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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/19/20001. Call to Order MAPLEWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION Monday, June 19, 2000, 7:00 PM City Hall Council Chambers 1830 County Road B East 2. Roll Call 3. Approval of Agenda 4. Approval of Minutes Public Hearing a. Highpoint Ridge (County Road D and Highway 61) 1. Comprehensive plan changes: R-1 (single dwellings), R-1S (single dwellings - small lot) and M-1 (light manufacturing) to R-3(M) (residential medium density) - drop planned minor collector street 2. Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for a planned unit development (PUD) 3. Preliminary plat 4. No parking for one side of private streets and driveways New Business a. Goodrich Golf Course Clubhouse Conditional Use Permit (1820 Van Dyke Street) b. Amusement City Conditional Use Permit Revision (1870 Rice Street) 7. Unfinished Business a. Zoning Code Change - Business Commercial (BC) Zoning District 8. Visitor Presentations 9. Commission Presentations a. June 12 Council Meeting: Mr. Ledvina b. June 26 Council Meeting: Mr. Thompson c. July 10 Council Meeting: Mr. Rossbach 9. Staff Presentations 10. Adjournment MINUTES OF THE MAPLEWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION 1830 COUNTY ROAD B EAST, MAPLEWOOD, MINNESOTA MONDAY, JUNE 19, 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 Lorraine Fischer Present Jack Frost Present Matt Ledvina Present Paul Mueller Present Gary Pearson Present William Rossbach Present Milo Thompson Absent Dale Trippler Present III. APPROVAL OFAGENDA Commissioner Frost moved approval of the agenda, as submitted. Commissioner Pearson seconded. Ayes--all The motion passed. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES There were no minutes. V. PUBLIC HEARING Highpoint Ridge (County Road D and Highway 61): Comprehensive Plan Changes-R-1 (single dwellings), R-lS (single dwellings - small lot) and M-1 (light manufacturing) to R-3(M) (residential medium density) and drop planned minor collector street; Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for a planned unit development (PUD); Preliminary plat; and No parking for one side of private streets and driveways Ken Roberts, associate planner, presented the staff report. He answered questions about proposed traffic signals at Lydia and Highway 61 and anticipated traffic patterns in the area. The developer has not presented design plans for the apartment complex. Mr. Roberts thought the density and unit count was important but Commissioner Frost was concerned about the "mass of buildings." Commissioner Trippler commented on the extensive amount of traffic currently at County Road D and Highway 61. Ken Haider, city engineer, said the basis of a long-term plan is to combine the County Road D and 1-694 ramp traffic into one intersection that crosses Highway 61. He felt additional development at the Maplewood Mall would be the impetus to start this traffic-control project. Mr. Haider spoke about the allowance of u-turns on streets. Mr. Roberts answered questions from Commissioner Mueller on parking for the apartment complex and the affect of an apartment building on property values. He pointed out that the proposed apartment building was fairly well isolated from the existing homes in the area. Frank Frattalone, the developer of the project, described his proposal. He said their traffic plans were submitted to the state for Highway 61 and the county for County Road D and were approved Planning Commission Minutes of 06-19-00 -2- by both. He pointed out that, even though it sounds like a lot of homes, it is "not real dense" for this large of an area. Commissioner Pearson asked if Mr. Frattalone had considered a horseshoe coming down Duluth Street with a cul-de-sac on the west end of Lydia to better distribute traffic. Ken Haider said the basis of the design presented in the area was additional emergency access to the existing development south of this. Mr. Frattalone confirmed that the apartment complex would be two, three-story units. He showed a rendering of the buildings. Mr. Frattalone introduced Todd Arness who is affiliated with Bruce Mogren and would be one of the owners of the apartment project. Mr. Frattalone was not very receptive to the idea of turning the apartment complex into single-family homes, primarily because of the elevations on the site and the proximity to Highway 61. Todd Arness said this apartment would be "a little bit of an upgrade" from the unit built on Gervais Avenue, west of White Bear Avenue and would have the same ownership. He noted that there will be about 20 one-unit, 80 two-unit, and 20 three-unit apartments with a rent range of $900-$1200. He projected that parking required would be a little more than one car per unit. One underground and one surface parking area would be provided for each apartment. Mr. Frattalone stated that an annual income of $41,000 for a family of four would be necessary to qualify for these units. Melinda Coleman, director of community development, cautioned the commission that their role was not to take income of proposed tenants into account when making their decisions. She also said that there was no evidence to indicate that apartment buildings lower property values. According to information she received from the county assessor, a lower value in neighborhoods was more contingent on the age and maintenance of the structures and on the presence of blight, such as junk vehicles. The hearing was opened for public participation. Jeff Bradt, 1236 Summit Court, was disappointed in the staff recommendation. He felt it was "insulting" and "arrogant" for staff to write that this development would be beneficial to the nearby existing residential properties. Mr. Bradt had a major concern about the future traffic impact and spoke about the situation that now exists. His apprehension was not about property values but the impact on the "quality of life." Brent Jorgenson (1235 Summit Court), Joyce Lambert (2986 Duluth Street), Klm Esch (2993 Carey Heights Drive), Valerie Bradt (1236 Summit Court), E. Barrett (1176 County Road D), Doug Huntley (3020 Edward Street), Dan Jurgens (1225 Summit Court) and the occupant of 1245 Summit Court spoke about traffic concerns, the impact of the apartment complex on the area. The public hearing portion of the meeting was closed. A short break in the meeting was taken. Commissioner Rossbach moved the Planning Commission recommend the residential development to the west of the existing line between the M-1 zone and the R-1 zone be allowed to occur using a street pattern that would not access Highway 61. It was further recommended, due to traffic access problems to Highway 61, that the existing M-1 zone be maintained or another Iow- traffic volume development be proposed. If Frank Frattalone, the applicant, wishes to alter the line between the existing M-1 and R-1 zones so that it removes the jog towards the north end, the Planning Commission would agree with that change. Commissioner Pearson seconded. Commissioner Rossbach clarified that his motion meant their would be no access from the residential area through the M-1 zone to Highway 61. The traffic would go down through Duluth Street or Carey Heights Drive. The M-1 line would be straight north/south and would not jog. He Planning Commission Minutes of 06-19-00 -3- confirmed that there would be no R-1 on the south end of the M-1 zone. This proposal says that a development, very similar to the one that is proposed which is to the west of the M-l/R-1 line, would be allowed. Ayes--all The motion passed. There was a question as to whether there would be motions on the other items. Mr. Roberts thought there could be action taken on the part of the plat that was west of the "line." Commissioner Frost moved the Planning Commission recommend approval of Recommendations B, C, and D to be consistent with the motion in A. Bo Approve the resolution which approves a conditional use permit for a planned unit development for the Highpoint Ridge housing development. The city bases this approval on the findings required by code. (Refer to the resolution for the specific findings.) Approval is subject to the following conditions: All construction shall follow the plans date-stamped May 26, 2000, except where the city requires changes. The city council may approve major changes. 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 end. The council may extend this deadline for one year. Have the city engineer approve final construction and engineering plans. These plans shall include: grading, utility, drainage, erosion control, streets, trails, tree and driveway and parking lot plans. The design of the ponds shall be subject to the approval of the city engineer. The developer shall give the city an easement for this pond and shall be responsible for getting any needed off-site pond and drainage easements. 5. The developer or contractor shall: a. Complete all grading for the site drainage and the pond, complete all public improvements and meet all city requirements. b.* Place temporary orange safety fencing and signs at the grading limits. c. Remove the debris, junk, garbage and travel trailers from the site. This approval does not include the final design approval for the duplexes, townhomes or for the apartment buildings. The developer shall submit the final building, landscaping and site plans for these to the community design review board (CDRB) for approval by the CDRB. The city shall not issue any building permits for construction on an outlot (per city code requirements). The developer must record a final plat to create buildable lots for any outlot in the preliminary plat before the city will issue a building permit. 8. The city council shall review this permit in one year. Planning Commission Minutes of 06-19-00 Co -4- Approve the Highpoint Ridge preliminary plat (received by the city on May 26, 2000). The developer shall complete the following before the city council approves the final plat: 1. Sign an agreement with the city that guarantees that the developer or contractor will: a. Complete all grading for overall site drainage, complete all public improvements and meet all city requirements. b.* Place temporary orange safety fencing and signs at the grading limits. c. Have NSP install Group V rate street lights in at least nine locations - primarily at street intersections and street curves. The exact style and location shall be subject to the city engineer's approval. d. Pay the city for the cost of traffic-control, street identification and no parking signs. e. Provide all required and necessary easements. f. Demolish or remove the existing house and garage at 1170 County Road D, and all other buildings, scrap metal, debris and junk from the site. g. Cap and seal all wells on site that the owners are not using; remove septic systems or drainfields, subject to Minnesota rules and guidelines. Within one year of the contractor installing the sanitary sewer, the owners of the existing houses on Carey Heights Drive shall connect their houses to the sanitary sewer. h. Complete all the curb and gutter on Duluth Street and on Carey Heights Drive on the south side of the site. This is to replace the temporary cul-de-sac, repair the cul-de-sac pavement and restore and sod the boulevards. I. For the trails, complete the following: (1) Construct an eight-foot-wide paved walkway and two-rail split-rail fencing between Lots 4 and 5, Block 1, between the street and the proposed east/west trail in Block 3, and along the north side of the lots in Block One (in the easement area) as shown on the plat date-stamped May 26, 2000. The developer shall extend the west end of the trail in Lot 3, Block One into the city park to connect to the existing park trail. All trails between lots shall be in a 18-foot-wide trailway or pedestrian way or in easement areas. (2) The developer shall install a two-rail split-rail fence on both sides of each trail and posts at the end of the trails to prevent motorized vehicles from using the trail. (3) The developer shall build the trails and fencing with the streets. (4) The city engineer must approve these plans. j. Install signs where the driveways for the twin homes and for the town houses intersect the public streets indicating that they are private driveways. 2.* Have the city engineer approve final construction and engineering plans. These plans shall include grading, utility, drainage, erosion control, tree, trail, sidewalk and street plans. The plans shall meet the following conditions: Planning Commission Minutes of 06-19-00 -5- a. The erosion control plans shall be consistent with the city code. b. The grading plan shall show: (1) The proposed building pad elevation and contour information for each home site. The lot lines on this plan shall follow the approved preliminary plat. (2) Contour information for all the land that the construction will disturb. (3) House pads that reduce the grading on sites where the developer can save large trees. (4) The proposed street and trail grades as allowed by the city engineer. (5) All proposed slopes on the construction plans. The city engineer shall approve the plans, specifications and management practices for any slopes steeper than 3:1. On slopes steeper than 3:1, the developer shall prepare and implement a stabilization and planting plan. At a minimum, the slopes shall be protected with wood fiber blanket, be seeded with a no maintenance vegetation and be stabilized before the city approves the final plat. (6) All retaining walls on the plans. Any retaining walls taller than 4 feet require a building permit from the city. (7) Sedimentation basins or ponds as required by the watershed board or by the city engineer. (8) No grading beyond the plat boundary without temporary grading easements from the affected property owner(s). (9) A minimum of a 10-foot-wide, 10:1 bench below the normal water elevation (NWL) of any pond designed to be a wet pond. The depth of the pond below the NWL shall not exceed four feet. c.* The tree plan shall: (1) Be approved by the city engineer before site grading or final plat approval. (2) Show where the developer will remove, save or replace large trees. This plan shall include an inventory of all existing large trees on the site. (3) Show the size, species and location of the replacement trees. The deciduous trees shall be at least two and one half (2 ½) inches in diameter and shall be a mix of red and white oaks, ash, lindens and sugar maples. The coniferous trees shall be at least eight (8) feet tall and shall be a mix of Austrian pine and other species. (4) Show no tree removal beyond the approved grading and tree limits. (5) Include for city staff a detailed planting plan and material list. (6) Be revised to group the new trees together. These planting areas shall be around the ponding areas, on the steep slopes, along the common property lines between residences and along all of the proposed trails. The developer may use the tree groupings to separate the different types of residences. Planning Commission Minutes of 06-19-00 -6- (7) Show the planting of at least 242 trees after the site grading is done. d. The street, trail and utility plans shall show: (1) Paved walkways and two-rail split-rail fences in a trailway or pedestrian way as shown on the proposed plans. This shall include the trail between Lots 4 and 5, Block 1, in Block 3 (as revised), between Block 1 and Block 3 (under the power lines), connecting to the existing park trail to the west of the site and on the east side of English Lane (Ridge Lane) to connect to the proposed apartment site. The parks and recreation director shall approve their locations and design. (2) The public streets shall be a 9-ton design with a maximum street grade of eight percent and the maximum street grade within 75 feet of all intersections at two percent. (3) All the streets, parking areas and driveways with continuous concrete curb and gutter. (4) All public street right-of-ways shall be at least 60-feet-wide. (5) The completion of the curb and gutter on the north end of Duluth Street and the existing Carey Heights Drive cul-de-sac, the repair or replacement of the cul-de-sac pavement and the restoration and sodding of the boulevards around the cul-de-sac. (6) A connection between the proposed water main in Block 3 and the proposed water main system on the southerly part of the plat. The developer also shall make a connection between the proposed water main on Lydia Avenue at Highway 61 and the existing water main on the west side of Highway 61, south of Guldens. (7) The coordination of the water main alignments and sizing with the standards and requirements of the Saint Paul Regional Water Services (SPRWS). Available fire flow analysis shall be determined for the water system at the proposed apartment complex as well as through the existing 8-inch and 12-inch crossings of Highway 61 at Beam Avenue. Fire flow requirements shall be verified with the Maplewood Fire Department. (8) All utility excavations located within the proposed right-of-ways or within easements. The developer shall acquire easements for all utilities that would be outside the project area. (9) A reduced number of sanitary and storm sewer manholes and water main bends by "cutting corners" with the utility alignments. The developer's engineer shall verify with the SPRWS the acceptable water main alignments and crossings. Manholes may be offset from the street centerline if the result lessens the number of structures. (10) Provisions for public utilities and service(s) to the vacant or undeveloped properties on the south side of the proposed Lydia Avenue. e. The drainage plan shall ensure that there is no increase in the rate of storm water run-off leaving the site above the current (predevelopment) levels. 3. Change the plat as follows: a. Add drainage and utility easements as required by the city engineer. Planning Commission Minutes of 06-19-00 -7- b. Show drainage and utility easements along all property lines on the final plat. These easements shall be ten feet wide along the front and rear property lines and five feet wide along the side property lines. c. Revise the lot lines in Block One and Block Three so there is a 18-foot-wide trail or pedestrian way between Lots 4 and 5, Block One and between Lots 6 and 7 or between Lots 8 and 9, Block Three to accommodate the proposed trails. d. Show the existing pipeline and the NSP and pipeline easements on the final plat. e. Show all public street right-of-ways at 60 feet wide. f. Make as many of the property lines as is reasonably possible radial to the cul-de-sacs or perpendicular to the street right-of-ways. g. If necessary, increase the lot widths for the lots next to the pipeline to ensure that the house pads will be at least 100 feet away from the pipeline. (code requirement) h. Change the street names as follows: 1. Carey Heights Drive shall be used only in Block 2 (Phase One) of the project. The north/south street between Outlot A and Outlot B shall be Duluth Street. 2. Highpoint Court shall be called Ridge Place. 3. English Lane shall be called Ridge Lane. 4. The cul-de-sac in Block 3 shall be called Highridge Court. I. Show the extra ten-feet of street right-of-way for County Road D. Secure and provide all required easements for the development including: a. Any off-site drainage and utility easements. b. Any necessary easements for the dedication and construction of Lydia Avenue. The developer shall complete all grading for public improvements and overall site drainage. The city engineer shall include in the developer's agreement any grading that the developer or contractor has not completed before final plat approval. Record the following with the final plat: a. All homeowners association documents. b. A deed restriction prohibiting the construction of a dwelling or its attachments within 100 feet of the Williams Brothers pipeline. This affects Lots 3 through 6, Block 1 and Lots 7 through 18, Block 3 of the proposed preliminary plat the city received on May 26, 2000. The developer also shall notify the purchasers of the pipeline location. c. A deed dedicating 10 feet of additional right-of-way along County Road D for future street widening with the final plat. The applicant shall submit the language for this dedication to the city for approval before recording. Planning Commission Minutes of 06-19-00 -8- d. A covenant or deed restriction with the final plat that prohibits the driveways on Lots 1, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 36, Block 3 from going onto County Road D. A covenant or deed restriction that prohibits any further subdivision or splitting of the lots or parcels in the plat that would create additional building sites unless approved by the city council. The applicant shall submit the language for these dedications and restrictions to the city for approval before recording. 7. Obtain a permit from the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District for grading. o The owners of the properties at 1174 and 1176 County Road D shall change the addresses of their properties to Carey Heights Drive addresses within 30 days of the contractor installing the base bituminous course for the new public street in front of their homes. If the developer decides to final plat part of the preliminary plat, the director of community development may waive any conditions that do not apply to the final plat. *The developer must complete these conditions before the city issues a grading permit or approves the final plat. Adopt the resolution which is for the on-street parking standards and no on-street parking requirements for the Highpoint Ridge PUD south of County Road D and west of Highway 61. Commissioner Rossbach seconded. Ayes--all The motion passed. VI. NEW BUSINESS A. Goodrich Golf Course Clubhouse Conditional Use Permit (1820 Van Dyke Street) Ken Roberts, associate planner, summarized the staff report. Commissioner Rossbach asked at what point the county would be told about the possibility of eliminating a section of North St. Paul Road so that this street would turn onto the Ripley Avenue alignment. He pointed out that this would affect the proposed area where golf carts will be stored. Mr. Roberts felt that, since North St. Paul Road is a county road, the county would be involved "early on in the planning process." Ken Haider, city engineer, said there are "some things in the works" that would make this possible realignment more difficult. Kevin Finley, director of operations of the Ramsey County Parks and Recreation Department, offered some history about the proposed project. He indicated that the carts would be stored closer to the building and would not be on the corner. Commissioner Frost moved the Planning Commission recommend: Approval of the resolution which approves a conditional use permit for the Goodrich Golf Course and clubhouse expansion at 1820 Van Dyke Street. The council bases the permit on the findings required by code and it is 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. Planning Commission Minutes of 06-19-00 -9- 2. The applicant must begin construction within one year after the council approves this permit or the permit shall end. The city council may extend this deadline for one year. 3. The city council shall review this permit in one year. Commissioner Pearson seconded. Ayes--all The motion passed. B. Amusement City Conditional Use Permit Revision (1870 Rice Street) Ken Roberts, associate planner, presented the staff report. Commissioner Trippler asked about the chemical make-up of the paintballs that will be used. He was concerned because the paintball field is adjacent to the wetland and these could have a detrimental affect. Commissioner Pearson commented on the current condition of the dumpster site and said it was a "pig-sty." Commissioner Mueller voiced his concern about the cars that are kept on the site. He felt this site was an "eyesore" and did not look nice. Dan Betts, the applicant, said the paintballs were made of a gelatin substance. He indicated that the dumpster was full because they have recently had many large groups at the facility. Mr. Betts also noted that there were only six or seven cars left on the site now, as compared to almost forty in the past. There was some discussion on the paintball field. Carolyn Peterson, 1999 Jackson Street, said some people in the vicinity of this facility have complained about the noise, particularly from loudspeakers and often later at night. Mr. Roberts could not find a condition that addressed the hours of operation. Ms. Peterson wondered where people would walk when going from the parking area or Rice Street to the paintball field. Mr. Betts indicated the path. Ms. Peterson also pointed out that the paintball operation is currently operating without city permission. She said this facility has a history of not following the rules or being a good neighbor. Ms. Peterson was concerned about adequate parking being provided, particularly handicapped parking. Ken Roberts suggested that the commission might want to add a condition about hours of operation. Commissioner Mueller thought the loud noise could be considered a nuisance. Mr. Betts said the hours of operation were 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days of the week. Commissioner Pearson moved the Planning Commission deny the resolution which would revise the conditional use permit for Amusement City at 1870 Rice Street on the basis of past history, noncompliance and current condition of the property. Commissioner Mueller seconded. Commissioner Rossbach asked if it was the staff's opinion that there was a history of noncompliance. Mr. Roberts said there were a lot of problems when the driving range was operating on the site. Other than that, the biggest problem since then has been the parking of cars for storage or sale. Mr. Rossbach suggested that denying this request would not fix anything. He felt it would be better to specify what the commission desired and give the applicant a timeframe to accomplish it. Ayes--Pearson, Ledvina, Trippler, Mueller Nays--Fischer, Frost, Rossbach The motion passed. Mr. Rossbach voted nay because he felt it would not accomplish anything. Mr. Mueller said he needed to see "more positive movement" before he was willing to recommend approval of anything Planning Commission Minutes of 06-19-00 -10- that would increase the operation at this site. Mr. Pearson felt it would be rewarding poor behavior, poor relationships with neighbors and poor upkeep of the property to allow expansion. VII. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Zoning Code Change--Business Commercial (BC) Zoning District Ken Roberts, associate planner, presented the staff report. Commissioner Rossbach said he didn't like staff's proposed wording. Commissioner Rossbach moved the Planning Commission approve the code change which clarifies the use of dwelling units with business uses as follows: (1) A dwelling unit for one family is permitted with a business use. The dwelling unit and the principal business must be in the same structure. Commissioner Frost seconded. The motion passed. VIII. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS Ayes--Frost, Ledvina, Mueller, Pearson, Rossbach, Trippler Nay--Fischer There were no visitor presentations. IX. COMMISSION PRESENTATIONS A. June 12 Council Meeting: Mr. Ledvina reported on this meeting. B. June 26 Council Meeting: Mr. Thompson is scheduled to attend this meeting. C. July 10 Council Meeting: Mr. Rossbach will attend this meeting. IX STAFF PRESENTATIONS Ken Roberts, associate planner, mentioned that Tine Thevenin will give a site lighting presentation to the Community Design Review Board at their July 11 meeting. He invited the commissioners to attend if they were interested. X. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 10:17 p.m.