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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-12-04 PZMCITY OF LAKE ELMO City of ,rake Elmo 651 /777-5510 3800 Laverne Avenue North / Lake Elmo, MN 55042 The Lake Elmo Planning Commission Will hold its regular meeting on Monday, January 12, 2004 at 7:00 D.M. In Council Chambers, Lake Elmo City Hall 3800 Laverne Ave. N. Lake Elmo, MN 55042 AGENDA 1) Pledge of Allegiance 2) Organizational — Election of Officers 3) Agenda 4) Minutes of December 8, 2003 5) 2004 Meeting Schedule 6) 2004 Work Plan 7) Review and Amend Fence Standards 8) City Council Update 9) Adjourn The public is invited to attend. twi# printed on recycled paper APPROVED: 01/26/04 City of Lake Elmo Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of January 12, 2004 Commissioner Helwig called to order the Lake Elmo Planning Commission Meeting at 7:00 p.m. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Ptacek, Johnson, Sedro, Johnson, Bunn, Deziel, Van Pelt. STAFF PRESENT: Chuck Dillerud, City Planner and Kimberly Schaffel, Recording Secretary. Pledge of Allegiance ELECTION OF OFFICERS Commissioner Helwig relayed the message that Jeff Berg would like to keep the Vice Chair position he held last year. M/S/P, Deziel/Johnson, to nominate and elect Commissioner Helwig as Chairman. VOTE: 6:0:1 (Helwig). M/S/P, Ptacek/Van Pelt, to nominate and elect Commissioner Berg as Vice Chairman. VOTE: 7:0. M/S/P, Ptacelc/Johnson, to nominate and elect Commissioner Bunn as Secretary. VOTE: 6:0:1 (Bunn). AGENDA M/S/P, Bunn/Sedro, to accept the Agenda as presented. VOTE: 7:0. MINUTES OF DECEMBER 8. 2003 Edit Minutes on page 3 under Commissioner Bunn, and at the Motion. Commissioner Bunn will supply written changes. Commissioner Ptacek asked to change the last paragraph, deleting the last sentence. M/S/P, Ptacek/Johnson, to accept the Minutes as amended. VOTE: 7:0. 2004 MEETING SCHEDULE M/S/P, Ptacek/Bunn, to accept the 2004 Meeting Schedule as presented. VOTE: 7:0. 2004 WORK PLAN M/S/P, Ptacek,/Johnson, to approve the 2004 Work Plan with the amendment of adding Old Village Streetscapes. VOTE: 7:0. REVIEW AND AMEND FENCE STANDARDS The City Planner reported that the City Council has asked the Planning Commission review the Fence Ordinance, and come up with an amendment that makes some sense. The Planner passed out three ordinances from various other communities: Schaumburg, Illinois; Long Grove, Illinois; and Plymouth, Minnesota. He reported that on smaller lot subdivisions, our ordinance can present a problem, especially on a corner lot where one person's rear yard backs up to somebody else's front yard. Fence composition is another issue not squarely addressed by our present ordinance. The Planner asked the commission to review the side/rear height, the setback from street on both streets for a corner lot, and the possibility of a reduced height or no fence at all on those street and sight distance areas. He noted that another issue will be existing fences that are or could become non -conforming. Commissioner Bunn pointed out that if a corner lot situation were reversed, and the neighbor built their fence under our current ordinance, that neighbor would be limited to a fence of four feet in height. She suggested we take up the issue of fences with our new Zoning Ordinance. Lake Elmo Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of January 12, 2004 1 APPROVED: 01/28104 The Planner asked if the commission wanted to isolate the fence portion, and deal with it first. Commissioner Deziel questioned the equality of the current ordinance. A resident could get a neighbor to build a fence for them if the neighbor can build the fence desired, when the resident would not be allowed to build it by the terms of the ordinance. Commissioner Ptacek said the City should ask Lane Kendig about the fence portion of the new Zoning Ordinance. He observed that Plymouth's Fence Ordinance seems pretty straightforward on a corner lot issue. Plymouth limits the fence height along the public right-of-way too. Plymouth appears to be trying to maintain views of others. Commissioner Deziel suggested height and opacity should be dealt with simultaneously. He stated that if you can see through a fence, it is not a barrier to a view. The height would be less of a problem if the fence were see -through. MOTION, Ptacek, to direct the Planner to work with Lane Kendig and bring back a proposed fence ordinance within our new zoning ordinance. The proposed fence ordinance should address sight/visibility triangles; issues on corner/rear/side lot lines, as stated in section F in Plymouth's Code; and setting a maximum height of 4 feet on any public right-of-way. WITHDRAWN. M/S/P, Ptacek/Sedro, to direct the Planner to bring back Lane Kendig's draft fence ordinance with information regarding sight/visibility triangles. VOTE: 7:0. M/S/F, Ptacek/Deziel, Incorporate specific information on rear/side lot lines as found in Section 5.F of Plymouth's Code, and add this language to our existing code. Van Pelt - With different materials and styles of fencing, we might not have to be as conservative in height. The two are related and he would like to wait, so he would oppose the motion. Bunn - Materials and height should be addressed together. Maybe we should just go with a lower height. Helwig — The purposes of a fence are to screen a view or keep something in. VOTE: 2: (Bunn/Ptacek) 4:1 (Helwig-Abstain) M/S/P, Van Pelt/Johnson, to ask Lane Kendig to address both: with a fence opacity factor of X you can have a height of X . Marry the two concepts and maintain sight lines. These issues should be dealt with together but we are dealing only with confrontational areas at this time. Deziel - With different opacity there can be different heights. We should regulate opacity for neighboring views and public safety Within a certain area, perhaps three-four feet high and above, opacity requirements would be important, but not necessarily below that height. Sedro - There might be a need for a third option for compromise on a corner lot, and she does not want to say what materials they can use. VOTE: 7:0. The Planner suggested that the time may have come to Permit fences, although it adds more constraint on owners and work for our Building Official. M/S/P, Ptacek/Johnson, to add a Permit process to the Code. 6:0:1 (Deziel). The Planner asked if there should be amortization of non -conforming fences. A straw vote revealed that no commissioner was interested in making changes to existing fences. Bunn — Questioned what materials would be allowed. Chain link would be a mistake on front property lines. Helwig — The purpose of a fence might dictate materials. Ptacek — We should wait and see what the new ordinance might be. Appearance could be an issue; a white picket might be acceptable and chain link might not. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson distributed materials from other codes in the metropolitan area. CITY COUNCIL UPDATE Lake Elmo Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of January 12, 2004 2 APPROVED: U1/26/04 The Planner reported that the Council voted unanimously to appeal the Met Council Court of Appeals decision to the Minnesota Supreme Court. First notice is to be presented to the Court by Friday, January 14, although the Court has the option not to hear the case. The Council is pursuing legislative remedies too. They will share this story with other cities in the seven county area , and other cities outside the seven county metropolitan area within the four county ring. The Planner reported that Planning Commissioners whose terms had expired were all reappointed. The Council is now advertising for a City Administrator. He reported that by Friday he must decide whether to bring a recommendation to the Council on the 20th regarding hiring an Assistant Planner. Regarding the Reed variance, he reported that the Council had tabled the application; and, that the Reeds have not yet come back to the Council. ADJOURN 8:21 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Kimberly Schaffel Recording Secretary Lake Elmo Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of January 12, 2004 3 Revised 1 /5/04 January 12 January 26 February 9 February 23 March 8 March 22 April 12 April 26 May 10 May 24 June 14 June 28 July 12 July 26 August 9 August 23 September 13 September 27 October 15 October 25 November 8 November 22 December 13 December 27 City of Lake Elmo PLANNING COMMISSION 2004 Meeting Schedule Monday Monday Monday Monday Monday Monday Monday Monday Monday Wednesday Monday Monday Monday Monday Monday Monday Monday Monday Wednesday Monday Monday Monday Monday CANCEL (Election of Officers) (Annual Work Plan Meeting with City Council) Monday is Columbus Day) FOR /OUR 1NFORMA T 4ON APPROVED: 1/12/04 Lake Elmo PLANNING COMMISSION 2004 Work Plan 1. Zoning Code Update (CDBG — in progress) 2. Old Village Streetscapes 3. Cimarron Neighborhood Study (Study Design in progress) 4. 2005 — 2009 Capital Improvement Plan 5. Review/amend street design standards (Council/PC committee appointed) 6. Review/Amend Sign Code 7. Review/Amend Fence Standards 8. Review/Amend Outdoor Lighting Standards