HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission Minutes 09-06-2006Approved Minutes
City of Plymouth
Planning Commission Meeting
September 6, 2006
MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair James Holmes, Commissioners E. J. Clyman, Melissa
Musliner, Karl Neset, Kathleen Murdock, Frank Weir and Sarah Anderson
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: Planning Manager Barbara Senness, Senior Planner Shawn Drill,
Senior Planner Marie Darling, Public Works Director Doran Cote and Office Support
Specialist Laurie Lokken
1. CALL TO ORDER - 7:00 P.M.
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
3. PUBLIC FORUM
4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Chair Holmes said item 6C under Public Hearings is to be moved and placed as item 6A
under Public Hearings.
MOTION by Commissioner Weir, seconded by Commissioner Musliner, to approve the
amended September 6, 2006 Planning Commission Agenda. Vote. 7 Ayes. MOTION
approved.
5. CONSENT AGENDA
A. APPROVAL OF THE AUGUST 16, 2006 PLANNING COMMISSION
MINUTES
MOTION by Commissioner Weir, seconded by Commissioner Clyman, to approve the
August 16, 2006 Planning Commission Minutes. Vote. 7 Ayes. MOTION approved.
6. PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. HOLIDAY COMPANIES (2006072)
Chair Holmes introduced the request by Holiday Companies for a site plan amendment,
conditional use permit and variance to add an accessory carwash to an existing fuel
station/convenience store for property located at 9705 Schmidt Lake Road.
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Senior Planner Darling gave an overview of the August 29, 2006 staff report.
Commissioner Musliner asked for the direction of traffic flow to be pointed out on the site
map. Senior Planner Darling said this is an existing development. She said when this area
was developed, it was determined that the access should be as far away from State
Highway 169 as possible. She said the entrance into the site, as well as into the church,
was pushed to the western side of the Holiday gas station site.
Commissioner Musliner asked for the traffic flow into the carwash itself. Senior Planner
Darling said the primary gas station traffic flows in from the drive aisle area into the
carwash or to the pumps. She said that the traffic for the carwash has two options -they
could follow the drive aisle around or they could get gas first and then go to the car wash.
Commissioner Musliner asked if there is enough room to accommodate turning radii at the
entrance to the stacking area. Senior Planner Darling said that there is.
Commissioner Anderson asked how many cars can be stacked and will the stacking area
accommodate maximum stacking of vehicles at peak time or will those cars be flowing
into the drive aisle. Senior Planner Darling said there was enough space for seven cars to
stack and that should be sufficient. She said the drive aisle in this part of the site would not
be the heaviest trafficked portion of the site.
Commissioner Clyman asked about the trail to the north and said he is concerned about
safety of the crosswalk. Senior Planner Darling said that eventually there will be a trail all
along Schmidt Lake Road but the City is not prepared at this moment to construct it all the
way to Nathan Lane. She said that right now, pedestrians are using this area and there is a
trail worn into the grass. She said Holiday will be constructing the trail from the driveway
up to the property line and then the trail will be continued from that point up to the 169
access ramp by the office development.
Commissioner Clyman asked if they considered having the trail loop down and then
crossover to the south or have it be flush with Schmidt Lake Road. Senior Planner Darling
said it is flush with Schmidt Lake Road and it is as close as possible because it is easier to
maintain. She said there is a significant grade difference from the top of the right of way,
so there is a limited amount of area to actually construct the trail before you start heading
down the hill.
Commissioner Clyman said his question is if it would be safer to have the trail go along the
curb and into the Holiday site. Senior Planner Darling said staff hadn't considered a
sidewalk into this site and had been more concerned about the public trail. Public Works
Director Cote said that he did not see any need for pedestrian access directly into this
facility. He said that in terms of where the sidewalk is located adjacent to Schmidt Lake
Road, it is best closest to Schmidt Lake Road because it is traditionally where you see
pedestrians crossing through these private access drives all along the corridor and
pedestrians would be safer in this area.
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September 6, 2006
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Chair Holmes introduced the applicant, Michael Cronin, representing Holiday. Mr. Cronin
said it takes 5 % minutes to get a car washed and if there are seven cars waiting, it will be
40 minutes to get to the wash. He said that they believe stacking for seven cars will be
adequate because people won't wait longer and he also stated they designed an escape
route. Mr. Cronin said that they have read the staff report and the conditions staff are
proposing. He said that they accept all as presented and ask that the Planning Commission
approve this request.
Commissioner Clyman asked about the design and how it compares to other carwashes in
Plymouth. He asked about any water saving features. He asked what happens to the after -
wash waste; how it is collected, where it goes and how it is treated. Mr. Cronin said there
are two carwash technologies. He said there is a rollover, which this is going to be, where
the car pulls in and sits still as all wash cycles go over the car. He said there is also a
tunnel carwash where the car is pulled through. He said that in a tunnel carwash, a car can
be done in about one minute for higher volume. He said that he doesn't see the volume
here, especially over time for this type of wash.
Mr. Cronin said that on the recycling of water issue, the problem is the grit and there is no
practical way to remove the grit efficiently as part of the carwash. He said they can't reuse
the water. He said the Metropolitan Council won't allow recycling in a rollover type
carwash because the recycling equipment is so frequently disconnected. He said that you
can install recycling in a tunnel carwash but they are much longer and can't be built on this
site. He said they use about 40 gallons of water to do a wash and they substitute pressure
for water volume. He said that is their cost savings and they think they use less water than
you would washing a car in your own driveway.
Commissioner Clyman asked about their choice of soaps and waxes and if they are adding
to pH levels. Mr. Cronin said that it all goes into the sanitary sewer and they pay for this
access.
Chair Holmes opened and closed the public hearing as no one was present to speak on the
item.
MOTION by Commissioner Weir, seconded by Commissioner Murdock, to approve the
request by Holiday Companies for a site plan amendment, conditional use permit and
variance to add an accessory carwash to an existing fuel station/convenience store for
property located at 9705 Schmidt Lake Road. Vote. 7 Ayes. MOTION approved
unanimously.
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B. CSM EQUITIES, LLC (2006030)
Chair Holmes introduced the request by CSM Equities, LLC for a preliminary plat and
planned unit development amendment to allow a 115 -room extended stay hotel and a
21,334 square foot retail commercial development on the 4.9 acre site located at the
northwest corner of State Highway 55 and Northwest Boulevard.
Senior Planner Drill gave an overview of the August 29, 2006 staff report.
Commissioner Musliner asked if the facades for the two retail buildings facing the highway
would be attractive. Senior Planner Drill said the developer has added glass and canvas
awnings, as well as, a lot of landscaping along the street frontages to improve the
appearance. He said the materials facing the street would be the same as what is proposed
on the store fronts. Planning Manager Senness noted that staff spent a lot of time working
with the developer to ensure that the buildings would be attractive and would fit in with the
overall PUD.
Commissioner Anderson asked what the setback requirement is currently for State
Highway 55. Senior Planner Drill said this is a planned unit development, so a setback
requirement is not specified. Commissioner Anderson said that in the staff report, MnDOT
recommended that the applicant revise the site plan to increase the setback from State
Highway 55. The setback for Building A was increased from 28.9 feet to 31.9 feet. Senior
Planner Drill said a standard minimum setback requirement would be about 30 feet.
Chair Holmes introduced the applicant, John Gelderman, representing CSM. Mr.
Gelderman said this is the same site plan as presented at the July 19, 2006 Planning
Commission meeting. He said the buildings at the corner are laid out the same and that the
pad area for the hotel is roughly the same. He said much of the back elevation has glass,
brick and signage on it. He said it will look as close to the front as possible.
Chair Holmes introduced the project architect, Paul DeVeyter. Mr. DeVeyter said they
made a lot of effort and strides to break up the building massing. He said that as compared
to a big building, you will see they have broken up the massing with different undulations
in the fagade and with different variations of glass and stone. He said the landscaping will
help a lot, too. He said it will look like a series of smaller buildings, rather than a big
imposing structure on the street. He said they have the same massing strategies as used
elsewhere in the campus and it should tie in quite nicely.
Commissioner Clyman asked if they will have any environmentally friendly or energy
saving designs besides the glass. Mr. Gelderman said that they are not far enough along
with the buildings to determine that yet, but that extensive landscaping and a rain garden
would be provided on the site.
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Chair Holmes continued the public hearing from the July 19, 2006 Planning Commission
Meeting.
Chair Holmes closed the public hearing as no one was present to speak on the item.
Commissioner Anderson asked what the distance of Jimmy Johns is from State Highway
55, and if this building's distance to the road is comparable. Senior Planner Drill said this
development would be closer. He said Jimmy Johns has a drive aisle and some parking
between their building and Highway 55. He said the plan here was to bring the buildings
closer to the street, with the parking behind buildings to create a gateway for this PUD.
Commissioner Anderson said she appreciates the fact that the developer has made efforts
to move the building back a little more from Highway 55, and thinks it would be in their
benefit to move it in a bit more as there are plans at some point to expand Highway 55.
She said she knows they have parking regulations to meet. Planning Manager Senness said
that in this point in time, MnDOT does not have any plans and they have not been able to
identify what, if any, additional right-of-way they may need.
MOTION by Commissioner Weir, seconded by Commissioner Neset, to approve the
request by CSM Equities, LLC for a preliminary plat and PUD amendment to allow a 115 -
room extended stay hotel and a 21,334 square foot retail commercial development on the
4.9 acre site located at the northwest corner of State Highway 55 and Northwest Boulevard.
Roll Call Vote. 7 Ayes. MOTION approved unanimously.
C. OPUS NORTHWEST CONSTRUCTION, LLC (2006061)
Chair Holmes introduced the request by Opus Northwest, LLC for a site plan amendment
and interim use permit to allow removal of the two south parking lots for AGA Medical
Corporation for property located at 5050 Nathan Lane North.
Senior Planner Drill gave an overview of the August 29, 2006 staff report.
Commissioner Murdock said that is a pleasure to see a proposal to increase green space
and reduce parking and she thanked the applicant for that.
Commissioner Clyman asked about the future use of the open space. Senior Planner Drill
said they would close the curb cut, remove the parking area and return it to its natural state.
Commissioner Clyman asked if plantings will be put in. Senior Planner Drill said that it
would be grass. He said there is a berm along Schmidt Lake Road and lots of trees on the
site. He said this area is not very visible from the roadway.
Commissioner Musliner asked if there is a timeframe implied for the interim use permit.
Senior Planner Drill said the interim use permit would expire when the City identifies that
there is a parking shortage or when they come to staff and say they need more spaces. He
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said that if they start to have an issue with not being able to accommodate all their parking
on the site, the City would then require them to install additional parking spaces on the site.
Commissioner Anderson asked if AGA has the capability to reconfigure existing parking
space to allow for more parking if needed. Senior Planner Drill said that they may be able
to, but that hasn't been reviewed yet.
Chair Holmes introduced the applicant, Joe Downs, project manager for Opus. Mr. Downs
was present in support of the request and said the area would be seeded and irrigated.
Chair Holmes opened and closed the public hearing as no one was present to speak on the
item.
Commissioner Anderson stated that she is very pleased with the company and their efforts
to open up more green space and to eliminate some impervious surface as well.
MOTION by Commissioner Weir, seconded by Commissioner Anderson, to approve the
request by Opus Northwest, LLC for a site plan amendment and interim use permit to
allow removal of the two south parking lots for AGA Medical Corporation for property
located at 5050 Nathan Lane North. Vote. 7 Ayes. MOTION approved unanimously.
7. NEW BUSINESS
8. ADJOURNMENT
MOTION by Chair Holmes, without objection, to adjourn the meeting at 7:50 p.m.