the applicant have any alternatives?
The applicant will not be able to park in front of the building but
other alternatives do exist to provide more parking for the tenants.
The applicant can lease another parking area. Electro -Craft leased a
parking area from NAPCO. Another alternative is to re- arrange the
existing parking. This may provide additional spaces.
Every use has a different parking need. In this case possibly the
applicant should target the leasing of the building for a use that
does not need a great amount of parking. It seems that the problem
may be that they are trying to over lease the building.
Alternatives.
1. Approve the variance request to park in the 75 foot front
yard setback. By granting this request the applicant
will be able to provide parking for approximately 28 cars
in the front of the building.
2. Deny the variance request to park in the 75 foot front
yard setback. By denying this request the applicant will
not be able to park in the front yard setback.
3. Continue for additional information. If the Commission
feels that additional information is needed, the hearing
should be continued..
COUNTY ROAD #3
(Second Street South)
EXISTING SITE PLAN
EXISTING BUILDING
TOTAL EXISTING PARKING: 300 cars
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PROPOSED FLOOR & SITE PLAN
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•
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We request a variance from the 75 foot setback with the understanding that in
approving of the so requested variance, the owner of the property located at 1600
South 2nd Street, Hopkins, Minnesota, will be permitted to construct a blacktop
surface along the north end of the property within the 75 foot setback.
At the closest point, the proposed improvements would be 15 feet from South 2nd
Street. The improvements will include one row of parking against the building, a
driveway and landscape work.
STATEMENT OF REQUEST
` 1 T
•
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STATEMENT OF EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION
Through our leasing efforts of the Electro -Craft space located in the Hopkins Tech
Center, it has become obvious to us and our leasing agent that because of the low
ceilings we have in the warehouse area of the building it will be very unlikely
that a single user of 95,000 square feet will be found for this space. Users of
this size typically require ceiling heights of 18 feet or more - -our ceiling is 12
feet.
The various office /warehouse leasing experts that have seen the property have all
concluded that when leased, the space will undoubtedly be sub - divided thus creating
smaller spaces of 20,000 - 40,000 square feet. Their conclusion is based on the fact
that the prospective users of the building, 20- 40,000 square foot tenants,
typically can work with lower ceilings, the larger users can not. This is one
reason Electro -Craft is leaving Hopkins.
The hardship we will endure if the variance is not approved is the inability to
lease the space to the smaller user because of the poor accessibility to the space.
Comparable space in competitive properties provide for reasonable accessibility to
the entrance of the office space. We do not now have this. In providing the
single row of parking and driveway as proposed,allows us to provide accessibility
to the building that is needed in order for the space to be marketable.
Electro -Craft also stated to us that another reason that they decided to leave
Hopkins is the lack of parking spaces for their use. The parking area provided by
the property, plus the parking lot they rented from Napco, the property to the east
of the Hopkins Tech Center, has not been adequate. Providing the additional
parking spaces along the front of the building will allow us to be competitive in
our leasing efforts.
August 22, 1988
Zoning and Planning Commission
City of Hopkins
Hopkins City Hall
1010 South First Street
Hopkins, MN 55343
Re: Application by North Coast Partners for a variance
to allow parking in their front yard setback at
1600 Second Street South
Dear Commission. Members:
Venturian Corporation (hereinafter "Venturian ") is in
receipt of the Notice of Hearing relating to the above -
referenced matter. Venturian is the owner of the property
directly east and adjacent to that of the applicant.
Venturian objects to the granting of any variance which
would result in the diminishment of the open green area and
render the property unsightly from Country Road 3.
Sincerely,
VENTURIAN CORP.
Bradley S. Herman
Vice President and Counsel
BH /mk
cc: Nancy Anderson, Community Development Analyst
Gary Rappaport, President, Venturian Corp.
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CORP
1600 SECOND ST. SO., HOPKINS, MN 55343 U.S.A. • TELEPHONE: (612) 931 -2500 • TELEX: 290436
CITY OF HOPKINS
Hennepin County, Minnesota
RESOLUTION NO: 88 -78
RESOLUTION MAKING FINDINGS OF FACT AND DENYING
APPLICATION FOR VARIANCE VN88 -8
WHEREAS, an application for a Variance entitled
VN88 -8 made by North Coast Partners, 1600 Second Street
South, for a variance to allow parking in the front yard
setback is denied.
WHEREAS, the procedural history of the application
is as follows:
1. That an application for Variance VN88 -8 was
filed with the City of Hopkins on August 12,
1988.
2. That the Hopkins Planning Commission reviewed
such application on August 30, 1988.
3. That the Hopkins Planning Commission, pursuant
to mailed notices, held a public hearing on
August 30, 1988; all persons present at the
hearing were given an opportunity to be heard.
4. That the written comments and analysis of the
City Staff and the Planning Commission were
considered.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hopkins
City Council makes the following Findings of Fact in respect
to VN88 -8:
1. That there are no warrants presented by the
applicant in regard to hardship or unique
circumstance to justify the requested variance.
2. The applicant has reasonable use of the
property without the variance.
Adopted this 6th day of September, 1988.
Donald J. Milbert, Mayor