Farmington planning commission approves variances for Kemps plant addition at 15 Fourth Street
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Summary
The Farmington City Planning Commission on Oct. 14 approved variances to allow a 3,900-square-foot addition to the Kemps facility at 15 Fourth Street, exempting the site from the I‑zone 50-foot front-yard setback and raising building coverage above the district maximum, subject to building and sign permits.
The Farmington City Planning Commission approved variances Oct. 14 allowing Kemps Farmington Cultured Business to build a 3,900-square-foot addition at 15 Fourth Street to accommodate larger cottage‑cheese equipment.
Staff told the commission the plant expansion requires relief from the I‑zone industrial district front-yard setback and maximum building-coverage limits because the existing building—constructed before current zoning standards—already encroaches on those requirements. Planning staff recommended approval, and the commission voted unanimously in favor; the motion passed on roll call with Commissioners Teske, Roddy, Snowback, Berg and Wind Channel voting yes.
The addition is proposed on the west side of the facility adjacent to Fourth Street and would be built to the western property line; staff said there is roughly 17 to 18 feet between the property line and the curb. Tony (staff member) read an excerpt from the applicant's memorandum saying the expansion “aims to replace outdated cottage cheese equipment which has surpassed its practical useful life,” and that modern equipment “is larger in scale than our existing equipment and will not fit into the current production area.”
Grace Rastetter, representing Kemps and its consultant team, told the commission the company needs the extra space to replace aging equipment and “continue our operations.” Rastetter said other locations on the site were considered but were not viable because the new equipment must be contiguous to the packaging/filling area on the west side of the plant.
Under the I‑zone standards cited in the staff report, the minimum front-yard setback is 50 feet; staff said the applicant requested a 50-foot variance so the addition would abut the property line. Maximum building coverage in the district was stated in the staff report as 35 percent; staff said existing coverage on the site currently sits at about 48.41 percent and the proposed addition would raise coverage to about 51.35 percent. Staff noted similar variances were granted about five years earlier to allow a boiler-room addition that increased coverage to its current level.
Commissioners asked about future expansion (the applicant said none is planned and other site options were not viable), building height (the applicant does not anticipate the addition will be taller than the existing structure), and traffic and sight-line impacts at the nearby curve and parking area. Commissioner Snowback raised the possibility of adding a sidewalk given the site's proximity to a park and trails; staff said Willow Street is scheduled for reconstruction in the coming year and that sidewalk installation can be discussed with public works. Commissioners also discussed that deliveries and primary loading occur at the back of the site.
The commission approved the variances subject to two contingencies: the applicant must obtain all required building permits, and any new exterior signage must have an approved sign permit. The commission chair noted there were no members of the public present to comment during the hearing.
The approval allows Kemps to proceed with design and permitting for the addition, with permits and sign approvals required before related work or signage is installed.
(For the record: the planning commission opened and closed the public hearing and then voted on the motion to approve the variances with the stated contingencies.)
