Eagan OKs 3-year interim use permit for gym's cargo containers and outdoor fitness area after split council vote

The Eagan City Council on Sept. 2 approved a three-year interim use permit (IUP) to allow outdoor storage of two cargo containers and an outdoor fitness training area at 3500 Dodd Road, after a lengthy council discussion and a 3–2 vote.

City staff said the property is zoned I-1 (limited industrial) and contains a 15,000-square-foot building constructed in 1968. The owner converted the former manufacturing building into a fitness training gym and previously held an IUP allowing two cargo containers; that permit expired in July 2024. "The applicant is requesting to renew the IUP for another 3 years to continue using the cargo containers for storage of maintenance and fitness equipment related to the use, and also an outdoor fitness area has been installed east of the building," Miss Miller told the council.

City Planner Schultz explained that outdoor storage is typically more common in industrial zones but that in 2022 the council directed a similar applicant to seek an IUP rather than a conditional use permit. Schultz said staff found the outdoor workout area during a site inspection and asked the applicant to include it in the current application. The planner said the north-side containers are largely screened from the street by a wood fence but noted staff conditioned the application to address a possible five-foot setback concern and to prevent storage stacked between the containers.

Council members raised repeated concerns about the containers' appearance, the absence of a completed plan to move storage indoors (an addition previously discussed), and scattered equipment that had been stored between containers. Several councilors urged a shorter term or splitting terms so the outdoor fitness area could be treated separately from container storage. "I am not excited about a 3 year term... 3 years later not only has that not come to fruition but there's an additional interest on the site now in terms of the outdoor area," Mayor said during debate. The applicant, Mr. Clark, said he would remove the containers if council told him what was required and that he had no present plans to build a new storage building.

Councilor Fields moved to approve a three-year IUP to allow outdoor storage of two cargo containers and the outdoor fitness training area, subject to revised staff conditions; the motion carried on a 3–2 voice vote. The council record reflects conditions that the applicant either move a container to meet the required five-foot setback or provide a survey confirming compliance, keep outdoor storage contained inside approved storage (containers or building), and remove intermittent trailers from adjacent property. Staff noted the applicant had already removed some items cited in a prior application, including a boat and a volleyball court.

The council’s approval extends temporary authority for the containers and fitness area for three years; several council members said they expect closer compliance and documentation during that period and signaled reluctance to extend the IUP again without significant progress toward enclosed storage.