The Metropolitan Council voted 7-0 Wednesday to rezone a property on Cortana Place from a commercial alcoholic-beverage bar and lounge designation to Heavy Commercial 2 to allow a Class A tire facility, but council members pressed the developer for documentation showing how tires will be stored and removed.

Councilman Dunn Junior said the project would not be the kind of “bad actor” that stores tires outside, and he asked the developers to provide operational plans so the council and staff could verify compliance. He said images and a checklist tied to a new ordinance addressing tire businesses informed his support.

Craig Corey, a civil engineer with Monroe and Corey, told the council he was available to answer questions about site design and operations. “I’m the civil engineer on the project,” Corey said. Peter LaVille, a broker with Elephant, said the proposal is intended to be “a Class A establishment” and to improve the appearance of the center.

A city staff member responding to council questions said the company currently operates nationally. “So currently, they have 70 stores nationwide, and they have 9 under construction in the Southeast right now,” the staff member said.

Adam, a member of the committee that drafted the ordinance, told the council the primary concern has been outdoor storage and display of tires and stockpiling of used tires. “The biggest issue is with the storage of tires outside of the facility,” Adam said. He said the permit process now includes a checklist for new tire shops and that the permit office will require designers to address checklist items before approving plans.

Adam said permit records will include operators’ hauling information and destinations for removed tires, records the city will check after permits are issued. “Part of the record keeping process ... is that they have to report to us who's hauling off the tires, where they're hauling them to,” he said. The staff member added the company must meet DEQ requirements and that city staff will also check those records.

During discussion, Dunn emphasized the recent revitalization of the Cortana corridor and the council’s desire that the new business not be an eyesore. After discussion, Dunn moved to approve the rezoning; Councilman Hudson seconded. The motion carried 7-0.

The council did not specify an operational plan in its motion. Council members and staff repeatedly asked that the developer supply documentation showing tires will be stored inside the building, that no used tires will be sold at the site, and that the operator provide proof of lawful disposal consistent with DEQ requirements.

Plans shown to the council were described by the engineer as preliminary; the developer said parking and 10 service bays are anticipated. No specific dates for construction or openings were provided at the meeting.

Votes at the meeting were recorded as unanimous for this item; individual member vote names were not read into the public record during the motion.

The council moved on to other zoning business following the vote.