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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-03-2009PROCEEDINGS OF THE MOUNDS VIEW PLANNING COMMISSION CITY OF MOUNDS VIEW RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA Regular Meeting June 3, 2009 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. June 3, 2009. 2. Roll Call Members Present: Chair Stevenson; Commissioners Cramblit, Miller, Rundle and Walsh- Kaczmarelc. Absent and Excused: Commissioners Lang and Meehlhause. Also Present: Planning Associate Heidi Heller and Community Development Director Roberts. Index to Minutes Page Code Amendments 2 3. Approval of Minutes April 1, 2009 MOTION/SECOND: Commissioner Cramblit/Commissioner Walsh-Kaczmarek. To approve the minutes of the April 1, 2009 regular Planning Commission meeting as slightly amended. Ayes — 5 Nays — 0 Motion carried. 4. Citizens Requests and Comments on Items Not on the Agenda None. Mounds View Planning Commission Regular Meeting 5. Planning Cases None. 6. Other Planning Activity A. Code Amendments June 3, 2009 Page 2 Planning Associate Heller stated there are several zoning code suggestions that staff has identified as needing to be updated. Staff wanted to bring these code suggestions before the Planning Commission to receive their input. She stated after the Planning Commission approves these amendments, they would be brought before the City Council. She stated the first amendment would be to remove the word "decks" from allowed encroachments (Chapter 1104.01 Subd. 5c). The city code currently has the word decks in this list, but the code has a specific setback requirement for decks. As such, the City should remove it from this section. The Planning Commission agreed on removing this language. Planning Associate Heller stated the next amendment is to change and clarify accessory building maximum height. Staff felt it would be easier to understand and verify if the zoning code would reflect language such as 16 feet at the highest peals, rather than as it is now. Staff is proposing language of "the height shall not exceed 16 feet or no higher than the principal structure, whichever is less, as measured at the highest peal." Commissioner Miller suggested it should be higher than 16 feet. Planning Associate Heller stated that it could be higher than 16 feet and indicated Mounds View currently has some structures that are higher than the 16 feet at the peak because of how the height is currently measured. Chair Stevenson stated some structures currently are over 15 to 16 feet but indicated that the height should be limited. He suggested a limitation of no more than 20 feet. Community Development Director Roberts stated the issue has arisen when residents with motor homes or sailboats need larger buildings. He suggested that the Planning Commission set a height limit for the accessory building to use as a guideline. Chair Stevenson stated he was comfortable with 20 feet. Planning Associate Heller indicated several other cities code use the "X feet or the height of the primary structure or whichever is less" language. Mounds View Planning Commission June 3, 2009 Regular Meeting Page 3 The Planning Commission agreed on the language of "20 feet or the height of the primary structure, whichever is less." Planning Associate Heller questioned adding some design standards for garages. She stated currently, there isn't any language in the code that the garage needs to match the existing structure. Chair Stevenson stated he doesn't have any problem with the current language. Planning Associate Heller stated some cities code language specifically state not allowing corrugated metal siding and roofs. Chair Stevenson indicated he didn't feel this was much of a problem in Mounds View. He stated he was in favor of having this code remain as is. Consensus of the Planning Commission is to have this code remain as is. Planning Associate Heller suggested removing the R -O, Residential -Office zoning district from the zoning code. She indicated there was only one property (2865 County Highway 10) zoned R -O, and the City recently rezoned this property to R-4 for the senior housing development. As such, staff recommends that the City eliminate this zoning designation from the city code. Planning Associate Heller stated she received an email from Commissioner Lang and he expressed concern of removing this zoning code because there may be use for this in the future. Commissioner Walsh-Kaczmarek questioned if this is the zoning for someone running a business out of their home. Planning Associate Heller stated this zoning would only be used for businesses along County Highway 10. Chair Stevenson stated throughout the years with no other properties zoned R -O, he didn't see the use in keeping the R -O zoning district. Consensus of the Planning Commission is to remove the R -O zoning district from the zoning code. Planning Associate Heller stated there are a few properties in the city that are being used differently than the way the zoning designates them to be used. These particular properties are currently zoned R-2 but the actual use is single family - 7301 Parkview Drive, 7441 Parkview Terrace; 5468 Adams Street, 2760 Wooddale Drive. Staff will continue to go through the zoning map to determine if there are more zoning changes that the City should do. Chair Stevenson stated he is comfortable with these changes. Mounds View Planning Commission Regular Meeting June 3, 2009 Page 4 Community Development Director Roberts stated they are going through the comprehensive plan and making sure the use designations are represented properly on the zoning map. Planning Associate Heller stated the next issue is flammable liquids in Industrial districts. She stated the Planning Commission began talking about this matter last year after an industrial business asked if they could install a 1,000-1,500 gallon propane tank on their property. Currently, the City Code allows the storage of flammable liquids in industrial districts (below ground storage only, not to exceed 25,000 gallons), or above ground storage (any amount) as a conditional use. City staff felt it was unnecessary for a business to go through the CUP process for a smaller tank but as the code reads, any amount of above ground storage requires a CUP. The Planning Commission came to a consensus to change the code to require conditional use permits only for flammable liquid tanks over 800 gallons in size. Initially staff and the Planning Commission were thinking of a single tank that is 800 gallons, but maybe the code should also specify that amount is a combined total amount. She gave an example of a business wanting to have three 700 tanks for a total of 2100 gallons, and the code only specified tank size of no more than 800 gallons, not the total storage amount. Commissioner Walsh-Kaczmarek stated she would like see the code amended to add the combined total limitation. Chair Stevenson suggested amending the code to read "on tanks less than 800 gallons or a combination of tanks totaling 800 gallons." Consensus of the Planning Commission is to amend the industrial district zoning code to allow above ground flammable liquid storage, not to exceed a total of 800 gallons. Planning Associate Heller suggested amending the code regarding daycare centers in churches (Chapter 1106.04 Subd.1) — every church in Mounds View except for Bethlehem Baptist (PUD) is zoned R-1 since churches are allowed in R-1 districts as a conditional use. At least one of the churches currently operates a daycare center in their building, and the city code does not address daycare centers in church facilities. The city code allows licensed daycare facilities in R-1 districts as a permitted use but only if there are 12 or fewer persons, otherwise larger daycare centers are only allowed in R-2 or higher districts. The church daycare centers probably have more than 12 children in them, but they do not appear to cause problems for the neighborhoods. Staff recommends adding language to the R-1 zoning district conditional uses to allow daycare centers in church buildings. Commissioner Walsh-Kaczmarek questioned what prevents a resident from defining their home a church and adding a daycare. Planning Associate Heller stated the resident would need to apply for a CUP to be a church. Also, they would need to be licensed through Ramsey County and abide by the limitations of the county, and due to the size of a single family home, would probably be limited to the number of children that they could be licensed for. Mounds View Planning Commission Regular Meeting June 3, 2009 Page 5 Chair Stevenson asked if staff was asking for daycare use in the R- I district to be allowed. Planning Associate Heller stated that the amendment would be to allow daycare centers in churches as a conditional use in the R-1 zoning district. Chair Stevenson suggested having it listed under Subsection 1. Planning Associate Heller suggested giving church daycare centers its own subsection under conditional uses. Chair Stevenson directed staff to write up the amendment and bring it back to the Planning Commission. He asked if staff would bring back all these amendments to the Planning Commission. Planning Associate Heller stated these would all come back to the Planning Commission. Planning Associate Heller indicated another issue had been brought to staff's attention regarding satellite dishes being located in the front yard. She indicated the current code addressing satellite dishes was written when the dishes were much larger than they are today. She read the current code and indicated that most of it could apply to today's smaller dishes, but that staff hasn't been enforcing it since we know it wasn't meant for the small dishes, She indicated there are many satellite dishes around the city located in front yards. Chair Stevenson thought the code should not regulate the smaller dishes. They are not as intrusive as the larger ones. He stated he didn't want to see too much regulation of these and the dish needs open space to work properly. Community Development Director Roberts stated he hasn't come across any cities regulating the smaller dishes. Also, the current code indicates that satellite dishes cannot be located in the front yard. He suggested adding the language "if the dish is less than 3 feet in diameter." Chair Stevenson stated the satellite dish needs to be off the right-of-way. Commissioner Walsh-Kaczmarek indicated that with the digital switch over coming within the next couple of weeks, more people might be getting these satellite dishes. She indicated she agreed with Chair Stevenson in adding the language of "no larger of three feet in diameter and cannot be located on the right of way." Consensus was to add this language. Planning Associate Heller stated she would put these zoning code amendments together and bring them back to the Planning Commission. Mounds View Planning Commission Regular Meeting Next Planning Commission Meeting: A. June 3, 2009 B. June 17, 2009 8. Adjournment to Agenda Session June 3, 2009 Page 6 There being no further business before the Planning Commission, Chair Stevenson adjourned the meeting at 7:53 p.m. (The meeting immediately adjourned to the Agenda Session) Respectfully submitted, Zen Roberts Community Development Director Transcribed by: Barbara Suciu TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc.