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Council denies Cloud Storage conditional use in Stevens Plantation PUD, citing inconsistency with corporate campus vision
Summary
After residents said a three‑story, climate‑controlled storage facility would conflict with the Stevens Plantation corporate campus and adjacent low‑density residential uses, the St. Cloud City Council denied a conditional‑use request 5‑0. Staff recommended approval with seven conditions; residents and some council members argued the use was not
The St. Cloud City Council on Feb. 13 denied a conditional‑use permit for a proposed three‑story climate‑controlled storage facility in the Stevens Plantation corporate campus by a 5‑0 roll call vote.
Staff presentation and conditions
City planning staff recommended approval with seven conditions intended to preserve the corporate campus character: require a six‑foot masonry wall along the western property line while keeping existing trees; require a minimum of four architectural design elements; ensure storage unit access is not visible from the street and is located behind windows or interior corridors; require building façades to resemble office buildings; and encourage a curvilinear diagonal entry for corner buildings, among other design elements.
Community opposition and council rationale
Dwayne Norman, a resident of Buckingham Court directly west of the site, told council the corporate campus was sold to residents as medical and office uses and that storage units are inconsistent with the intended land‑use plan. He said neighbors had lived in the area for decades and that a storage facility would negatively alter the character and property expectations for the site’s residential edges.
The applicant and staff
Don Huey and the applicant’s attorney argued the conditional use was consistent with the PUD approval and that a compact, multi‑story building would meet the campus footprint objectives. The applicant asked the council to remove some conditions staff added after the Planning Commission hearing, but staff and council ultimately favored the stricter PUD standards and the neighbors’ concerns.
Council action
Council Member Colby Urban moved to deny the conditional‑use request on the ground that the use was not consistent with the general pattern of development in the zoning district; Deputy Mayor Sean Fletcher seconded. The motion passed 5‑0 on a roll call vote.
Ending
Councilmembers said they wanted to preserve the corporate campus character and avoid introducing storage development in a location intended for office and service uses. Staff said a denial would preserve the PUD’s intended development pattern; applicants may pursue alternate sites or revised proposals that better match the PUD character.
