HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission Minutes 09-18-20191 of 7 Approved Minutes Meeting of September 18, 2019
Approved Minutes
Planning Commission Meeting
September 18, 2019
4A
Chair Anderson called a Meeting of the Plymouth Planning Commission to order at 7:00 p.m. in
the Council Chambers of City Hall, 3400 Plymouth Boulevard, on September 18, 2019.
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Marc Anderson, Commissioners Bryan Oakley, Donovan
Saba, Julie Witt, and David Witte.
COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioners Justin Markell and Jaspreet (Jesse) Narr.
STAFF PRESENT: Planning Manager Barbara Thomson, Senior Planner Shawn Drill and
Assistant City Engineer Mike Payne.
OTHERS PRESENT:
Chair Anderson led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Plymouth Forum
Approval of Agenda
Motion was made by Commissioner Witte, and seconded by Commissioner Oakley to approve
the agenda. With all members voting in favor, the motion carried.
Consent Agenda
Motion was made by Commissioner Witte, and seconded by Commissioner Witt, to adopt the
Consent Agenda that included the following items:
(4.01) Planning Commission minutes from meeting held on September 4, 2019.
With all members voting in favor, the motion carried.
Public Hearings
New Business
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(6.02) Public meeting on pre-application sketch review for villa style, single-family
detached townhomes on property located at 3735 and 3855 County Road 101 (2019059)
Commissioner Saba recused himself.
Senior Planner Drill provided a summary of the project.
Commissioner Oakley asked if the county has stated that a full access to County Road 101 would
not be allowed.
Senior Planner Drill confirmed that a full access would not be allowed because of the location of
a median and the proximity to another intersection. He noted that the county found a right
in/rightout option to be acceptable.
Commissioner Oakley asked ifthere would be a benefit to having a rightin/rightout connection
at County Road 101 and 39th Avenue.
Senior Planner Drill stated that staff reviewed the different scenarios and that option was not
found to be a preferred option in terms of safety and mobility.
Commissioner Oakley asked for information on the estimated split in the traffic counts related to
the different rightin/rightout options.
Assistant City Engineer Payne replied that the report did not go into detail on the distribution
between the different access points.
Commissioner Witte referenced the preliminary and final plats approved in 2005 and 2007, and
asked if those were approved as PUDs.
Senior Planner Drill replied that those plats were approved under the straight RMF zoning of the
site.
Chair Anderson asked why the rightin/rightout only would be suggested for Medina Road.
Senior Planner Drill identified the nearby signalized intersection and explained that there is not
enough room for stacking and clear visibility.
Chair Anderson referenced the culdesac on 39th Avenue and noted that it appears land would be
needed between the north property line and culdesac circle to make a connection. He asked if
that land is rightofway cu rrently owned by the City.
Senior Planner Drill confirmed that it is existing rightofway.
Ben Wikstrom, representing the applicant, stated that the sketch plan proposed an access
connecting to 39111 Avenue and a full access at Medina Road, which has been determined to not
be an option. He stated therefore that the connection to 39111 Avenue would be valuable. He
explained that they plan to have a continuous berm along the backyards of the properties along
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County Road 101 and said he did not want to break that up with an access going out to that
roadway. He stated that they would be seeking a lot width of 50 feet compared to the standard
55foot width. He stated there is a demand in the market for a detached villa product, and he
said he would prefer to have a sixfoot setback on each side of the homes, which would equate to
12 feet of separation between the homes. He stated that he would be open to straight zoning with
variances or rezoning to a PUD. Mr. Wikstrom indicated that Shawn Drill had pictures of what
the proposed villa homes would look like.
Chair Anderson asked the width of the landscape berm.
Mr. Wikstrom estimated about 65 to 72 feet.
Chair Anderson asked if there was anyone in the audience requesting to speak on this item.
Chair Anderson introduced Wayne Larson, 16715 49th Place, who stated that he is present to
speak about the sale ofHollydale Golf Course. (Note: Chair Anderson was not able to see Mr.
Larson's raised hand to speak at the Forum.) He stated he was one of the first people to purchase
a home in the Courts ofNanterre and paid a surcharge to be located along the golf course
property along with greenspace between his home and the neighboring home. He stated that he
has learned that the greenspace next to his home would now become a road and believes that
would be disastrous. He noted that traffic in his area is already bad and additional homes would
only make the issue worse. He asked that the City put real thought into the Comstock Lane
extension as he does not believe that it makes sense.
Chair Anderson stated that an application has not been received and there has been no discussion
on what could occur on that property. He noted that Mr. Larson's comments will be added to the
comments received at the last meeting regarding the Hollydale property.
Senior Planner Drill displayed photographs of the villastyle product provided by the applicant
and proposed for the site.
Chair Anderson introduced Anne Fischer, 18145 39th Avenue, who stated she is eager for the
developer to have a successful project. She referenced the comments that this plan would protect
the privacy and quiet of the residents in the new development and did not believe that this plan
would do the same for the existing residents. She noted that she has noticed so much noise in her
quiet neighborhood from the developments that have been constructed to the west and that a
development of this size would add significantly to that noise. She stated she was unsure if the
quality of the road could support this increased traffic and asked who would be responsible for
the upgrades if needed. She stated that parking is not available onstreet in her development,
with the exception of Sundays, because otherwise people would not receive mail, given the
location of mailboxes along the street. She stated she is concerned with safety as neighborhood
residents are very mature. She commented there is little space in her development for snow
storage, which causes problems with visibility for residents leaving their driveways. She
commented that the increase in traffic from this development would be a disaster waiting to
happen. She stated that the previous day it took her five minutes to turn left onto Medina Road
from her development because of the traffic.
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Chair Anderson introduced Steve Carnes, 18225 39th Avenue, who stated that this is the fifth
proposal for this property since 2005 and the second one reviewed in 2019. He stated that the
residents of Walnut Grove Pond have varied in their level of support for the different
development proposals, but the comments of the association have been prioritized and will be
presented via three speakers, along with any other residents from the development that have
chosen to speak on their own. He stated that the association likes the development of villastyle
homes in a lowdensity layout, but has concerns related to traffic access and stormwater
management. He stated the staff report also identifies those two concerns. He stated there is
existing stormwater runoff from this site that causes drainage problems for adjacent properties
and displayed pictures and graphics identifying the problem areas and the proposed treatment.
He noted that the proposed stormwater features would not manage all the existing stormwater
problem areas and provided an additional suggestion for an enlarged retention pond. He said he
believed that the enlarged retention pond should also include a drainage system. He asked that
the commission consider the suggestions from the staff report and his suggestions related to
stormwater management.
Chair Anderson introduced Jan WyderBarck, 18175 39th Avenue, who stated that her comments
will focus on the thoughts of the Walnut Grove Pond Association related to traffic flow. She
stated if the connection to 39th Avenue is allowed, it would introduce an issue with traffic to the
neighborhood as well. She stated that currently 39th Avenue is a culdesac that is quiet and
peaceful with a lack of traffic. She stated there would be a cumulative effect in connecting the
road to the new development as the current traffic count estimates about 210 trips per day, while
the connection would increase that by 162 percent to 550 daily trips. She stated that the
additional traffic would increase the noise levels on the now quiet street. She asked if the
construction equipment would also use that quiet neighborhood street for access. She stated that
the neighborhood is not against the villa homes or development of the parcel, but is against the
connection to 39th Avenue. She stated there is such an explosion of development to the west and
that traffic all comes down Medina Road, onto County Road 101, to access Highway 55. She
stated that residents from her neighborhood wait multiple minutes when attempting to leave the
development and turn left onto Medina Road. She stated that additional traffic would cause
additional stacking on 39th Avenue at Medina Road.
Chair Anderson introduced Barry Altman, 18120 39th Avenue, who stated that his comments will
also be in representation of the members of the Walnut Grove Pond Association related to
comments from the applicant's consultant who stated that the property owner has spoken with
adjacent residential developments that view the project favorably. He stated that those notes are
in response to a proposal from United Properties, not the current proposal, and do not reflect the
thoughts of the residents related to the proposal for 34 villas. He stated that the proposal
suggests that primary access be provided through 39th Avenue. He tated it has been well
documented that there is a significant water runoff from the subject property into Walnut Grove
Pond and provided photographs of the water runoff and flooding problems. He stated that rather
. than expanding the water containment area, the proposal would create a through street
connecting to the culdesac, which would not assist in solving the water and drainage problems
and would create additional unnecessary and undesired traffic. He stated that this connection
would turn the otherwise calm road into a very busy street. He stated that the association
members are concerned that their property values would decrease as the homes would be on a
busy street rather than a quiet neighborhood road. He asked that the row of mature trees between
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the subject property and his development remain to provide some level of screening. He stated
that the association would look favorably at the proposed development of villastyle homes, but
only if the water management issue is addressed and the development is not connected through
the 39th Avenue culdesac.
Chair Anderson reminded the residents that this is simply a sketch plan review to provide input,
and the commission will not be approving or denying anything at the meeting tonight.
Chair Anderson introduced Pam Barton, 18170 39th Avenue, who stated that she has always lived
on a culdesac and noted that properties located on culdesacs often hold a higher value
because of the decreased traffic levels and speeds. She stated that there is only one entry/exit to
her development, which provides a sense of security for those residents, as people are aware of
the normal traffic and notice unusual vehicles in the area.
Chair Anderson introduced Katie Cochran, 18050 Medina Road, who stated that this plan seems
much more in line with the look and feel of the surrounding neighborhood, compared to past
requests. She stated that they support the low density as well as a neighboring property. She
asked that the applicant continue to stay with the rightin only from Medina Road, as the
driveway for her property is right next to that location, and she would be concerned with safety.
She stated she is not concerned with the internal setbacks between the homes but would ask that
the exterior setbacks and buffering be maintained. She echoed the previous comments related to
stormwater management.
Assistant City Engineer Payne stated that staff finds that the existing roadway would be
sufficient to handle the proposed traffic and therefore no additional upgrades would be proposed
for 39th Avenue or Troy Lane. He confirmed that turn lanes would be the responsibility of the
developer.
Planning Manager Thomson commented that the water issue on the culdesac has been a known
issue and would need to be resolved moving forward.
Senior Planner Drill noted that access and drainage are two key issues the City will have with
any development of this site.
Assistant City Engineer Payne confirmed that Engineering staff would ensure that any proposal
would meet the City standard for containing runoff. He confirmed that there would need to be
rate control on the subject site.
Chair Anderson asked if the City would have the ability to require the developer to decrease the
current runoff rate.
Assistant City Engineer Payne stated that the developer would need to be consistent with the
City's guidance, showing that the improvements would not make the situation worse. He stated
the construction traffic entrance would depend on the plans submitted by the developer, but
noted that construction traffic on a local roadway is not uncommon and occurs in many
developments.
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Planning Manager Thomson commented that she is unaware of any situation in the city where
new development has caused a decrease in adjacent property values.
Mr. Wikstrom stated that this is in the concept stage and therefore more detailed engineering will
be needed to determine pond sizing. He noted that he would want to maintain the existing trees
in the area along the property line, if possible, but noted that would depend upon the grading
necessary. He stated that through development, the drainage flowing onto adjacent properties
will be improved. He stated he would envision this development to mostly be composed of
empty nesters and would be marketed as such. He stated that the estimated number of daily trips
would not all go out through the adjacent neighborhood and noted that number includes outgoing
and incoming traffic. He stated that the traffic study average of 30 trips per hour would equate to
one vehicle every two minutes, which would not typically be considered busy. He acknowledged
the concern, noting that it is typical to any development. He noted that not all of the daily trips
would choose to use the 39th Avenue access. He stated that if'permitted by the county, they
would use County Road 101 for construction access to the extent possible, but could also use
Medina Road.
Commissioner Oakley stated that the issue of stormwater arose, and it seems clear that the
developer would not be required to solve the problems of the adjacent neighborhood. He asked
what the developer would be willing to do.
Mr. Wikstrom commented that development of the site itself would help to contain the runoff
that is currently running into the adjacent neighborhood. He stated that if grading could assist
further in directing water away from those neighboring properties, he would be willing to do that
as well, to the extent possible. He stated that the contours, grading, berm, and swales would all
work to direct the water onsite to the pond.
Chair Anderson thanked the residents that spoke tonight and for organizing comments rather than
having everyone from the association echo the same thoughts. He asked for input from the
commission relating to guiding and density, setbacks, traffic, and drainage.
Commissioner Oakley stated that clearly the adjacent neighborhood has a major problem with
stormwater and the only way that will improve is through the development of the subject
property. He stated that a stormwater pond on the subject property would be a great opportunity
to assist in solving that problem. He stated there is not a requirement for the developer to exceed
the City requirements related to runoff. He noted that the developer is asking for smaller
setbacks and lot widths, and in return there would need to be an additional benefit provided by
the developer. He stated that the biggest issue without a clear resolution is the issue of access.
He commented that rightin/rightout can work for a residential neighborhood as long as there is
more than one access. He agreed that homes on a culdesac do hold a higher value than homes
on a through street and hopes there could be a better solution than connecting into the 39th
Avenue culdesac. He stated he would be skeptical that a rightin only at Medina Road would
work, even if there was a connection to 39th Avenue. He commented that he likes the idea for the
zoning and believes that these homes would be appropriate for the property.
Commissioner Witte thanked the residents that attended and spoke tonight. He stated that he
shares the concerns of the residents. He noted that the villastyle proposal seems to be a good
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proposal with reasonable density. He stated that the format would seem to fit better in a PUD
proposal. He said he recognized that the neighbors have shared real concerns, specifically with
access. He noted he also does not support connecting to the culdesac on 39111 Avenue.
Commissioner Witt stated that she likes the style and size of the homes and lots. She stated that
she does struggle with the issue of access. She noted that when people purchase homes near an
open area, there is a risk that property may be developed in the future. She stated that she lives
on a culdesac and enjoys it. She noted that the way the land is set, there are not a lot of options
for access. She stated that while the developer can explore other options, 39111 Avenue would
have to remain an option.
Chair Anderson stated that he likes the plan with 34 units and believed that fits well with the
guiding and zoning. He stated he could support the proposed setback between the homes, but
agreed there would need to be tradeoffs in return. He stated that access is an issue and
commented that the City never promised that 39111 Avenue would remain as a culdesac, noting
that the City holds rightofway that attaches to the subject property. He stated he would lean
toward the rightin/rightout accesses on both County Road 101 and Medina Road. He noted that
stormwater design is extremely preliminary at this point. He stated his concern is that the
existing runoff rate cannot be exceeded as he would not want to see that rate remain the same
and would want to see it improved. He noted that perhaps the tradeoff for the reduced setbacks
could be increased stormwater management.
Chair Anderson noted that the purpose of the review tonight was to provide feedback to the
developer and thanked the residents that provided input as well.
Planning Manager Thomson noted that this sketch is planned to move to the City Council for
discussion at the October 8111 meeting.
Adjournment
Chair Anderson adjourned the meeting at 8:44 p.m.