ALEXANDRIA TOWNSHIP

Alexandria, Minnesota 56308

Minutes of the meeting of January 26, 2009

 

 

A regular meeting of the Planning Commission of Alexandria Township was held on the 26th day of January, 2009 at the Alexandria Township Conference Room, 610 Fillmore Street.

 

Roll Call:  Commission members present were John Knowles, Julie Feuling, Russ Niskanen, Larry Steidl and Lyle Hammerschmidt.  Also present was Bonnie Fulghum, Deputy Clerk.  As said members formed a quorum and the meeting was called to order by Chairman Knowles at 6:00 p.m.

 

Agenda: Feuling, seconded by Niskanen, made a motion to approve the agenda with the addition of Jack’s Family Recycling Center under Old Business.  Motion carried unanimously.

 

Minutes: Hammerschmidt, seconded by Niskanen, made a motion to approve the minutes of the 11/24/08 meeting with a correction, that the phrase “until a new building can be constructed” be deleted from the last paragraph under Old Business.  Motion carried unanimously.

 

Public Hearing:  None

 

Zoning Administrator’s Report:  None

 

New Business:  The Zoning Administrator had provided a handout for discussion purposes only regarding zoning in the RCR district.  The township had been approached by a contractor who was inquiring as to whether he could move his heating and cooling business to a rural property in the township.  The Zoning Administrator had asked the commission to consider the following points:  1) would moving the full heating/cooling business, including the employee traffic, the sheet metal work and some limited retail sales, be a prohibited business in the RCR district; 2) would a partial move of the business, so that the only business activity taking place was sheet metal work and essentially no exterior evidence of the business, constitute a home occupation and could therefore be processed as a conditional use; and 3) should the commission pursue more discussion and potential ordinance amendments which would allow for something like a home-based business in RR settings – or should the township maintain the current policy and ordinances which prohibit the majority of businesses in the RCR/RR districts.

 

The commission will pursue further discussion on all three points at their next meeting.

 

Old Business:  Commissioner Hammerschmidt stated that he wanted a clarification of the type and placement of the fence(s) that the town board agreed to regarding Jack’s Family Recycling Center.  Commissioner Niskanen suggested re-visiting this issue at the March 2009 meeting.

 

Adjournment:  Being no further business Steidl, seconded by Feuling, made a motion to adjourn the meeting.  Meeting adjourned at 7:10 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted….

 

                                                                                                __________________________

                                                                                                  Bonnie Fulghum, Deputy Clerk

Approved this _______day of ________, 2009

                                                                                                __________________________

                                                                                                      John B. Knowles, Chairman