In response to requests the city has received in recent months, both the planning commission and city council recommended last week that the Grand Marais zoning ordinance be amended to accommodate growing businesses.
By unanimous vote Jan. 8, councilors passed by resolution the first reading of an amendment to permit on-site manufacturing and retail in commercial zones. The planning commission reviewed the proposed changes and made the recommendation a day earlier at their meeting. Plans call for councilors to hold a hearing and vote on the second reading at their next meeting, Jan. 29, after which the ordinance will be published in the News-Herald and take effect.
At issue is a request to establish a microbrewery in the downtown C-1 district. There has been a similar past request, as well as a request for a coffee roasting business, but City Administrator Mike Roth noted that such “light manufacturing and processing” enterprises currently best fit in the Commercial-Industrial (C/I) zone with a conditional use permit. That means they’d be limited to the business park, and said Roth, there would be limited opportunities to sell their products due to the non-existent foot traffic in the area, unlike that afforded in a downtown locale.
Councilor and planning commissioner Tim Kennedy pointed out that the proposed zoning change isn’t really a big one.
“This is already occurring,” he said, noting that the Beaver House makes and sells lures, the World’s Best Donuts makes and sells donuts, and the Gunflint Mercantile makes and sells fudge. “There are all kinds of things being made in town…this is nothing we haven’t already seen,” he said.
What the planning commission wants to ensure, Kennedy said, is that retail is the primary use of the property. Roth added that the ordinance already addresses concerns and sets limitations on things such as lights, noise, vibration, odors and landscaping. The city doesn’t really care, for instance, how many gallons of a beverage are sold or what percentage of space is dedicated for retail, but is more concerned with how the business fits in with the neighborhood, said Roth.
The proposed amendment adds a definition for retail and clarifies that it includes manufacturing in some circumstances: “Retail – Establishments primarily engaged in selling goods or merchandise to the general public for personal or household consumption and rendering services incidental to the sale of such goods. Retail may also include manufacturing of goods to be sold on or off site so long as retail sales remain the primary component of the commercial activity.”
In other city business:
. Lee Ann Zunker of 1010 Interiors spoke with council during the open forum portion of the meeting and offered to sell the city a 6,000-square-foot warehouse on her 1.27-acre Highway 61 property for use as a public works storage facility; the city is planning to build a storage facility, but initial estimates put the price tag at just over $3 million. Zunker said her offer would save the taxpayers money by using an existing building, the zoning is appropriate, and the site’s location meets the city’s criteria. However, Roth said the city is hoping to build a facility that’s 14,000 square feet and needs about 4½ acres. “I don’t think that’s going to work,” Roth said of the offer, which will be forwarded to the city’s project consultant.
. George Wilkes and Bill Mittlefehldt asked for the city’s support in becoming a “GreenStep City.” The designation is for communities interested in planning for efficiency and which have demonstrated sustainable plans and teamwork, and is designed to strengthen economic and community development. Mittlefehldt said he would recruit and train two interns through UMD, one of whom would work in Cook County, and the Cook County Local Energy Project would coordinate the efforts. Mittlefehldt said there would be no liability or expense incurred by the city, and that much of the work has already been done over the last four years. Council was receptive to the idea, and will respond with a resolution at its next meeting.
. Council left mostly unchanged its members’ appointments as liaisons to the various boards and commissions requiring representation, and re-appointed Tim Kennedy as the acting mayor, retained the Cook County News-Herald as the city’s official newspaper and designated the same list of five depositories to handle the city’s funds for 2014.
. Citizen appointments were made to Sally Berg, library board; David Beckwith, planning commission; and James Dusheck, park board.
. Owing to the difficulty in keeping the park board at its full sevenmember complement – Roth said the board hasn’t had seven members in a long time – council voted to reduce membership from seven to five. An ordinance to make the change will be drawn up, with the first reading at council’s next meeting. The park board is now comprised of Dusheck, Walt Mianowski, Bill Lenz, Robin DuChien and Sally Berg. The terms of Tracy Benson and Paul Anderson expired at the end of 2013, and neither sought re-appointment.
. Council gave its support, at the request of Cook County Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Wiinanen, for a FEMA Emergency Management Institute course to be offered in the area next year. The cross-border training has also been supported by the county and Grand Portage’s tribal council as well as Neebing and Thunder Bay in Ontario.
. Council voted unanimously to request of its financial consultant, Ehlers Associates, a proposal to determine the cost of financing a proposed district heating system. The proposal will help identify and evaluate financing options, and determine if the city has the capacity to fund the system’s development cost. Council authorized Ehlers to proceed with the project at a cost of not more than $10,000. Mayor Larry Carlson said he was a little hesitant and still had some questions about the plan, but he didn’t want to see a $10 million project held up by a $10,000 commitment.
. The mayor said he has received some complaints about snow plowing and parking, particularly near the library. “It’s a bad place,” Carlson said of the corner on Second Avenue West. Roth said he had inspected the snow and parking conditions throughout town in the fire truck earlier in the week, and there really were no issues with narrow roads restricting traffic or large vehicles (other than near the library). Surprisingly too, he said, the city has not had to move any snow from town yet.
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