The Faribault City Council Tuesday night discussed a resolution calling for the termination of a Interim Use Permit (IUP) for property on the west end of town.  Eventually they tabled the resolution while most members stated they wanted to see the existing business continue.

Representatives of Old Hickory Buildings told the Council they were perplexed when contacted by city staff about receiving complaints concerning the site just off Highway 60 west.  The property was the former home of Shaske Furniture.

Attorney Matt Drevlow representing neighbor to the east KGP told the council they have no "animos" toward the business, the owners of the building or the renters but over the last two years have invested nearly a million dollars into "our own building to make it presentable because we bring in clients and customers from all over the country to visit our location."

The City Council approved the Interim Use Permit for the outdoor display area consisting of sheds.  Later U-Haul trailers and trucks were added and Drevlow pointed out some vehicles have also been placed there for sale.

The Council approval was made despite a recommendation by City staff and the Planning Commission to deny the IUP.

Council Member Elizabeth Cap said, "I really appreciate this business however this site doesn't work for the property and the neighboring properties. We have a liability as council members again to make sure that we are assigning these things equally.  If KGP is showing business losses and other losses due to these types of actions, chain reactions can occur and I certainly want to be liable to allow a non-conforming business that's our ordinances to exist knowing full well that it's causing damages to other businesses."

Cap made a motion to terminate the IUP but it died for lack of a second.

City Administrator Tim Murray told Faribault Council members at minimum there should be an amendment to the IUP with all the uses included.  "While our code does not dictate a number, the site plan is attached to the approving resolution for this IUP and the resolution says the operation will be in accordance with the site plan.  Not in general accordance or in the general parameters of the site plan.  But of the site plan and the site plan shows a single row of sheds being displayed, set back from the highway right of way.  It doesn't show any U-Haul operation and doesn't show any used vehicles for sale either."

Mayor Kevin Voracek remarked the Council had been caught off guard, "I really don't know who was responsible for the initial site plan with ten storage sheds.  I think to all of us it looked nice and clean.  It was uniform and it looked as Janna would say cute.  All the sheds in a row.  Then all of a sudden this mass allotment of sheds showed up and a U-Haul business came in with it.  Then they were selling some Dodges off the front of it and extra signage that was, I think the whole thing was just overwhelming to us compared to the original bill of goods that we were sold."

The Council voted unanimously to table the issue in hopes of negotiating a resolution satisfactory to both businesses.

KGP Campus Faribault. Photo by Gordy Kosfeld
KGP Campus Faribault. Photo by Gordy Kosfeld
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