Condo-retail building proposed for S. Broadway
Would be located across from Hy-VeeBy Ron Larsen Staff Writer
NEW ULM - Steve Harmening's plan to build a four-story, condo-retail building on land across South Broadway from Hy-Vee got a good look from the New Ulm Planning Commission Thursday.
Commissioners voted to combine his two applications, one of which was to have the property rezoned from B-2 (Service Business District) to B-3 (General Business District) and the other a request for a Conditional Use Permit to locate residential condominium units on property zoned B-3.
Because both applications applied to the project, the commissioners, with staff approval, decided the best course was to combine the two applications. Staff now has up to 45 days to work out the details with Harmening.
When the details have been worked out, the proposal addressing both issues will return to the commission for a final decision as to whether to recommend the city council approve the two applications.
Harmening told the commission he had determined that the condos would need to be about 1,100-square-feet in size to "cash-flow out."
His plan was to have two condos on each of the three upper floors and to have a retail-or-professional type business in the front half of the first floor and a condo in the back half, he said. He also plans to have below-ground parking for tenants.
As far as the business that might occupy the front first-floor unit, Harmening said he envisioned something with "few employees" and didn't require much parking space.
In other action, the commission decided to recommend to the city council approval of the Conditional Use Permit application made by Dale Bushard of rural New Ulm.
Bushard sought the CUP to locate a storage building on a lot at 1910 S. Valley St. which is zoned B-2 (Service Business District). Bushard told the commissioners he hadn't decided yet what the building would be designed to store.
The commission voted to recommend approval of Eric Bode's request for a simple lot division of Lot 8, Block 151 north of Center Street, which has the street address of 926 N. Jefferson St.
Because the lot was to be divided in half directly behind the house on the property, the commission included a stipulation that the garage on the back of the lot, next to the alley, must be removed before the lot division would take effect.
Ron Larsen can be reached at rlarsen@nujournal.com
