The Becker City Council met Tuesday and discussed a variance application for a homeowner, a crack and seal bid for city streets, a bobcat purchase for the public works department and a CUP for Kwik Trip and their plan to build a store and gas station along Bank Street and Rolling Ridge.

 

Community Development Director Marie Pflipsen gave the background into the upcoming construction of a new Kwik Trip convenience store and gas station at the NE corner of Bank Street and Rolling Ridge in Becker.

 

Tuesday, Pflipsen asked council to approve a CUP to allow for such a structure that was once approved for Casey’s General Store before the project was pulled. Kwik Trip is interested in the site, but is proposing a different site plan than what was originally submitted with the original CUP.

 

Steven Lowe, the store’s engineer, was on hand for answering questions or fielding any comments.

 

Pflipsen said when the original CUP was applied for by Casey’s, several people adjacent to the Kwik Trip property attended a public hearing to express their concerns. Some spoke about community and child safety concerns, the increase on traffic, car stacking at the corner, noise pollution increase, product delivery schedules, the loss of a small town feel, no crosswalk at Sherburne Ave. and Bank St., and no barrier between residential property and the store.

 

Pflipsen said the association manager for the dwellings north of the store submitted a letter after the public hearing and planning commission meeting requesting a few, minor site changes. Kwik Trip received the written request and said they were open to discussing the requested changes. Pflipsen said the site plan already includes a fence for buffering and Kwik Trip was open to a conversation regarding a taller fence (eight feet instead of six feet) and other buffers.

 

Other concerns from citizens were for the speakers around the building and on the lot that would be used daily. Pflipsen said the plan includes restrictions for using the speaker system from the hours of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

 

Council approved the CUP. No information was given as to when construction was scheduled to begin.

 

Alicia and Justin Palmer submitted an application for a variance to the driveway setbacks at their property located at 13870 Central Ave SE. The request is to allow for the homeowner to extend the driveway to facilitate the construction of a two-stall garage at the rear of the property. 

 

Pflipsen presented the information to council and said the property is located within the residential single family (R-l) district and the driveway is currently within the four-foot setback area. The driveway was legally built prior to zoning, she said, requiring the four-foot setback established in 2005.

 

Pflipsen said staff believes the request is reasonable as they are requesting a variance to accommodate a use (garage) that surrounding properties possess. The garage is a permitted accessory use, but in order to make the garage accessible from the street, a variance for the driveway extension is needed.

 

There was no public comment prior to or during the public hearing. Pflipsen said the applicant meets the required conditions/finding for a variance. 

 

Public Works Director Joe Danielson asked council to approve the 2017 crack seal and seal coat project and award it to Allied Blacktop in the amount of $267,050.01.

 

The project includes the road improvements at River’s Edge, Evergreen Forest as well as fixing the city hall parking lot, Pebble Creek parking lot and the Pleasant Ave. parking lot.

 

The engineer’s estimate came in at $327,646.50 and Allied’s was $221,179.90 and the other bid from Asphalt Surface was at $249,856. The $267,051.01 Danielson asked to be approved includes an approximate 10% contingency.

 

Danielson asked council to approve a purchase of a 2017 Bobcat from Lano Equipment for $37,898.67. The price includes a trade in of a 763 Bobcat the city owns for $10,500.

 

Danielson said the public works committee has approved the purchase and the cost is in the 2017 public works budget.

 

• Clerk Julie Blesi advised council that due to an error in the publication for the date of a public hearing for changes to the liquor licensing ordinance, the May 2 public hearing needed to be cancelled and rescheduled for May 16;

 

• Mayor Bertram professed that the week of May 14-20 will be peace officers memorial week, commemorating and thanking law enforcement agencies for providing their public service to all citizens;

 

• Tim Martin of the Becker PD was hailed for being employed with the city for the last 17 years.

 

The next Becker City Council meeting is May16 at 6 p.m.