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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-04-2015 PROCEEDINGS OF THE MOUNDS VIEW PLANNING COMMISSION CITY OF MOUNDS VIEW RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA Regular Meeting February 4, 2015 Mounds View City Hall 2401 Highway 10, Mounds View, MN 55112 ______________________________________________________________________________ 1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order by Chair Stevenson at 7:00 p.m. for February 4, 2015. ______________________________________________________________________________ 2. Roll Call Members Present: Commissioners Birken, Carvelli-Yu, Elofson, Rundle, Schiltgen, and Stevenson. Absent and Excused: Commissioner Love. Also Present: Planning Associate Heidi Heller. ______________________________________________________________________________ Index to Minutes Page Approval of Minutes 1 Discuss Potential Code Amendment about Fish Houses 2 _____________________________________________________________________________ 3. Approval of Minutes December 3, 2014. MOTION/SECOND: Commissioner Carvelli-Yu/Commissioner Birken. To approve the Minutes of the December 3, 2014 regular Planning Commission meeting as presented. Ayes – 6 Nays – 0 Motion carried. 4. Citizens Requests and Comments on Items Not on the Agenda None. ______________________________________________________________________________ Mounds View Planning Commission February 4, 2015 Regular Meeting Page 2 ________________________________________________________________________ 5. Planning Cases None. _____________________________________________________________________________ 6. Other Planning Activity A. Discuss Potential Code Amendment about Fish Houses Planning Associate Heller informed the Commission that a resident sent in a request to amend the City Code relating to parking of fish houses in residential districts. He is requesting that the code be amended to allow drop axle fish houses to be in the front yard area of properties longer than 24 hours. The City Council briefly discussed this and is supportive of being more permissive of fish houses being kept on properties. Staff feels that to only allow certain types of fish houses, and then try to distinguish between the styles and/or condition of fish houses, would be very difficult. A simpler option may be to allow them to be kept on properties with no time limit during the ice fishing season. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has no start date for fish houses to go out on lakes, but they require fish houses to be off most lakes by March 16 (Minnesota lakes on the Canadian border can have fish houses until March 31). Staff reviewed City Code in detail with the Commission and requested comment. Commissioner Schiltgen questioned how the City would manage the situation if large amounts of snow fell in April. Associate Heller anticipated that the City would work with homeowners on a case by case basis if this situation were to arise. Commissioner Rundle asked how the City would address this situation if the fish houses were used all summer for camping. Associate Heller believed this situation would have to be further discussed by staff. Chair Stevenson did not support having fish houses in front yards all summer long. He suggested fish houses only be allowed longer than 24 hours in driveways from November 15th through April 15th. Bob Horbul, 8382 Knollwood, explained he owns a drop axle wheelhouse fish house. He commented that he stores his fish house in his back yard during the summer months. He discussed how fish houses were being made now to serve as RV’s in the summer months. Commissioner Birken did not want to see inappropriate or obscene paintings on the exterior of fish houses. Associate Heller explained that anything obscene that is painted on the exterior could be addressed by the City through its nuisance code. Mounds View Planning Commission February 4, 2015 Regular Meeting Page 3 ________________________________________________________________________ Commissioner Schiltgen questioned how many fish houses staff believed were being stored in the City. Associate Heller commented that the majority were on lakes at this time. Commissioner Rundle estimated that the City had at least 20-30 fish houses. Commissioner Carvelli-Yu expressed concern that this situation could turn into shipping containers being used as fish houses and she did not want to see those stored in front yards at any time of the year in the City. She recommended staff be specific with the code to define what would and would not be allowed. She suggested the term drop axle be placed in the code. Chair Stevenson agreed the language needed to be tightened up, however, he understood that if the code was made too strict it would be difficult for staff to enforce. Al Hanson, 2832 Ardan Avenue, asked how a pull behind camper was regulated by City Code. Associate Heller stated campers could be parked in a residential driveway at any time of the year. Further discussion ensued regarding the differences between traditional/homemade fish houses compared to drop axle fish houses. Martha Pearson, 8475 Sunnyside, understood that the City did not want junky fish houses being stored in front yards. However, she was in favor of allowing more freedom for residents to be able to store units in their front yard. She discussed how people were now using fish houses as campers in the summer months and for ice fishing through the winter months. Scott Pearson, 8475 Sunnyside, discussed his striped orange fish house, noting it was painted this color for safety purposes while parked on a lake. Mr. Horbul explained that drop axle fish houses are built on a steel frame and are structurally more sound. Commissioner Carvelli-Yu asked how long drop axle fish houses have been being manufactured. Commissioner Rundle estimated that this type of fish house has been manufactured for the past five for six years. Commissioner Birken recommended the term “drop axle” be written in the code amendment. Chair Stevenson suggested the City Code read that 24 hour storage was allowed for all non-drop axle fish houses and year round storage would be allowed for drop axle fish house units. Mounds View Planning Commission February 4, 2015 Regular Meeting Page 4 ________________________________________________________________________ Mrs. Pearson explained that fish houses are often broken into, which led her and her husband to store their fish house in their driveway rather than on the lake when not in use. Commissioner Elofson expressed concern that the City would be discriminating against residents that don’t own a more expensive type fish house. Commissioner Schiltgen explained that residents could still have non drop axle fish houses, however, they could not be stored on the driveway for more than 24 hours. Commissioner Birken commented that this code amendment would assist with protecting property values. Mrs. Pearson indicated the new fish houses should be viewed in the same manner as a camper. Chair Stevenson thanked the residents present for their input. He believed that the Commission was going about the code amendment in the correct manner. The Commission agreed. ______________________________________________________________________________ 7. Review Minutes: A. January 21, 2015 The Commission discussed the January 21, 2015 meeting minutes. No changes were made. 8. Reports A. Upcoming Planning Cases Planning Associate Heller discussed upcoming planning cases. She noted the Commission may be reviewing a variance for sign height at a future meeting. B. Staff Updates Planning Associate Heller explained the Town Hall meeting would be held on Monday, March 30th from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Mounds View Planning Commission February 4, 2015 Regular Meeting Page 5 ________________________________________________________________________ Council Updates Councilmember Meehlhause provided the Planning Commission with an update from the City Council. He encouraged residents to submit their candidates for Resident of the Year. C. Planning Commissioner Reports None. 9. Next Planning Commission Meetings: A. Wednesday, February 18, 2015 B. Wednesday, March 4, 2015 ______________________________________________________________________________ 10. Adjournment There being no further business before the Planning Commission, Chair Stevenson adjourned the meeting at 7:53 p.m. ______________________________________________________________________________ Respectfully submitted, Heidi Heller Planning Associate Transcribed by: Heidi Guenther TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc.