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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPCMin_86Aug4_Public Hearing• MINUTES REGULAR MEETING/PUBLIC HEARING PLANNING COMMISSION AUGUST 4, 1986 The Planning Commission was called to order at 7:35 P.M. by Chairman Black. Black, Northrop, Trent-Sullivan, Daykin, Boche and Finegan. Also present PRESENT was Council Liaison Hard. ABSENT Grittner, Mead and Duncan. Trent Sullivan moved, seconded by Daykin, to approve the July 7, 1986 JULY 7, 198 Planning Commission Minutes as presented. Motion carried unanimously. MINUTES APPROVED Cleon Garley, owner of the apartment building at 1845-1855 West Larpenteur, presented a subdivision request to allow for additional parking. Mr. Garley CLEON requested the subdivision of the Easterly 80 feet of Lot 3, Block 1 of the GARLEY, Lindig Third Addition. (Note: There was an increase in the footage requested 1845-1855 from the previous Planning Commission meeting from 60 feet to 80 feet.) WEST Mr. Garley presented a survey of the lot in question and plot plans. Mr. LARPENTEUR Forrest Asher, the Manager of the apartment buildings in question was also present. Garley advised that previous to his purchase of the buildin SUBDIVISION RE S g, UE T Q which was in November, 1985, there had been parking allowed along the drive- way as well as parking diagonally in the middle of the parking lot. Since, the Falcon Heights Fire Department has disallowed parking in these areas. This has caused parking problems for his tenants as there are 42 parking stalls for 34 units. There are 17 units in each building with six units having a single bedroom and 11 units having two bedrooms. The units are rented to University students on the whole. Due to tenants getting tickets during the winter months and during the state fair, Garley requested the subdivision to add sixteen additional stalls to his parking lot. He would have to remove two existing garage stalls to provide an entrance to the additional parking lot. There is no parking on Fairview with two hour parking allowed on Larpenteur Avenue between the hours of 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Also snow emergencies cause problems for tenants. Garley also proposed four parking stalls along Fairview. Black question whether anything had been put in the lease agreement regarding BLACK/ the number of cars a tenant could have to which Garley replied that nothing TRENT- of that nature was written into the lease. Tenants have six months leases SULLIVAN and after six months the lease runs on a monthly basis. Trent-Sullivan asked if there was any visitor parking to which Garley replied that there was no visitor parking and tenants are not assigned stalls as they are on a first come first serve basis. Boche requested information on the properties surrounding the apartment BOCHE building and was informed that most of the property was R-1 property. • MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING/PUBLIC HEARING AUGUST 4, 1986 PAGE 2 A question arose regarding drainage and Hard advised that the water drains HARD from northwest to southeast. There is also a ditch along Larpenteur and Fairview. Garley proposed a swale be located in the five foot setback and advised that he would grade the new parking area so that the water. would drain to the present parking area. He would be willing to work with the City Engineer to accomplish what drainage is necessary. The meeting was then recessed for fifteen minutes during which time Council- COUNCIL member Hard advised that a letter had been received from the school district INFORMATIO: advising that there would be no need for portable classrooms, the Early Childhood and Family Education program had been moved to Fairview and the Extended Day program will be housed at Falcon Heights School; updated the Planning Commission on the Snelling/Larpenteur redevelopment; reviewed the hold-up in construction of the office building on Larpenteur and Prior; advised that the office condos located north of City Hall--two had been sold and another in the process of being closed; 1666 Coffman will be fully occupied by mid-October and the Home Occupation Ordinance was passed by the City Council. Chairman Black then called the Public Hearing on the Rezoning Request REZONING from Cleon Garley, owner of the apartment building at 1845-1855 West REQUEST Larpenteur, to order at 8:15 P.M. Notice of this hearing has been published FROM in the official newspaper and mailed notice given to all property owners within CLEON • 350 feet. The rezoning request is to change the property in question from R-1 to R-4. GARLEY, Chairman Black reviewed the background information given previously at this 1845-1855 meeting and Cleon Garley reviewed the information. WEST LARPENTEUR Betty Sommers, 1701 North Fairview Avenue, advised that the apartment building was a miserable neighbor as they were noisy, had a lot of gas fumes and had BETTY trouble with the garbage. They use the ten foot buffer for bike and motorcycle SOMMERS parking. She felt the rezoning would ruin her property and increase the number 1701 NORTH of burglaries in the area. FAIRVIEW Mrs. Martha Sommers, 1701 North Fairview Avenue, was very opposed to having automobiles surrounding her home as they were not good neighbors and very noisy. Malcom Sugdem, 1718 Lindig, purchased his lot in 1967 when all of the area was then zoned R-1 and. wants that protected. He purchased his property because of the size of the lot. He felt the rezoning would not be desirable in an R-1 district because it would decrease property values, create noise and cause problems with surface run-off. The problems encountered with parking by the apartment owner should not have to be solved by the single family homeowners. Allan J. Kraemer, 1707 North Fairview Avenue, was of the understanding that when the building permit was granted that they were alloted 1-1/2 spaces for each unit and they would not ask for any increased parking. Also, the • letter mailed to residents stated the subdivision was for 60 feet not 80 feet. Mr. Kraemer stated that the two buildings are an inefficient use of the land they occupy. If approval of the subdivision and rezoning are given, it opens the door for future apartment expansion. He is against the rezoning because MARTHA S OMMERS , 1701 NORTH FAIRVIEW MALCOM SUGDEM, 1718 LINDI( ALLAN J. KRAEMER, 1707 NORTH FAIRVIEW MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING/PUBLIC HEARING AUGUST 4, 1986 • PAGE 3 of the devaluation it will bring to his property and the noise. Jim Bleeker, 1715 Lindig, is a new resident and he is opposed to the rezoning d JIM BLEEKEF ue to increased pollution and decreased values . 1715 LINDI( Carol Kraemer, read into the record a letter from Mr. and Mrs. Roger Scher , 1717 Fairview Avenue North. A copy will be on file in the office of the MR & MRS Clerk Administrator. The are o y pposed due to the noise, lights flashing ROGER through their backyards, loss of privacy, run-off and the present parking SCHER 1717 lot being an eyesore. NORTH FAIRVIEW Mrs. Joe Bianchi, 1725 North Fairview Avenue, advised that she has lived at her present residence for thirty years and wished to keep the area as it JOE BIANCH] 1725 NO presently exists. He agreed with the statements made by the Schers' RTH . FAIRVIEW Irene McGregor, 1795 North Fairview Avenue, advised that she has lived at IRENE this residence since 1948 and wishes to keep the neighborhood as it presently MC GREGOR exists. She was very concerned about the drainage and the need for a storm 1795 NORTH sewer. FAIRVIEW D. W. French, 1728 Lindig, was very opposed to the rezoning as he purchased hi p D. W. FRENC s roperty because he liked the area and wishes to keep the setting as it 1728 LINDIG is. The rezoning will detract from the value of his property. • Steven Michael, 1711 Lindig, advised that the natural watershed runs from STEVEN Larpenteur to the north. There will be problems with runoff and is concerned b MICHAEL a out the salt and car oil and grease that will affect the water. He advised th t , 1711 LINDIG a more people occupy the apartment than are necessary and that the apartments are very unkept. Chairman Black read Mr. Ralph Gullickson's letter dated August 4, 1986, into RALPH the record. A copy will be on file in the office of the Clerk Administrator. GULLICKSON Gullickson is opposed to the rezoning due to the noise created, market values LETTER decreasing, the parking lot will be an unsightly barrier in backyards and spring runoff of melting snow polluted with salt from cars will get into his garden. Garley advised that he is in need of more parking and felt this was the best GARLEY alternative. He is willing to put of a fence and is willing to work with the City Engineer to work out drainage problems. Finegan questions whether it would be feasible to limit the number of cars for FINEGAN each rental unit written into their lease to which Garley replied that even so there is just not enough parking for each unit to have two cars. Daykin questioned the number of people living in each unit and if the units DAYKIN were leased by the unit or by the number of people. Ascher replied that the units are leased by unit not by the number of people living therein. • Discussion ensued regarding the 60 foot or 80 foot request. Chairman Black BLACK directed that the Commission Members act on the 60 foot request as that was the figure used in letters mailed to residents. MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION • REGULAR MEETING/PUBLIC HEARING AUGUST 4, 1986 PAGE 4 Art Lindig, 1875 Larpenteur Avenue West, pointed out that the back of the lots in question do not run even. Chairman Black closed the Public Hearing at 9:00 P.M. Finegan agreed with Garley that he is in need of more parking and he is trying to make an honest attempt to solve the problem but yet is swayed by the problems the residents will encounter. He is opposed to the rezoning change because it would be a dis-service to the area. Northrop agreed that it will have a substantial impact on the individual property owners. Garley needs the additional parking but feels that all the creative ideas have not been explored that will provide that parking without infringing on the neighborhood. Mr. Garley is the new owner of the building and should not be blamed for previous problems but the inoperative automobiles located in the parking lot should be dealt with. She was also puzzled by statements made regarding the number of tenants in a unit. She suggested Garley work with the City Planner to formulate a plan. Daykin moved, seconded by Finegan, to consider the subdivision request. After a discussion, it was deemed the motion to consider the request not needed and Chairman Black ruled the motion out of order. • Trent-Sullivan was opposed to the rezoning request and felt that the values of the properties will decrease and the parking lot being put in an R-1 district is not an appropriate use of the property. Boche moved, seconded by Trent-Sullivan to deny the subdivision request. Black agreed that the Garley property does need additional parking but is not convinced that the owner and manager had done everything they can to limit the number of cars somehow in the lease arrangements. If the subdivision and rezoning were approved, Black was not sure it would solve the problem totally as it still did not provide enough parking. Felt other solutions should be investigated. A vote was then taken on the motion and it was approved unanimously to deny the subdivision request. Rezoning then became a moot point. Finegan moved, seconded by Trent-Sullivan to adjourn the meeting at 9:20 P.M. Edgar negan, Secre y ART LINDIG, 1875 WEST LARPENTEUR PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED FINEGAN NORTHROP MOTION TO CONSIDER SUBDIVISION OUT OF ORDE TRENT- SULLIVAN SUBDIVISION REQUEST DENIED BLACK REZONING REQUEST MOOT ADJOURNMENT