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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-11-83 PZMCITY OF LAKE ELMO City of Lake Elmo 777-5510 3880 Laverne Avenue North / Lake Elmo, Minnesota 55042 AGENDA PLANNING COMMISSION April 11, 1983 7:30 P.M. -Meeting convenes 1. Minutes, March 28 2. Administrator's Report: A. Sinclair permits B. Lake Jane Landfill C. 1983 Work Plan D. Council action on C&NW rezoning 8:00 P.M.-3. Presentation on Affordable Housing Guy Peterson, Metro Council 9:00 P.M.-4. Council Recommendations: A. 1 Acre lots B. Areas of 13/4 acre lots C. Comp. Plan amendments -Council review 5. Comp. Plan Amendments: A. 12 acre lot areas B. Industrial Zones C. I-94 Strip 6. Subdivision Ordinance --if time 10:00 P.M. ---- Adjourn LAKE ELMO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, APRIL 11, 1983 Vice Chairman Nazarian called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. Commissioners present: Gifford, Lyall, Lundquist, Michels, Dreher, Moe (7:50), Alternate Graves and Alternate Ryberg. Absent Prince and Peterson. Also present Administrator Whittaker 1. MINUTES: March 28, 1983 - Corrections: ° Page 7, Item 3. B. 4. E-4/2 of Section 24 off 29th Street - Burand-Preperty NE 1/4 of Section 24 off 30th Street. ° Page 1, Item 2. - The site is northwest corner of Highway 5 and Manning Avenue the Chicago Northwestern tracks M/S/P Michels/Graves to accept the minutes of March 28, 1983, as corrected. Carried 5-0-3. Gifford, Ryberg and Lyall abstained 2. ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT: A. Sinclair Permit - Whittaker reported that the City has not received a final word from the DNR on the permit, but, it. appears from the draft permit that Mr. Sinclair will be permitted to place a septic system on the lot. B. Lake Jane Landfill Aereation Proposal - The Council discussed the County's proposal -and expressed concern about.water quality proposed to be pumped through the Lake Jane pipe. The Administrator is meeting with the County and Valley Branch with the County presenting this proposal to the Council at their next meeting. The proposal is a test for treating contaminated water. Ultimate intent would be to pump all the water up aereate it and reinject or pump it to City Park pond. Uncertain this will be a long term solution. Whittaker identified the well testing area. C. 1983 Work Plan - The Council has no objections or comments on the plan. D. C&NW Rezoning - Council Action - Whittaker explained the Council's position and reasons for approving the rezoning. Whittaker offered the following response on comments concerning the credence of the Comp Plan. The Plan is the guideline or the standard the City gives to people who come in for rezoning. This is mentioned in the Zoning Ordinance. The Comp Plan is what the City tells people they can do in the City. If the Commission and Council disagree with the present plan, hearings should be set to amend the plan: Until this is done the plan is the guideline people have to make decisions upon and the City should honor it. This is not something that can be changed because impressions, feelings or thoughts change. Also do not think the City has alot of freedom to discriminate among industrial uses. If a use is permitted and the area is zoned then it is permissible. Same with General Business - cannot pick and choose. If sincerely feel the Comp Plan is in error then it should be reviewed and amended. Plan was just submitted and approved by the Met Council in December. Gifford - infuriating to know that ag land is something that once gone is never returned. Even if it is close to downtown Lake Elmo, cannot see how paving 50 acres meshes. Whittaker - have 99% of the City reserved for rural use. Ag use was considered when the Comp Plan was adopted. PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, APRIL 11, 1983 -2- 2. ADMINISTRATOR''S REPORT: D. C&NW - C'ounai'1Action - -- Lundquist - when property was originally zoned, it was zoned industrial because of its proximity to the tracks, the airport, and the road system. Whittaker - property was zoned industrial when Hutchinson bought it as an investment - as Hutchinson said, either sells the property to the C&NW or will be at the mercy of Pete Schiltgen to rent it - Hutchinson not a farmer and wants to sell his property. Dreher - thinks Comp Plan should be rewritten on this particular parcel or at least on good ag land. There are other parcels that could have accomodated this use, such as the piece next to 694. Need to look at our prime ag land. Lundquist - reminded the Commission that the first piece of prime ag land that went was for Brookfield II. Whatever logic was used to justify that, the same logic fits for the Hutchinson property. Whittaker - have to think about the economics of farming the property. How large a piece its needed to farm it economically. Why isn't any part of Washington County in the Met Council Ag Preserve area. Someone doesn't think this will be long- term ag land. May be economical as long as Pete Schiltgen, who owns the adjacent parcel, continues to farm it but what happens when he leaves. What are Mr. Hutchinsons alternativeR for this property. Hutchinson had the assurance of the council in 1979 and 20 years ago that this property would be industrial. Even in 1979,,the Council was not willing to force people to zone their property ag - everything not zoned for use was put in RR, not ag which would guarantee preservation of ag property. Moe - if the consensus is to preserve prime ag, then, should identify these areas and zone 1-'nem. Many areas that could be considered prime ag are zoned and offered for business use, other than what the railroad proposes to use. These areas will be blacktopped and built on same as the railroad property. Whittaker - recommended inviting someone out to talk about what constitues prime ag and what iscan econoniiea1 farming unit., The Commission agreed. 4. COUNCIL RECOMMENDATIONS: A. 1 Acre Lots - The Council indicated that ccnsideration of reducing the minimum lot size to one acre is .not a priority issue B. 1 1/2 Acre Lot Areas - Comp Plan - The Council requested that the Commission present a draft recommendation before setting a public hearing. They would like -to see the map with the proposed areas deleted. They suggested a joint meeting to review proposed Comp Plan changes. C. Comp Plan Amendments - Council Review - See Item 4. B. 6. SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE: UPCOMING MEETING ATTENDANCE: that he will not attend of town on business. Deferred. Alternate Ryberg notified the Commission the May and June meetings. He will be out PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, APRIL 11, 1983 -3- 3. AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRESENTATION: Guy Peterson and Anna Stern, Metro Council Representatives, gave a slide presentation on the changes taking place in todays housing market and the types of units currently being produced. The presentation was titled "Where Will Our Children Live". A pamphlet with the same title was distributed after the presentation and provided the information shown in the slides. Mr. Peterson indicated that many of the proposals shown in the slides may not apply to Lake Elmo at this time because of the rural nature of the City; but, felt it would be relative by the end of the decade. Discussion included questions on apartment complexes, property values, accessory apartments, multiple units in non-sewered areas, lot costs, Section 32 and reserve sewer unitLruse (could use up reserved 6,000 units by 1990 with medium density housing and com- mercial use). 5. COMP PLAN AMENDMENTS: A. 1 1/2 acre lot areas - Whittaker referred the Commission to the areas discussed at their last meeting. B. Industrial Zones - Much sentiment on the Commission to reduce the planned Industrial areas in the Comp Plan. Whittaker identified the planned areas and noted that both areas have been planned Industrial since 1965. He also reviewed the planned Commercial areas and explained why they were so planned. --Gifford - not as up -set with the Industrial zoning for the Hutchinson property as with the use that is proposed. Would rather see buildings than a railroad yard. --Whittaker - property has building and employment limitations because of the airport - use would have to be something with limited sewer demand and meet the airport zone criteria. C. 1-94 Strip - --Gifford - should discuss this strip before the highway construction begins. --Whittaker - believes areas around intersections will receive requests for commercial use with less demand for the property between the major intersections. Realistically should anticipate the type of demands now and consider the requests may be for an increase in the planned 1/4 mile setback. Whittaker suggested the Commission review the Comp Plan particularly the last 15-20 pages which give the "heart" of the Plan. SECTION 32 - ENERGY PLANT: Whittaker reported that the property owners in Section 32 have developed a concept plan for that area and will present it to -the Commission -on April 25. TRAINING SESSION: Whittaker offered to present another training session for new members on the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance procedures, etc. The Commission requested the Administrator to set up the training session. ADJOURNMENT; M/S/P Mee/Lyall to adjourn at 10 p.m.