The Hastings City Council breezed through a brief agenda on Monday, Nov. 21, taking care of business in about seven minutes. The council gave unanimous approval of a zoning variance allowing a …
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The Hastings City Council breezed through a brief agenda on Monday, Nov. 21, taking care of business in about seven minutes.
The council gave unanimous approval of a zoning variance allowing a monument sign at The Confluence development, 200 2nd St. W.
Community Development Director John Hinzman said that when the city set up its Downtown Core zoning district, monument signs weren’t included as an allowed feature, because most businesses in the area don’t have lawns where one could be erected.
“We didn’t take into consideration The Confluence would be part of a redevelopment,” he said. “It does have a yard. Other buildings within the Downtown Core district do not.”
There also was previously a monument sign on the property. The new five-foot tall limestone monument sign will be located at the southeast corner of the property so it’s visible from the downtown area.
“There was an existing sign there, so precedence has been set for it,” Hinzman said.
Developers have told the city The Confluence will be open in May 2023.
The Confluence development has turned the former Hudson Manufacturing facility into a 77-room hotel with a restaurant and event space. There will also be apartments in the building as well. The facility will be managed by IDM Hospitality which has several other historic hotel properties. The website for the hotel is live at confluencehotel.com, and the company has said it will start booking room reservations for the property in December.
Delinquent utility billings
The council acted in June 2020 to stop disconnecting utility services for unpaid bills. Instead, the amount is certified each November and sent to Dakota County to be placed on property tax bills.
The council, on its unanimous consent agenda, approved certifying 92 delinquent utility bills for placement on the property tax roll. The total amount of the delinquent bills is $43,264.87, including a $50 penalty for each bill.
Dakota County Disaster Plan
Council approval of the updated Dakota County All-Hazard Mitigation Plan was included on the consent agenda. The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires counties and cities to prepare a hazard mitigation plan every five years.
“Plans must address potential natural and manmade hazards and develop mitigation strategies to reduce the impacts of hazard events both in dollars and lives saved. Counties and cities must have an approved and adopted plan to be eligible for both federal disaster relief and mitigation project grant dollars,” a memo from Police Chief David Wilske states.
The Dakota County Board approved the updated plan earlier this fall.
City staff updated the Hastings portion of the plan, which ranks the possibility of types of disaster occurring in the city. Highest items on the list for Hastings were:
•Violent summer storms
•Tornadoes
•Structural fire
•Hazardous material incidents
•Infectious disease outbreak/pandemic
•Water supply contamination
•Cyber threats
•Extreme cold The plan also lists the total value of structures and property in Hastings at just under $2.7 billion, with a total of 10,014 structures.