Parking lot wins, neighborhood loses

After sending rezoning and comprehensive plan change requests back to the Planning Commission and getting the same recommendation back — to deny the requests — the Cloquet City Council voted 5-1 to approve the requests at its meeting June 4.

The requests came from Sammy’s Pizza owner Mike Acheson, who wants to put a parking lot on a lot he owns at the end of Boulder Drive.

Boulder Drive is a one-block, deadend street located between the Cloquet Chamber of Commerce building and Sammy’s. There are 13 homes on the road, and a grassy lot at one end where a home used to be but was torn down when the Minnesota Department of Transportation rebuilt Highway 33. Many trees separate the street from the Chamber building and nearby recreational trails.

Acheson purchased the vacant lot in 2010, and submitted an application to put an extension to his existing parking lot there. Because the lot was in an R1 residential zone, the Sammy’s Pizza owner asked the city to rezone the lot to Highway-Commercial and also change the city’s comprehensive plan, adopted in 2007, which identified the property as low-density residential, consistent with its use since it was platted for residential development in 1953. The comprehensive plan also identified nearby Highway-Commercial properties both north and south of the St. Louis River.

More than a dozen residents of the neighborhood turned out at both planning commission meetings and both Cloquet City Council meetings to argue against the requests, which they said would erode the character of the neighborhood and home values, and impede sight lines when snow piles up in winter.

The vote required a “supermajority” of the council, a minimum of five votes, to change the comprehensive plan.

At-large councilor Lara Wilkinson was the only councilor to vote to deny the requests, and the only councilor to explain the reason behind her vote.

She said it was an issue that required a lot of thought, and explained that she supports local businesses, and thought she was going to vote in favor of the parking lot request initially, after speaking with Acheson.

Then she went to the site, and that changed her mind. The lot line is very close to the neighboring home, and she thought a parking lot would certainly impact its value.

“That neighborhood does have wonderful character,” said Wilkinson, who is also a member of the Cloquet Economic Development Authority, making the point that the EDA is pro-business but also strives to promote a wide range of housing in the city. “I couldn’t reconcile rezoning that site, particularly when you consider it’s zoned RI too.

“I apologize that I can’t support your request,” she said, addressing Acheson in the audience. “I appreciate your effort to run a good business in this community, but I can’t support request. It’s too intrusive.”

Wilkinson’s motion to deny the requests as recommended by the planning commission failed by a vote of 5-1.

Ward 5 councilor Steve Langley’s motion to support the requests passed by a vote of 5-1. Ward 2 Councilor Sheila Lamb was absent.

Cloquet planning and zoning administrator said Acheson will now have to submit a conditional use permit and site plan approved by the city council, following another public hearing with the planning commission, before he can build his parking lot.

Acheson previously said he hoped to work with the neighbors to plan the parking lot and landscaping.

At the end of the meeting, John Sanders addressed the council. He lives at the far end of Boulder Drive and is a member of the planning commission.

“The message I hear is ‘screw neighborhood rights,’ we want to let business leaders do whatever they want,” he told the council. “With that in mind, that’s the direction I’m going to move forward in hearing these cases.”