Shakopee Board of Adjustment and Appeals Regular Meeting - September 4, 2025

The Shakopee Board of Adjustment and Appeals met on Thursday, September 4, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall, 485 Gorman Street. The board held a public hearing on a conditional use permit (CUP) for exterior storage in the I-2 Heavy Industry Zone at 4000 Valley Industrial Boulevard South and voted to approve it subject to conditions. Board members present were Forsyth, Weiler, Sandu, Ranawa, and Robbins; Redding and Sipovram were absent.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No citizens addressed the board on non-agenda items. During the public hearing, Victoria Perbix, representing Interstate Development (the property owner), thanked staff and the board and said Interstate was eager to bring Palmer Bus to the property; she stated landscapers were on standby pending confirmation that the proposed screening plan was adequate and that Palmer intended to keep the site well maintained.
• Brian, speaking on operations for Palmer Bus, said the site would support a newly added special-needs transportation contract with Shakopee schools because the main site lacked capacity for the equipment. He said no yellow school buses would be stored at the property.

Discussion Items

• Staff project manager Michael Kirsky presented the request. The roughly two-acre site, owned by Valley IOS LLC, is zoned I-2 Heavy Industrial and designated Mixed Use Employment Center in the Comprehensive Plan. The building had previously been before the board for a dog daycare use that was unsuccessful, and the vacant building was recently purchased.
• Proposed site changes included expansion of the existing parking lot by roughly 5,000 square feet for outdoor storage of Palmer Bus vans, new screening on the south side and along Canterbury Road, additional landscaping, and a 1,000-gallon above-ground fuel tank near the southeast corner of the building. Van service and repair would occur off site at Palmer's maintenance facility, and a Shakopee Fire Department permit would be required for the fuel tank.
• Staff recommended approval with conditions. The transcript contains an apparent discrepancy: staff referred to the 'draft resolution PC 2020,' while the adopted motion cited 'Resolution PC 2025-005.'
• In response to board questions, Brian confirmed that no yellow school buses would be stored there; about 25 vans could fit inside the building, about 18 vans would remain parked outside overnight, and roughly 40 part-time drivers would park their personal vehicles on site. Asked about vans being stored before the approval, Brian described it as a miscommunication related to the new school contract and apologized.

Key Outcomes

• The board voted to open the public hearing and later to close it, both by unanimous voice votes.
• The board adopted Resolution PC 2025-005 approving the CUP for exterior storage at 4000 Valley Industrial Boulevard South by a 5-0 roll-call vote (Forsyth, Weiler, Sandu, Ranawa, and Robbins voting aye). Conditions include limiting exterior storage to passenger vans and prohibiting storage of large commercial vehicles, equipment, or raw materials; requiring landscaping to be installed before vans are stored; and requiring the applicable fire department permit for the above-ground fuel tank.
• The board adjourned to its next regular meeting on October 9, 2025.