City Commissioners unanimously approved a conditional use permit for a Contractor Yard, Type II for a business that had previously been operating without a permit.

Terrascapes, LLC is located at 410 14th St. S.W. and the property is zoned M-2 Mixed Use Transitional.

In that zoning district, a Contractor Yard, Type II is allowed with a CUP and fulfillment of any required conditions.

Terrascapes had been operating on the property without a CUP and staff learned of the violation when the owner, Braylen Sykes, applied for a building permit. Staff had also received comments and complaints about the property.

In February, the planning board recommended that the City Commission approve the CUP with conditions developed by staff to address neighborhood concerns.

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Sykes told commissioners during Tuesday’s meeting that had been making improvements to the property that had rebar and concrete sticking out of the ground and had been used for illegal dumping.

“Overall, what we’re doing is positive for the area,” Sykes said.

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Ron Staley told commissioners there had been noticeable improvement since Terrascapes purchased the property.

Cheryl Higgins lives near the Terrascapes property said she’s glad Sykes is improving the property, “because it was a mess.” But she said she was concerns since another neighbor had put in a business that caused problems in the area. Planning director said the CUP would require a landscape buffer and other conditions to address neighborhood concerns.

Terrascapes is a construction firm employing eight or more seasonal workers, offering lawn care, landscaping, nursery materials, snow removal, irrigation repair, full service lawn mowing, mulches and construction. The business has been offering these services for nine years.

Terrascapes was formerly located at 601 River Dr. S. and the owner purchased the current site to accommodate the expanding business. The subject property is comprised of six tracts of land, totaling 13.2 acres, and was formally used by Carl Weissman & Sons metal salvage operations.

The Terrascapes property has an existing 16,000 square foot warehouse in the southeast corner of the property. The western and northern portions of the property were filled with concrete rubble and then partially covered with dirt, according to the staff report. The subject property is surrounded by urban development that includes a metal fabrication business to the southeast, automotive repair business to the east, nursery business to the south and residential properties to the west and north.

In phase 1 of the redevelopment of the property, Skyes plans to renovate the lower level, west side of the warehouse which is approximately 9,800 square feet, for his business operations and use portions of the west property for a nursery, landscape material storage, and outside equipment parking.

The redevelopment includes site clean-up, building renovations, boulevard trees and landscaping along 5th Avenue Southwest, and landscape buffers along the residential properties to the west. A new driveway approach will be constructed, concrete parking spaces next to the warehouse installed, and gravel parking for equipment and seasonal employees. Future phases or land uses are not currently being proposed, according to the staff report.

The property is located in the Neighborhood Council 2 area and during their Jan. 10 meeting, the council voted unanimously in favor of the CUP.