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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003.11.13 PC MinutesMINUTES HUGO PLANNING COMMISSION NOVEMBER 13, 2003 (Fall to Ordt r Chairperson Schumann called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. PRESENT: Bailly, Kleissler, Malaski, McRoberts, Rosenquist, Schumann ABSENT: Peltier ALSO PRESENT: John Rask, Community Development Director Kendral Lindahl, City Planner Michele Lindau, Planning Commission Secretary Minutes of October 23, 2003 Malaski made motion, Kleissler seconded, to approve of the minutes of October 23, 2003 as submitted. All Ayes. Motion carried. Masterpiece Homes PUD — Public Hearing Continued The Commission continued the public hearing on Masterpiece Homes for a PUD, PUD general plan and preliminary plat for 38 twinhomes on 12.3 acres located east of Highway 61 and north of 125th Street N. The Community Development Director informed the Commission that the applicant had requested the item be tabled. Chairperson Schumann reconvened the public hearing but there were no comments. Schumann recessed the public hearing until the meeting of December 11, 2003. Malaski made motion, Rosenquist seconded, to table the request until December 11, 2003. All Ayes. Motion carried. Planning Commission Meeting November 13, 2003 - page 2 Comforts of Home — Public Hearing Continued The Commission continued the public hearing to consider the application of Comforts of Home, 3252 Rice Street, St. Paul, for a preliminary plat, conditional use permit, and variance to construct a 24 bed senior assisted housing project on property located west of Highway 61 and south of 150th St. N. The Community Development Director explained that the variance was necessary to permit a 24 bed facility where the ordinance limits it to 16 residents, and a Conditional Use Permit was required for residential facilities with seven to sixteen individuals in the Central Residential Zoning District. McRoberts questioned the standard for approving a variance that states that a property could not be put to reasonable use without the granting of a variance. McRoberts said he felt this application did not meet that standard. The Community Development Director said that given the site and surrounding uses, a larger building would be appropriate. Many communities differentiate between the different types of community residents. Schumann said that given the type of assisted care proposed, you could expect higher capacity, and the ordinance should be addressed. Chairperson Schumann opened the public hearing but there were no comments. Schumann closed the public hearing. Rosenquist was concerned about the lack of lights on the southern portion of the building. Jim Faulkner, Faulkner Construction, was present with Brian Winges and Andy Faulkner. They presented a color rendition of the proposed building. Faulkner suggested ground lighting at the south corners of the building that would address security concerns while not being intrusive to residents to the south. Malaski said she appreciated the landscape plan they provided. Rosenquist said he felt the facility was needed in the community but was uneasy about the lack of lights on the south side. Bailly said she felt the location was a nice transition between the single family residents and the post office. She also liked the landscaping and the appearance of the building. She said she had no problem with the number of residents. McRoberts said he had no problem with the number either, but said he felt the City should consider changing the ordinance in many cases, instead of always granting variances. Kleissler said she felt it was an appropriate use of the property and wondered if the City was Planning Commission Meeting November 13, 2003 - page 3 inadvertently setting the downtown standards. She said she would like to see the downtown standards addressed quickly. Schumann said he felt the City needed a balance between the granting of variances and revisiting the ordinance. Malaski made motion, Schumann seconded, to recommend approval of the application of Comfort of Homes. All Ayes. Motion carried. Waters Edge North PUD Amendment — Pulte Homes The Planning Commission held a public hearing to consider the request of Pulte Homes of Minnesota, 815 Northwest Parkway, Eagan, for approval of a PUD amendment for Waters Edge North on the 186 -acre parcel located east of Everton Avenue, west of the Creekview Preserve development. The City Council approved a rezoning to PUD, PUD General Plan, and Preliminary Plat for Waters Edge North on December 16, 2002. The City Planner explained that since then The Army Corps of Engineers reviewed the site and found that the site contains 46.31 acres of wetlands, not 26.5 acres as originally shown. Based on the revised wetlands, the original PUD approved by the City would have resulted in 13 acres of wetland impact. The applicant had revised the plan to reduce the wetland impact to 3.12 acres. In order to accommodate the changes, the applicant revised the street alignment, unit types and number of homes. The planned school site and neighborhood design concept remained unchanged. The City Planner said they were working with land owners to receive temporary access from the south and there was to be no construction access from the Creekview Preserve Development. Chairman Schumann opened the public hearing, John Udstuen, 15190 Everton Avenue North, was concerned about the transition from agricultural properties to six and eight unit buildings and the lack of buffering between them. Udstuen said he felt he may lose money on his land. Arnie Triemert, 15220 Everton Avenue North, said he thought there was to be a greenway corridor and transitional land between multi -family and the open space. He said there was no room to turn around on Everton Avenue and the road was not capable of handling all the traffic. The City Planner said the City would require any access to be upgraded. Michael Happ, owner of vacant property on Everton Avenue North, said the road was meant to be a cartway and not for construction traffic. Happ said he felt the plan was very different from what was presented in the past. Planning Commission Meeting November 13, 2003 - page 4 Fred MaCalus, 15350 Everton Avenue North, said he felt the buildings were too close to his property and he was concerned about the elevation. Holly Mulvaney, 5340 157th Street, appreciated that they were providing the greenway and setbacks on the east side of the development as was discussed, but said she felt that it would be impossible to put a trail in the wet openspace behind them. Mulvaney also said she would like to see sidewalks mesh with the existing sidewalks in Creekview Preserve. She also questions how buses would flow through the development. Linda Maleitzke, 15786 Fenway Circle, asked why they continued to revisit the trail issues and asked who really wanted it there. Maleitzke said she thought it was too wet to put a six-foot paved path in the area. A resident at 15830 Fenway Avenue North said she does home daycare and was worried about a path across the open space behind her home. She said that because of an NSP easement, she was unable to fence in her backyard. Udsteun suggested they eliminate some of the six and eight-plexes and rearrange the rest of them to provide a larger buffer in the southwest corner. He also suggested they put single family homes in the southwest corner instead and locate the multi -family homes to the north. Patrick Kilawee, 5335 157th Street North, said he was concerned about the creek and flowage being disturbed in the open space on the east side of the development and felt there should be no path there. Mulvaney asked who would maintain the trail and the Community Development Director said it would be a City trail. Maleitzke said she doesn't want it to be a recreational corridor that would allow snowmobiles and ATV's. Happ said he never received notice of the meeting, and recalled from the Everton Avenue discussions that there were to be buffers between the Everton Avenue properties and the development. Schumann said that the area had been in the MUSA since 1973, and the property had been slated for development. McRoberts said he was at all the Everton Avenue meetings and the proposed development complied with what was discussed there except for the housing density was to increase as it went to the west. This development proposed the highest density in the southwest corner. Todd from Pulte Homes was present with Mike from John Oliver and Associates. They explained that the highest point in the development was in the southwest corner and was the only location that the type of proposed units would work. They discussed the possibility of moving the multi- family buildings so they would be parallel to the road. Planning Commission Meeting November 13, 2003 - page 5 Udsteun asked what the selling price of the units would be and Todd said they would be about 100,000 square feet and would sell at a base price of approximately $150,000. Gail Grainger, 15790 Fenway Avenue North, asked to see the elevation of the different types of homes. Todd showed the home types and where they would be located it the development. The developers said they could eliminate one of the buildings and arrange the others to be parallel to the road. Udsteun said he appreciated that. He questioned why Everton Avenue residents don't have a right to say what happens on their road and Schumann pointed out that it was a public road. Happ questioned whether they (Everton Avenue property owners) would be assessed if the road was improved and the Community Development Director said that paved roads increase property values and their properties would have to be reevaluated. The developers could also use some means of dust control, as opposed to paving the road. There were no other comments and Chairman Schumann closed the public hearing. Bailly said she was pleased the developers offered to rotate the larger units in the southwest corner near Everton Avneue to increase the buffer. McRoberts objected to the proposed development because it did not satisfy the Everton Avenue plan because the density was not increasing as it moved to the east towards Highway 61. McRoberts said that since the original PUD was already approved, he would vote in favor of the PUD amendment subject to the condition that the trail be located along the road, one of the townhome buildings be removed and the others rotated, and larger trees planted for buffering. Kleissler agreed with Bailly and McRoberts. She also suggested a condition be added to require Everton Avenue not be left in a state of disrepair. McRoberts said the road should be posted to allow construction traffic only. Malaski said she appreciated the developers working to address the concerns of the Everton Avenue residents. Rosenquist made motion, Malaski seconded, to recommend approval of the amended PUD subject to the additional conditions as stated by McRoberts and Kleissler. All Ayes. Motion carried. Retirement of Commission Member Peltier Schumann announced the retirement of Commission Member Peltier who had served many years on the Planning Commission. Planning Commission Meeting November 13, 2003 - page 6 Schumann made motion, McRoberts seconded, to accept the retirement of Peltier and forward it to the City Council. All Ayes. Motion carried. Miscellaneous Rosenquist suggested the City consider an ordinance regarding rare and exotic animals. Malaski suggested an ordinance that required developers to remove non-native buckthorn from the development sites because of its invasive nature. Adjournment McRoberts made motion, Malaski seconded, to adjourn at 9:51 p.m. All Ayes. Motion carried. Michele Lindau, Secretary Planning Commission