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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission Minutes 10-01-2008Approved Minutes City of Plymouth Planning Commission Meeting October 1, 2008 MEMBERS PRESENT: Vice Chair James Davis, Commissioners Terry Jaffoni, Erik Aamoth, Karl Neset and Scott Nelson MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: Planning Manager Barbara Senness, Senior Planner Marie Darling, Planner Joshua Doty, City Engineer Bob Moberg, Director of Parks and Recreation Eric Blank, and Office Support Representative Janice Bergstrom 1. CALL TO ORDER - 7:00 P.M. 2. OATH OF OFFICE Planning Manager Senness administered the oath of office to Gordon Petrash who was sworn in as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Plymouth. 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 4. PUBLIC FORUM 5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION by Commissioner Nelson, seconded by Commissioner Jaffoni, to approve the October 1, 2008 Planning Commission Agenda. Vote. 6 Ayes. MOTION approved. 6. CONSENT AGENDA A. APPROVAL OF THE SEPTEMBER 17, 2008 PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES MOTION by Commissioner Neset, seconded by Commissioner Aamoth, to approve the September 17, 2008 Planning Commission Minutes. Vote. 6 Ayes. MOTION approved. B. JP & CO. (2008091) MOTION by Commissioner Neset, seconded by Commissioner Aamoth, to approve the request by JP & Co. for variances for setback and impervious surface area coverage to allow construction of a new house and detached garage for property located at 2740 Larch Lane North. Vote. 6 Ayes. MOTION approved. Approved Planning Commission Minutes October 1, 2008 Page 2 7. PUBLIC HEARING A. CITY OF PLYMOUTH (2008075) Vice Chair Davis introduced the request by the City of Plymouth for a site plan amendment and conditional use permits for a multi -use park recreation building for West Medicine Lake Park located at 1920 West Medicine Lake Drive. Planner Doty gave an overview of the staff report. Planner Doty added that the proposed metal roof has been changed to a shingled roof. Vice Chair Davis introduced Barry Warner, Senior Vice President of SRF Consulting Group. Mr. Warner said the proposed building is oriented slightly to the northeast to capture views of the bay and main body of Medicine Lake. He said there is a strong relationship between the parking lot to the north and the building which would provide a hub of activity with existing trails, motor vehicles, pedestrian and bicycles. Mr. Warner said the building is situated on a slight knoll with an elevation of 899 which is 10 feet above the ordinary high water mark. He said the primary entrance would be on the northwest side, and the coffee shop area and terraces would be on the north side. Mr. Warner said that the plazas on the east side will help delineate recreation purposes inside and out. Mr. Warner reviewed the landscaping plan, which would have good seasonal color. He said they would provide fire life safety, and the only change to the parking lot would be to broaden the turning radius of the road for fire trucks. Mr. Warner said there would be storm water treatment from permeable pavers within the terrace. Mr. Warner said the wetland impact would include mitigation replacement at 2:1 and would occur in the same park area. He reviewed parking and signage. Vice Chair Davis introduced Park and Recreation Director Blank, who reviewed the 28 - year planning history for the W. Medicine Lake area. He said in 1982 this park was identified as one of the four major parks, and sketch plans were developed. Park and Recreation Director Blank said an acquisition program over a period of 12 years resulted in the purchase of the marsh area on the west side and 6 single-family homes. He said in 1994 a master plan for the park was developed by the City Council, residents and staff. The next phase was relocation of W. Medicine Lake Boulevard in 1995 which took two years due to soil issues. Park and Recreation Director Blank said the developmental phase included the covered bridge, dredging of the beach area, and parking lot. Park and Recreation Director Blank said they were following the model of Parkers Lake which had the winter warming house, but 10 years later after evaluating skating on lakes they have moved away from the concept of an outdoor rink. He stated there would be one major rink and that would be at Parkers Lake. Park and Recreation Director Blank said the main features of the building on the first floor include a multipurpose room, activity room, restroom, storage, small conference room, offices, and mechanical rooms. There would be a bathroom for the outdoor beach users. He said the second story would have two Approved Planning Commission Minutes October 1, 2008 Page 3 classrooms and storage. He said the coffee house would be rented to a tenant and the City will interview this winter to find the right vendor. Park and Recreation Director Blank said this vendor will be part of the revenue stream of the building to help offset the cost of operation. The 900 -square foot coffee house would be finished by the tenant based on their needs and activities. Park and Recreation Director Blank said there will be no kitchen, ovens or exhaust fans in this facility and added that the Plymouth Creek Center has a full kitchen. Food would be prepared offsite and served at this facility. Park and Recreation Director Blank reiterated that the main purpose is to service the park visitors, with the ability to get a beverage or ice cream cone, sit on the decks, use the beach and restrooms. He said secondly, many recreational indoor programs such as pottery, arts and crafts, dance classes are offered seven months of the year. Park and Recreation Director Blank stated this building is designed to serve the residents on the east side of Plymouth, and the City would like to have a strong presence on the east side. He reviewed the building drawings and said the glass, wood, and stone would have a warming feeling and would not overpower the lake shore. Commissioner Nelson asked about the hours of operation and if this would operate on a year round plan. Park and Recreation Director Blank responded that the City's portion would be year round. He stated there are 1,800 programs which operate typically between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Park and Recreation Director Blank said staff will be cognizant of beach operation time, to allow parking associated with beach operations. He said the vendor could decide if they wanted to remain open outside of the 9 a.m. -9 p.m. window. Park and Recreation Director Blank added that weddings would have the same criteria as the Plymouth Creek Center and end by midnight. Vice Chair Davis opened the public hearing. Vice Chair Davis introduced Eve Perlman, 11911 23rd Avenue North, who said her house backs up to the parkland. She said the proposed building looks beautiful, but she is totally against another beautiful facility on Medicine Lake. Ms. Perlman said we already have French Regional Park and it would be overkill to have another massive facility. She said she is not sure what the need is. Ms. Perlman said she had heard nothing about the proposed facility and stated that the construction of another building is a blight infringing on the naturalness. Ms. Perlman said she does not want another coffee shop, and added one of the Starbucks in Plymouth is closing. She said, as a resident on the eastern side of Plymouth, she feel her needs are being met and knows she can go just across the freeway for services. Vice Chair Davis introduced Steve Chase, 11901 23rd Avenue N. Mr. Chase said he is a retired federal engineer, a state certified fire instructor, and a long time neighbor who in 1993 discussed this plan. Mr. Chase said the neighbors agreed they wanted a quiet area for Approved Planning Commission Minutes October 1, 2008 Page 4 the park. Mr. Chase questioned who this park is for and only property owners within 500 feet of the park know about this plan. He said the City of Medicine Lake requested they be notified of any park development as it directly affects them. He said notification should be given to the DNR and Sioux Indians, to research possible Indian mounds. Mr. Chase said there was no fire protection, hydrants or fire system indicated on the proposed plan. He said the site is dangerous with the proposed layout. Mr. Chase said this building is not needed for recreation as the Medicine Lake Community Club, which is used for games and weddings, is steps away. Mr. Chase said the plan does not meet LEED standards which are building standards for "green". He said the proposed design is a 1982 concept with a high cost for operation, high vaulted ceilings, and enormous energy consumption. Mr. Chase said he doesn't think a coffee shop should be in the building. He questioned the City trying to acquire the Community Club and then the City would end up with two buildings. Mr. Chase said this plan does not meet the concept of the residents. He said a wetland impact statement was not included. Mr. Chase said we don't need another recreation building, we need to be able to use this Class A lake. Mr. Chase said the trails and memorial benches are very important to people. Mr. Chase said he is insulted that there is a plan to put a building where his son's bench is. Mr. Chase said the 2009 proposed budget is cutting temporary workers and vehicles and asked who would maintain these projects if there are no temporary workers. Mr. Chase concluded that this is not a time to be adding to the budget for line item recreation we don't need and asked that this be tabled and sent back to the community for development. Vice Chair Davis introduced Fred Moore, 1820 Ives Lane. Mr. Moore said Medicine lake is the second largest lake in Hennepin County and has been classified by the PCA as an impaired lake. Mr. Moore pointed out there was never a site plan approval for this park. He said there was much input and a park master plan was approved. Mr. Moore addressed the water quality issue and said the City has spent thousands of dollars on improvement projects for Medicine Lake. He said the proposed improvements for this project could exceed $IM, which hopefully the Basset Creek Management would finance. Mr. Moore added 60% of that cost would be borne by the City of Plymouth. Mr. Moore said the proposed plan provides minimum improvements with regard to water quality. Mr. Moore said city staff does not feel the wetland buffer requirements apply because it was created after the ordinance went into effect in 1995. He said this is a high quality wetland, and the wetland buffers would be 40 -foot minimum and 60 -foot maximum. He said the boundary of the wetland with a 40 -foot buffer would go through the proposed patio area. Mr. Moore said an additional 15 -foot setback is required for any building, and there has been no attempt to put buffers here. Mr. Moore said this a very constrained narrow piece of property to fit in this size of community center building. Mr. Moore said the City's shoreland regulation affects all properties within 1,000 feet of the lake and 1,000 feet on either side of Plymouth Creek, and the total impervious area shall not exceed 25% of total area lying above the high water mark. Mr. Moore said this mark is key and that the staff report used the entire property for calculations. He said this property is over 90% flood plain. Mr. Moore said the eastern side of the roadway and most of the property is a Approved Planning Commission Minutes October 1, 2008 Page 5 wetland, and you can't count that property. Mr. Moore said you can only count along the lakeshore and guessed that the proposed building, patios and recreational area are 50-60 percent impervious surface and are all located in a very critical area. Mr. Moore stated this facility is not mentioned anyplace in the City's Comprehensive Plan. He said except for the existing building, there is only a slight reference in the implementation plan. Mr. Moore said no study has been done to show these facilities are demonstrated to be needed in this park. Vice Chair Davis introduced Thomas Stout, 11917 23rd Avenue North. Mr. Stout questioned why this proposed project is needed and stated four out of five neighbors on 23rd Avenue are opposed and he wonders what this would do to the neighborhood. Mr. Stout said the City should reach out beyond 500 feet for notification, and have more open meetings with more neighbors. He said he uses the park all the time; it has a lovely hillside and beautiful space for Frisbee throwing and kids to play. Mr. Stout said he doesn't want to see the whole area being taken up by a huge building. He said the picnic shelter would be taken out and one of his favorite walks and mediation areas are right where the building would be. He said a coffee shop won't work for him, and the neighbors want the natural area and wetlands. Mr. Stout said the neighborhood feels hopeless and that somebody in the City has decided to push this project in spite of all the neighbors saying they don't want it. Mr. Stout said this is not his idea of good community building. Mr. Stout said he picks up trash all the time because he is a good neighbor and asked who is going to pick up wrappers and cups from the coffee shop. Mr. Stout concluded he is against this project, even though Park and Recreation Director Blank made the building look compelling. Vice Chair Davis introduced Janet Pfaffinger, 1815 Ives Lane N. Ms. Pfaffinger said her family uses the park nearly daily to run, walk, bike, kayak, and use the entire Medicine Lake path system. She said she was heartbroken and shocked to see the proposed size. Ms. Pfaffinger said it is a beautiful building, and she is a supporter of the arts, but not on this site. She said the Parkers Lake and French Park conference rooms could be used as they are not used very often. Ms. Pfaffinger reiterated comments by neighbors and added she feels strongly about the wetland being filled, increased traffic, increased litter, and upsetting the eco system. Ms. Pfaffinger said she is mainly concerned about the visual aspect. She said the increased use will bring cars which is a concern as she is a biker and runner. Ms. Pfaffinger said we should exercise more and less car use would decrease our dependency on foreign oil. She said there is very limited free space and the proposed building will take care of that and bring in more traffic. Ms. Pfaffinger said this started as a 2,000 square foot structure, and is now 12,000 square feet. Ms. Pfaffinger said there was no public process for input and she is opposed. Vice Chair Davis introduced Bob Demeules, 1749 W. Medicine Lake Drive. Mr. Demeules said he had given input on all the plans, and now there is a grandiose building proposed which is too big for the site. He questioned the hours of a cafe coffeehouse, and asked who is the intended audience and what traffic impact would occur. He said a parking Approved Planning Commission Minutes October 1, 2008 Page 6 study was done, but he lives close and cars are constantly parked on 18th Avenue. He said the parking lot would not be adequate for summer weekend weddings. Mr. Demeules said there is no lighting to cross the pathway at night to the parking lot nor adequate lighting for increased traffic on the roadway curve. Mr. Demeules concluded that he would like to see some building but this is too big for what is needed. Vice Chair Davis introduced Sharon Halvorsen, 268 Peninsular Road, Medicine Lake. Ms. Halvorsen said she loves the way the park is and has donated a bench and a memorial tree. She said she does not want to argue about the building, but hopes the City can preserve as many mature trees as possible. Planning Manager Senness asked Park and Recreation Director Blank to respond to the questions about whether there has been a demonstrated need for this facility. Park and Recreation Director Blank said the Comprehensive Plan addresses continuing development of recreation as needed. He said with 73,000 people in the city, we experience a 6% growth in activities annually. Park and Recreation Director Blank stated that available space has been maximized. He acknowledged that this is the neighborhood park, but it is prominent on Medicine Lake and is attractive to everyone which is why it has a city wide park designation. Park and Recreation Director Blank said staff is seeing the need of people wanting to register for year round activities. He said people do call and say why do we have to travel across town. Park and Recreation Director Blank said data is constantly gathered from people who sign up for recreation programs to determine if location, time, and rooms are good for the attendees. Planning Manager Senness asked Park and Recreation Director Blank to respond to the question of what would happen to the benches placed along the trail. Park and Recreation Director Blank said the benches will not be relocated. He said the lakeshore trail will stay exactly the same. Park and Recreation Director Blank said the trail will be repaved and may be realigned, but that will not affect benches. He added that they anticipate there will be more benches in the park. Planning Manager Senness asked Park and Recreation Director Blank what percentage of Plymouth residents take advantage of the programs offered and facilities at the park. Park and Recreation Director Blank said of the 1,800 city-wide classes offered, 60 — 70% are Plymouth residents. He said because there is no charge for using the park, trails or beach, there are no statistics on park usage. Planning Manager Senness asked why the food service is built in to the plan. Approved Planning Commission Minutes October 1, 2008 Page 7 Park and Recreation Director Blank said the City wants park guests to receive typical service of a lakeside facility, such as snacks and beverages, and restrooms. He said the revenue stream for a private vendor would allow revenue to offset building operation costs. Park and Recreation Director Blank said notification was sent to City of Medicine Lake residents. Additionally, the Historical Society determined that no Indian mounds are on the site, and they granted a permit. Planning Manager Senness added the City sends notifications in excess of state law requirements. She said signage was also placed on the property to let people know of the proposed development. Park and Recreation Director Blank said the building would be completely handicapped accessible and would have an elevator. Planner Doty said that the building would be sprinklered. Planning Manager Senness asked for clarification on the wetland buffers and shoreland questions. Planner Doty said the wetland buffers are required when platting and subdividing a new property. One of the conditions in the resolution is that the park property be platted as a way of consolidating the park into a lesser number of properties. He added that this could be done through a consolidation at Hennepin County which requires no City review. Staff suggested a plat in this instance because of the number of properties (33), but reiterated that the wetland buffer is not required with this project because there is no subdivision of land. Planning Manager Senness asked what features are addressed for water quality. Planner Doty said the water quality improvement is related to the amount of the new impervious surface. He said treatment would occur through the use of an infiltration basin, and with pervious pavers. Mr. Warner added that an analysis was prepared and submitted to Basset Creek Watershed to show compliance. The results will be shared at the City Council. Planner Doty said when the City has an application for a project next to a lake or wetland, notice is sent to the DNR to ensure compliance with wetland mitigation and shoreland regulations. Planner Doty said the impervious surface is measured from the high water level mark, and the majority of the park property is wetland. Planner Doty clarified that although large amounts of wetland exist on the property, the portion of impervious surface is relatively small and there are upland areas along the peripheries of the park. Planning Manager Senness asked City Engineer Moberg to address traffic. Approved Planning Commission Minutes October 1, 2008 Page 8 City Engineer Moberg said the W. Medicine Lake Drive classification is such that it would handle additional traffic. He said 18th Avenue and W. Medicine Lake Drive is a stop controlled intersection and would accomplish a certain amount of traffic control and calming in this area. Planning Manager Senness asked Planner Doty to respond to questions about parking. Planner Doty discussed the two parking lots which have 70 and 62 parking spaces respectively. He said the zoning ordinance requirements for a community center are one space for every 300 square feet or 40 spaces for the building. Planner Doty said the parking study was completed to determine the spaces needed for general park use and occurred during midsummer months, and concluded the maximum number of spaces used was 47, confirming there would be enough parking spaces. Planning Manager Senness asked if the proposed lighting would be sufficient, and what lighting additions would occur with the proposed plan. Planner Doty said the existing parking lots have lighting. One fixture would be added to each lot to achieve the right amount of lighting for safety and reduce any obtrusive light. Planner Doty said there would be some new trail lighting as well as lighting around the building to provide safe light levels within the park. He said the trail lighting would be acorn -style fixtures, similar to those at Parkers Lake park. Planning Manager Senness said the proposed structure does not meet LEED standards as the City of Plymouth has not adopted a policy that would require public buildings to meet LEED standards. Planner Doty said this building would require a building permit and the building code would determine the number of required accessible stalls, and require handicap accessibility. Planner Doty added that would meet all fire safety requirements as regulated by the fire code. Vice Chair Davis asked about the issue of the site plan amendment. Planning Manager Senness clarified that initial improvements were done in 1995 — 1997 to construct the parking lots. She said at that time we did not require a site plan for those amendments. Commissioner Nelson asked about the wetland buffers and asked if the DNR commented on that. Approved Planning Commission Minutes October 1, 2008 Page 9 Planner Doty said the DNR did not comment because the requirement for wetland buffers is a city requirement. He said the plat consolidation would reduce the number of parcels down to one or two. Commissioner Nelson asked about the parking lot being located within the setback. Planner Doty said the wetland setback is 15 feet, unless subdividing a property. This plan meets the 15 -foot setback requirement. Commissioner Nelson asked if staff thinks that the 15 -foot setback is adequate. Park and Recreation Director Blank said to now impose a buffer, you would impose it on a parking lot that has been there for 12 years. He added that even without constructing the building, we continue to have a parking lot and trail theoretically within a buffer. In the real world, the trail and parking lot were there before the City thought about having a wetland buffer. Vice Chair Davis said the City is tightening the budget, and asked how this project fits in. Park and Recreation Director Blank said they have developed an operational budget, trying to establish revenue, rental rates for the space, and other revenue generated by the building. Commissioner Neset asked if there has been any progress to improve drainage downstream from two ponds in the 26th Avenue area. City Engineer Moberg said they are doing what they can within the limitations and easements as part of this year's street reconstruction projects. They are being utilized as drainage facilities and will continue after the street reconstruction. He said they did see a net reduction of impervious surface overall, with a narrower street. City Engineer Moberg said they would work with affected homeowners to get their permission to install rain gardens in the area. He said the two ponds technically are wetlands, and that limits what can be done. Commissioner Neset asked about the water retention on the north side of the building, and if there would be a NURP pond. Mr. Warner said the north side of the building has a depressed swale with an engineered soil below, allowing water to percolate through, but catch any hard sediments. In this case, permeable pavers would also be used in the terraced area. Commissioner Neset restated there would not be a pond with open water along a trail with children. Approved Planning Commission Minutes October 1, 2008 Page 10 Mr. Warner confirmed. Commissioner Neset asked the square footage of the Parkers Lake facility. Park and Recreation Direction Blank said it is 3,000 square feet. Commissioner Petrash asked if any other sites were considered or if alternative sites on this location were an option. He asked if other profiles were considered for the building. Park and Recreation Director Blank said they did not consider other sites outside of this park. The park soil conditions dictated that this is the best building site using standard footings. Commissioner Petrash asked about alternative designs which would have a lower profile and less obstruction. Park and Recreation Director Blank said that to have a lower profile, the building got too long, and the goal was to leave trails around the building. He added the trail on the west side will now be an eight -foot wide concrete walkway capable accommodating fire truck access. Commissioner Neset asked what buildings or facilities similar to the proposal are available on the southeast end of Plymouth, specifically the East Medicine Lake park. Park and Recreation Director Blank said the East Medicine Lake park has restroom facilities. He said part of that property was donated by the Ryerson Steel Co. with limitations. Park and Recreation Director Blank said the parking area was reduced by half when the City put in the large NURP pond. Commissioner Neset asked what type of space is used for proposed activities east of I-494. Park and Recreation Director Blank responded that the major park is the Bass Lake playfield, and the others are neighborhood parks. Commissioner Petrash asked if the priority is to put a facility in this location or to get the square footage to meet the needs of recreation. If the goal is square footage, he asked if two locations could be used for building. Park and Recreation Director Blank said they could do either, but are trying to serve park visitors first and foremost. He said the secondary usage is putting programming and a gathering spot on the east side of the I-494. Park and Recreation Director Blank said the City can have an active presence on that side of the community, and added that the delivery of governmental services is changing. He said the building could be used for neighborhood Approved Planning Commission Minutes October 1, 2008 Page 11 meetings, AMLAC meetings, and ward council meetings. Park and Recreation Director Blank said the police department could conduct neighborhood crime watch training and would have better attendance. He said to keep an open mind that this building would be there 50 years from now, and asked what is the future of governmental services. Park and Recreation Director Blank said the City is trying to have a positive impact, and enhance and provide a facility that will be recognized as a focal point. Commissioner Aamoth asked if there is a high percentage of senior population in this part of the community, and what services would be provided for seniors. Park and Recreation Director Blank advised that the senior programs are currently focused at the Plymouth Creek Center, with one staff person located at that location. He added the new terminology for seniors is "active adult", as they are taking dance and yoga classes, joining the bike club, and bridge clubs. Commissioner Jaffoni suggested design alternatives be looked at such as using the porous pavers in other areas, and possibility reducing parking lot impervious surface to make the project more "green". Commissioner Jaffoni said she has trouble knowing the condition Medicine Lake is in, and this new impervious area is being put right at that lake front, without buffers. Park and Recreation Director Blank said any building can be sized down, and from an economic point of view the second story could be removed. He said he is hesitant to reduce the parking lot because any spillover does get into the neighborhood. He pointed out that Parkers Lake has overflow parking on the north side of the park, but once you exceed the parking lot boundaries at the W. Medicine Lake park, you are in the neighborhood. Commissioner Jaffoni asked if the walkway porous pavers could be used on the west side of the building. Mr. Warner said part of that area is designated to accommodate the weight of a fire truck. He said the remainder could use permeable pavers, but there would be a cost implication as these systems are twice as expensive because of the water treatment subgrade below. City Engineer Moberg cautioned the use of pervious pavers which have a lot of joints, which could pose safety concerns for pedestrian, bikers, and roller bladers. Commissioner Aamoth asked if this project had been discussed at the comprehensive planning and public meetings. Approved Planning Commission Minutes October 1, 2008 Page 12 Planning Manager Senness said this particular project was not discussed, but added the building was contemplated in the existing comprehensive plan and also the newly updated comprehensive plan. Commissioner Aamoth asked if there was a process to engage citizens' opinions on this proposal or if it was a park survey. Park and Recreation Director Blank said the focus for the comprehensive plan update was on the rural area and the community meetings focused on northwest Plymouth, not the developed area of Plymouth. This park was complete, with the exception of a building. Vice Chair Davis asked the net effect of the tree removal. Mr. Warner said 16 trees in varying degrees of condition would be removed and 16 trees would be planted as part of the landscape plan. Commissioner Neset said he lived in this area for six years and often utilized the park. He said it is a special time as you wind through that woodsy part, and he appreciated that it is an interesting space. Commissioner Neset said he is trying to visualize that path, and questioned how those particular evergreens and that wooded hallway feeling would be preserved. Commissioner Neset said he has concerns about the root zones of the trees being damaged. Mr. Warner said the project will not impact the trail and that area. He explained the grading would go inward from the existing trail edge to provide a flat area for building. Commissioner Nelson said as a resident on Medicine Lake you want to take ownership for the area around you, but there are also 73,000 people that like to use our parks. Commissioner Nelson said we have great parks in this city, which is one of the benefits of living in Plymouth. He said the city planners and people who oversee the parks do an unbelievable job creating spaces for the city's needs. Commissioner Nelson said not everyone is a biker or boater but they like to be in an area with a nice facility. He said he will vote in favor of the site plan amendment. Commissioner Petrash said being "green" is not required but being a public building, we should at least try to make it as "green" as possible. He said he did not know what the additional cost would be, but it might be worth it to show as a leadership model for what we want to see in the rest of Plymouth. Commissioner Neset agreed with Commissioner Nelson and will support the project, but he said he has concerns about retaining a natural state at the one wooded section along the trail. He said he is uncomfortable with the size of the building. Commissioner Neset said he enjoyed living on the southeast side of Plymouth, but always drove to Parkers Lake, as Approved Planning Commission Minutes October 1, 2008 Page 13 there is not much going on on that side of the city. Commissioner Neset said long term, this is important for the people east of I-494. He reiterated that he wanted care taken to preserve the beauty of the wooded area. Commissioner Aamoth said he has empathy for the neighborhood residents as this would change the area from a neighborhood park to a city-wide park. He said we have an obligation to balance neighborhood and citizen needs and do what is best and provide needed services for the entire city. Commissioner Aamoth said we can learn from this process to see better dialogue with neighborhoods and to be more proactive with outreach for future projects. He said he would feel more positive if he sensed there was a huge desire from the community for this building. Commissioner Aamoth said our role is to determine if the proposal meets the criteria and will support it so the process continues. Commissioner Jaffoni concurred with the earlier comments regarding resident involvement in the process as they will have to see this building every day and not be able to walk through it and get the same feelings. She said she has strong reservations about that. Commissioner Jaffoni said the City prides itself of being very cognizant of wetland issues and taking care of our lakes. Medicine Lake has always been a primary concern to improve water quality and this proposed building won't help much in that regard. Commissioner Jaffoni said she would like to see this building smaller and more "green". She said she will vote to approve so it moves forward, but encouraged city officials to look at addressing the objections by adding on to other locations or making it smaller and making it as green as possible. MOTION by Commissioner Nelson, seconded by Commissioner Neset, to approve the request by the City of Plymouth for a site plan amendment and conditional use permits for a multi -use park recreation building for West Medicine Lake Park located at 1920 West Medicine Lake Drive. Roll Call Vote. 6 Ayes. MOTION approved. Vice Chair Davis recessed the meeting at 9:17 p.m. for a five-minute break. B. LCS DEVELOPMENT (2008085) Vice Chair Davis introduced the request by LCS Development for an amendment to the Planned Unit Development (PUD) general plan and preliminary plat for "Trillium Woods", a continuing care retirement community to be located on property at the southeast corner of the intersection of County Road 47 and Juneau Lane. Senior Planner Darling gave an overview of the staff report. Commissioner Jaffoni asked about the wetland impact from the southernmost townhomes. Approved Planning Commission Minutes October 1, 2008 Page 14 Senior Planner Darling said the applicant had not proposed to impact this wetland, but there was a retaining wall in the buffer which would have to be moved. She said this retaining wall was removed with the grading change. Vice Chair Davis asked how many trees would have to be removed as a result of the proposed change. Senior Planner Darling said the percentage of tree removal remains at approximately 50%. Vice Chair Davis introduced the applicant, Steven Nornes, Project Development Manager for LCS. Mr. Nornes said this requested change is market driven. He explained that focus groups viewed the plan as favorable. Mr. Nornes said people had put $1000 down to be on the list indicating where they wanted to be and there was a good distribution with sign ups for the Woodland Terrace apartment units. He said now they want to be in the main building because of winter conditions and they want to be part of the community. He said there were over 70 sales, but no sales of the Woodland Terrace units. Mr. Nornes said they view this an opportunity to stop and take a look at that the fact that people have a preference to be in the main building. Mr. Nornes said they are now over 50% sold and ahead of their projection; they are on target to start construction Spring, 2009. Vice Chair Davis introduced Mike Miller, Rice Fergus Miller Architects, who stated the number of trees being removed would be reduced from 393 to 379. He reviewed the original layout of the buildings, and showed revisions which break up the long facade of the main building. Mr. Miller said a selling feature has been design and the modern interpretation of the prairie style architecture. Vice Chair Davis opened and closed the public hearing as there was no one present to speak on the item. Vice Chair Davis said this project has already been approved, and a reflection of the market requires that some changes be made to the plan. He said he was a little disappointed that additional trees will be disappearing, but this is still a good project and a benefit to the community, and he would be approving the change. MOTION by Commissioner Nelson, seconded by Commissioner Neset, to approve the request by LCS Development for an amendment to the Planned Unit Development (PUD) general plan and preliminary plat for "Trillium Woods", a continuing care retirement community to be located on property at the southeast corner of the intersection of County Road 47 and Juneau Lane. Roll Call Vote. 6 Ayes. MOTION approved. Approved Planning Commission Minutes October 1, 2008 Page 15 8. NEW BUSINESS 9. ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Vice Chair Davis, without objection, to adjourn the meeting at 9:51 p.m.