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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/27/2008 MINUTES OF THE MAPLEWOOD COMMUNITY DESIGN REVIEW BOARD 1830 COUNTY ROAD BEAST, MAPLEWOOD, MINNESOTA TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2008 I. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Olson called the meeting to order at 6:04 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Boardmember John Demko Vice-Chairperson Mall Ledvina Chairperson Linda Olson Boardmember Ananth Shankar Boardmember Matt Wise Present Present Present Absent Present Staff Present: Shann Finwall, Environmental Planner III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Boardmember Ledvina moved to approve the amended agenda, adding item 9.a.-Dynamic Display Ordinance Update and 9.b.-Proposed Ordinance on Cable Casting Update. Boardmember Demko seconded The motion passed. Ayes - all IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. April 22, 2008 Boardmember Wise moved approval of the amended minutes of April 22, 2008, adding "revision" after "ordinance" and deleting the remainder of the sentence in the fourth paragraph on page eight. Boardmember Demko seconded The motion passed. Ayes - all b. May 13, 2008 Boardmember Olson moved approval of the minutes of May 13, 2008 as sub milled . Boardmember Wise seconded The motion passed. Ayes - all V. DESIGN REVIEW a. Salvation Army (2080 Woodlynn Avenue) Planner Shann Finwall presented the staff report regarding the request from Salvation Army to expand their facility. Ken Nordby of NAI Architects and Don Tikhouse from the Salvation Army were present at the meeting. Mr. Nordby explained that the proposal is a fairly simple addition and that they tried to hold with the existing architectural value. Mr. Nordby said he and Mr. Tikhouse would be happy to address any questions the board might have. Community Design Review Board Minutes 05-27-2008 2 Boardmember Wise asked if they planned to match the existing brick on the present building. Mr. Nordby responded that the brick is still available and are trying to match it, but they have not seen a sample at the site yet. Boardmember Ledvina asked about the materials for the retaining wall. Mr. Nordby responded that a buff-colored keystone retaining wall is planned and will be about 30 inches high on the woodland side with the rainwater garden sloping up to it on the inside. Boardmember Olson asked about the plans for the parking lot. Mr. Nordby replied that their proposal is to either overlay or seal coat the parking lot. Mr. Nordby said the parking lot lighting would be repaired and then reinstalled. Mr. Nordby said the roof will match the roof that was installed on the daycare building. Boardmember Ledvina moved to approve the project plans dated April 21, 2008 for the remodeling and expansion of the Salvation Army Lakewood Chapel at 2080 Woodlynn Avenue. The city bases this approval on the findings required by code. This approval is subject to the applicant or contractor doing the following: 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 grading or building permit: a. Have the city engineer approve final construction and engineering plans. These plans shall include: grading, utility, drainage, erosion control, retaining wall, tree, sidewalk, driveway and parking lot plans. The plans shall meet the following conditions: (1) The erosion control plan shall be consistent with city code. (2) The grading plan shall: (a) Include building, floor elevation, water elevation and contour information. (b) Include contour information for all 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. The ponds or basins shall meet the city's design standards and shall include best management practices and rainwater gardens wherever practical. (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" native 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 and a fence on the top to help prevent falls. The design and materials for the retaining walls are subject to staff approval. Community Design Review Board Minutes 05-27-2008 3 (f) Show all public and private sidewalks. (3) The tree plan shall: (a) Be approved by the city engineer or city environmental planner before site grading or tree removal. (b) 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. (c) Show the size, species and location of the replacement trees. The spruce and pine trees shall be at least eight feet tall and shall be Austrian Pines or Black Hills spruce. (d) Show no tree removal beyond the approved grading and tree limits. (4) Make all the changes and meet all the conditions as required by the city engineer and as noted by Steve Kummer in the memo dated May 8, 2008. b. Submit a certificate of survey for all new construction. c. Submit a revised landscape plan to staff for approval that incorporates or shows the following details: (1) The location of all large trees on the site. (2) That all new trees would be consistent with city standards for size, location and species. (3) The plantings proposed around the building shown on the landscape plan date-stamped April 21, 2008, shall remain on the plan. (4) No landscaping being put in the Woodlynn Avenue boulevard. The contractor shall restore the boulevard with sod. d. If necessary, get the approvals and permits from the watershed district. e. Provide city staff with design details (height, depth and materials) about the proposed retaining walls, including any fencing for those that are more than four feet tall. f. Submit to the city a letter of credit or cash escrow for all required exterior improvements. The amount of the escrow shall be 150 percent of the cost of the work. 3. Complete the following before occupying the building additions: a. Replace property irons that are removed because of this construction. b. Restore and sod damaged boulevards. Sod all landscaped areas, except for the ponding areas, which may be seeded. c. Install a handicap-parking sign for each handicap-parking space and an address on the building. In addition, the applicant shall install "no parking" signs along all the driveways and drive aisles within the site and elsewhere, as may be required by staff. Community Design Review Board Minutes 05-27-2008 4 d. Paint any visible roof-top mechanical equipment to match the uppermost part of the building. (code requirement) e. 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. All light fixtures must have concealed lenses and bulbs to properly shield glare from the adjacent street right-of-ways and from adjacent properties. f. The developer or contractor shall: (1) Complete all grading for the site drainage and meet all city requirements. (2) Place temporary orange safety fencing and signs at the grading limits. 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 if the contractor finishes the new parking lot in the fall or winter or if the building additions are occupied in the fall or winter, or within six weeks of occupancy if the building additions are occupied in the spring or summer. c. The city receives an agreement that will allow the city to complete any unfinished work. 5. All work shall follow the approved plans. City staff may approve minor changes to the project plans. 6. This approval does not include signage. All proposed signs must be approved the community design review board and the applicant shall get sign permits from the city before the installation of any signs. Boardmember Wise seconded The motion passed. Ayes - all VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Comprehensive Plan - Sustainability Section and Design Provisions Planner Finwall presented the staff report and asked for comments from the commission regarding the design-related and sustainability sections of the plan to be included in the 2008 plan. Boardmember Ledvina said he likes having the sustainability chapter as a separate chapter rather than sprinkled throughout the document. Mr. Ledvina said the city of St. Paul's sustainability document, which was given to the board for review, is very interesting and detailed and is also very specific regarding their projects and policies. Mr. Ledvina said he feels the staff report covers the all of the topics and is a good addition to the comprehensive plan. Mr. Ledvina said he does not have anything further to add to it. Boardmember Demko said he feels the draft report is complete and that he has nothing further to add to it. Boardmember Wise suggested the clarification that the city will try to provide education for developers and business owners on incentives, so they can be made aware that there are Community Design Review Board Minutes 05-27-2008 5 incentives available to help with funding for some of the projects. Mr. Wise suggested that staff be cognizant of lack of flexibility and said some of the standards seem a lillle excessive at times and that there might be alternatives that could be allowed that would encourage sustainability and balance cost and environmental impact. Mr. Wise suggested that the city could benefit by having a representative get tested and certified through the USGBC. Boardmember Olson complimented planner Shann Finwall on her work completing the draft report saying she feels all of the board's comments are included and the report appears comprehensive. Boardmember Ledvina said he would like to see specifics and analysis with tactical plans for being a sustainable community, similar to the city of St. Paul's document, which could be included in Maplewood's final document. Planner Finwall commented that as an environmental planner, this would be the next step of the process to create the implementation strategies and plans. Boardmember Olson said she feels that this is a new issue to the city of Maplewood and would expect modifications over the next few years. Also, she feels Maplewood cannot match St Paul's level of depth and detail since Maplewood doesn't have the paid staff or volunteer resources available to do the same scope of work. VII. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS None VIII. BOARD PRESENTATIONS None IX. STAFF PRESENTATIONS a. Dynamic Display Ordinance Update Planner Shann Finwall gave an update on this ordinance and said that staff feels this ordinance should at this point be discussed at a workshop with the city council, which has been scheduled for July 9 at 6 p.m., and suggested that a board representative be present at this meeting. Boardmember Ledvina volunteered to allend this meeting. b. Televised Broadcast of City Meetings Planner Finwall updated the board saying that the proposed ordinance is going to be further reviewed by the city allorney. X. ADJOURNMENT Boardmember Olson moved to adjourn the meeting at 6:50 p.m. Boardmember Wise seconded Ayes - all