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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCCMin_98Aug21CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF AUGUST 21, 1998 Mayor Gehrz convened the meeting at 4:00 p.m. ~ ~` PRESENT Gehrz, Gibson Talbot, Hustad, Jacobs, and Kuettel. Also present was Asleson, Maurer, and Knutson. MINUTES OF AUGUST 12, 1998 Minutes were approved by unanimous consent. POLICY AGENDA CANCELLATION OF PUBLIC HEARING ON A SUPPLEMENTAL SPECIAL ASSESSMENT AND ACCEPTANCE OF VOLUNTARY PAYMENT IN LIEU OF A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT Mayor Gehrz explained that a public hearing had been scheduled to assess the University of Minnesota for their share of costs for the Hoyt Avenue street reconstruction project. The University of Minnesota has indicated that they would prefer to make a voluntary payment to the city in lieu of a special assessment. The University has already been billed for their share of the streetlight replacement along Hoyt Avenue. • Councilmember Jacobs moved to cancel the public hearing on a supplemental special assessment and to instead accept a S 13,125.000 voluntary payment in lieu of the special assessment from the University of Minnesota for the Hoyt Avenue improvement project. The motion passed unanimously. DETERMINATION OF THE NEED FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET (EAW) ON THE PLANNED UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA WOMEN'S INTERCOLLEGIATE SOCCER STADIUM FACILITY Mayor Gehrz explained that a citizen's group had petitioned the state Environmental Quality Board (EQB) to require that the University of Minnesota prepare an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) for the proposed Women's Intercollegiate Soccer Stadium at Cleveland and Larpenteur Avenues. The EQB has designated the City of Falcon Heights as the Responsible Governmental Unit (RGU) to determine if an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) is warranted. City Attorney Knutson reported that the University of Minnesota has contended that the University should have been named the Responsible Governmental Unit rather than the City of Falcon Heights. The Environmental Quality Board has since stated that they will be standing by their decision that the city is the appropriate entity to be the RGU. Knutson stated that the standard for whether to order an Environmental Assessment • Worksheet is whether based upon the location and nature of the project, there may be potential for significant environmental effects. If the council concludes that there is this potential, the city council should order the preparation of the EAW. If the council finds City Council Minutes August 21, 1998 • Page 2 ~~~ that the project does not meet that standard, it should not order the preparation of the EAW. Mayor Gehrz noted that the University had faxed the city a few hours before this meeting, requesting that the city not take action on the Environmental Assessment Worksheet. Gehrz asked Attorney Knutson if there would be any reason why the city should delay making this decision. Knutson stated that there was no reason that the city council could not act on this issue; the city is required to make a decision within 30 days, which expires soon. Knutson stated that he could not foresee any information that would come to light within the next few days that might change the city's response to the petition. The city is required to act on the petition because it has been named as the Responsible Governmental Unit, even though the University disagrees with this designation. Engineer Maurer presented his findings in a letter dated August 13, 1998. Maurer stated that there are several unresolved issues with respect to the proposed stadium. Among the unresolved issues cited in Maurer's letter are noise, traffic generation, parking capacity, water/sewer capacity, archaeological significance of the area, and potentially hazardous chemicals that may have been stored at the greenhouses adjacent to the proposed site. Maurer believes that an EAW would be an appropriate method to gather • information and address each of these areas of concern. Councilmember Kuettel asked if it was common for an Environmental Assessment Worksheets to be completed even when it isn't specifically mandated by law. Attorney Knutson answered that developers often will voluntarily complete an EAW even when it is not required, just so that all environmental issues are addressed from the beginning. The University was asked to voluntarily complete an EAW and declined to do so. Mayor Gehrz noted that Consulting Planner John Shardlow had submitted a letter to the city recommending that the city order the preparation of an EAW. In his letter, Shardlow cites unanswered questions regarding noise, traffic, the potential location of an Indian trail through the site, the possible storage of pesticides on the adjacent property, and the historic status of the Gibbs schoolhouse as reasons for ordering an EAW. Councilmember Gibson Talbot read aloud the proposed findings of fact regarding the petition for an Environmental Assessment Worksheet for the proposed soccer stadium. Following this reading, Gibson Talbot suggested that statements regarding the property's archaeological significance, potentially hazardous chemicals on the adjacent site, and unresolved questions about water and sewer capacity be added to the findings of fact, in accordance with concerns raised about these issues by the city's engineer and consulting planner. Councilmember Hustad moved adoption of the findings of fact with the amendments as • proposed by Councilmember Gibson Talbot and to order the preparation of an Environmental Assessment Worksheet. • City Council Minutes August 21, 1998 Page 3 ~~.~ Councilmember Jacobs asked for clarification about who would be doing the actual preparation of the worksheet. Mayor Gehrz responded that the staff would be identifying appropriate consultant experts to prepare the worksheet on behalf of the city. Councilmember Hustad's motion passed unanimously. ADJOURNMENT Carla Asleson Recording Secretary The meeting adjourned at 4:38 p.m. Susan L. Gehrz, Mayor