HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Packet 6.27.2023
City of Falcon Heights
Planning Commission
City Hall
2077 Larpenteur Avenue West
AGENDA
Tuesday, June 27, 2023
7:00 p.m.
A. CALL TO ORDER: 7:00 p.m.
B. ROLL CALL: Scott Wilson ____ Laura Paynter ____
Joel Gerich ____ Jacob Brooks ____
Jim Mogen ____ VACANT
Jake Anderson ____
Council Liaison - Mayor Gustafson ____
Staff Liaison – Hannah Lynch ____
C. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
1. Regular Meeting – May 23, 2023
E. PUBLIC HEARING - None
F. NEW BUSINESS
1. Informal Review – 1407 Larpenteur Avenue W, Townhome Proposal
G. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Staff Liaison Report
2. Council Liaison Report
H. ADJOURN
Next regular meeting date: July 25, 2023
CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS
Workshop of the City Planning Commission
City Hall
2077 West Larpenteur Avenue
MINUTES
May 23rd, 2023 at 7:00 P.M.
A. CALL TO ORDER: 7:00 P.M.
B. ROLL CALL:
Scott Wilson _X_ Jim Mogen ___
Laura Paynter _X_ Jacob Brooks _X_
Joel Gerich _X_ VACANT
Jake Anderson ___
Council Liaison Gustafson _X_
Staff Liaison Lynch _X_
C. APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
Paynter motion, approved 4-0
D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
1. Regular Meeting – March 28, 2023
2. Workshop – April 25, 2023
Gerich motion, approved 4-0
E. PUBLIC HEARING
N/A
F. NEW BUSINESS
1. Presentation on THC Legislation – Jack S. Brooksbank, Campbell
Knutson, P.A.
Staff Liaison Lynch reminded the Commission that a draft ordinance had
previously been sent to City Council and back to the Commission. However, with
new legislation moving through State government and likely to be signed by the
governor, an overview of that legislation was the purpose for Mr. Brooksbank to
address the Commission.
Mr. Brooksbank proceeded to walk through the presentation outlining the general
plan of the legislation, including legalization of the individual purchase,
possession, use, and growing of cannabis, and the creation of the Office of
Cannabis Management (OCM). Mr. Brooksbank emphasized that there will be
no change to federal laws and that much of the detailed legislation has yet to be
written, so the guidance is subject to change.
Key points relative to the Commission:
• Cannabis business are still subject to general business regulations
such as zoning. Cannabis cultivators are still an agricultural business.
• Cultivation is still licensed by the State. OCM to establish rules.
• Will create separate business for retail sales. City may operate a
municipal store, but not exclusive.
• Retail sales will be subject to State licensing and regulation. State will
issue licenses based on demonstrated compliance. City may not
license business, ban use, or ban possession.
• City may adopt ordinances with reasonable restrictions on the time,
place, and manner of the operation of a cannabis business.
• City will be involved in state licensing process by certifying if proposed
businesses comply with zoning, fire code, and building codes.
• Businesses making retail sales must register with the city. City must
issue registration of applicant has valid state license, has paid
registration fees, has passed compliance checks and is current on
local taxes and assessments. City may limit number of full-strength
registrations.
• City has preexisting power to enforce local ordinances. OCM will set
up a complaint process. City may suspend registration for up to 30
days if it determines that a business is in violation of its state license.
• Municipal regulations are generally preempted. May not ban use,
possession, or transportation.
• Cannabis businesses will be subject to City zoning regulations. City
may choose to designate businesses as conditional uses to address
specific concerns but cannot ban those business outright.
• Local governments may adopt a moratorium on cannabis businesses
lasting until January 1, 2025. This would require a public hearing to go
into effect.
The recommendations to the City were to start thinking about zoning (where
cannabis businesses should be located), review general regulations around
permittable use, and relevant business regulations.
Due to the State being responsible for issuing licenses, it was recommended that
the earlier draft ordinance that was sent to Council be abandoned, and the City
pursue the next steps as outlined in the presentation.
At the end of the discussion, it was emphasized that the details of much of the
new regulations still have to be worked out, and that the City will need to keep up
to date as more details become finalized.
G. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Staff Liaison Report
Staff Liaison Lynch reported that the Caribou Coffee application was denied
by City Council. Also, the June meeting will have an unofficial review of the
plan for the property that contains the former dry-cleaning business on
Larpenteur and Albert St. Finally, Gibbs Farm is close to finalizing their
expansion plans, which will likely take the form of a PUD.
2. Council Liaison Report
Mayor Gustafson thanked everyone for coming out to the Spring Together
event, where about 278 ice creams were served. Also, the Council is working
on the new policing contract.
H. ADJOURN 8:15 PM
ITEM FOR DISCUSSION
City of Falcon Heights, Minnesota
__________________________
Item Informal sketch review of proposed townhomes at 1407 Larpenteur Ave W.
Description
History:
1407 Larpenteur Avenue is located between Holton Street and Albert Street on
the north side of Larpenteur Avenue. The current zoning is B-1 Neighborhood
Convenience District. This parcel as been used as a laundry/drycleaner since
1969. The parcel was used as Falcon Heights Shell Oil from at least 1961.
In April 2022, an informal sketch review was held by the Planning Commission
of the same project. At the time, 12 townhomes were proposed with a smaller
setback area on the south and east sides.
On June 8, 2023, a community meeting was held at City Hall to allow citizens
time to review the proposal and ask questions of City Staff. Many citizens
attended and provided feedback. Concerns were raised around the following:
• The number of proposed units on the ½ acre lot
• Potentially adding more students to the school district
• Compromising the neighborhood charm
• Increasing traffic
• Pedestrian safety
• Height of the townhomes, and the potential for these to block sunlight
• Small setbacks
• Stormwater
• Lack of greenspace
• Parking / winter parking
• Snow removal
• Environmental concerns about the site / remediation of the site
Conditions/Proposal:
Currently, the property is unoccupied. The owner of the property is proposing
to build two, five units per building, townhome residential structures. The
owner has requested a sketch review, which is common under a subdivision
proposal/Preliminary Plat, Article II Section 109-25. The City of Falcon Heights
recommends potential applicants of a rezoning/PUD follow this standard.
Meeting Date June 27, 2023
Agenda Item Agenda F-1
Attachment See below.
Submitted By Hannah Lynch, Community
Development Coordinator
This sketch review is for informational use only. This is NOT an approval.
The proposed buildings would be parallel to Albert Street. A private drive
access would be installed to serve the individual driveways of each unit of
both buildings, with entrances on Larpenteur and Albert.
Setbacks are proposed at 12’ on the north side, the majority of which would be
a drive, 10’ on the west side, approximately 20’ on the east side adjacent to
Albert, and 30’ on the south side adjacent to Larpenteur.
The current zoning of this property is B-1. B-1 does not allow for residential
uses. The zoning that would best accommodate this development would be R-
4 high density multiple-family residential. The surrounding zoning is R-2 to
the north and west, and R-1 across Albert and Larpenteur to the east and
south. The parcels to the west and northwest, while zoned R-2, are currently
single-family dwellings.
R-4 zoning would allow for 28 dwelling units per acre.
The Comprehensive Plan for the City of Falcon Heights guides this property
as Limited Business for potential future land use:
“These areas are primarily intended to accommodate a limited array of service
establishments including governmental, professional and general office and
studio uses and banks and financial institutions. The expected employment-
bearing land use intensity within this category is up to 0.8 F.A.R. It is the City’s
intention to consider mixed use including housing and neighborhood
convenience retail businesses (as in B-1), in addition to the present uses, should
these areas become available for redevelopment, in which case these properties
will be eligible for reclassification.”
Housing would be an option in this district but a potentially better use may be
found by amending the Comprehensive Plan to a land use of Medium Density
Residential within the R-3 or R-4 zoning.
From the Comprehensive Plan:
These long-established multi-family buildings are generally located along
Larpenteur and Snelling Avenues in close proximity to areas of higher activity
such as the Snelling and Larpenteur Commercial Core and to the two main bus
transit routes that cross the City. Densities range from 12 to 46 units per acre.
Off-street parking is limited. The City’s policy for the last 20 years has been to
limit new medium density residential development to 12 units per acre.
If medium or lower density redevelopment were to be proposed for these
zones and other transitional areas, the City will require that rebuilding not
reduce the amount of available housing in the City overall. To provide for
attached townhome development and other medium density housing, the City
will reinstitute the R-3 zoning district discontinued since the last
comprehensive plan.
R-4 Zoning Restrictions:
• 30-foot front and rear yard
• 30-foot max height
• Single Family resident on side yard; 20-foot side yard required.
• Side yard abutting a road; 30-foot side yard required.
Larpenteur Avenue in Context:
Larpenteur Avenue is a busy County Road. The zoning found on Larpenteur
includes R-1, R-2, R-3/4, B-1, B-2, B-3, R5-M, P-1, P1-R1, and PUD. The
proposal and sketch are not dissimilar to other properties on
Larpenteur/Snelling Avenue which include 1511 Larpenteur, 1561 Snelling
Service, 1634 Snelling Service, 1667 Snelling, and 1687 Fry Street. 1688 Arona
sits on 7500 square feet and more than 10 units. This is nearly 59 units per acre.
(.17 acre/10 units = 1 acre/x units = = 59 DU/A). In addition, Amber Union
has constructed 128 affordable housing units on 3.78 acres. This is
approximately 34 DU/A.
Larpenteur Avenue is also a street that is home to more than 44 single family
homes, a major University, two large museums, a golf course, many retail
businesses, senior housing, affordable housing, gas stations, and a large mix of
other office and commercial.
Staff’s initial suggestions:
The Planning Commission and Council must consider the sketch plan in
context to both the micro and macro conditions of Larpenteur Avenue to
determine the appropriate uses of land for this corridor and for this parcel.
• Landscaping plan would be required.
• Environmental assessment would be required, paid by developer, and
potentially a traffic impact study completed
• Building heights would need to be addressed
• Stormwater system would need to be reviewed by Capitol Region
Watershed
• On-site snow storage is limited.
• Consider landscape buffers between Single Family lots.
• Comprehensive Plan Amendment Required
• Need to have two parking spaces per unit (can be accomplished)
• A Planned Unit Development would be REQUIRED to meet the
property owner’s needs.
• Fire Marshal has expressed concern over the turnaround radius; would
require fire lane signage
• Ramsey County – Access onto Larpenteur must be removed, consistent
with the county policy of having access directed to the adjacent local
street whenever possible
• HOA will need to be established for ownership and maintenance of
private infrastructure, include alleyway and private street
• Code requires street corner radii to be a minimum of 15’, alleyways to
be a minimum of 20’ wide and property owner shall avoid use of a
dead-end alleyway
• Additional plans and details required by engineers:
o Stormwater calculations for pre- and post-construction to ensure
post-construction runoff rates are not increased
o Grading plan required
o Erosion control plan required
o Soil report required
o Utility plan showing water and sanitary sewer connections
required
o Property owner will need to perform Gopher State One Call to
determine presence of small utilities on the property
o Property owner will submit title search and revise survey to
determine location of drainage and utility (D&U) easements, if
any are present
o Plan required showing proposed lot lines and easements.
Buildings may not be constructed within a D&U easement.
Budget Impact None.
Attachment(s) • Survey and proposed site sketch from the property owner
• Staff’s PowerPoint Presentation from 6.8.2023 community meeting
Action(s)
Requested
Staff recommends reviewing the sketch and providing guidance as to the
suitability of the proposal.
Community Meeting & Informational Session – 1407 Larpenteur Ave WCity of Falcon HeightsJune 8, 2023FH Community Meeting 6.8.2023
Purpose of this Community MeetingWe are here to provide information to the community and listening to feedback from citizens about a potential project.This is not an official meeting. This is intended to be an informal meeting between staff and the immediate neighbors of the property – others are welcome as well.We are not approving or denying any proposals. We have not received an official application for development at 1407 Larpenteur.This is a pre-meeting to an informal review by the Planning Commission on June 27, 2023.FH Community Meeting 6.8.2023
1407 Larpenteur – Current ZoningCurrently a vacant dry cleaning buildingIn the past, Falcon Heights Shell OilCurrent zoning designation is B-1, Neighborhood Convenience BusinessParcel is surrounded on two sides by R-2, Two Family. Across Larpenteur and across Albert is R-1, Single Family.Two parcels for a total of .5 acres.FH Community Meeting 6.8.2023
The Development ProcessFH Community Meeting 6.8.2023
B-1 Zoning - Current uses permitted by right include: Barbershops, except barber collegesBeauty shops, excluding cosmetology schoolsConvenience stores, excluding motor fuel facilitiesCoin and stamp storesDrugstores / pharmaciesFloristsGarment pressing, and agents for laundries and dry cleaners, with a maximum of six employeesHealth care, offices and clinicsLaundries – power, with a maximum of six employeesLaundromats – self serveMiscellaneous retail establishments (small) (excluding repair and service establishments and gun shops) having a maximum floor area of 1,000 sq. ft. which sell food, apparel and small specialty shopping goods including antiques, sporting goods, books, stationery, jewelry, cameras, novelty and optical stores and small cafes and restaurantsOffices, business and professionalHoliday tree salesFH Community Meeting 6.8.2023
B-1 Zoning - Current uses permitted with Conditional Use Permit:Current uses permitted with a Conditional Use Permit include: Automobile repair establishments subject to additional conditions listed in City CodeAdult and child care facilities and nursery schools subject to licensing by the stateMotor fuel stations as an integral part of a convenience store located at the corner of a minor arterial and collector street as defined by the comprehensive planSecondhand goods stores as defined in City CodeFH Community Meeting 6.8.2023
The Development ProcessWe are here. No application has been received.FH Community Meeting 6.8.2023
FH Community Meeting 6.8.2023
•Two residential buildings, each composed of five townhomes•Market rate•Including garage and driveway parking•Driveway to Larpenteurand a driveway to Albert•Trash enclosure to rear of property•Setbacks showing as 10’ on west side, 12’ on north side, around 20’ from east side, 30’ on south side.FH Community Meeting 6.8.2023
Concerns and Considerations from StaffDoes not meet City Code as it is currently zonedPlanned Unit Development & development contract would be requiredBuilding heights & setbacksHOA for common spaces, private driveFire Marshal – Radius for turnaround, fire lane signageRamsey County – Access onto Larpenteur must be removed Engineering – Would also need:Stormwater calculations for pre- and post-constructionGrading PlanErosion Control PlanSoil ReportUtility PlanThe location of drainage and utility easements, if anyThe location of any small utilities on siteCity would also require environmental assessment, paid by developer, and potentially a traffic impact study completed.FH Community Meeting 6.8.2023
What are the next steps? Community MeetingInformal review with Planning CommissionBack to developer with information gathered and recommendationsIf the developer wishes to continue, rezoning and comprehensive plan amendment requiredApplication SubmittedPlanning Commission Meeting & Public HearingPC Recommendation to City CouncilCity Council DecisionFH Community Meeting 6.8.2023
Any questions?FH Community Meeting 6.8.2023