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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/20/1998Call to Order Roll Call MAPLEWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday, January 20, 1998 7:00 PM City Hall Council Chambers, 1830 County Road B East Approval of Minutes January 5,1998 4. Approval of Agenda New Business a. Conditional Use Permits - 2345 Maryland Avenue (Wykoff) - Additional Accessory Building Space - One-Ton Truck b. Moratorium Study Area - South and East of 1-494 - R-1R (Rural Residential) Zoning District c. Election of Officers Visitor Presentations Commission Presentations a. January 12 Council Meeting: Mr. Thompson b. January 26 Council Meeting: Mr. Rossbach c. February 9 Council Meeting: Ms. Fischer 8. Staff Presentations a. Reschedule February 16 Meeting (President's Day holiday) - February 177 9. Adjournment MINUTES OF THE MAPLEWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION 1830 COUNTY ROAD B EAST, MAPLEWOOD, MINNESOTA JANUARY 20, 1998 I. CALLTO ORDER Chairperson Fischer called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Commissioner Bunny Brueggeman Commissioner Lorraine Fischer Commissioner Jack Frost Commissioner Matt Ledvina Commissioner Gary Pearson Commissioner William Rossbach Commissioner Milo Thompson Present Present Present Present Present Present Present III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES January 5,1998 Commissioner Frost moved approval of the minutes of January 5, 1998, as submitted. Commissioner Pearson seconded. Ayes--Fischer, Frost, Ledvina, Pearson, Rossbach, Thompson Abstain--Brueggeman The motion passed. IV. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Commissioner Pearson moved approval of the agenda as submitted. Commissioner Thompson' seconded. Ayes--all The motion passed. V. NEW BUSINESS Conditional Use Permits-2345 Maryland Avenue (Wykoff): Additional Accessory Building Space and One-Ton Truck Ken Roberts, associate planner, presented the staff report, Mr. Roberts answered questions from the commissioners. John Wykoff, the applicant, said he wanted to purchase the one-ton truck to haul his race car or for use in his business. He concurred with Commissioner Ledvina that one ton referred to hauling capacity, not vehicle weight. Mr. Wykoff showed pictures of an existing shed that will be removed if his request for an additional storage building is approved. Pat Walters, the owner of the property to the east, had no objection to Mr. Wykoff's request. Mr. Walters said he has seen other one-ton trucks in Maplewood but was not aware of any owners of these trucks requesting permission from the city to buy them. Planning Commission Minutes of 01-20-98 -2- Commissioner Rossbach said there are one-ton trucks with pickup truck bodies and some with dump boxes. He thought the concept of the ordinance was to keep commercial vehicles from residential neighborhoods. Associate Planner Roberts said, when complaints about large commercial vehicles in a residential area are received, the city responds by asking the owner to either go through the conditional use permit process or find a place to park the truck elsewhere. Commissioner Frost moved the Planning Commission recommend: Approval of a resolution which approves a conditional use permit for the construction of additional detached accessory building space for the property at 2345 Maryland Avenue. This permit shall be subject to the following conditions: All construction shall follow the plans dated December 15, 1997 as approved by the city. The director of community development may approve minor changes. The total amount of detached accessory building space on the property shall not exceed 1,500 square feet. 2. The proposed construction must be started within one year after council approval or the permit shall end. The council may extend this deadline for one year. The owner shall not use the detached accessory building or garage space for the repair of other persons' motor vehicles or commercial or business activities unless the city council approves such a request. 4. The owner shall only use the detached accessory building and garage space for personal use and storage. 5. The city council shall review this permit only if a problem develops. Approval of a resolution which approves a conditional use permit for Mr. John Wykoff to store or park a heavy commercial vehicle (a one-ton pickup truck) on the property at 2345 Maryland Avenue. This permit shall be subject to the following conditions: The owner must start storing or parking the heavy commercial vehicle on his property within one year after council approval or the permit shall end. The council may extend this deadline for one year. 2. The owner shall only use the heavy commercial vehicle for personal use and not for commercial or business activities unless the city council approves such a request. 3. The city council shall review this permit only if a problem develops. Commissioner Pearson seconded. Commissioner Rossbach made a friendly amendment, which was agreeable to Commissioners Frost and Pearson, to add Item A.6. The owner shall remove the brown storage shed from the rear yard after finishing the accessory building. Ayes--all The motion passed. Planning Commission Minutes of 01-20-98 -3- B. Moratorium Study Area--South and East of 1-494: R-1R (Rural Residential) Zoning District Ken Roberts, associate planner, presented the staff report. Commissioner Thompson asked to have input from the fire department in regard to access and liability, particularly for homes that would have long driveways. Mr. Roberts answered questions from the commissioners. James Kerrigan, 2620 Carver, would like to have the proposed Haller's Woods subdivision comply with the zoning regulations for a new zoning district. He also preferred some flexibility regarding accessory building size because of the large lots. Mr. Kerigan asked that either the city council or planning commission records state that when utilities are brought into this area the rezoning be reconsidered to accommodate different minimum requirements. Chairperson Fischer and Mr. Roberts confirmed Commissioner Thompson's understanding that the Haller's Woods area is not considered suitable for sewer and water at any time. It was agreed that if city services did become available, that alone would be sufficient cause to request rezoning. Keith Libby, 1195 Century Avenue South, thought development of the parcel at 1530 Sterling Street South should be tied in with the development of the two adjacent plots owned by Bailey Nursery. Mr. Roberts said Bailey Nursery has indicated that they intend to operate their nursery for many more years. Mr. Libby felt the hills on Sterling street made this road very unsafe, especially for the amount of traffic that would be generated from the proposed Haller's Woods. Mr. Libby could logically foresee Century Avenue being brought in from Bailey Road and then platted. Tony Dierich, 2720 Carver Avenue, reminded the commission that developers are in business to make a profit--they don't reside on these parcels. Mr. Roberts clarified that commercial farming or gardening, greenhouses, and stands for sale of agricultural products are uses in the F (farm) zoning classification. These are not allowed in the R-1R (rural residential) classification. Mr. Dierich was als° told that livestock raising and handling was allowed by conditional use permit in the farm zone and not allowed in the R-1R zone. Mr. Dierich asked for a provision to be included where people with a certain amount of acreage would be allowed to have a limited number of horses. Patty Geran, 2575 Carver, concurred with Mr. Libby's opinion about the drive from the proposed Haller's Woods to Sterling Street. John Sjolander, 1636 Sterling Street South, was in favor of the ordinance but requested that an adequate distance be required between houses to keep the area "rural." Jack Clinton, an attorney for Tollefson Development, reviewed the results of the property owner survey done as part of the moratorium study. He said the purpose of the ordinance was to limit buildable land and street access and felt that this purpose was not "going to be served." Mr. Clinton pointed out that the ordinance would not reduce the total acreage, lessen the need for the holding ponds, prevent 11 driveways out to Sterling Street, or allow for an internal street. The ordinance would also not prevent shared driveways or the need for septic systems. Mr. Clinton stated that the Tollefson development is not required to fix drainage problems that exist from other properties. Peter Knaeble, of Terra Engineering, said that the developer has decided to proceed with the request for a variance for longer cul-de-sacs because an alternate plan, that would comply with all city code requirements, would have resulted in the need for additional grading and tree loss, and an additional access to Sterling Street. Jack Clinton requested the planning commission and council not approve this ordinance since the purpose, as specified in the draft, would not be accomplished. Planning Commission Minutes of 01-20-98 -4- Duane Arndt, an attorney representing Audrey Bonsell (the property owner of 1530 Sterling Street South), asked if this ordinance would accomplish a reasonable approach to development. Mr. Arndt gave some past history of the property and spoke about the proposed plans for development. Carol Schlomka, 1447 Sterling Street South, said she was aware of only four shared driveways from proposed lots on Carver Avenue and on Sterling Street south to the gravel pit. She mentioned the potential problems from septic systems and runoff. Ms. Schlomka claimed that this parcel is the third highest point in Ramsey County. She was pleased that the city was considering at least three acres for a minimum lot size. Associate Planner Roberts clarified that the survey indicated the property owners that supported the idea of shared driveways. It did not indicate the number of parcels that actually would have shared driveways. Commissioner Pearson thought that it would be helpful to have the actual 'survey questions included in the information packet. Barbara Ledo, 1480 Sterling Street South, agreed with Ms. Schlomka's comments. She also had a concern about contamination of wells. Carol Schlomka described some drainage problems that currently exist near the Haller's Woods site. Commissioner Thompson asked why existing water conditions should be a basis for denying the Haller's Woods application. Ms. Schlomka said the proposed holding ponds are not the answer to the drainage problems. David Bonsell, the Son of the owner of 1530 Sterling Street South, said the cost of holding this property is making development imminent. He said if this development is reduced to 11 lots, they will be long and narrow with long driveways. There will be no holding ponds. Mr. Bonsell urged the commission to reject the proposed zoning. Barbara Ledo also spoke of various runoff problems. Dan Watland, 1450 Sterling Street South, had a concern about possible contamination of his shallow well. He also mentioned fire safety in the Haller's Woods development because of distance from available hydrants. Michael Bailey, of 1615 Sterling Street South, read comments from Bill and Bernita Weber of 1400 Sterling Street South. The Webers favored the three-acre minimum lot size and the rural zoning classification. They also encouraged open space consideration to keep the rural atmosphere. Ms. Bailey also was concerned about drainage. She favored five-acre parcels but was agreeable to three. Peter Lodermeier, 1494 Sterling Street South, would like to see the land divided into larger parcels. Chairperson Fischer reminded the participants that a proposed ordinance was the subject for discussion, not a particular development. Commissioner Rossbach noted that if the houses along Sterling Street are placed close to the street, runoff will still drain towards Sterling and create additional problems. Ken Haider, city engineer, said Sterling Street will be transferred from the county to the city in the next few years. There are no plans at this time to upgrade the street further. Melinda Coleman, director of community development, thought the city council felt parcels over ten acres do not create their own personality. She felt the council was looking for something other than an in-fill approach to the Haller's Woods area. Commissioner Frost said, addressing the current ordinance, thirteen single family lots of three acres each and fronting on Sterling Street would be an "abomination." However, he did feel twenty-three lots were too many. He asked for a design that would be more favorable to the neighborhood. Ms. Coleman suggested that staff spend additional time addressing the shared-driveway and width issues. Mary Dierich, of 2720 Carver Avenue, said they were told their lots had to be five- Planning Commission Minutes of 01-20-98 -5- acre minimum. They wanted a rural setting and were told that public utilities, curbing, etc. would not be added in this area. Ms. Dierich said the streets in this area receive traffic from Carver Park and the new freeway interchange bridge. She also mentioned the affect runoff will have on Fish Creek. Jim Kerrigan, 2620 Carver, said there has been a joint effort on the part of the neighborhood to address drainage problems but it has been difficult. Mr. Kerrigan has been working with the watershed district and recommendations from Barr Engineering. Peter Knaeble responded to some of the issues that were brought up by residents. He said about 5 percent of the property currently drains north onto Sterling Street. The majority of the property drains straight west. Mr. Knaeble pointed out that Haller's Woods, as originally proposed by the developer, has minimum lot widths of 140 feet as opposed to 100-foot lots as required by this R-1R zoning ordinance. He also did not see where a larger lot (three acre) is safer from a fire than a one and one-half acre lot. Jack Clinton explained that he did not know the exact nature of the survey question when he presented his shared-driveway discussion. He said the traffic and runoff problems in this area exist today and need to be fixed separate from the Haller's Woods development. Mr. Clinton said the proposed holding ponds for this development are designed to cover a 100-year storm or 6-inch rain. He said cost does not warrant building thirteen lots and a road on this site because three-acre lots do not sell for that much higher price than one and one-half acre lots. It was staff's opinion that this new zoning classification would only be used in this area south and east of 1-494. Commissioner Ledvina outlined some of the requirements of a rural residential zoning classification used by the city of Chanhassen that used greater setbacks on two and one-half minimum acre lots. He also thought some additional types of uses, i.e. greenhouses, stables, nurseries, would be appropriate for the R-1R zoning. Chairperson Fischer asked the commissioners to look at some additional considerations that should be included in this ordinance. Commissioner Rossbach said he was opposed to any vote that would finalize this ordinance at this meeting. He did not think that basically putting together zoning for one development area was the correct solution. Mr. Rossbach thought having all the lots front on Sterling Street was not a good plan. Commissioner Ledvina thought it was appropriate to table the action and "very carefully evaluate the intensity of the land use" since it will not have public utilities. Commissioner Frost was concerned with the city's responsibility for maintenance of the septic systems. Commissioner Brueggeman moved the Planning Commission table the zoning code amendment which adds a rural residential zoning district to the city code until the next Planning Commission meeting on February 2, 1998. Commissioner Pearson seconded. Commissioner Rossbach felt safe septic systems were not contingent on requiring three-acre lots. He said it was not "how much area you have but how you use it." Commissioner Ledvina mentioned the additional grading that would occur with more intense developments. Ayes--all The motion passed. The commission took a five-minute break to allow the participants for the above item to leave the council chambers. VI. VII. Planning Commission Minutes of 01-20-98 -6- Commissioner Pearson was interested in getting some information on the effectiveness of the existing wells and septic systems. Melinda Coleman said the city, if it hears a septic system has failed, hires an inspector to check out the system. Ken Haider, city engineer, suggested that the Ramsey-Washington Watershed had some information on wells. Ms. Coleman said staff would attempt to get more information for the next meeting. Election of Officers Commissioner Rossbach nominated Lorraine Fischer as Chair and Jack Frost as Vice-Chair of the Maplewood Planning Commission. Commissioner Ledvina seconded. The motion passed. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS There were no visitor presentations. COMMISSION PRESENTATIONS A. Ayes--all January 12 Council Meeting: Melinda Coleman reported on this meeting. Commissioner Thompson reported on an APT communication tower meeting that he attended. January 26 Council Meeting: Mr. Rossbach will attend this meeting. February 9 Council Meeting: Ms. Fischer will attend this meeting. VIII. STAFF PRESENTATIONS The February 16 meeting (President's Day) is rescheduled until February 17, 1998. IX. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 9:59 p.m.