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Minot planning commission approves Full Steam Ahead conditional use permit at former church
Summary
The Minot Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit allowing nonprofit Full Steam Ahead to convert a vacant church at 1400 Fifth Street SW into an indoor recreational STEM-plus-arts facility, subject to standard building, ADA and licensing conditions.
The Minot Planning Commission on Oct. 7 approved a conditional use permit allowing Full Steam Ahead to operate an indoor recreational facility at 1400 Fifth Street Southwest, a vacant church building formerly known as Lighthouse Church.
City staff told the commission the property is zoned R-1 (single-family residential) and the application included a site plan showing two off-street parking spaces for staff plus planned drop-off areas in front and rear. Staff recommended approval with conditions including required building permits and construction documents, ADA review, and that the conditional use permit (CUP) serve as the city license to operate; the CUP will be nontransferable and subject to revocation following a show-cause hearing if terms are violated.
Allison Elk, executive director of Full Steam Ahead, told the commission the nonprofit has operated in Minot since 2015 and expanded from theater into robotics, drone programming and coding. "When this space became available, we were super excited because it's the perfect size for our organization," Elk said. She said class sizes will be about 20 students and the organization aims to integrate arts and STEM programming under its Full Steam Ahead umbrella.
Commission discussion focused on parking and traffic flow; staff said the Land Development Ordinance requires parking based on square footage and that relief from parking minimums would require a separate variance. Vice Chair Baumann encouraged Full Steam Ahead to pursue a variance later if on-street drop-off flow proved safer or more functional.
Commissioner Baumann moved to approve the CUP based on staff findings and recommended conditions; Commissioner Kibler seconded. The roll call vote was unanimous and the motion carried.
With the CUP approved, the applicant must obtain required building permits and any interior plan review required by the building division before occupancy. On-street parking adjacent to the property is limited to six spaces; staff noted the two required off-street spaces appeared intended for staff use and that the organization plans to operate primarily as a drop-off/pick-up site.
The commission's approval authorizes Full Steam Ahead to operate the indoor recreational facility under the terms laid out in the staff report and attached exhibits; further modifications such as parking variances or changes in occupancy will require additional approvals.
