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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/09/2005 AGENDA CITY OF MAPLEWOOD COMMUNITY DESIGN REVIEW BOARD Tuesday,August9,2005 6:00 P.M. Council Chambers. Maplewood City Hall 1830 County Road BEast 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Approval of Agenda 4. Approval of Minutes: July 26, 2005 Minutes 5. Unfinished Business: None scheduled 6. Design Review: a. Best Buy - 1765 County Road D 7. Visitor Presentations: 8. Board Presentations: a. August 8, 2005, City Council Meeting 9. Staff Presentations: a. Sign Code Revisions b. CDRB Representation at the August 22, 2005 City Council Meeting 10. Adjourn DRAFT MINUTES OF THE MAPLEWOOD COMMUNITY DESIGN REVIEW BOARD 1830 COUNTY ROAD BEAST, MAPLEWOOD, MINNESOTA TUESDAY, JULY 26,2005 I. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Longrie called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Board member John Hinzman Board member Matt Ledvina Chairperson Diana Longrie Vice chairperson Linda Olson Board member Ananth Shankar Present Present until 9:07 p.m. Present Present Present Staff Present: Shann Finwall, Planner Lisa Kroll, Recording Secretary III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Ms. Finwall requested the addition of the Annual City Tour under staff presentations. Board member Shankar moved to approve the agenda as amended. Board member Hinzman seconded. Ayes - Hinzman, Ledvina, Longrie, Olson, Shankar The motion passed. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Approval of the CDRB minutes for June 28, 2005. Board member Hinzman moved approval of the minutes of June 28, 2005. Board member Shankar seconded. Ayes ---Hinzman, Ledvina, Longrie, Olson, Shankar The motion passed. V. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Maplewood Toyota Vehicle Parking and Sales Facility - Northwest corner of Beam Avenue and Highway 61, across the street from the existing sales lot. Ms. Finwall said on June 28, 2005, the community design review board reviewed plans by Steve McDaniels, of Maplewood Toyota, for a proposed one-level parking ramp. This would be one parking deck over the existing parking lot at the northwest corner of Beam Avenue and Highway 61. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 2 Ms. Finwall said essentially the CDRB tabled this proposal so the applicant could improve the quality of materials and design. Since the meeting, Mr. McDaniels' architects, BWBR Architects, have met with staff and revised their plans to address the board's concerns and recommended changes. The proposed ramp was initially proposed with smooth white concrete spandrels (panels) on the upper deck. The board wanted to see a material with a softer look. The architects have submitted two different revised plans. The first plan is a tan colored concrete panel with a more muted look along with the red striping and the second plan is a gray/white color concrete panel with the red striping which would match the existing building located across the street. City staff prefers the tan colored panel since it's more muted and softer in appearance. Steve McDaniels, the owner of Maplewood Toyota, prefers the white panels with the red striping since it matches the existing building and is the Toyota protocol. Ms. Finwall said on June 20, 2005, the planning commission recommended approval of the CUP. They added a requirement that a traffic study be done to evaluate the current problem of traffic congestion at Beam Avenue and Highway 61 as it relates to Maplewood Toyota's existing operation as well as the potential effect from the proposed parking ramp addition. They also added a requirement that the easterly curb cut on the Maplewood Toyota site south of Beam Avenue be clearly marked as an "exit only". Board member Shankar said because he is employed with BWBR Architects, the architect for Maplewood Toyota, he is going to abstain from the conversation and from voting due to a conflict of interest. Chairperson Longrie asked the applicant to address the board. Mr. Andy Hulcher, General Manager of Maplewood Toyota, addressed the board. Mr. Tom Dornack, Project Architect for BWBR Architects, Lawson Commons, 380 St. Peter Street, Suite 600, St. Paul, addressed the board. He said for the north lot they brought a plan for the retaining wall and a sample of the retaining block they would use for the board to review. The preference of Maplewood Toyota is to use the white smooth concrete spandrels on the ramp with the red striping as originally submitted. They submitted two additional revisions for the board to review. They are open to texturing the surface of the concrete to add more interest but would prefer to go with the white smooth concrete finish. He presented building samples for the board to review. Board member Hinzman said the white painted concrete sample doesn't provide a lot of variety in color and if it was a white aggregate product with some other colors in it he may be more apt to choose that. He would agree with staff that the tan aggregate product provides a muted appearance and more variety of color. Board member Olson said after looking at the revised building samples she prefers the smooth white panels rather than the textured product and she likes the red banding but would prefer the red banding to .be textured. After visiting the site again she thinks the white panel is a better choice because of the Toyota protocol and the fact that the buildings need to speak to each other. In her research she discovered there are only two other automobile parking ramps in the Twin City area. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 3 Board member Olson said this parking ramp sets a precedence and that concerns her. She has changed her mind since the last CDRB meeting and feels comfortable with the smooth white concrete panels but would prefer to have the red band textured. Chairperson Longrie said she likes the red banding because it ties in with the Toyota emblem and seems to be the finishing touch on the building. It's important to look forward to the future. The Toyota prototype is the white and red building products and she believes that's what would look the nicest especially with the existing Maplewood Toyota building. She said she likes texture and visual interest but thinks the smooth white building product looks the nicest. Board member Ledvina said he likes the red stripe but would prefer it in a textured or aggregate finish and he asked if that was an option at this point or did it have to be smooth? Mr. Dornack said there are many ways the precast concrete company can do things but he wants to confirm that the red stripe could be textured before that becomes part of the record. He also wanted to state that for any other projects that would come before the city for Maplewood Toyota they would prefer to stay with the corporate protocol for Toyota using the white finish on their buildings. Board member Olson said she is pleased with the efforts that Maplewood Toyota has gone to take care of the concerns the board has had. Chairperson Longrie agreed and she is happy with the landscaping additions that have been submitted. Board member Hinzman agreed. Board member Olson moved to approve the parking-ramp plan revisions, the lighting plan and the landscaping plan date-stamped July 15, 2005, and July 21, 2005, for the proposed parking ramp for Maplewood Toyota at the northwest corner of Beam Avenue and Highway 61. The applicant shall comply with the following conditions: (changes made by the CORB during the meeting are underlined if added and stricken if deleted) 1. Submit Gemplote roviseEl mFRp desi€lFl plaFls to staff for appr-eval, witt:! sris€le details shewin€l GensistenGY in sesi€ln, Goler and FRatericlls oil arolJnEl tho strlJGture. The plans referencoEl aeove sopictos on the west. The approved color shall be the smooth white taR option with E. textured red strip oggre€loto spanElrels. 2. Submit a detailed lighting plan to staff for approval showing the proposed fixture design and pole heights. There shall be no lights that shine toward the west. There shall be no lights mounted on the west of the proposed ramp that shine to the west. 3. Submit a revised landscaping plan to staff for approval that states that the proposed evergreen trees would be at least six feet tall and be balled and burlapped. 4. Submit an irrevocable letter of credit or cash escrow in the amount of 150 percent of the cost of completing the landscaping and site lighting. 5. These items must be provided before the city shall issue a building permit. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 4 Board member Hinzman seconded. Ayes - Hinzman, Ledvina, Longrie, Olson Abstention -Shankar The motion passed. VI. DESIGN REVIEW a. Woodlands of Maplewood - McMenemy Street, north of Kingston Avenue Ms. Finwall reported Mr. Chris English, representing Integra Homes, is asking the city to approve plans for a 28 unit townhouse development. He has prepared a site plan that shows 28 townhouses (in 14 detached town homes and seven twin homes) in a development called The Woodlands. It would be on an 8.2-acre site on the east side of McMenemy Street, north of Kingston Avenue and south of the Hmong Church. The applicant's designer has told staff that each building would have horizontal-lap vinyl siding, aluminum soffits and fascia and brick veneer on the fronts. In addition, each unit would have a two-car garage. The planning commission approved requests 1-5 of the staff report at their July 18, 2005, meeting. Ms. Finwall said it should be noted that the city allows no parking on 24-foot-wide streets, parking on one side of 28-foot-wide streets and along both sides of streets that are 32 feet wide. In this case, the developer is proposing to construct the new public street (Kingston Court) and the private driveways 24 feet wide and then the city would not allow parking on the street on driveways. The project has not shown any areas for proof-of-parking spaces within the development. This is something that the final project plans should show. Locations for such parking could be north of Kingston Court near Unit 20, north of Kingston Lane near Units 7 and 8 and along Edgemont Lane near Units 10 and 11. These are locations that the city could require the developer or the homeowners' association to add more parking if it becomes necessary. Board member Shankar asked if staff is recommending a cul-de-sac next to unit 4, and asked how people would get to units 1, 2, and 3? Staff said that question would be better addressed by the applicant. Board member Olson said the pOlice department stated the street should be renamed to eliminate confusion with the street names and she asked what the name of the street would be? Ms. Finwall recommended the applicant address that question. Chairperson Longrie asked the applicant to address the board. Mr. Brian Bourassa, MFRA Engineering, Plymouth, addressed the board. He displayed the original layout from the previous proposal and then displayed the new design to represent the changes in the design layout. This represents the additional property Integra Homes acquired to add to the development layout. The name of the new street will be Sophia Avenue per the Police Department's request. With the redesign of the plan they were able to design some hammerhead turn arounds and a large cul-de-sac on the plan. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 5 Mr. Bourassa said regarding staffs suggestion for additional visitor parking Integra Homes will be adding some additional visitor parking stalls on the plan in the areas staff suggested. Board member Ledvina said he is concemed with the large cul-de-sac on the plan. It is shown on the plan to be 120 feet curb to curb in terms of the diameter. In his neighborhood they have a huge cul-de-sac with a tremendous amount of asphalt. He personally measured his cul-de- sac and it measured 96 feet curb to curb. He estimates the proposed cul-de-sac to be 120,000 square feet of asphalt on the plan and he believed a much smaller intersection could be built there. He doesn't understand the need for a cul-de-sac of that size. If it can be reduced it should be reduced and it would be a benefit to the project. Mr. Bourassa agreed with that comment. Staff recommended a cul-de-sac of this size and that's why it's shown that way on the plan. In the past Integra Homes has used planters in the center of the cul-de-sac or island area. He's not sure if this is common practice in Maplewood or if it's allowed but that's a possibility. Board member Hinzman said the Kingston Court right of way comes close to the homes to the south. He asked if there was additional land acquired for this right of way or was that the way the property line is presently? Mr. Bourassa said additional land was acquired in order to meet some of the requirements from staff as well as to meet the objectives of Integra Homes. Board member Hinzman knows this is the second time the plans have been redesigned for this proposal and he appreciates the work and effort that has gone into preparing this proposal. He is looking at the double frontage with the existing lots to the south. He wondered if Integra Homes had thought about taking the southem street and flipping the street design to the north so there would be a street adjacent to the church area which would cause less of an impact. The existing homes to the south would then back up to the new town homes rather than backing up to asphalt. Mr. Bourassa said after meeting with the residents and staff this plan was the preferred plan. They realize it creates double frontage lots but that was the preference of the neighbors to the south. They spent a lot of time out in the field thinking of the design but because of the pond location there was a problem trying to snake the road in and still develop a logical lot design for the proposal. This is the plan the neighbors to the south are supporting. Board member Hinzman asked how it is determined which trees are removed from the property? Mr. Bourassa said the bulk of the site is being graded. They did a tree inventory on the entire site. They are working with a certified arborist and will identify prior to construction the trees that are healthy and that have the capacity to stand a move. They will transplant all the trees that can be transplanted, which is about 150-200 trees on this site. They will be planting landscaping to buffer the south property line behind the Monn's Villa neighborhood as well as on the west side of the property buffering McMenemy Street. The landscaping plan will be difficult. Staff has stated they would prefer to have some strong language in the developer's agreement to ensure the landscaping and trees are taken care. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 6 Mr. Bourassa said this would ensure any concerns the neighbors have during construction and if the landscaping or trees should die it would be Integra Homes' responsibility to replace it. Board member Ledvina said the east boundary shows a retaining wall. He asked if that retaining wall was to preserve the trees and what the height of the retaining wall is going to be? Mr. Bourassa said the neighbor with the large oak tree is real close to the property line and Integra Homes is going to be working with the homeowner along with the arborist to ensure the tree is trimmed and cared for before and during the construction to preserve the trees. Mr. Michael Villari, Metro Land Surveying & Engineering, Lino Lakes, addressed the board. They have not submitted plans for the retaining wall along the east property line yet but would submit that to the city staff and engineering department. It appears that retaining wall would be about half a foot tall ranging up to about four feet in height along the east side. There would be some additional significant retaining walls along the ponds that are even taller. Board member Ledvina asked if the goal was to not have any significant grading on the east side? Mr. Villari said that is correct. Board member Shankar asked what the width of the roads would be? Mr. Bourassa said the width of the public street is 26 feet wide curb to curb but the width of the road at the entrance is larger because of the median in the middle. The private street from curb to curb is also 26 feet wide. For clarification the cul-de-sac is at a 60 foot radius. Board member Olson asked if they were proposing any sidewalks in this development? Mr. Bourassa said they will have a paved private trail connection in the development. At the planning commission meeting the sidewalk issue came up and at some time in the future Mr. Ahl said there may be a trail corridor that would connect along the east side of McMenemy Street. But there are no sidewalks in this development. Board member Olson said if individuals in this development wanted to walk to the bus they would have to walk on these narrow roads because there are no sidewalks. Mr. Bourassa said there is a trail connection from Kingston Avenue to this area as well. He is not sure if there is a bus route on McMenemy Street but he believes there is. Chairperson Longrie said regarding the large cul-de-sac in the center she asked if there is a potential for a planter to be put in the center to decrease the amount of impervious surface? Ms. Finwall said yes. The 60 foot radius is indicated in the city's subdivision ordinance and the city engineering department supports a 50 foot radius and as small as a 45 foot radius. The large cul-de-sac is surprising to staff and she isn't sure why the city engineers recommended the 60 foot radius. Maybe it could either be reduced in size or a planter could be used to break up the amount of asphalt. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 . 7 Board member Olson said she is concerned about fire trucks or school buses not being able to maneuver around in the area and if there were a planter in the middle of the cul-de-sac she is concerned the planter would cause a problem for those vehicles trying to turn around. Ms. Finwall said she wasn't sure and said that is something the city engineer would have to clarify. Staff could follow up on that for the board. Board member Shankar said if it needs to be a 60 foot radius they could use some colored concrete or brick in the center to break up the expanse of the asphalt cul-de-sac. Board member Ledvina said if the city could get by with a smaller radius cul-de-sac he would recommend changing the plan to eliminate as much asphalt as possible. Board member Shankar asked if the roads are 26 feet wide why wouldn't the applicant make the roads 2 feet wider and allow for on-street parking on one side of the street and eliminate the visitor parking? Mr. Bourassa said that's a good idea but they would like the opportunity to investigate that possibility and how that would affect the area. They would also have to make sure they could meet the setbacks and check on the plantings in the area. Board member Hinzman said he thinks that's a better idea than having small visitor parking spots put in small areas. Mr. Bourassa said they would take a look at that and report back to city staff on their findings. Chairperson Longrie said you still need to make sure there is room for people to walk around whether there are kids living here or not. We are moving towards a more livable walkable community. Board member Hinzman said with the size of the development they have done a good job with the design and the connections within the site. Board member Shankar said the colored elevations look like stucco but isn't the intent to use horizontal siding? Mr. Bourassa deferred that question to Ron Lillestrand. Mr. Ron Lillestrand, representing Integra Homes, Dayton, addressed the board. He said his daughter usually handles this information but is not present this evening. These buildings will have vinyl siding along with stone and brick on the building exterior. Chairperson Longrie said she remembers the last time the board reviewed this proposal the board had a lengthy discussion regarding the building exteriors and making changes to the exterior. Mr. Lillestrand had three different building product samples that they would propose using on the building exterior which includes vinyl siding, cedar shakes, asphalt shingles, and window shutters. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 8 Mr. Lillestrand said at the previous CDRB meeting his daughter had discussed some building exterior changes and additional colors to use but she was unable to be here tonight. Some of the employees are on vacation and his draftsman was called away unexpectedly so he is not as organized as he would like to be. He said they ended up acquiring some additional property and may be designing more twin homes than they originally planned. They will be redesigning some of the buildings so for these reasons he would like to bring the revised building elevations and building colors back to the board for review with some of his staff. Chairperson Longrie asked if she understood Integra Homes would like to come back to fully present the revised building design and building colors. If that is the case she said she had some additional questions to ask about the design so she would hold those questions until they come back with the revisions. Mr. Lillestrand said that's what they would prefer to do. Chairperson Longrie said she would support tabling the building elevations until Integra Homes wants to come back to the board with the revisions. Board member Shankar asked if the CDRB would be reviewing just the site plan, landscape, grading and drainage plans then? Chairperson Longrie said that's what it sounds like. If the applicant is willing to alter the width of the private and public drive aisle to minimize the cul-de-sac width as well. Board member Ledvina said he is wondering about the cul-de-sac on the southeast corner and why there isn't a curve in the road instead? There is no conflict in terms of traffic in that area. When a new development is proposed you have to look at the development as a whole and he believes some of the impervious surfaces could be made smaller. Board member Hinzman agreed. Board member Ledvina said he wasn't present for the previous meeting for this proposal but he thinks this is a nice plan. He especially likes the side loaded garages. He is concerned about the positioning of units 21 and 22. Maybe they could be staggered a bit to add more character. Board member Hinzman said this is a difficult piece of property to develop with the topography. From a design standpoint he would prefer to see the private street moved to the north but he understands the neighbors prefer this plan. He thinks this will be a nice subdivision. Board member Shankar said even if the cul-de-sac is reduced to a 45 foot radius perhaps they could consider using a 10 foot circle radius with a alternate material other than asphalt with either colored concrete or brick. Board member Olson said she remembered seeing this proposal before and she thinks this plan is much improved. She appreciates the developer's efforts to work with the neighbors. She is concerned about pedestrian traffic and the need for sidewalks. Board member Shankar asked if there was a minimum width for sidewalks? Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 9 Ms. Finwall said the minimum sidewalk width in Maplewood is six feet wide. Board member Olson said she thinks a four foot wide sidewalk would be sufficient. Board member Ledvina said this is a PUD and the city doesn't have to follow the ordinances with a planned unit development like this. Board member Shankar suggested the road between McMenemy and the cul-de-sac be 24 feet wide with a four foot wide sidewalk for a total of 28 feet wide. The private road could be 28 feet wide which would allow parking on one side of the street. The board agreed that was a good idea. Board member Ledvina moved to approve the project plans (site plan, landscape plan, grading and drainage plans and bllilEling ehwatieAs) for the Woodlands of Maplewood townhouses on the east side of McMenemy Street, north of Kingston Avenue. The city bases this approval on the findings required by the code. The developer or contractor shall do the following: (changes made by the CORB during the meeting are underlined if added and stricken if deleted) 1. Repeat this review in two years if the city has not issued a building permit for this project. 2. Complete the following before the city issues a building permit: a. Have the city engineer approve final construction and engineering plans. These plans shall include: streets, grading, utility, drainage, erosion control, tree sidewalk and driveway plans. The plans shall meet the following conditions and shall also meet all the conditions and changes noted in Erin Laberee's memo dated July 11, 2005. (1) The erosion control plan shall be consistent with city code. (2) A revised site plan showing the following: (a) That the units alonq the north property line are scatted to break UP the Iinearitv. (b) The public road at 24 feet wide UP to the cul-de-sac, alonq with a 4- foot wide sidewalk runninq from McMenemv Street to the cul-de-sac. (c) All private roads to be 28 feet wide with parkinq allowed on one side. (d) Review the concept with the enqineerinq department of reducinq the amount of impervious surface on the western cul-de-sac bv the installation of a center landscape island or the reduction in the radius, or the possibilitv of the installation of different color or materials. (e) Review the concept with the enqineerinq department of removinq the southeast cul-de-sac. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 10 (3) The grading plan shall: (a) Include building, floor elevation and contour information for each home site. The lot lines on this plan shall follow the approved preliminary plat. (b) Include contour information for the land that the construction will disturb. (c) Show sedimentation basins or ponds as may be required by the watershed board or by the city engineer. (d) Show all proposed slopes steeper than 3:1 on the proposed construction plans. The city engineer shall approve the plans, specifications and management practices for any slopes steeper than 3:1. This shall include covering these slopes with wood-fiber blankets and seeding them with a "no mow" vegetation rather than using sod or grass. (e) Show all retaining walls on the plans. Any retaining walls more than four feet tall require a building permit from the city. (f) Show the proposed street and driveway grades as allowed by the city engineer. (g) Show the drainage areas, and the developer's engineer shall provide the city engineer with the drainage calculations. The drainage design shall accommodate the run-off from the surrounding areas. (h) Show details about the proposed pond fencing including the materials, gate, height and color. (4) The tree plan shall: (a) Be approved by the city engineer. (b) Include an inventory of all existing large trees on the site and shall show where the developer will remove, transplant, save or replace large trees. (c) Show the size, species and location of the transplanted and replacement trees. The new coniferous trees shall be at least eight feet tall and shall be a mix of Black Hills spruce and Austrian pine. (d) Be consistent with the approved grading and landscape plans shall show no tree removal beyond the approved grading and tree limits. (e) Show additional tree planting for screening along the south and west property lines of the site. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 11 (5) The street, driveway and utility plans shall show: (a) A water service to each lot and unit. (b) The repair and restoration of McMenemy Street and Kingston Avenue (including curbing, street, and boulevard) after the contractor removes the existing driveways, connects to the public utilities and builds the new streets, trails and driveways. (c) :\11 driveways at leaEt 20 feet '""iee. If tho doveloper wantE to have parking an 01'10 giElo of tho Etroet or drivoway, thon it must 130 at leae;t 28 foet wiElo. (d) The street and the driveways shall have continuous concrete curb and gutter except where the city engineer decides that it is not needed. (e) The developer or contractor shall post the streets and driveways with "no parking" signs to meet city standards. (f) The public streets and private driveways labeled on all plans. (g) The common area labeled as Outlot B on all plans. (h) /\r.oas for woof of l3arkin!l eff of the EtreotE wherever l3eEsible. (6) The design of the ponding areas and the rainwater garden(s) shall be subject to the approval of the city engineer. The developer shall be responsible for getting any needed off-site utility, grading or drainage easements and for recording all necessary easements. b. Submit a certificate of survey for all new construction and have each building staked by a registered land surveyor. c. Submit a revised landscape plan to staff for approval which incorporates the following details. (1) All lawn areas shall be sodded. The city engineer shall determine the vegetation within the ponding area. (2) The addition of eight-foot tall trees and/or fencing for screening along the west and south sides of the site. (3) The developer shall install landscaping in the ponding areas to break the appearance of the deep hole and to promote infiltration. Such landscaping shall be approved by the city engineer and shall be shown on the project landscape plans. (4) Having in-ground irrigation for all landscape areas (code requirement). Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 12 (5) The plantings proposed around the front of the units shown on the landscape plan date-stamped February 1, 2005, shall remain on the plan. (6) A concrete walk from the driveway to the door of each unit. (7) The manicured or mowed areas from the natural areas. This shall include planting (instead of sodding) the disturbed areas around the ponding area with native grasses and native flowering plants. The native grasses and flowering plants shall be those needing little or no maintenance and shall extend at least four feet from the ordinary high water mark (OHWM) of the pond. This is to reduce maintenance costs and to reduce the temptation of mowers to encroach into the gardens. Specifically, the developer shall have the natural areas seeded with an upland mixture and lowland mixtures as appropriate. (8) In addition to the above, the contractor shall sod all front, side and rear yard areas (except for mulched and edged planting beds and the area within the ponding area). (9) The contractor shall restore the McMenemy Street and Kingston Avenue boulevards with sod. (10) Adding more evergreen trees (Black Hills spruce or Austrian pines) along the west and south property lines of the site. These trees are to be at least eight feet tall, and the contractor shall plant these trees in staggered rows to provide screening for the houses to the south and west. (11) Show the in-ground lawn-irrigation system, including the location of the sprinkler heads. (12) Shall be approved by the city engineer before site grading and shall be consistent with the approved grading and landscape plans. (13) Show the landscape or ground treatment for the areas between the driveways of the double dwellings. d. Show that Ramsey County has recorded the final plat for this development. e. Get the necessary approvals and permits from the watershed district. f. Submit a site lighting plan for city approval. This plan shall show the installation of at least seven street lights and how the lighting on the buildings would add to the site lighting. This plan also shall show details about the proposed light fixtures to ensure they are a design that hides the bulb and lens from view to avoid nuisances. The light fixtures must have concealed lenses and bulbs to properly shield glare from the adjacent street right-of-ways and from adjacent residential properties. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 13 g. Have the Saint Paul Regional Water Services (SPRWS) approve the proposed utility plans. h. Present te staff fer approval solar builGling elevations or builGling material saR'lflles of all elevations of the to'/JnRauses. Theso elevations SRoIJld sRaw that tho townhouse will have earth tenes, €lreen or gray salomd "inyl siding and a 'Ilainscet of brick or stone. These elevations also sRelJld sRew or insllJde (131Jt am not limited to) the SOIOFS of all materials, any shutters, wineo''''' grids, the style and materials of balsony railings, ane flrovide more detail about the brick or stone assents ane the wainssats. i. The developer or builder will pay the city Park Access Charges (PAC fees) at the time of the building permit for each housing unit. j. Submit the homeowners' association bylaws and rules to the city for approval by the city staff. These are to assure that there will be one responsible party for the care and maintenance of the common areas, outlots, the private utilities, signs, landscaping and retaining walls. k. Provide the city with a letter of credit or cash escrow for all required exterior improvements. The amount shall be 150 percent of the cost of the work. 3. Complete the following before occupying each building: a. Replace property irons that are removed because of this construction. b. Restore and sod damaged boulevards and sod all turf areas. c. Complete all landscaping and turf irrigation for that building and its rainwater garden(s). d. Install the required concrete curb and gutter. e. Install a reflectorized stop sign at the exits onto McMenemy Street and addresses on each building for each unit. In addition, the applicant shall install "no parking" signs within the site, as required by staff. f. Install and maintain all required trees and landscaping (including the plantings around each unit and around the pond) and an in-ground sprinkler system for all landscaped areas (code requirement). g. Install on-site lighting for security and visibility that follows the approved site lighting plan. All exterior lighting shall follow the approved lighting plan that shows the light spread and fixture design. The light fixtures must have concealed lenses and bulbs to properly shield glare from the adjacent street right-of-ways and the nearby homes and residential properties. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 14 h. Install a six-foot-high solid fencing or additional trees along the west and south property lines of the site where the vegetation does not adequately screen the townhouses from the existing dwellings. These additional materials are to ensure there is at least a six-foot-tall, 80 percent opaque screen on these sides of the site. The location, design and materials of the fence or the additional landscaping shall be subject to city staff approval. i. The developer or contractor shall: (1) Complete all grading for the site drainage, complete all public improvements and meet all city requirements. (2) Place temporary orange safety fencing and signs at the grading limits. (3) Remove any debris or junk from the site. 4. If any required work is not done, the city may allow temporary occupancy if: a. The city determines that the work is not essential to the public health, safety or welfare. b. The above-required letter of credit or cash escrow is held by the city for all required exterior improvements. The owner or contractor shall complete any unfinished landscaping by June 1 of the next year if the building is occupied in the fall or winter, or within six weeks of occupancy if the building is occupied in the spring or summer. 5. All work shall follow the approved plans. The director of community development may approve minor changes. 6. Provide city staff with a sign and landscape plan for the entrance and island at McMenemy Street. The monument sign shall be no more than six feet tall and shall have materials that are consistent with and architecturally compatible with the buildings within the development. The landscapinq shall be compatible with the extreme conditions of the location and the materials shall need little or no maintenance. 7. Buildinq elevations are not approved with this desiqn review. All final buildinq elevations must be approved bv the community desiqn review board. Chairperson Longrie seconded. Ayes - Hinzman, Ledvina, Longrie, Olson, Shankar The motion passed. This item goes to the city council on August 8, 2005. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 15 b. Walgreens - Northeast corner of Beam and White Bear Avenues Ms. Finwall said Meer Construction and the Maplewood Financial Center, representing Walgreens, are proposing to construct at 14,480-square-foot Walgreens Pharmacy on a vacant lot located on the northeast corner of Beam and White Bear Avenues. The plan also shows a future three-story office building to be located on the east side of the lot, toward the Maplewood Heights city park. The planning commission reviewed and recommended approval of the comprehensive plan and zoning map change at the July 18, 2005, planning commission meeting. The community design review board (CDRB) should review and make a recommendation on the design issues. Final action by the city council is currently scheduled for August 8, 2005. Chairperson Longrie said it looks like the curb cut off of Beam Avenue doesn't line up with the center island and the 13 parking spaces. Ms. Finwall said the applicants could address that. Board Olson said it appears the applicant is able to meet the parking requirements only by reducing the size of the parking stalls and she asked if that was an issue for staff? Ms. Finwall said staff is recommending that the applicant revise the site plan to meet the city code requirements for the parking stall width and length or apply for a variance. Chairperson Longrie asked the applicant to address the board. Mr. Scott Regan, Meer Construction, 11800 - 95th Avenue North, Maple Grove, addressed the board. He is here to represent Maplewood Financial Center in these proceedings. The court case has been decided and they prevail and they are allowed to build any lawful building for any purpose. Mr. Barton Schultz, Engineering Consultant on this project with Houston Engineering, Inc. addressed the board. He said they met with city staff on Friday, July 22, 2005, and have since revised the site plan to address the parking stalls, revised the lighting plan to meet the maximum foot-candle, and revised the landscaping plan. He went through the revisions to the plans aloud with the board. He said they have ten foot wide parking spaces along the building and the other spaces are nine foot wide. Mr. Schultz said currently the curb cuts go onto White Bear Avenue and staff has asked that they make this a combined access and they aren't saying that is a bad idea except given the relationship with the landlord for them to be the front person to propose this they fear would tie them up in litigation for another year. They originally met with planning 1 Yo years ago to discuss this project. They submitted their proposal April of 2004 and this has been tied up in litigation since that point. For them to propose this as a shared access even if it makes total sense they fear this would tie things up in litigation for another year. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 16 Mr. Matt Regan, Meer Construction, 11800 - 95lt1 Avenue North, Maple Grove, addressed the board. Regarding the underlying fee ownership verses the 99 year lease they hold on this property staff has made a recommendation and requirement that they need to dedicate the 10 feet along White Bear Avenue. He has spoken with his attorneys about that and the attorneys response was it would be very difficult to have the fee owner agree to that. Mr. Regan said if there is a way to work with staff in some type of legal capacity they would give the rights that they have with the lease The City Attorney could practice the eminent domain powers to widen the road. They are more than happy to work with the city and staff to give what rights they have for the 10 feet. In 2008 Ramsey County is going to widen White Bear Avenue to a 6 lane roadway. They have a memo from Dan Soler, Ramsey County Public Works, who reviewed this project and states the accesses are fine as is. Board member Olson asked about the sidewalks? Mr. Schultz said the Beam Avenue sidewalk would connect to the sidewalk on White Bear Avenue. Chairperson Longrie asked about the curb cut on Beam Avenue? Mr. Schultz said the existing curb cut there was an easement given in the 1970's for connection to the strip mall from Beam Avenue. Mr. Regan said as part of the lease the lessor gives them a 40 foot easement onto the property to the north for ingress and egress. Chairperson Longrie said that brings her back to her original question if they can adjust the Beam Avenue curb cut to line it up with the driveway entrance on the north property. Mr. Schultz said in order for them to straighten this they have to take out a portion of the fee owner's curb cut, which may be an issue. It was an issue when they were draining this site but do to their relationship with the fee owner they did not want them to use his catch basins even though they would be handling water from the fee owner's site. That's why they have a mirror image of the catch basins that already exist on the north property shown on the plan. Chairperson Longrie said if they move the curb cut to the east they wouldn't have a wide enough drive aisle. Board member Shankar asked why they couldn't move the future building to the east and then move the parking lot over. Mr. Regan said the parking lot in the city park to the east of the building encroaches onto the leased property and they were hoping they could preserve the city's parking lot by putting the building there. The curb cuts pretty much line up with the curb cut with the bank lot so it makes sense. They would have to cut into the hill a little bit when they do the excavation work. They would like to do the excavating for the office building along with the excavation for Walgreens and get things done all at the same time. They would like to come back to the city with the plans for the office building during next construction time. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 17 Board member Shankar said you don't have to move the whole building over he said you can move just the west face of the building over to the east by 5 feet or so and then the center island gets moved to the east by five feet. Ms. Finwall said there is also an opportunity to reduce the width of the drive aisle to 24 feet, currently it's 25 feet wide and they could reduce the length of the parking stalls per the city code when they are adjacent a curb or landscaped area from 19 feet to 15.5 feet long so there are some opportunities to change things. Chairperson Longrie said it's important to make sure the curb cut and the curbing for the parking of those 13 stalls are lined up. She is concerned that the applicant is stating the parking at the city park is encroaching upon the future office building property. Mr. Regan said that is something they will address when they bring the office park proposal to the city for review next year some time. Chairperson Longrie said she was glad to see the landscaping plan was revised because she thinks it's important to have the additional trees along Beam Avenue and White Bear Avenue to tie this corner into Premier Bank's site. She is happy the sidewalk issues have been worked out as well. She wondered how the building elevations were revised and the differences from what was presented in the CDRB packet they received. Mr. Robert Brunjes, Consultant/Project Architect on this project, addressed the board. He said it's been noted that this Walgreens proposal is similar to another Walgreens building built farther down on White Bear Avenue in the Hillcrest Area in St. Paul. The footprint and general design are very similar. This is relative to the Walgreens prototype and Walgreens from time to time makes changes to the building design. The primary distinction between the two designs is the manufactured limestone veneer that is about 1 foot high by 2 feet long. It is the intent that these appear to be a quarried limestone. The brick pilasters are expressed on the north and east side to break up the elevations and add more visual interest, they are projected out about 1 or 2 inches from the building and have a limestone cap on them. The green awnings are a standing seam awning. The trash compacting and recycling area will be made of brick and eight feet tall. The dumpster enclosure will have a cedar gate. Chairperson Longrie asked if it was correct that the plans for the monument sign have not been submitted yet? Mr. Brunjes said the signage was submitted with the initial application for Walgreens. Board member Olson asked if someone could address the plans for the freestanding sign? Mr. Brunjes said he doesn't have those plans in front of him. Board member Ledvina said one of the conditions in the staff report is that the sign plans be brought back to the CDRB for review. Mr. Regan said because they don't have information regarding the signage details they are willing to bring that information back. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 18 Board member Olson thinks this is an attractive building and she is glad to see some development on this corner. Board member Shankar said the richness of the limestone is impressive, however, he agrees with Ms. Finwall that this is a very prominent location at the corner of White Bear Avenue and Beam Avenue and perhaps the entry design at the corner and the 45 degree angle should be looked at along with eliminating the awning. He feels that even though the east and the north elevations are thought to be not visible he believes if you are driving west on Beam Avenue you would see the east elevation of the building and if drive south you would see the north side of the building. While he appreciates the brick pilasters that are shown on the elevations he believes there needs to be more variety of building materials used on the east and the north side. Maybe adding some additional limestone on those elevations would help. Board member Hinzman said he agrees this is a very prominent corner and visible intersection and to have a building with some stature is very important to the city. The building material improvements to the Walgreens building are nice; however, it's the same prototypical building that already exists at White Bear Avenue and Larpenteur Avenue and at 94 and White Bear Avenue with a few modifications. He said there is a man in Hastings named Pat Reagan who built the School House Square Development and he built the office over the retail space. To have something more prominent at this corner and add stature to this location is important and recommended the office building be located on the corner. Mr. Brunjes said one of the design elements that is important to Walgreens is the tower element because of the three dimensional element. Board member Hinzman said yes but it's the same three dimensional element they built on every Walgreens. The materials may be a little different but the form and stature of the building is the same. Mr. Brunjes said the primary design element that separates these buildings is the limestone veneer which adds a lot to the design. Board member Hinzman said it adds to the design but this corner needs more than limestone added to the building. It needs more stature, design and presence at this intersection. Board member Olson said the entrance to the Walgreens store has fluorescent light fixtures in the tower and has a presence. Chairperson Longrie said she doesn't like the awning over the front door and if you took that off it would make the entrance more prominent. Board member Shankar said the tower has a hollow element; it's not a true genuine expression of any form. Just because this building design has been built at 10 other buildings in the Twin Cities doesn't mean you have to use the same building protocol at this location in Maplewood. Board member Olson said the awning needs to stay over the door because living in Minnesota you need protection from the elements for the visitors to this store. The awning is especially nice for pedestrians wanting to get out of the elements. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 19 Board member Shankar said you could have the entrance setback without having an awning over it so people would be protected from the elements. Board member Olson said if the board thinks the building needs to be redesigned she would like to see the peak element left on the building for protection. Mr. Brunjes said it would be easy to develop a gabled structure over the tower to be consistent with the design. Board member Shankar said that gabled structure is going to conflict with the canopy because both of them are going to be slopped surfaces. Mr. Brunjes said he was thinking of a hipped gable that would cap the tower. It would add elevation and prominence to the design. He would agree that if you are going to eliminate the awning around the front of the entrance you want protection from the elements. Board member Shankar said he has seen a few Super Americas that are all brick without an awning but have a brick arch with a small recess behind so people can get out of the elements. Board member Olson said she doesn't see Super America as offering the same kind of services. She sees this store as serving the seniors that live in the apartments and people walking to the mall. An awning and an air lock are important for this store. Board member Shankar said in any case he strongly encourages the developer to redesign the building to fit in this location at the corner at all elevations. Board member Hinzman agreed. Board member Ledvina agreed with those comments. He is also concerned about the windows on the west and south elevations. This same issue came up in previous design reviews with Walgreens. These windows are very high and are not a pedestrian scale. Board member Ledvina said on the west elevation there is a window set that is left of the doors and if it could be extended for the other window bays that would greatly enhance the appearance of the building to have more glass in front. Walgreens may not want to do that based on how the interior of the building functions but he believes this building should be more pedestrian friendly. Board member Olson asked if they could use limestone for the pilasters instead of the brick to break up the expanse? Mr. Brunjes said that's certainly possible. The limestone works with the tower of the entry and it's repeated as you move around the structure. Studies would be required as you place limestone on other places of the building. The board members agreed they would like to have the building elevations and the signage return for the board to review. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 20 Ms. Finwall said this proposal goes to the city council on Monday, August 8, 2005, and this could come back to the board to review the building elevations and signage on Tuesday August 9, 2005. Mr. Regan said they would come back with a few different renditions for the board to review. He said he built a drug store in Osseo that had large windows but the pharmacy put shelves in front of the windows. They don't look good from inside the store and at night they really don't look good from outside. If you try to put windows in some areas of the store it becomes a security issue because of prescription drugs stored in the building. Chairperson Longrie moved to approve the plans date-stamped May 17, 2005, for the Walgreens Pharmacy to be located on the northeast comer of Beam and White Bear Avenues. Approval is subject to the applicant doing the following: (changes made by the CORB during the meeting are underlined if added and stricken if deleted) 1. Repeat this review in two years if the city has not issued a building permit for this project. 2. Prior to issuance of a grading or building permit, the applicant must submit to staff for approval the following items. a. Proof that the applicants possess all requisite property ownership interest required by Maplewood Code Section 44-1161 to initiate an amendment to the zoning map, which said zoning map amendment is required for this design review approval. b. Revised grading/drainage/utility plans which comply with all city engineering department requirements as specified to Erin Laberee's July 14, 2005, memorandum, including but not limited to granting a 10-foot right-of-way easement along White Bear and Beam Avenues on White Bear Avenue and a shared driveway with the property to the north for ingress and egress to the site. c. Revised site plan showing the following: 1) .^. 1 9 foot ri€lAt sf '....ay saSOFFlont along White Bear and Beam /'.venues. 1) Thirteen parkinq spaces located in the center of the lot. to the east of the Beam Avenue drivewav, must be shifted to the east to ensure thev are not located within the straiqht anqle of the drive aisle. 2) The parking lot maintaining a 25 4-a-foot-setback from the existinq right-of- way easement as described above as shown on the site plan date- stamped Julv 26, 2005. ;;I) The removal of the existing driveway on White Bear .'\'1enue and a shared dri.ieway.....itA tAe I3r-eperty to the nortA for ingress and egress to the site. 4) All parking space length and width to meet city code requirements. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 21 d. Revisions to the landscape plan date-stamped Julv 26. 2005. to include the followinq: 1) The additioR of six deciduot,ls trees (2% inches iR diameter) planted approximately dO foot on contor to bo 10Gatod on the west side of tl:te let, along 'Nl:1ito Bear .'\VORt,lO. 2) The addition of eleven dOGidt,lot,ls troes (2% inches in diameter) (3laRtod ap(3reximately dO foet on canter to be leGated on the west side of the lot, along WAite Bear Avenue. 3) The addition of foundation plantings around the Walgreen's building. 4) Additional shrubs and perennials along White Bear and Beam Avenues. 5) Sod or native prairie plants to be located within the future office building portion of the development (east side of the site). 6) The size, number, and species of all proposed plants. 7) Underground irrigation plan to ensure all landscaping is sprinklered. e. Rovisod elevations showing a moro eroativQ building dosi€ln. St,lg€lostod design changes inelt,ldc removal of tAC awning over tho frOAt deor aAeI re(3lacoment with a columneel and cevored entryway; additional desigR elements aeove the new GO'lereel ontry'Nay to include gabled roo~ng and windows OR both sides of tAO Emtryway. f. A revised lighting and photometrics plan which shows the style, height, and umber of exterior lights. The plan must ensure all freestanding lights maintain a height of 25 feet or less and that the overall illumination from outdoor lights does not exceed .4 foot-candles at all property lines. g. Obtain a permit from Ramsey County for construction on county right-of-way for the driveway access, utility work, and sidewalk. h. Watershed district approval if revisions warrant a new review. i. A cash escrow or an irrevocable letter of credit for all required exterior improvements. The amount shall be 150 percent of the cost of the work. 3. The applicant shall complete the following before occupying the building: a. Replace any property irons removed because of this construction. b. Provide continuous concrete curb and gutter around the parking lot and driveways. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 22 c. Install all required landscaping and an underground irrigation system for all of Walgreen's landscaped areas. The future office building portion of the development must be planted and maintained with sod or native prairie grasses until the development of this portion of the property in the future. In addition, all required trees along Beam Avenue (in front of the Walgreen's building and the future office building) must be planted. d. Screen or paint the rooftop mechanical equipment to match the building color. e. Install all required outdoor lighting. f. Install the six-foot-wide concrete sidewalk along the entire length of the south property line, along Beam Avenue. 4. If any required work is not done, the city may allow temporary occupancy if: a. The city determines that the work is not essential to the public health, safety or welfare. b. The above-required letter of credit or cash escrow is held by the City of Maplewood for all required exterior improvements. The owner or contractor shall complete any unfinished exterior improvements by June 1 if occupancy of the building is in the fall or winter, or within six weeks of occupancy of the building if occupancy is in the spring or summer. 5. The future office building including architectural, landscaping, lighting, etc., is not included in this review and must obtain all required city approvals separately. 6. Signs are not included in this design review of tho Vl!algrcens Pharmacy. All proposed signs for Walareens and the future office buildina must be brought back before the Community Design Review Board for approval. 7. All work shall follow the approved plans. The director of community development may approve minor changes. Board member Ledvina seconded. Ayes - Hinzman, Ledvina, Longrie, Olson Shankar The motion passed. Board member Ledvina said even though the board didn't review plans for the future three- story office building to the east, he wanted to express his strong concern on a design which has the first level as parking. He is having a hard time visualizing how that would look architecturally and doesn't want that to look like an open space with columns and a building above it. VII. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS No visitors present. Community Design Review Board Minutes 7-26-2005 23 VIII. BOARD PRESENTATIONS Chairperson Longrie was present at the July 11, 2005, city council meeting and said the only item to discuss was the political sign ordinance which was passed by the city council on a 3 to 2 vote. IX, STAFF PRESENTATIONS a. Sign Code Revisions Ms. Finwall included a revision of the draft sign code for the board to review. The board decided to review the sign code revisions and bring their requests for changes or additions to staff at the CDRB meeting on Tuesday, August 9, 2005, and move the discussion forward. b. CDRB Representation at the August 8, 2005, City Council Meeting Board member Olson volunteered to represent the CDRB at the August 8, 2005, city council meeting. Items to discuss include the Maplewood Toyota parking ramp and sales facility as well as the storage lot, the Woodlands of Maplewood for a 28 unit development off McMenemy Street north of Kingston Avenue, and Walgreen's at the northeast corner of Beam and White Bear Avenue. c. Annual City Tour Reminder Ms. Finwall reminded board members of the annual city tour on Thursday, July 28, 2005, at 5:30 p.m. meeting at city hall and returning around 8:30 p.m. X. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 p.m. MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: SUBJECT: LOCATION: DATE: Richard Fursman, City Manager Shann Finwall, AICP, Planner Best Buy 1845 County Road 0 August 3, 2005 INTRODUCTION Project Description Tim Palmquist, representing Best Buy, is proposing to construct a new 45,243 square foot store at 1845 County Road D (Town Center shopping center). The proposal includes the demolition of the existing Frank's Nursery store within the center and relocation of Best Buy's current store into the new building. Requests To construct the new store, the applicant is requesting that the city approve the following: 1. Building Setback Variance: Commercial buildings within the Business Commercial (BC) zoning district require a 30-foot setback to the right-of-way. The new building is proposed with a 25-foot setback to the County Road D right- of-way, which will require a 5-foot building setback variance. 2. Parking Count Reduction: City code requires one parking space per 200 square feet of retail space. Town Center Shopping center, including the new Best Buy store, requires 553 parking spaces. Upon completion of the new Best Buy store, the overall parking count on the property will be 522. City code allows a reduction in parking if authorized by the city council. This proposal would require a parking count reduction of 31 fewer parking spaces than code requires. 3. Design review. The planning commission recommended denial of the building setback and parking count reduction at the Juiy 27, 2005 meeting. The community design review board (CDRB) should review and make a recommendation on the design elements at the August 9, 2005 meeting. Final action by the city council is currently scheduled for August 22, 2005. DISCUSSION Best Buy Relocation The Town Center shopping center property includes 8.08 acres and consists of nine businesses including Best Buy, former Frank's Nursery, Pannekoeken Restaurant, and various smaller retail stores. The existing 43,203-square-foot Frank's Nursery store has been vacant for over a year. Best Buy proposes to demolish this portion of the shopping center and construct a 45,243-square-foot freestanding building on the west end of the shopping center to relocate their existing store. There are no specific plans for the existing Best Buy portion of the shopping center at this time, but it could be leased to another retail use or subdivided for smaller retail uses. Town Center Redevelopment City code does not specify a maximum amount of impervious surface on this property. It should be noted, however, that the amount of impervious surface decreases slightly on the property after redevelopment by 2 percent (6,715 square feet). In addition, the city's engineering department is requiring that the applicants provide storm water treatment in the form of a treatment structure or other best management practices prior to drainage flowing to the ditch. Curb Cuts There are three existing curb cuts on County Road D into the shopping center. With the reconstruction of County Road D in 2009, a traffic signal will be constructed at the intersection of South lawn Drive and County Road D. Because of the traffic signal, Best Buy is proposing the major access point for the new store to be at this intersection. This will reduce the number of curb cuts into the site to from three to two, one on the east and one on the west side of the property. Because of the traffic signal, the city's engineering department is requiring that the Best Buy entrance be widened from the proposed 30 feet to 40 feet. The additional width is required to allow for two exit lanes and one entrance lane. The planning commission expressed concern over the removal of the third curb cut. They discussed the possibility of traffic backups caused by the reduction in curb cuts when exiting and entering the property during high use periods. The city's engineering department supported the reduction in curb cuts to ensure safe traffic flows along County Road D. The possibility of a third curb cut was discussed briefly by city staff prior to this staff report and it was determined to be feasible to install a third curb cut along the center drive aisle which would be right in and right out only. City staff and the applicants will be prepared to discuss the widening of the Southlawn Avenue drive aisle and the third curb cut during the CDRB meeting. Building Orientation The location of the future traffic signal at the intersection of Southlawn Drive and County Road D required Best Buy to locate their new building as far west as possible to ensure a drive aisle could be located in front of the building. Best Buy also discussed the possibility of constructing the building in the center of the site, at the approximate location of the existing Frank's Nursery. The discussion included two options: First, constructing the building with the front facing west, with parking for the store on the west side of the building. Second, constructing the building with the front facing south, with parking for the store on the south and west side of the building. Neither of these options was found to be viable. First, the property managers did not approve of the construction of the building with the front facing west as this design would turn the Best Buy store's back toward the rest of the shopping center. Second, Best Buy determined that constructing the building with the front facing the south would not allow for adequate parking in front of their store, which would be a similar parking situation to 2 their existing building. As such, they found that the proposed plan was the best option to meet their needs. Building Setbacks City code requires setbacks for this building to be 30 feet to both right-of-ways (County Road D and 1-694) with no specified setbacks to the west side property line (toward Slumberland). The new building will maintain a 3D-foot setback to 1-694, a 25-foot setback to County Road D, and a 10-foot setback to the west side property line. A 5-foot building setback variance is required to construct the building within 25 feet of the County Road D right-of-way. Due to city staff and the planning commission recommendation of denial of the building setback variances, the applicants are working on a revised site plan which would comply with all required setbacks. City staff and the applicants will be prepared to discuss this during the CDRB meeting. Parking Lot Within the business commercial zoning district city code requires a parking lot to maintain a 15-foot-setback to a right-of-way and parking spaces for a retail use to maintain a 1 O-foot width and an 18-foot length. The existing parking lot has a 15-foot setback to the County Road D right-of-way and a 6-foot, 6-inch setback to the 1-694 right-of-way. The existing parking spaces are 9 feet wide and 18 feet long. The city code allows the expansion of a nonconforming parking lot such as this as long as the parking lot does not exceed the existing setbacks or dimensions. With the expansion of the parking lot, Best Buy proposes to maintain the existing setbacks and dimensions and therefore can be accomplished without the need for a variance. Several landscaped islands of varying widths are proposed in the new parking lot. This will decrease the amount of impervious surface on the site and will add to the aesthetics of the property. The landscape islands should be revised to reflect a consistent 10-foot- width, which is required by city code. Amount of Parking City code requires five parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of retail space. There are currently 487 parking spaces located on the property, for an overall parking ratio of 4.48 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of retail space. With the redevelopment of the site city code would require 553 parking spaces. After completion, Best Buy and the property owner proposes to have a total of 522 parking spaces, for an overall parking ratio of 4.72 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of retail space. Therefore a parking reduction authorization of 31 parking spaces is required. The applicant states that the redevelopment of the site will improve the parking situation overall, both in number and in location. In addition, there is ample opportunity for shared parking throughout the shopping center with various uses operating at varying times of the day. For these reasons, staff supports the parking count reduction. The planning commission, however, recommended denial of this reduction stating that they would be more supportive if the portion of the expanded parking lot had parking spaces which met the current city code required width of ten feet, rather than the 3 nonconforming existing width of nine feet. This rationale, of course, would reduce the parking count reduction further. Sidewalk Currently there is no sidewalk in front of the Town Center shopping center, along County Road D. With this design review approval, the CDRB should require Best Buy to install a six-foot-wide sidewalk along County Road D, running the entire length of the center's property. Because of future road improvements and widening of County Road D, the center must also grant a 12-foot wide pedestrian and utility easement to the city to ensure there is adequate room for the sidewalk and future utilities. Building Design The exterior of the building will be constructed of predominately two colors of split face concrete masonry units. Also proposed are brick piers and custom blue dryvit elements on the sides and front of the building. The height of the building is 28 feet, with a maximum of 36 feet to the top of the blue "ticket" element above the front door. Staff has major concerns with the elevations. Because of the large size of this building, it will be very important to include design elements which help break up the large expanse of the walls. In addition, the city should ensure quality building materials are used in the construction of this building due to its location across the street from the Legacy Village development as well as its location adjacent the interstate. At a minimum, this building should be of the same quality design and building materials as Ashley Furniture, located across the street within the Legacy Village development. This building was approved with brick, stucco, and glass. The applicants were made aware of staff's concerns early in the submittal process. Therefore, the submittal of the proposed elevations with limited design and inferior exterior building materials is disappointing. Staff recommends the applicants submit revised building elevations for approval by the board. The revisions should reflect additional design features to help break up the large expanse of the walls. These features can include stepping back or extending forward a portion of the fac;:ade every 20 feet or so, window bays, additional and more prominent piers, more prominent corner elements such as a tower or circular design, etc. In addition, the revisions should reflect a combination of building materiais to include primarily brick, stone, or glass (at least 60 percent of the building fac;:ade), decorative block or stucco (at least 30 percent of the building fac;:ade). Landscaping The landscape plan calls for 129 shrubs and 27 trees (17 deciduous and 10 evergreens) to be located on the new Best Buy development portion of the site. Staff recommends the following landscape changes: 1. Arborvitaes located in front of the loading dock wing wall should be at least 6 feet in height at planting. 2. There should be several landscape planting beds located on the south side of the building, along County Road D. The beds should include low maintenance shrubs and perennials planted within rock mulch. 4 3. Due to the construction of the sidewalk, some or all of the existing trees along County Road D will be disturbed. For this reason, the revised landscape plan must show the location of the sidewalk and any trees which will be preserved with the construction of the sidewalk. Upon completion of the sidewalk, there should be a row of deciduous trees (either existing or new trees) along the entire south side of the property along County Road D. The trees must be at least 30 feet on center and all new trees must be at least 2-1/2 caliper inches in size. 4. The applicants must submit a landscape plan of all existing landscaping on the entire Town Center property to ensure all previously required landscape is still installed and healthy. Lighting The lighting plan calls for eleven new freestanding lights to be located within the expanded parking lot. The lighting plan does not specify the height of the lights, but there is a 40-foot-high freestanding light depicted on the building elevations. City code allows freestanding lights to maintain a 25-foot-height maximum. A revised lighting plan must be submitted which reflects that the freestanding lights meet city code requirements, must show any proposed building mounted lights, and must ensure that the light illumination from the exterior lights does not exceed .4-foot candles at all property lines. Comprehensive Sign Plan City code requires all multi-tenant shopping centers with five or more tenants to obtain a comprehensive sign plan prior to installation of signs. On September 23, 1986, the CDRB approved a comprehensive sign plan for the Town Center shopping center. Prior to issuance of sign permits, the applicants must submit all proposed signs to the board for approval of an amendment to that plan. CITIZEN COMMENTS Staff surveyed the 20 surrounding property owners within 500 feet of this site for their comments. Only one property owner responded as follows: William A. Hinks, CEO, Ashley Home Stores: We are very excited about the prospect of Best Buy building a new store in the old Frank's Nursery space. A new store in that space brings more customers and dollars into the Maplewood marketing area. We are 100 percent in favor of the proposal. OTHER COMMENTS Engineering Department: Chuck Vermeersch, civil engineer, reviewed the applicant's request and outlines his comments in the attached engineering report dated July 27, 2005 (Attachment 10). Building Department: Dave Fisher, Building Official, reviewed the applicant's request and outlines his comments in the attached memorandum dated July 1, 2005 (Attachment 11). Fire Department: Butch Gervais, Fire Marshal, reviewed the applicant's request and outlines his comments in the attached memorandum dated July 15, 2005 (Attachment 12). 5 Police Department: Lt. Kevin Rabbett reviewed the applicant's request and outlines his comments in the attached memorandum dated July 1, 2005 (Attachment 13). RECOMMENDATION Approve the plans date-stamped June 15, 2005, for the Best Buy Store to be located within the Town Center shopping center at 1845 County Road D. Approval is subject to the following conditions: 1. Repeat this review in two years if the city has not issued a building permit for this project. 2. Prior to issuance of a grading or building permit, the applicant must submit to staff for approval the following items: a. Revised engineering and grading plans. These plans shall comply with all requirements as specified in the city engineering report dated Aug. 4, 2005, which requires, among other items, 12-foot wide pedestrian and utility easement along County Road D, a 6-foot wide concrete sidewalk along County Road D, and a letter of credit authorizing and/or levies the final assessment and financing plan for a traffic signal improvement at the intersection of Southlawn Ave. and County Road D. b. Revised site plan showing the following: 1) A 6-foot-wide concrete sidewalk along County Road D as determined by the engineering department. 2) The building maintaining a 30-foot setback from both right-of-ways (County Road D and Interstate 694). 3) The Southlawn Avenue entrance widened to 40 feet to allow for two exit lanes and one entrance lane. 4) The landscape islands should be revised to reflect a consistent 10-foot-width. c. Revised landscape plan showing the following: 1) Arborvitaes located in front of the wing wall should be at least 6 feet in height at planting. 2) Several landscape planting beds located on the south side of the building, along County Road D. The beds should include low maintenance shrubs and perennials planted within rock mulch. 3) The location of the 6-foot-wide sidewalk along County Road D and any trees which will be preserved with the construction of the sidewalk. The plan must reflect a row of deciduous trees (either existing or new trees) along the entire south side of the property along County Road D. The trees must be at least 30 feet on 6 center and all new trees must be at least 2-1/2 caliper inches in size. 4) All existing landscaping on the entire Town Center property to ensure all previously required landscape is still living. 5) An underground irrigation plan to ensure all landscaping on the site is watered as required by city code. d. Revised lighting and photometrics plan which ensures all freestanding lights maintain a height of 25 feet or less, shows all proposed building mounted lights, and ensure the light illumination at all property lines does not exceed .4 foot candles. e. Obtain a permit from Minnesota Department of Transportation for any use of or work within or affecting the Interstate 694 right-of-way. f. Watershed district approval. g. A cash escrow or an irrevocable letter of credit for all required exterior improvements. The amount shall be 150 percent of the cost of the work and will be used by the city in the event the required exterior improvements are not complete. 3. The applicant shall complete the following before occupying the building: a. Replace any property irons removed because of this construction. b. Provide continuous concrete curb and gutter around the parking lot and driveways. c. Install all required landscaping and an in-ground lawn irrigation system for all landscaped areas. d. Install all required outdoor lighting. e. Install the required sidewalk along County Road D. 4. If any required work is not done, the city may allow temporary occupancy if: a. The city determines that the work is not essential to the public health, safety or welfare. b. The above-required letter of credit or cash escrow is held by the City of Maplewood for all required exterior improvements. The owner or contractor shall complete any unfinished exterior improvements by June 1 if occupancy of the building is in the fall or winter, or within six weeks of occupancy of the building if occupancy is in the spring or summer. 5. All work shall follow the approved plans. The director of community development may approve minor changes. 7 6. Building elevations are not included in this design review. Revised building elevations must be submitted to the community design review board for approval. The revised elevations should reflect additional design features to help break up the large expanse of the walls. These features can include stepping back or extending forward a portion of the fai(ade every 20 feet or so, window bays, additional and more prominent piers, more prominent corner elements such as a tower or circular design, etc. In addition, the revisions should reflect a combination of building materials to include primarily brick, stone, or glass (at least 60 percent of the building fai(ade), decorative block or stucco (at least 30 percent of the building fal(ade). 7. Signs are not included in this design review. Prior to issuance of sign permits for the new Best Buy Store the applicants must submit all proposed signs to the community design review board for an amendment to the Town Center shopping center's comprehensive sign plan. 8 REFERENCE SITE DESCRIPTION Site size: 8.08 Acres Existing Use: Multi-Tenant Retail Center SURROUNDING LAND USES North: South: East: West: 1-694 County Road D and the new Ashley Furniture store across the street Aamco Automobile Service Center Slumberland Furniture Store PLANNING Land Use Designation: Zoning: Business Commercial (BC) Business Commercial (BC) Findings for Variance Approval State law requires that the city council make the following findings to approve a variance: 1. Strict enforcement would cause undue hardship because of circumstances unique to the property under consideration. 2. The variance would be in keeping with the spirit and intent of the ordinance. Undue hardship, as used in connection with the granting of a variance, means the property in question cannot be put to a reasonable use if used under the conditions allowed by the official controls. The plight of the landowner is due to circumstances unique to his property, not created by the landowner, and a variance if granted, will not alter the essential character of the locality. Economic considerations alone shall not constitute an undue hardship if reasonable use for the property exists under the terms of the ordinance. Application Date We received the complete application and plans for this proposal on July 5, 2005. State law requires that the city take action within 60 days of receiving complete applications for a proposal. City council action is required on this proposal by September 3, 2005, unless the applicant agrees to a time extension. P:lcom-devlsec34-30lbest buyI8-1-05 PC report Attachments: 1. Applicanfs Narrative 2. Land Use Map 3. Zoning Map 4. Location Map 5. Existing Conditions Survey 6. Demolition Plan 7. Site Plan 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Landscape Plan Exterior Elevations Engineering Report Building Department Memorandum Fire Department Memorandum Police Department Memorandum 9 Attachment 1 June 14,2005 Ms. Shann Finwall Maplewood Community Design Review Board City of Maplewood 1830 East County Road B Maplewood, MN 55109 RE: Best Buy Store Maplewood, MN Ms. Finwall, Best Buy Company, Inc. currently has a 39,900 +/- sJ. store at 1885 County Road D. Best Buy proposes to demolish the existing 43,203 sJ. Frank's Nursery at the west end of the existing strip center. In its place, we plan a new freestanding 45,243 sJ. Best Buy store. The new store will face east and our parking field will be located between the new store and the remaining strip center. In order to accomplish the new design, we request the following variances: 1. Front Yard Building Setback. Because we have an exposure on both 1-694 and County Road D, we have two front yards. The front yard setback is 30'. We request a reduction to 25'-0" along County Road D. 2. Front yard parking setback: Again, we have two front yards. City ordinance requires 15' setbacks in the front yard, 5' on the side and rear. The existing parking is 15'-11" from County Road D and 6'-6" from 1-694. We propose to maintain these distances. We are eliminating 16 stalls along County Road D, but only adding 5 stalls along 1-694. 3. Parking Stall Size. City standard stall size is 10' x 18' with a 24' drive aisle. We request to use a 9' x 18' with a 24' drive aisle. This appears to match what is existing on site. 4. Parking Reduction. City standards require a 5/1,000 parking ratio. Per my calculations, the existing strip center is 57 stalls short of this. Building Area: Existing Franks Existing Strip Center Total Building: 43,203 sJ. 65.403 s. f. 108,606 sJ. a WCL ASSOCIATES, INC. Architecture Interiors m ~ 1433 Utica Avenue South, Suite 162 Minneapolis, MN 55416 Phone: (952) 541-9969 Fax: (952) 541-9554 Parking: Existing Franks Existing Strip Center Total Parking: 205 cars (4.75/1,000) 282 cars 14.31/1,000) 487 cars (4.48/1,000) Proposed Building Area: New Best Buy 45,243 s.f. Existing Strip Center Total Building: 65.403 sJ. \ 110,646 s.f. Proposed Parking: New Best Buy Existing Strip Center Total Parking: 226 cars (5.11,000) 296 cars 14.5.11,000) 522 cars (4.72/1,000) As you can see, we have improved the situation from 4.48/1,000 to 4.72/1,000, overall. Of course, patrons are free to park anywhere on the site. We have been working with city staff (planning and engineering) on these issues. City staff has also informed us of the widening of County Road D and the installation of a signal at County Road D and Southlawn Drive. They seem to be comfortable with the current proposal. Thank you for your consideration. Paul D. Anderson, AlA WCL Associates, Inc. Attachment 2 Best Buy 1845 Co. Rd. 0 Land Use Legend N W+E _ Limited Business Commercial _ Business Commercial Small Lot Single Dwelling Resi Single Dwelling Residential _ Double Dwelling Residential High Multiple - Dwelling Residential _ Park Church s Land Use Map Attachment 3 Best Buy 1845 Co. Rd. D Zoning Legend N W*E III Limited Business Commercial _ Business Commercial Small Lot Single Dwelling Resi Single Dwelling Residential _ Double Dwelling Residential _ Planned Unit Development Park _ Shopping Center s Zoning Map Attachment 4 Best Buy 1845 County Road D ~ lfCJ o Q 0 o 0 o C:::J = o M plewood Mil==- \ D~ Q <0 '[fU o ~ " ~ N W+E S Location Map I I I iHi! 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Jlllls ! ~ I~ l',~' !Iill ~ m I ~~ ~ m --: ---..---.-- Attachment 10 En2ineerin2 Plan Review PROJECT: Best Buy PROJECT NO: 05-24 REVIEWED BY: Erin Laberee, Maplewood Engineering Department DATE: August 4, 2005 Best Buy is planning on relocating to the vacant Frank's Nursery store at the west end of the retail center at 1845 County Road D. Various site plans and layouts were reviewed by staff early on. This current layout is the best scenario that addresses traffic flow entering and leaving the site, as well as internal traffic flow. The applicant shall address the following issues: Drainage 1. The applicant shall provide storm water treatment in the form of a treatment structure or other BMP prior to drainage flowing to the ditch. The developer shall enter into a maintenance agreement for the annual cleaning and maintenance of the BMP. Grading & Erosion Control 1. Inlet protection shall be provided for all storm sewer inlets. 2. The applicant shall submit plans to Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District for their review. Utilities 1. The applicant shall submit plans to SPRWS for their review. Site Lavout 1. The applicant shall dedicate 12 feet of pedestrian and utility easement along County Road D to allow for future improvements. County Road D is scheduled in the city's CIP for reconstruction and widening in approximately 2009. 2. The applicant shall revise the entrance across from Southlawn Drive to allow for two exit lanes and one entrance lane. The access shall be approximately 40 feet wide and include a combined left/through exit lane (11 feet wide), a right turn only exit lane (13 feet wide), a two foot median and an entrance lane (14 feet wide). The centerline shall lineup with the centerline at Southlawn Drive. Traffic/Signal 1. The current proposal for Best Buy identifies the major access point for this facility at the Southlawn and County Road D intersection. The Engineering staff supports this access location. The City's Capital Improvement Plan identifies the intersection of Southlawn/County Road D for construction of a signal system in 2009 at the cost of $250,000. This signal system will benefit Best Buy and the other businesses within this development area. It is typical that benefit for signals is assigned based upon approach legs. In this case, this development may be assigned up to 25% of the signal cost ($250,000 * 25% = $62,500. We have identified the need for Best Buy to revise the width and alignment of this driveway slightly to accommodate the proposed signal system. Best Buy shall provide the City with an approved letter of credit to assure the City of Best Buy's contribution to the cost of the signal system construction. It is estimated that Best Buy's share will be approximately $31,250 (50% of $62,500). The letter of credit shall remain in effect until the City Council authorizes and/or levies the final assessments and financing plan for the signal improvements, but no later than December 31, 2009. 2. The applicant shall enter into a developer's agreement with the city to ensure the necessary easements are dedicated to the city along with the letter of credit required for the signal system and the sidewalk. Attachment 11 Memo From: David Fisher, Building Official July 1,2005 To: Shann Finwall, Planner Re: Best Buy's New Building The building setbacks must comply with the 2000 (BC Table 602 for exterior wall protection. A complete building code analysis will be required when plans are submitted for permit. All new office buildings over 2000 square feet are required to be fire sprinklered and NFPA 13. The new building must be built to meet Minnesota State Building Code and 2000 IBC. Provide accessible parking to comply with Minnesota State Building Code 1341 for accessibility. I would recommend a pre-construction meeting with the building department. Attachment 12 Plan Review Comments Date: Project: Planner: Reviewed by: 7/15/2005 Best Buy Shann Finwall Butch Gervais, Fire Marshal Comments: I. Need 20 ft emergency access road 2. Fire Protection System pre-codes 3. Fire Alarm System per-codes 4. Product location plan for main floor and warehouse 5. Proper marking of door where fire protection system is located 6. Service doors shall be identified inside and outside (check with Fire Marshal) 7. Annunciation panel for fire alarm system shall be located at main door 8. Fire Department lock box installed (Fire Marshal has order form) Attachment 13 Maplewood Police Department Memo From: Shann Finwall / Lt. Kevin Rabbett ~ <.fL 7-1-05 To: Date: Re: Project Review: Best Buy I have reviewed the attached plans and have a few public safety concems. I would suggest the standard surveillance lighting system for commercial buildings. In addition there should be a high quality video recording system installed given the high dollar value of the merchandised located within the store. Additionally, I would suggest concrete barriers in front of all entry doors to prevent drive through burglaries. The parking plan has two issues, both related to automobile crash prevention. The narrower than standard stall width would increase the potenUal for sideswipe type of accidents. Also, the less than standard number of parking spaces for this high volume store seems problematic. Customers are likely to park in available space across County Road 0 in either the Myth Nightclub or Ashley Fumiture lots. This could lead to serious car-pedestrian crashes. I believe that increasing the number of on-site parking spaces is essenUal. If you have any questions or comments, please call me at x2604.