HomeMy WebLinkAbout20241007 - CC Workshop MinutesHastings, Minnesota
City Council Workshop
October 7, 2024
The City Council of the City of Hastings, Minnesota met in a workshop on Monday, October 7,
2024, at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Room at the Hastings City Hall, 101 East 4th Street,
Hastings, Minnesota.
Members Present: Mayor Fasbender, Councilmembers Fox, Haus, Lawrence, Leifeld,
Pemble, and Vihrachoff; Planning Commissioners Messina (Chair),
Peters, Teiken, LeBrun, McGrath, and Swedin
Members Absent: Commissioner Halberg
Staff Present: City Administrator Dan Wietecha
Assistant City Administrator Kelly Murtaugh
Community Development Director John Hinzman
Economic Development Coordinator Alex Menke
Deputy City Clerk Emily King
Mayor Fasbender called the workshop to order at 5:30 pm and welcomed councilmembers and
Planning Commission members for a discussion on Highway 55 and updating the Cannabis
ordinance.
Highway 55 Study
Hinzman introduced HKGi representative, Bryan Harjes, to present the Highway 55/Jacob
Avenue Growth Area plan. Harjes provided an overview of the components of the study,
partners, and the project schedule. There are stakeholder engagement opportunities throughout
the project. The area currently being studied lies outside the current city limits and would require
annexation in the future. Harjes reviewed key findings of the area market scan.
Recommendations include residential off the highway, reserving along the highway for
commercial/retail spaces, including a trail system. There are several families that own the
property and most of the current land use is agricultural.
Future land use from the Comprehensive Plan mirrors some of the key findings of the market
scan and recommendations. Harjes then reviewed at a high level, the stormwater management,
water main, and sanitary sewer potential plans. Key considerations include sanitary sewer
capacity, need for water tower, timing of roadway improvements, park/trail development, visions
for the community gateway, timeline of property owner interest in development, and economic
development interests.
Posing a variety of questions, Harjes invited Council and Commissioners to engage in a
visioning discussion. Menke clarified the role of the City in this process and that the city is not
developing the property, but rather preparing to advise property owners as development interests
as property becomes available. Council discussion on appreciation for the clarity of the city role
and reminders about needs for a water treatment plant and reflecting on earlier discussions about
sports/athletics complex needs in partnership with the school district. Council discussion on past
discussions about a bypass around the city. Possible substation growth may be needed as well as
any historic easements that may need to be attended to. Commissioner discussion on other good
examples of gateway.
Discussion about access as an important element to consider regardless of the type of
development. General discussion about mix of commercial and residential opportunities. This
mix could be traditional big box along highway, putting residential away from the highway or an
urban format where the commercial is directly along the highway with parking behind or
commercial on the first floor with residential above. Discussion on the developer often being
more in control of what is developed based on what they are willing to pay the property owner,
also relying on the zoning of the area. Discussion on possible amendments to zoning that would
influence the interests in types of development, or influence through design guidelines.
This planning is part of the sequencing process so the city can be intentional about where the
infrastructure will be needed and how the city can plan for that. Discussion on the types of
residential properties that they would like to see offered and what home ownership will look like
in the future. Questions were raised about additional residential impact on travel into/out of the
city and what HWY 55 future plans might be. Discussion on possible hotel accommodations on
the west side of the city as well as county CDA opportunities. Additional discussion on the mix
of retail, nonprofit and opportunities to create employment in the city.
Menke invited additional feedback from Councilmembers or Planning Commissioners following
the workshop.
Cannabis Ordinance Amendments
City Attorney Land reviewed the cannabis laws and changes that have been enacted at the State
level in recent years. Initially, low-potency edibles were legalized, and the city enacted an
ordinance to issue business licenses. Effective January 2025, the State will license cannabis
businesses and licensed business will need to register with municipalities. Future approvals will
obtain conditional use permits, rather than special use permits.
Land review the 13 types of cannabis business that can be licensed by the State, grouped into 4
categories: Low potency, adult use retail, manufacture/industrial, and cultivation.
Current ordinance allows licenses for low-potency products in areas zoned C3 and C4.
Land offered options for consideration related to future registration of low-potency products,
which include a distance between establishments, conditional use permit requirement, and
expanding zones for retails sales.
Discussion on the types of business and locations where lower-potency beverages or edibles
should be available and concerns about availability to minors. Discussion about the possibility of
statute potentially becoming more restrictive and impact on municipal decisions. Discussion
about maintaining C3 and C4 with 500 ft distance between businesses.
The presentation shifted to Adult-use retail and Land made recommendations on allowed zones
and buffers between business or from certain types of establishments. Discussion on limiting
registrations for Zone C4, adding downtown core and possibly Zone C3. Discussion regarding
buffer zones of 500ft - 1000ft from schools, commercial day cares, residential treatment
facilities, and park attractions and the option to reduce buffer areas over time. Discussion about
the value and impact of buffer zones. Questions about what other cities are doing. Land indicated
that some cities are situating cannabis retail in the commercial areas away from residential areas.
Discussion about other border cities and challenges with traffic and access and providing
sufficient retail options. Discussion about messages sent to businesses with decisions that are
made regarding zoning and buffers.
Land recommended that lower-potency beverages retail sale be permitted with on-sale and off-
sale liquor licenses with no buffer zones and located in Zones C1, C2, C3, C4, DC and I1. There
was general agreement with this recommendation.
Land presented recommendations related to micro/mezzo, manufacturing testing, and medical
combination businesses be in areas zoned I1 and I2 with 500 ft buffer from residential areas and
requiring a conditional use permit. There was general agreement with this recommendation.
For Cultivation, Land recommended zoning areas A, I1 and I2 with a conditional use permit and
no buffer zones. These areas often require screening or a vegetative buffer and not be not visible
from the right of way. There was general agreement with this recommendation.
Land summarized the discussion about zoning among council and commissioners, noting that
there will be defined performance standards, cannot be a nuisance, ensure that parking complies
with zoning, that a security plan is approved. Land indicated that others have included an odor
component to the ordinance and that there would be no home occupations for cannabis.
Zoning discussion will continue at the upcoming Planning Commission meeting on October 28.
Further discussion at a workshop will be needed to review the registration process and fees.
Other considerations for discussion include on-site consumption and events permits. The
ordinance amendments are anticipated to be address by City Council in November and
December.
ADJOURNMENT
Workshop adjourned at 7:31 p.m.
____________________________ ______________________________
Mary D. Fasbender, Mayor Kelly Murtaugh, City Clerk