Dakota County would like to expand its dumpster enclosure area on the north side of the Western Service Center (WSC) building to create a secured enclosure area for residents to drop off bagged organics waste. Residents who sign up for the program would be given a code to access the secured organics dumpster. Access to the site would be available from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily. The dumpster would be a 6-yard dumpster and the County estimates it would be serviced a minimum of two times per week. Approximately 1,400 residents are expected to participate and dispose an average of 10 yards of organics per week.
The WSC is located in the "P" (Institutional) zoning district. The "P" district does not have a provision to allow operation of a waste collection or waste transfer facility. It is not listed as a permitted, conditional or accessory use. A compost collection area for the building would be permitted in the zone to service that facility. However, the site will be available for the public to use which changes the use to a waste collection/waste transfer facility.
Interim Use Permits: An interim use permit is a permit that allows a temporary use of the property until a particular date, until the occurrence of a particular event, or until zoning regulations no longer permit it. Dakota County requests the IUP for a period of six years or until curbside collection of organics is widely available to County residents.
The interim use permit is a request for a temporary use that is expected to be needed for a limited time period. In general, the City issues IUPs for no longer than one year. IUPs must meet the same standards as a conditional use permit, including the following:
- Will not be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, or general welfare of the neighborhood or City.
- Will be harmonious with the general and applicable specific objectives of the comprehensive plan and code provisions.
- Will be designed, constructed, operated and maintained so as to be compatible or similar in an architectural and landscape appearance with the existing or intended character of the general vicinity and will not change the essential character of that are.
- Will be served adequately by existing essential public facilities and services.
- Will not involve uses, activities, processes, materials, equipment and conditions of operation that will be hazardous or detrimental to any persons, property or the general welfare because of excessive production of traffic, noise, smoke, fumes, glare or odors.
- Will have vehicular ingress and egress to the property which does not create traffic congestion or interfere with traffic on surrounding public streets.
- Will not result in the destruction, loss or damage of a natural, scenic or historic feature of major importance.
- These standards apply in addition to specific conditions as may be applied throughout the code.
Residential Organics Drop Off: Organics includes food waste, non-recyclable paper and certified compostable products. The County estimates that more than one-third of what is thrown away as trash could be composted. Waste collected at the organics drop-off site would be hauled to a commercial composting facility outside of Rosemount.
Analysis: The WSC building is a government services building with a connected library. It provides general offices for County staff and court facilities. Dakota County wishes to locate the facility at the WSC building because it is conveniently located in the City's Downtown and centrally located for many residents. An analysis of potential locations found that this location had the highest number of households within a two mile radius.
The City will need to determine whether the proposed drop off facility is compatible with the use of the building as a service center building and its location in the Downtown area of Apple Valley. The Apple Valley Downtown is the commercial center of the City and contains a mix of office, retail, service, restaurant and grocery businesses. A less-than-well-maintained drop-off facility could attract rodents, rats, create odors and negatively impact the Downtown. The two existing Dakota County Organics Drop-Off Facilities are located on park property which provides a buffer between the drop-off area and abutting properties.