Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-02-2002 PROCEEDINGS OF THE MOUNDS VIEW PLANNING COMMISSION CITY OF MOUNDS VIEW RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA Regular Meeting January 2, 2002 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., January 2, 2002. _______________________________________________________________________ 2. Roll Call Members Present: Commissioners, Stevenson, Johnson, Zwirn, Miller, Hegland, and Scotch. Members Excused: Kaden (on leave). Also Present: Community Development Director Ericson and Planner Atkinson. ________________________________________________________________________ Index to Minutes Page Planning Case No. VR01-013 2 Location: 7575 Groveland Road Applicant: John Winiecki Planning Case No. VR01-012 6 Location: 2149 Program Avenue Applicant: William Bell, Mounds View Hotels, LLC Election of Planning Commission Officers 7 Staff Reports/Items of Information 8 Chairperson and Planning Commission Reports 8 _______________________________________________________________________ Mounds View Planning Commission January 2, 2002 Regular Meeting Page 2 ________________________________________________________________________ 3. Citizens Requests and Comments on Items Not on the Agenda Opal Fosterman of 7601 Groveland Road addressed the Commission and indicated that she had sent a letter requesting a streetlight on Groveland Road. She then asked if her request had been reviewed and, if so, when it would be addressed. She also indicated that she had called in a request for a streetlight on County Road I and Silver Lake Road because there is supposed to be a crosswalk in that location and she was nearly hit by a car when getting off the bus. She further indicated that she had missed the bus this morning because it was too dark for the driver to see her. Community Development Director Ericson indicated that he had received the letter and had forwarded it to the Public Works Department because there is a set of standards and, if those standards are met, the streetlight is installed. He further indicated that it is a straightforward process that does not require action by the Planning Commission. Commissioner Johnson asked if the request was for a streetlight or a street sign. Director Ericson indicated the request was for a streetlight between County Road I and Bronson Drive on Groveland Road. Director Ericson indicated he would discuss the matter with the new Public Works Director and report back to the Commission and Ms. Fosterman as to the status of the streetlight request. Director Ericson then introduced Greg Lee, the new Public Works Director. Mr. Lee stated he had started today and indicated he looked forward to working with the Planning Commission. Director Ericson also introduced Aaron Backman, the new Economic Development Coordinator. Mr. Backman indicated he had started on December 17, 2001 and said he was pleased to be working for the City of Mounds View and looks forward to working with the Planning Commission. _______________________________________________________________________ 4. Planning Case No. VR01-013 Planner Atkinson explained that the applicant had requested a variance to allow for a storage shed that would increase the total square footage of the accessory structures on the property beyond what is allowed in City Code. He then indicated that, with the new shed, the total square footage of accessory structures would be 1,706 square feet. Planner Atkinson indicated that the applicant intended to remove the existing shed to construct the new shed. Mounds View Planning Commission January 2, 2002 Regular Meeting Page 3 ________________________________________________________________________ Planner Atkinson indicated that there were seven criteria that needed to be met in order for the Planning Commission to grant the variance and indicated that those criteria were listed in the Staff report. He indicated that Staff was seeking direction from the Planning Commission as to whether a Resolution for approval or denial should be drafted. He then provided pictures of the applicant’s backyard to the Commission for review. Chair Stevenson opened the public hearing at 7:10 p.m. Chair Stevenson inquired as to the size of the lot. Mr. Winiecki indicated that his lot was 132 feet wide by 208 feet deep making it approximately 27,000 square feet. Planner Atkinson indicated that the property immediately behind the applicant’s property is owned by the City and is wetland that should not be developed in the foreseeable future. Commissioner Johnson asked when the Code was revised to allow 1,400 square feet of storage rather than 1,264 square feet. Community Development Director Ericson indicated the Code was revised in either 1999 or 2000. Commissioner Johnson commented that he feels that raising the amount of storage allowed by 136 square feet was not adequate compared to other cities. He further commented that the City was attempting to limit accessory structure size to prevent at home automobile repair operations and that is no longer a problem because the computer required to fix vehicles is too expensive for the at home mechanic. He also indicated that there are some garages in Mounds View that are 1700 or 1800 square feet and the yards are spotless because the resident has enough inside storage. Chair Stevenson commented that the code was written for situations where granting a larger square footage accessory structure would not be in the best interest of Mounds View. He commented that this situation is different because the applicant has a large yard that could comfortably accommodate a larger accessory structure. He then commented that he does not feel the City needs to address the Code at this time. He also commented that Mr. Winiecki provides yard work assistance for the widows in his neighborhood. Commissioner Zwirn asked how tall the building would be. Mr. Winiecki indicated that the peak would be no taller than 15 feet. Commissioner Zwirn indicated he did not have a problem with the application and noted that Mr. Winiecki had done his homework by providing plenty of information for the Commission’s review. Mounds View Planning Commission January 2, 2002 Regular Meeting Page 4 ________________________________________________________________________ Planner Atkinson indicated that property owners were notified and he had received comments in support of the structure. Commissioner Miller commented that she did not see a problem with granting this request but said she is concerned with how the request meets the criteria. Commissioner Johnson commented that he had raised the issue of reviewing the Code because he feels that granting this variance could open the City up to further requests for variances. Commissioner Zwirn asked what type of utilities would be placed in the garage. Mr. Winiecki indicated that he needs electricity for lights in the shed. He then explained that he has a lot of things he needs to store and does not have enough room to do so. He further commented that he does snow removal and lawn mowing for the widows in the neighborhood and would like to be able to store his equipment inside to prevent it from rusting. Commissioner Zwirn indicated that the need to store equipment inside to protect it from theft, the elements, and vandalism could be considered a hardship. Commissioner Hegland asked how Mr. Winiecki arrived at the size for his structure. Mr. Winiecki indicated he had originally wanted to build a larger structure but after consulting with City Staff arrived at a 952 square foot structure. Chair Stevenson indicated he had received comments from the widows on the block and commented that he appreciates the work Mr. Winiecki does for those people and would like to see if there is a way around the criteria. Commissioner Miller noted that all seven criteria have to be met. She then indicated that the criterion that requires that the situation does not result due to the actions of the applicant would be especially difficult to meet. Chair Stevenson commented that the fact that Mr. Winiecki has such a large amount of low ground and anything that sits outside rusts could be considered a hardship. He also indicated that inside storage is an improvement for the City. Commissioner Johnson commented that he had raised the same issue when the Code was revised from 1264 to 1400 and said he feels the Commission should look at the Code. He then commented that he feels the City could be opening itself up to more variance requests. Commissioner Hegland commented that it is becoming more popular for new houses to have four car garages to allow for extra storage. He then commented that he did not think that allowing increased square footage for accessory structures would be negative unless someone was trying to put something on a very small lot. Mounds View Planning Commission January 2, 2002 Regular Meeting Page 5 ________________________________________________________________________ Commissioner Johnson indicated that the Commission had discussed not allowing a variance for a zero lot line when granting an oversize garage. Commissioner Stevenson asked how the Commission would decide what size lot to allow larger accessory structures on. Commissioner Hegland commented that the Commission had tried to set a size that covered all lots in the City. Chair Stevenson agreed that the Commission should review the Code but said he did not want to hold up Mr. Winiecki’s request. Commissioner Scotch indicated that she agreed with Commissioner Miller’s comment that all criteria need to be met in order to grant the variance. She then commented that there was a recent request for a larger shed that was denied. Commissioner Johnson commented that there was a resident that had to remove a really nice shed to be allowed to build his two-car garage. Commissioner Scotch asked what requirements other cities have. Community Development Director Ericson commented that Staff had polled surrounding communities when the Code was revised in 1999 or 2000. He then indicated that some of the cities polled have more restrictive requirements than Mounds View. He further indicated that the City had increased the square footage, allowed three buildings, and had taken out the percentage of backyard requirement. He also indicated that Staff had not received any other requests for structures larger than 1,400 square feet. Commissioner Johnson clarified that the City did not eliminate the backyard square footage requirement from the Code; the City eliminated the footprint of the house requirement. Director Ericson indicated that Staff could look at the Code but said it may be possible that Mr. Winiecki’s situation could meet the criteria because of the slope of the land, the hydrology, and moisture. He then indicated that Staff would review the matter and bring a Resolution back to the Commission for review. Chair Stevenson clarified it was the consensus of the Commission to ask Staff to come back with a Resolution to grant the variance and provide information as to how the situation would meet the criteria. Commissioner Scotch asked the size of the current garage. Mr. Winiecki indicated that his garage is currently 624 square feet. He then indicated that he would be out of town on January 16, 2002 for the next Planning Commission meeting. Mounds View Planning Commission January 2, 2002 Regular Meeting Page 6 ________________________________________________________________________ Commissioner Johnson asked if there was a consensus among Commission Members to review the Code. It was the consensus of the Commission to look at the Code and revisit the issue of lot sizes. Chair Stevenson closed the public hearing at 7:31 p.m. ______________________________________________________________________________ 5. Planning Case No. VR01-012 Planner Atkinson explained that William Bell of Mounds View Hotels has requested approval of a variance to increase the sign height for an existing 50-foot tall pylon sign at the Days Inn at 2149 Program Avenue. He then indicated that the property is zoned B-3 and the previous owner of the property was granted a variance in 1991 to allow the sign to be 50 feet rather than the allowed 35 feet. He further indicated that the requested variance would increase the height of the sign by 15 feet. Chair Stevenson opened the public hearing at 7:31 p.m. Commissioner Johnson asked when the 50-foot variance was granted. Planner Atkinson indicated that the 50-foot variance was approved on August 7, 1991. Commissioner Johnson commented that when the Commission heard the variance request in 1991 he thought there was a construction issue concerning the height of the sign. He then indicated it was his recollection that the height could not go over 50 feet without changing the footing design. Planner Atkinson indicated he had located the Staff report and Resolution from 1991 and stated there was no real information. He then commented that the previous owner was attempting to attract traffic from Highway 10 and the new owner wants to attract traffic from Interstate 35W. Commissioner Hegland indicated that he was concerned about site lines and the proposed height compared to the site lines with the current height. Planner Atkinson indicated that the proposed sign would be comparable to the Amoco and McDonald’s signs. He then indicated that the City did not have any information as to the actual height of the Amoco and McDonald’s signs but said Staff is assuming that the signs are 10 or 15 feet higher than the current Days Inn sign. Commissioner Miller asked if McDonald’s and Amoco were granted variances for the signs. Planner Atkinson indicated that McDonald’s and Amoco were not granted a variance and noted the signs are considered nonconforming under the City’s Code. Mounds View Planning Commission January 2, 2002 Regular Meeting Page 7 ________________________________________________________________________ Commissioner Johnson asked if the square footage of the sign was changing. Planner Atkinson indicated that the square footage of the sign was not changing. Community Development Director Ericson indicated that Staff could go out and take photographs at night from several different angles to determine visibility compared to the Amoco and McDonald’s signs to show what the impact of the variance would be. Chair Stevenson commented that he was not comfortable acting on this variance request without having the site line information. He then commented that 50 feet would seem adequate but said he is open to discussing the matter if the photographs prove that it is not. Director Ericson indicated that Staff would take the pictures and said he would ask Mr. Bell to have the other signs measured. Mr. Bell indicated that he had checked site lines and said he does not feel the sign is visible with the other signs. He then commented he would be happy to limit his sign to the height of the other signs. Commissioner Scotch asked what the height difference was between the requested sign and the billboard recently approved for Eller Media. Director Ericson indicated that the Eller sign conformed to the City’s Code of 35 feet for height. Mr. Bell indicated that the major traffic used to come from Highway 10 but now the major traffic comes from Interstate 35W. Commissioner Miller asked how soon the hotel sign is visible when traveling from the north on Interstate 35W. Commissioner Johnson asked if the Amoco and McDonald’s were visible from the north on Interstate 35W. Commissioner Hegland commented that it would be helpful to look into whether there would be light spillage from the sign into residential areas. Chair Stevenson closed the public hearing at 7:40 p.m. ______________________________________________________________________________ 6. Election of Planning Commission Officers Community Development Director Ericson indicated that the Planning Commission, at the beginning of each year, needed to elect a Chair and Vice Chair. He then asked for nominations for the positions. Mounds View Planning Commission January 2, 2002 Regular Meeting Page 8 ________________________________________________________________________ Commissioner Johnson nominated Commissioner Stevenson for Chair. The nomination was seconded by Commissioner Miller. The Commission approved the nomination by unanimous vote. Chair Stevenson nominated Commissioner Miller for the Vice Chair position. The nomination was seconded by Commissioner Zwirn. The Commission approved the nomination by unanimous vote. ______________________________________________________________________________ 7. Staff Reports a. Previous Council Action Community Development Director Ericson reported that the City Council had not met since the last time the Commission met. He reported that the Council changed its schedule for January and the first meeting will take place on January 7, 2002. He further reported that the Harstad variance would be heard at the January 7, 2002 meeting. Community Development Director Ericson indicated that the variance requests heard at this meeting would be on the agenda for the next meeting. ______________________________________________________________________________ 8. Chairperson and Planning Commissioners’ Reports Commissioner Hegland indicated he had noticed that one of the Sysco billboards is higher than the other and inquired as to whether that was what the City had approved. Community Development Director Ericson indicated that the Code allows for temporary provisions and indicated that he would look into the matter. Commissioner Scotch asked when Ms. Fosterman had sent the letter to the Commission. Director Ericson indicated that the letter was received two or three weeks ago and was addressed to the Planning Commission. He then explained that he did not forward it to the Planning Commission because it was not something that the Commission usually reviews. He further explained that the letter was sent to Public Works and, if the standards were met, the streetlight would be approved. ______________________________________________________________________________ 9. Next Planning Commission Meeting: January 16, 2002 ______________________________________________________________________________ Mounds View Planning Commission January 2, 2002 Regular Meeting Page 9 ________________________________________________________________________ 10. Adjournment There being no further business before the Planning Commission, Chair Stevenson adjourned the meeting at 7:50 p.m. (The meeting immediately adjourned to the Agenda Session) Respectfully submitted, James Ericson Community Development Director Transcribed by: Joan Lenzmeier TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc.