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Isanti City Planning Commission approves Serenity West site plan with engineering adjustments
Summary
The Isanti City Planning Commission unanimously approved a site plan for Serenity West, a 4,368-square-foot downtown expansion at 209 Main Street West, contingent on engineering changes to parking and relocated bicycle parking; a nearby resident asked about alley access and spacing between buildings.
The Isanti City Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a site plan for Serenity West, a proposed 4,368-square-foot expansion at 209 Main Street West, after staff confirmed the project meets downtown zoning requirements and will address minor engineering corrections.
Planning staff told commissioners the building’s zero front setback complies with the downtown overlay (D1) and B1 central business district zoning, and said the proposal “meets and actually exceeds the parking requirements for downtown.” Staff also noted that on-street parking shown on the initial plan is not allowed under engineering standards and must be relocated, and that bicycle parking will need to be moved off the public right-of-way to avoid conflicts with snowplows. “The intent is to build a 4,368 square foot building,” staff said during the presentation.
The project was rezoned to the downtown overlay district a few weeks ago, staff said, allowing the applicant to purchase the property and proceed with the site plan. Staff said surface water drainage, lighting and sound are expected to meet city engineering standards aside from the specific items flagged for remediation.
During the public comment period, Diana Peterson of 201 Main Street asked whether an east-side exit would connect to a neighboring lot in the future and raised concerns about alley traffic, curb separation, and spacing between buildings. Peterson said she appreciated bringing an infill building back to Main Street and asked whether the new parking would be curbed off from the alley. Staff responded that the project will include curbing and that final accessible stall counts and the relocated bicycle rack will be clarified with the applicant before the item goes to council.
Commissioner Lundeen moved to approve the site plan “as presented with the engineer’s changes,” and Commissioner Diana Peterson seconded. The commission approved the motion 6-0.
Next steps include the applicant making the engineering corrections—relocating bicycle parking out of the right-of-way and finalizing accessible parking counts—and staff following up with the applicant about sidewalk and curb details. The commission adjourned and said the item will proceed to city council with the recommended revisions.
