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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission Minutes 12-05-2018Approved Minutes 1 of 7 Meeting of December 5, 2018 Proposed Minutes Planning Commission Meeting December 5, 2018 MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Marc Anderson, Commissioners Bryan Oakley, Donovan Saba, Julie Witt, David Witte, and Justin Markell MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: Community Development Director Steve Juetten, Planning Manager Barbara Thomson, Senior Planner Lori Sommers, HRA Manager Jim Barnes and Senior Engineering Technician Trevor Quast OTHERS PRESENT: Councilmember Ned Carroll 1. CALL TO ORDER - 7:00 P.M. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. PUBLIC FORUM 4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION by Commissioner Saba, seconded by Commissioner Witte, to approve the December 5, 2018 Planning Commission Agenda. Vote. 6 Ayes. MOTION approved. 5. CONSENT AGENDA A. APPROVAL OF THE OCTOBER 17, 2018 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES MOTION by Commissioner Oakley, seconded by Commissioner Witte, to approve the consent agenda. Vote. 6 Ayes. MOTION approved. 6. NEW BUSINESS A. FIELDSTONE FAMILY HOMES, INC. (2018077) Chair Anderson introduced the request by Fieldstone Family Homes, Inc. for a variance to side yard setbacks to allow construction of a new home on property located at 2625 Medicine Ridge Road. Senior Planner Sommers gave an overview of the staff report. 5A Approved Minutes 2 of 7 Meeting of December 5, 2018 Chair Anderson stated that the original home had a setback of five feet on one side and ten feet on the other. He noted if the property owner would have obtained a building permit within six months of the fire, that original setback could have been kept, b ut because that did not occur, the default setback of 15 feet on each side went back into effect. He noted that this is a narrow lot, similar to many of the lots in this area. He stated that the proposal would have setbacks of 9.5 feet on each side. Senior Planner Sommers confirmed that many of the lots in the area are 50 to 60 feet wide and therefore would also be in a similar situation. Planning Manager Thomson explained that the lots are legally nonconforming, and therefore if a home on the subject lot would have been rebuilt within 180 days, the same setbacks could have been kept. Commissioner Oakley asked if the proposed home would be one or two stories. Senior Planner Sommers replied that the proposal would be for a two-story home and confirmed that the previous home was also two-story. Commissioner Witte asked the front yard setback of the old home, compared to the proposed home. Senior Planner Sommer provided the front setback of the proposed home compared to the previous home and commented that she did not believe that moving the home closer to the street would reduce the need for a variance for the side yard setback. Chair Anderson introduced Trent Johnson, representing the applicant, who stated that this is a challenging site, and they have developed a responsible plan that fits with the neighborhood. He stated that they were under the assumption that they would fall under the allowance for a five- and ten -yard setback that the previous home had. He thanked the commission for hearing the variance request. Commissioner Oakley stated that the proposed home is similar in square footage to the previous home that burned down. He said he was curious as to the size of home that could fit within the allowable space under the 15 -foot setbacks. Mr. Johnson provided a sketch showing the size of the structure that could be put on the lot with the 15-foot side yard setbacks, noting that the home would be rendered useless because of the pie shape of the lot. Commissioner Markell asked for clarification on the assumption that the five - and ten-foot setbacks would be granted. Mr. Johnson stated that they were told by the buyer that they would be allowed the five - and ten- yard setbacks, but realized that not to be true when they attempted to obtain a building permit. Approved Minutes 3 of 7 Meeting of December 5, 2018 Chair Anderson provided an opportunity for the public to speak. He noted that two written comments were received, one in support and one in opposition, which will be entered into the public record. There were no comments made by members of the public. Commissioner Oakley referenced the comment written in opposition and asked where that property owner lives in relation to the subject property. Senior Planner Sommers identified the locations of the residents that wrote letters. Chair Anderson asked the setback between the proposed home and 2615 Medicine Ridge Road. Senior Planner Sommers indicated that the setback was about 15 feet. Commissioner Markell asked the setback to the freestanding garage on the property to the east. Senior Planner Sommers indicated that the setback was about five feet. Commissioner Oakley stated that this seems like a lot that should have a home on it and believed that would be a benefit to the City, property owner and the neighborhood. He stated that the plan is reasonable and is less intrusive than the home that previously resided on the lot. Commissioner Markell agreed. Commissioner Witte stated that this is a very reasonable proposal, but it also raises the issue of when the City will have the opportunity to bring these legal nonconforming lots into conformance. He stated that in this case, the request is reasonable and therefore he will support the request. Chair Anderson stated that he also struggles with the issue of conformance. He noted that at one time the lots in that area were conforming and approved by the City, but explained that the City has since changed the zoning rules. MOTION by Commissioner Oakley, seconded by Commissioner Markell, to recommend approval of the request by Fieldstone Family Homes, Inc. for a variance to side yard setbacks to allow construction of a new home on property located at 2625 Medicine Ridge Road. Vote. 6 Ayes. MOTION approved. 7. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. CITY OF PLYMOUTH (2016038) Chair Anderson introduced the request by the City of Plymouth for the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Planning Manager Thomson gave an overview of the plan. Approved Minutes 4 of 7 Meeting of December 5, 2018 Commissioner Oakley referenced the comments received from the Metropolitan Council and the staff comment that the City is not obligated to change the plan in response to those comments. He asked if the plan was changed in response to those comments. Planning Manager Thomson stated that staff did not change the plan in response to every comment. She noted that the comments were divided into simple suggestions and more specific comments. She noted that some of the comments were incorporated, while others were not. Commissioner Witte thanked staff for their efforts in developing this elaborate plan. He stated that the city has grown faster than anticipated and asked if the plans have been recalibrated to account for that growth. Planning Manager Thomson confirmed that the plans have been recalculated to reflect that growth. Commissioner Witte referenced the recharge zones for the aquifer and asked for additional information. Planning Manager Thomson replied that as the city is developing this plan, the engineering department is working on an expanded surface water plan that will include the specifics. Senior Engineering Technician Quast replied that he would need to get back to the commission with the additional information on recharge zones. Chair Anderson noted that staff indicated that the plan was changed to incorporate some of the comments from the Metropolitan Council and asked who was involved with that process. Planning Manager Thomson stated that staff had discussions with the Metropolitan Council staff, and there was discussion with department heads and with several of the City Council members. Chair Anderson summarized that the City studied the comments and held discussions with staff and the City Council to make appropriate decisions for the city. He referenced the projected population growth, but noted that the city is running out of land for development. He asked if some of the population growth would occur in redevelopment areas. Planning Manager Thomson confirmed that would be the case. Chair Anderson stated that many of the new subdivisions install a private park or amenities and asked if those are counted as city parks. Planning Manager Thomson confirmed that private parks and amenities within developments are not counted as city parks. Commissioner Markell asked if the school districts were invited to provide comments. Planning Manager Thomson confirmed that the school districts were invited to provide comments, but did not provide any. She stated that staff does have discussions with the school Approved Minutes 5 of 7 Meeting of December 5, 2018 districts related to population growth and provides input to the school districts on their plans for future facilities. Chair Anderson opened the public hearing. Chair Anderson introduced LaDonna Hoy, 4701 Vagabond Lane, representing Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners, who stated that recently the organization and its partners sent a letter to the HRA and Planning Commission about their deep concern over the growing housing prices in the community, which in turn impacts families in the community. She asked that the City include language and policy that would incent preservation of affordable housing stock. She stated that part of the crisis is driven by the attrition of formerly affordable housing stock that is moving to market rate. She stated that a healthy vacancy rate for rentals is five percent, whereas Plymouth has a vacancy rate of 1.6 percent. She stated that there is a spike in homelessness across suburban communities. She stated that they are encouraged by the language in the draft that was just reviewed, as it includes recommendations regarding preservation of affordable housing as well as the tools available to incent preservation and development of affordable housing. She stated that they are thankful for the way the City has partnered with the organization and others in the preservation of affordable hous ing. She said she encouraged others in the market to raise up and help prevent the loss of affordable housing. She stated that one of the top teachers from the Wayzata School District who is present tonight and has recently accepted the position of Extend ed Learning Coordinator for the district will provide another point of view on the issue. She stated that there is a growing number of children that are homeless, and their progress has been slowed and impaired by the instability of their housing situation . She encouraged everyone in the community to act and help these families and kids find a safe place to call home. Chair Anderson introduced Jennifer Fuzzey, 505 Orchid Lane, Extended Learning Coordinator for Wayzata Public Schools, who stated that she h as been a public educator in Wayzata for over 20 years. She stated that with the partnerships the district has they are finding about 10 to 24 percent of the students who are in need of wrap around services. She stated that they focus on the early learning target to provide kindergarten readiness. She stated that there has been a large growth in the school district, noting an increase of 10 percent of the student population in the past four years that has forced the school to close open emollment. She stat ed that during the same four years there has been an increase of 158 percent of homelessness among students. She stated that the law allows the school district to transport students from temporary shelters to the school to maintain that consistency. She st ated that once housing is found, it is typically outside of the Plymouth community, which forces a child to switch schools. She noted that other family situations, such as divorce or financial impacts, also cause families to leave Plymouth as they are unable to afford housing in the community. She stated that changing schools causes stress on the students. She stated that they work hard on building relationships and supporting social and emotional needs first and academic needs second. She thanked the City for the continued attention to focus on the needs for affordable housing. She said she also appreciated the opportunity to share these statistics. Chair Anderson introduced Amy Sundet, 6090 Comstock Lane, who stated that she has lived in Plymouth for the past 30 years and currently lives on the north side of County Road 47. She stated that she has had numerous conversations with city staff and county staff regarding the condition of County Road 47. She stated that she has been told that in order for action to occur Approved Minutes 6 of 7 Meeting of December 5, 2018 on that roadway, there would need to be a push from the City Council or County Commission. She stated that the County does not have plans for improvement at this point and will not qualify for county funding. She stated that she is aware that the City wou ld be interested in a tum-back of the road to the City in return for County Road 101, but recognized that would be a multi -year process. She encouraged the commission to work with the City Council to improve the condition of County Road 47. Chair Anderson introduced Ed Goldsmith, 3145 Harbor Lane, who stated that he has lived in Plymouth for 24 years and formerly worked as the HRA supervisor for Plymouth. He stated that he is present on behalf of Interfaith Outreach and the other partners that submitted wr itten comments regarding affordable housing. He commended the city staff, City Council and other commissions for the serious considerations that were given to the comments within the letter submitted by the housing groups. He stated that the city staff ha s made a commitment to work on the most serious issues and report back to the City Council during the first quarter of 2019. He stated that the other partners included on the letter would also like to commend the City for its response, although they were n ot able to be present tonight. He stated that the coalition is committed to providing their expertise in working with the City and is hopeful that they will have the ability to sit down with city staff to help to address the identified issues during the first quarter of 2019. He stated that while the draft of the housing plan may not be a full and complete plan, it does provide a good start to addressing the issues. He said he is looking forward to working with the City to provide a diverse community. Chair Anderson introduced Paul Wardell, 16395 County Road 47, who stated that he has lived in Plymouth for 38 years and has seen a lot of change during that time. He referenced Table 3 -3 in the Land Use Plan and noted that table shows that in the next seven years most of the open spaces in the city will be gone, which means that there would be rapid development. He stated that it is striking piece of data that indicates in 2040 there would be approximately 3.6 acres left for development. He stated that once t he city is developed, it would then enter a stage of redevelopment. He referenced page 9 in the Surface Water Plan, which includes a list of lakes and pollution within the lakes. He stated that he lives on a pond, which is located on private property. He stated that public water runs through the private property and back onto public property. He stated that the runoff the pond receives causes massive algae growth because of the drainage received from the public property. He stated that perhaps those private ponds should be reviewed as well because the drainage from other property is causing damage to those private ponds. He stated that recycling is not included in the plan and noted that recycling trends are changing. He stated that it is a global pr oblem and perhaps the issue should be considered locally as well, noting that if recycling begins to fail, there should be a plan in place. He referenced the transportation plan and stated that he would also like clarity on County Road 47, as there is a need to do something, but nothing is programmed. Chair Anderson closed the public hearing. Planning Manager Thomson stated that the comprehensive plan is high level document and the specifics of County Road 47 would not be included. She stated that there is additional work that will continue after the plan is adopted. She stated that she has wor ked for the City for 25 years and County Road 47 has been a topic of discussion for most of that time. She stated that the City is closer than it has been in the past and there are more formal mechanisms in place. She stated Approved Minutes 7 of 7 Meeting of December 5, 2018 that once a more formal plan is in place, the public would be invited to provide additional comments. Community Development Director Juetten stated that the engineering department has started a process with the County to analyze and study the County Road 47 corridor, noting that the report is supposed to be done in February and March and would be followed by public engagement. He stated that the road is owned by the County, which does not have funding, but has agreed to the study so that the next step could be reached in the process. Planning Manager Thomson stated that as projected, the city would be fully developed by 2030 and then redevelopment and infill would be looked at. She stated that the surface water plan would be presented to the City Council at the same time as the draft 2040 Comprehensive Plan and would provide much more detail than this plan on runoff and ponding. She stated that recycling is something that is important to the City, but is not included in the comprehensive plan. Community Development Director Juetten stated that the Envir onmental Quality Committee continues to review the issue of recycling. He stated that the EQC continues to determine how recycling could be bettered, including the possible option of recycling organics. He stated that staff believes that they did a good jo b incorporating some of the comments from the letter regarding affordable housing. He confirmed that staff plans to continue to work on the topic and bring back additional information to the City Council during the first quarter of 2019. Chair Anderson noted that a lot of work has gone into the development and review of this draft plan throughout the past three years. MOTION by Commissioner Oakley, seconded by Commissioner Witt, to recommend approval of the request by the City of Plymouth for the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Vote. 6 Ayes. MOTION approved. 8. ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Chair Anderson, with no objection, to adjourn the meeting at 8:40 P.M.