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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC 11.10.22 Minutes for the Planning Commission Meeting of Thursday, November 10, 2022 Chair Kleissler called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. PRESENT: Andress, Arcand, Derr, Kleissler, Lessard, Petty ABSENT: None STAFF: Rachel Juba, Community Development Director Max Gort, Associate Planner Pledge of Allegiance. Approval of Minutes for the Planning Commission Meeting of October 27, 2022 Commissioner Arcand made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Petty to approve minutes for the meeting of October 27, 2022. Ayes: Andress, Arcand, Derr, Kleissler, Petty Abstain: Lessard Motion carried. Public Hearing: Oneka Prairie – Preliminary Plat and PUD Community Development Director Juba stated that the applicant has requested to table the application, rescheduling the Public Hearing to the Planning Commission meeting of December 8 th, 2022. Commissioner Petty made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Lessard, to table the Preliminary Plat and PUD applications for Oneka Prairie. All ayes. Motion carried. Public Hearing: Xcel Energy – Site Plan, CUP Amendment, Variance, and Easement Vacation Staff provided background on the proposal from Xcel Energy to expand their existing training center located on a 28-acre parcel at 13620 Fenway Blvd. N. Currently, Xcel Energy owns and operates a training facility within the Bald Eagle Industrial park, occupying the southern half of the property. Both the existing training facility and proposed expansion have indoor and outdoor components. The proposed facility includes an approximately 32,000 square foot building with laboratories and classrooms, a non-energized substation, and non-energized transmission lines varying in height, all to October 27, 2022 PC Minutes Page 2 be used for training purposes. The applicant is requesting to amend their conditional use permit (CUP) to allow for exterior storage of outdoor facilities, a variance to allow for training transmission lines to exceed the maximum 50-foot building height allowed in the Business Park (BP) zoning district, and an easement vacation to gain access to drainage and utility easements over wetlands the applicant is proposing to fill. Staff comprehensively reviewed the applications submitted by Xcel Energy and determined that overall, the applicant’s plans meet the standards outlined in City Code and the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The original CUP allows for the exterior storage of training facilities, provided that they are adequately screened from view. The site is surrounded by mature wooded areas to the west and south, creating a buffer from nearby residential areas, and the proposed building will provide screening to the facilities from the road. Staff is of the opinion that the request meets the requirements to approve a CUP amendment. Additionally, the requested variance is to allow for the training transmission lines to exceed the maximum building height of 50 feet, and the provided screening along with the fact that similar utility poles exist throughout the city, staff found that the request met requirements to approve a variance. There are approximately 0.39 acres of wetland on the property, which the applicant is proposing to fill creating space for stormwater i nfiltration basins, negating the need for the City to maintain a drainage and utility easement over the wetlands, and meeting the requirements to approve the requested easement vacation. Staff recommended approval of the applicant’s site plan, CUP amendment, variance, and easement vacation applications. Members of the applicant’s development team were in attendance. Tim Mauseth, Real Estate Specialist with Xcel Energy, addressed the Planning Commission, stating that safety and training have become critical to the company’s value, and that his team was available to answer questions. Commissioner Arcand asked how many of the proposed utility poles will reach a height of 105 feet. Mauseth responded that one structure will reach 105 feet, with the remainder of the utility poles ranging in height from 40-70 feet. Commissioner Andress asked if lights are required on the utility poles, to which Mauseth responded that they are no. Commissioner Andress asked about the typical usage and traffic with trainees coming to the facility. Mauseth says that the transmission lines and substation will be used 3 -4 times throughout the year, with about 90 employees. The new building will be used throughout the year, with 65 -120 employees coming through day-to-day. Mauseth stated that there will be a surge in uses in the fall and the spring, for roughly two weeks each, to support in -processing of up to 300 employees. Commissioner Arcand asked how many additional permanent employees will be assigned to the new facility. Doug Barber, Director of Nuclear Maintenance & Technical and Energy Supply Training at Xcel Energy, stated that 15-20 employees will be permanently stationed in Hugo, with between 100 and 200 trainees cycling in and out. Commissioner Andress asked if the trainees wo uld be coming in from local areas. Barber responded that for the majority of the year the trainees would be from Minnesota, October 27, 2022 PC Minutes Page 3 Wisconsin, and the Dakotas, with employees throughout the country being involved during the biannual high impact events. Chair Kleissler opened the Public Hearing at 7:23 PM No one spoke. Chair Kleissler closed the Public Hearing at 7:23 PM Commissioner Derr said that he lives close to the current facility, and that the location of the new facility would not be noticeable from residential areas in his opinion. Derr further stated that overflow parking during high impact events would be possib le on Fenway Boulevard. Commissioner Lessard stated that the project would be a good fit for the area. Commissioner Andress stated that the number of trainees travelling to Hugo from other areas may open the door for other services, possibly bringing the attention of restaurants and hotels to Hugo. No further discussion. Commissioner Derr made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Petty, to approve the Site Plan, CUP Amendment, Variance, and Easement Vacation for Xcel Energy on the property located at 1 3620 Fenway Boulevard North. All ayes. Motion carried. New Business: Mark Lambert, Summit Management, LLC. – Sketch Plan for Rosemary Place Staff provided background on a sketch plan proposing a 90-unit, three-story apartment building to be constructed on a roughly 13-acre property which is zoned and guided for commercial use. The property is constrained by a gas and utility easement bisecting the property, and wetlands which limit the buildable acreage. The applicant, Mark Lambert of Summit Management, LLC. is requesting informal nonbinding comments on the overall site design, the proposed use of the property, and ways to address the property’s constraints. The sketch plan shows the apartment building to be constructed on the west side of the utilit y easement, which contains more buildable acreage than the portion of the property east of the easement. The property is part of the Frenchman Place plat, which was designed to feature commercial uses to the south of Rosemary Way and residential uses to th e north. The apartments are proposed to be across Rosemary Way from the existing Rosemary Apartments, and located behind existing commercial buildings relative to CSAH 8. Since the property is zoned and guided in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan for commercial use, the applicant will need to apply for zoning and comprehensive plan amendments to allow for high density residential use. The property 7.75 buildable acres, and the applicant is proposing to fill wetlands on the west side of the property increase the October 27, 2022 PC Minutes Page 4 buildable portion to 9 acres, which would allow for the proposed 90 units under the R -5 zoning district regulations. The proposal to fill the wetlands has not yet been reviewed by the Technical Evaluation Panel (TEP). The applicant is proposing to use the e astern portion of the property as recreational space, and has indicated interest in approaching the Parks Commission to discuss neighborhood service needs. The site design is triangular in nature, with two long driveways connecting two access points from Rosemary Way to an access point on a private road connecting to adjacent commercial properties. Parking is proposed to be provided through a combination of surface parking and detached garage stalls. The Economic Development Authority provided comments on the sketch plan at their October 18th, 2022 meeting, and were generally comfortable with allowing a residential use on the commercially zoned property provided that commercial uses along CSAH 8 remain. Staff recommended discussion on what type of use the Planning Commission would want to see on the property, re-classifying the zoning and land use from commercial to residential, and whether a mix of uses can occur on the property. Commissioner Petty asked whether the pond on the southeast portion of the pro perty would be filled, as it was highlighted on the sketch plan. Juba says that the pond would not be filled, just the highlighted wetlands. Commissioner Arcand asked about the levels of wetland value, and why it may not be likely for TEP approval of fill. Juba responds that sequencing will determine whether the TEP approves fill, and that the applicant’s wetland replacement plan will have to show avoidance, minimization, and potential fill. The applicant, Mark Lambert, introduced himself, and passed around a packet which included a rendering of the proposed building. Lambert gave background on his company’s pursuit of smaller units at a modern to medium price to meet demand of renters, and recalled his properties in Forest Lake that were previously zoned commercial and successfully rezoned to residential. Commissioner Arcand asked about a density that would be a deal breaker. Lambert responded that 90 units were required for him to feasibly make the purchase from the bank which currently owns the property. Commissioner Arcand stated that he doesn’t have a problem with an apartment in this location, but asked about the number of garages. Lambert stated that 70 garage units is comfortable based on anticipated demand, and that he has tried to strategically use the garages to provide screening. Lambert further highlighted the factors that were considered with building design, height, roof pitch, and others. Lambert stated that he explored the possibility of a mix of uses with a PUD, but had moved away from the idea due to soil types and wetland constraints on t he eastern portion of the property, planning to explore possibilities with the Parks Commission instead. Commissioner Lessard stated that he wasn’t opposed to the apartment use, but was concerned with vehicle circulation in the parking lot, highlighting long straightaways that can encourage speeding. Lambert noted the comment and pointed to circulation with the commercial road, which Juba stated October 27, 2022 PC Minutes Page 5 was a private drive and that Lambert would need to contact the commercial association which owns the road for access. Commissioner Lessard stated that traffic concerns arise with the current bottlenecking effect in the Festival Foods parking lot, which Juba replied will be reviewed. Lambert stated that secondary access points will be considered. Commissioners Petty and Andress stated that walkability to neighboring commercial uses such as Festival Foods should be considered. Chair Kleissler asks if underground parking would be a possibility, which Lambert objected to due to costs that are passed onto renters. Lambert describes the lower price point with centralized heat that his properties have used. Commissioner Andress asks if the units will have individual air conditioner units, to which Lambert says yes. Commissioner Arcand asks about Lambert’s exit strategy. Lambert replied that his company develops, owns, and operates all of their projects. Commissioner Petty asks if the proposed recreational space would be a public park through park dedication. Juba responds that the Parks Commission wi ll be evaluating the need for a park in the area and provide guidelines. Commissioner Andress asks if the proposed playground would remain with an adjacent public park. Lambert says that that is to be determined, and points to the exercise equipment at h is Arbor Ridge building in Forest Lake. Commissioner Andress asks if any similarly compact site designs have worked. Lambert points to his Forest Lake projects, but that a density of 10 units per acre is a relatively low-density project, with most apartment developers approaching 20 units per acre. Commissioner Arcand asks what could be done with the eastern portion of the property, and whether a building would be possible. Juba explains that a mix of uses would be possible with a PUD, but that Lambert would like to keep a 10 units per acre density to avoid the requirement for underground parking. Juba further states that the city code is not well set up for large apartment projects, and suggests that the Planning Commission discuss what they would like to see in that regard. Lambert points to the 3-story limit being a reason for the compact space. Chair Kleissler asks how Lambert may re-envision the layout if it were oriented toward the adjacent commercial facilities, creating more of a walkable, mixed-use environment. Lambert states that a lack of cross-access easements created design challenges, but the orientation may be revisited if he had a blank slate. Commissioner Arcand asks if the eastern portion of the property had approximately 3 buildable acres. Lambert says yes, and that a density calculation may not have worked within PUD criteria. October 27, 2022 PC Minutes Page 6 Commissioner Arcand asks about flipping garages and having parking stalls within the easement. Lambert says that such an orientation would create longer walki ng distances for residents and turn the garages away from view. Commissioner Lessard stated that he would like to see a dog park, especially considering the neighboring Rosemary Apartments across the street. Commissioner Derr stated that he likes the 3 access points, which would make accessing the commercial uses more convenient. Lambert asks for final thoughts from the Planning Commission. Commissioner Arcand stated that the biggest issue will be whether the wetlands can be filled. Commissioner Petty stated that she likes the apartment use being behind existing commercial uses relative to CSAH 8. New Business: Schedule Goal Setting Workshop Juba pointed to the December 8th meeting date, and suggested that the Planning Commission schedule their goal setting workshop a few hours before the 7:00 PM meeting time. Commissioner Petty made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Arcand, to schedule the goal setting workshop for Thursday, December 8th, 2022 at 5:00 PM. All ayes. Motion carried. Old Business None. Adjournment Commissioner Arcand made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Lessard, to adjourn the meeting at 8:26 PM. All ayes. Motion Carried. Respectfully Submitted, Max Gort, Associate Planner