WILLMAR -- A zoning ordinance intended to allow MinnWest Technology to be established at the campus of the former Willmar Regional Treatment Center was approved Monday night by the Willmar City Council.
The sale of most of the regional treatment center property from the state to the Willmar company was completed on Jan. 16.
The technology district was intended for the MinnWest property and was proposed by city staff to help protect the integrity of the site and ensure future activities related to research and development of technology.
Among the permitted uses will be animal health products and services, bio-technology businesses, business and technology incubator, component assembly, engineering, medical and dental clinics, and research and development.
The council held a public hearing on the proposed ordinance. No one spoke against it.
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In other business, the council cancelled a hearing as the Fire Code Appeals Board that had been called to consider a variance from code regulations requiring a sprinkler system in all hangars over 12,000 square feet in size. Such a hangar was being proposed by Willmar Air Service at the new airport.
The hearing had been recommended at the council's Jan. 9 meeting by Community Development Director Bruce Peterson.
However, Peterson apologized for some confusion at the last council meeting and asked that the hearing as the Fire Code Appeals Board be cancelled. He said there was some miscommunication on the part of staff that resulted in the matter being held over that could have been addressed at the last council meeting.
He said the confusion in debate on the applicable code dealing with sprinkler issues in the Willmar Air Service hangar. He said the code for the hangar project falls under the building code because the hangar is new construction. For that reason, it does not require an appeal or variance to the Fire Code Appeals Board, he said.
Instead, Peterson asked the council to approve the same fire safety requirements imposed for construction of the city-owned hangar being rented by Willmar Air Service. Willmar Air is the airport's fixed-base operator. The requirements were approved.
The requirements include installation of a smoke and heat detection system; a roughed-in pipe for an 8-inch water line for a sprinkler system in the event municipal water supply is provided to the building; separation of at least 30 feet from adjacent structures; provision of fire extinguishers; and compliance with regulations for handling and storing flammable liquids.
"With those conditions in place, we think that a reasonable level of life safety is maintained for this building and that the deviation from the sprinkler requirement would be warranted,'' said Peterson.
In other business, the council recognized Allie Ellingson of Willmar for winning the title of Minnesota Junior Miss last October. She discussed her activities as a senior at Willmar High School and activities surrounding the Junior Miss competition. She will represent Minnesota at the America's Junior Miss program on June 30 in Mobile, Ala.
