The Woodbury Planning Commission approved two conditional use permits Monday evening, allowing a farmers market to continue operating at Red Rock Elementary School and clearing the way for a new indoor recreation facility.

The St. Paul Growers Association received approval for an interim conditional use permit to operate the Red Rock Farmers Market at 3311 Commonwealth Avenue. The market will run Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., May through October, featuring approximately 35 local vendors. Planning staff will meet with the applicant by April 1 to finalize traffic flow and signage locations, while the association will install no-parking signs along Commonwealth Avenue and apply for additional signage funding through a Washington County grant.

Commissioners expressed concerns about traffic congestion and parking safety, particularly given the narrow Commonwealth Avenue corridor. The permit includes provisions allowing the city to terminate the agreement if officials decide to relocate the market to Central Park once construction there is completed. "We had about a 20% drop from Central Park to Red Rock," said Lindsay Stoner, assistant director of the St. Paul Growers Association, referring to sales data from the organization's information booth.

The commission also approved a conditional use permit for Slick City, an indoor slide and trampoline park proposed for 587 Settlers Ridge Parkway. Applicants Mike and Annie Kelly plan to occupy 50,000 square feet of an existing industrial building, representing 28% of the total space. The facility will feature high ceilings necessary for slide attractions and is expected to serve primarily weekend customers, complementing weekday office uses in the building.

Both projects advance to the Woodbury City Council for public hearings scheduled for March 12. Planning staff noted the recreational uses help activate parking areas during off-peak hours for traditional business tenants.