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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC MIN 02.17.1976CITY OF ST. ANTHONY PLANNING BOARD MINUTES February 17,1976 The meeting was called to order by Chairman Bowerman at 7:35 P.M. Present for roll call: Cowan, Marks, Hiebel, Bowerman, Johnson and Rymarchick. Absent: Letourneau Also present: Jim Fornell, Harry Lekson The following correction was made to the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Board January 20, 1976: Page 2, para. 6: Substitute "concern" for "fear" in 5th sentence. Motion by Mr. Marks, seconded by Mr. Rymarchick to approve the minutes of the January 20th meeting as corrected. Motion carried unanimously. Mr. Ed Fiorre, General Manager of American Monarch, said he was present to get the Board's reaction to his request that the property west of American Monarch's building on 37th Avenue N.E. retain its light industrial zoning to enable his company to make a necessary expansion of their factory in that direction. He told the Board that the proposal from Richard Ernst for the development of the land to the east of the plant which is owned by American Monarch actually involved a trade of that property for the section of the land to the west which would allow the company to expand. American Monarch wants to purchase the property to the west directly from the Apache Corporation with the present zoning (L.I.). His concern was that his company might purchase the land and then find the City had changed the zoning to the proposed C-1 classification which would prevent its use for the company's expansion. Mr. Fiore said the company's expansion plans rested on the health of the computer industry but anticipated the company would outgrow the present building in three years and would require from 30,000 to 45,000 additional square feet of building within that time. The need for a new section for the ovens used in their industry would necessitate their building their expansion space from 8 to 10 feet higher than the present building. Existance of a storm drain on the property to the east would require expensive tunneling and leveling of the terrain. A separate building was also felt to not be economically feasible. The present parking to the east would be retained and additional parking spaces to accomodate the increase in personnel would be a part of the expansion to the west. In reply to questions from the Board, Mr. Fiore said the addition would be of the same basic architecture as the existing building which seemed compatible to the residential neighborhood across 37th Avenue. He did not anticipate a great increase in traffic since the two shifts of the factory workers and hours for staff members are staggered. Page 2 Mr. Johnson said if the property were rezoned to C-1 the resulting increase in curb cuts and diversity of businesses possible would probably generate more traffic during the rush hours. He thought when the lots were originally zoned light industrial it was anticipated that if American Monarch didn't expand its industry a similar industry would be established there. Mr. Cowan said he felt the proposal was a logical extension of the land usage and was as good as could be expected to get for that property and he would be able to approve of the concept if the City could have some assurance that American Monarch would not sell the land to someone else once they had retained the light industrial zoning. He was in favor of encouraging a good neighbor to stay in the City. Mr. Marks said he was impressed by the comments from several residents of that area during the public hearings on the dispoal of the land to the east of American Monarch that they considered the company a good neighbor and favored expansion of the plant to other developments. He said he felt Mr. Fiore's proposal would provide a good transitional usage between the residential neighborhood and Apache Plaza. When asked for a staff recommendation, Mr. Fornell said he thought the expansion would be a legitimate usage of the land and agreed that American Monarch had been a good neighbor. Mr. Bowerman found no fault with the concept as long as the agreement was not contingent upon the manner in which the land to the east of American Monarch was zoned. Mr. Rymarchick suggested to Mr. Fiore that since the Board had not objected to the concept of the expansion that he give them at least until their next meeting to include his proposal in the ongoing discussions of the new zoning ordinance. Mr. Fiore agreed and the Board took the proposal under advisement until their March 16th meeting. Mr. Carl O. Lien of Land Increment Development, Inc., 739 Heinel Drive, St. Paul, representing the Schroeder Milk Company of 2080 Rice Street, St. Paul, presented site plans which called for the removal of the Jiffy Market which stands at the corner of 33rd Avenue N.E. and Stinson Boulevard and the erection of a new food market with a self service gas pupip in its place and on an additional lot to the south which the milk company had purchased. The proposal would include Lots 16 & 17, Block 3, Clark and King's Hennepin Gardens. The small house on Lot 16 would be removed or torn down. Mr. Lien said adding the gas pump to the proposal made the removal of the present market and placement of the new store on the back of the lots economically feasible. He pointed out the landscaping planned for the corner of Stinson and 33rd and the redwood fencing which would buffer the project from the residences to the south and east. Plans for the gas pump drew expressions of concern from Board members, who felt that in spite of the similar development of the other three corners of that intersection such a usage of the land was not suitable to the residential areas on each side. Page 3 They foresaw a problem with the signage which would be necessary for such a project as well as the intense lighting and the generation of traffic which they felt would be inherent to the usage. The storage of gasoline and provisions for garbage and trash storage and removal were also pointed out as possible drawbacks to the proposal. Mr. Johnson who lives in that neighborhood said he had felt it was a mistake to allow commercial development on that corner in the first place and questioned whether there might not be traffic backed up on the street with cars waiting their turns at the gas pump. He disagreed with the contention that residential development of that property was not economically feasible saying the same point was made when the Lemke Greenhouse property was redeveloped and some handsome residences were built there when the Council refused to allow commercial development of the tract. Mr. Hiebel said he was concerned that some of the greenery shown on the plan would have to be eliminated for driveways to accomodate garbage and trash pickup and that the parking and lighting would prove objectionable to the neighbors. Mr. Lekson said the only concern voiced by the neighbor to the south was that the redwood fence should screen his property. Mr. Rymarchick said he agreed that there would probably never be residential development of that corner and, though he was opposed to the gas pump which he felt in time would become a "dump", he thought the proposal could be modified to allow the new market and a service type of business mentioned by Mr. Lien with control of the signage. Mr. Marks was opposed to the removal of the residence to the east regardless of its size saying the City needs all its single family dwellings and agreed with the contention of the other Board members that the proposal as made would generate traffic problems and degrade other property in the area and would probably speed up the process of decay of that particular corner. However, he favored the concept of a neighborhood market being built there. When Mr. Lien wanted to know whether the Board was considering the proposition under the concept of the new zoning ordinance, Mr. Cowan said they had no alternative but to judge it under the existing xoning if a more specific and detailed proposal were made. Mr. Fornell that there was more extensive landscaping and parking area provided under the proposal than is presently required by the zoning ordinance. When the developer said he did not feel the proposed speedy market could be adapted to fit the setbacks required for a C-1 classification under the new zoning ordinance, Mr. Rymarchick and Mr. Johnson said that, although they were reluctant to draw up the plans for the developer they felt it was possible to position the proposed building so that it could be situated on the site even under the regulations of teh proposed zoning ordinance. Page 4 The Board felt the setbacks and buffers on the residential sides of the tract were the most essential and it was thought that parking could be allowed within 5 feet of the roadway along 33rd Avenue. Mr. Lien said he was only interested in getting some guidelines on what the Board would require to approve a proposal and was to return with a more specific plan on which the Board would be able to base its -decision. Mr. Hiebel said he would be able to represent the Board at the next Council meeting. Motion by Mr. Hiebel, seconded by Mr. Marks to adjourn the meeting at 8:50 P.M. for an informal consideration of the new zoning ordinance. Motion carried unanimously. Helen Crowe, Secy.