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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-08-03 PZMThe City of Lake Elmo Old Village Special Projects Planning Commission Will hold a meeting on Monday, December 8, 2003 at 7:00 n.m. In Council Chambers, Lake Elmo City Hall 3800 Laverne Ave. N. Lake Elmo, MN 55042 AGENDA 1) Pledge of Allegiance 2) Agenda 3) Minutes (a) November 10, 2003 (b) November 24, 2003 4) Continue - Public Hearing — VARIANCE from Ordinary High Water - Jeff and Kelly Ann Reed, 8056 Hill Trail North 5) Section 520 Site Plan and PUD Final Plan -- PRAIRIE RIDGE OFFICE PARK 6) City Council Update CONVENE OLD VILLAGE SPECIAL PROJECTS 7) Continue - Public Hearing Capital Improvement Program, 2004 2008 8) Adjourn The public is invited to attend. APPROVED: 1/12/04 City of Lake Elmo Old Village Special Projects Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of December 8, 2003 Chairman Helwig called to order the Lake Elmo Planning Commission Meeting at 7:00 p.m. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Ptacek, Meldahl, Sedro, Johnson, Bunn, Pelletier, Van Pelt (7:01) Berg (7:10), Deziel (7:45). STAFF PRESENT: Chuck Dillerud, City Planner and Kimberly Schaffel, Recording Secretary. Pledge of Allegiance AGENDA M/S/P, Johnson/Sedro, Add Old Village Minutes after the Old Village convenes. VOTE: 7:0. M/S/P, Sedro/Ptacek, To approve November 10, 2003 Minutes. VOTE: 7:0. M/S/P, Ptacek/Johnson, To approve November 24, 2003 Minutes. VOTE: 8:0. CONTINUTED - PUBLIC HEARING — VARIANCE — OHW — REED — 8056 HILL TRL M/S/P, Ptacek/Johnson, To take from the table the matter of the variance for 8056 Hill Trail. VOTE: 8:0. The City Planner reviewed the revisions submitted by The Reeds which include moving the garage further north and adding six feet to the length of the garage. The 30 foot setback to Hill Trail is maintained. Therefore, the only variance is the minor encroachment within OHW. The driveway setback must be five feet from the property line, and that will be handled by the Building Official when the building permit is applied for. The City Planner's recommended Findings were: 1. The property can not be put to reasonable use without the granting of the variance requested. Reasonable use must be defined in the context of contemporary housing standards and design. The proposed modifications are in keeping with both. 2. The variance requested results from circumstances unique to properties where principal structures were constructed prior to adoption of Shoreland Regulations; and, the circumstances of the variance were not solely created by the applicant. 3. Granting of the variance will not change the essential character of the neighborhood, if said neighborhood is defined by the preponderance of contemporary lake front housing in the City. M/S/P, Ptacek/Van Pelt, To approve the variance from the OHW Shoreland setback for the plan staff dated December 4, subject to compliance with the recommendations of the VBWD and the City Engineer, and that the proposed driveway must meet the five foot setback standards from the north property line. The commissioners discussed how the 100 year old tree might be saved. Mr. Reed said he plans to put on the two -car garage doors, and save the third garage for when the tree dies. VOTE: 8:0:1 (Abstain: Commissioner Berg just arrived). This item will go before the City Council on Tuesday, December 16, 2003. SECTION 520 SITE PLAN AND PUD FINAL PLAN — PRAIRIE RIDGE OFFICE PARK The City Planner reported that this is the third stage of the PUD process. Previous stages were approved. This application includes a Final Plat which goes directly to the City Council. Conditions of Preliminary Plan Approval were four, which included 140 spaces minimum parking —a reduction. The applicants have reduced the number of parking spaces to 152. In addition, they show six spaces on the periphery of the plan as proof of parking. West of the underpass a sign will be needed to advise motorists of curb cut access which is essentially a blind spot. The plan shows nothing there, and that is a county issue. Exterior landscaping was to be added, but will be measured for plan value per the code prior to building permit issuance. They have been inserted in some locations where previously none existed, but staff Lake Elmo Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of December 8, 2003 1 APPROVED: 1/12/04 calculations show the applicant is short about 472 square feet. The applicant has submitted a revised surface water drainage approach consistent with what the commission and council had in mind. Two areas are lowered in elevation and those will be filtration areas for off-street parking surface water runoff. He also reported that staff reviewed the Section 520 Site Plan issues that go beyond a PUD Development Plan. Exterior architecture was discussed at that stage. Materials allowed for exterior surfacing are brick, stone, or glass. The primary material is fixed around 62-65% of the total with the balance being concrete board. The standard indicates natural, full -depth stone. A cross-section of the wall reveals cultured stone, in a thin layer. There are quantitative issues for both primary and accent materials; and a potential issue with the material being used. The City Council accepted the asphalt shingle the applicant presented. The lighting grid for off-street parking does meet our current code. He concluded that, while these issues are insufficient to reject this application, staff's view is that the applicant should comply with the standards. The Planner suggested a recommendation for approval subject to conditions: 1. Reduction in the number of constructed off-street parking spaces to 140, and increase in the amount of parking island landscape area to not less than 31 square feet per constructed parking space. 2. Adjustment of the exterior surfacing plans to 70% cultured stone; and not "Accent Surfacing" in an amount greater than 20% of the balance of the exterior surface — both adjusted for glass area. 3. Compliance with the recommendations of the City Engineer and City Attorney. Discussion ensued regarding the code's specific design standards. A straw poll revealed the commissioners prefer the appearance of stone; appreciate the weather resistance of cultured stone; but would like to see a sample for approval. M/S/P, Ptacek/Van Pelt, Recommendation of approval to the City Council subject to conditions in staff 's report dated December 4, 2003, with an additional condition (4) that a dimensional sample of the proposed cultured stone be brought in to the City Council for its inspection. VOTE: 7:2 - Sedro, Berg - They would like to see the materials first. CITY COUNCIL UPDATE The lot division on Olson Lake Trail was approved and River Valley Christian Church was also approved as the Planning Commission recommended. The City Council has hired a search firm to look for a new City Administrator. Their primary goal is to develop a profile in what the city wants in an administrator. They will interview chairs of some commissions. The City Council also has directed hireing an Assistant Planner. There have been twenty- eight applicants. A landscape/architect background was requested. Interviews will occur in January. There will be no more meetings in 2003. ADJOURN PLANNING COMMISSION AT 7:48 P.M. FOR FIVE MINUTES. CONVENE OLD VILLAGE SPECIAL PROJECTS PLANNING COMMISSION AT 7:53 P.M. MINUTES M/S/P, Sedro/Johnson, To approve the Minutes of August 25, 2003. VOTE: 10:0:1 (Abstain: Ptacek). M/S/P, Johnson/Sedro, To approve the Minutes of September 8, 2003. VOTE: 11:0. CONTINUED - PUBLIC HEARING — CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM The City Planner reported that Streetscape improvements were not included in the CIP. Spreadsheets with the construction cost details were provided the Commission because the Planning Commission asked the Old Village Commissioners to help decide this matter. These are the same spreadsheets that were reviewed in August. He stated that the County Highway Department advised that they would like to keep Lake Elmo Avenue Lake Elmo Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of December 8, 2003 2 APPROVED: 1/12/04 as a CSAH, and they would probably fund some of this same type of design and improvement under certain conditions, and at some point in time Commissioner Bunn pointed out that there is a $400,000 increase between base and medium level streetscape plans that includes ornamental lighting, trees, trash receptacles, benches and drinking fountains. There are currently five lights on this two block stretch, and the Inn has two ornamental lights, while 54 lights are suggested in this streetscape plan. Currently the only evening activities are Lake Elmo Oil and the Lake Elmo Inn. Unless we have the library on this segment, it looks like there will not be additional evening activities there. There are residences there. There is little walking there at night. She questioned whether benches and trash receptacles are necessary. If none are provided by the city now, and we don't have nighttime activity, we may not need eight of them. She suggested that there is room for downward adjustment. Trees should be added; and landscaping should be funded. The commissioners discussed whether the water feature and bridge are part of the base plan. They observed that nine items in the final plan are associated with the water feature, either directly or indirectly. There must be electrical service, regardless of how many lights are installed; and, trash receptacles can be added at a later time. As long as the specs allow it to occur, improvement items can be added later. Commissioner Van Pelt said that the City should not be worrying about details without a bond issue, but rather put in $107,000 in 2005, then put the next two steps in as bonding in 2006. Work should be ordered carefully something that was just built needs to be torn up. He suggested an asterisk on the $107,000 inclusion for 2005 that indicates that the Water Enterprise Fund and MSA would provide some of the funding to construct the Base Plan. M/S/P, Deziel/Berg, To put the money in the CIP as a place holder for 2005, at least the amount of $107,200 which should be asterisked to reference additional funding from MSA and Enterprise accounts. VOTE: 10:1, Bunn -Landscaping and lighting stubs should be in the first phase. Commissioner Bunn said that the concept for this work is in the Comp Plan, but the Council offers little support for this investment and the work involved. The money they did transfer to Tax Abatement to make up for the missed levies goes for studies, not for this project. Tax Abatement Levies were skipped for two years. 8:39 p.m. Commissioner Berg departed. M/S/P, John/Sedro. To make it a consistent program, place the initial $107,000 amount into the CIP in 2005, and add $210,000 into 2006 because we are not sure where that shortfall is going to come from. VOTE: 9:1, Ptacek- He would prefer that if Minnesota State Aid doesn't materialize, the City not do the project. ADJOURN 8:49 P,M. Respectfully submitted, Kimberly Schaffel Recording Secretary Lake Elmo Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of December 8, 2003 3 NOTICE OF WORKSHOP The Lake Elmo Planning Commission Will hold a workshop on Wednesday. December 3. 2003. 6:30 a.m. at Lake Elmo City Hall 3800 Laverne Avenue North Lake Elmo, MN 55042 To discuss the new Zoning Ordinance. The public is invited to attend.