At its Jan. 5 meeting, the Blaine City Council unanimously voted to table for 60 days a conditional use permit amendment that would have expanded Minnesota Performance, an auto repair business, into an adjacent space at 1550 91st Ave. NE.
The action followed complaints that the business had removed a wall between units and was storing vehicles and materials outdoors, which neighboring tenants said obstructed access and parking at the site.
Community Development Director Sheila Sellman said the property is zoned light industrial and is surrounded by other light industrial uses.
A conditional use permit for auto repair was first approved for Suite 306 at the site in 2010, Sellman said. While painting was not included in that approval, the current request proposed adding that service. A separate auto repair CUP was approved for Suite 307 in 2019.
Under the conditions of that permit, an amendment is required if a tenant expands into neighboring suites or changes its operations.
Sellman said the business expanded into the adjacent suite in October 2025 and later received a violation notice after staff determined a CUP amendment was required.
Sellman presented a floor plan showing the combined space totaling 3,590 square feet of work area, which would include auto repair, detailing, painting, tuning and upholstery services.
No site modifications were proposed.
Adequate parking is available on site to serve the use, Sellman said, but outdoor storage is not permitted under the CUP and was not requested as part of the application.
Sellman said comments submitted on the proposal raised concerns about noise, parking and outdoor storage of business materials. Code enforcement is reviewing those issues. The Planning Commission recommended approval at its Dec. 9 meeting, and staff recommended approval with six conditions.
Council Member Tom Newland said he was hesitant to move the item forward given unresolved code enforcement concerns and objections raised by neighboring tenants. He said he preferred to table the request until those issues were addressed.
Several adjacent businesses submitted written comments alleging Minnesota Performance was already in violation of its 2019 CUP.
Ryan Siverhus, who occupies Suite 204, wrote that the business had at least 18 vehicles stored around the building, along with one or more trailers, and additional vehicles parked in front of the building. He also alleged work and material storage were occurring outdoors.
Siverhus added that drive lanes and access routes were obstructed, dumpster access was blocked and the number of vehicles interfered with snow removal.
Doug Portlance of Unit 305 wrote that his suite had experienced “unacceptable” noise levels over the past two years. He also alleged the business was storing drums of solvent, race fuel, car parts and broken equipment, exceeding allowable parking limits and allowing customer vehicles to park in fire lane areas.
Patrick Arnason, owner of Telco Pros, wrote that the design and use of the complex were not compatible with existing businesses.
City staff also noted in a report that the applicant removed a wall between two units without obtaining a building permit or a certificate of occupancy.
At the Dec. 9 Planning Commission meeting, Mo Alsowumil, co-owner of Minnesota Performance, said the business would remove outdoor storage and had reviewed the complaints. He said the building association planned to meet the following week and that he intended to work with other tenants to resolve the issues.
Alsowumil said the business was working with the building inspector to correct deficiencies and that an outdoor storage container had already been removed. He also said each business has designated parking behind the building and that parking arrangements would be discussed with the association.
Alsowumil acknowledged removing the wall without understanding code requirements but said the electrical work had since been reviewed and corrected.
Sellman said the deadline for action on the CUP amendment is Jan. 23, a date the city could extend by up to 60 days.
Mayor Tim Sanders asked whether the city should take a more active role in ensuring parking practices did not negatively affect neighboring tenants.
Sellman said the business requires 53 parking stalls based on its current use and that 128 stalls are provided on site. She added that stall designation among tenants is not regulated by the city and that some outdoor storage observed on the property is not permitted and is being addressed by code enforcement.
Sellman said it can be difficult to determine which business is associated with a given vehicle, as registration information does not indicate whether a vehicle belongs to a tenant or a customer.
She added that outdoor vehicle storage could be allowed through a CUP if screened with 100% opaque fencing, which the applicant does not have and has not requested.