Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-25-03 PZMAPPROVED: DECEMBER 8, 2003 City of Lake Elmo Old Village Special Projects Planning Commission Minutes of August 25, 2003 At 7:00 p.m., Chairman Helwig called to order the Old Village Special Projects Planning Commission. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Meldahl, Johnson, Pelletier, Sessing, Bunn, Sedro, John, Deziel, Williams, l-Ierreid (7:25); STAFF PRESENT: Chuck Dillerud, City Planner and Kimberly Schaffel, Recording Secretary; ALSO PRESENT: Lane Kendig, Zoning Consultant and Dick Thompson from TKDA. Pledge of Allegiance Agenda Move August 11, 2003 Minutes to Item 5. Add City Council Update 5b. M/S/P, Sessing/Johnson, To amend the Agenda. VOTE: 10:0. Minutes MIS/P, Sessing/Johnson, To accept the Minutes of July 21, 2003 as amended. VOTE: 10:0. MJSIP, Sessing/Johnson, To accept the Minutes of July 28, 2003 as amended. VOTE: 10:0. Discuss Old Village Neighborhood Design and Tax Abatement The Commission's plan for Sidewalk and Streetscapes was placed on hold many months ago. The plan was acceptable to most of the Commission. TKDA priced various options within that design. Since then, in 2004 budget preparation, the Planner contacted Washington County about tax abatement for 2004 and those taxes missed in 2002 and 2003. He received those figures last week and included them in the draft budget presented to the City Council. $40,000+ is presently on deposit, and the Old Village Streetscapes work comes out of there. What would have been payable in 2002 was $59,563 and in 2003 it was $73,148. As tax capacity increases, so do the numbers. The figures do not include the hotel currently under construction, the condo offices, and Bremer Financial. He discussed it with the Director of Taxpayer Services comparing our city to what other cities like us do. Woodbury and Oakdale are using 2003 for 2004 budgeting purposes. The budget presented showed a $1.00 tax increase over 2003 with no tax abatement levy amount. That has to be certified by September 15. If the city certifies just the 2004 taxes, it would result in an increase of $121,000. If we are certifying all of those taxes, it results in $253,000 increase. Last year the limited local levy limit was 3%. That resulted in an 11% decrease overall. We might have the same increase in market value this year. That would mean we would have another decrease in the local tax rate. Tax abatement is tax over and above our levy limit. It could mean Old Village Streetscapes might not be funded. Commissioner Bunn Given the dollar amounts projected for the streetscapes project, even with the $200,000+ of tax abatement, we are years off from funding this project. Commissioner Deziel Is there a possibility of bonding or a loan of some sort? City Planner There has been talk about general obligation bonding. If we are doing major facilities improvements, the 2003 legislature said no referendum is required for a city hall or a public works. 5% of the last vote count could cause a reverse referendum. The Council talked of Old Village issues including streetscapes. Those and the library would be specifically excluded from the bonding. They also talked about an EDA or port authority. However, that would be a major step for this community. The major task that is before the Old Village Special Projects Planning Commission is to reinvestigate Lake Elmo Old Village Special Projects Planning Commission 8/25/03 1 APPROVED: DECEMBER 8, 2003 TDR and a method to execute the Old Village Plan. The second task is the public infrastructure that goes with that plan - the waste and storm water issues. Both are public, therefore we will have to own them as a city. We may have to revenue bond up front and rely on connection fees to pay for the trunks. We will have to own the land. One of the key points of interest in the Old Village Plan by current Old Village residents, was a local centralized wastewater treatment system. If our Old Village program is more than just lines, we have to get our teeth into it soon. The Planner said he spoke with both Scott and Williams at NAWE who have designed all our constructed wetlands. He asked them what it will cost to get a skeleton design that answers our Option 4. How will we link them, where should be locate the lift stations, and what will it cost for each location? The Planner hopes to bring the answers to the commission in two weeks. Maybe we should use the balance in tax abatement to do this. He will present the options to the City Council. Commissioner Deziel Developers will get the service of these wetlands because they would not get the development densities without these systems. People outside the area maybe should not have to pay for it. City Planner Bonds issued to get titles to the sites and build the sites would come from the Sewer Enterprise Fund. The existing Old Village would have connection charges as well. Prior to connection charges, there will be up front costs. Commissioner Deziel A connection charge would not be nearly as costly as connecting to a sewer; if you are only pumping effluent. Commissioner John Before we can introduce the infrastructure, there is an assumption we will have a development structure for that entire Old Village area. 2.5 acre lots won't need these systems. City Planner Cannot see why anyone would do 2.5 acre zoning when they could have these systems with clustering. The interest in the past five years has been almost exclusively Open Space Development. The Planner also said that Lane Kendig suggested an alternative approach to TDR that would have the same effect. Several of the property owners involved met with the Planner and got e-mail from Dewey Thorbeck who also has had contact with them. 200 acres of the Old Village now has a purchase agreement signed for the Hutchinson property. The developer has no difficulty with the plan but he is short 40 units. He can call one or two of the other land owners and see about the master developer concept to an extent. We may not have to do anything. The Planner looked at Boulder's TDR. Boulder's ordinance is complex but it does work. It is a county ordinance not a city ordinance and it is available online. Commissioner Sessing When does the City Council have to make a decision, before the moratorium expires? Citv Planner The moratorium ends October 24. He has rethought his strategy about getting a Comp Plan Amendment without having enforcement in place. We have to have an enforcement mechanism in place. With regard to the moratorium, take proposals as they come rather than forcing them. Commissioner Williams I-Ie thought our long-range planning documents included this area as a reserve status that should not be developed until we have sewer. Lake Elmo Old Village Special Projects Planning Commission 8/25/03 2 1 APPROVED: DECEMBER 8, 2003 Citv Planner 1996 Regional Blueprint has middle third of the community for urban reserve. That is the document we were being reviewed against. The 2030 Blueprint, has a different philosophy altogether using corridor development. If you read modifications the Met Council required, they are talking specifically about corridor node and not the 1996 concentric ring concept. They would like to see about 15,000 people below 10th Street, the rest is open. Commissioner Williams What do we need at minimum to go to that Public Hearing? Do we have all the information we need in all areas, example TDR? Citv Planner Do we want to go to hearing without it? We will be asked about how we will do it, and we may not have the answers by September 22. Commissioner Bunn Would the block map have to designate areas for public facilities? Citv Planner The Facilities committee is down to three sites. The September 8 meeting should include Old Village Special Projects to be prepared before we publish notice. We may have the density answer later tonight. Commissioner Williams There was also the third issue which was the number of units. ADJOURN OVSPPC 7:50 PM Reconvene as Planning Commission at 7:57 p.m. Minutes of August 11, 2003 M/S/P, Johnson/Sedro, To accept the Minutes of August 11, 2003 as presented. Vote: 10:0:1 (Abstain: Bunn). City Council Update was moved to the last item on the Agenda. Zoning Ordinance Draft. Recording Secretary departed. Respectfully submitted, Kimberly Schaffel Recording Secretary Lake Elmo Old Village Special Projects Planning Commission 8/25/03 3 4 .11. - CITY OF LAKE jitELMD City of Lake Elmo 651 /777-5510 3800 Laverne Avenue North / lake Elmo, MN 55042 MEETING NOTICE A Regular Meeting of the Lake EImo Planning Commission and the Old Village Special Projects Planning Commission Will be held on Monday, August 25, 2003 at 7:00 D.M. In Council Chambers, Lake Elmo City Hall 3800 Laverne Ave. N. Lake Elmo, MN 55042 Convene: Old Village Special Projects Plannina Commission AGENDA 1) Pledge of Allegiance 2) Agenda 3) Minutes (a) July 21, 2003 (b) July 28, 2003 (c) August 11, 2003 4) Discuss Old Village Neighborhood Design Convene: Planning Commission 5) Zoning Ordinance Draft — Lane Kendig (Handouts at Meeting) 6) Adjourn The public is invited to attend. till primed on recycled paper