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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/23/20002. 3. 4. 5. Call to Order Roll Call Approval of Minutes a. February7, 2000 Approval of Agenda Public Hearing a. MAPLEWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION Wednesday, February 23, 2000, 7:00 PM City Hall Council Chambers 1830 County Road B East Maplewood Fire Station (Clarence Street) 1. Land Use Plan Amendment (R-3(H) to G) 2. Conditional Use Permit = New Business a. Fresh Paint Office/VVarehouse Conditional Use Permit (1055 Gervais Avenue) 7. Unfinished Business 8. Visitor Presentations o 10. Commission Presentations a. February 14 Council Meeting: Mr. Mueller b. February 28 Council Meeting: Mr. Rossbach c. March 13 Council Meeting: Ms. Fisher Staff Presentations a. White Bear Avenue Corridor Study Update i 1. Adjournment MINUTES OF THE MAPLEWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION 1830 COUNTY ROAD B EAST, MAPLEWOOD, MINNESOTA WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2000 I. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Fischer called the meeting to order at 7 P.M. II. ROLL CALL Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Lorraine Fischer Present Jack Frost Present Matt Ledvina Present Paul Mueller Present Gary Pearson Present William Rossbach Present Michael Seeber Absent Milo Thompson Absent Dale Trippler Present III. A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES February 7, 2000 Commissioner Frost moved approval of the minutes of February 7, 2000. Commissioner Rossbach seconded. Ayes--all The motion passed. IV. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Ken Roberts, associate planner, said the applicant for 6. a. Fresh Paint is going to reevaluate their proposal so this item will be considered at a future meeting. Commissioner Frost moved approval of the agenda, amended to delete 6.a. Fresh Paint. Commissioner Pearson seconded. Ayes--all The motion passed. Commissioner Trippler questioned the quote in the last sentence under X. Staff Presentations of the minutes of February 7, 2000. He thought the last word should have been patience rather than practice. Commissioner Trippler moved approval of the minutes, amended to change the last word in the last paragraph under X. Staff Presentations to patience. Commissioner Ledvina seconded. Ayes--all The motion passed. (Staff checked the audio tape of the meeting and Commissioner Thompson's exact words were ""foresight and practice." The minutes of February 7, 2000, will not be changed.) Planning Commission Minutes of 02-23-00 -2- V. PUBLIC HEARING Maplewood Fire Station (Clarence Street): Land Use plan Amendment (R-3(H) to G) and Conditional Use Permit Ken Roberts, associate planner, presented the staff report. He said there was concern about a Iow area that is designated as wetland on some maps. The Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed Board has determined, based on aerial photographs, that this is a man-made hole that came into existence sometime after 1945. Mr. Roberts said this area is now exempt from many of the wetland protection standards that would be required for a naturally-occurring wetland. Also, there is no longer a need for the wetland variance. Mr. Roberts answered questions from the commissioners. Joel Hewitt, fire chief, was present for the city of Maplewood. He introduced Steve Lukin, the assistant chief; Mike Hemquist, the battalion chief of the station; Jim Franzen and Richard Peterson, retired chiefs of the Gladstone Fire Department; Captain Pat Heffren of Station #2; and Nancy Schulz of SEH, the architect. Mr. Hewitt said the land was purchased in October of 1998 from the CP Rail for approximately $64,000. The existing building and lot, according to Mr. Hewitt, do not provide adequate space for apparatus and other needs. The new facility will be used as a central station for training and storage. In the case of methadone labs, other hazardous materials and the need for decontamination of equipment and supplies, Mr. Hewitt said firefighters are decontaminated at the scene. He said that emergency medical services take up 75 percent of the fire department time. There are several rooms in the proposed facility that would be used for decontaminating the EMS equipment, etc. Mr. Hewitt explained that hazardous gear would be separated and possibly sent with a HAZMAT team to be professionally decontaminated. Chairperson Fischer opened the hearing to the public. No one wished to speak on the matter so the public hearing was closed. Commissioner Rossbach asked why the commission was not hearing the variance items. Mr. Roberts replied that this was in the "gray area" and that the review board had considered the variance at their meeting on February 22, 2000. Mr. Rossbach thought the city should be reluctant to do things that they would not allow other people to do. He said that sheet runoff is not and has never been the city's policy, and he wondered why it was being presented as such. He also asked if concrete space-curbs would be used to stop cars from going on the grass. Ken Haider, city engineer, responded to the water-runoff issue by saying that the city normally does not have "as cooperative of a developer as we have this time." He said this site has a couple larger infiltration areas and the city felt, from a water quality standpoint, it was better to have sheet drainage from the parking lot. Mr. Haider wasn't sure how the cars driving on grass would be controlled. Commissioner Ledvina, who is also a member of the city design review board, said the board questioned staff as to where this type of situation has been used in the past. Apparently it has been implemented in several other city locations. The board suggested to staff that the ordinance might be reevaluated to accommodate this type of circumstance if the city believes it is beneficial for surface water quality. It was Mr. Ledvina's recollection that some curbing would be required. Where this curbing is not required, there will be a concrete strip, flush with the bituminous to provide a finished edge. Mr. Roberts didn't know if a design has been presented to show how the sheet drainage is going to work. He said the city is relying on the architect or engineer to show this. Commissioner Ledvina pointed out that, as shown on the curbing diagram included in the agenda report, there Planning Commission Minutes of 02-23-00 -3- doesn't appear to be many parking areas involved in the use of the "flush edge." Commissioner Rossbach noted that it was "only half of them." He thought it was necessary to consider the variance when granting a special privilege to a piece of property. Chairperson Fischer thought the planning commission could also consider a variance, even though another board had ruled on it. She referred to previous occasions where as many as three commissions made recommendations. Chairperson Fischer suggested that the commission might also want to make a recommendation that the ordinance the variances are being granted from be considered. Commissioner Frost moved the Planning Commission recommend: Adoption of the resolution which amends the comprehensive land use plan from R3H (residential high density) to G (government facility) for the property north and northwest of 1347 and 1351 Frost Avenue. This approval is for the construction of the proposed Maplewood Fire Station No. 2 Gladstone Neighborhood. Approval is because the proposed fire station would comply with the general development policies in the Maplewood Comprehensive Plan. Adoption of the resolution which approves a conditional use permit for the proposed Maplewood Fire Station No. 2 Gladstone Neighborhood north and northwest of 1347 and 1351 Frost Avenue. Approval is based on the findings required by the code and subject to the following conditions: 1. All construction shall follow the site plan approved by the city. The director of community development may approve minor changes. The proposed construction must be substantially started within one year of council approval or the permit shall become null and void. The council may extend this deadline for one year. 3. The city council shall review this permit in one year. The applicant shall have their surveyor provide the legal description for the Clarence Street right-of-way and have the city attorney prepare documentation for the dedication and recording of this right-of-way. Commissioner Pearson seconded. Ayes--all The motion passed. Commissioner Rossbach moved the Planning Commission review Ordinance 36-22(c), Continuous Concrete Curbing Around Parking Lots, to see whether it meets the needs of the current parking standards. Commissioner Ledvina seconded. Ayes--all The motion passed. VI. NEW BUSINESS This item was deleted from the agenda. Planning Commission Minutes of 02-23-00 VII. UNFINISHED BUSINESS There was no unfinished business. VIII. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS -4- There were no visitor presentations. IX. COMMISSION PRESENTATIONS February 14 Council Meeting: Mr. Mueller reported on this meeting. February 28 Council Meeting: Mr. Rossbach will attend this meeting. March 13 Council Meeting: Ms. Fisher will attend this meeting. X. STAFF PRESENTATIONS A. White Bear Avenue Corridor Study Update Ken Roberts, associate planner, mentioned that the steering committee would be meeting on Thursday, February 24, 2000, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Maplewood City Council Chambers. He invited everyone to attend. Mr. Roberts said this will be the "last shot" with the consultants before they finalize their information. Mr. Rossbach said that Melinda Coleman, director of community development, had some concerns about whether the consultants had actually done what was requested of them. She would appreciate it if any of the planning commission members could attend this meeting on Thursday to voice their opinions. IX. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 7:48 p.m.