HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes04_0427City of Falcon Heights
Planning Commission Minutes
April 27, 2004
Chair Pamela Harris called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. There was no video recording or broadcast due to the absence of the technician.
PRESENT: Commissioners DeLeo, Harris, Heideman, Maher, Ryan, Tracy, Ziebarth, Council Member Lindstrom. Also present was Staff Liaison Deb Jones.
ABSENT: Lukermann (with notice), Lageson
The minutes of the February 24, meeting were approved, with one correction: Commissioner DeLeo’s name was accidentally omitted from the list of those present.
FARMER’S MARKET INTERIM USE PERMIT RENEWAL
Staff Liaison Jones gave a brief introductory presentation. The Farmer’s Market proved to be a terrific community asset last summer. No complaints were received, and parking proved
to be adequate. The only changes from last year are the parking space numbers. The property owner, Twin Cities Cooperative Credit Union brought to the City’s attention some discrepancies
between the actual count and the count used last year based on an out-of-date site plan. Furthermore, their business needs have increased, largely due to their provision of parking
for non-residents commuting to the University of Minnesota and to workers at the SE Corner site. Finally, TCCU proposes to restripe the parking lot to enforce one-way traffic south
to north in the lot. This would send drivers in one driveway and out the other, easing traffic congestion at the main driveway off Prior. The net loss in the north lot, where most
of the Farmer’s Market customers park is 5 spaces. Since the lot was never full last year, Staff expressed confident that the reduction in parking space numbers on the permit would
have no effect on operation of the market. Also, the south parking lot at City Hall is available for overflow and is not included in this year’s count.
Commissioner Harris then opened the public meeting. The first speaker was Joan Hoium, resident of Garden Avenue, who came to support the continuation of the market. She said she wanted
to make sure the Commission did not hear all negative comments from the public; her family is very happy with the market. There were no other residents present to speak.
Todd Barduson of TCCU came to the podium. He said the credit union wants to make the Farmers’ Market as much of a success as possible and that their employees are good customers. They
did observe some congestion in the parking lot with the two-way rows, not only on market days but for State Fair parking, and this is the reason for the restriping. Parking places will
be lost because the striping has to allow for the existing islands, but credit union staff observed that the lot only came close to capacity during the “peak sweet corn season.” He added
that the Farmers’ Market organization is very happy with the way things went last season and excited about coming back. Hermes Nursary, a local business, will be joining the vendors
this year. TCCU is also considering incorporating a regular food drive into the market.
Commissioner Ziebarth complimented TCCU for this community service. Councilmember Lindstrom said that the recent food drive’s success was due in large part to the participation of TCCU.
Mr. Barduson said that the left turn from Prior to Larpenteur remains the only traffic difficulty. Customers who have difficulty with the turn are encouraged to go through the south
(front) parking lot of the credit union and take advantage of the light at Gortner. They hope to educate market customers on all these traffic and parking changes by distributing flyers
the first couple of weeks. Finally, he commented that the potential issues of litter and noise did not materialize, and that credit union staff had patrolled and picked up litter on
the windy days.
Commissioner Harris closed the public hearing and complimented the Twin City Coops as a good neighbor. There was no discussion by the Commission on the I.U.P. Tracy moved, Ryan seconded,
that the Commission recommend approval of the permit for the Farmer’s Market for another year. Mission carried.
PARKING OF CARS FOR SALE
Staff Liaison Jones introduced the new ordinance under consideration. This ordinance would restrict the parking of cars for sale in the City by prohibiting such parking on the public
right of way while specifically permitting such parking under specific conditions on private property. The use of public rights-of-way as de facto used car lots has long been a source
of resident concern in the City, especially along the Snelling service drives. Safety is the greatest concern, but Ms. Jones also cited neighborhood visual appeal and the operation
of unlicensed business on public property as being of concern to the City. At present the only tool the City has to discourage this practice is the enforcement of the general 48-hour
parking limit. The object of the new ordinance is to move this used car business off the public right of way while not unduly restricting residents, business owners and their employees
from parking their own vehicles for sale on private property.
In response to a question from Commissioner Heideman, Jones said that the City would enforce by informing the police of the new ordinance and asking them to start ticketing the cars.
This would probably get the message out.
The public hearing was opened by Commissioner Harris, but there was no one who wished to speak.
Speaking as a resident of the west Snelling Drive, Commissioner Harris provided documentation of the safety hazards posed by cars and motorcycles parked on the drive. She distributed
a diagram showing how the lights of oncoming cars on the main road render parked cars invisible. There is a very real danger of a head on collision caused by drivers on the service
road moving into the oncoming lane to avoid the parked vehicles.
Commissioner Ziebarth asked if some of the parked cars belong to visitors to residents along the street. Harris replied that most residents have long enough driveways to provide parking
to their visitors. Occasionally there are a lot of cars parked near Roselawn for a garage sale, but this is only in the daytime when visibility is better. Tracy confirmed that it is
the cars for sale that are left overnight.
Commissioner Ryan raised the issue of residents parking their own cars for sale where there are no front driveways, namely, in the Northome neighborhood. Wouldn’t consistent enforcement
require the police to ticket cars with “For Sale” signs on them on residential streets as well, even if they belong to residents or their visitors?
The Commissioners spent some time in careful discussion of this issue, concerned that the ordinance, as drafted, takes away residents’ rights to park in front of their homes when their
cars are for sale or else puts the City in the position of enforcing the ordinance inconsistently. The Commissioners were also concerned that the City not impose a restriction on public
street parking that differentiates
between residents and non-residents. A consensus emerged that the best compromise might be to specify particular rights-of-way for the restriction, instead of blanketing the whole city.
Since there are only a few major thoroughfares where this use of the right-of-way could be an issue, it might suffice to simply name those streets. The other language could remain
the same, pending advice of the City Attorney.
Although the Commission discussion was in progress, the public hearing had not been closed officially, so Commissioner Harris announced the closing of the hearing and asked if there
was any further discussion. There was none. Commissioner Maher moved, DeLeo seconded, that the Commission recommend the ordinance to the Council for approval, with the addition of
the specific named streets where the restriction would be in force. These are Snelling Avenue and its service drives, Larpenteur Avenue, Hamline Avenue, Fairview Avenue, Roselawn Avenue,
and Cleveland Avenue. There was no discussion. Motion carried.
INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Councilmember Lindstrom announced that he had accompanied the Mayor, other members of the Council and some of the Staff on a tour of the new senior apartment building at the SE Corner
earlier in the evening. He praised the quality of the work and said there will be an open house in about a month. Commissioner Tracy commented that a similar development in Roseville
was sold out before construction began, so Falcon Heights clearly made a good choice on the use of this land.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 8:03 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Deborah Jones, Staff Liaison