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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/15/2008 MINUTES OF THE MAPLEWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION 1830 COUNTY ROAD BEAST, MAPLEWOOD, MINNESOTA TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2008 I. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Fischer called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Commissioner Joseph Boeser Vice-Chairperson Tushar Desai Chairperson Lorraine Fischer Commissioner Harland Hess Commissioner Robert Martin Commissioner Gary Pearson Commissioner Dale Trippler Commissioner Joe Walton Commissioner Jeremy Yarwood Staff Present: Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Absent Tom Ekstrand. Senior Planner Steve Love. City Staff Enqineer III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Commissioner Hess moved to approve the agenda as presented. Commissioner Boeser seconded The motion passed. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. July 1, 2008 Ayes - all Commissioner Pearson moved approval of the amended minutes of July 1, 2008 adding as the sixth paragraph on page two as follows: "Commissioner Hess questioned the comprehensive plan on the road profiles-why they are wider than the new proposed road profiles in regards to the 2030 comprehensive plan regarding the different types of transports for the future using the wider road surface using the extra lane on the side for busses, scooters, etc." and correcting "impervious" to "pervious" in the third to the bottom paragraph on page two. Commissioner Trippler seconded The motion passed. V. PUBLIC HEARING Ayes - Boeser, Fischer, Hess, Martin, Pearson, Trippler Abstentions - Desai, Walton a. 7:06 p.m. Sl. John's Hospital Expansion-Conditional Use Permit Revision Senior Planner Tom Ekstrand presented the staff report for the request by HealthEast to enlarge Sl. John's Hospital. Planning Commission Minutes of 07-15-08 -2- Commissioner Trippler asked if the parking lot would be a pervious surface and how wide the stalls would be. A representative of the applicant present at the meeting responded saying the applicant is aware the city encourages a pervious surface. Mr. Ekstrand responded city code requires a parking stall to be nine and one-half feet in width and eighteen feet in depth. Commissioner Hess asked for details regarding the easement vacations mentioned in the staff report. Mr. Steve Love, staff engineer for the project, referred to the topographic survey on the southwest side of the site showing a ponding easement, storm water easement and water easement which were not shown on the design plans. Mr. Love said they are currently looking at either vacating or revising these easements to be out of the area of the building footprint. Mr. Hess asked if there is a plan for better movement of traffic accessing the site. Mr. Love responded they have requested more information about the access to the site and said they are considering possibly changing the routing. Commissioner Martin noted the traffic study being used for this project was completed in 2003 and commented there have been considerable changes to the area since that time increasing traffic. Mr. Love responded that at the time the 2003 survey was done traffic build outs were looked at considering future projects planned for the area and also the future reconstruction of several streets in the area. Commissioner Martin asked how the city encourages pervious surfaces. Mr. Love responded the city has created a video regarding using pervious surfaces instead of ponding on development sites to allow for more development area and also, the city has installed a pervious surface in the public works building parking lot for developers to observe. Commissioner Walton asked about the stockpiling of dirt in the parking lot that was mentioned in the staff report. Mr. Ekstrand responded the applicant is proposing to stock pile dirt on the west side of Kennard Street temporarily until additional parking space is needed on the site. Commissioner Desai suggested the dirt pile berm be planted with native plants that would not require mowing or fertilizing, rather than the mowable turf mentioned in the staff report. Mr. Ekstrand responded the city does encourage native plantings and this issue definitely needs more discussion and is scheduled for consideration by the community design review board at their next meeting. Tony Thomas, architect and systems director for HealthEast real estate corporate services, said in response to Mr. Hess' concern about accessing the site that trucks generally access the site from the east using Kennard Street to the loading dock, which is on that side of the site and he does not believe trucks normally used Hazelwood Avenue to access the site. Mr. Thomas said there is clear separation for the various traffic that uses the site. Mr. Thomas said he is in agreement with planting whatever is required on the berm on the east side of the site, but commented if trees are required he prefers them located where they can remain without moving when the berm is removed. Mr. Thomas said easement vacation documents are being prepared for vacation of the existing easements on the site. Commissioner Hess asked if materials would be used that would go toward LEED certification. Mr. Thomas responded the architects have been asked to review the designs as they are developed to see what would count for LEED points, but LEED is an intense process and they would instead rather put the money that would be tied up in that process back into the project. Planning Commission Minutes of 07-15-08 -3- Commissioner Boeser asked about the concerns of the neighbors regarding lighting and noise and referred to the lighting maximum of 25 feet. Mr. Thomas agreed saying they will meet whatever the city requires for lighting standards. Mr. Boeser asked what the additional height increase would be for the parking lot addition on the north side of the site. Dennis Vonasek of HGA said the height of the additional parking lot stories would be 12-14 feet. Mr. Boeser asked staff what can be done about the increased traffic and driver speed on Hazelwood Avenue. Mr. Boeser suggested a stop sign or speed mitigating matter be placed on Hazelwood. Staff responded that generally stop signs are not used to slow traffic, but rather enforcement is needed. The hearing was opened to the public. There were no comments; the public hearing was closed. Senior planner Ekstrand said he reviewed the parking lot stalls proposed for this project and said they are proposed to be nine and one-half to ten feet and explained the nine and one-half-foot width is what is required by code for hospital use. Commissioner Trippler commented the clinics fit the bill for high traffic turnover just as retail does. Commissioner Trippler moved to adopt the resolution approving a conditional use permit revision for St. John's Hospital. Approval is based on the findings required by ordinance and subject to the following conditions: 1. All construction shall follow the approved site plan. The planning staff may approve minor changes. 2. The proposed construction must be substantially started within one year of council approval or the permit shall become null and void. 3. The city council shall review this permit in one year. 4. Compliance with the city's engineering report by Steve Love dated July 8, 2008. 5. The applicant shall apply for the vacation of the ponding, storm sewer and water main easements that would lie beneath the proposed MCC/ED addition. The city shall not issue a building permit for this addition unless the city council first vacates these easements. Commissioner Pearson seconded The motion passed. Ayes - all VI. NEW BUSINESS a. 2008 Comprehensive Plan Update - Review and Discussion of Land Use Plan Update Senior planner Tom Ekstrand introduced Mike Martin of MFRA, Ron Leaf of SEH and Shann Finwall, city environmental planner. Mike Martin explained tonight's discussion will focus on the Surface Water, Sustainability and Historical Resources chapters. Mr. Martin updated the commission on the upcoming plan review schedule. Planning Commission Minutes of 07-15-08 -4- Surface Water Chapter Ron Leaf gave a presentation of the Surface Water plan and the history of the plan's development. Mr. Leaf gave an overview of the review and approval process for this document. Commissioner Walton said the plan is very well written and thorough. Mr. Walton mentioned the impairment of Lake Phalen with Eurasian Water Milfoil explaining the lake had a lot of algae around the shoreline in the spring. Mr. Walton asked Mr. Leaf to explain in further detail the impaired waters chart in the staff report. Mr. Leaf explained the chart. Mr. Walton said he feels there is an issue with invasive species in the lakes and it is not addressed in the report. Commissioner Boeser questioned whether invasive species are included in any of the city's other plans or documents. Environmental planner Shann Finwall said the subject is referred to in the city's natural resources plan, but it is not discussed in regards to the local lakes. Mr. Leaf explained that the Ramsey-Washington, Capital Branch and Valley Branch Watershed Districts are responsible for the more active management of all lakes within the watershed districts. Commissioner Hess asked why Phalen Lake is not impaired while other lakes in the surrounding area are impaired. Mr. Leaf explained it has a lot to do with what is coming into the lake in the internal loading, such as wind stirring up the bottom sediment influencing the algae, the external loading from the storm sewers and channels from other lakes, and also from other factors such as depth and size of the lake. Mr. Leaf reiterated that issues within the lakes are a regional matter and are managed by and under the jurisdiction of the watershed districts. Commissioner Pearson questioned the number of city square miles referred to as 17 in one place and 18 in another. Mr. Leaf said the number would be checked and confirmed. Commissioner Hess suggested that Appendix A containing the acronyms be listed at the front of the document rather than at the end. Commissioner Fischer recommended several wording changes and clarifying of descriptions to the draft document. Several commissioners added wording suggestions to make the draft clearer. Sustainability Chapter Environmental planner Shann Finwall presented the Sustainability chapter staff report and reviewed this chapter. Ms. Finwall explained that the Community Design Review Board and Environmental and Natural Resources Commission reviewed the Sustainability chapter and they feel it would be an important addition and guide. Ms. Finwall noted additions and changes made by the Community Design Review Board and Environmental and Natural Resources Commission. Commissioner Boeser suggested the items in the Sustainability chapter could be put into other chapters of the existing plan and do not require a separate chapter. Mr. Boeser said they are only suggested items and not concrete or enforceable matters. Commissioner Hess said the Sustainability chapter is part of the current water and air industry "speak" and is a method of closure to bring the chapters together. Planner Finwall said the City of Woodbury starts each chapter of their plan with a sustainability vision for that particular chapter. Ms. Finwall said the city did not start out this way and as they worked on the chapters it was felt that some goals did not fit into any of the existing chapters. Planning Commission Minutes of 07-15-08 -5- Commissioner Martin said he agrees with Commissioner Boeser regarding adding the Sustainability chapter items to other existing chapters and eliminating a separate sustainability chapter. Commissioner Pearson said he is not impressed with the Sustainability chapter and said he is not a supporter of individual composting that is mentioned in this chapter. Mr. Pearson said regarding adopting an urban tree ordinance mentioned in this chapter there is no mention of solar power or reimbursement for loss of trees. Mr. Pearson said the Sustainability chapter is not needed in the comprehensive plan. Commissioner Hess said he disagrees and feels the Sustainability chapter has a lot of good ideas and is a chapter devoted to the future of Maplewood and should be a separate summary chapter. Consultant Mike Martin said that the consultants and staff discussed and agreed that giving sustainability its own chapter provides extra emphasis. Mr. Martin explained that this chapter will be placed after the community profile in the first part of the final document and before the chapters that are required by the Metropolitan Council. Commissioner Boeser said that three to five key implementation strategies should be identified with specific examples of how each might be accomplished instead of having such a long list of items. Planner Finwall responded that she feels all of the items are achievable over a ten-year time period, but said if the commission desires it she could coordinate the items in a different manner. Commissioner Desai said he agrees the items could be summarized with high-level statements that explain in smaller degrees the sustainability that we want to get to. Historical Resources Chapter Consultant Mike Martin explained that the commission reviewed this chapter previously, but the Environmental and Natural Resource Commission has since made changes so it is being reviewed again at this meeting. Mr. Martin said that no policy statements or directions were changed-only typo errors and wording changes were made. Commissioner Boeser said the beginning of this chapter on historic preservation objectives reads like a vision statement for the historical preservation commission. Mr. Martin responded that the format of this section is somewhat different, but the points are the same as in other chapters. Mr. Martin said the direction was to continue with the current historical resources chapter and that is what was done. Commissioner Fischer asked if the historical preservation commission reviews development proposals. City planner Ekstrand said this commission receives a copy of development proposals to review and may make comments on those proposals. VII. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None VIII. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS None Planning Commission Minutes of 07-15-08 -6- IX. COMMISSION PRESENTATIONS . July 14 Council Meeting: Mr. Martin reported on this meeting. . July 28 Council Meeting: Mr. Walton will attend if needed. . August 11: To be discussed at the next meeting. . August 25: Mr. Desai X. STAFF PRESENTATIONS a. Reminder: Special meeting on July 29 for Continuing Comprehensive Plan Update Discussion b. National Night Out-August 5 (The First August Commission Meeting) It was decided staff would investigate options for rescheduling dates and locations available and discuss this further at the July 29 meeting. XI. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:55 p.m.