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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-17-2015 PROCEEDINGS OF THE MOUNDS VIEW PLANNING COMMISSION CITY OF MOUNDS VIEW RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA Regular Meeting June 17, 2015 Mounds View City Hall 2401 County Road 10, Mounds View, MN 55112 ______________________________________________________________________________ 1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order by Chair Stevenson at 7:00 p.m. for June 17, 2015. ______________________________________________________________________________ 2. Roll Call Members Present: Commissioners Birken, Elofson, Kieffer, Love, Rundle, Schiltgen, and Stevenson. Absent and Excused: None. Also Present: Planning Associate Heidi Heller and Council Member Gary Meehlhause. ______________________________________________________________________________ Index to Minutes Page Approval of Minutes 1 Discuss Code Amendment to Allow Additional Exterior Materials on 2 Columbaria at Religious Institutions _____________________________________________________________________________ 3. Approval of Minutes May 20, 2015. MOTION/SECOND: Commissioner Schiltgen/Commissioner Birken. To approve the Minutes of the May 20, 2015 regular Planning Commission meeting as presented. Ayes – 7 Nays – 0 Motion carried. Mounds View Planning Commission June 17, 2015 Regular Meeting Page 2 ________________________________________________________________________ 4. Citizens Requests and Comments on Items Not on the Agenda None. ______________________________________________________________________________ 5. Planning Cases None. _____________________________________________________________________________ 6. Other Planning Activity A. Discuss Code Amendment to Allow Additional Exterior Materials on Columbaria at Religious Institutions Planning Associate Heller informed the Commission that the City Council recently adopted Ordinance 899 that allows columbaria at churches. Due to the large increase in cremations rather than burials, more places are needed to store urns. Mounds View does not currently have any cemeteries, and the City Code did not address columbaria, so language was added to specifically allow and add some requirements for columbaria. The Planning Commission did not want to allow brick on the exterior of the columbaria out of concern for it not being maintained long- term. The ordinance was passed with language that did not allow brick. The Mounds View church that is planning to install columbaria would like to put brick on the exterior since it will be against their building, which is brick, and has requested that the ordinance be amended to allow brick exteriors. Staff met with the church members and were given more information and examples of how it is common to use matching brick on the columbaria at churches. The City Council is supportive of making an amendment to allow brick on the exteriors of columbaria. Staff has also added bronze as an allowed exterior material. She requested the Council adopt a Resolution approving the proposed Code amendments. Commissioner Elofson feared that the use of precious metals on the columbaria would increase vandalism. Associate Heller did not believe this would be a concern as the bronze would be part of the columbaria construction and not something that could be easily removed. Commissioner Love asked if churches on corner lots would have a difficult time locating a columbaria on their site. Associate Heller discussed how setbacks within the code would allow for columbaria to be located only in rear or side yards. She explained that churches on corner lots would have to request a variance. Mounds View Planning Commission June 17, 2015 Regular Meeting Page 3 ________________________________________________________________________ Chair Stevenson was inclined to leave the staff recommended language as is. He did not want to see columbaria at the front of churches along streets and roadways. If there was a problem with placing the columbaria, the code could always be amended again. Commissioner Birken asked if the columbaria would be considered an accessory structure. Associate Heller stated this was the case. MOTION/SECOND: Commissioner Rundle/Commissioner Elofson. To approve Resolution 1031-15, a Resolution Recommending Approval of an Amendment to Title 1100, Chapter 1106 of the Mounds View Zoning Code to Allow Additional Exterior Materials on Columbaria at Religious Institutions; Special Planning Case No. 193-15. Ayes – 7 Nays – 0 Motion carried. ______________________________________________________________________________ 7. Review Minutes: A. June 3, 2015 The Commission discussed the June 3, 2015 meeting minutes. No changes were made. 8. Reports A. Upcoming Planning Cases Planning Associate Heller discussed upcoming planning cases. It was noted the July 1, 2015 Planning Commission meeting may be cancelled. B. Staff Updates Planning Associate Heller provided the Commission with an update from staff. She stated Bel Rae Senior Living would be holding an Open House on Saturday, June 20th from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. C. Council Updates Planning Associate Heller provided the Planning Commission with an update from the City Council. D. Planning Commissioner Reports None. Mounds View Planning Commission June 17, 2015 Regular Meeting Page 4 ________________________________________________________________________ 9. Next Planning Commission Meeting: A. Wednesday, July 1, 2015 B. Wednesday, July 15, 2015 ______________________________________________________________________________ 10. Adjournment There being no further business before the Planning Commission, Chair Stevenson adjourned the meeting at 7:23 p.m. ______________________________________________________________________________ Respectfully submitted, Heidi Heller Planning Associate Transcribed by: Heidi Guenther TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc.