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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPL MINUTES 10181983 1 1; d ;1 i Meeting Sheet 101990 'Box: 21 Folder: PL MINUTES AND AGENDAS 1983 Document:'PL MINUTES 10181983 CITY OF ST. ANTHONY PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES October 18, 1983 The meeting was called to order by Chair Makowske at 7 : 35 P.M. Present for roll call : Zawislak, Makowske, Jones , Bjorklund, Wagner, and Franzese. Absent: Bowerman. Also present: David Childs , City Manager. The minutes for the September 20th meeting of the Commission were amended as follows : Page 2 , para. 5 : Substitute "school district" for "other official" in line 3. para. 6 : Substitute "pursued" for "followed" in line 15 . Page 4 , para. 3 : Substitute "but" for "not" in the middle of line 15 and eliminate "a" before "similar" in the next line. • Page 5 , para. 7 : Substitute "primary" for "only" in line 16 . para. 9 : Eliminate "When" in the first line and insert after - "Mrs . Basara" , "a series of questions" . Add to that paragraph "When asked if she liked the proposed pro- ject, she said 'no'" . Page 6 , para. 2 : Substitute "explained" for "told him" in line 4 . para. 6 : Eliminate the period after "ago" in the last line and add "and that proposal was one of several which get larger and larger as the time goes by" . Page 8, para. 2 : Insert "related to the absence of the petitioners" following "meetings" in line 2. para. 3': The City Manager's recommendation on line 8 should have been a separate paragraph. Motion by Commissioner Bjorklund and seconded by Commissioner Wagner to approve as amended the minutes of the Commission meeting held September 20 , 1983. Motion carried unanimously. • Commissioner Jones will report the October 18th Commission minutes at the October 25th Council meeting. -2- At 7 : 45 P.M. , the hearing on the request for variances for an addition to the existing Donatelle Tool, Inc. building on Chandler Drive and Foss • Road was opened by the Chair, who. read .the notice of the hearing which had been published in the Bulletin and mailed to all adjacent property owners within 350 feet of the subject parcel. The five people present were asked whether they had been notified about the hearing and no one reported failure to receive the notice or objected to its content: Mr. Childs reported having received only one . call about the proposal and that from the owners of the St. Anthony Townhomes- across the street who were concerned that the addition might be planned for the vacant property to the south. They indicated they did not object to the proposal as made. The firm's owners , 1-like Donatelle , 1980 Haimes Street, New Brighton, and Charles Donatelle, 4008 Macalaster Drive, of Donatelle Properties , . were present to answer questions about their application. and the sketch and site plans for the two story addition they propose toconstruct on the southside of their existing manufacturing and warehouse building at 3824 Foss Road. Mike Donatelle reiterated many of the points made in the statement attached to the variance. application, including .the fact that.. the area on Foss Road, which is proposed to be landscaped, could be blacktopped to provide . the required .parking spaces if onsite parking should prove to be inadequate for the increase in business expected with the expan- sion. • Commissioner Franzese said she was puzzled .to see the City 's Compre- hensive Plan showing single family zoning for this area. Commissioner Bjorklund told her -the planner, had perceived there would be a conflict of land use in that district where industrial development had become . too dense for the surrounding residential. There had been a "perfect test case" of his recommendation, the Commissioner said, when the Blanske warehouse expansion had .been proposed and, "the determined effort of a few had been completely. overridden by the Council, who had set a significant precedent of allowing industrial expansion in a residential area which would be difficult not to follow in this case" . . Mr. Childs indicated the property in question is zoned light industrial and the addition would not conflict with that zoning. Mike Donatelle indicated his company proposes to purchase the single family residence , which was on the property when it was zoned light industrial, for the expansion and he perceives the City would eliminate with the removal of that house , the problems associated with having residential property sited between two industrial buildings , as well as devaluation of that property with the rezoning. The size of the proposed addition had been predicated on the need to offset the costs of purchasing and tearing down the existing residential structure, Mr. Donatelle added. As they stated in their application, Donatelle Tool , Inc. is a highly automated plastic injuction molder business which the owners expect to increase with the expansion to such a • degree that the present work force of six employees (excluding them- selves) could be increased to between 20 to 25 workers . However, Mr. Donatelle indicated he anticipates the 23 parking spaces provided with -3- his proposal would be more than adequate to serve the increased • business . In addition to the two story addition on the west, the applicantindicated he was also proposing the company be permitted to bring the existing building out five feet towards Foss Road to bring it into alignment with the "steel building" to the- south and to provide an. enclosed loadingarea in which the company 's .two vans could be parked. Two of the proposed 23. parking spaces would be in front of that enclosure. The new addition on the south would be between 23 and 24 feet high, ten feet higher than the existing building, which .is built into the ground. The elevation plans submitted for the proposed addition illustrated the extent to which the new structure would also be con- structed underground and Mr. Donatelle told Mrs . Makowske this building would_ be just about level with -the eaves on the "steel building" next door. The lower level of the addition would be 'used for manufacturing and the upper .floors for warehouse , and the applicant said all existing trees on the property would be retained and the entire property land- scaped further than at present. The proposed curb cuts would have to be approved by the City 's Public Works Director, the Manager said, .but he anticipates no .problems since the existing curb cuts are 50 .feet apart (30 feet required) . Charles Donatelle identified on the site plans just where additional parking would be provided as well as the landscaped area along Foss Road where additional six parking. spaces .could be provided, if needed. The • triangular corner of the property on Chandler Drive was also considered as a potential site for additional. parking. The office location was pointed out for Commissioner Franzese and • she was also told the roads in that area were not constructed for truck traffic and the type of business Donatelle conducts only. requires . van transportation. Charles- Donatelle assured Commissioner Jones that the new addition would require . no additional electric service or water than is now provided for the existing building... He said there is a large transformer in front of the building and -his company has never had to pay any more than a minimum bill for their water. Neil Hamlin; owner of Garment Graphics , 3819 Chandler Drive, west of the proposed addition, said he would have no problem whatsoever with the expansion since he is happy to see the entire street developed for light industrial. Mrs . Makowske reported she had learned the -owners of the home which._is, proposed to be purchased were amenable to selling their .property to the Donatelle ' s because they perceive there wouldn' t be much of a market for a single home in that location. Mr. Childs indicated he knew of no problems related to noise or pol- lution connected to this business and when no one present spoke in opposition to the proposal, the hearing was closed' at 8 :20 P.M. for Commission discussion. • During the development of a motion, Commissioner Franzese noted that when she had visited the site there had been City trucks parked along Chandler Drive and Foss ,,Road and she was concerned this might be an indication that with. the addition of so many new employees at the -4- plant, parking on the street might become necessary . She questioned • whether the .applicants had demonstrated clearly enough-what hardship they would suffer if they provided the amount of parking required by the City Ordinance. The response from several Commission members was that the City trucks had been servicing the Foss Road lift station and that the proponents had inciated there would be adequate space on their property to provide the necessary onsite parking, if and when, it is needed. Commissioner Wagner indicated he. perceives adequate parking might be provided with parallel parking in the existing lot. He also said he had noticed the only people who park on the street now are residents from across the street. Mrs. Makowske told Commissioner Franzese she has frequent business dealings with another business in- that area and has never noticed a parking problem. Commissioner Jones said the City has historically granted parking variances .where adequate space is available for future parking and has always preferred grass over blacktop whenever possible . Commissioner Bjorklund indicated he perceived no land use problem with the proposal since the precedent for industrial development had already been set and the Foss Road setback .had been established for the "steel building" : He saw the unique topography of the triangular shaped parcel and the adjacent property as justification for granting- the requested variances . When Commissioner Jones told him they had both gone to school with Mike Donatelle, Commissioner Bjorklund said he had not recognized the appli- cant, probably because he had not seen him for about 18. years . The consensus was that this association. would not present a conflict of interest for either Commissioner. Motion by Commissioner Bjorklund and seconded by Commissioner Zawislak to recommend the Council grant all three variances requested for the expansion of the Donatelle Tool, Inc. , 3824 Foss Road finding that: Cl) Granting the five foot sideyard setback variance to the ordinace requirement for 35 foot sideyards along Foss Road would bring the proposed addition into alignment with the adjacent building to the south .which has the same five foot variance , and constructing the building to match that variance would be aesthetically pleasing and should not interfere with traffic since setbacks of this nature have already been established for that neighborhood. (2) Noting the unique triangular shape of both the subject and the adjacentparcel to the west, the Commission finds there would be long distances between the subject proposed building and the adjacent structure; between. any proposed adjacent building and the proposed .subject building, and to the Chandler Drive right-of-way which is at an angle with this sideyard area and therefore, rec- ommends the Council grant the requested 9 foot sideyard variance to the City requirement for 15- foot sideyard setbacks for the addition. • (3) In recommending a six parking stall variance be granted, where 29 are required for that property, the Commission recognizes that the -5- site is partially triangular in shape and that there is plenty • of landscaping, especially in the front yard, where the landscaping could be removed for six f.uture. parking stalls and thereby meet the City Ordinance requirements . (4) The City .Comprehensive. Plan indicates thereis a conflict in land use in that neighborhood and the proposal would. partially eliminate that conflict by removinga single family residence which is surrounded .on three sides by industrial . (5) The adjacent property owner testified that he had no problem . .with, but .actually liked, the proposal and there was no one who spoke in opposition to it at the hearing. (6) The proponents have indicated they would anticipate no excess use or strain upon the existing utility service with this expansion and there is no history of complaints regarding noise or pollution for the existing facility. (7) The three conditions required for granting these variances were found to be in the affirmative. This recommendation is contingent upon the site plans provided by the proponents showing landscaping, and parking layouts for existing and proposed alternate parking, should parking become a problem for the neighborhood, and the proponents have agreed to provide that parking • whenever the City sees a need for it. Motion carried unanimously. The Chair complimented .the proponents for their excellent site plans and told them the Council would be acting on the Commission' s recom- mendations October 25th. The Manager told 'Commissioner Bjorklund the Capital Improvements Planning program being developed for the City by the Metropolitan Council had been delayed but would still. be .coming . He said the Housing Plan had been given first priority. The Commissioner indicated he believed it very necessary to let the residents know years in advance that there are major improvements coming so they would be prepared for the resultant raise in taxes . Mr. Childs reported the revised plans for the Kenzington condominiums provide one level of enclosed parking which would be ventilated, but not heated, and the upper level would .-now be partially enclosed. He said prospective buyers will be offered their choice , with those who want the enclosed spaces, having to pay between $1 ,500 and $2 ,000 for those improvements : None of the three purchasers of units had opted for the lower .level. parking, he added. Commissioner- iones said he still disbelieved that enclosing all of the parking would have raised the cost of the building $1, 002 ,000 and the Manager told him those calcu- lations, which were .made by Kraus Anderson, are available in the City • offices. Commission members had been furnished copies of the City 's proposed Housing Bond Plan which is .necessary to secure housing revenue bonding -6- for 6-for th.e City and Mr. Childs requested they submit their comments on -pages 17, 19 , 20 , 21 and 22 at their next meeting November ,15th. Commissioner Bjorklund indicated he would like to see the format of the report reversed so the first -part which emphasizes the development of low and moderate income housing' would. not be the first thing people read, because he perceives this thrust might alienate a lot of St. Anthony residents . Mr. .Childs reminded him that all the grants the City has received are based on the City 's addressing the needs of those people but since incomes considered .to be moderate in the report are high enough that there should be no problem meeting those criteria. Commissioner Jones perceived the number of subsidized rentals in one of the apartments in the northern section of the City should almost satisfy those goals . Mt. - Childs said the fact that the incomes of the elderly, and not their assets are counted, should qualify many of them. He told Commissioner Franzese the neighborhood statistics program developed with the Bureau of Censu_s .should .provide specific data related to the number of rental occupied dwellings in the City . The Manager foresees that by next fall there would .be a general remodel- ling effort by the owners of the _portion of the St. Anthony Shopping Center which is not being redeveloped. He told Commissioner Jones the difference between rentals asked for the vacant Penny 's Store and the former drug store which the City is utilizing for its new .liquor warehouse facility left no doubt as to which would be used. Chair Makowske left the meeting at 9 : 30 P.M. , but before she went she indicated she would be interested in attending the- American Planning • Institute, December 9th. The Manager will also make reservations for Commissioners Zawislak, Wagner, and Franzese and said he would con- , tact Commissioner Bowerman to see .if he is interested. Motion by Commissioner Bjorklund and seconded by Commissioner Jones to ajourn the meeting at 9 : 35 P.M. Motion carried unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Helen Crowe, Secretary •