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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-05-12 Planning Commission MinutesPlanning Commission Meeting Minutes Regular Meeting on May 12, 2026 1 ALBERTVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2026 APPROVED MINUTES ALBERTVILLE CITY HALL 7:00 PM 1. CALL TO ORDER – ROLL CALL – ADOPT AGENDA Chair Buhrmann called the meeting to order at 7 pm. Maeghan Becker conducted roll call. Present: Chair Buhrmann and Commissioners Anderson, Smith, Zopfi and Council Liaison Zagorski. Absent: Commissioner Huggins. Others Present: City Planner TJ Hofer, Building Permit Tech Maeghan Becker, Barb Maurer, Kathryn Clayton, Russell and Melanie Gohl, Tina Rusche, Mark Wallerius, Dave and Kathie Bush, Mohamed P Jalloh, James Amo, Rayo He, Scott Franzen, Kyle Anderson, Lisa Eull, LaDonna Eull, Beatrice and Douglas Psyk, Dawn Franzen, Christopher Adams, Daryl Hackenmueller, Mark Donnay, Ruth and Ken Kremer, Jon Lidberg, Dan and Amy Owl, Haylee Helling, and Tammy Chevalier Motioned by Smith, seconded by Zopfi to approve the agenda as submitted. Ayes: Buhrmann, Anderson, Smith and Zopfi. Nays: None. Absent: Huggins. MOTION DECLARED CARRIED. 2. MINUTES Motioned by Anderson, seconded by Smith to approve the April 14, 2026, Planning Commission meeting minutes as presented. Ayes: Buhrmann, Anderson, Smith and Zopfi. Nays: None. Absent: Huggins. MOTION DECLARED CARRIED. 3. PUBLIC HEARING a. Public Hearing related to Interim Use Permit at 11011 61st Street NE for PID 101- 078001010 Hofer presented the Interim Use Permit request to the Commissioners. Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Regular Meeting on May 12, 2026 2 Motioned by Anderson, seconded by Zopfi to open the Public Hearing. Ayes: Buhrmann, Anderson, Smith and Zopfi. Nays: None. Absent: Huggins. MOTION DECLARED CARRIED. Ruth Kremer, owner of Kremers Toy and Hobby, approached the podium. Ruth said she opposes this use in the same building due to parking, compatibility, and noise concerns. She believes they will not be able to operate their business effectively if this IUP is allowed. Ruth also mentioned the taekwondo tenant currently in the building. The noise level they need in order to advance their students would not be compatible with this proposed tenant. Ken Kremer, owner of Kremers Toy and Hobby approached the podium. Ken said they respectively oppose the proposed IUP in the mall. He said this was presented to them as a community center for youth activities, and they are confused because it sounds more like a prayer center. There is confusion on the operational hours, and what they will be doing during those hours. It is not consistent. They are long time tenants of the Albertville Plaza, which is designed and intended for commercial and retail use. When they entered their lease, they expected additional commercial/retail use. They have also heard other retail/commercial tenants have been turned away by the property management and are not sure why. Kirby Dorothy, Property Manager of the Albertville Plaza building, approached the podium for any questions. Zagorski brought forth questions to the public hearing speakers that may get brought up at the council meeting. He asked them about parking issues when the old dance studio was there. He asked about the community center vs prayer center, are they trying to combine both these items. Dorothy responded there would be prayer service, along with services to help the community such as help with kids’ homework or providing help filling out job applications. Mohamed Jalloh, the applicant, approached the podium. He informed Commissioners they have been renting spaces by reservations in surrounding cities and they are now looking to become a tenant and create a space of their own. Mohamed went over some of the activity that would be happening in the building, such as prayer, and services by appointment. He believes there would not be more than 50 people in the building at one time. Smith asked what a typical week would be like. Mohamed said they would meet at Noon to 2:30pm, and that services would be by appointment. Other items would be like baptism or wedding ceremony, help services for jobs or kids’ homework. He said all people work different schedules so he cannot give a specific time based on the members schedules. Anderson asked if they are open Monday thru Thursday, Mohamad said yes. There may be volunteers cleaning there at any given point but would take up minimal parking. Russell Gohl, resident at 6040 Kalland Circle Ne, approached the podium. Gohl is stating he is hearing a lot of unknowns and open-ended statements from the applicant. He has concerns because he does not know what the use is going to be as this has not been clearly stated. They should be able to answer when their prayer services are going to be, and what their operating hours will be. Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Regular Meeting on May 12, 2026 3 Smith asked the applicant what it means in their application when it says, they need at least 5 members to open the doors. Mohamed informed that means 5 people in their group need to approve any appointment to open the doors. Another representative of the community center approached the bench and informed Commissioners they are a non-profit organization, and they are to help the community and the kids. They will schedule by appointment to help them with job applications and kids’ homework or whatever they need. Motioned by Anderson, seconded by Smith to close the Public Hearing. Ayes: Buhrmann, Anderson, Smith and Zopfi. Nays: None. Absent: Huggins. MOTION DECLARED CARRIED. Motioned by Anderson, seconded by Buhrmann to recommend approval of the Interim Use Permit at 11011 61st Street NE with the conditions listed in the May 12, 2026, Planners Report. Ayes: Buhrmann and Anderson. Nays: Smith and Zopfi. Absent: Huggins. MOTION TIED; MOTION DID NOT PASS. Commissioner Zopfi informed he did not believe this use was compatible with the existing tenants in the building. Commissioner Smith said the operating hours are not stable and did not fit what is currently there. Hofer informed Commissioners and the applicant this will go to the June 1 st City Council meeting. b. Public Hearing for Preliminary Plat, the Planned Unit Development, and Rezoning for PID 101-500-013200 and 101-500-013201 Hofer presented the preliminary plat, the PUD, and rezoning request of the current Psyk property to the Commissioners. Motioned by Smith, seconded by Zopfi to open the Public Hearing. Ayes: Buhrmann, Anderson, Smith and Zopfi. Nays: None. Absent: Huggins. MOTION DECLARED CARRIED. Kathryn Clayton, resident at 5352 Lachman Avenue Ne, she is opposed to the proposed development and is concerned about the entire lot being commercial. She informed Commissioners the homeowners along this lot were promised a berm, and just one level strip malls and retail businesses. She has concerns on the lighting, noise pollution and that these proposed businesses maybe open 24 hours. She also addressed concerns on the parking lot and garbage can locations. Scott Franzen, resident at 11198 Lachman Circle Ne, approached the podium. He informed Commissioners he has been a resident for 30 plus years and has concerns with the possible crime, noise, and garbage pollution this may bring in the area if this entire lot is zoned all commercial. Also, that it may affect the values of their homes. He would like to know what the outlots would be directly behind their homes, prior to acting on the rezoning. Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Regular Meeting on May 12, 2026 4 Hofer informed the outlots are a concept plan for future development and will require a public hearing when they will be developed. The residents disagree because Commissioners are acting on the rezoning of the entire lot, changing a portion of the lot from residential to B-3 PUD commercial. Tammy Chevalier, resident at 5541 and 5533 Lachman Avenue Ne, approached the podium. Chevalier has concerns on the rezoning of the residential area and what the outlots will be. She has 25 years’ experience as a realtor and is concerned of what this may do to their property values. Christopher Adams, resident at 5411 Lachman Avenue Ne, approached the podium. Adams is respectfully opposed to this rezoning. Adams would like more information from the developer for what the future plans would be before acting on the rezoning of the current residential portion of the lot. Roy Otte, resident at 11191 Lachman Circle Ne, approached the podium. Would like to see more information, he has questions if there is going to be a berm, and the location. Has more questions on the setbacks if this lot gets zoned commercial. He would like to see more information before acting on the rezoning. Residents and Hofer discussed time frames for when public hearing notices are to be sent out per state statute. Dan Owl, resident at 5339 Lachman Avenue Ne, approached the podium. Owl presented his concerns that the developer is proposing to rezone the entire parcel to commercial and not conveying what the entire project will be. He would like more information before acting on the rezoning of the parcel. Dawn Franzen, resident at 11198 Lachman Circle Ne, approached the podium. They purchased their home when the entire lot was zoned residential and that is one of the reasons they purchased their home. If it was commercial, they would have looked somewhere else. Tina Rusche, resident at 11196 Lachman Circle Ne, approached the podium. She informed Commissioners she will no longer want to live at her house if this proposal is approved. She does not believe we have all the information needed to decide tonight, and there are still a lot of unknowns with the lot directly behind them. Jill Anderson, resident at 11197 Lachman Circle Ne, asks the Commissioners to deny this proposed PUD and rezoning. Property owners’ opinion matters when it comes to their property values, and this change will affect their property value. The landowners have come together to voice their opinion on this proposed land use and to please deny this based on all of their concerns they brought forth. Mark Krogh, the developer, approached the podium. Krogh stated they are commercial developers only, they do not do residential. He understands the concern the residents have and is open to doing a fence or a buffer, but they will only develop commercial. Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Regular Meeting on May 12, 2026 5 John Lindberg, resident at 5501 Lachman Avenue Ne, approached the podium. Lindberg is asking the Commissioners to decline the new rezoning as there is not enough information given by the developer at this time. Mark Krogh, reiterated he understands the concerns of the residents and they will build a buffer, fence or some sort of screening for the residents. Commissioner Anderson and Hofer discussed the setbacks for the commercial setbacks. Commissioners discussed the Kingston Crossing development and how that went through the city process and how the concerns with the development were addressed. Motioned by Anderson, seconded by Buhrmann to close the Public Hearing. Ayes: Buhrmann, Anderson, Smith and Zopfi. Nays: None. Absent: Huggins. MOTION DECLARED CARRIED. Commissioners discussed the terms for residential zoning and what could still be proposed with residential zoning behind these houses. Commissioners discussed if the current zoning stayed as is, and if the developer continue with his current plans and the residential portion stay residential. Motioned by Smith, seconded by Zopfi to table until the June 9 Planning Commission Meeting to decide on the Preliminary Plat, the Planned Unit Development, and Rezoning for PID 101-500- 013200 and 101-500-013201 after the developer can revise his plans to address the concerns as he discussed with Commissioners. Ayes: Buhrmann, Anderson, Smith and Zopfi. Nays: None. Absent: Huggins. MOTION DECLARED CARRIED. Mark Krogh said if the residents want that half to stay residential, he will section off the residential half and sell to a residential builder. He would like to keep the other half commercial and continue to build the proposed commercial properties discussed in the May 12, 2026, planning packet. 4. OTHER BUSINESS a. None. 5. ADJOURNMENT Motioned by Anderson, seconded by Buhrmann to adjourn the meeting at 8:59 pm. Ayes: Buhrmann, Anderson, Smith and Zopfi. Nays: None. Absent: Huggins. MOTION DECLARED CARRIED. Respectfully submitted, ____________________________ Maeghan Becker, Building Permit Tech