HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-21-08 work session Meeting Notes
Planning Commission Work Session
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Marion Conference Room
The Planning Commission work session commenced at 6:20 p.m. in the Marion Conference
Room at City Hall.
Commissioners Present: Chair Drotning, Davis, Glad, Grenz, Lillehei, and Pattee.
Staff Present:. Planning Director Daryl .Morey and Associate Planner Frank Dempsey..
Also Present: Christine Koch and Thor Erickson.
Christine Koch Special Home Occupation Permit
Christine Koch was present #o discuss the business that sheds operating from her home at
11036 Kendra Way. Mr. Dempsey stated that her business has not received a home
occupation permit from the City. He also stated that staff recently became aware that a home
occupation may be occurring on the property due to the number of vehicles parked in the
driveway and on the street in front of Ms. Koch's house. -Staff sent a letter and a home
occupation permit application to Ms. Koch on July 29, 2008 asking her to review the home
occupation requirements and contact staff to discuss her options. Ms. Koch applied for a
special home occupation permit on August 1, 2008 for a flexible benefit plan administration
business. Staff invited her to speak informally with the Planning Commission at a work session
prior to scheduling a formal public hearing.
Ms. Koch indicated that she started with five employees when she moved to Lakeville in 2001,
including her brother and sister who lived in her home at that time. She currently has ten
employees of which some telecommute from their homes. The lower two levels of her 4,078
square foot home are used as office space. Ms. Koch stated that she can currently park all of
the employee vehicles in her driveway. She stated that it is not financially feasible for her to
move to a commercial office building and stay. in this house. She understands that she may be
outgrowing her home and is asking for additional time to research alternative locations for the
business. She felt that now would be a difficult time to sell her home with the Kent 46
commercial development currently under construction. She asked whether it would be possible
to rezone her property to commercial given the zoning of the adjacent properties to the north
and east.
The Planning Commission's discussion points were:
Whether there have been any other special home occupation permits approved that
included a person employed in the home occupation that did not live in the home. Staff
stated that there have been two special home occupation permits approved since 1990
that each had one employee that did not live in the home, the most recent of which was
approved last month that involved apart-time employee on a rural (10 acre) lot that was
also employed with the homeowner's approved horse stable business.
Planning Commission Work Session
August 21, 2008
• Criteria that are used to determine and measure neighborhood impacts.
• Building code issues that may affect this home occupation.
• A reasonable enforcement tirneframe to allow Ms. Koch to explore her business options.
• Directed staff to discuss with the City Attorney whether the .City could potentially be
liable for allowing Ms. Koch's business to continue for an undetermined amount of time
while: Ms. Koch explores her options. Staff stated that Ms. Koch could request an
extension to her special home occupation permit application for an additional 60 days
until November 29, 2008 to allow her additional time to consider her options.
• The Planning Commission could not support this special home occupation request
because the number of employees operating in the home does not maintain the
character of the residential area.
The work session was adjourned at 7:40 p.m.
spectf Ily submitted,
Daryl Mor , Planni g Director
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