Dayton planning commission backs Dayton Field preliminary plat, approves outdoor‑storage CUP with limits

The Dayton Planning Commission voted 4–1 on Sept. 4 to recommend approval of the preliminary plat, site plan and a conditional use permit (CUP) for Dayton Field (Fifth Edition), subject to staff-recommended conditions and additional restrictions on outdoor storage.

Staff told the commission the site sits at the corner of West French Lake Road and 121st Avenue and totals roughly 8.43 acres gross (about 5 acres net excluding wetlands). The proposed development includes a 26,000-square-foot building (about 8,000 sq ft of office and 18,000 sq ft of shop), 77 parking spaces and roughly 36,500 square feet of outdoor storage; staff noted the plan limits gravel-surfaced storage to about 27,000 square feet and requires class‑2 aggregate for dust control. "Staff does recommend approval with the following conditions," planning staff said during the presentation.

A central point of debate was a fence proposed to surround the outdoor storage area. Staff flagged a tension within the zoning code: industrial districts allow chain‑link fences up to 8 feet tall provided they remain transparent, while outdoor‑storage screening rules call for storage areas to be fully screened from right‑of‑way and adjacent parcels. Staff asked the commission whether it would accept an opaque chain‑link fence (slatted chain link or similar) at the front of the property; commissioners discussed visibility, precedent and aesthetics alongside applicants' security concerns.

Applicant Tim McShane of McShane Development and David Brandushaw (telecom construction) said the opaque section is intended to reduce theft and protect crews and equipment. "There’s theft in things that happen on these sites... We’ve had several catalytic converters stolen," Brandushaw said, citing local theft as a security rationale for screening the front storage area.

Commissioners debated several technical limits to include in the CUP and site‑plan recommendation. The commission added conditions that limit the row of stalls adjacent to 121st (the front parking/staging area) to vehicles 10 feet or less in height, require that stored items be associated with the occupant business (not personal boats or RVs), limit materials stored in the rear yard to 12 feet in height, and require the applicant to recess the fence line at the parking-corner and enhance/relocate landscaping along the front fence. Staff also retained standard conditions: submittal of a petition to vacate previously platted easements, photometric and lighting limits (downcast fixtures, max 30 ft height), signage consistent with the zoning code, and a cap on overall outdoor gravel area and surfacing specifications.

Commissioner (S7) moved to recommend approval with the conditions described; Commissioner (S6) seconded. The motion passed 4–1. Commissioner (S4) recorded the lone dissent and said he was concerned about allowing an opaque front fence as a precedent for future industrial frontage, even as he acknowledged the site's security needs.

The commission asked staff to work with the applicant’s landscape architect to respecify and reposition proposed plantings so the front fence is softened from the street and from across the nearby lake. Staff also confirmed the CUP runs with the land but is subject to revocation if the outdoor‑storage operation ceases for a year or longer.

The commission closed the public hearing and recommended the preliminary plat, site plan and CUP be transmitted to the city council with the attached staff conditions and the additional limits on outdoor storage discussed on the record. The motion passed by voice vote 4–1.