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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Minutes 11-14-1994 SpecialMINUTES SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING NOVEMBER 14, 1994 A special meeting of the Plymouth City Council was called to order by Mayor Tierney at 6:30 p.m. in the Conference Room of the City Center, 3400 Plymouth Blvd., on November 14, 1994. PRESENT: Mayor Tierney; Councihnembers Anderson, Filson, Granath. Councihnembers Helliwell and Lymangood arrived at 7:30 p.m. ABSENT: None. STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Johnson, Assistant Manager Lueckert, Park Director Blank, Public Works Director Moore, Community Development Director Hurlburt, and City Clerk Ahrens. ITEM A LEGAL SERVICES The City Council interviewed the firm of Doherty, Rumble, and Butler for general and prosecution legal services. Councihnembers Helliwell and Lymangood arrived at 7:30 p.m. ITEM B DISCUSSION OF "THE PONDS AT BASS CREEK" DEVELOPMENT Park Director Blank reported on the status of negotiations for possible acquisition of additional property at "The Ponds at Bass Creek" development. He said that staff first explored the possibility of the City buying property on a lot by lot basis. Daniel Hunt presented a proposal whereby the City could purchase property at the price of $65,000 per lot. There are 25 lots lying the area south of 55th Avenue. Staff next explored the possibility of the City buying property as raw land without any improvements being made by Daniel Development. Mr. Hunt presented a proposal for the City to acquire Outlots C and B at a net cost of $1,500,000, or $77,679 per acre. Director Blank provided several alternatives for consideration by the Council: 1) Determine that the cost for this property exceeds the benefit that would be gained and discontinue negotiations for acquisition at this time; 2) Investigate with Mr. Hunt the possibility of his corporation donating property as a tax write-off; or 3) Agree to the terms proposed by Mr. Hunt and direct staff to prepare funding alternatives. City Council Minutes November 14, 1994 Page 2 He stated that the report of the Open Space Committee will be provided to the City Council on November 21. The report may include a recommendation to allocate some dollars for additional acquisition on this site, although there is currently only $250,000 designated in the Capital Improvement Program for acquisition of sites City-wide. Another option would be a public bond referendum for open space acquisition dollars. Director Blank explained that $290,900 has been spent to obtain the 36 acres of parkland already acquired from this development through cash purchase and park dedication. Councilmember Anderson asked how the 36 acres already acquired for parkland compares to other parks in the City. Director Blank responded that this is the largest park in the area. The next largest park in the area is half the size at 18 acres. He presented a map depicting the existing park areas in the northeast quadrant of the City, and noted that there is more open space in this quadrant of the City than in any other area. He said that the City may have stopped acquiring property for this park site at 14 acres, but continued acquisition because of the three major ponds on the site. Mayor Tierney asked if the neighborhood has proposed acquisition of additional property through a public-private purchase. No one was aware that any efforts toward private purchase have been made. Councilmember Helliwell asked about wetland mitigation for this development. Director Hurlburt explained that the developer is doing a 2:1 mitigation, although only a 1:1 mitigation was required at the time of plat approval. Councilmember Lymangood noted that about 15 of the acres already acquired is dry area and that is considered large for a neighborhood park. Director Blank stated that all of other neighborhood parks in the City are about 7 to 8 acres. In response to a question from Councilmember Lymangood, Director Blank stated that the option of accepting land as a tax write-off from the developer has not been fully explored, but it is likely that the maximum allowable donation amount would be very low. City Council Minutes November 14, 1994 Page 3 Councilmember Helliwell stated that Daniel Hunt indicated to the Council during consideration of the preliminary plat that he would support preservation efforts for the site. Director Blank said that at that Council meeting, Mr. Hunt indicated he was willing to sell the property but did not specify a price. After the preliminary plat approval was granted, the costs increased. Director Blank clarified that Mr. Hunt has indicated that the City can purchase any number of lots or acreage at the stated price, as long as there is no development expense incurred. Mayor Tierney stated it is difficult for the Council to justify acquisition of more property in this area at the proposed price. Councilmember Edson agreed and stated that the 36 acres were already acquired at about $8,000 per acre. Mr. Hunt has indicated that additional acres could be purchased at the cost of $77,000 per acre. Mayor Tierney stated that the issue could be referred to the Open Space Committee for a specific recommendation. Councilmember Lymangood stated the Open Space Committee needs direction from the Council. The Committee has ranked this site as the fourth highest ranking site in the City for preservation of open space. He noted that he previously voted against the preliminary plat approval. Unfortunately, the approval of the preliminary plat has driven the acquisition price higher. He would not be supportive of spending anything greater than $40,000 to $50,000 per acre for the property. If the tax write-off donation does not reduce the price to that level, it probably is not worth further pursuing acquisition. Councilmember Helliwell stated she would support pursuing the tax write-off donation option with the developer. Councilmember Anderson stated that he doesn't believe the tax benefit will be sufficient to reduce the land price to an acceptable level. He said that there are many open spaces that have been reviewed by the Committee, and the Council must balance the needs of the entire City. He does not want to increase taxes to fund acquisition costs for this site. Councilmember Edson stated that the economics of acquiring this land for open space do not appear to be feasible. He stated that Ward 4 is fortunate to have a disproportionate amount of existing open space, and he will consider the City Council Minutes November 14, 1994 Page 4 recommendation of the Open Space Committee on which parcels should be acquired. Councihnember Edson said he would like to be able to acquire this open space because it is in his ward, but the Council must represent the entire City and prudently spend the citizens' money. The proposed acquisition costs are too high. Councilmember Granath stated he supports discontinuing negotiations. The price is too high. ITEM C NORTHWEST PLYMOUTH INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS The City Council considered the need for and the alignment of Schmidt Lake Road between Vicksburg Lane and Peony Lane. Public Works Director Moore introduced representatives from the City's traffic consultant - Strgar Roscoe Fausch. He said that the City previously received the preliminary report on the Schmidt Lake Road alignment, along with the results of several traffic studies that were done. He said that one traffic study, which was included in the Transporation Plan, used a traffic projection for Schmidt Lake Road of 5,000 to 6,000 vehicles per day in 2010 with development inside of the MUSA. The traffic projection as part of the Schmidt Lake Road alignment study was 10,000 vehicles per day. That count continued to assume that all land outside of the MUSA (6 sq. miles) would only be developed in accordance with its current land use which is rural density. He said that staff has now factored in a projected urban development density in the northwest corner of Plymouth. The estimated traffic for Schmidt Lake Road with ultimate urban development of the northwest area is 17,000 to 21,000 vehicles per day. Without a roadway serving this function, these trips would either be on the existing road system or on other residential streets constructed with development. Director Moore explained the various alternatives for the Schmidt Lake Road alignment. The northerly alignment goes north of the railroad and the southerly alignment remains south of the railroad. He recommended that the northerly alignment is the best long-term alignment for the City. At the Peony Lane end, the northerly alignment provides better spacing of roads between County Road 47 and Highway 55. The southerly route would crowd Highway 55, Old Rockford Road, and Schmidt Lake Road into a space of about 2/3 mile and leave no minor arterial road for the future in the 1.5 miles between the railroad tracks and County Road 47. City Council Minutes November 14, 1994 Page 5 The northerly route is also significantly better for the new high school and playfield, and it would align with the high school entrance. The northerly route will not need to be developed quite as fast, and it provides for a second overpass for the future northwest Plymouth residents to use to access the rest of the City. The northerly route eliminates any major impact on Hollydale Golf Course. He said that the northerly route is estimated at a cost of $3,400,000, compared with $1,700,000 for the southerly alignment. About half of that cost is the overpass construction for grade separation. City Manager Johnson noted that public safety personnel also see some advantages of the overpass. He stated that the roadway is proposed to go along the edge of the golf course. The developer, Mr. Bloom, has proposed that the roadway be moved to the north through a wetland to avoid impact on the golf course. Councilmember Anderson stated he would like to know the type of wetlands that would be impacted by this realignment to avoid the golf course. He also would like additional information on the traffic projections. Public Works Director Moore stated the traffic projections have not been done to include the future urbanization of northwest Plymouth because traffic projections are done using the existing Land Use Guide Plan. Councilmember Anderson said it is important to get an estimate of the traffic counts with urbanization of northwest Plymouth. County Road 9 currently shows 23,000 vehicles per day without urbanization. Mayor Tierney stated that two overpasses for grade separation from the railroad would be a benefit for this area. Councilmember Lymangood questioned whether the Council is designating a preferred alignment too quickly. He said the choice of alignment should be one of the last decisions, and until last week, the impact of urbanization of northwest Plymouth was not included in the traffic projections. The land use for northwest Plymouth should first be determined, and then the transportation needs in the area. When these are determined, the Council can select an alignment. City Council Minutes November 14, 1994 Page 6 Director Hurlburt stated that the City's adopted plan shows the Schmidt Lake Road alignment to the south of the railroad. If that is the selected alignment, right-of-way will need to be obtained from the proposed Lundgren development. If the northerly alignment is selected, the Guide Plan needs to be amended to change the alignment. Public Works Director Moore explained that the City's Transportation Plan was initially done in 1972, and updated in 1980 and 1989. The Plan considers the function of roadway corridors, but does not get into details of exact alignment or street widths. Councilmember Anderson noted that County Road 47 and Schmidt Lake Road are the only remaining east -west through streets to be completed. The Council needs to do some land use planning before the roadways are designed, particularly given the increase in traffic projections due to the inclusion of northwest Plymouth urban development. He expressed concern on the projected traffic volumes on Schmidt Lake Road because there are areas where homes are built very close to the roadway. Director Moore stated that the traffic projections indicate there will be 23,000 average daily trips on Schmidt Lake Road east of I-494 and 14,000 west of I-494. However, that was projected with the lower densities for northwest Plymouth. He recommended that with ultimate development and traffic volumes, there is a need for a four -lane roadway. Councihnember Edson stated that he believed it important on the County Road 9 project that grading occur before development of abutting lots so that homebuyers were aware of the roadway location. He believes this should also apply to the Schmidt lake Road extension. There are two developments under review in this area, one of which has an alignment of Schmidt Lake Road going through. He stated that the Council needs to decide on an alignment before approving affected developments. He said that the decision on the alignment probably will not impact the traffic volumes on Schmidt Lake Road, and he believes that the alignment issue can be decided now irrespective of how northwest Plymouth develops. The Council then needs to consider the effect of the future proposed developments and development of land outside of the MUSA on the roadway. He believes that those issues will determine whether Schmidt Lake Road needs to be a two-lane or four -lane roadway. After discussion, the Council indicated that the proposed Lundgren development, Soo Line West, could be considered by the Council at any time and there is no need to delay it until the alignment is determined. City Council Minutes November 14, 1994 Page 7 Councilmember Lymangood said that the Council's first decision should be whether Schmidt Lake Road should be extended west of Vicksburg Lane. Director Moore stated the City's adopted plan contains this segment of Schmidt Lake Road. Director Hurlburt added that the current plats under consideration do not contain enough right-of-way for a four -lane roadway and buffer area. Councilmember Helliwell expressed concern that Schmidt Lake Road is proposed as a four -lane when it narrows to two lanes to underpass I-494. Director Moore explained that the underpass cannot be widened until the freeway is reconstructed. The Council discussed the need for deed covenants on adjacent developments notifying future property owners of the proposed roadway. Councilmember Edson asked if Schmidt Lake Road would be necessary to serve the Soo Line Fast proposed development. Director Hurlburt responded that the current proposed plan for Soo Line East includes Schmidt Lake Road. However, the development has access to Peony Lane, Rockford Road, and Holly Lane. Councilmember Edson stated that the development of Soo Line East and Soo Line West will not require expansion of Schmidt Lake Road to four lanes. The future development further to the north and west and the new high school will determine the need for a four lane roadway. Director Moore stated the Schmidt Lake Road northerly alignment is more centered and a more direct route to the high school entrance. Councilmember Lymangood expressed disappointment that the Council only learned two weeks ago about the revised traffic study indicating that Schmidt Lake Road is projected to have over 20,000 vehicles per day. That significantly impacts the Council's decisions in the future. Mr. Robinson, the City's traffic consulting engineer, said the decision to leave the extreme northwest area of the City as rural density and to factor that information in the traffic projections was deliberate. He said there was no way City Council Minutes November 14, 1994 Page 8 the City could request a guiding change in this area outside of the MUSA in 1989; therefore, the traffic projections reflect the approved rural guiding. He said that given the rural density in the northwest area, the traffic projections are still 7,000 to 10,000 vehicles per day on Schmidt Lake Road. Whenever daily traffic exceeds 8,000 vehicles, that is an indication to go to a four -lane roadway. The four -lane roadway could still accommodate 20,000+ vehicles per day as now projected. He said the primary purpose of the Transportation Plan is to identify connections and traffic patterns - not alignments, number of lanes, and specific planning. The consulting engineers explained the history and elements considered in development of the City's Transportation Plan. They said that since 1980, the City's Transportation Plan is virtually complete. One objective of the Plan is to let residents know where the streets will be and to reserve sufficient rigbt-of- way for construction. Manager Johnson said that the land use planning for northwest Plymouth should have been done three to five years ago. The City is now years ahead of development, if the northerly Schmidt Lake Road alignment is selected. The City Council generally agreed that the current assumption should be for the northerly alignment of Schmidt Lake Road as a four -lane roadway. Councilmembers Anderson and Edson said that the Council must balance the good of the entire City, but expressed concerns about homes abutting Schmidt Lake Road east of Vicksburg Lane where there is no berm. Director Moore said that the Council previously moved the alignment to provide a greater buffer to the roadway. Berming was done near Vicksburg Lane, but it was not done near Orchid Lane or Minnesota Lane. Councilmember Anderson said the Council is currently considering only the extension of Schmidt Lake Road to Vicksburg. Any extension westerly of Vicksburg Lane would be considered in the future. Councilmember Edson said it is important to set aside adequate right-of-way for a four -lane roadway whether or not it is constructed in the future. Councilmember Helliwell stated she is not concerned whether it is a two or four -lane design, as long as the northerly alignment is selected. No Councilmembers indicated a preference for the southerly alignment. City Council Minutes November 14, 1994 Page 9 In response to a question, Public Works Director Moore said that the northerly alignment will impact several properties and require the removal of at least one home. He said that the alignment will not be finalized until the final plans are accepted and the Council orders it constructed, or until a development proposal is approved. The Council requested that Director Moore investigate the northerly alignment to avoid homes and structures if at all possible. They also directed staff to recommend a motion at the next regular meeting directing the Planning Commission to conduct a public hearing on a proposed amendment to the Comprehensive Plan showing the approximate northerly alignment. Councihnember Lymangood expressed concern that the City only recently learned of the updated traffic projections. He asked if this consulting engineer did previous traffic studies for the City. He also asked when the selection of consultants would come to the Council for review. Director Moore stated Strgar-Roscoe-Fausch previously did the 1990 Transportation Plan, but not the 1980 Plan. The Schmidt Lake Road alignment study was done in mid 1993. He said that during the first quarter of 1995, all engineering consultants will be reviewed by the Council. Councihnember Lymangood stated that the consultant had indicated that the 1990 Plan took into account traffic volumes in surrounding communities. He asked if those volumes are based on rural or full urban development. Mr. Robinson said the Met Council estimates and approved land uses are used to project traffic volumes to avoid conflicts with the Met Council forecasting. Therefore, the traffic projections assume rural densities outside of the MUSA. Councihnember Lymangood noted that the Council still has no traffic projections assuming full urban development of the surrounding area including Maple Grove, Corcoran, and Medina. Director Hurlburt stated that the projections will not be available until the Land Use Guide Plan is amended for the surrounding areas. Manager Johnson said that general assumptions and traffic projections could be done for the entire area. City Council Minutes November 14, 1994 Page 10 ITEM D ELM CREEK INTERCEPTOR Community Development Director Hurlburt explained the status of the Elm Creek Interceptor project before the Met Council. The Met Council will decide in the next few weeks whether to start the design process. She said that Medina is currently served through the Plymouth system, but by 2000, Plymouth will need the capacity and Medina will have to find it elsewhere. The City of Maple Grove is in eminent need of sewer capacity to serve any additional housing. The estimated construction cost of the Elm Creek Interceptor project is $45 million, and there are several alternatives under consideration. She explained the Met Council schedule for receiving public comment on whether to proceed with the design phase. Alternative A is the Met Council staff recommendation which suggests moving ahead with design of the project, contingent on Plymouth, Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, and Medina agreeing to a cluster planning process. The process is not well-defined, but would provide for the cities to agree to development of target densities and development staging. Then the cities would negotiate a final agreement on housing, environmental standards, and transportation standards. Councihnember Lymangood requested that the names/phone numbers of Met Council representatives be provided to the Council. Manager Johnson explained that future development of Plymouth may not be reliant on construction of the Elm Creek Interceptor. A determination needs to be made as to whether the Waterford lift station is sufficient to serve all of Plymouth. He noted that lift stations would be needed in the northwest area to be developed, but perhaps this would be another option to the alternatives under consideration by the Met Council. ITEM E CITY ATTORNEY INTERVIEWS The Council discussed the interviews held for legal services. Manager Johnson stated that he intends to recommend that the City retain Roger Knutson and the firm of Campbell, Knutson, Scott, and Fuchs for legal services if the Council can change its regular meetings to Tuesday evenings. He believes that Mr. Knutson can best meet the City's needs in the future. However, Mr. Knutson has a conflict on Monday evenings. He noted that changing to a Tuesday meeting schedule would result in less holiday conflicts as well. City Council Minutes November 14, 1994 Page 11 Councilmembers Anderson and Granath indicated they would assist with negotiations with the new firm. Manager Johnson said that no change is currently recommended for bond counsel. Councilmember Edson stated he has concerns with a change to the Campbell firm relating to the ability of the firm to serve Plymouth given the size of the firm and the size of their other clients. Councilmember Granath said he feels a change is needed in the civil legal area. He would be supportive of retaining Best and Flanagan for prosecution services. Councilmember Helliwell stated she supports the appointment of the Campbell firm because they are strong on environment and development related issues. Councilmember Lymangood stated the Council's primary objective is retaining the best possible legal representation for the City - council meeting scheduling is secondary. He believes a change is needed in the current civil representation, but has no objection to retaining Best and Flanagan for prosecution services. Councilmember Anderson agreed, and suggested that staff contact Best and Flanagan once again to determine if they would consider providing only prosecution service. Mayor Tierney agreed that the prosecution should remain with Best and Flanagan. The meeting was adjourned at 10:28 p.m. ILL I City Clerk