The former printing facility of The Globe is now poised for sale after the Worthington City Council approved a change of zone request for the property on Monday night.
The property, located at 310 11th St., will go from a B-2 Central Business District zoning designation to B3 General Business District. The change will allow the building to be used as a warehouse/storage space with issuance of a conditional use permit. Efrain Patino, who owns the local businesses Thompson Mexican Grill, El Mexicano #3 and a soon-to-be ice cream store, requested the change of zone and plans to use 310 11th St. as a warehouse/storage space to serve those businesses.
During Monday’s meeting, council members Chad Cummings and Alaina Kolpin spoke in favor of approval of the request, and Worthington Mayor Mike Kuhle also urged council to pass the zoning change. Kuhle called 310 11th St. “a pretty unique piece of property” and wondered what – if any – kind of business could go there in the event the zone change request was denied. The building has been sale for about five years.
Also Monday night, the council elected Cummings as Mayor Pro Tem to serve in 2022. An agreement with Jesse Flynn as the City Attorney and Jeff Flynn as Assistant City Attorney at an hourly rate for 2022 of $250.00 plus expenses was also approved, and a revised policy including updated meal reimbursements that vary by destination and a new mileage rate of 58.5 cents per mile for business travel with a personal vehicle was also passed. Committee assignments for city council members were approved as well.
A conditional use permit for Kivu Immigration Law to operate in the existing buildings at 218 and 222 10th St. was also approved.
In another economic development item, council members approved a change of zone request for property located on the east side of Nobles County 5 and just north of Nobles County 35 that will help advance a new housing project in the community.
The property will change from a ‘TZ’ Transition Zone designation to ‘R-4’ Medium Density Residential. The change was requested by Ryan Huegerich, a Nebraska developer who is planning construction of 108 multi-family housing units on the site to serve JBS employees. The proposed project is part of JBS USA’s Hometown Strong program, which is seeking to provide housing for employees in communities in which JBS operates.
Also approved was a resolution approving a memorandum of understanding agreement between the State of Minnesota and the City of Worthington authorizing participation in any national opioid settlements. The agreement provides for the equitable distribution of national litigation settlement proceeds to local Minnesota cities and counties.
In another matter, the council approved the revocation of a storm water utility easement to accommodate the planned District 518 Administration Office expansion at its current location at 1117 Marine Ave. The easement to be vacated was not identified by the engineering staff as an active easement; inspection of the area did not identify any storm water discharge lines outletting into County Ditch 12. This drainage easement would not be useable in the future since it extends under a neighbor's house.
