Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/21/1998MAPLEWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION Monday, September 21, 1998 7:00 PM City Hall Council Chambers 1830 County Road B East 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Approval of Minutes September 1, 1998 4. Approval of Agenda 5. New Business A. Conditional Use Permit Revision - Carver Elementary School (2680 Upper Alton Road) B. Video Tape Presentation - Plandora's Box: Effective Land Use Planning 6. Visitor Presentations 7. Commission Presentations A. September 14 Council Meeting: Ms. Fischer B. September 28 Council Meeting: Mr. Pearson C. October 12 Council Meeting: Mr. Frost 8. Staff Presentations 9. Adjournment MINUTES OF THE MAPLEWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION '1830 COUNTY ROAD B EAST, MAPLEWOOD, MINNESOTA SEPTEMBER 2'1, 1998 I. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Fischer called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Lorraine Fischer Present Jack Frost Present Matt Ledvina Absent Paul Mueller Present Gary Pearson Present William Rossbach Present Michael Seeber Present Milo Thompson Present Dale Trippler Present III. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES September 1, 1998 Commissioner Frost moved approval of the minutes of September 1, 1998, amended to read as follows on page 8: 1. All construction shall follow the site plan the city dated August 14, 1998. The Director of Community Development may approve minor changes to the plans. Commissioner Pearson seconded. The motion passed. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Ayes--Fischer, Frost, Mueller, Pearson, Rossbach, Thompson, Trippler Abstain--Seeber Commissioner Frost moved approval of the agenda, amended to add Item D. County Road D under 7. Commission Presentations. Commissioner Pearson seconded. Ayesmall The motion passed. V. NEW BUSINESS A. Conditional Use Permit RevisionMCarver Elementary School (2680 Upper Afton Road) Melinda Coleman, director of community development, presented the staff report. Commissioner Thompson commented that at another school site the fire marshal insisted on a hard surface around the School. Mr. Thompson then questioned why a siX-foot-asphalt surface was optional at Carver Planning Commission Minutes of 09-21-98 -2- School. Ms. Coleman said the Maplewood building official was .asked to review this site plan and she stated this sidewalk was not a building code requirement. Commissioner Frost said it was difficult to move a 6-inch oak tree and get it to live. Todd Wichman, a landscape architect with ATS&R, said fall is not a good time to move oaks. He said the city forester was going to comment on whether the trees should be moved or if they should be replaced in the spring with 2%-to 3-inch caliper oak trees. Commissioner Thompson was not impressed with getting the playground closer to the road. Ms. Coleman said the playground activities on the west side are existing and no expansion or new activities are planned. She also mentioned that to build the parking lot as originally proposed in 1995 would encroach on the existing play fields that are now being utilized. Mr. Wichman said the request for additional parking was initiated by the school district. The district would like to keep staff parking separate from the visitor and evening activity parking. He said the lot is not sufficient for both gymnasium and program parking, and overflow parking is happening on neighborhood streets. Mr. Wichman said they were proposing to move the parking lot from the west to the east side of Carver School and add 39 additional parking spaces. Commissioner Rossbach noted that handicap parking spaces were not shown on the plan for the new parking lot. Melinda Coleman said there were 56 spaces in the first parking lot and approval was given to expand to 37 spaces. Mr. Wichman said, at the Maplewood Community Design Review Board meeting, staff stated that handicap parking would not be required in this parking lot because., there is nOt an accessible entry to the building on this'side. He Said that, if additional handicap parking was needed, it could be added to the existing parking lot on the west side. Ms. Coleman said four handicap-parking stalls shown on the site plan would meet code for the total number required. Mr. Wichman said that if the city requests the trees be relocated at McKnight and Upper Alton Roads, it would be better to do so in the spring. He felt that If the two oaks are moved now, the chance of them surviving is less than fifty percent. An option would be to cut the trees this fall and then plant two new trees in this location in the spring. Commissioner Pearson moved the Planning Commission recommend: Adoption of the resolution which amends the conditional use permit to expand the Carver Elementary School parking lot at 2680 Upper Afton Road. The permit is based on the findings required by the code and subject to the following conditions (additions are underlined and deletions are crossed out): All construction shall follow the plans for building the 1995 buildinq expansion stamped January 18, 1995 and the utility, grading and erosion control plan stamped March 91 1995 as approved by the city. The proposed parking lot expansion shall follow the plans stamped August 14, 1998. The director of community development may approve minor changes. ¢c ............ must be started within one year after The proposed parking lot expansion project -~' .... ,;A_ council approval or the permit shall end. The council may extend this deadline for one year. 3. The city council shall review this permit in one year. Commissioner Trippler seconded. Ayes--all The motion passed. Planning Commission Minutes of 09-21-98 Chairperson Fischer moved to 7. Commission Presentations before the video was shown as Item B. under 5. New Business. VII. COMMISSION PRESENTATIONS A. September 14 Council Meeting: Ms. Fischer reported on this meeting. Melinda Coleman, director of community development, spoke about the closing of the Maplewood recycling center. She said the city council, with staff's recommendation, had agreed to close this area as of November 1, 1998. The city will sponsor a spring cleanup day where used appliances, tires, scrap metal, etc. will be collected at no cost to the residents. She said there have been some serious problems with people abusing the center by bringing items that don't belong there. This is costing the city from $15,000 to $20,000 per year to remove these items. Fact sheets will be distributed to different city departments and an article will be published in Maplewood in Motion to let people know where to take their various items. Commissioner Rossbach asked about the city council reaction to a planning commission motion about designating how many houses would have to go in before a public street would be required. The council took action on the request before them but did not give any direction as to the timing when a street should be required. Melinda Coleman said with any kind of lot split or minor subdivision only three lots are allowed. Anything beyond three lots would require a plat which usually requires a street. Ms. Coleman felt that, based on the topography of the Henry Lane site, an item previously reviewed by the planning commission, this property would probably not divide further. Because this site is in the Critical Corridor, council action would be required to do any additional subdivisions. She said there is only availability for one more lot at this location. B. September 28 Council Meeting: Mr. Pearson will attend this meeting. C. October 12 Council Meeting: Mr. Frost will attend this meeting. D. County Road D Commissioner Rossbach referred to his comments at a previous planning commission meeting ..... about the movement of traffic out of the Maplewood Mall and St. John's Hospital area..He stated it was his position that another road out of this area was needed. Mr. Rossbach questioned if the city should be doing something to plan for this. His position is that the people who develop the property in this area are the ones who should pay for the road. Melinda Coleman, director of community development, said money has been requested in next year's budget for consultant fees to start planning for the development of the 80-acre Hajicek property and other parcels around the Maplewood Mall. She said the need for this request was evident because Maplewood must update its comprehensive plan by the end of 1998. Ms. Coleman said the city has been working with the Metropolitan Council on how to approach the six or seven parcels in this area that are inconsistent in land use and zoning. According to Ms. Coleman, these parcels'are in a "holding zone" until further notice. Commissioner Rossbach asked how it was possible to have an entrance and an exit that connects to the freeway from the County Road D corridor. Melinda Coleman said the city council uses input from the planning commission, the public and the business community to determine what "we want to happen out there and then go from there." She felt the council wants to make sure that the last land that is developed around the Maplewood Mall is done well. The city would like to maximize the kind of land uses in this area but, at the same time, have them well planned and well designed. Ms. Coleman said the transportation aspect will be the major part of the study. Planning Commission Minutes of 09-21-98 -4- Commissioner Frost inquired about the Bruentrup property at 2980 White Bear Avenue North. Melinda Coleman said this item was basically tabled by the city council to give the public an opportunity to hear that it was for sale. It is not anticipated that the city will have money to purchase this farm. The planning commission then returned to the following item: B. Video Tape Presentation--Plandora's Box: Effective Land Use Planning Melinda Coleman, director of community development, introduced the video. She said it features land-use attorneys who talk about the planning commission roles and responsibilities in approving conditional use permits, variances, site plans, etc. It covers things that the commission should be aware of when taking public testimony- what is appropriate to say and not say-and hints on audience control. Ms. Coleman said one of the reasons this video was selected for viewing was a recent lawsuit over an APT tower proposed for the MnDOT property on McMenemy Street in Maplewood. The city of Maplewood lost this lawsuit. Ms. Coleman said the federal judge ordered the city to pay APT's legal fees, in part because of some inappropriate comments that were made by council members. She said the video would hopefully give suggestions on how to conduct business and how, when voicing an opinion, to make sure that it pertains to facts as opposed to personal feelings. The video covered the exercise of discretion, preparation of findings after a land-use decision has been made, and fees and how they can be sustained. The planning commission viewed the film. Ms. Coleman felt guidelines from this film could be very helpful during the public hearing which will be held soon about the proposed Ramsey County homeless shelter. Commissioner Fischer asked if the Maplewood fees were appropriate. Ms. Coleman said the development community felt the fees were high. She said we were in the top 10 cities, but definitely in line with what other communities are charging. Commissioner Rossbach commented that, when he originally came on the planning commission, he was surprised at how little say he had because of the way the rules are set up. He saw the role of the commission as a means to make sure the established rules are followed. He admitted that he tried in the following years, with some success at times, to change the rules. Mr. Rossbach advised the commissioners that if things concern them and need to be addressed, they should find a way to do so before an applicant appears with the request. By then it is too late. Chairperson Fischer said that when the Maplewood Comprehensive Plan was first being adopted, the planning commissions visited almost every neighborhood with the goals and objectives for each area in an effort to get resident feedback. VIII. STAFF PRESENTATIONS IX. There were no staff presentations. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m.