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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPCMin_86Jul7• MINUTES REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING JULY 7, 1986 Black, Daykin, Mead, Finegan, Grittner, Northrup, and Duncan. Also present was Council Liaison Hard. Trent Sullivan and Boche. Duncan moved., seconded by Finegan, to approve the May 5, 1986 Minutes as presented. Motion carried unanimously. Craig F. Schauffert, 1885 North Snelling, requested a variance to construct an extension to his existing garage five feet from the property line, which would make a single garage double deep. This would be constructed at the same time as a 14 x 32 addition is being added to his home. He presented letters from his neighbors voicing no objections. Mead moved, seconded by Gritter, to approve the variance request. Motion carried unanimously. Gerald Wallin, 1859 North Snelling, requested a variance to erect a second garage not less than one foot from the north property line. The building will be used primarly for storage as a driveway will not be constructed. The • proposed garage is adjacent to University of Minnesota property with no current or projected residential use. The garage will be screened by existing lilac shrubbery. Duncan moved, seconded by Daykin to approve the variance request. Motion carried unanimously. The subdivision and rezoning request from Cleon Garley, owner of apartment buildings at 1845, 1855 Larpenteur to allow for additional parking was discussed. The present parking situation, the fact that the apartment building is being used for student housing and the problems caused by snow were some of the points made but since no one was present to present the subdivision and rezoning request, Chairman Black requested that the item be placed on next month's agenda and Mr. Garley be notified. The variance request from .David W. Olson, Owner of the property at 2061 West Larpenteur to place a proposed office building ten feet from the west property line was temporarily tabled to allow the next item to be considered. A variance is requested by School District ~~623 to provide two relocatable (portable) classroom buildings at 1393 West Garden Avenue. Mr. Paul Borg was in attendance and advised that the school district has leased as much of the Falcon Heights School Building as possible to generate revenue to help pay for the re-opening of the school. The School site will be leasing space to Vo-Tec 916 and the DAC on a one year lease. The Early Childhood and Family Education program will also be housed at the School site. As a result, additional space will be needed and the use of two portable classrooms has been requested to house a computer lab and the music and art classes. The music and art portable will need the use of running water and a drain. The portable classrooms are one-story carpeted wood structures which are 28' x 34' in size. MINUTES REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION METING • JULY 7, 1986 PAGE 2 • s The structures have two exits, one window and will be placed on posts on the SCHOOL School site. Mr. Borg presented three options for the placement of the portables. DISTRICT One option is to place the portables on the blacktop on the northeast side of VARIANCE the school building. Mr. Borg advised that he had discussed the placement on (contd.) the blacktop with the Falcon Heights newly appointed principal who felt that there would be enough blacktop left to accommodate the K-5 program. The other two options would be placing the buildings in front of each other or next to each other on the Northwest side of the school building. Finegan questioned the length of time projected for using these portable classrooms to which Borg replied that it may be one year or more and could not give a definite answer. The 86-87 kindergarten enrollment figures will provide further information. Also in the 87-88 school year, the sixth graders will be moved back into the elementary schools and all the elementary schools will then close to capacity. The Legislature also mandated that the school district provide special education for three year olds. Finegan was concerned that approving the use of portables on a temporary basis might turn in to their being there forever--as a case in point he advised that the University of Minnesota used portables in the 1940's and they are still in use. Daykin asked if plans had been made to provide additional parking as there are present parking problems without the K-5 program to which Borg replied that the School District plans to lease up to 30 parking spaces from the church for staff parking. Duncan preferraithe northwest location as it would not take up playground space and not be as visible. Black preferred the northwest location for the same reasons and Mead agreed that would be the least disrputive location. Duncan moved, seconded by Northrup, to approve the variance request to locate two relocatable (portable) classrooms on the Falcon Heights School site. Finegan moved to amend the motion to limit the use of the relocatable classrooms for a two school year period. The motion was seconded by Daykin and approved unanimously. A vote was then taken on the main motion which was unanimously approved. Mead advised that he was concerned that the Falcon Heights School be used for school use and not used as rental for non-school purposes. Discussion ensued on the location of the portables and the need for a variance. Two options would not need variances. The option of placing the portables next to each other on the northwest side of the building would need a variance as it would then mean placement would cause the structures to be within approximately 32 feet of the west property line. After further discussion Mead moved, seconded by Finegan, to recommend placement of the two relocatable (portable) classrooms on the northwest location on the site plan. Upon a vote being taken, the following voted in favor thereof: Daykin, Mead, Finegan, Grittner, Northrup and Duncan, and the following voted against the same: Black. Motion carried. The Planning Commission then reviewed the variance request from David W. Olson, 2061 West Larpenteur, and the changes made to the location of the building on the property. Council Liaison Hard advised that the Falcon Heights City Council had been adamant about maintaining the setback along Larpenteur, eliminating the handicapped parking proposed in the back of the building and assuring a distinction between city parking and parking for the new building. Hard advised that landswapping provided for the setback as well as provided for consistency in landscaping, lawn mowing and signing. The signing would be VARIANCE REQUEST FROM DAVID W. OLSON, 2061 WEST LARPENTEUR APPROVED MINUTES • REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING JULY 7, 1986 PAGE 3 located on the developer's property not on city property. The developer would DAVID also be responsible for his own snow removal. It was also felt that the W. OLSON arrangement would prohibit any future owner from coming in and asking for VARIANCE additional parking on Larpenteur. Mayor Baldwin advised that the developer (contd.) would be paying for whatever land that is not being swapped. Grittner suggested using landscaping that would setoff the building parking area from the city's parking area. Council Liaison Hard advised that the development would go immediately on the tax rolls. Also, if the Fire Department would need to expand by the addition of a bay, it could still do so with the present building plan. The Council will have to decide whether to include the development within the tax development district and Councilmember Hard advised of the reasons whether it would or would not be beneficial to the City. After further discussion, Finegan moved, seconded by Grittner, to approve the variance request. Motion carried unanimously. Black commended the City staff and City Council for working with the developer to come up with such a commendable plan for the use of the property. HOME The Planning Commission reviewed the Home Occupation Ordinance after which OCCUPATION Grittner moved, seconded by Finegan, approval of the Ordinance. Motion ORDINANCE carried unanimously. APPROVED • Finegan moved, seconded by Mead to adjourn the meeting at 9:35 P.M. ADJOURNMENT Edgar F egan, Secretar s