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Planning Commission <br />Meeting Minutes <br />March 10, 2022 <br />Page 4 of 10 <br />staff was asking the question:what is the parking impact on downtown at its highest <br />use? <br />Diehl asks if this application's use was a restaurant and it had the 372 occupancy limit, <br />would this even need to come to the commission for a review? <br />Zuccaro says that restaurants do not require a special review use. Within the downtown <br />zone district there are various allowed uses. Downtown parking is simply based on the <br />square footage, regardless of use. Staff is only talking about parking in this way <br />because it is an SRU. <br />Moline says that the zoning on this property is different from across the street. Both of <br />these areas will be covered by the downtown overlay district. Can staff speak on that <br />more? <br />Zuccaro says the property across the street does have the same zoning and has the <br />same allowed list of uses. This application's use is unique in downtown which warrants <br />a different way of thinking in regards to occupancy and parking. <br />Diehl says the use is unique but the mechanism used was what a restaurant/bar would <br />generate in regards to parking. <br />Zuccaro says the reason staff did that is because restaurant uses are a use by right <br />and they are probably one of the highest occupancy uses. The question is how the city <br />should limit the parking for downtown on this SRU and derive the number that would be <br />appropriate. That is why staff used the restaurant example to inform this <br />recommendation. <br />Howe says that there was an email sent that had the question of "if we could allow this <br />through an existing mixed -use zone district;" Can staff comment on that? <br />Zuccaro says that staff looked at the City's existing uses and definitions of those uses <br />and determined that there was not an existing or similar use to this. That is why staff <br />thought an ordinance was the best way to to create a clear use category. <br />Howe asks in regards to the SRU, if a particular business wanted to allow a banquet <br />hall use on their property, would they need to apply for a similar SRU? <br />Bauer says that is correct. They would go through the SRU process and have a public <br />hearing. <br />Diehl asks if there have been any official statements made from the Downtown <br />Business Association (DBA) or Chamber of Commerce. <br />Bauer says she is not aware of any that have come through. <br />Moline asks if this lot is in the downtown transition overlay area. <br />Bauer says that is correct. <br />Applicant Presentation: <br />Erik Hartronft, Hartronft Associates <br />Hartronft begins by telling the commissioners that they are proud of the building and <br />believe it fits well in downtown. They did look at a hotel use but declined to move <br />forward and explains that this building could be used for multiple purposes. There has <br />been a lot of interest in leasing the building, but they started this project in October or <br />November of 2021 and believed this building would already fit an existing use. He then <br />speaks on existing businesses in downtown. There are approximately four businesses <br />downtown that can host 200-300 people per eventand do not require an SRU. We <br />thought that this use was not foreign to what already exists. Staff thought it would be <br />better to review this as a new use so staff created a new use group. <br />L <br />