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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/27/2022 Environmental Board MinutesEnvironmental Board July 27, 2022 Page 1 APPROVED MINUTES CITY OF LINO LAKES ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD MEETING I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL: Chair Sullivan called the Lino Lakes Environmental Board meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. on July 27, 2022. II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Chair Sullivan approved the agenda as presented. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Mr. Schwartz made a MOTION to approve the June 29, 2022 meeting minutes. Motion was supported by Ms. McNulty. Motion carried 5 – 0. V. OPEN MIKE Chair Sullivan declared Open Mike at 6:34 p.m. There was no one present for Open Mike. Open Mike was closed at 6:34 p.m. VI. ACTION ITEMS A. Robinson Property Environmental Assessment Worksheet Michael Grochala, Community Development Director, and Alison Harwood, from WSB & Associates, presented the staff report. Integrate Properties, LLC (Developer) is proposing a residential development project on approximately 158 acres abutting Main Street (CSAH 14) and Sunset Avenue (CR DATE: July 27, 2022 TIME STARTED: 6:31 P.M. TIME ENDED: 8:19 P.M. MEMBERS PRESENT: John Sullivan, Jonathan Parsons, Ella McNulty, Cassie Cavegn, Alex Schwartz STAFF PRESENT: Andy Nelson, Tori Philippi Environmental Board July 27, 2022 Page 2 APPROVED MINUTES 53) in the northwest quadrant of the City. The property is guided for low, medium and high-density residential uses in the City’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The Environmental Board reviewed a development concept plan for the property in January of this year. Due to the proposed number of residential units, preparation of an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) is required by Minnesota Rules. The process operates according to rules adopted by the state’s Environmental Quality Board (EQB). The EAW document is designed to provide a brief analysis and overview of the potential environmental impacts for a specific project and to help the City, referred to as the Responsible Government Unit (RGU), determine whether an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is necessary. The questions contained within the document are established by the EQB Chair Comments Chair Sullivan discussed the possibility of incorporating pollinator gardens and native plant species into the project. Chair Sullivan questioned if some of the proposed housing units will have basements or if all housing units will be slab on grade. Alison Harwood, from WSB & Associates, clarified that there will be housing units with basements. Chair Sullivan voiced concern over with permanent wetland fill occurring on the site. Mr. Nelson stated that developers will need to go through several layers of regulatory review with Rice Creek Watershed District, Board of Water and Soil Resources, Army Corps of Engineers, and MPCA in order to mitigate wetland impact. Board Comments Mr. Parsons asked if there will be a diverse array of boulevard trees or if every resident will receive the same species of boulevard tree. Mr. Parsons discussed the stormwater analysis process. Staff Comments Mr. Nelson discussed the City’s plan of diversifying boulevard tree species and incorporating fire adapted native oak species into open spaces. Mr. Schwartz made a MOTION to recommend the Robinson Property Environmental Assessment Worksheet to be forwarded to the Planning and Zoning Board and City Council subject to conditions listed in the staff report. Motion was Environmental Board July 27, 2022 Page 3 APPROVED MINUTES supported by Mr. Parsons. Motion carried 5 – 0. VII. DISCUSSION ITEMS A. Belland Farms 2nd Addition Preliminary Plat and Site Plan and Conditional Use Permit for New Horizon Academy Andy Nelson, Environmental Coordinator, presented the staff report. Two (2) separate Land Use Applications were submitted. The first applicant, Rehbein Properties, submitted Belland Farms 2nd Addition Preliminary Plat to create one commercial lot. The second applicant, New Horizons Academy, submitted a Conditional Use Permit and Site Plan Review for New Horizons Academy, a children’s daycare facility, to be located on Lot 1, Block 1 of the Belland Farms 2nd Addition Preliminary Plat. The proposed New Horizons Academy project includes an extension of Rosemary Way to the west to prepare access for future development. A 0.0547 acre wetland will be impacted by the road extension. This wetland impact was mitigated for with the purchase of wetland bank credits in November of 2021. Board Comments Mr. Parsons discussed the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan. Staff provided answers to Mr. Parsons’ questions about the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan. Chair Sullivan asked for staff clarification on portions of the staff Power Point presentation. Mr. Nelson answered all of Chair Sullivan’s questions about Staff Power Point slides. Chair Sullivan made a MOTION to recommend the Belland Farms 2nd Addition Preliminary Plat and Site Plan and Conditional Use Permit for New Horizon Academy to be forwarded to the Planning and Zoning Board and City Council subject to conditions listed in the staff report. Motion was supported by Ms. Cavegn. Motion carried 5 – 0. VIII. DISCUSSION ITEMS A. Kwik Trip Conditional Use Permit and Site Plan Review Andy Nelson, Environmental Coordinator, presented the staff report. Environmental Board July 27, 2022 Page 4 APPROVED MINUTES A Land Use Application has been submitted for a Conditional Use Permit and Site Plan Review for Kwik Trip, which will include a convenience store, a single bay carwash, and 10 fueling stations. Board Comments Mr. Schwartz asked about the quality of the wetland located in the southeast portion of the site and if it contains rare native plant species. Mr. Nelson responded that the wetland delineation report does contain information about species located on site. Staff will revisit the plant survey but did not notice any mention of rare native plant species. Mr. Parsons asked if the exsting trees will be marked and surveyed after construction to verify survival. Mr. Nelson said that prior to construction, erosion control measures and tree protection fences will be installed and inspected to insure they have been installed to City Of Lino Lakes specifications. Mr. Parsons asked for clarification on where the recommended trail segment would be and how it would connect to the larger trail system in the area, noting the importance of long-term planning to promote connectivity. Mr. Nelson identified the recommended location for the trail segment heading north from Sandhill Drive. Mr. Schwartz asked if the oil and grit chamber will require routine maintenance and if the city requires a longterm maintenance agreement. Mr. Nelson said that the oil and grit chamber will require routine maintenance and is designed to provide access for maintenance activities and assumed that long-term maintenance was part of the applicant’s plan. Chair Sullivan mentioned deep concerns about the extenstive tree removals (240 trees) associated with the project and noted the high quality of this wooded area. He also noted that only 40 new replacement trees were being provided for the 240 removals, and mentioned that saving more trees would be preferred. Chair Sullivan noted the abundance of gas stations in the area and questioned the need for more, particularly in a location that is a gateway to the city. He also raised concerns related to additional pollution of the impaired lakes in the area from the petroleum products. Mr. Schwartz remarked that he appreciated that the wetland would not be impacted by the project, noting the water quality benefits provided by the wetland, particularly due to the close proximity to the lake. Environmental Board July 27, 2022 Page 5 APPROVED MINUTES Mr. Schwartz asked Staff what would happen to the underground fuel tanks once the site is redeveloped and if the site would be permanently contaminated. Staff said the State of Minnesota regulates how the fuel tanks need to be constructed, and assumed that the rules are quite stringent. He noted the seperation requirement between the well and the tanks, and that the proposed project was well outside of the minimum distance requirement. Staff said that the run off from the site will receive several levels of pretreatment before reaching Marshan Lake, and that run off coming from the site will be less contaminated than the run off coming from most sites because of this pretreatment and filtration. Mr. Schwartz made a MOTION to recommend the Kwik Trip Conditional Use Permit and Site Plan Review to be forwarded to the Planning and Zoning Board and City Council subject to conditions listed in the staff report. Motion was supported by Mr. Parsons. Motion carried 5 – 0. IX. UPDATES A. General Updates Mr. Nelson stated that there are no general updates. B. Recycling Updates Ms. Philippi provided an update on this month’s Recycle Saturday. The event had a total of 196 participants. 147 of the participants showed up for All Appliance Disposal and 49 participants showed up for paper shredding. There will be no event in August due to Blue Heron Days. The Blue Heron Days parade will be held on Saturday, August 20. The City is looking for volunteers to help with collecting of trash and recyclable materials that are left on the parade route. Volunteer duties include walking at the end of the parade picking up trash and other recyclable materials. (10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.) Volunteers get a free shirt and tote bag. There was not much of an increase in organics participants during the month of July. The current total is 450 participants. An increase in participants should be expected after the next newsletter comes out in August. The SCORE Reimbursement form for the county was recently submitted and Staff will be completing the Tonnage Report and 2023 Application later this week. X. ADJOURNMENT Mr. Schwartz made a MOTION to adjourn the meeting at 8:19 p.m. Motion was supported by Ms. Cavegn. Motion carried 5 – 0.