Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007 05-07 SMAGENDA SPECIAL MEETING MAPLEWOOD CITY COUNCIL 7:00 P.M. Monday, May 7, 2007 Maplewood Community Center - Theater A. CALL TO ORDER B. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Acknowledgement of Maplewood Residents Serving the Country C. ROLL CALL Mayor's Address on Protocol: "Welcome to the meeting of the Maplewood City Council. It is our desire to keep all discussions civil as we work through difficult issues tonight. If you are here for a Public Hearing or to address the City Council, please familiarize yourself with the Policies and Procedures and Rules of Civility, which are located near the entrance. When you address the council, please state your name and address clearly for the record. All comments/questions shall be posed to the Mayor and Council. I then will direct staff, as appropriate, to answer questions or respond to comments." D. APPROVAL OF AGENDA E. BUSINESS FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING 1. Applicant's Presentation — St. Paul's Monastery Application for Conditional Use Permit for a Planned Unit Development and Preliminary Plat for Century Trails Commons. 2. Public Comment 3. Staff Report, Tom Ekstrand, Senior Planner and City Council Questions for Staff 4. City Council Action F. ADJOURNMENT Sign language interpreters for hearing impaired persons are available for public hearings upon request. The request for this service must be made at least 96 hours in advance. Please call the City Clerk's Office at (651) 249 -2001 to make arrangements. Assisted Listening Devices are also available. Please check with the City Clerk for availability. RULES OF CIVILITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY Following are some rules of civility the City of Maplewood expects of everyone appearing at Council Meetings - elected officials, staff and citizens. It is hoped that by following these simple rules, everyone's opinions can be heard and understood in a reasonable manner. We appreciate the fact that when appearing at Council meetings, it is understood that everyone will follow these principles: Show respect for each other, actively listen to one another, keep emotions in check and use respectful language. SUMMARY TO: City Manager FROM: Tom Ekstrand, Senior Planner SUBJECT: Planned Unit Development and Preliminary Plat —St. Paul's Monastery Property Development Proposal LOCATION: 2675 Larpenteur Avenue East DATE: April 24, 2007 INTRODUCTION The Sisters of St. Benedict of St. Paul's Monastery are requesting approval of the following development plans for their 31.04 -acre site at 2675 Larpenteur Avenue East: • A 40 -unit senior - housing apartment building to be operated by CommonBond Communities. • A 50 -unit town house development also to be built and operated by CommonBond. • A conversion of the monastery to a family - violence shelter by the Tubman Family Alliance. • A future monastery on the north end of the property. Requests The applicant is requesting that the city council approve the following: • A conditional use permit (CUP) for a planned unit development (PUD) for the overall development plan. City ordinance, furthermore, requires a CUP for institutions of educational, philanthropic and charitable natures. The CUP is needed for the proposed conversion of the monastery building by the Tubman Family Alliance for their use of the building. • A preliminary plat for the proposed property subdivision called Century Trails Commons. DISCUSSION The proposed site is a good location for these uses. The density proposed complies with city requirements. The city's density provisions, in fact, allow up to 505 apartments or 322 town homes on this property. This far exceeds the proposed 162 housing units. As for the educational, philanthropic and charitable nature of the proposed uses, staff finds this site well suited for such activities and complementary to the Sisters' interests and missions. RECOMMENDATIONS A. Adopt the resolution approving a conditional use permit for a planned unit development for the Sisters of St. Benedict of St. Paul's Monastery. B. Approve a preliminary plat for Century Trails Commons at the St. Paul's Monastery site. MEMORANDUM TO: City Manager FROM: Tom Ekstrand, Senior Planner SUBJECT: Planned Unit Development and Preliminary Plat —St. Paul's Monastery Property Development Proposal LOCATION: 2675 Larpenteur Avenue East DATE: April 24, 2007 INTRODUCTION Project Description The Sisters of St. Benedict of St. Paul's Monastery are requesting approval of the following development plans for their 31.04 -acre site at 2675 Larpenteur Avenue East: • A 40 -unit senior - housing apartment building to be operated by CommonBond Communities. CommonBond is a developer and manager of affordable housing. • A 50 -unit town house development also to be built and operated by CommonBond. The existing 110 -car parking lot for the monastery on this site would be removed and relocated south of the monastery building. A change in use of the existing monastery building. This building would be sold to the Tubman Family Alliance for use as a family - violence shelter /residence. This proposed facility would be used for offices, housing, community support, information and training, child care and education. There would be a 108 -car parking lot added to the south end of this proposed parcel for the Tubman Family Alliance. There would also be a 33 -car parking lot provided northeast of the monastery building. The Tubman Family Alliance use of this building would include 37 housing units as follows: six for single women; 18 for mothers with one to two children; six for mothers with three or more children; four for adult males and three for mothers with teenage boys. • A future monastery on the north end of the property. The existing monastery building was constructed to house 278 Sisters. Today, the community consists of 58 Sisters, 35 of which reside on site. Therefore, there is no need for such a large building. The applicant will provide specific details and plans for this building at a later time. Refer to the attached narrative and maps for a complete description of the proposal. Requests The applicant is requesting that the city council approve the following: • A conditional use permit (CUP) for a planned unit development (PUD) for the overall development plan. City ordinance, furthermore, requires a CUP for institutions of educational, philanthropic and charitable natures. The CUP is needed for the proposed conversion of the monastery building by the Tubman Family Alliance for their use of the building. • A preliminary plat for the proposed property subdivision called Century Trails Commons. The applicant has not submitted any site and architectural plans. These will be provided later for review by the community design review board. BACKGROUND November 7, 2005: The city approved a lot division of the applicant's property so they could sell 2.4 acres of land to Hill- Murray High School for the expansion of their property and campus. DISCUSSION Conditional Use Permit The main issues that were expressed while reviewing this proposal were that of: traffic impact, density and a general opinion by some that the proposed uses were not appropriate for this location. Additional issues raised at the public hearing were: consideration of the number of anticipated police and fire calls, affect on public schools, and affect on property values. Traffic During the initial review of this development proposal by staff, it was the city engineer's opinion that the data provided by the applicant's traffic engineer was not adequate to make a determination of the potential traffic impacts by the proposed development. Staff, at the time of the public hearing, was recommending that the Sisters dedicate right -of -way for future roadways through their site. Since then, Chuck Ahl, the Maplewood City Engineer, has met with the applicant's traffic engineer and has further evaluated the traffic impacts of the proposal. Refer to Mr. Ahl's report dated April 19, 2007. It is Mr. Ahl's opinion now, after further evaluation of the potential traffic impacts from this project, that the proposed development by the Sisters would not be problematical to the traffic on the abutting streets. Mr. Ahl's conclusions are: "This traffic study does provide information that can support a decision that the local impacts are manageable for the area. A development that would generate double or possibly triple this traffic would be consistent with the comprehensive plan. For that reason, engineering staff concludes that the development impact is appropriate with the condition of future expansion potentially requiring a roadway extension." Density The subject property is presently zoned R3 (high - density residential) and planned in the comprehensive land use plan for R3H (high- density residential). Therefore, the zoning and land use classification are proper for the amount of density proposed. Lot -By -Lot Density Breakdown: In working through the density allowances stated in the comprehensive plan, the proposed 50 -unit town home site is permitted with that amount of density. The 40 -unit senior apartment site is permitted being that 39 of the proposed units would be one - bedroom units and one would be a two- bedroom unit. According to the density guidelines, this would amount to 45 persons on this site. The guidelines would allow up to 64 persons for a site this size (22.8 persons per acre x 2.84 acre site). The monastery building could have up to 94 units based on the city's density allowance for apartments. The applicant is proposing to provide 37 housing units within the monastery building for shelter purposes. All of these proposed residential uses comply with the city's density provisions. The future monastery site could also have a density of approximately 228 apartment units. The applicant will propose this building at a later date. It is unlikely they would come close to that amount of density considering there are only 35 Sisters living on site at the present time. Density Summation: Perhaps a simpler way of evaluating the density is to consider the total acreage and what the city's guidelines would permit. On this 31 -acre site, there could be 505 apartment units (16.3 apartment units per acre x 31 acres = 505 units) or 322 town home units (10.4 town home units per acre x 31 acres = 322 units). The proposed 162 units (37 shelter units, 40 senior apartments, 50 town homes and 35 future monastery units) are well below the potential density allowed. Appropriateness of Use Some property owners feel that the proposed shelter is inappropriate for this location being so close to the high school. Staff sees this location as being actually rather remote from any nearby residences that could potentially be impacted by this development. The land to the east is undeveloped land in the city of Oakdale, to the south there is open -space land owned by the City of Maplewood and the northerly neighbor will be the future monastery site. Staff does not see how the neighboring high school would be negatively affected by the proposed Tubman Shelter or the proposed multi - family housing with the exception of potential traffic impacts which have been addressed by the city engineer. Anticipated Police and Fire Calls I spoke to Police Chief, Dave Thomalla, and Fire Chief, Steve Lukin, regarding the number of police and fire calls anticipated for the proposed monastery -site project. Chief Thomalla provided information based on data he had for the Ramsey County Family Service Center and Emma's Place. Chief Lukin looked at the potential affect on fire - related and medical- related calls at existing senior's housing facilities. Police Calls Year Family Service Center Emma's Place 2003 45 55 2004 59 46 2005 60 43 2006 60 52 Chief Thomalla's comments regarding these figures are that there would be a need for the police to respond to calls at the proposed Tubman Shelter as well as the two housing components. All businesses and housing developments generate police calls, and in the case of the above examples, approximately 25 percent of these calls are medical calls. Therefore, Chief Thomalla feels that the above numbers are not indicative of a significant number of calls to these facilities. Another consideration is that other residential properties /complexes with similar occupancies generate more calls. For example: the manufactured home park at 1880 English Street produced 65 calls for service in 2005 and 108 calls in 2006; 940 Frost Avenue, the former St. Paul Tourist Cabins site {just the cabins, not including the manufactured homes) produced 67 calls in 2005 and 77 calls in 2006. There will be police and medical calls, of course, but it is not envisioned that they will be at numbers any higher than other residential communities generate within the city. Fire Calls Chief Lukin provided the following statement based on his data "From our records on seniors housing in Maplewood, we can expect to have 14 calls for service per year based on 50 housing units. This number comes from a five -year average of calls to senior housing facilities. On average, 90 percent of these calls were medical." Public Schools I spoke to Gene Janicke, of Independent School District #622, regarding any potential and possible impacts on public schools due to the proposed shelter and town homes proposed. Mr. Janicke commented that "from our current attendance boundary map, it looks like any future students at the Priory site would attend Cowern Elementary in North St. Paul, Maplewood Middle School and North Senior High. This should not present a problem." Mr. Janicke further stated that it is the school district's responsibility to provide schooling for area children. The type of development proposed is not a factor to District #622 in their providing education to its residents. Property Values Teresa Novak, the Residential Property Valuation Supervisor of the Ramsey County Department of Property Records & Revenue, commented about the proposed development and what impact there could be on area home values. Ms. Novak said that there is no data indicating that there would be any loss in property values to area residents. Furthermore, in this instance, with there not being any close or abutting homes, one cannot make the determination that there would be any negative affect on home values. The nearest house is 900 feet away to the southwest. The next one is 1,200 feet away. The nearest developed residential neighborhood along Sterling Street is 2,100 feet away. 1111 Preliminary Plat The proposed plat meets most city requirements. However, the right -of -way widths are proposed to be 50 feet wide. City ordinance requires 60- foot -wide rights of way. The applicant should revise the project plans to widen these rights -of -way to 60 feet as ordinance requires. Department Comments Buildinq Official Dave Fisher, the Maplewood Building Official, has the following comments: • The city will require a complete building code analysis when the construction plans are submitted to the city for building permits. • Provide adequate fire department access to the building. • The buildings are required to be fire sprinklered. • Separate building permits are required for each building. • The existing monastery building may require a full NFPA 72 fire alarm system. • Accessible parking will be required. • The St. Paul Monastery may be a historical site of record. This needs to be verified and it could have an effect on the construction. • The project manager and contractor should meet with the city building inspection department in a pre - construction meeting. Engineering Department Erin Laberee, assistant city engineer and Michael Thompson, Civil Engineer I with the city, have reviewed this proposal and given their review comments in the attached report. Refer to the attached report dated February 22, 2007. Police Lieutenant Shortreed gave the following comments: • Appropriate security and street lighting should be provided and maintained in order to assure that addresses within the development are readily recognizable and accessible. • Each residential unit within the development should have its own unique address number to assure that emergency responses are not delayed by trying to determine unit numbers at locations with the same address number (i.e. 1737 Gervais Avenue Units 1 -8). 9 • Since private roads often tend to be much narrower than public streets, on- street parking is often limited as a result. It is highly encouraged that enough parking spaces be provided for the residents to have their guests park during special events such as birthdays and holidays. The City of Maplewood would be encouraged to clearly post Larpenteur Avenue and Century Avenue as a "no parking" area. * Construction site thefts and burglaries are a large problem affecting many large construction projects throughout the Twin Cities metro area. The contractor should be encouraged to plan and provide for site security during the construction process. On -site security, alarm systems and any other appropriate security measures would be highly encouraged to deter and report theft and suspicious activity in a timely manner. • Exits from the development onto Larpenteur Avenue and Century Avenue should be clearly posted with approved traffic control devices. Both streets contain a large amount of traffic, which would require residents and visitors to use caution when exiting onto either street. Fire Chief Steve Lukin, the Maplewood Fire Chief, gave the following comments: • The applicant shall install fire protection systems and meet all applicable fire - safety codes. • The fire protection shall be monitored as code requires. • There shall be fire - fighting access provided for all structures as required by applicable codes and the Maplewood Fire Marshal. * Fire alarms and smoke detectors shall be provided as required by codes. • The applicant shall provide a floor plan showing postings at the main doors for fire department use. Watershed District The applicant must obtain a permit from the Ramsey - Washington Metro Watershed District for this development. MN Department of Transportation (MnDOT) MnDOT responded to our notification about this proposal with the attached letter. In summary, they recommend that the applicant install a right- turn -lane on Century Avenue for access to Benet Road. They also state that drainage, access and right -of -way permits are required. Summary The proposed density of the town homes and apartments is a concern with several persons that responded to the staff survey. The fact is, though, that this property has been zoned and planned as high - density residential for a long time and the proposed density meets city requirements. The N allowed housing density would permit 505 apartments or 322 town homes. There are 162 housing units proposed. There should not be any significant traffic impact resulting from the proposed development according to the applicant's traffic analysis and as supported by the city engineer. Future development on the site or in the area could create a need for further extension of roadways in the area, but that determination would be made at the time of any future development proposals. The proposed site is a good location for these uses. As stated, the type of housing and density proposed complies with city requirements. As for the educational, philanthropic and charitable nature of the proposed uses, staff finds this site well suited for such activities and complementary to the Sisters' interests and missions. COMMITTEE ACTIONS March 20, 2007: The planning commission recommended approval of the proposed PUD and preliminary plat with conditions. In addition to staff's recommendation, the planning commission recommended that the applicant provide sidewalks wherever possible along Larpenteur Avenue. RECOMMENDATIONS A. Adopt the resolution approving a conditional use permit for a planned unit development for the Sisters of St. Benedict of St. Paul's Monastery. This PUD is for the Sisters to expand the use of their property located at 2675 Larpenteur Avenue with a 50 -unit town house development; a 40 -unit senior housing apartment building; the conversion of the existing monastery building as a multi -use family - violence shelter with 37 housing units, offices and support facilities and a future monastery building. Approval is based on the findings required by ordinance and subject to the following conditions: 1. This planned unit development shall follow the concept plans date - stamped January 11, 2007. These plans are considered concept plans because the applicant must submit design plans to the city for approval for the proposed apartments, town houses, future monastery, shelter and any other future use. Staff may approve minor changes. 2. This planned unit development does not give any approvals for Lot 1, Block 1 since this site has not been proposed for any future development and its future use is unknown. The development of this site would require a revision of this planned unit development and must comply with all city development requirements. 3. The proposed construction must be substantially started within one year of council approval or the permit shall become null and void. 4. The city council shall review this permit in one year. 5. The property owner shall be required to dedicate right of way for a roadway to be studied by the City Engineer during the next three to five year period. This roadway shall be located approximately between this property and the property owned by Hill- Murray to the west and shall extend from Larpenteur Avenue to the intersection at TH 5 and TH 120. The final location of the roadway shall be studied by the City Engineer and reported with a recommendation to the City Council. The final need for the roadway has not been determined but will likely be necessary if additional development occurs on this property in excess of that currently being proposed or at higher density levels than approved; and also if property sold includes a major expansion of uses that generate significant additional traffic to be generated at Hill- Murray. 6. The applicant must obtain all necessary and required permits from the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Ramsey County and the Ramsey - Washington Metro Watershed District. 7. The applicant must provide a right -turn lane on Century Avenue into the site, subject to MnDQT's approval. 8. The applicant shall comply with all requirements of the engineering reports by Erin Laberee and Michael Thompson dated February 22, 2007 and by R. Charles AN dated April 19, 2007. 9. The applicant shall install sidewalks wherever possible along Larpenteur Avenue. 10. Staff may approve minor changes to the plans. B. Approval of a preliminary plat for Century Trails Commons located at 2675 Larpenteur Avenue. Approval is subject to: 1. Redesigning the public street right -of -way within the site to be 60 feet wide. 2. Complying with the applicable requirements of the engineering reports by Erin Laberee and Michael Thompson dated February 22, 2007 and by R. Charles AN dated April 19, 2007. 3. Street lights shall be installed if required by the city engineer, subject to his approval. 4. The applicant shall dedicate any additional right -of -way if required by Ramsey County and the Minnesota Department of Transportation. 5. The property owner shall be required to dedicate right of way for a roadway to be studied by the City Engineer during the next three to five year period. This roadway shall be located approximately between this property and the property owned by Hill- Murray to the west and shall extend from Larpenteur Avenue to the intersection at TH 5 and TH 120. The final location of the roadway shall be studied by the City Engineer and reported with a recommendation to the City Council. The final need for the roadway has not been determined but will likely be necessary if additional development occurs on this property in excess of that currently being proposed or at higher density levels than approved; and also if property sold includes a major expansion of uses that generate significant additional traffic to be generated at Hill- Murray. N . CITIZENS' COMMENTS Staff surveyed the owners of the 46 properties regarding this proposal. This mailing went well beyond the normal 500 -foot mailing radius due to the large adjacent properties which limited the number of households to be notified. In Favor 1. Refer to the attached letter from Bob Bruton in support of this proposal. 2. Refer to the letter of support from Gene Winstead, Mayor, City of Bloomington. Opposed 1. We do not want these located there. We already have Emma's Place and the place behind the Ramsey County Home in this area. Please choose another area. (Selg, 1650 Sterling Street) 2. 1 approve the family shelter in the existing building. I do not approve of the density of the 50- unit town home and 40 -unit apartment. Eliminate one or the other. If approved, please keep the height restricted to two levels at least! (Peterson, 2526 Idaho Avenue) 3. 1 am disappointed with the way the City of Maplewood continues to make decisions that degrade our community. This is another example of that. I am strongly against this proposal and will consider moving if this is accepted. (Gorke, 2554 Idaho Avenue) 4. Refer to the attached letter from Kris O'Kane. 5. Refer to the attached letter from Kevin and Katherine Green. 6. Refer to the attached letter from Ann Fosburgh. 7. Refer to the attached letter from Pamela and Michelle Chickett. 8. Refer to the attached letter from Dave and Lee Erdman. 9. Petition from area residents in opposition. Staff will have the signed petition available for the city council at the meeting. 10. Refer to the letter from Joseph Peschges, President of Hill- Murray High School. Other Comment The visual appearance from TH 120 is important and should be given a high priority in the design review process, specifically, building elevations and landscaping need to be of a high quality given visibility from the roadway. Thanks! (Brent Brommer, City of Oakdale Director of Community Development) I REFERENCE INFORMATION SITE DESCRIPTION Site size: 31 acres Existing land use: St. Paul's Monastery SURROUNDING LAND USES North: Undeveloped property formerly planned for the Highway 5 extension South: Larpenteur Avenue and City of Maplewood open space land East: Century Avenue and undeveloped property in the City of Oakdale West: Hill- Murray High School and athletic fields PLANNING Land Use Plan designation: R3H (high - density) Zoning: R3 (multiple - dwelling residential) CODE REQUIREMENTS Section 44- 1092(3) of the city ordinances requires a CUP for institutions of any educational, philanthropic and charitable nature. Findings for CUP Approval Section 44- 1097(a) requires that the city council base approval of a CUP on nine findings. Refer to the findings for approval in the resolution. APPLICATION DATE The application for this request was considered complete on January 11, 2007. State law requires that the city decide on these applications within 60 days. Due to the need for extra time needed to conduct the city's review of these requests, staff extended the review period an additional 60 days according to the provisions allowed by state statute. As such, the city council must act on this proposal by May 11, 2007. WSJ p:sec13 -29 \priory pud and plat 4 07 CC Attachments: 1. Location /Zoning Map 2. Land Use Plan Map 3. Site Plan 4. Applicant's PUD Application Narrative 5. Engineering Report by Erin Laberee and Michael Thompson dated February 22, 2007 6. Review of Traffic Study by Chuck Ahl dated March 8, 2007 7. Follow -up Review of Traffic Study by Chuck AN dated April 19, 2007 8. Letter from MnDOT 9. Letter from Gene Winstead, Mayor, City of Bloomington 10. Letter from Bob Bruton 11. Letter from Kris O'Kane 12. Letter from Kevin and Katherine Green 13. Letter from Ann Fosburgh 14. Letter from Pamela and Michelle Chickett 15. Letter from Dave and Lee Erdman 16. Petition in Opposition 17. Letter from Joseph Peschges 18. Letter from St. Paul's Monastery 19. CUP Resolution 20. Plans date - stamped January 11, 2007 (separate attachments) 11 : N Attachment 1 ; 1 /cam 2 © e » ` \ 5 1 \ \ Location / Zoning Map 2673 LRrp@nteurAv@ E St Paul' Monastery a N Attachment 2 ' 3 L < 1 i53 [ J 5 1 . Land Use Map 2675 LarpenteurAve E St Paul's Monastery ii is i t7 2 i5 -I v Re 0 z Ul W ui LIJ 0 X Lu z IL CL i t7 2 St. Paul's Monastery PUD Application Narrative Over 50 years ago, the Sisters of St. Benedict of St. Paul's Monastery purchased land at Larpenteur and Century Avenues in Maplewood. They first built Archbishop Murray Memorial School. After the high school was completed they built St. Paul's Monastery, a 100,000 sq. ft,, six -story structure designed by noted St. Paul architect Val Michelson. A key mission of the Sisters has been and continues to be service to women, children and the elderly. The Sisters have worked diligently through the years to preserve the beauty, original appearance, and condition of both the building and grounds. Two other structures occupy the site: a 5.000 square foot one-story garage, and a 12,600 square foot two-story service building which houses the Maple Tree Childcare Center, operated by the Monastery. The Monastery's cemetery is located near the northern boundary of the property. The monastery building was designed for a community of 278 Sisters, Today, the community consists of 58 Sisters, 35 of whom reside on site. Clearly, they no longer require a facility of this size and desire to reduce the expense associated with operating and maintaining it. For several years, the Sisters have considered alternative uses for the monastery and the land. In that process they considered and rejected selling the land to for-profit, high-density housing developers, who would likely have razed the existing building, considered by many to be a Minnesota architectural landmark. Instead, they sought to partner with organizations that would support and augment the ongoing ministries of the Sisters, using the monastery building and developing only a small portion of the site. After 13 years of consultation and strategic planning, the Sisters of St. Paul's Monastery invited Tubman Family Alliance and CommonBond Communities to join them on the site. Tubman Fa ily Ilia ce is a pioneer in family violence prevention recognized nationwide. With a budget of $7.1 million, services include legal advocacy, school-based prevention education, counseling and supportive services, temporary housing for women and children, community education for churches, businesses and civic organizations, a learning site for college and high school interns, and a 24 hour help line for residents. Tubman is committed to providing a range of quality services to communities. To achieve that, they work in partnership with other experts and specialty service providers, Family Violence Network( now part of Tubman Family Alliance), has served the Maplewood - Oakdale -North St. Paul area for over 26 years, providing excellent services not only to Maplewood residents, but also supporting the Maplewood Police Department, prosecutors, health care providers, and schools. This long history of service and cooperation has resulted in and provided immediate, effective support for victims and public safety professionals. Tubman has had a full-time advocate assigned to Maplewood to support and aid law enforcement and prosecutors. Tubman remains committed to these partnerships that have enhanced law enforcement's capacity to manage domestic violence cases. Together we are preventing abusers from re -offending. For over 20 years, a high quality integrated system has grown among Maplewood's police, courts and Tubman, which ensures some of the best quality service to any community in the state. St, Paul's Monastery PUD Application Narrative Page 2 In consolidating its Suburban Ramsey and Washington county operations, Tubman will use the facility for offices, housing, community support, information and training, child-care and K- through-college education, Specific programs include: Finally, Tubman has a commitment to broad-based education, both locally and nationally. In conjunction with numerous university researchers and professors, the agency will publish information gained in the service of children and families, and recommend best practices in violence prevention. The current monastery as it exists is extremely well adapted to all of Tubman's anticipated services and goals. Given that the building has been cited by preservationists as one of two premiere examples of mid-20 century architecture in Minnesota, the Sisters consider it nothing short of miraculous that Tubman's needs are so perfectly met within the original design of their monastery. The original architecture will remain intact with only the addition of a secondary entry at the north side of the facility. The majority of the interior will be used by Tubman as It was originally built, Minimal interior remodeling will adapt some existing dormitory-style rooms for women and children, partner programs, and office space. St. Paul's Monastery PUD Application Narrative Page 3 OjEr-Ad - 1 - wo new (public) roadways, Monastery Way and Benet Road, will provide access to all six parcels. It is intended that these roadways be constructed to City standards and dedicated back to the City following their completion, The Sisters have reached consensus on the proposed -oadway names and request that, if possible, the City approve the names chosen, F03M . . * A Land Area: 31.04 acres (1,352,248 s.f.) Land Use Map: Residential Classification, High Density Multiple Dwelling (R-3H) Cemetery portion — Commercial Classification, Cemetery lCem) Maplewood Zoning Map: Residential Classification, Multiple Dwelling (R3) BLOCK 1 LOT 2 - Change in Use for Tubman Family Alliance This lot contains the existing monastery building. It is 6,63 acres in size, which is approximately 21% of the total site. This lot currently is zoned Multiple Dwelling (R-313), Land use is listed as High Density Multiple Dwelling (R-3H). The Sisters plan to sell this parcel and the monastery building to Tubman Family Alliance, Tubman's status as a non-profit organization of - philanthropic and charitable nature" requires a Conditional Use Permit per Section 44-1092,3. We note that a PUD is a CUP in the City of Maplewood. St, Paul's Monastery PUD Application Narrative Page 4 Tubman will use the facility with little or no change from the current uses by the Sisters, including current office space, dormitory-style housing, food service, public meeting space and child-care, Programming is complete and design is underway for remodeling of the monastery to accommodate Tubman's uses which include'. The existing 108-car monastery parking lot will be replaced with a 11 O-car parking lot proposed at the south end of Lot 2. A small 33-car parking lot will be added to the northeast. Additional proof-of-parking may be indicated on the site plan. The ratio of uses and the profile of the users will change, but the use and mission are consistent and compatible with current use of the property. This lot will not be developed and its classification will not change, The PUD application anticipates that the City will issue one tax ID number for this parcel and Block St. Paul's Monastery PUD Application Narrative Page 5 BLOCK 2 LOT 1 — CommonBond Communities Senior Apartments This lot is located on the east side of the property, at the corner of Benet Road and Century Avenue. It is 1.94 acres in size and makes up approximately 6% of the total property. It is to be sold together with Block 1 Lot 4 in order to meet the City density requirements as required by the land use classification in the comprehensive plan. Combined, these 2 lots are 2.84 acres in size. The lots should be issued one tax ID number so they cannot be sold as separate lots in the future. This lot currently has a residential classification Multiple Dwelling (R-313) zoning, Land use is listed as High Density Multiple Dwelling (R -3H), CommonBond Communities proposes to construct a 40 unit, 3 story, senior housing facility on the site, The building footprint as shown is 11,430 sq. ft., with a total building square footage of 32,700 sq.ft. Zoning and land use will not change since the intended use would be the same (R-313) zoning with High Density Multiple Dwelling land use (R -3H). It is worth noting that the properties developed by CommonBond would change classification for tax purposes, providing new tax revenue to the City of Maplewood. The proposed layout meets the R -3B Multiple Dwelling requirements for density per the comprehensive plan, minimum habitable floor area, minimum land area, minimum percentage of green area, building area, height regulations, and yard setbacks. It does not meet the standard for off-street parking. Maplewood zoning requires two parking spaces per dwelling unit, with one space per unit being enclosed. The proposed layout however indicates 41 surface parking spaces to serve the 40 unit development. Please refer to Written Justification for PUD Deviations below, BLOCK 2 LOT 2 - CommonBond Family Townhornes This lot is located in the southeast corner of the property, at the corner of Larpenteur and Century Avenues, It is 4,85 acres in size and makes up approximately 15.5% of the total property. This lot currently has a residential classification Multiple Dwelling (R-313) zoning. Land use is listed as High Density Multiple Dwelling (R -3H). The proposed future owner is CommonBond Communities. The proposed layout shows a townhome development of 50 units with attached single Gar garages for each unit. Driveways in front of each garage also provide off-street parking for 1 car per unit. An additional 23 off- street parking stalls are provided throughout the development. The proposed layout meets the R -3C requirements for height regulations, maximum density per the comprehensive plan, minimum habitable floor area, yard requirements, and minimum building separations. WRITTEN JUSTIFICATION FOR PUD DEVIATIONS The Maplewood Zoning Ordinance, Section 44-1093, describes Planned Unit Developments as a means to "allow flexibility by substantial deviations.., including uses, setbacks, height and other regulations." It then sets forth five conditions which must be satisfied for approval, This PUD submission requests flexibility related to the following issues" 1. Section 44-1092(3) defines Tubman Family Alliance's use of the existing monastery as a Conditional Use since it is an organization of "philanthropic or charitable nature." The St. Paul's Monastery PUD Application Narrative Page 6 1'-UD application, as a type of Conditional Use Permit, seeks approval for this us 'ncluding those functions identified in Block 1 Lot 2 description above. i 2. The R-313 Multiple Dwellings regulation requires two parking spaces be provided per dwelling unit, with one of those spaces being enclosed. CommonBond's plan for Affordable Senior Apartments includes one surface parking space per dwelling unit. 1. Certain regulations (contained in this chapter) should not apply to the proposed development because of its unique nature, Tubman's planned use of the existing monastery is indeed unique in nature. It will provide temporary housing and supportive services vital to those Tubman serves, as well as a broad array of training and transitional support that will benefit both Tubman families and others in the community. ri The purposes of the chapter listed in Sec. 44-2. include, among others "Lessening congestion in the streets; Securing safety from fire, panic and other dangers; Preventing the overcrowding of land; Avoiding undue concentration of population; and Encouraging the most appropriate use of land," This PUD Application is consistent with each of those purposes. ---- ----- - - Traffic projected to be generated by the development has been carefully quantified with a traffic study looking forward to 2026 by Wenck Associates, Inc. The analysis determines that this project will not contribute in an excessive manner to present or future congestion on these streets, St. Paul's Monastery PD Application Narrative Page 7 3. The Planned Unit Development would produce a development of equal or superior quality to that which would result from strict adherence to this chapter. The Sisters of St. Benedict of St. Paul's Monastery have worked for several years to find a suitable user for the existing monastery building and to formulate a development plan that retains sufficient open space to support their monastic lifestyle. The result today is a 31 acre development with significantly less density than permitted by strict adherence to code, and whose quality is significantly greater. The development is superior for several reasons: It retains the existing monastery. The loss of this significant architectural work would be tragic, and its continued use with nearly no exterior remodeling preserves the design for the future. It retains open spaces. The density of development is quite low. Congestion is reduced, storm water runoff is slowed, and dependence on municipal utility infrastructure is lessened. It supports Maplewood's Comprehensive Plan. The affordable housing that will be developed provides a needed and valuable community resource. The design of the apartments and townhomes will compliment the architectural design and integrity of the St, Paul's Monastery PUD Application Narrative Page 8 monastery, and will meet or exceed the aesthetics associated with market-rate housing projects in the area. 5. The deviations are required for reasonable and practicable physical development and are not required solely for financial reasons. Provision by CommonBond of one parking space per senior apartment meets the needs of the tenants, and reduces the amount of impervious surface associated with the development, It leaves open more land area and may promote the use of public transportation. We request approval of the PUD with that parking ratio, accordingly, The Code further describes nine standards for approval of Conditional Use Permits, The standards and our responses are as follows: 1. The use would be located, designed, maintained, constructed and operated to be in conformity with the city's comprehensive plan and this code. Tubman's use of the existing monastery building is consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan goals emphasize that the city minimize conflicts between land uses, prevent overcrowding or overuse of land (especially when supportive services and facilities are not available provide a wide variety of housing types, and integrate developments with open space and significant natural features, The building and site are already developed and the project will not disrupt or alter the significant, open space and natural features of the general area. St, Paul's Monastery PUD Application Narrative Page 9 Z The use would not change the existing or planned character of the surrounding area. Tubman's use of the existing monastery preserves the existing character of the area which might other be greatly transformed. The use of the monastery building by Tubman will have no impact on property values. The nearest neighboring residence is more than 4000 feet from the facility and adjacent property to the south is a preserve, previously sold by the Sisters to the Trust for Public Land. Tubman's use will be well buffered and confined to the monastery building and grounds, St. Paul's Monastery PUD Application Narrative Page 10 4. The use would not involve any activity, process, materials, equipment or methods of operation that would be dangerous, hazardous, detrimental, disturbing or cause a nuisance to any person or property, because of excessive noise, glare, smoke, dust, odor, fumes, water or air pollution, drainage water runoff, vibration, general unsightliness, electrical interference or other nuisances. Tubman's use will not generate excessive noise or any of the other conditions described above. On the contrary, continued use of the monastery building much as it is now and the preservation of the adjacent open space will reduce potential noise, glare, and increased drainage water runoff. Based on the results of this study, the Sisters of St. Paul's Monastery believe no new roadway is required to connect Larpenteur Avenue directly with the intersection of Century Avenue and Highway 5 to the north, Such a roadway would take valuable land from both the Monastery and Hill-Murray School and would significantly impact the Sisters' ability to maintain their monastic lifestyle in a new facility near their cemetery, 6. The use would be served by adequate public facilities and services, including streets, police and fire protection, drainage structures, water and sewer systems, schools and parks, 7, The use would not create excessive additional costs for public facilities or services. The development as a whole, and Tubman's use • the monastery in particular, will not create excessive additional costs, Public facility infrastructure would be much more severely impacted by redevelopment of the entire site at permitted densities. City services are likewise less impacted by the continued low-density usage of the property. St. Paul's Monastery PUD Application Narrative Page 11 8. The use would maximize the preservation of and incorporate the site's natural and scenic features in the development design. The site's natural features are substantially preserved within this development plan. The reuse of the existing monastery, development of the new monastery on a large parcel to the north, and modest development of affordable housing over a relatively small land area all allow the site's natural and scenic features to remain in large part intact, rhe resulting redevelopment will provide for expanded ministry and continued service, This will be a significant resource to Maplewood, and an asset to the larger community, It is a development that respects Maplewood's history, natural environment, and commitment to its residents now and into the future, Attac'ngient 5 Engineering Plan The applicant included a wetland delineation report, traffic report, and storm water modeling reMort for the site. The architect and civil engineering firms for the site redevelopment are Pope Associates, Inc. and Sunde Engineering, Inc., respectively. Jacobson Environmental prepared the delineation report and Wench Associates, Inc. prepared the traffic impact study. The normal and high water elevations shall be shown at each pond and infiltration basin on the project plan view, notjust in table format. Also, each pond and infiltration basin must be labeled on the project plans for identification purposes. Overflow swal shall be shown with overflow elevation and swale lined with permanent enkamat, 4. Soil borings shall be provided throughout the site (I 5-foot depth minimum). Soil borings shall be specifically provided at all proposed rainwater garden and infiltration basin locations as stated above. Also, borings along the proposed road shall be performed to understand the type of soils and if road base corrections are needed. Page 2 of 6 5. Maintenance access must be shown to each pond, infiltration basin, and sump structure. 6. The city will require 3-foot sumps at all drainage structure just upstream of pond/basin (must be accessible by a jet vacuum truck). 7. The city rainwater garden detail will be required to be placed on the project plans. The contractor shall work with the city naturalist, Ginny Gaynor, regarding phasing, construction, and plantings of gardens/infiltration basins. All must be shown on the plans. 1. On sheet C2 of the project plans, the wetland delineator call of Jacobson Environmental must also have the date of delineation. The buffer must also be shown around the wetland and shall include silt fencing and wood chips/ bio-logs, placed just upstream of the silt fencing. Site grading shall not have grading steeper than 3 : I . Erosion stabilization blanket placed immediately after disturbance is required for 3� 1 slopes, Retaining walls on plans must shown top and bottom elevations, Also, retaining walls over 4-feet require an engineered submittal to the City of Maplewood Buildingr Department to secure the required building permit. Show a typical detail of & retainint Z wall on the details sheet of the project plans, 3, Specify building pad elevations. The emergency overland release path for stormwater overflow shall clearly be shown on the grading plan and elevation shall clearly be called out, Once provided, the city will evaluate pad elevation to see if they are adequate. Erosion & Sediment Control Plan 1. Clearly identify disturbed area by delineation on the plans and provide a numerical value of disturbed acreage for the project site, Any disturbance of one acre or more necessitates a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit from the Page 3 of Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MtPCA). The approved gradin and erosion & sediment control plans shatl be incorporated into the SWPPP. The current SWPPP plan on shect C4 of the pr ject plans does not meet the city requirements. See the remaining 0 1 comments under this section for what is needed. I Include a maintenance schedule of all erosion and sediment control devices used throughout the phases of construction (including building construction). 3. Identify (in project plan view) the erosion a n d s ediment control measures at project boundary limits of disturbed areas slit fence, straw wattle,, etc). 4. Identify erosion and sediment protection on slopes and sediment controls at top and toes of slopes and bast of stockpiles. III 11111 11111 lili 1 1 1 1, J ill 1111 11 6. Identify locations for equipmentl/material storage, debris stockpiles, vehicle/equipment maintenance, fueling, and washing areas. Address measure to contain area and specify that all materials stored on site shall have proper enclosures and/or coverings. 7. Identify locations and provide details for concrete washouts, 8. Identify locations and provide details for stabilized construction accesses (rock entrance pads) 10. A phased grading plan shall be required for the site and stockpile locations identified. Stockpiles shall be encificled bv silt fence and covered as needed, 11. Describe measures (e.g.. sediment basin, sediment trap, etc) taken during tile rough C) grading process to intercept and detain sediment laden run-off to allow the sediment to settle and how the settled stormwater will be de-watered and introduced to tile public drainage system. Show the location of sediment trap or basin on the project plans, 12. Describe measures of onsite dust control (i.e.... water as needed) and also provide a sweeping plan for adjacent streets, N .......... Comments This project site is surrounded by natural preserves. This site's characteristics should attempt to match the surrounding areas. For example the frontage landscape at the corner of Larpenteur and Century should be wooded and natural instead of a storm water pond. The aesthetics of this site should be carefully considered. 3. It should be attempted to desigm the proposed ponds and infiltration basins with contour irregularities in order to give a more natural look. Smaller rainwater gardens should be considered throughout the site for pre-treatment purposes prior to flowing into the ponds then infiltration basins. Storm Sewer I . Currently, both a 24-inch and 8-inch storm sewer drainage pipes run underneath the existing monastery building. The drainage pipes and patterns shall be reconfigured to rectify this unacceptable situation. Storm manhole 33 shall be moved to the parking iot area and centered so the storm line sets equidistance from the proposed town home buildings. Sanitary Sewer 1. There is no sanitary sewer shown going to the existing monastery building. Project engineer shall show existing sanitary sewer servicing this building and the routing to the public main. ,A � - �Subm_ittals 2. Submit plans for approval to Mike Anderson at Saint Paul Regional Water Services (SPRWS). All water utilities shall have a minimum of 8-feet of cover. The notes within the project plans on sheet C3 incorrectly state 7,5-feet. Again, all water related desion and notes shall be reviewed and approved by SPRWS, 3. Coordination with Ramsey County's traffic engineer (Dan Soler) will be required because Larpenteur Avenue is within County jurisdiction. 4, Nin/D OT' coordination will also be required since site access will be available from Century Avenue. 5, Plans shall be submitted to Minnesota Department of Health Services for the water extension through the project site. Note If the watermain extension is part of the public improvement process then the city will coordinate with the Department of Health Services, 6. Plans shall also be submitted to Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for the sewer extension and for coverage under the general stormwater permit. Note: If the sewer extension is part of the public improvement process then the city will coordinate with the Department of Health Services. Traffic/ Streets 1. The site design shall reflect one of the four alternative future public roads layouts within the prc�ject site. Effective transportation planning for this site is required to relieve future congestion at the Century Ave/ Larpenteur intersection. More discussion with city staff concerning traffic and future roads will be required prior to project plan approval, Please see next two comments. considering new developments like this proposal we can expect an increase in traffic at the intersections of 5 -30% in the next ten years, These intersections cannot handle these volumes without an increase in delay and safety concerns. We recommend a condition that this site plan be required to connect to a fibture local roadway system that connects to vacant MnDOT property to the north. The local roadways are proposed as public streets and are shown as Benet Road and Monastery Way' We support this designation as public streets. As such, we recommend that these streets (utilities included) be built as public improvements and that the site owners be required to petition the city to construct the streets to City specifications. 1. A demolition plan needs to be incorporated into the project plans because existing roads and structures appear to be set for removal. 2. The developer or project engineer shall submit a copy of the MPCA's construction StOTrnwater permit (SWPPP) to the city before the city will issue a g ding permit for this :Ira project. 3. The owner and project engineer shall satisfy the requirements of all permitting, agencies. 4. The developer shall provide a lighting plan. The owner shall sign a maintenance agreement, prepared by the city, for all stormwater treatment devices (list devices i.e.... sumps, basins, ponds, etc). The city shall prepare this agreement. G. The developer shall enter into a development agreement with the city. The city will prepare this agreement. Attachmert 6 Depar*rTient of Public Works C:ty 01:Mapiewood MEMORANDUM , I , 0: To Ekstrand, Senior Planner FROM: R. Charles Ahl, Director of Public NVorks/Cit-, En -inter DATE: March 8, 2(11)7 SUBJECT: NjojiasterN Development Proposal, File No. (1 Re iew 4 Traffic Study Please add this information to the comments that the Engineering staff have already provided on the proposed Monastery development. I have reviewed the VVenck Traffic Study prepared for the proposed development and have concerns with the information within that study. The background assumptions and conclusions need further explanation as to the basis within the study: The redevelopment will add 50 townhomes. 40 senior apartments, 30-40 additional residents at the Monastery and the Tubman Headquarters and Temporary Housing. Normal estimate rates for housing assume 7-11 trips per unit. There is no basis provided for any of the assumptions within this report. Using normal estimates, the range of new trips could be estimated as high as 50 townhomes at 9 trips per unit = 450 trips 40 apartments at 7 'trips per unit = 280 trips 30-40 Monastery Residents at 4 trips per unit = 80 trips Tubman Headquarters and Temporary Housing = 2.000 tr ips Total Maximum Daily Trips = 2,810 trips you have any questions or concerns with ji vvlithin this memorandum. please contact me, am WMAMNIM Depart of Put Dlic Works MEMORANDUM TO: Tom Ekstrand, Senior Planner FQT IF , It Table I Weekday Peak our Trip Generation A. M, Peak P.M. Peak Midday Peak Hour Trips Hour Trips Hour Trips Tubinan Hcaiquarti rs iiu ® ®�� audTcinporary ng Z There remains some concern with conclusions regarding the area signals, but it is concluded that this development has a much less impact on the area roadways than the Comprehensive Plan would allow, The current thp generation numbers are 35% - 50% below that amount that could be allocated to a development on this site and still be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. Based upon this assumption, we conclude that traffic issues are reasonable for the development and are not a basis for considering a denial of the plans. 3, Our difference with the traffic engineer is an assumption related to the signal phases at Larpenteur and Century. The traffic study observed that during only one period when school is dismissed at Hill -Murray are vehicles unable to make the signal during a signal phase. Wenck concludes that based on the entire 24- hour analysis that the signal operates at acceptable levels. The City's Traffic Engineer and the Ramsey County Traffic Engineer have not reviewed the volumes at this intersection; however, the conclude that any circumstance whereby vehicles are delayed such that they are unable to travel through the intersection in a single phase of the signal will typically put that signal system into a failing category. Nevertheless, that operation is due to dismissals related to Hili -Murray and the traffic to be generated from this site has very minimal impact on that signal operation. -s Memoranall ITI, pease contact ©- MO. Attach=ment 8 R « 5717711wnwIIIII i 'I r Metropolitan District ■ Waters Edge R I Offigm I M L% J February 15 2007 L1131M Maplewood Cornmunity Development 1830 County Road B East Maplewood,NfN 55109 SUBJECT: St. Paul's Monastery, IrIn/DOT Review #P07 NW Quad of TH 120 and Larpenteur Ave. E. Maplewood, Washington County Control Section 6227 Dear Mr. Roberts: NAM TWOKI 3 Thank you for the opportunity to review the above referenced plat. IIvlzVDOT staff has reviewed the plans in accordance with Minnesota Statute 505.03, subdivision 2, Plats, Becm-c any further development, please address the following issues: Design: Thank you for realigning Beact Road to match the opposite access. A light turn lane on SOLIthbOUnd TH 120 will be required for Benct Road clue to the high volume of traffic on TH 120. Please direct questions concerning this issue to Ken Liung (634-2113) of MnIDOT Metro's Design Section. Water Resources.- A drainage permit is required. The proposed development will need to maintain existing drainage rates (i.e., the rate at which storm water is discharged from the site must not increase). The City or project developer will need to submit hydraulic computations fbr 10. 50, and 100 year rainfall events for both existing and proposed conditions. The modeling must include the effects on the downstream drainage systems including the Mn/DOT storm sewer and the wetland./pond to the north. MrVDOT does not have reliable data on inverts ofstorrn sewer, etc. 'The consultant must not molk -.s- ions, and is responsible for obtaining this data, Please direct questions concerning these 1.5sucs to Don Berre (65 1-634-2362) of Mn/DOT's Water Resources section, Survevs: The TI 5 and TH 120 existing right-of-way is shown correctl,, on the plat. The in place monumentation should also be shown on the plat. For questions concerning this issue, please contact Matt Wernet (651-779-5482 in Mn/DOT's survey's section. Permits: The city will need to apply for an access permit for the realignment of Benet Road. As stated above, as drainage permit is required. Any other use ofor work within or affecting Mri/DOT right of vvay requires a permit. Permit forms are available from MnDOTs utility website at vvww �'qtiliry . Please Include one I I x 17 plan set and one full size plan set with each permit application. Please direct any questions regarding permit requirements to Buck Craic (651-582-1447) of Mn/DOT Metro's Permits Section. Development Review Coordinator Mn,'DOT -Metro Division Waters Edge 1500 West County Road B-2 Roseville, Minnesota 55113 Copy: David Claypool / Ramscy County Surveyor Brian Mundstock / Sonde Engineering, Inc. Jean Hartman / Saint Paul's Monastery Copy toMnI/DOT files: WDOT Division File CS 6227 Mn/DOT LGL File -- Maplewood A�.tacrIrien:l 9 V i 21 21"It" Honorable Mayor Diana Longrie, City Council & Planning Commission Members City of Maplewood 1830 County Road B East Maplewood, M' 55109-2702 Municipal Government Colleagues, I have been asked by Bob Erickson, a longtime member of Bloomington's Port Atithority, to provide information on Bloomington's experience with Cornerstone, a domestic violence support agency located in Bloomington. Bob has also been a Ion ime board member of Tubman Family Alliance which is seelcin- to convert the St. Paul Monastery located inyour city to a domestic violence shelter and support center, I understand from Bob that some concerns have been raised within Maplewood regarding the impact on public safety from having a domestic violence shelter and support center located in t 0 community, I am happy to share some details of Bloomington's experience with Cornerstone t address these concerns, I Cornerstone has long provided shelter services for women and children in Bloomington, and I., from its Bloomington base, has served residents of other south metro communities, The services provided by Cornerstone and the Tubman Family Alliance cannot be adequately addressed by government. In Bloomington, we view our role as allowing a safe haven and opportunity for families in desperate times to rebalance and move on to happy and productive lives. BloominLyton is fortunate to have Cornerstone here to provide the ban, ds-on services and support necessary to families in need. MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL 1800 W. OLD SHAKOPEE ROAD, BLOOMINGTON MN 55431-3027 AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL - 952-563-8782 - ;,x 952-563-8754 7TY 952-563-8740 OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER Mayor Lon 'e, City Council & Planning Commission Members March 8, 2007 Page 2 - is approacrr= 77 is imporutn WIiI U0111t: LO Me rIuIIL (A(k,�rSTGIV I I family issue. Please feel free to contact me (952-563-8782), Police Chief John Laux and Cornerstone Board Member (952-563-8701), or Planning Manager Bob Hawbaker (952-563- 8922) if we can provide any additional information. cc. Robert 0. Erickson, Pori Authority President Bloomington Cipy Council Afark Bernhardson, City Manager John Lau:T, Police Chief Larn Lee, Community Development Director Bob Hawbaker, Planning Manager Attachment 10 2856 Lake Blvd. North St. Paul, MN 55109 February 9, 2007 Planning Commission Chair Lorraine B. Fischer 1830 County Road B East Maplewood, MIN 5 t09 Dear Ms. Fischer: You have known me for a long time so it should not surprise you to hear from me in support of the Tub man Family Alliance and CommonBand Communities proposals for use of the Saint Paul Monastery site. I The sisters have been looking for a good use for this property for 13 years. They are in aareement to do so. Thus, one way or the other, the site will not remain as it is. Hill Murray High School has long had the opportunity to buy the sisters out, but has declined to do so. Now, it is giving its benefactors a hard time. 3, Tubman Family Alliance has an excellent reputation for providing and maintaining good sites. It is seeking here to consolidate its sites in one location. 4. The Alliance's proposal will not only keep the current award winning building in use, but also put it to excellent us. It is a perfect fit to their needs. 6. The site is buffered by an Oakdale park to the east, open space to the south, Hill Murray to the west and Highway Department land to the north, It is a logical place for development. As a PUD, the city retains much control over the specific development, Thank you in advance for your consideration. Bob Bruton (777-2224) 01/31/2007 t3:24 FAX 6512656109 HIWAY FED CREDIT UNION UMMEMMEM MM= M At.tachment 11 There is some confusion also as to the future use of the monastery bldg. Am I understanding correctly that. I would love to see this used and developed more with our aging population in mind. 1 � r Uffig IM! Kris 'bane Attachment 12 March 22, 2007 Updated comments regarding developmental proposal at St. Paul's Monastery at Larpentuer and Hwy 120, We have met with the Benedictine Sisters, representatives of Common Bond and the Tubman Family Alliance. Having a discussion with them was very helpful in understanding the scope and impact of the proposed project. 1VIcuting WILIFUM allu PULCIILL "77 1 project. Thank you for the opportunity to voice our thoughts and we hope they are considered as this process continues. Kevin and Katherine Green Attachment 13 This is way too much density for this area. Right now with Hill Murray traffic and alsO traffic from Mounds Park Academy who also use Larpenteur Ave. before school an after school pick up, traffic is so bad that we cannot get out of the side streets to ent tnto Larpenteur during those two times of the day, Traffic on Larpenteur is getting more and more cars every day, all day long, I don't mind the Monastery being used by Tubman, but how safe is that for Hill-Murray School to have that kind of facility that close to the students, The Proposed 40 unit senior-housing apartment building might be okay, but the Proposed 50 unit town home complex is out of the question. This area cannot take all the added traffic and this is too dense for the R-3 zoning and I do not think that t zoning should be changed, I N11 you have to do is sit on Larpenteur and Century in the a,m, and again when school lets out and you will see that this is not acceptable. With 3M traffic, school buses, ?,nd parents dropping off kids, this is a nightmare. The best use of some of the Monastery property would be to donate or sell some to Hill-Murray High School so they can have more off street parking. During school hours there are anywhere from 40 to 60 cars parked on both sides of Larpenteur Ave. The school needs more PARKING, Anne Fosburgh - 2516 E. Idaho Ave. - Maplewood, MN 55119 - 651-777,6331 Attachment 14 11=111AT.17 MT From: CHICKETT, MICHELLE [MICHELLE.CHICKETT@isd623,org] Sent: Monday, March 19, 2007 11 - 100 PM To: Diana Longrie; Kathleen Juenemann; Erik Hjelle; Will Rossbach; Rebecca Cave Tom Ekstrand Subject: Development Plans of St. Paul's Monastery Importance: High Dear Mayor, City counCil Members and Mr. Ekstrand: ile are writinq to share our opposition. to -he plLans of St. Paul 's Monastery to develop re p We , readily pr opert y `ocated on the corner of - arpt.- , ziteur and Century Avenues dn] t that there is a need for such faclli.t'e.i as the s-isters pzcpose, we sever,3-- reasons - -o cb�lect to their proposal. Tlicy are as floiicws; 1. Maplewood already has too many high density neighbor odds. 2. _L say nas an nousing per a Star'l`ribune art : (:I e Map'owood already '' aIDUridance of affordabi(­ I !hat waj published this winter. A drive th-oug' the 11 city attes�:s to - _Iial . al ready esists a shel t at "C01 Van Dyke Stree�.:, five minu�, awa� from the proposed Tunman 3 4 S .elt(:. and anotne_- sht'l.t.er located no,_ar the Maol-1-Jood - rlmn , .urlitv C,. again Just mi.nutes awziy. it is unfair to tLe residents of Mapierwcod to satur.- the neighborhood with a third facit! of this type. Re�a.�istically , the impact of this proposal will have a negative effect on M,: prope-: rtv valu<:!s in the si rroaridi.nq ar,: and inake our neighborhood less des-irable. As our property values fa3, so wiIl our contribution to the tax base. 5. People escaping violent situations have 1)( ­en known to attt;-ict unwan individuals - often through no fault of their o:-4n. This as the po 1 , - o create a safety hazard to bct_'% residents o the facility and tc the citizens c�f Maplewood and puts an a d di t JL 1 .) 1 "a I burden on those hired to protect us. C u ; . Our oatoty will be compromisod by additional traffic .ear Hill Sc" ocl, aLiee."ing pedestrians, bitle-rs, studen*_s and residents. ' - o place such a facilif:v near a proposed seniors housing apartment compromises safety of vulnerable lnidivduals. -, ort - ant l y, to dace such a facility near an already existim school hous . 'ni. Most imr J iU students in qz:ade-­s 7 - 1,'? ag n compro-mi5cs the sali,t v of individuals. Taking sued a risk is not responsible. ease share these thoughts with the Planning Commission and give these arguments your consideration. Pam�Ia and Michelle Chickett 22? Nebraska Ave E This emai' and any attachments may contain confidential and privilt.-ged infor you aze not the intended recipient, piease notify the sender irrcledia!_ely by re del( `h,` Y elr,ail and destl any copies. Any views or opinions prk: seritcd a (.­Rcil_ are sole those of the author and might not represent those of Rosev" I , �:ool Page I of 2 Attachment 15 From: Lee Hinnenkamp [leel h@comcast.net] Sent: Monday, March 19, 2007 11:50 PM To: b.hansen@comcast.net NOOMEEM IF wou an you 4 , 13 - OVE111 11MV 011 JM, - - - will benefit. I apologize that both mine and Dave's schedules have changed and do not allow us to attend the meeting. These are just a few of the thoughts that we ha& 3/20/2007 Page '2 of 2 Dave & Lee Erdman 2446 Teviin Court S51f773-8419 Home 3/20/2007 March 19, 2007 Dear Mayor, City Council Members and Planning Commission Members-, * 90 affordable (low-income) housing units to be operated by Common Bond * Remodeling the current monastery so that it may house the Tub man Family Alliance (a full-service family violence agency and shelter) * Construction of new parking lots and access roads * Construction of a new smaller monastery. I Crime: The people that will reside within the proposed housing development or at the shelter may draw unwanted individuals to our neighborhood, At a crime watch meeting a Maplewood City Policeman referred to our neighborhood as "the shiniest apple on the tree" and as such we needed to be wary of strangers who could be tempted to take what was not theirs, 4. Property Value. So what happens when we czo to sell our homes? Will the location of affordable housing units and a battered women's shelter near our home impact the price of our home? Might it also impact the decision making of a potential buyer? Additionally we ask that you note the following pertinent facts and consider them as you make your decision: 1, Maplewood Police make frequent calls to the shelters and affordable (low- income) housing units that are already serving Maplewood. See Einmas Place records where a child was murdered by its mother the previous summer. 2 Hill Murray High School has offered to purchase the property at fair market value to preserve the location and financially enable the Sisters to take their mission to another area, 3. Maplewood already provides its fair share of "affordable" housing. Maplewood needs to look to stop decay as an inner-ring suburb and support new, positive development in the community. 4. Our school district is already financially strained. How will District 622 fund the extra educational services that this population will likely require. I [win lud[H 11 flu • Hill-Murray School as an organization • The 1000 students that attend Hill-Murray • The neighbors surrounding the Priory grounds with their concems • The larger community of_ aplewood that is battling encroaching crime, and seeking to redefine itself and change course We hope that the City Council and Planning Commission as members of the RIM 13 M I/We do not support the property development plans of the Sisters of St. Paul's Monastery as outlined below. c 90 affordable (low -inc -came) housing units to be operated by Common and • Remodeling the current monastery so that it may house the Tub an Family Alliance (a full -se ice family violence agency and shelter) • Construction of new parking lots and access roads • Construction of a new smaller monastery. Paul Simon � 1581 Sterling Pam Sim Joyce Selo 1654 :North Sterlin B rian Dickson 2534 Larpenteur Andrea Dickson ' Apt. 1 Joseph Reagan 2534 Larpente ": Apt, l Thomas McGuire 1560 Sterling isti McGuire Jahn Wilbrinson 1593 Sterlin e Tom Hildebrandt 1601 Sterling An ne Hildebrandt I Peter Simons 1615 Sterlin Richard Anderson 1667 Sterline '748-40"71 Mark McLean 1590 Sterling 774 -7100 Cathy McLean D onald Juen, Jr 1654 Sterling 777 -8654 Sharon Johnson 1630 Sterling Raym ond Johnson Robert Pearson 1574 Sterlin Jeff Doma ala 1659 Sterlin on Jameson 1584 Sterling Colleen Jameson Alan Pr 2486 Circle Kay Prax Julia Snell 2496 Oak Circle Poday Snell est Boswell 1478 Sterlin 77 -8745 K aren Lanz E 1600 Lakewood Dr 773 -8745 Cedric Lanz Douglas Beauvais 1547 Currie 773 -5196 Tim Johnson 1649 Lakewood rive Martha Johnson Robert Berthiaume 1471 Myrtle Court 770 -7447 Mr s. Robert Berthiaume Al an Hansen 2376 Nebraska 771 -3203 Kar en Hanson Lynn Porel 2269 Nebraska 748-102.) Robert Poferel Todd Stafford 2276 Nebraska 747 -4432 Lori Stafford - Kia ­ r , -W L inski 2346 Nebraska X 779 -2357 Lee Simasi 2427 Nebraska 770 -8102 Richard Gavin 2331 Nebraska Linette Gavin Steve Trynoski 2354 Nebraska 777 -8130 Ka ren Trynos ___ I Harry Voss 2285 Nebraska Everett Metzges 2293 Nebraska Barb Metz es Raymond Eggert 2260 Nebraska 779-9971 Sharon Eggert Scott Peters 1480 Myrtle Ct. 770-6716 I Vicki Peters Robert Tiller 1515 Currie St. Janet Tiller Ears urphy 2363 Nebraska Catherine Estrem 1594 Lakewood Dr Nicholas Estrem Bruce Estrem Ann Loeffler 2355 Nebraska Joseph Loeffler Linda Tatm 2339 Nebraska s. Gray . .... 2323 Nebraska 770-7672 Eric Haare 2284 Nebraska 777-4477 Shelly Hazleek 2268 Nebraska 1523 Currie Street Patrick Coleman 2375 Montana 773-9552 Pact Coleman Kevin Klein 2488 Arlington Avenue 748-8044 Margaret Klein Attachment 17 HILL-MURRAY A CATHOLIC MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL February 16, 2007 Mr, Tom Ekstrand, Senior Planner City of Maplewood 1830 County Road B East Maplewood, VN 55109 F ER j 6 ?01 2625 LarpenteUrAvenue East • Maplewood, MN 5.5J09-5098 • (6 777-13 • FAX (651) 748-2444 • ww'w.1t ill -murray.org The development plan map reveals that the Monastery grounds will be occupied by four different uses: 1) the proposed family shelter, 2) a future monastery, 3) a 40-unit apartment building, and 4 a 50-unit town home complex. The development plan map also depicts new roads and parking lots necessary to serve these uses. The development plan map falls to depict roadway access or parking for the future monastery, N point what the complete impact the myriad uses proposed for the monastery building will have on traffic and congestion in the area. The inadequacy of the PUD application's treatment of traffic congestion is underscored by glarin- t , J " omissions in the development plan map. The plan fails to show or account for the new Larpenteur Avenue entry to Hill-Murray and the development plan map also fails to show a street connection to I and parking for the proposed monastery. In conclusion, Hill-Nlun°ay believes that the present PUD application fails to meet the -standards required by Maplewood to grant a conditional use permit for -a PUD and fails to provide a basis on , .vh1ch Maplewood can deviate from its zoning ordinance as is required to consider the proposed I':- development asaPUD, Hill-Murray respectfully asks that Maplewood deny the PUD application due to the traffic, density, and other concerns noted in this response, Sincerely, - - �' - 4-- 1Js ep �hl Peschges President Mayor, City of Maplewood Maplewood City Council Members Maplewood Planning Commission Members Maplewood City Manager M r_ U Attach rent 18 Mr. Tom Ekstrand, Senior Planner City of Maplewood 1830 County Road B East Maplewood, MN 55109 Re: St. Paul's Monastery PUD Application Hill-Murray Letter of February 16, 2007 I ■ Mr. Tom Ekstrand 3101200? Page 2 providing resources for those desiring to grow spiritually, liturgy, and our primary vocation, prayer, It is in partnership and community with Tubman Family Alliance and CommonBond that we believe we can have maximum impact on the needs of the Maplewood community and also support our continued Monastic life. It is absolutely true that the redevelopment will have an impact on the neighborhood and the community — ■ very positive impact. Hill-Murray objects to the proposed development on two principal grounds; traffic and density. wish to address their concerns related to both, The -study concludes that ALL movements at the intersection will be Level of Service C • better through 2011, and that only one movement (eastbound left turn during the mid-day peak) will fall to LOS D (an acceptable level) through 2026. Morning Peak and Afternoon Peak, which most affect Hili-Murray, remain at LOS C or better through 2026. The intersection functions acceptably 20 yWars following completion of the proposed development. The wetlands and open space to the north will be more protected after development than present due to the addition of storm water treatment and retention ponds which treat run-off fro roadways and parking areas prior to discharge from the site, Currently run-off occurs witho retention or treatment in accordance with past development standards. Our architect confirms that the density of the planned unit development is in accordance with the requirements for the R3-H land use and R3 zoning district. Of the total 31 acres, the proposed Senior Apartment and Family Town Home developments use just 7.69 acres or 22.5% of the land area available, Mr. Tom Ekstrand 3/5/2007 Page 3 Tu■man's plan for the existing monastery does include a number of elements, all of which work to support families in crisis and transition, Planned uses include licensed child care, education and training, legal and health resources, group meeting spaces, short term housing and Tubman's corporate offices. A space within the building will be dedicated to the history of all organizations sharing the site, Office space for the Sisters and public meeting space will be provided, We want to reiterate our support for Hill-Murray, its students and families, and our desire to S .W ' I the school thrive, We strongly believe that the development we propose is a much needed ass for the City of Maplewood and an asset for Hill-Murray, providing many opportunities ; collaboration and community service, We respectfully ask that Hili-Murray support our propos and with us welcome all guests as Christ. • Attachment 19 CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT RESOLUTION WHEREAS, the Sisters of St. Benedict of St. Paul's Monastery applied for a conditional use permit for a planned unit development to develop their 31.04 -acre site with a 50 -unit town house development; a 40 -unit seniors housing apartment building; to convert the existing monastery building as a multi -use family - violence shelter with 37 housing units, offices and support facilities and to build a future monastery building on the north end of their property. WHEREAS, Section 44- 1092(3) of the city ordinances requires a conditional use permit for institutions of any educational, philanthropic and charitable nature. WHEREAS, this permit applies to the property located at 2675 Larpenteur Avenue. The legal description is: That part of the South 'l2 of the Southeast Quarter of Section 13, Township 29, Range 22, Ramsey County, Minnesota lying east and north of a line described as beginning at a point on the south line of said Southeast Quarter of Section 13 985 feet west of the southeast corner of said Southeast Quarter of Section 13; thence 78 degrees 40 minutes to the right proceeding in a north - northwesterly direction for 620 feet to a point of curve; thence to the left on a curve having a radius of 100 feet a distance of 157.08 feet to a point of tangent; thence 90 degrees to the right, at right angles to the tangent to said curve at said point of tangent, a distance of 450 feet; thence 90 degrees to the left a distance of 200 feet; thence 90 degrees to the right a distance of 225 feet, more or less, to the north line of said South 'l2 of the Southeast Quarter of Section 13. Except that part of the Southeast Quarter of said Southeast Quarter of Section 13 which lies northeasterly of a line parallel with and distant 100 feet southwesterly of a line described as beginning at a point on the east line of said Section 13, distant 1324.13 feet north of the southeast corner thereof; thence run westerly at an angle of 90 degrees with said east section line for 186.63 feet; thence deflect to the right on a 10 degree curve, delta angle 29 degrees 20 minutes, for 293.33 feet; thence on tangent to said curve for 100 feet and there terminating; together with all that part of the above described tract, adjoining and southerly of the above described strip, which lies easterly of a line run parallel with and distant 60 feet westerly of the following described line: Beginning at the point of intersection of the above described line with the east line of said Section 13; thence run southerly along the east line of said Section 13 for 540 feet and there terminating; also together with a triangular piece adjoining and southerly of the first above described strip and westerly of the last described strip, which lies northeasterly of the following described line: From a point on the last described line, distant 150 feet southerly of its point of beginning, run westerly at right angles to said line for 60 feet to the point of beginning of the line to be described; thence run northwesterly to a point on the southerly boundary of the first above described strip, distant 100 feet westerly of its intersection with a line run parallel with and distant 33 westerly of the east line of said Section 13. Which lies easterly, northerly and easterly of a line described as commencing at said southeast corner of the Southeast Quarter of Section 13; thence westerly, along said south line of the Southeast Quarter of Section 13, a distance of 832.02 feet to the point of beginning of the line to be described; thence deflecting to the right 78 degrees 40 minutes 00 seconds a distance of 750.06 feet; thence deflecting to the left 90 degrees 00 minutes 00 seconds a distance of 204.00 feet; thence deflecting to the right 90 degrees 00 minutes 00 seconds a distance of 638.98 feet to said north line of the south half of the Southeast Quarter of Section 13 and said line there terminating. WHEREAS, the history of this conditional use permit is as follows: 1. On March 20, 2007, the planning commission held a public hearing. The city staff published a notice in the paper and sent notices to the surrounding property owners. The planning commission gave everyone at the hearing a chance to speak and present written statements. The planning commission also considered the reports and recommendation of city staff. The planning commission recommended that the city council approve this permit. 2. On May 7, 2007, the city council considered reports and recommendations of the city staff and planning commission. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the city council approve the above - described conditional use permit, because: 1. The use would be located, designed, maintained, constructed and operated to be in conformity with the City's Comprehensive Plan and Code of Ordinances. 2. The use would not change the existing or planned character of the surrounding area. 3. The use would not depreciate property values. 4. The use would not involve any activity, process, materials, equipment or methods of operation that would be dangerous, hazardous, detrimental, disturbing or cause a nuisance to any person or property, because of excessive noise, glare, smoke, dust, odor, fumes, water or air pollution, drainage, water run -off, vibration, general unsightliness, electrical interference or other nuisances. 5. The use would generate only minimal vehicular traffic on local streets and would not create traffic congestion or unsafe access on existing or proposed streets. 6. The use would be served by adequate public facilities and services, including streets, police and fire protection, drainage structures, water and sewer systems, schools and parks. 7. The use would not create excessive additional costs for public facilities or services. 8. The use would maximize the preservation of and incorporate the site's natural and scenic features into the development design. 9. The use would cause minimal adverse environmental effects. 31 Approval is subject to the following conditions: 1. This planned unit development shall follow the concept plans date - stamped January 11, 2007. These plans are considered concept plans because the applicant must submit design plans to the city for approval for the proposed apartments, town houses, future monastery; shelter and any other future use. Staff may approve minor changes. 2. This planned unit development does not give any approvals for Lot 1, Block 1 since this site has not been proposed for any future development and its future use is unknown. The development of this site would require a revision of this planned unit development and must comply with all city development requirements. 3. The proposed construction must be substantially started within one year of council approval or the permit shall become null and void. 4. The city council shall review this permit in one year. 5. The property owner shall be required to dedicate right of way for a roadway to be studied by the City Engineer during the next three to five year period. This roadway shall be located approximately between this property and the property owned by Hill- Murray to the west and shall extend from Larpenteur Avenue to the intersection at TH 5 and TH 120. The final location of the roadway shall be studied by the City Engineer and reported with a recommendation to the City Council. The final need for the roadway has not been determined but will likely be necessary if additional development occurs on this property in excess of that currently being proposed or at higher density levels than approved; and also if property sold includes a major expansion of uses that generate significant additional traffic to be generated at Hill- Murray. 6. The applicant must obtain all necessary and required permits from the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Ramsey County and the Ramsey- Washington Metro Watershed District. 7. The applicant must provide a right -turn lane on Century Avenue into the site, subject to MnDOT's approval. 8. The applicant shall comply with all requirements of the engineering reports by Erin Laberee and Michael Thompson dated February 22, 2007 and by R. Charles AN dated April 19, 2007. 9. The applicant shall install sidewalks wherever possible along Larpenteur Avenue. 10. Staff may approve minor changes to the plans. The Maplewood City Council approved this resolution on 1 2007. 32 MINUTES OF THE MAPLEWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION 1830 COUNTY ROAD B EAST, MAPLEWOOD, MINNESOTA TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2007 Y. PUBLIC HEARING St. Paul's Monastery Redevelopment (2675 Larpenteur Avenue East) (7:09 — 10:17 p.m.) Mr. Ekstrand said the Sisters of St. Benedict of St. Paul's Monastery, are requesting approval of the following development plans for their 31.04 -acre site at 2675 Larpenteur Avenue East: • A 40 -unit seniors- housing apartment building to be operated by CommonBond Communities. CommonBond is a developer and manager of affordable housing. • A 50 -unit town house development also to be built and operated by CommonBond. The existing 110 -car parking lot for the monastery on this site would be removed and relocated south of the monastery building. • A change in use of the existing monastery building. This building would be sold to the Tubman Family Alliance for use as a family - violence shelter /residence. This proposed facility would be used for offices, housing, community support, information and training, child -care and education. There would be a 108 -car parking lot added to the south end of this proposed parcel for the Tubman Family Alliance. There would also be a 33 -car parking lot provided northeast of the monastery building. The Tubman Family Alliance use of this building would include 37 housing units as follows: six for single women, 18 for mothers with one to two children, six for mothers with three or more children, four for adult males and three for families with mothers and teenage boys. • A future monastery on the north end of the property. The existing monastery building was constructed to house 278 Sisters. Today, the community consists of 58 Sisters, 35 of which reside on the site. Therefore, there is no need for such a large building. The applicant will provide specific details and plans for this building at a later time. The applicant has not submitted any site and architectural plans; these will be provided later for review by the CDRB. City staff surveyed 46 property owners within 500 feet of the site. Of the eight replies, one was in favor, seven were opposed and one offered a comment about the overall design of the development. One additional letter was received in support of the project from the Mayor of the City of Bloomington. Commissioner Trippler asked if the parking lot shown next to Lot 1 Block 1 is the parking lot for the proposed 50 unit townhome complex or is that a parking lot that is going to replace the parking lot for the monastery? Mr. Ekstrand said the proposed parking lot would replace the parking lot being lost and it would serve the future Tubman Family Alliance Service Center at the monastery. Commissioner Hess asked if there was a plan to put a fence between the Hill Murray School and the proposal for the monastery? Mr. Ekstrand said not presently. Planning Commission -2- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Commissioner Yarwood said one of the conditions for the conditional use permit is that the use would generate only minimal vehicular traffic on local streets and would not create congestion or unsafe access on existing or proposed streets. He said generally he doesn't have a problem with this development except for the traffic issues. The comments made by Chuck AN were that he didn't feel the traffic study proposed by the applicant was sufficient to adequately address what is happening in the area. For that reason he is uncomfortable making a finding or recommendation for this unless we have what the city thinks are accurate traffic data and predictions for this area that would include this development. Mr. Ahl said as Mr. Ekstrand said, we have to look at the site and the maximum use that can be generated. The use that has been proposed is far below what it could be developed for so we need to understand it could be a lot worse than what they are proposing. However, as he looked at the numbers and Mr. Ekstrand started talking about some of the regional planning, our concerns are twofold. Number one, the traffic study does not provide justifications for some of the numbers that are in there and it's a proposal that we need to look at and understand how those numbers were generated, and his concern is with a 40 unit senior housing complex the city typically uses 6 trips a day per unit. The commission knows the City of Maplewood has a lot of senior housing complexes. If you look at the numbers, they plan for 3 vehicle trips a day so we need to understand the difference in numbers that have been determined. In the morning, leaving the senior apartment complex during the peak hour, they are assuming 1 vehicle trip leaving the site. To Mr. AN that seemed unrealistic but going back to the original premise, different types of housing would have greater impacts, so we need to understand the low numbers. We need to analyze how that will impact the roadways for Century and Larpenteur Avenues with vehicle trip numbers that are closer to what the city thinks are reasonable. More importantly, what the city has used to analyze traffic impacts in the other areas of the community. He doesn't think that is a basis for denial of the plan. It's an issue that we need to work through. We need to have the appropriate controls for the traffic concerns. Mr. Ahl said the second part of the analysis is part of the bus garage proposal; we had a multi - jurisdictional work group that looked at traffic in this area. His concern with the site plan isn't the way it's designed now. He thinks it's the city's responsibility to look over the next 10, 20, and 30 years at these roadways. The state of transportation in Minnesota is clear. There will likely not be any road improvements to Larpenteur or Century Avenue for capacity improvements for 25 to 30 years. Traffic will grow by 50 -75% on those roadways in that period of time. This is the state we are in and it's called urbanization. The State of Minnesota is not funding transportation very well at this point in time. Planning Commission -3- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Mr. AN said it's the city's responsibility at the local level to try to incorporate how things work. Is there a roadway system that can help alleviate the conditions of the intersections along Century Avenue in particular? If you head south on Century Avenue, in 20 years there is probably going to be a signal system at Holloway Avenue. There is a signal system at Highway 5 and one at Larpenteur Avenue. There most likely is a signal system at Maryland Avenue or in that area and one signal system at Stillwater Avenue. The more access points we have, the more likely you are going to have congestion on that roadway. The city is working with MnDOT and eventually Ramsey County as they get involved with the process should we have some type of connection from this development as well as Hill Murray School to the north. Then through the vacant property (where the bus garage was proposed and denied by the city council) should there be a roadway connection through there. The city just isn't sure. Our concern is, don't let this development preclude our ability to plan for the next 5 to 10 years. So that's why Mr. Ekstrand made the recommendation for condition 5. in the staff report. We want to understand the impacts and why the traffic numbers are lower than what we think they are going to be. Before we proceed to the next phase, which is the future Monastery, let's work out the details. The city doesn't have a lot of money to build new roadways either. There may not be a need for the roadway either. That's the long answer to Commissioner Yarwood's question, but at this point the city doesn't have the answers we think are necessary regarding the potential traffic impacts. Commissioner Hess had a question for the Building Official. One issue that was mentioned in the staff report was that the existing monastery building may require a full NFPA 72 fire alarm system. He said he was talking to a friend who is in the design business and it sounded like that building will require that upgrade to be done which would be extensive. He assumes the Monastery building is sprinklered. With the new occupants, a number of things would probably need to be dealt with. Mr. David Fisher, Maplewood Building Official, addressed the commission. He said he has only been in the Monastery building once or twice and he couldn't remember if the building was sprinklered or not but he said the building is well built. If the building changes occupancy, the building would be required to be fully sprinklered and be required to be monitored with the full NFPA 72 fire alarm system. Chairperson Fischer said what you are saying is in order to meet today's building codes that would be a requirement in order to meet the CUP for the building. Mr. Fisher said if you change occupancy, or the use, then that changes the building code requirements and the building would have to be brought up to the current code. Commissioner Trippler said the largest concern people seem to have is regarding the traffic. The city has access to traffic counts on Larpenteur and Century Avenue, if you assume the trip counts we typically see in residences like this, did the city make an effort to do an analysis of whether or not this would have an impact on these roadways at a higher count or not? Planning Commission -4- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Mr. AN said the city did a preliminary look and estimated the numbers at a difference of 2'I2 to 3 trip counts. Granted the city's numbers are extremely high because we assume the worst case scenario. Under that scenario for the current existing 2007 traffic volumes in the area, we would likely recommend approval of this plan. As we get out 5 to 10 years, there likely would have to be some turn restrictions in the area. This is his concern. When you start putting turn restrictions in and altering access for emergency vehicles, you have to remember what the site uses are. The police and fire chief will tell you 83% of the fire calls received in the City of Maplewood are medical calls and a vast majority of them are related to seniors. When we start having to make traffic restrictions because of roadway volumes as it starts restricting access, it makes it more difficult because the fire station that serves this area is at Maryland and Century Avenue so the emergency vehicles would come south and would need to find an access. If you look at the two access points on Century and Larpenteur Avenue and you put a right turn in and right turn out we would also have to do that along Larpenteur Avenue. Eventually emergency vehicles would get into the site but leaving the site would become more difficult. Those are the city's concerns. We need to be sure the traffic volumes are reasonable. The city needs to understand at some point in time we will need to start adding those restrictions. The city will certainly have to be uniform in our application of those. You can't pick out this development and put in turning restrictions; you have to apply the process uniformly. You have to look at the driveways to the Hill Murray School and other roadways in the area. One thing the city doesn't want to do is to force additional traffic leaving this site over to some of the area streets such as Sterling Street. Three to five years isn't going to be a major problem because there are peaks in the area. They are 10 and 15 minute peaks when students arrive at Hill Murray School and leave the school. Commissioner Pearson said in the police report in the staff report it mentions almost a certainty that Larpenteur and Century Avenue would have to be posted on the north and south side with No Parking. He asked what the likelihood would be? Mr. Ahl said in his opinion that is definitely a direction the city will have to go. The more turning movements that there is, the city will have to put additional controls on the area and likely will put those parking restrictions on. Putting the no parking restriction on Larpenteur Avenue wouldn't impact a lot of people until you get closer to Hill Murray High School where there is some on- street parking allowed. Commissioner Desai asked if the enrollment at Hill Murray High School is maxed out? He asks that question because of the school's future growth and the potential of increasing the traffic. Mr. Ahl said he doesn't know the answer to that question, there is a representative here from Hill Murray High School so it might be a question for them to answer. From a traffic standpoint, the city doesn't assume that the traffic volumes are going to increase over time. The city's plan is that traffic volumes do increase. If we think about what's happened to our society from a driving standpoint, he said he's old enough to remember single car garages being built with a new house. Mr. Ahl said today's construction is built with three -car garages, which is indicative of what has happened to our traffic volumes in the last 25 to 30 years. People are driving more and they have more cars, so we certainly are seeing that impact on our roadways, businesses, institutions, schools and that has to be reflected in the traffic counts. Planning Commission -5- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Commissioner Pearson said looking at the plans and the number of children that are projected to be on site he noticed there isn't much playground space planned. There is a small playground space for the current daycare but he doesn't see anything additional. On the lower part of the plan there is a small area marked for a tot lot but that is remote from the other buildings. There didn't seem to be any access from the projected parking lot to the main building with the shelter in terms of sidewalk access. Mr. Ekstrand said these are all important details staff will consider but at this point the site plan shown, other than the parking proposed for the future shelter are conceptual. The applicant has explained they will be in with full details for the CDRB to review but at this time they have shown the 50 -unit apartment complex and the 40 -unit townhomes as a concept. Commissioner Pearson said he is concerned about comments in the staff report that Hill Murray High School is being used as a buffer, but a buffer takes the battering, whether it's from the wind or whatever. Without an adequate playground to occupy the kids, it's a natural fact that the kids would go onto the Hill Murray High School property. Mr. Ekstrand said that's a good point. It would be appropriate to add a playground as a condition since we are dealing with a PUD to make such a condition for children on the site so that there is adequate facilities for the children with this project. Commissioner Yarwood said one requirement for a CUP is that it doesn't substantially impact the traffic. To him it doesn't sound like we have hard traffic count numbers. He understands the density could be higher here than what is being proposed but we don't have set traffic numbers to make the judgment regarding this would create traffic congestion or create unsafe conditions on the streets on existing traffic versus what this might potentially add. If he could get an idea of the percentage that traffic would increase, that would help him. Chairperson Fischer asked the applicant to address the commission. Mr. Paul Holmes Pope Associates, residing at 1694 Ivory Avenue, Lake Elmo, addressed the commission. Pope Associates has been working with the monastery for 3 years now helping them determine how best to use their land and building resource. The current monastery building was built in 1965 for many more sisters than what are there today. The cost of operating the monastery has steadily risen. Fewer sisters are working now than were working in the past and they found themselves with a situation that absolutely has to change. The question is how to change it. The sisters partnered with CommonBond Communities and with Tubman Family Alliance to develop a portion of their site and to sell the existing monastery to Tubman Family Alliance for their use as an east side consolidation of existing services in this area as a family violence prevention agency. This would allow the sisters to fund construction of a new smaller monastery on the north side of the site. He said they feel they have a very good and accurate traffic study. There are other speakers that want to speak on behalf of the monastery. He said they knew traffic would be a major concern of the city, particularly at the intersection of Larpenteur Avenue and Highway 120, so we commissioned a traffic study. The first observations were made on September 12, 2006, after school was in session at Hill Murray High School and Mounds Park Academy. Both schools add traffic on Larpenteur Avenue with students at those rush peaks in the morning and afternoon. Planning Commission -6- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Mr. Holmes said this was after Hill Murray High School completed their campus improvements that occurred over the summer which included a new entry that was added off of Larpenteur Avenue and the internal circulation was improved. We found the intersection worked very well during those early morning 15- minute peak periods, and during the afternoon peak period the intersection was functioning very well. There was never a situation where it took more than one green light to clear the south bound right turn queue onto Larpenteur Avenue in the morning. One time it took more than one light to clear the north bound left turn queue off of Larpenteur Avenue onto Century Avenue. We reported those results to staff in a study and they responded back on the study saying it was only a 5 -year horizon. We understand there is a legitimate concern going forward, so we talked to the traffic engineer company Benshoof Associates who has been in business in the Twin Cities for 25 years. Then a very highly respected firm called Wenk Associates purchased Benshoof Associates last year. Ed Terhar, the traffic engineer who did the study is here tonight to answer any questions you might have. We updated the traffic study for a 20 -year horizon and went back to look at the intersection again. We were there on September 12, 18, 19 and November 16, 2006. In all those observations the intersection was working at acceptable levels. There was a level of service A or B during the morning 15- minute rush and during the afternoon 15- minute rush we saw the traffic clearing during the green lights. We found an intersection that continued to work well. We submitted the revised traffic report on December 18, 2006, with the PUD and we understand that Chuck Ahl still had some concerns with the numbers so he said he wanted to talk specifically about where the trip generations came from. Ed Terhar, the Traffic Engineer, said the numbers were based on trip generation numbers for the 40 -unit senior apartment building and the 50 -unit townhomes for standard data for the traffic engineering industry. Mr. Holmes said this document is the ITE document called Traffic Generation 7 Edition. This is the bible for traffic engineers and it's what is used for studies all over the country. It had specific numbers that could be applied to apartment buildings and to townhomes and those numbers were used. No reduction was taken in the recommendations in that book for those uses. He added that the real numbers that we will see within the affordable family townhomes and the affordable senior apartments are significantly less than what the study will indicate. Nevertheless, they used the more conservative number. There aren't numbers in the ITE Traffic Generation 7 Edition for monastery's or for Family Violence Prevention Agencies. So in that case, the traffic engineer goes to the "user" and asks them for trip generation data. We knew this was important and had to be right since it was from the source. So Tubman Family Alliance went to all their locations on the east metro and counted trips in and out of their locations every day. Then they went to their Minneapolis location and counted trips in and out and then from there, projected with this square footage with these uses how many trips you would get. That answer is 582 trips a day, which we believe, is a good, conservative number. We are creating 143 parking spaces for Tubman Family Alliance. If the trip generation were really 2000 vehicle trips you would fill and empty the parking lot 7 times every day, and that's not realistic and isn't going to happen. He said there are 18 sisters today of the 37sisters who live at the monastery and 18 of those sisters drive. Their current trip generation is low at about 12 vehicle trips a day. There are also some health care workers that come and go to the site so the 34 vehicle trips per day are an accurate number. We stand behind the numbers. Mr. Holmes said we have a total of 986 trips. Based on that, this intersection works in the 2026 timeframe at levels of C and above except for one turning movement in the p.m. peak. Planning Commission -7- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Mr. Holmes said that's the southbound turn onto Century Avenue off Larpenteur Avenue where it drops to level D of service. However, Level D of service intersections are all over town so this is not a situation that is going to get that bad over time. The traffic study takes into account a 2 %, per year, background growth in traffic, which equates to a 50% over all traffic increase in a 20 -year period. This is a good traffic study and we depend on its results. As Mr. Ekstrand pointed out, the site is zoned R3 -H and more than 400 units are actually allowed on this site if you take the 14.3 unit per acre designation that we could have used. The sisters looked at doing a development with that density and decided that it would be a horrible thing to do because of the impact on the neighborhood which would be very very high. Mr. Holmes said moreover the impact on the sister's monastic lifestyle would be unacceptable, so the sisters partnered with the two organizations for a smaller development, 90 units of housing for CommonBond, 40 senior apartments and 50 townhomes and also the Tubman Family Alliance consolidation of its existing east side operations in the existing monastery building. Mr. Holmes showed an aerial photo of the site on the overhead. He said we were encouraged by staff not to treat this site as an "island" but instead treat it as part of the regional transportation system. The reason he wanted to show an aerial photo of the site is because the site really is an island surrounded on 3 sides by wetlands, the park land and by Hill Murray High School. That is what makes this the right site for the monastery proposal. That is what makes it the right site for affordable housing and that's what makes it the right site for the violence prevention site. We have to treat the site very carefully. That's why we aren't here asking for approval of a 400 -unit development. He displayed on the screen a very early site plan of the new monastery proposal generated by his office February 14, 2007, showing the new monastery location adjacent to the existing cemetery where the sisters who have lived there before are buried. The new monastery building is about 36,000 square feet over all. The reason it's placed here on this site and the reason the rest of the site has been arranged as it has is to maintain as much a sense of serenity and as much a sense of solitude as possible while still developing a portion of the site. Mr. Holmes said the CommonBond development has been held to the eastern edge of the site against Century Avenue. It's away from the Hill Murray High School boundary; it is away from the north boundary to create the sense of solitude. It also takes advantage of the public transportation for the occupants of those units along Century Avenue, so it's an important placement. You can see the new monastery building located adjacent to the cemetery, and the sisters need that. The sisters' primary vocation is prayer. The road route that staff recommended be approved within the PUD is a road route that was recommended by the school district as option 2 that was put forward this summer. Chuck AN wasn't adamant about the road location but he pointed out three reasons why they object to the roadway. First, its disruptive, you can see that a public roadway in this location passes within 200 feet of the new monastery and within 15 to 20 feet of the existing cemetery and passes very close to the Maple Tree Daycare on the site. He said there is also a playground at the end of the daycare building. The road would also pass very close to the western side of the monastery where the new licensed child development center will be and there would also be a playground outside there that will serve those kids. Finally the road comes out onto Larpenteur Avenue, 250 feet from Hill Murray High School's new entrance to their school and 250 feet from our new entrance to the monastery, creating a situation where you have three accesses onto Larpenteur Avenue which can be very confusing and unsafe. Mr. Holmes said this roadway doesn't serve our development and is not needed. Our development has access onto Century Avenue and onto Larpenteur Avenue. Planning Commission -8- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Mr. Holmes said the roadway in this position connecting Larpenteur Avenue to Century Avenue and Highway 5 is not a roadway our residents would use and there is no reason to use it. For those three reasons, we ask that you pass the PUD without condition 5. attached to it. Regarding the use, this community is in desperate need of affordable "senior housing" and "family housing ". Tubman Family Alliance is a nationally known organization that has developed similar developments in other suburbs like Edina, Plymouth and Bloomington. All of them are well maintained and are doing beautifully, and this development will too. Tubman Family Alliance, providing violence prevention services, is an amazing fit for the monastery. This monastery designed by Val Mickelsen in 1965 is an important architectural building built with cast concrete, it was never built for remodeling, it was never built for an exit strategy yet Tubman Family Alliance can just about come in and use the building as it is. Mr. Holmes said we understand the need to upgrade the building with sprinklers and we will be coming to see the city about that. In our mind, being able to use the existing monastery building for Tubman Family Alliance is a wonderful thing to be able to preserve the building. In 1954 the sisters of St. Paul's Monastery came to Maplewood and bought the land. And in 1958 the sisters built Archbishop Murray High School. In 1965, the sisters built their current monastery building. For 42 years the sisters have lived in the monastery. For 42 years the sisters have taught in our schools, worked in our churches, worked in our companies and now they are asking permission to develop a portion of their site and to sell their building to extend their ministries and to fund the creation and construction of a new home for them. In his view these women have earned this right and deserve all of our support as they respond to the circumstances that they find themselves in with a hopeful, positive, and incredibly beneficial way. So we request the city's approval of the PUD, without condition number 5. Commissioner Trippler asked if staff could talk about the need for the road in condition number 5. and why it's important? Mr. AN said the roadway is being studied. We have not come to the final conclusion for the need for the road, but this new road would combine the driveways. The point Mr. Holmes made regarding having three driveways is obviously not appropriate. Two of the driveways would be removed and combine into one access point instead of three. This provides a roadway connection through the MnDOT property to the north that is being looked at as a park area, soccer fields or ball fields and potentially extend that road so that you have a connection up to the signal system at Highway 5 and Highway 120. It provides an alternative for the traffic in the area to avoid backups that occur at Century and Larpenteur Avenues for a secondary access. In transportation planning you try to provide two access points. This area is limited to a single access with Larpenteur Avenue to a couple of major traffic generators with Hill Murray High School and now with this proposal. He said trying to provide a second access is why the road is being looked at. It's probably 10 to 15 years away, but we have that opportunity and we want to be sure the city looks at that now. When the city proposed this plan we knew we were getting close because neither Hill Murray High School nor the monastery liked this plan, so the city figured we came up with a solution or a location. Each of the parties wanted the road to go further onto the other party's site. Planning Commission -9- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Mr. AN said so the city figured they would split where the road would go on the site and come up with a plan that neither party liked equally well so it has less of an impact. This is the type of roadway system the city thinks may be necessary to continue to meet the transportation needs for the area. Again, not precluding the city's ability to continue the study. Commissioner Trippler said if the city really doesn't know "where" the road is going to go, how will the applicant agree to extend the right of way to the city? Or is the city asking for them to agree to that in the future? Mr. AN said because of the presentation Mr. Holmes made, the city needs to acknowledge that the road "may" exist. Because of the very sensitive issue of the monastery site we need to understand before we go ahead that this is being looked at for the site plan. If the city doesn't acknowledge that the road could be there and removes number 5. as a condition, that may preclude the road from ever going in. What happens if the monastery gets built and 15 years from now the city was correct in our assumptions and we have to come back and put the road in. Mr. AN said now we do have a road and a description that Mr. Holmes just gave about a roadway very close to the monastery. The proposal is being put forth with the sisters moving into a new building and looking at different alternatives for the site. We are looking at putting ball fields just to the north of the monastery location. This is an ongoing study. The city is looking at this potential of having this roadway on the site plan so the location of the senior housing, the townhomes and the Tubman Family Center is predicated on all of those issues. If condition number 5. is removed and the site plan goes forward without this roadway it could affect things in the future. The city has to understand how each of these issues are all tied together. Commissioner Trippler said he wanted to be perfectly clear because of the impact the roadway has. As he understands what Mr. AN said, the way condition number 5. reads we are asking the applicant to agree in writing that the city "may" want at some point in the future to put a road in if the applicant agrees they would be granting the city the right of way for the road to go in. We aren't asking the applicant at this point to actually specify the exact right of way because the city doesn't know where the road is going to be built exactly. Mr. AN said that is correct, the city doesn't know for certain that the cost benefit analysis is going to tell us in the next 10 -15 or 20 years that this road will provide the services the city thinks it will. The city doesn't know "if" we are going to build the road and we don't know "where" we are going to build it. Commissioner Walton said Mr. AN said the state wasn't going to consider expanding Century Avenue or Larpenteur Avenue for another 20 years but that would only be 5 years difference from the 10 -15 years he mentioned. Mr. AN said what the city has to understand is the designation of Century Avenue. Century Avenue is designated in the metropolitan plan as a reliever roadway because it's parallel to Highways 494 and 694 and it provides relief for traffic and local trips. The reason he brings that up is the longer term design for Century Avenue is to restrict access and turning movements. While the road gets widened, you also close medians, you also remove access and try to move access from these types of developments to local internal streets. When you do that you then look at this type of street as providing another access to the area in order to reduce the impact on Century Avenue. Planning Commission -10- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Father Kevin McDonough residing at 226 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, addressed the commission. Father McDonough said he is here as a Board member of the CommonBond Communities. Unofficially he has a number of connections with the area he would like to mention. He is the Vickers General of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, as such, he is a trustee of all three of the Roman Catholic parishes located in Maplewood. His father worked for 3M in Maplewood for 44 years, and his parents lived on Fernwood Street in the southern part of Maplewood where he and his family spent many happy family times. He also attended the old Hill school when it was located at the current Mounds Park Academy site, so he has a good deal of affection for and history with this beautiful City of Maplewood. He is grateful to be able to speak first because his dad is celebrating his 75 birthday and is waiting for him to go to a party. Without insult to all the others who are going to be speaking tonight, he is sorry he has to leave. He has had the privilege of being associated with all four of the partners engaged in various ways in the site proposal before the planning commission. Father McDonough said much of what the commission is hearing has to do with whether everyone can continue to be neighbors, rely on and plan together, and work with the entities that are on the priory site. For the past 16 years he was one of the governing Board members of Hill Murray High School so he doesn't feel the need to speak about that quality organization. While Archbishop Flynn was the one who approved the gift of $1.3 million worth of property to that school, he was the one who twisted Archbishop Flynn's arm to do so because of his great affection and respect for Hill Murray School. He has been associated with the sisters for many years. Their organization has over 1500 years doing business as they do it now. The Tubman Family Alliance is recognized as perhaps the outstanding provider of such services in the State of Minnesota and outstanding in the entire Midwest. CommonBond, whose board he has served on since 1990, is regionally recognized as an outstanding provider of the kinds of housing services they provide. Regionally, because CommonBond expanded recently into the state to the east of us, it is looked at as a national model. Father McDonough said he mentions these things to you because it is important to know that for a first class city like Maplewood, you have first class institutions that are asking to partner with you for the future good of all of the residents in the City of Maplewood. Hill Murray High School is an extraordinarily fine school; the sisters have an extraordinarily long and generous history of service, and the partners CommonBond and the Tubman Family Alliance have an extraordinary reputation regionally and nationally. He said there have been long discussions that he has had the privilege of being part of. Among the four bodies he is pleased that all four of them are working together. He understands that the students of Hill Murray High School continue to do well volunteering at the Tubman Family Alliance sites and assisting the sisters in a variety of ways. Father McDonough said he wants to make it clear that with his long association with Hill Murray High School and with the sisters, that there's every intention to work together in good faith with one another and clearly with the neighbors and the wonderful City of Maplewood. So he also appeals to the commission as an outsider but also to this city that you would support this request for the Conditional Use Permit for the Planned Unit Development and to do so without the restrictions that are proposed with condition number 5. He said he was grateful for the time the planning commission has given him. Planning Commission -11- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Sister Eleanor Wartman Sisters of St. Benedict, 2675 Larpenteur Avenue, Maplewood, addressed the commission. The sisters made a community decision 13 years ago to respond in clear ways to the needs of society and the church, given our demographics and our financial projections. We engage the services of an organization that works with religious communities and strategic planning, to look at the future and how they can continue to be a viable force regardless of the number of sisters that will carry forth their mission. Our mission as Benediction sisters is to live the rule of St. Benedict and that is based on gospel values. Through our prayer life and being good stewards in the use of all of our resources, we create sacred space in which we adjust and respond to whatever the needs are of society and the challenges and also that of the church. We believe that at the present, our gospel challenge is that we would address issues that relate to seniors, women, children and families. Our demographics have impacted our ministries as well as our finances. When we came to St. Paul in 1948 our main ministry was teaching, so we were in schools throughout the metro area and greater Minnesota. In the early 1950s we shared with the Archbishop our plans to build a monastery in Maplewood and he asked that we first build and staff a high school for girls. We raised funds to build Archbishop Murray High School, and today Hill Murray High School continues to carry on the ministry of education on that site that we began in 1958. Sister Wartman said we built our current monastery in 1965 and at that time our community had 244 sisters. 75 sisters lived at the monastery. Today we have 58 sisters, 37 of whom live at the monastery on 30 acres of land in a 100,000- square -foot building. She said the median age is 76. With the changing times, with the church, society and the demographics, the ways that we carry out our mission today are also changing, but we are committed to continue to respond to the needs of people in our area. We are also committed to the residents who live in our neighborhood, and we have carried out that commitment in several ways. We sold land for green space to the cities of Maplewood and Oakdale. We offer a variety of retreats and programs at our Benedictine Retreat Center and throughout the past 40 plus years many people have joined us for prayer in our chapel. For the last 3 years we have hosted the National Night Out Celebrations. The Benedictine value of being good stewards in the use of our resources prompted us to be proactive in addressing the decline in our membership and the size of our building and the impact that has on our finances and our ministries. For several years we studied the options for the continued uses of our monastery building and for the development of our land. So we are proud and excited to have found two organizations that share our mission and are able to use our present monastery as it is and part of our land. She said we want Tubman Family Alliance to share our building and CommonBond Communities to share our land. We believe that these two organizations along with our Maple Tree Child Care Center and our Benedictine Retreat Center as well as Hill Murray School, will help us promote our vision and our Benedictine legacy at the corner of Century and Larpenteur Avenues. Sister Wartman said the sisters will stay on the present site and we will build a smaller monastery near the cemetery of our sisters who have gone before us. Here we will build additional sacred space that captures our monastic spirit and supports how we live our Benedictine values. We are confident of our plans for the future. We are proud of the organizations that will come on our land and share our mission. We are grateful for the people who have walked with us and advised us. We move forward with a group of 134 oblates who spread our Benedictine values wherever they live and work and with our many volunteers who support our vision. So we ask this planning commission to approve the PUD as we have submitted it. Planning Commission -12- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Sister Rose Alice Althoff Sisters of St. Benedict, 2675 Larpenteur Avenue, Maplewood, addressed the commission. She said she has been a sister for 73 years. She said she was one of the founding sisters of St. Paul's Monastery who moved from St. Benedictines in St. Joseph to Summit Avenue in St. Paul in 1948. In 1965, our sisters moved to our current monastery on Larpenteur Avenue. With the recent death of Val Mickelsen, the architect of the monastery building, she is now the only surviving member of the Building Committee. She said she hadn't spent much time thinking about another move, her fourth move as a sister, until recently. Now she's looking forward to a new monastery building. She said her ministries were teaching and the care of the elderly. These ministries will be carried on by our community, Tubman Family Alliance and CommonBond. We have a lot of faith in these two organizations and we are very lucky to be working with them. Ellen Higgins Vice President of Development for CommonBond Communities, residing at 153 Montrose Place, St. Paul, addressed the commission. She said the belief is that stable housing is the cornerstone of vibrant healthy communities. CommonBond Communities provides a strong model for building and sustaining affordable homes for working families, individuals, and seniors. Founded in 1971, CommonBond Communities is the largest non- profit provider of affordable homes in the upper Midwest. Present in 35 communities throughout the region. She said over the past 35 years, we have sponsored the development and preservation of 4,200 homes in 72 separate rental housing communities. While each setting is unique, there are core attributes found in all CommonBond Communities. Residents are welcomed into a community and find relevant services and resources to help meet their needs. CommonBond Communities isn't just building buildings; we transform the lives of children, adults and seniors by providing a stable home and a sense of pride and engagement in that home and in their communities. CommonBond Communities' mission is to build a community by creating affordable housing as a stepping stone to success. Our goals are simple and effective. First, we build new properties as we are planning to do in Maplewood as well as acquire and rehabilitate existing properties in order to create and preserve high - quality affordable housing. Second, we ensure that our properties are well maintained so that the surrounding community sees them as an asset. We are owners and managers for the long term. Thirdly, we form community and partnerships to encourage self sufficiency for families, academic achievement for our youth and independent and healthy lives for our seniors. She said at CommonBond Communities we believe "home" is everything. It allows people to feel safe and secure to have the foundation necessary to stabilize their lives. So what are our specific plans for the St. Paul Monastery site? Based on market studies that we commissioned for the Maplewood housing market, we are planning an inter - generational - housing community on a small footprint on the southeast corner of the site. Ms. Higgins said it was a deliberate decision sited there to have access to public transportation because our seniors and the residents of the affordable homes do not have the cars that market - rate residents and market -rate seniors have. They have significantly less than the Institutes for the 7 t Edition Guidelines. We wanted to cluster the housing on the southeast corner because we believe the footprint should be small. The beauty of the St. Paul Monastery site is the wide open spaces, the opportunity for trails, the opportunity for a green community and we are very interested in that opportunity. Specifically, we are planning 40 -units of senior housing in one garden - style - apartment building primarily consisting of one- bedroom units. We are also planning a family housing community consisting of 50 townhomes with one, two and three bedroom units. Those townhomes will have a single tuck -under garage. Planning Commission -13- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Ms. Higgins said since we are only in the preliminary, conceptual stage she said she brought sample photographs of communities that CommonBond Communities has developed. These are only examples, we will be coming back to the city when the plans are ready. We design housing to meet the site and to meet the community style and architecture, but pictures are worth a whole lot more than words. She gave the photographs to staff to put on the overhead for everyone to see.Ms. Higgins said this included a CommonBond Housing Committee handout, a photo of the Arbor Lake Commons townhome buildings in Maple Grove, a photo of the Bassett Creek Commons - senior townhomes, and Valley Square on Winnetka Avenue in Golden Valley. She said we believe each community is unique and we do not do "cookie cutter" housing. Since 1996 CommonBond Communities has won 15 design awards from the Minnesota Multi - Family Housing Association which is the state- wide industry trade organization. Ms. Higgins said we will be working closely with city staff during the design process to ensure this project in Maplewood will be our next design award. How will our housing contribute to Maplewood? First, we will provide much needed quality, affordable housing for seniors living on social security or small pensions. Our market study projected a need for no less than 555 affordable units. We are providing 40 units. We will also provide much needed affordable townhome units for families. Our market study projected a study showing a need for no less than 285 units and we are providing 50. We will put land that is currently tax exempt back onto the tax rolls adding to the Maplewood tax base and generating a brand new housing community that will provide value. Ms. Higgins said along with Tubman Family Alliance and the sisters, we are creating an inter - generational housing services and educational community that is already being noticed on the state and national level as a model for partnerships between non- profit organizations and faith based communities. For CommonBond Communities it's all about home, stability, and community. We would appreciate your support and we believe we would make good neighbors for Maplewood. Commissioner Pearson asked what percent of market rate are your units normally put out at? Ms. Higgins said it varies, depending on the community need and what we see is fitting on the site. We are projecting 100% affordable with these units. When we say affordable for the family townhome units, that would be targeted for people with an average income of $35,000 - $40,000. They aren't "very" affordable; they are "just" affordable. For the senior housing units we are hoping to target those with an average of $15,000 incomes, so those units are considered very affordable. Commissioner Yarwood asked what kind of selection criteria you use to determine the qualifications for the family townhome units? Ms. Higgins said we have a property management company that manages all of our properties and works on two different levels. One is that we have to meet all of the financing regulations regarding the suitability of the clients and their income levels. From the standpoint of maintaining quality communities, we go through a very rigorous credit check, background history, criminal check, etc. The concept being, there is enough need out there among those who are good citizens that we can fill up all the housing we could ever build. Planning Commission -14- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Ms. Beverly Dusso President of Tubman Family Alliance, residing at 2420 Sunrise Drive, Little Canada, addressed the commission. She asked what does Tubman Family Alliance do in Maplewood today? We provide services for those in Maplewood that keep people safe and healthy. You may have known us as the Family Violence Network. We've been serving you here for over 25 years and we would guess that many of the neighbors don't even know we have been here. This PUD is simply a consolidation of the work we provide you and your neighbors in Oakdale, North St. Paul and the eastern suburbs. We serve those struggling with family abuse and we teach prevention education to your kids and to the community at large. We could give you reams of national statistics from the Department of Justice in Washington about how many and what kind of families face this type of issue, but we will tell you it's "all communities ", it's "all income brackets ", it's "all faith groups" and "all countries" not just in the United States. Last year 205 Maplewood residents used Tubman Family Alliance's legal services. That is more than any other east metro suburban community. We serve all suburban communities in Ramsey and Washington County. Over 113 of 102 families that stayed with us who gave us east metro as an address had Maplewood as their address. In our community work last year in District 622, Tubman Family Alliance taught our Violence Prevention Program to 240 students at North High School and 102 students at Tartan High School. 40 students from Hill Murray High School worked in the Hill home during the past year in the Christian service learning projects. They did a holiday gift program, gardening and many many other programs. Hill Murray High School students have been doing this for us and with us since 1992 when we opened up our first shelter. Ms. Dussosaidover 1,600 Maplewood /Oakdale /North St. Paul residents participated in our prevention education learning in civic groups and in our faith communities across the city. Statistically, Maplewood families are the most significant user of Tubman Family Alliance programs compared to any other suburban community we serve. You may have a chance to hear from one of the women who used Tubman Family Alliance to change her life. Secondly, what will Tubman Family Alliance do in the monastery building? First, we will keep the beautiful building and the wonderful grounds that are around it. We will bring our headquarters over to this building which basically means establishing 20 new living wage jobs in the community. Ms. Dusso said our legal staff will have their offices at the monastery. When they are not in court they will need a place to check in. We will provide short -term housing for 30 women and 30 children. They have an average stay of about 27 days. With regard to the children, 213 of the 30 children are 8 years of age or younger and this is a long -term statistic. It's true of the 64 beds we've had on the east side and the 64 beds in Minneapolis the statistics hold far years overforthe same group. Some of the current residential space in the monastery will be converted to offices for community partners that serve our families already in Maplewood. She said some of the space will be dedicated as a national center for learning, student research and publishing, adding Tubman's national and international reputation for innovation to others like 3M that already exist here. Ms. Dusso said we think this is extremely important work here and we believe we are on the cutting edge. The last thing is what does the physical consolidation of Tubman Family Services do for Maplewood itself? By consolidating services in one place, Tubman Family Services will help reduce the use of public services. The research that we have done with the University suggests that by having an efficient delivery of these services we reduce the level of violence, trauma and of emergency calls across the city. Our work with the Minneapolis Police Department, by early efficient access to services, Tubman Family Alliance literally reduced the number of repeat 911 calls from the families we served. Planning Commission -15- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Ms. Dusso said in summary, we want to serve the residents of Maplewood more efficiently then we can located in the City of Lake Elmo and the City of St. Paul Park. That means we will reduce violence, reduce the draw on police resources, we hope, and improve public health in the community at large. Bottom line, because we will be doing what we do now, better and more efficiently, we think we can save dollars, not just for the Tubman Family Alliance by being in one wonderful building rather than several not so nice buildings. We are honored to have been invited by the sisters to be part of this project and we very much hope, especially given the history that we have had with you this many years, that you will consider putting this forth as we gave it to you in the original PUD. Because we have a gentleman on our Board of Directors who has chaired our organization and chaired the Family Violence Network in our organization's original form, who was also a Police Chief, we would like to introduce him to say a few words, Mr. Tom Alleve. Mr. Tom Alleve residing at 2024 — 3` Street North, South St. Paul, addressed the commission. He said he was the former Chair for Tubman Family Alliance and he was also the Board Chair for the Family Violence Network, an agency that served Maplewood and suburbs of Ramsey and Washington County. He worked on the Police Department for the City of Roseville for 30 years and the last 18 years he was the Deputy Chief, so he is familiar with what this agency provides and how it interacts with the city and the city services. He wants to talk about safety because this is an important issue for some of the neighbors. Tubman Family Alliance is about making and keeping people safe. Tubman means excellent 2417 security with highly trained staff. The security system is designed with neighbors and police input. On only two occasions in 12 years at the Tubman Family Alliance location in south Minneapolis did an unwarranted visitor come into the property. Staff called the police and the police handled the situation. Mr. Alleve said in five years at the Lake Elmo Hill home on two occasions spouses of residents came on site. Tubman Family Alliance staff called the police and they handled the situation. In the last 13 years at the St. Paul Park location, there was only one instance where an abuser tried to enter the location. Again, the police were called. We believe some citizens might be worried about the possibility of an abuser causing problems in their neighborhood. That is a real but unnecessary concern. These people, the vast majority are men, are abusers of significant others, wives, girlfriends, children, and family members and other friends. They are not serial or mass murderers. The specific reason they are in trouble is that they focus on a specific person, not just any one person in a neighborhood. Check with your local police department to check on the specific types of calls they receive. Another example is the murder or assault of a spouse or friend such as the Lakeland, Minnesota incident we all heard about or saw on the news. We would like to point out that all the incidents we have heard about in the newspaper or on television have not happened in "shelters ". He said they have not happened at Tubman Family Alliance shelters. Those horrid incidences happened at work places, schools, and suburban homes. Shelters are places for victims. Where do the abusers go? Mr. Alleve said do you have to worry about your neighborhood? Since 1997 in the south Minneapolis, the Tubman Family Alliance near Lake Street in Minneapolis, a very public location, the abusers don't hang out there just as criminals don't hang out at police stations. Those that abuse don't go to shelter locations because they know the staff will not let them in and will call 911 immediately or the person may even have a warrant out for their arrest and don't want to be caught or are on the run. They may go back to their own residence where they live alone or they leave town. Fear that this location will bring abusers into your neighborhood or have spree assaults is unwarranted and hasn't happened at Tubman Family Alliance. Again, it happens in the home, school and work. Planning Commission -16- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Mr. Alleve said when Tubman Family Alliance relocated from the church in White Bear Lake we did an exit survey of the area. We talked to neighbors, business people, and police and church groups. The survey results were that many didn't know we were even there, others said we provided a service for their community and finally the church elementary school with whom we shared a wall wanted Tubman Family Alliance back. They knew the life saving, transforming service of Tubman Family Alliance provided for the citizens. Just last week at our annual community meeting at our St. Paul Park location there were no concerns among city council, police, neighbors, or the church. In fact the city council said when we moved in 13 years ago that the people were concerned but now people don't even know Tubman Family Alliance is there. We want to continue to serve suburban Ramsey and Washington County as we have for over 25 years with services in the community. Being at the monastery building will give us the ability to deliver better services to Maplewood, Oakdale, and North St. Paul. Best of all, for those who choose to make their lives better, this facility will provide an environment to allow families to heal and change lives. Thank you for taking the time to hear about Tubman Family Alliance and the vision we hope to share with the sisters and the community here at the monastery. Commissioner Hess asked about the security for the center. In the information we received, it appeared security was given 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Mr. Alleve said that is correct. Commissioner Hess said he did some homework and checked with Maplewood Lieutenant Shortreed and he confirmed what Mr. Alleve said regarding the number of incidents and the low rate of police calls at these centers. He said he was also concerned about the families that would be temporarily residing here and whether they would be local or from out of state. He understood people would be there from Ramsey County only. Ms. Dusso said by state law it's a first come, first serve state law in the State of Minnesota. This is one shelter of 27 across the State of Minnesota, which about half are in the metro area. In fact, however, the majority of people are from the area or very near the area, in which the shelter is located. People in Bemidji clearly are not trying to stay at a shelter here. Commissioner Hess said the shelter on White Bear Avenue takes people from all over the region including Illinois and Wisconsin and out state which surprised him. He prefers when people locally are being served by this type of facility rather than bringing people in from outside the area. Ms. Dusso said to be honest with you there may be people that are so in danger in San Diego, California that they have come to the Twin Cities to get away from danger. We have also shipped people from this area to Dallas and Atlanta for example so there is a national network. But that is not the day -to -day situation. Commissioner Hess said he understands special or unique situations may come up. Chairperson Fischer said that completes the applicant's presentations. Are there any questions for staff before we open up the public hearing for the public? Chairperson Fischer said she has never seen a petition with a long letter with it with this many names. Planning Commission -17- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Mrs. Carrie Hansen 2389 Nebraska Avenue, Maplewood, addressed the commission. She said she is the author of the letter. She said she is an actual tax paying resident of the City of Maplewood. There have certainly been a number of people tonight who have made excellent presentations; they all have much to gain by the development that would taking place here. She feels that she represents a group of people who do not necessarily have much to gain. She would like to read the petition letter dated March 19, 2007. We are writing to tell you that as CURRENT TAX - PAYING RESIDENTS OF MAPLEWOOD we are OPPOSED to the development efforts that the Sisters of St. Paul Monastery are proposing for their property. •90 affordable (low- income) housing units to be operated by CommonBond. *Remodeling the current monastery so that it may house the Tubman Family Alliance (a full - service family violence agency and shelter) *Construction of new parking lots and access roads *Construction of a new smaller monastery. We ask that you consider the following neighborhood concerns: 1. Traffic There will be a substantial increase in traffic to both the perimeter of this development as well as both Century and LarpenteurA venues. The property to be developed is adjacent to Hill Murray High School, where students as well as neighbors walk and bike. The streets in this area have neither sidewalks nor curbs to separate people from the street. The potential for serious accidents increases as traffic density increases. 2. Crime The people that will reside within the proposed housing development or at the shelter may draw unwanted individuals to our neighborhood. At a crime watch meeting a Maplewood City Policeman referred to our neighborhood as "the shiniest apple on the tree" and as such we needed to be wary of strangers who could be tempted to take what was not theirs. 3. Personal Safety We are very concerned about personal safety! Hill Murray School enrolls approximately 1000 teenagers. Hundreds of young women and men go to and from that school in off hours to participate in school activities. In our neighborhood we have young and not so young women who enjoy walking in the evening or early morning. How responsible will you feel on the day we learn that one of us, a student or neighbor, has become a victim. 4. Property Value So what happens when we go to sell our homes? Will the location of affordable housing units and a battered women's shelter near our home impact the price of our home? Might it also impact the decision making of a potential buyer? Additionally we ask that you note the following pertinent facts and consider them as you make your decision: 1. Maplewood Police make frequent calls to the shelters and affordable low- income housing units that are already serving Maplewood. See Emma's Place records where a child was murdered by its mother the previous summer. (NOTE: It was actually at the Family Service Center, Not Emma's Place.) 2. Hill Murray High School has offered to purchase the property at fair market value to preserve the location and financially enable the Sisters to take their mission to another area Planning Commission -18- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 3. Maplewood already provides its fair share of "affordable" housing. Maplewood needs to look to stop decay as an inner -ring suburb and support new, positive development in the community. 4. Our school district is already financially strained. How will District 622 fund the extra educational services that this population will likely require? 5. The Sisters of the St. Paul's Monastery in looking to support their mission are not considering their neighbors nor their neighbors interests, including Hill-Murray School as an organization •The 9000 students that attend Hill- Murray • The neighbors surrounding the Priory grounds with their concerns • The larger community of Maplewood that is battling encroaching crime, and seeking to redefine itself and change course In Closing: A group of neighbors spent just a few hours walking around the neighborhood looking to capture the general sentiment regarding the Sisters' proposal. We received over 900 signatures in opposition to this proposed development. We did not have public relations staff's, nor did we have the luxury of money or time. With enough time or money we could develop extensive numbers that are in opposition. You see, we are all out working to provide for our families and pay our taxes for the city and school district where we live. We want to continue to live in this area for many years. A development like this will negatively affect our long -term plans. We hope that the City Council and Planning Commission as members of the community listen to the overwhelming desires of the tax - paying citizens and take our opposition to this proposed development into your decision making roles. Respectfully, Residents of the area south and east of the proposed development A petition was provided with over 900 names, addresses and phone numbers (when given) forthe planning commission and city councilmembers. Commissioner Trippler asked Mrs. Hansen if she got what she asked for, which would be to deny this proposal, and the sisters from the monastery turn around and develop this land with 400 units, would that make a better traffic situation compared to the 90 units they are proposing? Mrs. Hansen said no, absolutely not, and that's why we are asking you to consider the impact on the neighborhood. That's why we talked to Sister Carol, her husband has talked to the sisters, and we have said these are our concerns as a neighborhood. Traffic is an issue, it's a two way street, there is no separation, our daughter walks home from school every day on that street, our son and younger daughter will soon be doing the same. It is our concern that our children will have an accident due to the traffic and the increase in traffic on the street. Planning Commission -19- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Commissioner Trippler said he doesn't understand what your options are. Basically you are saying you don't want any development here and you want the property to be left as it is. But you don't have the right to decide that unless you want to buy the property from the sisters so you can decide what you want to do with it. Mrs. Hansen said we have the belief that Hill Murray High School was interested in purchasing the property. Commissioner Trippler said that isn't part of this issue and we can't be negotiating or deciding that because that is not before us on the planning commission. Mrs. Hansen said we are not interested in supporting the position as it exists. If it comes back before you with 400 units she said she would be back stating she doesn't support that plan. Commissioner Yarwood said we have certainly heard a lot of testimony from the applicants, feedback and letters from law enforcement, staff, and the Mayor of Bloomington and these partners have created what appears to be model communities. He understands as a resident and homeowner of Maplewood the desire to keep communities safe and that is a fundamental issue for everyone. But with these partners the monastery has chosen, and the track record that they appear to have with other cities with their developments, he is asking what reason do you have to believe that track record will not continue here in the City of Maplewood? Mrs. Hansen said she doesn't know that it won't continue and it would certainly be her greatest desire that we can count on that but we have concerns that we can't necessarily depend on those numbers. Maybe in the next four or five years those numbers are still great and we don't have problems, but we are talking about a change in the integrity of a neighborhood that exists right now, that has existed over 10 years. We are talking about a dramatic change in the neighborhood that in the course of time we expect that it will lead to attrition. Mrs. Hansen said they lost some very close friends that moved to Woodbury in November, they sold their house for less than market value so they could get out of the neighborhood in two days after finding out about this development plan. We want to be able to stay where we chose to live and we want to feel safe. Commissioner Hess said he did some browsing on the internet, checking the local geography and he noticed that within three miles of the neighborhood of Sterling Street and Hill Murray High School is the Ramsey County Correctional Facility. He said he was curious if there had been any problems, he would think that facility would pose more of a concern than this proposal would. If there haven't been any incidents from there and they are minimally guarded, he wouldn't think there would be any concerns here. Mrs. Hansen said there are a number of concerns. She said she is a person who sleeps with her windows open, she hears the sirens outside up and down McKnight Road and on Larpenteur Avenue, and she knows there is crime around here. She knows there are concerns and issues around the neighborhood. She is saying that she is concerned about developing the property as outlined and the likelihood of crime increasing is there and that is what her concern is. Commissioner Hess said with the track record and what he has investigated, it sounds like there isn't any proof of that. Planning Commission -20- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Mrs. Hansen said District 622 is overburden. The district is talking about removing every extracurricular opportunity for grades 5, 6, 7, and 8 in this city. No sports, no band and 40 children in a classroom. The children that would live in this facility she believes will need special assistance in school. She asked if District 622 will be able to support the aspect of educating these children that would live here? Commissioner Hess said a few years back when the Ramsey County Family Shelter was being discussed by the city council, the night he went there was the biggest night with over 600 people there and like this room, it was filled to capacity and way out beyond that. He had similar concerns as Mrs. Hansen, but as time has gone on, he lives within 1 mile of that shelter, and it's been benign as a past history. Mrs. Hansen said we can all cross our fingers, we can all pray, we can hope for the best, but on the day that something happens, it is too late. That is her position. Commissioner Yarwood said there are larger issues here. You brought up the school district, he absolutely agrees, there is more funding required and more teachers required. There is fundamentally traffic issues that have to happen with Larpenteur Avenue and Century Avenue and will have to be upgraded at some point, there's no doubt about that. We certainly can't address all the issues tonight. The question is, what is reasonable to go in this location and if this is a reasonable request. Honestly there could be a much higher density here and quite frankly that would worry him more in terms of the amount of crime or potential calls, traffic, etc. So he understands where Mrs. Hansen is coming from as a homeowner. But from the homework the commission has done and from what we have seen from these applicants, there is no reasonable expectation that the sorts of issues that you are bringing up will happen with this particular applicant. As he votes tonight he wants you to understand that is his perspective. Ms. Julie Lonnie 2343 Larpenteur Avenue, Maplewood, addressed the commission. She is a Hill Murray High School alumni. She is here to support Tubman Family Alliance in purchasing the property at Larpenteur and Century Avenues. She has been helped tremendously over the past couple of years by Tubman Family Alliance. They have been her lifeline in dealing with and finally leaving an abusive marriage. Their support groups and counseling services have helped her in single parenting and in getting her feet planted on the ground. She said without them she is afraid of where she would be right now. She lived in Oakdale and North St. Paul before and she has seen crime everywhere and it's not because of Tubman Family Alliance, it's going on everywhere and they are here to help. She said they have been her teachers and her loving friends who have never given up on her as she learned new ways of living and thinking. They have helped her rebuild her self esteem with patience and kindness which is what so many people in our community are in need of. Tubman Family Alliance offers so many avenues of help of which she has only touched the surface. She has received help with legal and financial matters, help with food and other necessities being a single mom makes it hard to make ends meet. They are making sure that they do all they can to put people like her on their feet and to go forward with knowledge, dignity and courage and to help BREAK the cycle of ABUSE. They do not just save lives by sheltering people from danger, they save people. Domestic abuse is everywhere and can happen to anyone. It's dealt out by our most respected individuals and on down. People that you think would never do bad things, do, there is so much belief that it doesn't happen "here ", but it can be happening to your neighborhood, your teachers, your students, your best friend, even your own children and you may not even see it. Planning Commission -21- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Ms. Lonnie said let Tubman Family Alliance be there to help stop the ABUSE and offer hope to those who feel there isn't any. She said she recalled a saying that fits the Tubman Family Alliance "Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime ". Learning how to stop violence in our communities and our lives is just as important as haw to read and write and our spirituality. She thinks they should all go hand in hand. Thank you. Mr. Jon Hansen 2438 Nebraska Avenue East, Maplewood, addressed the commission. He said Mr. Ahl said that the on- street parking that Hill Murray High School students use currently would have to be removed, is that a correct statement? Mr. Ahl said he did not specifically say that, however, in his projections as traffic grows in the area, that is likely to occur over time as development occurs because that moves the process along faster. He reiterated again that is likely to happen whether or not this site develops at some point and time because we expect to have background in traffic levels. Mr. Hansen said his point is that should be taken into account with Hill Murray High School so there is adequate parking for them. The point about traffic people have been making is that there is a lot of traffic and a lot of issues here, the human side of that is there could be an accident with pedestrians and cars. The worse part is that kids and adults walk up and down Larpenteur Avenue, he knows studies have been done but the study talks about the number of cars in and out and those sorts of things. He said he drives up and down Larpenteur Avenue from Century Avenue and McKnight Road and it's getting scary out there. There are people who walk out into the street, especially at night, but during the day too, and he thinks there is a tremendous risk for an accident to occur. He said he has almost hit people at night on that stretch because there are no streetlights and there is a lot of foot traffic and no sidewalks. That is the human part of it when there is an increase in traffic and no sidewalks, there is an impact. He said we as residents can't bring in nuns, or a priest or paid staff that get a lot of money to do these studies, but there are 110 or 120 parents or another 200 to 300 people that live here that probably spent $20 on copying paperwork and going door to door. He said he was told by the nuns that the neighborhood supports this. He wanted to send a clear message that the neighborhood south of this area clearly does not support this. We are not public speakers or paid staff that gets paid to do this, we care about our community and they thanked us for bringing this information forward, otherwise those people wouldn't have done this. Mr. Hansen said they would have sat back and said this proposal will just go through. It appears from your statements you on the planning commission are going to approve this proposal. He said that's fine, you do that, you better understand that the neighborhood in that area does not approve of this. We had one person that disagreed with us while we were talking about this proposal as we went house to house. This is a strong message that we want to make. Maybe it doesn't matter; maybe safety isn't an issue, but it's not wanted by the community. He fears for Maplewood down the road. In the near future maybe it's nothing but the neighborhood and the community is going down hill. Everywhere you look there is more and more crime and poor properties and he thinks that this will add to these issues in the long term. He doesn't think it's the best use of the property. He said we can't afford to buy this property and he can't tell the nuns what to do with the property but he told them what the nuns do propose to do should be consistent with the neighborhood. Planning Commission -22- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Mr. Hansen said he isn't speaking for Hill Murray High School because he thinks they need to speak for themselves as an organization but as a parent of a child that is there, he is concerned about their safety so he does have a say and as a neighborhood member this proposal is not in "our" best interest. Contrary to what all the paid staff has said, we can't give stickers out, it's a bunch of neighbors that are concerned about this proposal and about Maplewood. Ms. Mary Lehmen 1420 Mary Street North, Maplewood, addressed the commission. She said she is a tax payer like Carrie and Jon Hansen. She said she had no intention of speaking tonight; she was here to listen but because she thought the things she read and the information that Carrie and Jon Hansen said were very valid. As she looks at the people sitting in this room and the people who have come up to speak tonight, she doesn't see very many people in this room that have small children still in school. She has two small children in school who attend LC Webster. She wanted to applaud the principal for the wonderful job he is doing. However, the low- income housing that surrounds the areas within this district is bringing transient populations into our school district. The kids that our children are going to school with make it much more difficult for parents of younger children to parent them and teach them the right thing to do. A lot of you would probably not believe some of the things that go on at the elementary school level. There is low income housing right across from the Maplewood Community Center, there are apartments with low- income housing and those students are not bringing the best to our school district and she is concerned that our schools and teachers can't handle it. She is concerned about bringing more low- income housing into this community and what impact that is going to have on the growing children of our community. The children at our elementary schools are the future of Maplewood and are the future of Minnesota and she is concerned about bringing more low- income townhomes into this community. She said you asked what Carrie Hansen would like to see happen with the property. Perhaps the sisters could look at other options. She totally agrees that we need affordable housing for seniors though. She doesn't think most of the people who signed the petition would have been concerned about this proposal if they were proposing senior housing only but when they are proposing to bring in low- income housing with people that could bring the community down, there is a huge impact. She said while she totally agrees with what they have said, perhaps if there was more time and more research could be done, it would be nice if you could hold off on your decision to approve that plan and give others the opportunity to take the time and spend the money that these people have spent to do their research to bring back the other side of the story. Thank you. Mr. John Proctor 2348 Nebraska Avenue East, Maplewood. He said to dovetail on what was said; both he and his wife volunteer a significant amount of time at LC Webster and Maplewood schools. He said his wife volunteers at least 3 days out of the week. It's important for you to understand that the low- income students that she has worked with for the past 5 years, she has gotten to know them all very well. It's the low- income families that tend to be the attendance problems as well as the children that are most disruptive to the school system. He volunteers and chaperones trips for LC Webster and recently returned from a three -day Audubon trip with the 5 t " graders. It was intense because of the behavior the children have. These are all great causes but LC Webster, Carver, and other Maplewood schools are significantly tapped out of resources and this proposal will only continue to add to the issues and in affect, the quality of education coming out of the Maplewood's school system. Thank you. Planning Commission -23- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Dr. Heather Rushford 2444 Nebraska Avenue East, Maplewood, addressed the commission. She said she too is a tax paying citizen in Maplewood. Her main concerns are two fold. First of all, low - income housing and affordable housing has a significant direct impact historically on housing values in the neighborhood. The architect at Pope Associates said this area is like an island, it's not an island. Sterling Street and Larpenteur Avenue are direct accesses to the Oakridge Estates Addition where she lives along with over 150 families. It's not an island; it is a direct access point to our neighborhood. The addition of low- income housing will significantly impact housing values. Over the last six years that she has lived here she has seen her taxes double. The value of her home has been assessed and has increased. Right now there is a down turn in the housing market. With the addition of low - income housing at the direct access point to our neighborhood the likelihood that the houses are going to sell for their assessed value is low. Already we have many houses in our neighborhood sitting for sale and not moving for 30 to 120 days. We have foreclosures in our neighborhood that aren't moving and this proposal is going to significantly impact this area. Our neighborhood is one of the neighborhoods where the city gets their tax dollars. Her taxes have doubled and she doesn't think she could sell her house right now for what it's appraised at and to add low- income housing historically, studies across the nation show it impacts housing values and the ability to sell your house. Regarding the traffic study, the study said they were conservative and went by the traffic bible. She drives those roads and it's very busy when the students are driving in and out and it's also busy at other times. The fact of the matter is there are 150 houses in that development located south of Hill Murray High School that have small children. She has two small children and she doesn't want to move. The kids are going to grow up and drive and those drivers are going to increase expediently in our development as well as the kids in this proposed development so the fact that they only took into account a 2% increase in traffic due to the development, doesn't take into account the fact that it is the direct corridor into our development. As the kids grow older there will be more drivers in the development. Sister Jacqueline Leiter Sisters of St. Benedict, 2675 Larpenteur Avenue, Maplewood, addressed the commission. She is a member of the monastery and she has lived in Maplewood for most of her life. She went to Weaver and John Glenn and graduated from Hill Murray High School. As a member of the monastery she has enjoyed participating in the Maplewood National Night Out celebrations and having neighbors over. We believe our monastic community is a part of the greater neighborhood surrounding us. She said as a member of the community she has been a part of the future and has had an opportunity to visit the Tubman Family Alliance sites in the east metro area. Sister Leiter said she was impressed and humbled by the important work serving local women and children in need. She is also a public school teacher and teaches school at a school located 8 minutes away from Maplewood and she serves children in low- income families. The students she serves are no different from the children she sees here in Maplewood. It saddens her that some of her student's families have been in difficult situations and have needed special programs to help them through a crisis. She is grateful for organizations like the Tubman Family Alliance program that has helped those people. It has made a huge difference for these children in their learning and to their family life. We also have children and families just like this in Maplewood who could benefit from these programs which could make a huge difference in their lives as well. Planning Commission -24- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Mr. Bob Nehotte 4846 Lyndale Avenue South, Minneapolis, addressed the commission. Unfortunately, at least for now, he said he lives in Minneapolis and has for 78 years. He has two daughters who moved to Maplewood and one is a taxpayer. He said his other 6 kids have moved out of Minneapolis. He wants to move here and get one of the senior citizen units and he is very supportive of the sisters. During the early 1960's he was making $2.50 an hour, one of the sisters asked him if he knew he gave $75, which was a lot of money back in those days. He has been retired for 14 years now and he knows friends south of here that are taxpayers and they are very supportive of this proposal too. We could have brought 200 to 300 people here to support this and from the bottom of his heart he said please give this proposal a chance. Thank you very much. Sister Catherine Nehotte Sisters of St. Benedict, 2675 Larpenteur Avenue, Maplewood, addressed the commission. She said she has been a member of the monastery for over 19 years. She currently works at Tubman Family Alliance and the monastery has been her home for a long time. It's hard to let it go, we have gone through a discernment process and knowing it's a beautiful facility we just don't need a home that large anymore. In discerning our future, two wonderful organizations, CommonBond and Tubman Family Alliance she just hopes that people can get it clear in their minds that low income is different than affordable housing. CommonBond offers affordable housing. There may even be students living there that will attend Hill Murray High School. She is hoping that people don't move out of a place of fear, but rather a place of faith. Commissioner Trippler said staff handed a four page memo dated March 15, 2007, about the St. Paul Monastery discussing the traffic study but he didn't see a name of who authored the memo. Mr. Holmes said that memo was offered by Pope Associates in response to the engineering comments that came out from the city. It should have come out on our letterhead with a signature so we apologize. Mr. Kevin Otto 2276 Arlington Avenue East, Maplewood, addressed the commission. Being a 12 year resident of Maplewood he just moved to this neighborhood about 1'/2 years ago and he specifically chose this neighborhood because of the appeal of the Hill Murray High School, the monastery, the character, the serenity, the paths, the open space and the whole surroundings. He shares the same concern a lot of the other people from the neighborhood have. He asked the planning commission because of the overwhelming support of the proposal if it would be possible that they modify the development plan not to include the 50 townhome units? Mr. Otto said as he looked at the aerial photos with the 40 unit senior apartment building and the smaller monastery building to the north with the existing monastery being converted to the shelter, everything seems like it's in the same character except when you put in the clustered townhomes. When he hears clustered, he thinks of congested. With so many other townhomes in the area it seems like they are plugged into the smallest areas and it seems like they want to get as much bang for their buck for the parking and the garages so he wondered if there could be a modified development without the townhome complex? Commissioner Trippler said when staff made their presentation the property has been planned and zoned R -3H which is high - density residential for over 30 years. To ask that the 50 unit townhome cluster be removed when potentially the sisters could have had a plan for 400 units doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. When you bought your property and you looked at the lay of the land it may have looked open and very inviting, but still it wasn't like anybody was trying to hide the fact that this area was zoned high density residential. Planning Commission -25- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Commissioner Trippler said as potential land buyers and potential homeowners, we need to do due diligence to find out what the things we are looking at are really represented. In this particular case, before you bought your property, if you went to the city or asked your realtor what that property was zoned, it may or may not have made a difference in purchasing your home. The problem the planning commission is facing is we have to make decisions based on what the rules, regulations and ordinances are before us for the City of Maplewood and as he looks at this development proposal it's so far below what could possibly be proposed that he doesn't see how he as a planning commissioner could possibly say no to this proposal. Be careful what you wish for, you might get it. This proposal could be ten times worse than what the unit count is. Mr. Otto said he feels the 50 unit townhome complex feels like it's being piggy backed on the senior citizens apartment complex and the Tubman Family Alliance women's shelter. He totally supports that, loves the neighborhood, loves Maplewood, but as a citizen and as a resident that lives here, he opposes the 50 unit townhome complex on the southeast portion of the property. He said just so you know that's the common feeling in the neighborhood to the south. Mr. Bob Bruton 2856 Lake Boulevard, North St. Paul, addressed the commission. He said he comes here on behalf of the St. Paul Ramsey County Homeless Advisory Board of which he is a member of. He comes to you as the Co- Chairman of the zoning sub - committee of that body. We spent two years studying generic zoning codes concerning affordable housing and subsidized housing and he wanted to share a few thoughts of what we learned over two years of extensive study. According to the Planning Commissioners Journal, by 2022, one out of five citizens in this country will be senior citizens and that takes a lot of housing that doesn't exist today. Out of our recommendations to the Homeless Advisory Board we recommended a Mayor's forum that will take place in the near future regarding the document that the suburbs need to share the future development of affordable housing. They are home to many businesses as retailing only lower wage jobs. These businesses need employees who can live reasonably close to the jobs they hold. Going on to what we call our N IMBY related findings, which stands for "not in my backyard ". Market values and sales a study was done in the Twin Cities by the Housing Family Fund commissioned the study on affordable housing rental and home values completed in 2001, it showed that indeed home values in the area go up, not down with affordable housing. He said we address things like the design and appearance of affordable housing. It's not low- income housing, it can actually look good. We address the Fair Housing Act and the rights of communities and the need for communities to be open to that. We addressed crime, there are studies that we can document including in the Twin Cities area that show crime actually does not go up, in some cases there are fewer crimes because of the security of the areas provided. He asks you to sincerely consider this proposal. As a former Maplewood Planning Commissioner, former Maplewood Mayor, as a former Planning Commissioner in North St. Paul and former Councilmember, he knows what you are up against, he understands opposition, but this is important and he believes in your community and he asks you to support it. Thank you. Mr. Ray Muetzel 2678 Germain Court, Maplewood, addressed the commission. He said he is here as a Maplewood resident but also as a representative of the Social Justice Ministry at Transfiguration Church. The Social Justice Ministry strongly supports the plan that the sisters have submitted. We feel that this fits our mission of providing affordable housing and serving the needy. We also feel that the Maplewood community will benefit as well. He thanked everyone for their consideration. Planning Commission -26- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Ms. Debra Cohn Madson 2360 Mamie Avenue, Maplewood, addressed the commission. She supports the sister's proposal and she is here supporting this for many reasons. She is a Maplewood resident, she is a licensed social worker; she works at Fairview Hospital as many of the sisters know. She started as a social worker at St. Mary's and she has worked with many sisters here and today they are her patients. She firmly believes in their ministry and their mission and she knows that this plan fits in with their idea of what they should be doing and how they should be ministering to the people. She knows as a social worker just how difficult it is to find shelter for her patients when they come into the hospital. Commissioner Hess was interested in knowing how placement at a shelter works. Basically when someone comes in and they need shelter as a social worker we call around and whoever has an opening that is where the person is placed. They try to get people placed as close to their own community as where they reside but that doesn't always happen. She has had people she's has had to place far away from their home. It's difficult on those patients but they have to go somewhere and if we don't have the shelters available for our patients what we end up doing is getting a voucher for a hotel and that isn't a safe situation for those women and their children. Perpetrators often find the abused person or persons a lot easier because there isn't the same type of security system in place. She wanted to comment on a couple of things, her in -laws live on Grand Avenue, her husband grew up on Grand Avenue and there are two shelters on Grand Avenue and there has never ever been an incident at those shelters. Her in -laws have never feared walking around on Grand Avenue and the property values are high in that area. Even with the shelters in that area. The Maplewood residents here are fearful of the unknown, we are all fearful of the unknown. When she built her home 18 years ago we built our home on a cul -de -sac thinking we are going to raise our children on here with 17 acres of woods around us. We didn't do our homework and didn't realize how the area had been zoned. The proposal was to open up the cul -de -sac and build a subdivision. She like everybody else in that neighborhood was pretty angry about that because all of us didn't do our homework. Ms. Cohn Madson said having the development built actually increased the value of her home and the other homes when the new homes were built because the values of the homes were more than what she had built her house for. She has had two children in this school district. One of the reasons she moved to Maplewood was because it was an inner city suburban area and the diversity that it had to offer. She said it's important and imperative for our children to be in a school district with kids of all colors and all economic levels and to live a life knowing people live with different kinds of hardships that we all have to face. She never wanted her children to live in a lily white suburb where everybody made the same amount of money. Her husband is a St. Paul school teacher and he works very hard and one of the reasons there are problems with kids who are from low- income housing is not because of low - income housing, it's because of the transient life. What this proposal would offer is the stability that these kids need so that they can be productive and get the education that they deserve. Thank you. Ms. Patricia Milody residing at 6048 — 51 Street, Oakdale, addressed the commission. One comment she has heard so many times is about low income and affordable housing. There is a vast difference between the two. She works for the Dorothy Day Center and does financial assistance there. She sees the need for affordable housing. We have clients that come to us that are paying 60% to 80% of their income for apartment rent and they need affordable housing. Public housing is so hard to get and the waiting list is long. She sees the need for affordable housing for both families and seniors. Planning Commission -27- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Ms. Milody said down the road in 10 years or so she could see living at the Common Bond senior homes herself. She knows the sisters very well and if there were any concern about crime, violence, safety or any other problems, the sisters would not, in good conscience, sell the property and they would not plan to live there themselves. The sisters consider this land sacred. She worked there when the sisters were electing a new prioress. The sisters gravitated to the graveyard to pray to the ones who went before them. This is sacred land, it's their history, it's the future, it's their roots and it's their land. Ms. Anne Fosburgh 2516 Idaho Avenue East, Maplewood, addressed the commission. She referred to a letter from Tom Ekstrand dated January 19, 2007, that says that property is zoned R- 3; she asked if that was correct? Mr. Ekstrand said yes. Ms. Fosburgh asked why we are talking about R -3H then? Mr. Ekstrand said R -3H is the land use category. There is the zoning and the land use plan and the land use plan is labeled R -3H which means high density. That is what gives it the density classification. We have three forms of density in Maplewood. Low, medium and high and the H refers to high density. It is zoned R -3 which means multiple- dwelling residential, and the R -3H is the land use designation, which means high density. Ms. Fosburgh asked if this needs a zone change then? Mr. Ekstrand said no, it is zoned correctly. Ms. Fosburgh said that wasn't the understanding we had. The traffic study has been done on Century and Larpenteur Avenues. She asked about the affect on side streets exiting onto Larpenteur Avenue. She said there are times of the day that you sit there 5 to 10 minutes and cannot even get out onto Larpenteur Avenue. As far as eliminating parking, there are anywhere from 30 to 60 cars parked on both sides of the street from Hill Murray High School. The open space has no plans for a parking lot and parking is supposed to be on the south side of the street for people using the trails and the open space. She asked how that is going to affect the parking situation? She would say she wants to see a compromise. She would go along with Tubman Family Alliance taking over the monastery building and the 40 units for seniors. Seniors are retired and would come and go from the site at different times of the day and not necessarily drive during rush hour when 3M is using Century Avenue and Hill Murray High School and Mounds Park Academy are using Larpenteur Avenue dropping and picking up students. Instead of the 50 unit townhomes, she would like to see a playground for the children at the Tubman Family Alliance. That would make the neighbors happy and she is sure that would give the nuns their Tubman Family Alliance and their senior complex. Thank you. Chairperson Fischer asked staff how they see the parking for the open space if there is no parking on that stretch of Larpenteur Avenue. Would there be an area for cars to park? Mr. AN said the rules in the city are the same rules for everyone in the city, if there are parking restrictions the city would have to provide parking on -site. We apply the same rules to the city and its facilities as we would for those in the area. Planning Commission -28- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Mr. Bill Voiqt 2520 Larpenteur Avenue East, Maplewood, addressed the commission. His driveway is right across from the Hill Murray ball diamond. He moved here 15 years ago and he is glad to live here. It's great to have Hill Murray High School here. The only thing he was disappointed in was when the acreage south of the area was developed instead of keeping it as open space. He said he could have been very selfish because he walked there with his dog and he hardly saw anybody but he didn't own the property and he couldn't control what happens to it. If we are willing to develop that area for high income housing he thinks we also need to be inclusive and also develop needs that the community has with the way the monastery is proposing. He pays taxes here, he talked to his neighbors and they are in support of this. He was not approached by anyone to sign a petition so there is an equal amount of people who are in support of this development and would welcome this development and feel very good that Maplewood is continuing to progress. Thank you. Mr. Peter Fischer 2443 Standridge Avenue, Maplewood, addressed the commission. One question he had was that a road was proposed from the public works area going through the site and it said it might be servicing some ball diamonds there. He was curious where that was coming from because he is very familiar with the parks plan and he knows that at this current time the City of Maplewood doesn't have any designs on the recreational aspects of the MnDOT property so he wondered what was happening with that and about the road in question. Mr. AN said the proposal has been in front and came out of an alternative study that is being presented called the Marshlands proposal, an environmental group, and Hill Murray High School looked at that. As part of the bus garage plan, when that was rejected by the city council, that group from the area communities, the soccer associations, the city's former Park and Recreation Director, the City of Oakdale, are part of that group and continue to meet and look at those proposals. Mr. Fischer asked as of right now nothing has currently been approved by the city council for that site? Mr. AN said nothing has been approved other than the city council has appropriated money to investigate the Marshlands proposal and is still in the study stage and the next report will be in October of 2007. Mr. Fischer said regarding the open space parking, seeing that things are still in the conceptual stage it would be nice to find somewhere along the line some parking for the open space visitors. A program occasionally happens or a school bus comes by so there will be some needs that should be addressed. Otherwise he is in favor of this proposal. As a Maplewood resident who has lived here most of his life one of the things he was very impressed with in Maplewood is the values that we have here and he thinks the nuns at the priory are very good examples of the values of our community. The project they have put forward embraces those values, putting forward a safe, friendly environment for people to establish their lives whether they are people of trouble or people living in affordable housing. In some ways we are an extension of the east side of St. Paul and there isn't anything wrong with that. He said some of those same values apply here in Maplewood showing great concern and commitment to the values of family and people involved in the community. The sisters want to make sure that we have a strong social fabric. He thinks the sisters would not propose a development that wouldn't keep family values in mind. Planning Commission -29- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Mr. Fischer said when you take a look at a development that comes through the city you have similar questions and concerns. When the houses were built south of Larpenteur Avenue a lot of people had concerns about crime and other trouble. The developers were the ones that made the money when they bought and developed that land. The developers were playing to the "almighty" to earn a dollar. In this case the sisters are doing something for the "almighty" and that's a great value to this community and we should be embracing it. Thank you. Ms. Barbara Leiter 1734 Gulden Place, Maplewood, addressed the commission. She said she has lived here for 35 years, she has three children and they went to the public schools and then to Hill Murray High School. She has two granddaughters who are going to be living here two years from now and according to their parents they will be going to Hill Murray High School. Over the years she said she had been concerned with the traffic on Larpenteur Avenue driving her children back and forth to special activities at Hill Murray High School. She is concerned because she drives on that road and she counted the number of cars that are present during school days there. She drives at night past that area and sees people are walking the roads. In her area, there are no sidewalks; there is no streetlights except at the intersection of the streets. We definitely will need to improve that area and make it safer with sidewalks and streetlights; then maybe we won't feel quite as unsafe about the conditions. She supports the nuns and what they have done. They have done a wonderful study. With all their prayers, working with the other groups and finding out what wouldn't be a match and what would be a good match she thinks this is a wonderful proposal for this site. She hopes you will consider that and not follow through with the stipulation of condition number 5. dividing the site with a road because it will be nothing but cause more problems. Thank you. Mr. Paul Holmes Pope Associates, spoke again. When we are talking about affordable townhomes, we are talking about those units being occupied by people who are at the 50 -65% of median income level which is $35,000 - $45,000 a year. He knows that includes people who work in his company and it includes many others who are living on a certain income level. Success in school is directly correlated to parental involvement. Mr. Holmes said good and bad parenting can happen with all income levels. It's inappropriate to say that children that live in low income or affordable housing automatically mean problems for the schools in Maplewood. He added that he has children in elementary school. Thank you. Chairperson Fischer asked if there was anybody else that wanted to voice their opinion that wishes to be heard. Nobody came forward. Chairperson Fischer closed the public hearing at 9:47 p.m. Commissioner Hess asked if the issue of sidewalks and site lighting would be addressed somewhere in the staff report? Would there be some accentuated lighting along Larpenteur Avenue as addressed by the residents who have said it's very dark and could be dangerous for pedestrians? Mr. Ahl said there is no sidewalk planned along Larpenteur Avenue although we foresee and have a policy that as we work forward through the years we try to find funds and cooperate with property owners to add sidewalks when possible. It's a provision that our engineering staff recommend sidewalks along our roadways however; we don't have a well developed sidewalk trail system in Maplewood. He doesn't foresee a sidewalk along Larpenteur Avenue for a number of years. Planning Commission -30- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Mr. AN said the policy for lighting in Maplewood has been that we light only major intersections. It is a community issue. If the city council states that someone in an area wants additional lighting that can be provided at their own expense the city can agree to that. Maplewood has a policy to not install streetlights so there are not a lot of streetlights in the city. Residents have chosen to put them in but at this point there are no plans to add lighting along Larpenteur Avenue. Commissioner Hess said last time he checked a streetlight ran about $2000 per streetlight. Mr. AN said the cost has gone up a little more and now runs about $2,500 per streetlight and typically you put the streetlights every 150 to 200 feet apart. Chairperson Fischer said she didn't know if anyone on the planning commission had received any telephone calls but said she hade received one telephone that was for the project and another caller that was against the project but was not included on the petition. Commissioner Pearson said he would have liked to have had information regarding anytime there had been another shelter located close to a Junior or Senior High school. He would have also liked to have information regarding how many times women from the Twin Cities area needed to escape a bad situation and were referred to a hotel with a voucher instead of going to a shelter because capacity was taken up with women outside the State of Minnesota. If we are providing shelters in Minnesota he wants to make sure a woman in Minnesota gets precedence and that they are first in line for a spot at a shelter and someone out of state should have to give their spot up. He thinks we should be accommodating women from Minnesota first and it would be unconscionable to do otherwise. He feels the Tubman Family Alliance program is unfairly being painted by a broad brush because of Emma's Place. He voted for Emma's Place but he had serious reservations about that proposal. He felt that the management was totally inadequate to control it and it certainly had a very disastrous affect on the neighborhood and it's located across the street from the Maplewood Police department. Commissioner Pearson said there is a lot of anxiety out there with this proposal because people are seeing that the dispatching is no longer going to be in Maplewood and they are concerned how long responses are going to be. He said those things shouldn't affect you because you have a different type of operation. He said he has spent the last 30 years providing affordable housing, non - subsidized by anyone and he thinks they do a good job. He is also interested in the fact that the sister's original mission was education and yet there doesn't seem to be a lot of emphasis in any use of the land to continue or expand Hill Murray High School. He said these are informational things he wished he would have had but doesn't have. He has read the letter from the Bloomington Mayor and he has driven past the operation. He feels you do a good job with it but he has a concern that the building that would house the women and children that the children have adequate space outside to run and play that is totally secure and that they can't be snatched because they went outside to play. He said right now he isn't sure how he is going to vote on this proposal and he is trying to make up his mind. Planning Commission -31- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Commissioner Trippler moved to recommend adoption of the resolution approving a conditional use permit for a planned unit development for the Sisters of St. Benedict of St. Paul's Monastery. This PUD is for the Sisters to expand the use of their property located at 2675 Larpenteur Avenue with a 50 -unit town house development' a 40 -unit seniors housing apartment building; the conversion of the existing monastery building as a multi -use family- violence shelter with 37 housing units, offices and support facilities and a future monastery building. Approval is based on the findings required by ordinance and subject to the following conditions: (additions to the motion are underlined and deletions are stricken.) 1. This planned unit development shall follow the concept plans date - stamped January 11, 2007. These plans are considered concept plans because the applicant must submit design plans to the city for approval for the proposed apartments, town houses, future monastery, shelter and any other future use. Staff may approve minor changes. 2. This planned unit development does not give any approvals for Lot 1, Block 1 since this site has not been proposed for any future development and its future use is unknown. The development of this site would require a revision of this planned unit development and must comply with all city development requirements. 3. The proposed construction must be substantially started within one year of council approval or the permit shall become null and void. 4. The city council shall review this permit in one year. 5. The applicant shall agree in w Fiting to dedicate an the additional right -of -way for an expanded roadway system to serve if necessary, their developing property to lessen the impacts on Larpenteur and Century Avenues. The req Wiwi r^°dwa SySt° ce Sh all elike that ipr d in the staff reap 622 led "ISP Canilit, Site PaR QPtiG `7 � 6 AGFe Site. The planning and approval for this roadway extension should occur before the new monastery building is constructed. This would be a city - street - construction project. 6. The applicant must obtain all necessary and required permits from the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Ramsey County and the Ramsey - Washington Metro Watershed District. 7. The applicant must provide a right -turn lane on Century Avenue into the site, subject to MnDOTs approval. 8. The applicant shall comply with all requirements of the engineering reports by Michael Thompson dated February 22, 2007, and by Charles AN dated March 8, 2007. 9. The applicant shall install sidewalks wherever possible along Larpenteur Avenue. Commissioner Desai seconded. Ayes — Desai, Fischer, Hess, Pearson, Trippler, Walton, Yarwood Planning Commission -32- Minutes of 03 -20 -07 Commissioner Trippler moved to approve a preliminary plat for Century Trails Commons located at 2675 Larpenteur Avenue. Approval is subject to: 1. Redesigning the public street right -of -way within the site to be 60 feet wide. 2. Complying with the applicable requirements of the engineering reports by Michael Thompson dated February 22, 2007, and by Chuck AN dated March 8, 2007. 3. Street lights shall be installed if required by the city engineer, subject to this approval. 4. The applicant shall dedicate any additional right -of -way if required by Ramsey County and the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Commissioner Desai seconded. Ayes — Desai, Fischer, Hess, Pearson, Trippler, Walton, Yarwood Commissioner Hess was uncomfortable with condition A. 5. because of the way the language is stated. The commission discussed whether condition 5. should either be excluded, made as a separate motion, or revised in some way. Commissioner Trippler and Commissioner Desai agreed to the revisions discussed. The motion passed.