The former House of Nutrition building at 914 N. 5th Street will be home to a new bakery business following the approval of an Interim Use Permit (IUP).
NEW ULM – A new bakery will operate out of the former House of Nutrition building on N. 5th Street following the approval of an Interim Use Permit (IUP).
The IUP was unanimously approved by the New Ulm City Council during their Tuesday meeting. The permit will allow applicants Holly and Justin Schaefer to operate a bakery at 914 N. 5th Street. The business would operate in the front two-thirds of the building, and the rear third would be used for storage of bakery items.
The retail space will sell baked goods, including bread, scones, cookies and bars. The business will be open Thursday and Friday from 8 am – 5 pm and 7 am – 1 pm on Saturday and Sunday. There will not be indoor seating for customers to eat purchased items.
Schaefer anticipated around 150 loaves of bread and additional baked goods would be made on-site daily. The majority of bakery items produced would be delivered to customers off-site.
City Planner John Knisley said this was only the fifth IUP approved by the city. The IUP’s are typically used as a temporary permit for a property. The permit does not remain indefinitely with the property.
In this case, the permit is needed because the property is zoned as a traditional residential neighborhood with low-density residential dwellings. Though the property is zoned as residential, the building has operated as a commercial property since it was constructed in 1946. Art Meerfield Motor Shop was the first business to operate on the property. It was later home to Able’s Electric Motor Shop; Millers Upholstery; Gary’s Outboard Motors and House of Nutrition. House of Nutrition closed in 2023.
Knisley said since the property has a long history of commercial use, staff believed a bakery would align with the city’s comprehensive plan and was not expanding commercial property into a residential district. Staff and the New Ulm Planning Commission recommended that the city approve the permit request.
Knisley reminded the council the IUP was not permanent but lasted for a specified period of time with five years as the maximum. Staff supported a five-year permit. After five years the applicant can apply to renew it. If the property were to change ownership, the IUP would be null and void.
No public comments were received on the permit, but the city did received a letter from Anne and Dave Grunert who supported having a bakery in the neighborhood. The Grunerts live near the property and reported no issues with the previous business, House of Nutrition, which operated out the building. They believed it was beneficial to have a small business operating out of the building instead of it remaining empty.
Councilor Larry Mack said “it is a good use of the property and since it was built in has been a business of some nature.”
Councilor David Christian made the motion to approve the permit with a second from Councilor Eric Warmka. The permit was unanimously approved.