The application to develop the former Fledgling Field into a funeral home was denied three months, three days after being turned in.
The Luverne City Council met in a special meeting last Friday after receiving the recommendation from the Planning Commission.
The Planning Commission not only voted to recommend denial of the conditional use application Oct. 30, but it voted to specify in the code books that funeral homes not be allowed in R-1, or low density, residential districts.
The Council voted to follow the Planning CommissionÕs recom-mendation, with Councilman Keith EricksonÕs addition of including R-2, multiple family, districts as a conditional use zone for funeral homes.
Cornerstone Construction is an architectural firm specializing in construction management for designing and building funeral homes. LuverneÕs Holm-Dingmann Funeral Home has said it will buy the constructed building, if developed.
Dan Dingmann said he plans on making the historic West Main Street building up to code, even if that means losing the historic designation. "ItÕs a beautiful building, but I donÕt think I have a choice," Dingmann said.
"Apparently they want a funeral home by the ethanol plant or ice arena. É They really made it tough for a local person to expand a business. ItÕs not like people are knocking down doors to build in town," Dingmann told the Star Herald Oct. 31.
Erickson said Friday, "In looking over the material, I see that there is a great deal of consistency. É An overwhelming number of cities do not place funeral homes in R-1, but when you look at R-2, I think a conditional use [is appropriate.]"
Council member Everett Brandenburg tried to further modify the Planning CommissionÕs recom-mendation by amending the bill to include conditional use permits for funeral homes in R-1 districts.
That motion died for lack of a second, and the council passed the bill to allow funeral homes in all zones of the city as either permitted or conditional uses except for R-1s. Brandenburg sounded the only nay on the vote.
Brandenburg, who is an employee at Holm-Dingmann Funeral Home, said he still believes that the Fledgling Field development is unique. He said that the high traffic of Highway 75 and the functions of a funeral home combine to make it a good fit for the former Fledgling Field.
"If it was in the middle of a residential area, yes, I would have a problem with it," he said.
Councilman Jim Kirchhofer, who also serves on the Planning Commission, said, "One of the things I felt we did is to look at residential areas as a whole. We hold residential areas in high regard as do other cities our size. I think when a resident buys a home in a residential part of town, he chooses to do that because of the neighborhood."
Mayor Bill Weber, who could only vote in the event of a tie, later said, "If I could have seconded the motion by Brandenburg [to allow funeral homes as a conditional use in R-1] I wouldÕve done so."
Weber said the city can still hold control when it allows development only under the "conditions" of a permit.
Councilman Alex Frick, who lives across from the property in question, said, "People put their whole savings into their homes. É If you choose to locate a business across the street from their home, you affect their stake in life."
Frick voted on the city-wide zoning amendments but declared a conflict because of his homeÕs location and abstained from voting on the Cornerstone application.
Erickson said, "A lot of people in the community would like to see this developed; itÕs a beautiful facility. É But there are no businesses after Culligan to Citgo. There are big, beautiful homes and some churches."
Robert Dorn, member of the Planning Commission, spoke about the similarity between churches and funeral homes, pointing out that churches are allowed in R-1 zones. He said, "I feel weÕre jerking the rug out from a kind of contract."
Dorn is referring to Cornerstone owner Gary Verkinnes, who said, "Several city officials led me to that property, in fact, said it would be a great spot for a funeral home."
Mayor Weber pointed out that any city officialÕs opinion does not bind the Planning Commission or City Council to a decision. The process of holding public hearings and proper application steps must always be followed.