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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/30/2003 Environmental Board MinutesENVIRONMENTAL BOARD MEETINGAPRIL 30, 2003 1 APPROVED MINUTES CITY OF LINO LAKES APPROVED MINUTES DATE: April 30, 2003 TIME STARTED: 6:36 P.M. TIME ENDED: 9:30 P.M. MEMBERS PRESENT: Amy Donlin (arrived at 6:37 p.m.), Constance Grundhofer, Patrice Toler Halen, Rod Kukonen, Teresa O’Connell, and Mary Jo O’Dea MEMBERS ABSENT: Nikki Schneider STAFF PRESENT: Environmental Coordinator Marty Asleson 1.CALL TO ORDER Chair Kukonen called the meeting to order at 6:36 p.m. 2.APPROVAL OF MINUTES March 26, 2003 The following correction was requested: Page 4, paragraph two: “Chair Kukonen commented on clustering houses that Quigley’s development approached 50% open space. Raven’s Hollow reflected a better plan than could be attained with the R-EC.” The approval of the minutes was postponed until item 7H. 3.APPROVAL OF AGENDA • Discuss The Stormwater Management Plan in 5A. • Discuss Mississippi River Brochure in 7D. • Discuss Behm’s Farm in 7E. • Discuss Earth Day in 7F. • Discuss Vikings Complex Update in 7G. • Discuss Approval of the Minutes in 7H. The agenda was approved unanimously. 4.OPEN MIKE No citizen comments were made. ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD MEETINGAPRIL 30, 2003 2 APPROVED MINUTES 5.ACTION ITEMS A.Surface Water Management Plan Asleson indicated in the past, references were suggesting the need for a good hydrologist to comment on various issues. He introduced Jim Jacques who was working with the City from TKDA and QSM, and was present to answer questions. Mr. Jacques stated the plan was needed because Federal and State policy had directed the implementation to take place at the local government level. He gave the example that the NPDES began as a construction permit at Phase I, but in Phase II the city needed to have a policy. The law required the city to develop a plan for implementation within two years. Staff distributed the Surface Water Management Plan Program, the Watershed Management Plan components, and the Executive Summary that addressed issues related to the City. He reviewed goals relating to the City, with the policies and action items. Mr. Jacques indicated that he had received staff input, and was now looking for resident input through the Board. Lastly, he would go back to the Council. He noted a provision for the City to become the Local Governing Unit. If the City chose to become the Local Governing Unit it would have jurisdiction for both stormwater and wetland management. The City of Hugo was an example where the City had jurisdiction instead of Rice Creek Watershed District. Donlin stated that she hoped Rice Creek Watershed District would maintain its status as the Local Governing Unit, because the outside control was beneficial to the City. Mr. Jacques added that staff and financing issues were also figured into the decision. Grundhofer questioned if Mr. Jacques could be contacted for comments. Mr. Jacques answered his direct line was (651) 726-7914, or E-Mail at jacques.je@TKDA.com. Asleson stated Mr. Jacques had given the background information to the Board, and that it was merely an introduction. Mr. Jacques added he would be happy to go through the document with the Board. B.Discount Tire Company/633 Apollo Drive/Site Plan Review and CUP Asleson reviewed the background and analysis. Donlin inquired about the location of the site, and if a better map is available. Staff turned to the map of the previous plan, and indicated that the location had not been altered. ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD MEETINGAPRIL 30, 2003 3 APPROVED MINUTES Asleson stated half of the dogwoods were on the property line. There were visibility issues for the police, so groupings were suggested. He also indicated that there was parking in the back of the site. Donlin inquired about a trail, and expressed concern about the traffic. Asleson responded that the trail was a good idea for alternative transportation. Chair Kukonen asked for confirmation of 38 parking spaces. He suggested in accordance with the zoning ordinance that the number should be reduced and replaced with pervious surfaces. He also recommended that the developer follow the current lighting standards. Grundhofer expressed difficulty in defining the number of fixtures on the site. Asleson stated that there was no direction in the ordinance on the number, but there were directions for spillage. O’Dea stated she found nine locations for lights. Steve Swanson spoke to the issue but indicated that he was a civil engineer not in charge of the lighting. He promised to bring the issues to the developers’ attention. The lighting fixtures were in the form of wall packs and free standing lights. There were three poles on Lake Drive and one pole on the opposite side. Donlin indicated one of the goals of the Board was to minimize the lighting. For this reason, all the lights should have hoods. Asleson clarified that the fixtures should be flush mounted. Donlin stated that fixtures should be recessed. Landscaping was important to make the site visually aesthetic. Mr. Swanson stated that the developer was open to any recommendations in the area of landscaping. Asleson noted that the landscaping issues were visibility and use of salt tolerance species. Mr. Swanson gave the name Gordon Anderson as the contact for landscaping on the project. Donlin expressed concern for the big box industry, that the buildings could be softened with ivy and shade trees. Grundhofer inquired of staff on the appropriateness of woodbine or the honey locust at that location. Asleson responded that it was a good urban tree. Minneapolis had trouble with the honey locust. Grundhofer suggested that the New Jersey Tea for the trail. Donlin added that native species were a standard recommendation. ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD MEETINGAPRIL 30, 2003 4 APPROVED MINUTES Asleson stated that the trees should be increased to 17, and native flower beds should also be planted. Chair Kukonen noted that there were ivy plantings in White Bear that could provide an example. Mr. Swanson stated that the original plan had 40 stalls, according to their market research. Chair Kukonen answered that the Board recommends the minimum, and recommended that they try Netlawn on the balance. O’Connell inquired about the meaning of FFE. Mr. Swanson indicated it means “for floor elevation.” O’Connell recommended they store tires inside. She also questioned if there would be oil changes as well as tires. Mr. Swanson stated that there was an arrangement with the vendors for the tires. Donlin mentioned that tires that were retreaded in Asia brought the West Nile Virus to the United States. O’Connell asked if there were any monuments for the business. Asleson responded that there was one lighted monument. O’Connell recommended that the lighted monument be turned off one hour after business hours. Chair Kukonen reviewed the Board’s recommendations: • Staff recommendations. • Turn off lighted monuments one hour after operations. • Address lighting issues, specifically relating to spillage and type of fixture. • Decrease the parking spaces to the minimum in the ordinance. • Work with staff on landscaping issues. • No storage of tires outdoors. O’Connell asked how did the heavy duty pavement differ from regular pavement. Mr. Swanson answered that it was thicker. Donlin made a motion to approve with the recommendations from the Board. Grundhofer seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously. ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD MEETINGAPRIL 30, 2003 5 APPROVED MINUTES C.K-G Development/Ravens Hollow/Preliminary Plan Review and CUP/Update Rockey Goertz spoke to the Board on the changes to the plan. He indicated he was asked to leave the Planning and Zoning Board meeting while discussing density issues. The consensus was that the plan would not successfully go through the process. The new plan has large houses built on smaller lots, with 15 feet between houses. He eliminated the cul- de-sac, and now had 31 townhomes and 26 single family homes. The lots were 450 feet deep in the northeast. The new plan would be submitted on May 14, 2003 with the Planning and Zoning Board, then to Rice Creek Watershed District. He asked the Board for comments. Asleson stated some of the oaks would remain with the new plan. Donlin asked for clarification that the number of units increased. Mr. Goertz confirmed the units went from 40 to 57. Donlin inquired about the woods in the center. Mr. Goertz answered that it would remain woods. He questioned if staff had received the tree inventory. Asleson responded that they had not yet received the tree inventory. Mr. Goertz stated the size of the lots for the townhomes were decreased. In addition, he put a bend in the road to preserve the wetland in the northeast. Grundhofer expressed concern about Lot 6 and Lot 7, and asked if the wetland would be up to their houses. Mr. Goertz responded they would be filled and mitigated. Chair Kukonen asked about the possibility of resurrecting the previous plan. Mr. Goertz answered that his impression was that there was no hope; however, he believed that the new plan was a nice alternative for the City. Chair Kukonen inquired if it was conceptually close to the goals of the conservation district. Mr. Goertz agreed, and it might even be more so. He tried clustering, and it might not provide more open space. The first plan had about 5-1/2 acres of open space and the present plan had 6-1/2 acres of open space. Kukonen questioned if it would be written in the homeowners’ associations. Mr. Goertz confirmed that it would be written in the homeowners’ association. ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD MEETINGAPRIL 30, 2003 6 APPROVED MINUTES Asleson mentioned it could maintain the buffers forever. He expressed concern with the maintenance issues for pipe cleaning. Chair Kukonen asked if it was seen as an improvement. Mr. Goertz responded that it was a good alternative, but not necessarily an improvement. The houses would start at $300,000. Chair Kukonen called for a motion. O’Dea made a motion to recommend approval with staff recommendations. Halen seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously. 6.DISCUSSION ITEMS A.Surface Water Management Plan/Jim Jacques This item was discussed previously in Section 5A. B.Guest Speaker/Connie Grundhofer Grundhofer introduced Ruben Moreno who was an amity scholar to Oak Hill School, and he was there to discuss ecological issues in Columbia. Mr. Moreno discussed the environmental impact of deforestation, the commercialization of animals, the cocaine industry, oil pipeline attacks and the loss of oil, and the displacement of people. The biodiversity of Columbia, especially in the Amazon Rainforest, had global importance. He explained that the dynamics of war, poverty, and the drug trade had created a devastating situation for the people and natural environment of Columbia. He displayed scenes of fragile beauty, and discussed the challenges to their preservation. C.City Newsletter Asleson stated the deadline for the City Newsletter had expired, but he had submitted articles on Earth Day, Arbor Day, and the Herons dealing with the buffers. 7.OTHER DEPARTMENT REPORTS A.Forestry Asleson noted the boulevard plantings were completed. In addition, the Arbor Day ceremony at Lino Lakes Elementary was successful. ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD MEETINGAPRIL 30, 2003 7 APPROVED MINUTES B.Solid Waste Recycling/Recycling Day Asleson stated that the next Recycling Day would be Saturday from 9-3 p.m. C.Environmental/Heron Issues Asleson noted there had been significant activity at the rookery. Tina Marier stated Bill Hudson was doing a follow-up story on this issue that could be seen on Friday at 10 p.m. on Channel 4. Asleson indicated that the slow no wake zone had been established, and the birds appeared to be acting normally. Any disturbances would hopefully be witnessed and noted. Wayne LeBlanc has noted 40 pair of herons. Three white egret nests were also sighted. The Board discussed distributing literature to fishermen on opening day in the early morning rush hours. D.Mississippi River Brochure Grundhofer reviewed a brochure she found informative that discussed the watershed around Springbrook. She inquired about the feasibility of a similar brochure for the Lino Lakes area. E.Behm’s Farm Update Grundhofer stated that neighbors were upset because trees were removed, although she was aware some was buckthorn. Asleson explained that in 1899 the area was entirely wetland with no trees. It was later ditched and aspen and boxelder were present. The meeting ended with a neighborhood representative meeting with various agencies at Rice Creek Watershed District to address the visual aspects, and making it more irregularly shaped. He noted many of the neighbors were doing native plantings. Grundhofer was encouraged by the neighborhood concern, and suggested that those concerns be brought to Council, because on several issues the Board might represent more of a majority than was typically stated. F.Earth Day The Board discussed the end of the year small group discussion was held. Halen noted there were no Boy Scouts at the celebration. ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD MEETINGAPRIL 30, 2003 8 APPROVED MINUTES Asleson mentioned he found a leader who would take it to the Girl Scout Council. He reviewed that 14-15 years ago, it focused on cleaning up the City. He suggested that it could be scaled down to be a clean up day and tree sale. Donlin stated that some 4H groups were interested for next year. Asleson noted that the group coordinators had to be identified and contacted early on in the process. Donlin added that the Easter weekend might not be the best date. O’Connell suggested that it could be a citywide celebration if it was discontinued at the Quad Cities level. G.Vikings Complex Update Donlin stated Council voted 4-1 to approve a fact-finding tour of feasibility study for the two proposed Lino Lakes sites and committed $7,000. She indicated that there were drawings that consisted of 300 acres each. A meeting has been scheduled for the six entities at Hugo Town Hall on May 15, 2003, at 7:00 p.m. Chair Kukonen noted that one of the sites was on the Urban Interface Project. Grundhofer indicated it would need an EIS. H.Approval of the Minutes Donlin moved to approve the March 26, 2003 amended meeting minutes. Grundhofer seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously. 8.ADJOURN It was noted that the next meeting of the Environmental Board will be on May 28, 2003. There being no further business, Halen moved to adjourn at 9:30 p.m. Grundhofer seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously. Transcribed by: Brigette Blesi TimeSavers Off Site Secretarial, Inc.