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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/16/2007 MAPLEWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesdav. January 16,2007, 7:00 PM City Hall Council Chambers 1830 County Road BEast 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Approval of Agenda 4. Approval of Minutes a. December 19, 2006 5. Public Hearings None 6. New Business a. 2006 Annual Report b. Resolution of Appreciation - Mary Dierich c. Rules of Procedure 7. Unfinished Business None 8. Visitor Presentations 9. Commission Presentations January 8 Council Meeting: Mr. Trippler January 22 Council Meeting: Mr. Pearson February 12 Council Meeting: Mr. Desai February 26 Council Meeting: Mr. Hess 10. Staff Presentations a. Possible permanent meeting night change - Tuesdays or Wednesdays? 11. Adjournment MINUTES OF THE MAPLEWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION 1830 COUNTY ROAD BEAST, MAPLEWOOD, MINNESOTA TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2007 I. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Fischer called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Vice-Chairperson Tushar Desai Chairperson Lorraine Fischer Commissioner Michael Grover Commissioner Harland Hess Commissioner Gary Pearson Commissioner Dale Trippler Commissioner Jeremy Yarwood Present Present Absent Absent Present Present Absent Staff Present: Ken Roberts, Planner Lisa Kroll, Recording Secretary III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Commissioner Pearson moved to approve the agenda. Commissioner Desai seconded. Ayes - Desai, Fischer, Pearson, Trippler The motion passed. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Because Commissioner Desai and Commissioner Pearson were not present forthe December 19, 2006, planning commission meeting we could not approve the minutes. However, we discussed changes and clarifications to the minutes so those could be made before the minutes are brought back for approval at the next planning commission meeting. Commissioner Trippler asked if it would be appropriate to recommend changes to the minutes. Mr. Roberts said yes, then we can send the revised minutes in the next planning commission packet for approval. Commissioner Trippler had corrections and clarifications to the minutes on pages 5, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, and 18. On page 5, in the last paragraph, sixth line, delete the word moratorium. On page 11, seventh paragraph, first line, change the word the to there. On page 12, in the sixth paragraph, first line, after the word look, insert the word at. On page 13, fourth paragraph, lastline, delete the words to them. On page 16, item c. Commissioner Trippler said Gary Pearson was not present at the meeting and he asked that the statement be reworded asked to clarify the statement. That statement should now read Chairperson Fischer received a telephone message from Commissioner Pearson requesting to trade planning commission meeting dates with one of the other commissioners for the January 8,2007, city council meeting. In item e., first paragraph, third line, delete the word area and change it to include, and on the Planning Commission Minutes of 01-16-07 -2- last line, delete the word citizen. On page 17, second paragraph, fourth line, before DuWayne Konewko, add It was staff's understanding that DuWayne Konewko was. On page 18, item a., fourth paragraph, Commissioner Trippler asked for the sentence to be clarified regarding Gary Pearson being absent from the meeting clarifying it to read Gary Pearson spoke to the recording secretary on the telephone after the date of the planning commission stating either date would work for him. Commissioner Pearson moved to table the approval of the minutes until the next planning commission meeting. Commissioner Trippler seconded. Ayes - Desai, Fischer, Pearson, Trippler The motion to table passed. There was miscellaneous discussion amongst the planning commissioners. Chairperson Fischer asked after the last planning commission meeting when the Maplewood residents from south Maplewood stated they wanted the city to notify a wider area of people when proposals come to the city. That way a larger area of residents would be notified of proposals. Would this direction to widen the notification area have to come from the city council before staff can proceed with this rule? The planning commission and the Maplewood residents in the audience stated they felt a larger notification area should be used so they are made aware of proposals. If they hadn't heard about this proposal from word of mouth they may not even know about the proposal for the Saint Clair Hills Development (Carver Avenue, east of 1-494) because they didn't receive a neighborhood survey. Mr. Roberts said this is a topic of conversation that staff will have to check into but obviously the people made it clear that they would like a larger notification area. Commissioner Trippler said on page 13 of the minutes, in the fourth paragraph, he had asked staff to check with the IT staff regarding the government notification process and if it would be possible for people to get notices sent to them via e-mail through the city. Mr. Roberts said he hadn't had a chance to check with the IT staff about that yet but he made a note to check on it. V. PUBLIC HEARING None. VI. NEW BUSINESS a. 2006 Annual Report Mr. Roberts said the city code requires that the planning commission prepare an annual report to the city council by their second meeting in February. This report should include the planning commission's activities from the past year and the major projects for the upcoming year. In 2006, the commission, in addition to the items listed in the staff report, attended a tour of development Planning Commission Minutes of 01-16-07 -3- sites and reviewed the AUAR for the Gladstone Redevelopment Plan and the EAW for the Carver Crossing proposal. Commissioner Trippler said in the 2006 Planning Commission's Annual Report on page 4, 2007 Activities, number 2., he would like to recommend an amendment at the end of that statement that staff shall report quarterly to the planning commission on training planned for the next quarter. The reason for his request to amend this is that for the past 8 years that statement has been included in the upcoming year's activities but it doesn't happen. In fact in the past the planning commission has really had very little training. This is particularly important now because as some of the planning commissioner's terms have expired and the city council will be interviewing and selecting new planning commissioners training will be especially crucial because of the responsibility of updating and revising the Comprehensive Plan. Chairperson Fischer, Commissioner Pearson and Commissioner Desai agreed that was a good idea. Mr. Roberts said staff has taken note of that. Staff has also noticed a change that needs to be made in the annual report. On page 2, under the 2006 Zoning Map Changes, under the Saint Clair Hills Development the action should be changed under the council action from Pending to Denied. When the Annual Report was written staff didn't know what the action was at that time so now staff will make that change before this goes to the city council for approval. Commissioner Trippler moved to approve the planning commission's 2006 Annual Report as amended. Commissioner Desai seconded. Ayes - Desai, Fischer, Pearson, Trippler The motion passed. This item goes to the city council on February 12, 2007. b. Resolution of Appreciation - Mary Dierich Mr. Roberts said Mary Dierich resigned from the planning commission. Her e-mail message, resignation and a resolution of appreciation are included in the staff report. Commissioner Trippler asked staff if a resolution of appreciation is something that is done for all people serving on committees, boards and commissions? Mr. Roberts said he only has knowledge of what the Community Design Review Board, Planning Commission, and Housing Redevelopment Authority does. He wasn't sure what the Park and Recreation commission or some of the newer committees do but the three groups he mentioned do a Resolution of Appreciation. c. Rules of Procedure Mr. Roberts said the planning commission should review the rules of procedure for the planning commission. Section L of the rules says the commission should review the rules at the first Planning Commission Minutes of 01-16-07 -4- planning commission meeting each year. Mr. Roberts said before tonight's meeting he handed out the 2004 Appointment Policy and the 2005 PC rules. The commission had already received the Rules of Procedure for 2007. In paragraph F. Director of Community Development, as part of the reorganization plan at the city there no longer a Director of Community Development. Staff would propose changing that to say Planning Department instead. In number 2. it says Act as technical advisor to the commission. Staff would propose that to say City Planning Staff in order to leave it more nonspecific. Typically staff does that anyway but those duties could shift and the clerical staff helps with that as well. If the planning commission officially needs to move their meeting night from Monday to Tuesday evening, item A. 2. would need to be changed accordingly. There was no further discussion by the commission. Commissioner Desai moved to approve the planning commission rules of procedure starting on page two of the staff report. Commissioner Trippler seconded. Ayes - Desai, Fischer, Pearson, Trippler The motion passed. This item goes to the city council on February 12, 2007. VII. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None. VIII. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS None. IX. COMMISSION PRESENTATIONS a. Mr. Trippler was the planning commission representative at the January 8,2007, City of Maplewood council meeting. The only planning commission item to discuss was the Saint Clair Hills Development off Carver Avenue, east of 1-494 for a development moratorium and the rezoning from R-1 (R) to R-1, which was denied by both the planning commission and by the city council. b. Mr. Pearson was scheduled to be the planning commission representative at the January 22, 2007, city council meeting; however, there are no planning commission items to discuss so it is not necessary to be present. c. Mr. Desai will be the planning commission representative at the February 12, 2007, city council meeting. Planning Commission Minutes of 01-16-07 -5- Items to discuss include the 2006 Planning Commission Annual Report, Resolution of Appreciation for Mary Dierich and the Rules of Procedure for the Planning Commission. d. Mr. Hess will be the planning commission representative at the February 26,2007, city council meeting. It is unknown at this time what planning commission items will be discussed. X. STAFF PRESENTATIONS a. Possible permanent meeting night change from Monday to Tuesday or Wednesday. Mr. Roberts said it appears the next planning commission meeting would be on Tuesday, February 6,2007. He left the January 8, 2007, city council meeting at midnight so he couldn't say for sure what the final decision was regarding moving meeting nights. The planning commissioner's preference was to continue holding the meetings on Monday evenings and that the attraction to serving on the planning commission was because it was on Monday evenings. In fact one planning commissioner said he may have to resign if the meeting night is changed permanently to Tuesdays. Commissioner Trippler said he attended the last part of the city council meeting around midnight. It was pointed out by one of the city councilmembers that the ordinance states that the commissions and boards shall establish their meeting dates, however, the city manager is proposing that the city council would decide when the commissions and boards would meet. The city council may need to look at the ordinance to decide if there is a conflict in the ordinance or not regarding who has the right to make that change. If the city council wants to change the meeting dates, then the ordinances need to be changed to reflect that. This subject was tabled by the city council. The city manager also recommended that all the commissions, boards and committees elect their officers the first meeting of the year. However, the terms expire December 31 and the city council has not always been on top of the reappointment process. For example, three of the planning commissioners have been notified in a letter that they need to reapply but haven't been notified when the city council would hold the interviews for those openings. The latest city news stated the deadline to apply was January 26, 2007. Mr. Roberts said the Community Development department is no longer involved in this process so he wasn't positive but he thought he had heard the interviews were going to take place on Monday, January 29, 2007. Chairperson Fischer said the city would have to honor the date that was publicized then. She asked if the city council specifically addressed the election of officers before there were new appointments made for commission or board members? Commissioner Trippler said that was something he thought of when he was sitting in the audience but it wasn't a discussion that took place. Chairperson Fischer said if you had a number of commission or board members whose terms were expiring there could be a good deal of turnover. If you have the current commission or Planning Commission Minutes of 01-16-07 -6- board members vote on the election of officers and then many of those people are not reinstated there would be new members who would be under the elected officer with no say as to who is elected as officer. Chairperson Fischer said if the city council interviewed members before the boards and commissioners terms expired on December 31 then the new appointees would be in place by the beginning of the year. Commissioner Dierich said that's something the city council should be alerted to when they consider the process that needs to go forward. Commissioner Trippler said the planning commissions Rules of Procedure indicates how the planning commission is supposed to elect the officers which states at the second meeting of the year and that wording is already incorporated into the ordinances. No matter what the Mayor, City Manager, or city councilmember says, the commission is bound to follow the ordinance. Chairperson Fischer said unless they pass a new ordinance superseding that decision the ordinance is what we should be following. Commissioner Trippler said the ordinance could be changed to reflect that decision but it hasn't changed at this point. He didn't think it was the responsibility of the planning commission to change the ordinance, which would have to come from the city council. Mr. Roberts said he would have to check into that. XI. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 7:42 p.m.