This transcript appears to be from a **Planning Commission** meeting. Based on the context provided, the presiding officer is **Rachel Swedin** (Vice Chair), who is being referred to in the transcript as "Commissioner Sweeney" due to a phonetic transcription error. **Melanie Peters** (Chair) is present but is participating as a member while Swedin gains experience chairing the meeting (as evidenced by the banter at the end). [0:00] **Rachel Swedin (Vice Chair):** question on the minutes uh for November 10th. >> Right. Hearing none, I will consider those approved. Um and now we will move on to public hearings. [0:16] **Rachel Swedin (Vice Chair):** Seeing none, we will close public hearings. And now we will move on to other actions. Um, so for other actions tonight, we have uh staff report by Justin Forney. [0:32] **Justin Forney (Associate Planner):** Uh, thank you very much, Commissioner Swedin. Um, home-based businesses or home occupations as they're called in the zoning code are divided into two different types. There's a type one, which is a business that's run from a home without any operational change from a typical home. And then a type two, which is slightly more intense, which may have outside employees working on site, more than one customer that visits the property at a time, and/or operates in a garage or accessory building on the site. A type two must also be approved by the city council with review by the planning commission. The approval is probationary for the first year and then is valid for 5 years after that. After that time, it can be renewed for 5 years. The applicant is proposing a taxidermy business out of his detached garage without any outside employees. More than one customer would come to the property at a time, um, typically during hunting season with up to several expected at a time. Customers will mostly come by appointment for picking up finished products. The intended hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. During hunting season, customers may come and drop off projects into the evening. The applicant uh will have a taxidermy license from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The applicant confirms they would operate the business in line with uh other ordin—the ordinance requirements uh listed in the staff report for home occupations. [2:06] **Justin Forney (Associate Planner):** This is the—an overview of the area where the applicant lives at 714 13th Street West. Um the home faces 13th Street with an attached garage and a long driveway. And on Oak Street is the location of the uh detached garage where the operations would occur, which also has a large driveway. [2:32] **Justin Forney (Associate Planner):** This is a picture of the front of the house facing 13th Street West. There's ample room for parking for the home. And this is a picture of the uh detached garage on Oak Street. Um, as you can see, there's also a lot of parking in front of that garage area. [2:53] **Justin Forney (Associate Planner):** Um, notice for the home occupation application was mailed to residents within 350 ft of the subject property and staff has not received any responses. If approved, the fire inspector would inspect the property to check for any fire and safety hazards. [3:10] **Justin Forney (Associate Planner):** Uh, staff recommends approval contingent on the conditions of the staff report. Um, I can stand for any questions. Also, the applicant is here if you have any questions for them. [3:22] **Rachel Swedin (Vice Chair):** Commissioners, do you have any questions? Commissioner McGrath. [3:27] **Missy McGrath (Commissioner):** thank you for the report and welcome. Um question is after the one-year probationary period, is it an automatic 5-year um permit then to proceed or how does that process work? [3:45] **Justin Forney (Associate Planner):** Yeah, thanks for the question. Then the city council would um review our analysis over the past year and make sure that we didn't get um unresolved complaints or had any issues and then they would issue it for five years. It's a—it's—it's generally a standard five-year uh time period as stated in the zoning code. [4:02] **Missy McGrath (Commissioner):** Okay. And another question, um have you received your applicant license from DNR yet? You have that? Okay. [4:10] **Joel Cannull (Applicant):** I have my license. [4:15] **Missy McGrath (Commissioner):** Perfect. That's it. Thank you. [4:18] **Rachel Swedin (Vice Chair):** Commissioner Peters. [4:18] **Melanie Peters (Chair/Commissioner):** This is a—just a question because I—I don't know what—the process of taxidermy entails, but would there—I know that in here it—it says that there's no indication of offensive noise vibration smoke dust odor all of that stuff. Um would the business just doing the work of taxidermy be noticeable to neighbors? [4:42] **Joel Cannull (Applicant):** No. [4:43] **Joel Cannull (Applicant):** Somebody will back a truck in. [4:47] **Rachel Swedin (Vice Chair):** Excuse me, sir. Would you mind coming to the podium just so it can be recorded? [4:53] **Joel Cannull (Applicant):** Appreciate that. Thank you. [4:58] **Melanie Peters (Chair/Commissioner):** Yeah. Just um when the—aside from the pickup and drop off—um would the work of taxidermy be noticeable to the surrounding neighbors in any way? [5:04] **Joel Cannull (Applicant):** No. The truck would back into my garage to a hoist to whatever animal comes in and then um the work is done in there and then it gets put back in the truck and they leave. So nothing is exposed. [5:26] **Rachel Swedin (Vice Chair):** And oh my—just stay up there. Can I have you state your name and address just for clarity of record? I know we have it in front of us, but just— [5:35] **Joel Cannull (Applicant):** Joel... uh address is 714 13th Street West Hastings. [5:41] **John Moes (Commissioner):** um and then as far as the process goes, I know there—there would be um uh you know animal waste and other chemical waste. How is that stuff disposed? [5:54] **Joel Cannull (Applicant):** The DNR has a dump site down by Lake Rebecca. Okay. Is one thing. Um, I also I'm working on talking with the garbage company, get me just for that month. That's the only disposal time. [6:02] **John Moes (Commissioner):** Okay. [6:04] **Joel Cannull (Applicant):** If I need it, if the DNR ever got rid of that dumpster, then I would have to get something my own for about a month, 3 weeks, and that's it. [6:14] **John Moes (Commissioner):** It's really just for the— [6:17] **Joel Cannull (Applicant):** Yeah. The rest of the garbage would just go in my regular. It's not—no animal waste or anything. So, [6:26] **Rachel Swedin (Vice Chair):** Are there any more questions or comments? All right, I'll entertain a motion. [6:27] **Missy McGrath (Commissioner):** One more. [6:30] **Rachel Swedin (Vice Chair):** Oh, go ahead. Commissioner McGrath. [6:32] **Missy McGrath (Commissioner):** Um, Justin, you—it is noted in here that a notice was sent out to neighbors and there were no concerns or you didn't hear anything back from neighbors. Is that a true statement? [6:46] **Justin Forney (Associate Planner):** Yes, that's correct. Um, my microphone wasn't on, so I'm just going to repeat that. I said that's correct. Uh, we sent out the notice to 350 ft and we didn't receive any responses. [6:52] **Missy McGrath (Commissioner):** Okay. I am happy to make a motion um to approve the um the application for the—I guess it's usually in the subject line exactly what they're asking. Home—there we go. Home occupation review 25-41 taxidermy at 714 13th Street West. Um, and the applicant is Joel Cannull. [7:32] **John Moes (Commissioner):** I'll—I'll second that. [7:35] **Rachel Swedin (Vice Chair):** Is there any further discussion? All those in favor say Aye. [7:36] **Commissioners (Unison):** Aye. [7:41] **Rachel Swedin (Vice Chair):** All those opposed. All right. Motion passes. [7:44] **Melanie Peters (Chair/Commissioner):** Good luck. [7:46] **Joel Cannull (Applicant):** Thank you guys. Mhm. [7:48] **Justin Forney (Associate Planner):** This will go forward to the city council for consideration on December 1st. [7:53] **Justin Forney (Associate Planner):** Um, yes, it's recommended as well. Thank you. [7:56] **Rachel Swedin (Vice Chair):** All right, we will move on to other business. Uh, Justin, do you have any other business? [8:02] **Justin Forney (Associate Planner):** Um the city council um recently approved the change of the zoning code to allow for churches and agricultural districts. And the planning commission um does not yet have any applications for consideration at our December 8th meeting. [8:27] **Rachel Swedin (Vice Chair):** All right. I—I will entertain a motion to adjourn. [8:32] **Missy McGrath (Commissioner):** Motion to adjourn. [8:35] **John Moes (Commissioner):** And I'll happily second that. [8:37] **Rachel Swedin (Vice Chair):** All those in favor say Aye. [8:38] **Commissioners (Unison):** Aye. [8:40] **Rachel Swedin (Vice Chair):** All those opposed. All right. Motion meeting adjourned. [8:43] **Melanie Peters (Chair/Commissioner):** Nice job. [8:44] **Rachel Swedin (Vice Chair):** I need like a little script. [8:45] **Melanie Peters (Chair/Commissioner):** We did it. [8:46] **Rachel Swedin (Vice Chair):** I did it all. Oh man.