Staff photo by Clay Schuldt The former Tomtronix building located in an industrial area of New Ulm was given the go-ahead by planning commissioners to be redeveloped into a music recording studio.

The city’s Planning and Commission on Thursday unanimously approved a proposal for the former Tomtronix building at 227 N. Front St. be redeveloped as a small recording studio and studio for private music lessons.

The permit request came from Nathaniel and Arlene Sperl for the property at 227 N. Front Street. The applicant plans to operate a small recording studio in the building, allowing musicians to come to the studio and record music. The other part of the business would involve private lessons.

The property is currently located in a General Industrial (I-2) zoning district. Music recording is permitted in the Service and General Business districts. A permit is required to operate in an industrial district.

The building will remain aesthetically the same. The applicant plans to improve the building with fresh paint, new windows, flooring and landscaping.

City staff recommended approval as a music recording studio is considered less intense use than most I-2 permitted land uses. The applicant also plans to install material to address noise.

The planning commission unanimously supported the permit. Commissioner Larry Mack said it was a good use of the property.

Chair Anne Earl said it was great to know the building would not be vacant. She also had no concerns about the noise generated because the nature of the businesses required sound mitigation.

The commissioners believed trains operating in this section of the city would create more noise than the studio.

The City Council will give the final approval on the permit during their Tuesday, April 4 meeting.

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The commission also recommended a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) allowing the production and retail sale of Sweethaven Tonic products and the operation of a tasting room were approved for a property at 110 N. Minnesota Street.

The request came from Leah Treleven on behalf of Sweethaven Tonics. Trevleven plans to use the former Herberger’s building to produce and provide for retail sales of Sweethaven Tonic products. The space will also be used as a tasting room for beverages. Initial plans are to covert the back half of the building into a tonic production and packaging area, with the front has as a tasting room.

Staff recommended approval of the request. The property is zoned General Business (B-3). The sale of tonic products was considered within the same general character as other businesses in this zoning district and is compatible with adjoining properties.

The commission had questions about waste disposal and deliveries to the property. The building’s front entrance is on Minnesota Street and there was concern the street could become further congested.

Treleven said waste would be removed from the back of the building on the alley side. The product would be brought in the front entrance because there is no access to the main level through the rear.

Treleven said that when a large product is brought in, the delivery truck would park on the side streets and a pallet jack would bring the product in through the front.

Asked about the timeline for the business to open, Treleven said they hope to have the production area finalized in May and the rest of the building open by fall.

The final approval of the permit will come before the City Council on Tuesday.

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The commission approved a height variance for a detached garage at 300 S. Jefferson Street.

The request was to allow the construction of the garage to a height of 19 feet and 6 inches. The property is located in the Single and Two-Family Residence District (R-2) district. Detached accessory buildings are not to exceed 16 feet in the R-2 district. Height regulations are flexible if the property slopes 14.3% from the street elevation. The property has a slope of only 10%, but the garage would be shorter than the house. The peak of the garage would reach the approximate height of the eaves on the house.

The commission ultimately recommended approval of the variance, with a dissenting vote from Commissioner Ashely Aukes. Aukes did not believe the variance request met all the criteria necessary for approval. She did not believe any unique circumstances required the garage have more than three feet of additional height.

Staff confirmed that other height variances for detached accessory buildings were approved within the city, but the reason for the approval was unknown. There were incidents where the topography created a situation where the garage roof was significantly lower or higher than the house. In these cases allowing greater height was deemed appropriate.

Commissioner Dave Munson made the motion to approve the variance with a second from Larry Mack. Munson believed this design for the garage would be in harmony with the property.

The final variance approval will come before the City Council on Tuesday.