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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC MINUTES 061220181 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 CITY OF ST. ANTHONY CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES JUNE 12, 2018 CALL TO ORDER. Mayor Faust called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Mayor Faust invited the Council and audience to join him in the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL. Present: Mayor Faust, Councilmembers Gray, Jenson, Randle and Stille. Absent: None Also Present: City Manager Mark Casey and City Planner Breanne Rothstein TION, DISCUSSION, AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON ALL OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS. I. APPROVAL OF JUNE 12, 2018 CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA. Motion by Councilmember Gray, seconded by Councilmember Randle, to approve the Citv Council Meeting Agenda of June 12, 2018 as presented. Motion carried 5 -0. II. PROCLAMATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS — NONE. III. CONSENT AGENDA. A. Approval of May 22, 2018, City Council Meeting Minutes. B. Licenses and Permits. C. Claims. D. Resolution 18 -046: a Resolution approving Master Subscriber Agreement for Minnesota Court Data Services for Government A eg ncies. Motion by Councilmember Randle, seconded by Councilmember Jenson, to approve the Consent Agenda items. IV. PUBLIC HEARINGS — NONE. V. REPORTS FROM COMMISSION AND STAFF. Motion carried 5 -0. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 12, 2018 Page 2 I A. Resolution 18 -047; a Resolution to Deny a Code Text Amendment to allow for a 2 childcare facility ag up to 17 children in the R -1 Single Family District and to deny 3 Conditional Use Permit to allow for a childcare facility serving erving un to 17 children at 3029 4 Wilson Street. 6 City Planner Rothstein provided a detailed staff report on the request. The Planning Commission 7 met on May 21, 2018 and held a public hearing. Several people spoke, both in support and in 8 opposition to the request and the current daycare facility. The Planning Commission voted 5 to 1 9 to recommend denial of the request, based on the draft resolution. 10 11 City Planner Rothstein provided a PowerPoint presentation reviewing the case. The applicant is 12 Jen Johnson. She is also the owner of the property at 3029 Wilson NE. The existing land use / 13 zoning is Low Density Residential R -1 Single Family Residential. Ms. Rothstein noted R -1 14 zoning district limits enrollment of day care facilities to 14 or fewer children, per State Statute 15 MS 462.357. The Applicant's proposal is to expand enrollment of the existing day care from 14 16 to 17 children. The Applicant is requesting zoning text amendment to allow the increased 17 enrollment as a conditional use and a request for a conditional use permit subsequent to the 18 zoning text amendment. 19 20 Ms. Rothstein reviewed the zoning text amendment and stated the request differentiates between 21 family child care and child care centers. Under State Statute, child care centers can have larger 22 enrollments, characterized by a location other than the provider's or caregiver's home. A zoning 23 text amendment would add a new use to the permitted, interim, and conditional uses, as currently 24 the zoning code only permits family child care, provided in the caregiver's home. The zoning 25 ordinance does not currently allow child care facilities serving more than 16 persons in any 26 zoning district. 27 28 Ms. Rothstein provided the conditional use permit review along with findings. The use is one of 29 the conditional uses specifically listed for the district in which the property is located — Criterion 30 not met. The City Council has specified all conditions which the City Council deems necessary 31 to make the use compatible with other uses in the area — Criterion met. The use will not be 32 detrimental to the health, safety, or general welfare of persons residing or working in the vicinity 33 or to the values of property in the vicinity — Criterion met. The use will provide a service or a 34 facility which is in the interest of public convenience and will contribute to the general welfare — 35 Criterion met. 36 37 A letter written to the St. Anthony City Council (from Ms. Kristin Blenkush) on June 4, 2018 38 was provided for Council consideration indicating support of the proposed zoning code text 39 amendment and conditional use permit. 40 41 Ms. Jeri Johnson, Applicant, 4427 Benjamin Street NE, owner of Willow and Sprout, provided a 42 description of what Willow and Sprout consists of and the model they follow. She stated there 43 are 150 children on the waiting list. She has been part of the community for 12 years and 44 understands how St. Anthony is evolving. She was given a letter in 2010 from the City Planner 45 showing support of growth of the child care center. The 17 children make the model fiscally 46 supportive. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 12, 2018 Page 3 2 Mr. Bob Nehring, 3017 Wilson Street NE, spoke against the zoning code amendment and the 3 conditional use permit as the child care center does not meet R -1 zoning requirements. He stated 4 the license that Ms. Jeri Johnson holds is a commercial type license that does not limit the 5 number of children other than the teacher to student ratio and does not require Ms. Jeri Johnson 6 to live on site. She does not live on site and employs three additional teachers in addition to 7 herself. Mr. Nehring quoted State Statute and how it applies to this case. When the business was 8 started it was a business in a homesteaded residence even though no one lived there. Mr. Nehring 9 cited the other day care centers within the City, noting Willow and Sprout is not listed as a 10 permitted use under MN Statute. He does not feel this business belongs in an R -1 zoning district. 11 12 Mr. Scott Springman, 2601 30s Avenue NE, has lived there since 1999. His wife Jodie Sexton 13 spoke at the Planning Commission Meeting in May regarding this matter. They both request the 14 applicant's request be denied. They originally thought the meeting was to decide if the day care 15 should even exist since it is in a family home. He stated they have no issue with family daycare. 16 They are not questioning the quality of the care provided by Willow and Sprout. This is not a 17 family daycare, it is a day care business that happens to be in a house in an area of single family 18 homes. It is not in an area where a commercial business should be located. Mr. Springman stated 19 although they live several houses away, they can attest to the traffic issues on their street. The 20 street is narrowed with cars parked everywhere. He does not feel his children are safe walking 21 through the area and asked Council to deny the request. 22 23 Mr. Rob Smolund, 2700 Alabama Avenue, St Louis Park, MN, Business Advisor to St. Anthony 24 businesses and residents, stated he has been working with Willow and Sprout for the last two 25 years helping her develop a sustainable growth plan. He stated it would make more financial 26 sense for her to increase the number of students to 17. He cited some examples of other cities 27 that allowed child care centers such as this in residential areas. 28 29 Mr. Jason Rivers, 1205 Laurie Rd W. Roseville, MN, stated he is a parent of a child currently 30 enrolled at Willow and Sprout and also of a child who has graduated from Willow and Sprout. 31 He is speaking on behalf of his wife and himself. They have been connected to Willow and 32 Sprout for nearly a decade and been positively impacted as a family by Willow and Sprout. He 33 cited some examples of how Willow and Sprout has helped develop his children and asked 34 Council to approve the request. 35 36 Ms. Pat Crosby, 2608 31St Avenue NE, appeared as a neighbor of Willow and Sprout. She stated 37 this is a tremendous gem for the area. She has not been inside the facility. Her backyard abuts 38 Willow and Sprout. She stated the children are well supervised and are very polite. 39 40 Ms. Mary Salz, 2604 315` Avenue, her home abuts the back of the Willow and Sprout property. 41 She is a licensed social worker. She sees the children outside playing and they show a great sense 42 of community. She stated she cannot speak to the traffic issues and the Council should consider 43 approving the request. 44 45 Ms. Chris Karki, 7316 Orchid Lane N. Maple Grove, stated she is a licensed educator and a 46 parent of a former student of Willow and Sprout. She has a unique perspective to see her child City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 12, 2018 Page 4 1 being taught and watching ways where she enjoys seeing them taught. It was a smart decision to 2 send her son to Willow and Sprout and his development is credited to Willow and Sprout such as 3 emotional intelligence. There is a true sense of community, the school is experience based 4 learning, and the teachers have taught her son self - regulation. She supports the addition of three 5 students. 7 Ms. Holly Wick Bower, 3038 Harding Street NE, stated she is a neighbor and former Willow 8 and Sprout parent. She is also an educator. She stated with some adjustments by the owner as far 9 as pickups and drop -offs, the traffic issues could be alleviated. She was impressed with the 10 curriculum. Ms. Wick Bower noted her children are meeting and exceeding the standards and she 11 believes that was due to early education at Willow and Sprout. She supports the request. 12 13 Ms. Nikoline Tushar, 2704 30`h Avenue NE, neighbor of Willow and Sprout, stated her son will 14 be going there this fall. She supports the increase to 17 students. She has been a lifelong resident 15 of St. Anthony and a teacher at Wilshire Park. She stated Willow and Sprout is one of the few 16 day care centers within the community that provide a high - quality education. 17 18 Ms. Amy Galyan, 3516 Skycroft Drive, a parent of Willow and Sprout alumni, stated Willow 19 and Sprout nurtures each student. She supports their value to the community and in Jeri 20 Johnson's request. 21 22 Mr. Chris Raisch, 3209 Roosevelt Street NE, stated his daughter received a great education at 23 Willow and Sprout and it was the reason they moved to St. Anthony. He fully supports Willow 24 and Sprout and their request. 25 26 Ms. Leah Reddy, 3913 Penrod Lane, stated when her child was 4 months old and she was 27 looking for a day care, she was living near St. Thomas and it was quite a distance from Willow 28 and Sprout. She visited a number of day care centers and said Willow and Sprout is magical. She 29 described the facility and commented on the wonderful teachers. Ms. Reddy stated her son was 30 prepared extremely well for kindergarten because of his excellent pre- school education and more 31 early childhood education is needed even if it is only for three students. 32 33 Mr. John Hodgkins, 3041 Harding Street NE, read a prepared statement regarding how children 34 should behave. He cited some examples of some incidents at the day care center and how they 35 were handled. He stated his wife teaches at Willow and Sprout and he thinks there should be 20 36 Willow and Sprouts. He supports the request for 3 additional students. 37 38 Ms. Tami Hodgkins, 3041 Harding Street NE, stated she is a neighbor and also a teacher at 39 Willow and Sprout. She is able to walk to work and very much appreciates that. She stated at the 40 Planning Commission Meeting, some things were brought up that they were not aware of They 41 observed the flow of traffic, desire to live well with the neighbors, and have come up with a few 42 things that they will ask of their parents to address the parking concerns. The plan is to ask 43 parents to park only on the cemetery side of the street. They will be asked not to make U -turns 44 on the street and to be more mindful of the neighbors and their properties. 45 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 12, 2018 Page 5 Ms. Virginia McGee, 4339 Chatsworth Circle, Shoreview, stated she is a former student teacher and current teacher at Willow and Sprout. The model at Willow and Sprout is very holistic and a wonderful pre - school. It is unique and progressive and an asset to the community. Ms. Kristin Blenkush, 2508 36`h Avenue NE, has three children who have been through Willow and Sprout. She submitted a letter that was provided to Council. Ms. Blenkush explained what this type of school means to her and stated it is important to support this type of education for children. She noted there are multiple child care providers present and if the Council does not have enough information, she encouraged them to visit the facility and see the traffic patterns. She felt they are not nearly as dire as some residents described. Mr. Brian Buck, 3609 33`d Avenue NE, spoke in support of Willow and Sprout and encouraged Council to support the proposal as this center has positive public interest. He felt there is a clear need for quality and affordable child care centers within the community. Mr. Buck stated his family spent six years as part of the Willow and Sprout community. They have a unique model with a favorable teacher -to -child ratio. He stated the experiences are phenomenal, staff has always been very wonderful, and Willow and Sprout is an asset to the community. He noted Ms. Jeri Johnson was led to believe by the City Planner that she would be able to grow her business and they are doing their best to address the traffic issues. He requested Council support the business and allow them to increase to 17 children. Mayor Faust stated the easy decision is not to violate State Statute. The question is not the quality of the day care. This is a land use issue. Councilmember Gray stated he agreed with Mayor Faust's comments and it appears a very good day care with all the positive comments. He stated the Council needs to balance the needs of the residents, maintain that balance, and he believes 14 students are enough at this time. Councilmember Stille agreed with Mayor Faust and Councilmember Gray's comments. He noted his wife is an educator and she speaks very highly of Willow and Sprout. He stated this is a text amendment and affects the entire City and it could open the door for more child cares that may not be as impressive as Willow and Sprout. Councilmember Stille stated it appears to be a great business but he supports the Planning Commission's recommendation to deny the requests. Councilmember Jenson stated he heard all the testimony and read all the information, but there is not a need to increase the number of students beyond what is stated in the State Statute. He supports the Planning Commission's recommendation. Councilmember Randle stated he has been back and forth on this since the Planning Commission meeting. His neighbor's kids go to Willow and Sprout and they are great kids; however, he needs to stick with the Statute and supports the recommendation of the Planning Commission. Mayor Faust stated it is a 20% increase even though it is only three kids. There is a business in a residential area that is really a commercial business. He stated he heard earlier that the City should not have allowed it but State Statute says you have to allow it up to 14 kids. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 12, 2018 Page 6 Motion by Councilmember Stille, seconded by Councilmember Gray, approve Resolution 18- 047; a Resolution denying a code text amendment to allow a childcare facility serving up to 17 children in the R -1 single family district and denying a conditional use permit to allow for a childcare facility serving up to 17 children at 3029 Wilson Street. Motion carried 5 -0. VI. GENERAL BUSINESS OF COUNCIL. 10 A. Resolution 18 -048; a Resolution to Approve Special Event at The Unofficial on July 28, 11 2018. 12 13 City Manager Mark Casey reviewed the request from Chris Christopherson for their third annual 14 customer appreciation special event at The Unofficial Dive Bar & Grill on Saturday, July 28, 15 2018. The police department reported one call was received in regard to excessive noise from 16 last year's event. A diagram of the event was provided for Council review. 17 18 Councilmember Stille asked if the property managers of the adjacent apartments were notified. 19 20 Mr. Chris Christopherson stated they have not contacted the property managers. Councilmember 21 Stille suggested Mr. Christopherson contact them. 22 23 Councilmember Jenson stated the music will play until 9:30 p.m. and then people will be 24 encouraged to move inside. Mr. Christopherson stated the music will stop at 9:30 p.m. and 25 service will stop on the patio at 9:00 p.m. Staff will move people inside. 26 27 Councilmember Gray asked what time the music stopped last year. Mr. Christopherson stated 28 last year it ended at 10:00 p.m. 29 30 Councilmember Randle stated he went to the event last year and it was nicely done. 31 32 Motion by Councilmember Gray, seconded by Councilmember Jenson, approve Resolution 18- 33 048; a Resolution to Approve Special Event at The Unofficial on July 28, 2018. 34 35 Motion carried 5 -0. 36 37 B. Resolution 18 -049: a Resolution to Approve Special Event at The Unofficial on August 38 5. 2018. 39 40 City Manager Mark Casey reviewed the request from Chris Christopherson for their 2 "d annual 41 classic car show special event at The Unofficial Dive Bar & Grill on Sunday, August 5, 2018. No 42 complaints were called in from last year's event. A diagram of the event was provided for 43 Council review. 44 45 Motion by Councilmember Gray, seconded by Councilmember Jenson, approve Resolution 18- 46 049; a Resolution to Approve Special Event at The Unofficial on August 5, 2018. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 12, 2018 Page 7 1 2 3 4 VII. REPORTS FROM CITY MANAGER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. Motion carried 5 -0. City Manager Casey provided kudos to the Police Department and Fire Department on their response to the stabbing within the City. On Thursday, June 14, an Open House will be held at the Police Department at 6:30 p.m. 10 Councilmember Jenson stated on June 11, he attended the joint meeting with the Parks 11 Commission and the Council. 12 13 Councilmember Stille stated on May 23, Bob Delaney's retirement celebration was held. On 14 May 24, the City Tour was held. On May 29, there was a work session. On June 11, the Parks 15 Commission were given their goals. 16 17 Councilmember Gray stated last Thursday he attended the meeting of the North Suburban 18 Communications Commission meeting. He thanked Corr Wilson on her retirement as the 19 Director. He also attended the work session on June 11. 20 21 Councilmember Randle attended the May 24 City Tour. On May 29, he attended the joint 22 meeting with the School Board. On May 29, he attended a Council work session. A meeting 23 with SAVEC on June I" and a June 2nd listening session with SAVEC. On June 6, he attended 24 Coffee with the Council. A Sister City Meeting was held on June 10. June 11 Joint meeting with 25 Parks Commission and work session. SAVEC stands for St. Anthony Villagers for Equity and 26 Community. 27 28 Mayor Faust he also attended the May 24, May 29, and June 11 meetings with the Council. On 29 June 7 there was a World Environmental and Water Resource Congress held in Minneapolis with 30 attendees from all over the world. There was a tour of St. Anthony included. Reports back were 31 very positive and all were very impressed with St. Anthony. 32 33 VIII. COMMUNITY FORUM — NONE. 34 35 IX. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS — NONE. 36 37 X. ADJOURNMENT. 38 39 Mayor Faust adjourned the meeting at 8:20 p.m. 40 41 Respectfully submitted, i 7 42 Debbie Wolfe) �. 43 Timesaver off Site Secretarial, Inc. 44 Mayor 45 ATTEST: 46 C t Clerk