Planning & Zoning Meeting

What was on the agenda

10 items as recorded in the agenda, packet, and minutes, each with a plain-English summary of what was at issue.

1Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance

Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance: 7:00 p.m.

Meeting was called to order and the pledge was recited.

routine meeting opening

No action

p. 1p. 1

2Roll Call

Roll Call

Roll call was taken; Carlson and Lewis were absent.

routine meeting opening

No action

p. 1p. 1

3Approve/Amend Meeting Agenda

Approve/Amend Meeting Agenda

The Commission approved the meeting agenda as presented and approved the prior meeting minutes; the minutes heading says March 24, 2026, while the recorded motion text says February 24, 2026.

Agenda approved as presented.

routine approvals

Approved

p. 1p. 1

4Swear in the New Planning and Zoning Commissioner

Swear in the New Planning and Zoning Commissioner

City Clerk Johnson swore in Commissioner Hoium as the new Planning and Zoning Commissioner.

Commissioner Hoium was sworn in; no motion was recorded.

Planning Commission appointment

No action

p. 1p. 1

5Approve/Amend Minutes from March 24, 2026, Regular Meeting

Approve/Amend Minutes from March 24, 2026, Regular Meeting.

The Commission approved the meeting agenda as presented and approved the prior meeting minutes; the minutes heading says March 24, 2026, while the recorded motion text says February 24, 2026.

The agenda item was for March 24, 2026 minutes, but the recorded motion text says February 24, 2026.

routine approvals

Approved

p. 1p. 1

6Public Hearings

Public Hearings

Three public hearings were opened under this heading; all substantive items were continued.

public hearings

Discussion only

p. 1p. 1

6a19922 Birchwood Lane NW — Variance

19922 Birchwood Lane NW — Variance

The Commission heard Paul Hillukka's request to remove an old barn on an outlot across Birchwood Lane from his home and replace it with a garage that would require variances for setbacks and for an accessory structure on a parcel without a principal structure. After discussion of parcel uniqueness, possible precedent, a deed restriction tying the parcels together, revised garage placement, and septic suitability, the Commission continued the request to the next regular meeting.

The variance request was continued to the next regular meeting with direction on revised findings, survey, parcel tie, garage placement, septic suitability, and barn removal.

Hillukka Birchwood Lane variance

Continued

p. 1p. 3

6bOrdinance Amendment - State Licensed Residential Treatment Centers

Ordinance Amendment - State Licensed Residential Treatment Centers

The Commission opened the public hearing on changing state licensed residential treatment centers in the RRA district from an interim use to a conditional use. Public comment raised concerns about citywide effects, transferability of CUPs, public notice, and service impacts; the Commission continued the hearing and directed staff to post the proposed amendment on the City website and Facebook page.

The ordinance amendment hearing was continued and staff was directed to post notice on the City website and Facebook page.

state licensed residential treatment centers ordinance amendment
Bar None

Continued

p. 1p. 4

6c22426 St. Francis Blvd NW — CUP for state licensed residential treatment center and on-site educational services

22426 St. Francis Blvd NW — CUP for state licensed residential treatment center and on-site educational services

The Commission opened the CUP hearing for Volunteers of America’s Bar None Campus at 22426 St. Francis Blvd NW. The applicant said the facility has long operated as a youth residential treatment, education, and behavioral health campus, while public commenters raised concerns about law enforcement and emergency-service use, tax contribution, notice, and the scope of future programming; the hearing was continued so staff, the City Attorney, and the applicant could work through proposed conditions, and mailed notice was directed to be expanded to 5,000 feet if approved by the City Attorney.

The CUP public hearing was continued and staff was directed to expand the mailed notice radius if approved by the City Attorney.

Bar None CUP
state licensed residential treatment center
on-site education

Continued

p. 1p. 6

7Adjournment

Adjournment

Meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.

adjournment

Approved

p. 1p. 6

Motions and votes

6 motions on the record. Split votes are highlighted.

M1MOTION BY COMMISIONER BIES, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER PEARO TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED.

Exact transcript text

MOTION BY COMMISIONER BIES, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER PEARO TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED.

moved by Bies, seconded by Pearo

Passed

YJorgensen
YHaapala
YBies
YHoium
YPearo
·Carlson
·Lewis

p. 1p. 1

M2MOTION BY COMMISSIONER PEARO, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BIES TO APPROVE THE FEBUARY 24, 2026, MEETING MINUTES.

Exact transcript text

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER PEARO, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BIES TO APPROVE THE FEBUARY 24, 2026, MEETING MINUTES.

moved by Pearo, seconded by Bies

Passed

YJorgensen
YHaapala
YBies
YHoium
YPearo
·Carlson
·Lewis

p. 1p. 1

M3MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BIES, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER PEARO TO CONTINUE THE VARIANCE REQUEST FOR 19922 BIRCHWOOD LANE NW TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING, DIRECTING STAFF TO PREPARE REVISED FINDINGS AND AN UPDATED SURVEY REFLECTING THE COMMISSION'S PREFERRED CONDITIONS, INCLUDING A DEED RESTRICTION TYING THE PARCELS TOGETHER, REVISED GARAGE PLACEMENT CLOSER TO THE CUL-DE-SAC, CONFIRMATION OF SEPTIC BORING SUITABILITY, AND REMOVAL OF THE EXISTING BARN CONCURRENT WITH CONSTRUCTION.

Exact transcript text

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BIES, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER PEARO TO CONTINUE THE VARIANCE REQUEST FOR 19922 BIRCHWOOD LANE NW TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING, DIRECTING STAFF TO PREPARE REVISED FINDINGS AND AN UPDATED SURVEY REFLECTING THE COMMISSION'S PREFERRED CONDITIONS, INCLUDING A DEED RESTRICTION TYING THE PARCELS TOGETHER, REVISED GARAGE PLACEMENT CLOSER TO THE CUL-DE-SAC, CONFIRMATION OF SEPTIC BORING SUITABILITY, AND REMOVAL OF THE EXISTING BARN CONCURRENT WITH CONSTRUCTION.

moved by Bies, seconded by Pearo

Passed

YJorgensen
YHaapala
YBies
YHoium
YPearo
·Carlson
·Lewis

p. 3p. 1

M4MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BIES, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER PEARO TO CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT FOR STATE LICENSED RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTERS TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING AND TO DIRECT STAFF TO POST NOTICE OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDMENT PROMINENTLY ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK PAGE.

Exact transcript text

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BIES, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER PEARO TO CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT FOR STATE LICENSED RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTERS TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING AND TO DIRECT STAFF TO POST NOTICE OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDMENT PROMINENTLY ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK PAGE.

moved by Bies, seconded by Pearo

Passed

YJorgensen
YHaapala
YBies
YHoium
YPearo
·Carlson
·Lewis

p. 4p. 1

M5MOTION BY COMMISSIONER PEARO, SECONDED BY COMMISSONER BIES TO CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE CUP APPLICATION FOR 22426 ST. FRANCIS BLVD NW TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING AND TO DIRECT STAFF TO EXPAND THE MAILED NOTICE RADIUS FROM 3,200 FEET TO 5,000 FEET FROM THE OUTER BOUNDARIES OF THE SUBJECT PARCELS AS LONG AS THAT IS APPROVED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY.

Exact transcript text

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER PEARO, SECONDED BY COMMISSONER BIES TO CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE CUP APPLICATION FOR 22426 ST. FRANCIS BLVD NW TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING AND TO DIRECT STAFF TO EXPAND THE MAILED NOTICE RADIUS FROM 3,200 FEET TO 5,000 FEET FROM THE OUTER BOUNDARIES OF THE SUBJECT PARCELS AS LONG AS THAT IS APPROVED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY.

moved by Pearo, seconded by Bies

Passed

YJorgensen
YHaapala
YBies
YHoium
YPearo
·Carlson
·Lewis

p. 6p. 1

M6MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HAAPALA, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER PEARO, TO ADJOURN.

moved by Haapala, seconded by Pearo

Passed

YJorgensen
YHaapala
YBies
YHoium
YPearo
·Carlson
·Lewis

p. 6p. 1

Meetings

What was on the agenda

Motions and votes

Sources