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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPZ Minutes; 01-25-16Lake Elmo Planning Commission Minutes; 1-25-16 City of Lake Elmo Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of January 25, 2016 Chairman Kreimer called to order the meeting of the Lake Elmo Planning Commission at 7:00 p.m. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Dodson, Kreimer, Dunn, and Griffin. COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Haggard, Fields, Larson and Williams STAFF PRESENT: City Planner Stephen Wensman & Interim Administrator Schroeder Election of Officers: M/S/P: Kreimer/Dodson move to delay the election of the chair to the next meeting, Vote: 4-0, motion carried unanimously. Approve Agenda: The agenda was accepted as presented. Approve Minutes: None Comprehensive Plan Amendment – Arbor Glen. Wensman started his presentation regarding Arbor Glen. This proposal is for a senior living, congregate housing on 3.72 acres at the corner of 39th street and Lake Elmo Ave. This lot is Lot 1 Block 1 or the Brookman 3rd addition. The Comprehensive plan guides this site as VMX and congregate housing is a CUP in the VMX zoning. Proposed facility is 84 units with 1 guest suite (24 memory care, 29 assisted living and 31 independent living). Proposed density is 16 units per acre, excluding the memory care which is institutional. Current Comprehensive Plan allows 6-10 units per acre. The proposed density here is 16 units per acre, but staff is proposing 20 units per acre for flexibility. This is different from multi-family housing because of the lower impact on the community as they provide on-site services. This is applicable to areas zoned LDR, MDR and VMX. This will require Met council approval and review and this requires a 4/5 vote of the City Council. The code allows 75% impervious, this proposal is 54%. Required setbacks are 10 feet, 32 feet is proposed. This will drop down to 7 feet after CSAH 17 is widened. Maximum height is 35 feet. This is a 2 story structure with 31.5 feet proposed. This proposal exceeds the requirement for green space and for parking required. The trail proposed is 2 Lake Elmo Planning Commission Minutes; 1-25-16 on private property. Staff is recommending getting the 25 foot ROW dedicated as a condition of approval. That will address the countys request as well as the trail. For tree preservation, they will need to replace 7 six foot conifers. There are 2 monument signs proposed and some wall signage. One of the monument signs does not meet the sign code. There will need to be a separate sign plan submitted. The public hearing was held on 12/14/15 and was continued to tonights meeting. Staff has 3 recommendations with suggested motions 1) to approve the Comprehensive plan amendment to allow density for senior congregate housing to 20 units per acre 2) rezone Lot 1 Block 1, Brookman 3rd addition from GB to VMX 3) approve a condition use for congregate living with conditions in report. Dodson asked about the setbacks and if it met the request of the County. To meet the County’s recommendation, the building would need to move to the east approximately 23 feet if the ROW is dedicated. To meet the City code after ROW dedication, it would need to move 3 feet. Wensman stated that we could do an easement for the trail and they would meet the requirement. Dunn likes the plan, but is concerned about the ROW. She is supportive of the County suggestion. She is wondering if increasing this will set a precedent and how that would affect the Village. Wensman stated it would not set a precendent because it is only for senior congregate living with services. Memory care is not considered residential because they do not leave the site unless family members take them out. Matt Frisbee, Ayers, stated that they looked at other sites, but thought this was the best site for them. Dodson thought with the high traffic on lake Elmo Ave, this would have been a better spot for commercial. Frisbee stated that the visibility is important to them and the retail was more desirable closer to Hwy 5. Frisbee stated that they ha ve made changes to accommodate the 10 foot setback. Griffin asked about the ponding and if it would impact the parking. Wensman stated the City Engineer looked at it as well as VBWD. Public Hearing re-opened at 7:31 pm. Written comment was received from Steve Delapp. He is concerned about the amount of impervious coverage, density and the distance to the village center for walkability. No one spoke Public Hearing closed at 7:32 pm. 3 Lake Elmo Planning Commission Minutes; 1-25-16 Kreimer is uncomfortable with the 20 units per acre. He would like to see 15 vs 20. Dunn also was uncomfortable with 20 units as well. Dodson stated that if we went to 15 vs. 16 that would change their proposal. He would like to go with the 16 units to meet the needs of this proposal. Wensman stated that there are 3-4 other places in the City where senior congregate housing could go in and wants to be flexible so that we don’t have to address this again. M/S/P: Dodson/Griffin move to recommend approval of a comprehensive plan text amendment to increase the maximum allowed density for senior congregate housing with services to 16 units per acre and to change the text to read “The facility must have at least 50% of the units to include meals, housekeeping, and personal care assistance and minor medical services”, Vote: 4-0, motion carried, unanimously. Griffin asked about noise from Lake Elmo Ave. Frisbee stated that there is landscaping and that there is sound buffers within the building. The residents like watching the traffic and activity on roads. Conditional Use Permit and Zoning Map Amendment – Arbor Glen. Kreimer and Dunn are concerned about the setbacks. They are concerned that when the County widens the road, it will be close. Public Hearing opened at 7:50 pm. No one spoke and there was no written or electronic correspondence. Public Hearing Closed at 7:53 pm. M/S/P: Kreimer/Griffin, move to recommend the City Council rezone Lot 1, Block 1, Brookman 3rd addition from the GB-General Business to VMX – Village Mixed Use Zoning District, Vote: 4-0, motion carried Unanimously. M/S/P: Dodson/Griffin, move to recommend the City Council approve a conditional use permit for Congregate Housing with the conditions listed in the staff report, striking conditions 7, 10 and 11 and adding an additional condition that the building maintain a 10 foot setback from the future dedicated right-of-way and a condition that the building will be constructed with additional noise mitigation on the West side, Vote: 4-0, motion carried Unanimously. Council Updates – January 19, 2016 Meeting 1. Hidden Meadows Plat Extension - 2 years – Passed. 2. ZTA & Zoning Map Amend – Essential Services – Passed. 3. Sign Variance for IRET Properties – Passed. 4 Lake Elmo Planning Commission Minutes; 1-25-16 Staff Updates 1. Upcoming Meetings a. February 8, 2016 b. February 22, 2016 Commission Concerns Dunn asked about the densities in the Village area. She would also like to see something in the Developer agreements or somewhere that the City is not responsible for the airport noise. Kreimer asked about stormwater pond in Inwood. They are digging it up now. Schroeder stated that they may be adding capacity with the future addition. Meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm Respectfully submitted, Joan Ziertman Planning Program Assistant