Council questions request to sell prebuilt sheds from forklift repair site on Highway 65

At the March 25 work meeting, planning staff described a request from Lenny of B & T Truck Lift (23515 Ulysses Street NE) to add retail sales of prebuilt sheds to a forklift repair/manufacturing site along Highway 65. Staff told the council the city's light-industrial zoning allows incidental retail — retail sales of products manufactured or warehoused on the premises — but limits such incidental retail to no more than 25% of the building; the proposed use, staff said, appears to be standalone retail and could include exterior display or storage that the code does not currently authorize.

Planning staff noted the site owner had asked about placing sheds near the Highway 65 right-of-way for visibility, but staff explained the city cannot authorize use of state right-of-way and the applicant would need state permission to place inventory there. Council members expressed concern about setting a precedent and creating a "junky" frontage along a major corridor if nonindustrial retail display were allowed. One council member asked whether a text amendment to the zoning code could create a path forward; staff said a zoning-text amendment or a permit process could be options but more information would be required.

Council reaction was mixed but cautious: several council members said they lacked enough information to support an immediate change and would prefer staff obtain details from the applicant; another member said the city should be careful about repeatedly changing zoning for single requests. The planning staff said it would inform the applicant that the use is not currently allowed and that an appeal or formal application could be pursued if the owner decides to do so.

No formal action was taken during the work meeting. Council direction to staff was procedural: gather more information, clarify the applicant's proposed operation and, if desired by the applicant, bring a formal application or zoning-text amendment forward for council consideration.

Quotes used in this article come from the meeting transcript and are attributed to speakers identified in the transcript (planning staff and council members).