Board approves conditional use for 3.08-acre city lot at 14th Avenue SE with sidewalk, sewer conditions

The Watertown Board of Adjustments on Oct. 12 approved a conditional use allowing contractor shops and storage yards on a 3.08-acre, city-owned parcel at the southeast corner of 14th Street and 14th Avenue Southeast. The board approved the request after the City Council declared the property surplus and conveyed it to the Watertown Development Company to facilitate a sale to an interested developer.

The condition of approval requires the developer to install sidewalk on the property’s west frontage and for the city to record a waiver of the right to protest sidewalks for the east–west frontage along 14th Avenue SE. “That would be an appropriate amendment to the motion or a part of the motion would be a waiver of right to protest sidewalks if required,” a board member said during discussion. The motion carried unanimously on roll call.

Brandy, a city planning staff member, told the board the property—approximately 3.08 acres—is zoned C-3 (Highway Commercial) and is not within 200 feet of the sanitary sewer main. Staff memorialized a sanitary sewer easement running along the city property’s west and south edges to allow the developer to extend a private service line to the sewer main on 17th Avenue SE if the developer chooses. “That would be on the developer, and we have specified that in the easement language that that is a cost that has to be that the developer has to bear,” Brandy said. Staff noted the alternative for the developer would be sealed holding tanks; septic systems are not permitted inside city limits.

Neighbor Greg Hansen said he had been told previously by the city that part of the adjacent area was floodplain and asked whether the planned work could affect his property. Hansen told the board, “I was told by the city that it would never happen,” referring to development of that parcel. Brandy responded that the pink shading on the city map indicates the 100-year floodplain and that the applicant plans to bring in fill and pursue a Letter of Map Amendment based on fill (LOMA/LOMR) and must submit an elevation certificate with a building permit. Staff also said the grading plan will be reviewed to ensure no runoff drains onto adjacent properties.

Brandy said City Council had already approved surplusing the parcel and conveying it to Watertown Development Company; the conditional-use approval before the board is a condition of that prospective sale. Brandy also told the board the city will retain a northern piece of adjacent lots and that, historically, some properties in the area may have received waivers to sidewalk requirements.

The board voted by roll call: Kaczek — yes; Case — yes; Speier — yes; Dargus (Darrius) Johnson — yes; Dali — yes; Alatsky — yes. The motion passed unanimously.

Why it matters: city-owned property sales and conditional uses set the baseline for future development, including infrastructure obligations developers must meet. The board’s conditions place immediate responsibility for sidewalk construction and sewer service costs on the purchaser.

What’s next: The sale and any on-site work will require permitting, possible floodplain mapping updates (LOMA/LOMR) and building permits; the developer will bear the cost of any private sanitary service extension and must comply with the sidewalk condition recorded with the conditional use.