HomeMy WebLinkAboutPZ Minutes; 08-28-17Lake Elmo Planning Commission Minutes; 8-28-17
City of Lake Elmo
Planning Commission Meeting
Minutes of August 28, 2017
Chairman Kreimer called to order the meeting of the Lake Elmo Planning Commission at
7:00 p.m.
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Kreimer, Dorschner, Johnson Emerson, Williams, & Larson
COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Lundquist, Dodson, & Hartley
STAFF PRESENT: City Planner Becker, Planning Consultant Gozola & City Administrator
Handt
Approve Agenda:
Agenda was accepted as presented
Approve Minutes: August 14, 2017
M/S/P: Williams/Dorschner, move to approve the August 14, 2017 minutes as amended,
Vote: 5-0, motion carried unanimously.
Public Hearing Item – Final Plat and Planned Unit Development (PUD) Plans Royal Golf
Consulting Planner Gozola started his presentation regarding the Royal Golf Club at Lake
Elmo Final Plat, Final PUD plans, and associated developer’s agreement. The Final Plat
for Phase I includes 73 residential lots, including 28 traditional single family detached
lots and 45 villa lots for detached single family townhomes as well as the existing and
newly renovated clubhouse and meeting facility, parking areas and support facilities.
There is ongoing work on this plat which includes refining a developers agreement, the
Emerson easement, Engineering plans are undergoing a complete review, Landscape
plans are being updated and information from Washington County regarding 10th street
ROW. Gozola went through the list of conditions that have been confirmed as met
and the things that will be handled as conditions of approval. Gozola feels that they are
on a good path for this project to be approved with conditional approval. There are a
few things that the applicant is interested in changing at this time. They were not part
of the preliminary approval, so both sides would need to agree for them to move
forward with the changes. The applicant would like to use the suffix “Drive” for certain
roads. The City’s street naming policy does not currently call out “Drive” as an approved
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suffix. They are requesting amendments to allowed hardcover on residential lots from
30% (SF) & 40% (villas) to 40% and 50%.
Jim Johnston, representing Royal Golf, the preliminary plat went through with the lower
impervious surface amounts. That was an error on their part. Once the builders started
to look at the lots and the type of houses, they discovered that it ju st didn’t work. They
feel that leaving 187 acres as open space and the infiltration basins that they are
building will offset the increase.
Clark Schroeder, representing Royal Golf, talked about the street naming. The
Washington County naming convention is from the 1960’s. The streets are named as a
theme and Drive seems like an appropriate name for a golf course.
Emerson is wondering what the square feet of the Villas are. Johnston stated that they
are 2000-3000 square feet in size. They are good size one level homes.
Williams asked if the Fire Chief was consulted regarding the use of “Drive” for the street
names. Becker stated that the Fire Chief was consulted and he is unsupportive of the
names as they do not adhere to the street naming p olicy.
There is a total of 45 villa homes in phase I and 29 of the homes proposed will not work
because of the impervious surface coverage.
Schroeder stated that as far as the sign issue, they are going to go with what was
approved with preliminary plat. If they find down the road that it doesn’t work, they
will come back to the City to see if they can make changes through a variance process.
There was discussion about the infiltration basins and if they will be able to
accommodate the additional impervious. According to the developers engineers there
is, but that would need to be verified by the City Engineer and soil borings would need
to be done. This would likely need to go back through VBWD as changes are being
made.
Handt stated that with a PUD, there is typically a give and take. If they are asking for
something above what is part of the ordinance, typically the City receives something in
return. Schroeder stated that they would be working with staff on negotiating
something in return.
Kreimer asked if outlot H was a flexible field/open play area in the preliminary plat.
Schroeder stated that it is a stormwater basin. It could end up being dry, but that will
need to be determined. Kreimer also asked about trails in this phase. Is it just the one
East/West Trail? Johnston stated there is approximately 1600 feet of trail with this first
phase.
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Public Hearing opened at 7:40 pm
Pam & Tom Barnes, 1734 Manning Trail N, they have lived there over 22 years, they
have issues with how close a property line comes to them and a septic drainfield that is
over the property line. This has been a disappointing process for them. As the buffer
for Lake Elmo residents grew, the houses moved closer and closer to them. They were
told that the outlot with their drainfield would be deeded to them and they would be
provided money to increase the screening on their side. Since February, none of this
has been provided. They would like to get additional funds to add to the screening
because trees that were existing were removed.
Jim Voeller, 11314 12th Street, his concern is similar to the Barnes with condition 31
regarding an agreement in place for screening. He has heard nothing and there is
nothing in place.
There was no written correspondence
Public Hearing closed at 7:50 pm
Williams asked to hear a response from the applicant in regards to the comments at the
public hearing. Schroeder stated that he had been working with Stephen Wensman to
produce a landscape plan on the Homestead area. Their former Planner told them that
there were no issues as far as screening on the Tartan Meadows side. If that is not the
case, he apologized for that. The Landscape Plan will be submitted and signed off by the
City. As far as the Barnes go, they have promised to give them Outlot K free and clear
and $15,000 for screening. They wanted to try to save as many trees as possible, by due
to grading, that was not possible. Williams asked where the retaining wall is relative to
outlot K. Schroeder stated that it is not on outlot K. Johnston stated that in the
exhibits, outlot K is shown as the Barnes owning it.
Williams is wondering if the response to condition #31 is a written agreement or just
verbal. Becker stated that they would want a written agreement. Johnston stated that
the property adjacent to Tartan Meadows is actually in phase II. He is wondering if the
screening for that could be decided at that phase.
Williams feels that it would be appropriate to recommend granting the change to the
impervious as these percentages are consistent with LDR and MDR. He does think that
they should get something in return though. Kreimer agrees and Emerson feels that as
long as they are meeting the requirements for the holding ponds it should be fine.
Dorschner agrees, however with this being a sensitive area, he would like to make sure
that the City Engineer and VBWD signs off that the holding ponds are adequate before
they sign off on it.
M/S/P: Williams/Dorschner, move to add a condition of approval #34 that the City
Engineer and VBWD approve the applicants engineering analysis showing that there is
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sufficient infiltration capacity to support the requested higher impervious surface
coverage, Vote: 6-0, motion carried unanimously.
Larson feels that this is such a unique neighborhood that they need to allow some
uniqueness to it. He feels using “Drive” is appropriate in this neighborhood. Dorschner
stated that since we already approved the street names, adding Drive is not that big a
deal.
Handt stated that maybe the street naming policy should be updated to include allowing
Drive everywhere.
M/S/P: Williams/Kreimer, move to add another condition that all comments and
requests expressed by the City Engineer in his memo dated August 24, 2017 shall be
addressed prior to final plat approval, Vote: 6-0, motion carried unanimously.
Williams agrees that the landscaping of each phase should be considered separately. He
is comfortable with considering the Tartan Meadows issue with a later phase. He is
concerned with the Barnes situation, but doesn’t feel that they should dictate a set
amount that the developer has to pay them for landscaping. The Commission is not
comfortable with having a condition that an agreement be reached as that could hold
up the development.
M/S/W: Williams/Dorschner, move to add a condition #35 that screening in outlot K be
provided consistent with the standards for screening as commercial in the existing code
to the extent possible, Withdrawn because the drainfield is on this property.
M/S/P: Kreimer/Johnson, move to add a finding that “Drive” be allowed as part of the
street name, Vote: 5-1, motion carried unanimously.
M/S/F: Williams/Dorschner, move to add amendment “subject to the Fire Chief
approval”, Vote: 3-3, motion fails.
M/S/P: Williams/Larson, move to add a finding that for a development of this size,
additional signs should be allowed, Vote: 6-0, motion carried unanimously.
M/S/P: Williams/Dorschner, move to recommend approval of the Final Plat and PUD for
phase I of the Royal Golf Development with the amended findings and conditions, Vote:
6-0, motion carried unanimously.
Public Hearing Item – Zoning Map Amendment
Becker started her presentation regarding the zoning map amendment of public parks.
This is a house keeping issue to clean up the zoning map. It is consistent with the
Comprehensive Plan.
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Dorschner asked what the benefit to the City is of doing this. Becker stated that on the
zoning map it would show these areas as parks vs. residential and it is easier to identify
them.
Public Hearing opened at 8:27 pm
Austin Anderson, 11666 56th Street, wondered if the maintenance of these lots changes
as a result of the zoning map amendment. Becker stated that there would be no change
as they are still City owned parks.
Public Hearing closed at 8:33 pm
M/S/P: Dorschner/Johnson, move to recommend adoption of Ord. 08- approving a
Zoning Map Amendment that rezones PID #’s 13.029.21.23.0029, 12.029.21.33.0052,
12.029.21.34.0053, 34.029.21.31.0085, 34.029.21.42.0096, 01.029.21.13.004,
13.029.21.41.0055, 33.029.21.11.0005 to PF – Public and Quasi-Public Open Space,
Vote: 6-0, motion carried unanimously.
City Council Updates – August 15, 2017 Meeting
i) None
Staff Updates
1. Upcoming Meetings
a. September 11, 2017
b. September 25, 2017
2. MAC CEP Report
Commission Concerns
Meeting adjourned at 8:33 pm
Respectfully submitted,
Joan Ziertman
Planning Program Assistant