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Commission recommends Saks Motor rezone after debate over future access, lot-modification limits
Summary
The Dickinson Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend rezoning five lots for Saks Motor Company and approved a related final plat, after discussing limits on administrative lot modifications and safety concerns about potential access points near a 90-degree intersection.
The Dickinson Planning and Zoning Commission on Nov. 1 recommended approval of a rezoning application (REZ0102025) and a final minor plat (FLP0132025) to allow Sachs Motor Company to expand its auto-sales use onto adjacent lots.
City Planner Natalie Berchak said staff recommended rezoning five lots from high-density residential (R-3) to general commercial (GC) with conditions, including that approval be contingent on FLP0132025, a note on the plat that the property not be eligible for administrative lot modification, and a restriction on new access points from 20th Street West or 1st Avenue West. Berchak said the intent is to preserve public input if the property is later reconfigured: "A note shall be included on the plat that the property shall not be eligible for an administrative lot modification," she told commissioners.
Applicant representative Andrew Schrank (Highlands Engineering) asked the commission to remove the specific restriction on 20th Street access, arguing similar GC parcels abut residential areas across the city and that the buyer factored road improvements into the purchase price. "If they would have had a responsibility to build that road, this property would not be valued at what they're purchasing it for," Schrank said.
Commissioners and staff discussed safety and traffic geometry at an intersection where 1st Avenue West meets 20th Street; staff said adding an approach at that location could create a complex intersection and would not meet the transportation master plan without additional design. Staff also said the restriction on administrative lot modifications is intended to ensure any future change comes before the public rather than being processed administratively.
After debate, Commissioner (S8) moved and the commission approved recommending REZ0102025 subject to the staff conditions; Commissioner (S9) later moved and the commission recommended approval of the related final plat (FLP0132025) with the same conditions. The actions passed by voice vote.
