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Planning staff to draft conditional‑use standards for contractor storage yards in rural zones
Summary
Staff proposed adding a conditional‑use mechanism and standards to allow contractor storage yards (landscaping, snow‑plow and similar businesses) in agricultural and other districts; the committee asked staff to draft standards rather than automatically require rezoning.
Dunn County planning staff proposed Sept. 3 to create standards and a conditional‑use pathway for contractor storage yards — businesses that store vehicles and equipment for landscaping, snow removal and other contracting work — so property owners would not need to rezone to commercial districts in every case.
Why staff proposed the change Staff said current zoning limits contractor storage yards to limited or general commercial districts, leaving many existing operators technically nonconforming. The proposed approach would add a conditional‑use provision that could be applied in multiple districts and would set standards for lot coverage, screening, lighting, traffic and hours of operation.
Committee reaction and next steps Committee members expressed mixed views about allowing contractor storage yards in residential (R1) areas, saying residents may not expect such uses in those neighborhoods. Staff proposed focusing first on standards and leaving district‑by‑district discretion to the committee: allow contractor storage yards in General Ag and selected districts under a conditional‑use review and adopt standards to manage impacts. Committee members asked staff to draft specific standards and to return with examples and definitions so the committee could evaluate tradeoffs between enforcement of existing nonconforming sites and permitting under controlled standards.
Ending Staff will prepare ordinance text with proposed standards for conditional‑use approval, including lot‑coverage limits, screening requirements and restrictions on lighting and traffic, and will return to the committee for further discussion.
