HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes08_0325City of Falcon Heights
Planning Commission Minutes
March 25, 2008
PRESENT: Commissioners Anderson, Hasegawa, Lukermann, Noble, Rodich, Salzberg, Watkins and Councilmember Kuettel. Also present was City Attorney Joel Jamnik and Staff Liaison Deb Jones.
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Watkins at 7:02 p.m. The minutes of the February 26, 2008, meeting were approved with a minor correction.
PUBLIC HEARING: Proposed Comprehensive Plan for the City of Falcon Heights
Prior to the opening of the hearing, staff liaison Jones presented the staff report. All cities in the metropolitan area are required to submit new or updated comprehensive plans to
the Metropolitan Council by the end of 2008. Before the plan is submitted it must be approved by the Planning Commission and the City Council after a public hearing and given to adjacent
cities, the school district and other bodies for review. After over a year of work by staff, the Planning Commission and City Council, a volunteer resident steering committee and the
city’s consultants, a draft has been prepared and has been available on the city’s website since January. A public open house was held March 13, and another is planned for April 3.
This evening is the required public hearing, to be followed by recommendation action by the commission.
Jones reviewed the “Vision, Values and Objectives” section of the plan for the audience and revisited the land use portion, discussed by the commission last month. She displayed a map
that summed up the limited changes in land use expected in Falcon Heights between now and 2030. Redevelopment is expected to be confined to larger commercial properties along Larpenteur
Avenue west of Snelling and some of the older apartment sites. Development will be market driven. The Metropolitan Council forecast predicts that Falcon Heights will need about 250 additional
housing units by 2030. Finally, Jones acknowledged the efforts of all the people who contributed to the creation of the new plan.
The Chair opened the hearing. There being no one who wished to speak, the Chair then closed the hearing.
DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION:
Commissioner Lukermann wished to return to the issue of affordable housing that was a big part of last months discussion. She feels it is important for the city to write a stronger commitment
into the implementation of the plan by requiring ten percent of new housing to be affordable by Metropolitan Council standards, including any single-family housing that might be developed
in the future on what is now
University land. She moved that the commission recommend the addition of this requirement to the Housing portion of the Implementation section of the plan (Section IV, page 14). The
motion received a second. A lengthy discussion ensued.
Generally, commissioners expressed agreement with the intent of Commissioner Lukermann’s motion. Several commissioners had questions or reservations about adding such specific language.
Some felt that the existing draft language goes far enough because the comprehensive plan is intended to be a goal oriented document, that the draft already makes a general commitment
to affordable housing in several places, and that this would be better addressed in the zoning code. Others felt that leaving it to future zoning changes is too passive an approach
and that market forces might end up working against affordable housing unless this commitment is made in the comprehensive plan.
When asked by the commission to give some input on the issue, City Attorney Jamnik said that this area of the law is somewhat “in flux” at present. There is disagreement about the extent
of a city’s authority to require as a condition of development the inclusion of low and moderate income housing. Although at least one local city has passed such an ordinance it has
not been tested in court. He would advise against a “hard and fast statement” in the comprehensive plan.
In response to a question from Commissioner Noble, Jones emphasized that the draft comprehensive plan assumes that there is no intent on the part of the University to sell any of its
land in Falcon Heights or private development. One implementation provision included in this plan is the removal of dual zoning from the public land so that the comprehensive plan would
have to be amended if the public institutions ever sell their land. This gives the city more leverage if it ever does happen.
The question was called. By a show of hands the motion was defeated, 3 in favor, 4 opposed.
Commissioner Rodich proposed a new motion to echo the intent of Lukermann’s motion by adding a more “broad stroke” affordable housing statement in the vision and values portion of the
plan. Commissioner Anderson pointed out that affordable housing is not a value but a means to an end, that end being a community that is economically and culturally diverse. Ms. Lukermann
added that an important part of being a livable community is to provide housing that enables people to live near where they work – in particular University employees. Jones suggested
incorporating these goals into the of the values statements: “Maintaining our traditional neighborhoods in this central Metro location, with opportunities for all our generations to
stay in the city.” Rodich accepted this suggestion and restated his motion, which was seconded by Salzberg. The motion passed unanimously.
The Chair asked for any further comments before a final motion. Anderson pointed out that the page numbering does not match the document sections after Section IV.
Jones said that the page numbering refers to the pieces into which the document was broken to facilitate downloading from the internet, not the document sections, and apologized for
any confusion this may cause. Commissioners pointed out a number of typos and other minor errors.
Commissioner Watkins moved that the Commission recommend approval of the draft with the addition specified in the previous motion. Several commissioners seconded the motion, which passed
unanimously by voice vote.
ELECTION OF COMMISSION VICE-CHAIR
As requested at the last meeting, the Commission elected a Vice Chair. Commissioner Noble nominated Commissioner Lukermann as Vice Chair. She was elected unanimously.
INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Jones announced that she has received the brochure for spring training from Government Training Service which offers several coursed that are highly recommended. As the brochure arrived
too late for inclusion in the pa
Lukermann announced a noon forum coming up on April 18 at the Humphrey Institute on mandatory inclusionary housing, the topic under discussion this evening. She will email the information
to staff for distribution to the rest of the commission.
Jones reminded the Commission and the viewing audience that the second comprehensive plan open house will be held on Thursday, April 3, at 6:30 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 8:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Deborah Jones, Staff Liaison