Commission recommends rezoning to light industrial for North Minnesota warehouse despite prior denial by City Commission

The Planning and Zoning Commission on March 6 voted to recommend rezoning roughly 6.308 acres on North Minnesota Avenue from Residential Estate to Light Industrial to allow a warehouse/storage freight terminal use.

Planning staff presented the application as ordinance No. 235-2024-006 (record shows the earlier case year), noting the commission considered a similar application in 2022: Planning and Zoning had approved the request on May 5, 2022, but the City Commission denied it on May 17, 2022. Staff said the current request is not consistent with the comprehensive plan and future land use map and recommended denial. The mailed notice count for the current application was 13 within a 200‑foot buffer, with no written opposition recorded.

Applicant representative Ophelia Ruiz (Ocasio) told the commission the intended use is dry‑goods warehouse storage with scheduled pick‑ups and drop‑offs; she said the operation would not house trucks overnight and would operate roughly 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ruiz described the planned warehouse as 9,000 square feet under a larger 6.308‑acre sale parcel and said stored items would include finished consumer goods (furniture and shoes), not hazardous materials. Ruiz said the applicant does not plan truck parking or long‑term truck staging on site.

Commissioners debated whether the proposed storage use aligned with surrounding residential areas and noted existing warehouses and salvage yards nearby. One commissioner asked about residences immediately north of the site; staff said no written opposition was received. During the vote sequence, one commissioner indicated an abstention; the motion carried. The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the City Commission for final action.