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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPCAgenda_08Jan22City of Falcon Heights Planning Commission City Hall 2077 W. Larpenteur Avenue Tuesday, January 22, 2008 7:00 p.m. AGENDA A. CALL TO ORDER: 7:00 p.m. B. ROLL CALL: Anderson Hasegawa Lukermann Noble Rodich Salzberg Watkins Council Liaison Kuettel City Administrator Miller Staff Liaison Jones City Attorney C. AGENDA 1. Introduction of Mayor Lindstrom and new Commissioners 2. Election of Planning Commission Chair for 2008. 3. Review and discussion of Planning Commission policies and standing rules. D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: October 23, 2007 E. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS F. ADJOURN • CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS 2077 W. Larpenteur Avenue Falcon Heights, MN 55113-5594 email: mail@ci.falcon-heights.mn.us Phone - (651) 792-7600 website: www.ci.falcon-heights.mn.us Fax - (651) 792-7610 MEMORANDUM To: Members of the Planning Commission CC: Justin Miller, City Administrator; Laura Kuettel, Council Liaison From: Deb Jones, Staff Liaison Subject: Planning Commission Me g on January 22, 2008 Date: January 18, 2008 Welcome to our two new commissioners, Meredith Anderson of 2280 Folwell and Duane Hasegawa of 1750 Albert! The regular meeting of the Commission will be held this coming Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. Please notify staff as soon as possible if you are unable to attend because we do require a quorum. There are two items of business. • 1) Elect a commission chair for the year 2) Review the Commission standing rules. The primary responsibility of the commission chair is to preside over the meetings. Generally the chair is someone who has already been serving on the Planning Commission, not one of the new commissioners. The term is for one year. Please be thinking about whom you might wish to nominate or if you would be willing to accept a nomination to serve as chair this year. We have not reviewed the standing rules in several years. Most of you probably do not even have a copy! But since the city administrative manual is in the process of being thoroughly updated, this is a good opportunity to take a look at this document and see if any changes need to be made. You will notice that actual practice has been a bit simpler than the written rules in some areas. Do we need to change the practice or adapt the rules? The general planning commission policy document is mostly established by state statute and city code, but it is a good idea to review it as well and point out anything that catches your attention. As of today we are still assembling the comp plan draft's many maps and figures so it is not quite ready to post on the website. I will notify you as soon as it is available. Please call or email me if you have any questions about the meeting or any of the materials in the packet. Have a good week! See you Tuesday! HOME OF THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR AND THE U OF M INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE ~~~ PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER ~' • MEMORANDUM To: Members of the Planning Commission CC: Justin Miller, City Administrator; Laura Kuettel, Council Liaison From: Deb Jones, Staff Liaison Subject: Planning Commission Meeting on January 22, 2008 Date: January 18, 2008 Welcome to our two new commissioners, Meredith Anderson of 2280 Folwell and Duane Hasegawa of 1750 Albert! The regular meeting of the Commission will be held this coming Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. Please notify staff as soon as possible if you are unable to attend because we do require a quorum. There are two items of business. . 1) Elect a commission chair for the year 2) Review the Commission standing rules. The primary responsibility of the commission chair is to preside over the meetings. Generally the chair is someone who has already been serving on the Planning Commission, not one of the new commissioners. The term is for one year. Please be thinking about whom you might wish to nominate or if you would be willing to accept a nomination to serve as chair this year. We have not reviewed the standing rules in several years. Most of you probably do not even have a copy! But since the city administrative manual is in the process of being thoroughly updated, this is a good opportunity to take a look at this document and see if any changes need to be made. You will notice that actual practice has been a bit simpler than the written rules in some areas. Do we need to change the practice or adapt the rules? The general planning commission policy document is mostly established by state statute and city code, but it is a good idea to review it as well and point out anything that catches your attention. As of today we are still assembling the comp plan draft's many maps and figures so it is not quite ready to post on the website. I will notify you as soon as it is available. Please call or email me if you have any questions about the meeting or any of the materials in the packet. Have a good week! See you Tuesday! City of Falcon Heights Planning Commission Minutes • October 23, 2007 PRESENT: Commissioners Long, Lukermann, Mercer-Taylor, Rodich, Noble, Watkins and Councilmember Kuettel. Also present was City Administrator Miller, City Attorney Sam Edmunds and Staff Liaison Jones. ABSENT: Salzberg The meeting was called to order by Chairman Rodich at 7:06 p.m. The minutes of the August 28, 2007, meeting were approved with one correction. PUBLIC HEARING: Proposed amendment to the PUD ordinance for Falcon Heights Town Square for a pediatric clinic sign Prior to the opening of the hearing, staff liaison Jones presented the staff report. The property owner, Sherman Associates, and their tenant, Central Pediatric Clinic, have applied for an amendment to the PUD to allow a projecting wall sign that exceeds the one-foot limit for a projecting sign. The proposed sign would project two feet from the wall and is intended to direct Snelling traffic to the entrance on Larpenteur. The larger sign is preferred in order to provide reasonable visibility to drivers trying to find the urgent care clinic, especially after dark. The staff recommended approval of the amendment. The Chair opened the hearing. The first speaker was Tom Lageson of 1740 Pascal. Mr. Lageson has no objection to the proposed sign and said his children go to the clinic. However, he shared concerns about other signs at the site, particularly the large number of temporary signs advertising rentals and the townhomes for sale. He feels there are too many and they detract from the appearance of the Falcon Heights Town Square complex. Mr. Lageson also shared concerns about parking on and around the site. Frank Meah,1597 Hollywood Court, welcomed Central Pediatrics to Falcon Heights. He had concerns about traffic visibility and asked how high the sign will be. He agrees with Mr. Lageson about the temporary signs being a problem. Ms. Jones said staff will take this issue up with the property management. Rob Kost of Sherman Associates came to the podium to respond to the residents' questions and concerns. He said that the bottom of the sign will be about 22 feet from the ground, according to the photo provided. Staci Forde of Sherman Associates confirmed that the sign will not be illuminated but said there should be plenty of light from nearby street lights. She will take the issue of signs back to the company. In response to a question from Commissioner Lukermann, Ms. Forde said that there City of Falcon Heights -Planning Commission Meeting of October 23, 2007 -Page 1 of 2 are additional clinic signs on the front (Larpenteur Street) side of the building that make it evident where drivers should turn in. Dale Ostermann, administrator of Central Pediatrics, said that the clinic has already met with great success at the new Falcon Heights site. The clinic is open at 7:45 a.m., Monday through Friday. The priority clinic (urgent care) is open from 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 on Saturday and noon to 8 on Sundays. As no one else came forward to speak, the Commissioner Rodich declared the hearing closed. DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION: Commissioner Lukermann moved that the Commission recommend approval of the amendment. Commissioner Noble seconded. A brief discussion followed. Mr. Rodich acknowledged Mr. Lagesori s concerns, although they are not relevant to the application at hand. The motion passed unanimously. The matter will go to the City Council on November 14. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS: The staff liaison reminded the commissioners and audience that the Planning Commission does not meet in December due to the Christmas holiday. If there is no business, the November meeting will be canceled also. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 7:28 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Deborah Jones, Staff Liaison • City of Falcon Heights -Planning Commission Meeting of October 23, 2007 -Page 2 of 2 Planning Commission 1/22/08 ITEM: Review of Planning Commission Policies and Procedures SUBMITTED BY: Deborah Jones, Zoning and Planning Director REVIEWED BY: Justin Miller, City Administrator Background• The standing rules for the Falcon Heights Planning Commission have not been reviewed by the commission for several years. As we are in the process of updating the city administrative manual, the staff would like to offer the commissioners the opportunity to consider and discuss the existing standing rules and submit any recommendations for change. Staff requests that commissioners read the material before the meeting and come prepared with any questions, items of concern or specific recommendations that may come to mind. The second policy document ("B: Planning Commission') is less flexible, being determined by Minnesota statute, but it also needs review, and both together serve as a good orientation/review for commissioners. We are also requesting a formal adoption of the standing rules as soon as the Commission is satisfied with any updates that are made. A motion passed by a majority is sufficient; Council approval is not required. Staff recommends that commissioners add these documents to their code binders for future reference. Attachments• • Falcon Heights Planning Commission Standing Rules, March 26,1990. • Planning Commission Policies (Title: "B. Planning Commission') Actions Requested: • Review and discuss the attached documents • Pass a motion to adopt the standing rules, with any changes deemed appropriate • City of Falcon Heights Planning Commission, January 22, 2008 Page 1 of 1 Staff Report: Review of standing rules FALCON HEIGHTS PLANNING COMMISSION PLANNING COMMISSION STANDING RULES March 26,1990 INTRODUCTION In the belief that the best decisions are made by the best informed decision makers and that the public decision process is best served when the public has every opportunity to present views, the following rules are established to govern regular and special commission meetings as well as formal public hearings. There are several goals behind these rules. 1. In general, free and open discussion by all interested parties should be an essential part of the decision making process. 2. The commission process should have as little procedural overhead as possible. 3. Time is better spent on substantial matters rather than proforma matters. MEMBERSHIP The formal commission membership consists of seven to nine appointed commissioners. All seven to nine have one vote each and all can introduce motions. For purposes of leading the meeting, the chair, or in the absence of the chair, the vice-chair will be considered the chairperson. RULES Agenda 1. To be considered, an item must be on the agenda and the agenda must be distributed to all the commission members and any other persons having responsibility for an item at least three working days prior to the meeting. An agenda can be modified with addenda by a majority vote but this should be used only for minor items or items with extreme time constraints. 2. An item can be moved from the consent agenda to the action agenda at the request of any commissioner. 3. Since there will be audience and possibly cable TV viewers not familiar with each item, the chair will give a brief explanation of each item as it is addressed. Page 2 Planning Commission Standing Rules 4. The order of items on the agenda need not be followed absolutely. The chair may adjust the order in the interest of: a. Filling in time before a scheduled item, i.e., a public hearing. b. Grouping several items to best make use of consultant time. c. Accommodating individuals who have attended the meeting specifically to provide input on an item. Process - Regular and Special Planning Commission Meetings 1. For these proceedings the commission will use the 'open discussion' procedure. That is, discussion is open to any member before or after a motion is made. This privilege is also extended to the city planner and any of the consultants who may have an interest in or can contribute to the item at hand. 2. At the discretion of the chair, this privilege is also extended to those members of the audience who wish to provide input. The chair may also rule out of order any input felt to be redundant, superfluous or irrelevant. 3. The chair can make liberal use of the "unanimous consent" procedure. That is, items that in the judgment of the chair are likely to be unanimously approved, can be introduced for approval with the statement "If there are no objections, ... stands approved (or denied)." If any commissioner has an objection, then the item reverts to the standard motion procedure. This "unanimous consent" procedure cannot be used for items requiring formal votes, i.e. resolutions. 4. The standard motion procedure is changed to not require a second. A motion need only be made to be considered. This also applies to amendments. 5. To eliminate confusion, only one amendment will be considered at a time and that amendment must be germane to the motion. An amendment cannot itself be amended. If a change to an amendment is deemed appropriate, the amendment should be withdrawn and reintroduced accordingly. 6. The general mode of voting will be by acclamation but with enough clarity that the individual votes can be recorded in the minutes. If in doubt, the secretary can request a clarification. • S Page 3 Planning Commission Standing Rules 7. The meeting will be audio taped and the tape will be retained for 6 months following approval of the minutes for that meeting. The standard retention can be extended if in the judgment of the city planner such action is warranted. 8. If the commission action is the result of a resident request and that request is denied in whole or in part, reasons of fact supporting the denial will be made part of the public record. 9. No commission meeting will extend beyond 10:00 P.M. except by unanimous vote. This rule is not subject to the modification or suspension provisions of the Standing Rules. Process -Public Hearings Since a public hearing is a more formal procedure and often requires certain procedures and actions to be legal, the meeting rules are changed accordingly. 1. The primary aim of a public hearing is to take input from the public. To accomplish this in the most effective manner the chair will introduce the hearing with an • explanation of the issues. This explanation will be given by the chair or a person designated by the chair. The use of explanatory visual aids is encouraged. 2. Following the explanation, input from the public will be taken. Prior to accepting input, though, the chair will state the areas where input will be appropriate, the maximum time to be allotted to any individual presenter and any other procedural rules deemed appropriate to guarantee that all concerned parties have a fair and adequate opportunity to be heard. 3. All individuals wishing to speak must fill out and submit an identification form and speak into a recording microphone. Individuals not wishing to speak in public may provide a written statement. The commission may take up to 15 minutes to review written statements presented at the meeting. If the commission decides to not act on the issue at the public hearing meeting, it may by majority vote extend the time where written input will be taken to a day no later than 1 week before the next meeting where a deciding vote is planned. 4. All speakers are expected to be business-like, to-the-point and courteous. Anyone not abiding by these rules will be considered out-of-order. 5. The commission will refrain from initiating a discussion during the public input phase of the hearing except to clarify points brought up. These 'point of information' requests should be held to a minimum. [7 Page 4 Planning Commission Standing Rules 6. Once the public testimony phase is complete the chair will announce the public hearing to be closed and the commission will revert back to its open discussion mode of operation. From this point on, public input will only be appropriate when solicited by the commission. 7. Voting on any motion that results from a public hearing may be by roll call if requested by a commissioner. 8. It shall be the intent of the commission to vote on the issue at the same meeting as the public hearing and as close in time to the public hearing as possible. Should it be necessary to defer voting until a later date, that procedure will be clearly explained to the audience. 9. No public hearing will extend beyond 9:30 p.m. 10. If the motion contains conditions, as may occur in conditional use or variance requests, those conditions will be conveyed in writing to the requestor. 11. If the public hearing is the result of a resident request and that request is denied in whole or in part, reasons of fact supporting the denial will be made part of the public record. ADOPTION/MODIFICATION/SUSPENSION These rules with the exception of the mandatory 10:00 P.M. adjournment, can be adopted, modified or suspended in whole or in part by a 3/4 vote of the commission. If suspended, they are automatically reinstated at the next meeting. Should they be suspended or a situation occurs that is not covered by the standing rules, Sikkink's Seven Motion System (attached) will apply. ANNUAL REVIEW These rules will be reviewed annually at the first meeting in February. INTERPRETATION The chair will interpret the rules. However, the chair's interpretation can be appealed by any commission member and can be overruled by a majority vote. • B. PLANNING COMMISSION l.Purpose. The commission shall be the city planning agency authorized by Minnesota Statutes, Section 462.354, Subd. 1, which includes guiding future development of land, services, and facilities to ensure a safe, pleasant and economical environment for residential, commercial, and public activities; and to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare of the community by: a. establishing community objectives and policy; b. making recommendations to the council regarding petitions and applications for rezoning, special use permits, etc. c. reviewing and making recommendations on all matters relating to or affecting the physical development of the city. 2.Composition & Qualifications. The commission shall consist of not less than seven nor more than nine members to be appointed by the mayor and approved by the council as follows: a. Members of the commission shall be appointed according to their ability to contribute to and perform the functions, powers and duties imposed upon the commission. b. Members of the commission shall be eligible voters residing within the city. 3.Terms, Vacancies, Oaths. The term of office of all commission members shall be three years. Except for appointments to fill a vacancy, an appointment in any year shall be deemed effective as of January 1 of such year for purposes of computing the term. No member shall serve more than two consecutive three year terms or more than eight consecutive years on the Planning Commission and until an existing term of office expires. Members shall hold office until their successors are appointed. All members shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for expenses as authorized and approved by the city council. 4.Removal. Commission members shall be subject to removal for cause, by a four-fifths vote of the city council. / ~ Failure to attend meetings regularly shall be one basis for removal. f 5.Organization, Officers Each commission shall elect a chairperson from among its appointed members for a term of one year. The commissions may create and fill such other offices as determined necessary. 6.Meetings Records Reports The commissions shall hold scheduled meetings, not less than one per calendar quarter. They shall adopt rules for the transaction of business and shall keep written public records of resolutions, recommendations and findings. On or before February 15 of each year, the commissions shall submit to the council work reports for the preceding calendar year. 7.Commission's Duties. In fulfillment of its purpose the commission's duties and responsibilities shall be to: a. exercise duties given planning agencies by law and any duties conferred upon it by the zoning code and by the city council. b. periodically, but at least once every two (2) years, review the comprehensive plan, any additions or amendments, and any capital improvement program the council has adopted to implement the plan; and if deemed necessary, revise the comprehensive plan, adopt the amendments or the new comprehensive plan, amend the capital improvement program, and make recommendations to council.