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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission Minutes 03-18-2015Approved Minutes City of Plymouth Planning Commission Meeting March 18, 2015 MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair James Davis, Commissioners Marc Anderson, Jim Kovach, Julie Witt and Donovan Saba ABSENT: Commissioners Bryan Oakley and Gary Goldetsky STAFF PRESENT: Planning Manager Barbara Thomson, Senior Planner Shawn Drill, and Public Works Director Doran Cote 1. CALL TO ORDER - 7: 00 P.M. 2. OATH OF OFFICE Planning Manager Thomson administered the oath of office to new Planning Commissioner Donovan Saba. 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 4. PUBLIC FORUM 5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION by Commissioner Anderson, seconded by Commissioner Kovach, to approve the March 18, 2015 Planning Commission Agenda. Vote. 5 Ayes. MOTION approved. 6. CONSENT AGENDA A. APPROVAL OF THE FEBRUARY 18, 2015 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES MOTION by Commissioner Anderson, seconded by Commissioner Kovach, to approve the consent agenda. Vote. 5 Ayes. MOTION approved. 7. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. WOLD ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS (2015006) Chair Davis introduced the request by Wold Architects and Engineers for a preliminary plat, site plan amendment and conditional use permit amendment for an expansion to Wayzata High School. Senior Planner Drill gave an overview of the staff report. Approved Planning Commission Minutes March 18, 2015 Page2 Commissioner Anderson referenced the new playfields on the southern portion of the site that backup to the railroad tracks and questioned the type of fencing that would be installed to prevent interaction between the areas. Senior Planner Drill responded that the plan includes six-foot high chain link fencing between the fields and tracks. Commissioner Anderson confirmed that on the north end of the site, four-foot high fencing between the city's soccer fields and the new parking area met with city park staff approval. Commissioner Anderson referenced the issue of a public street versus private drive and questioned ifthere would be emergency access to the nonconforming cul-de-sac from the private drive. Senior Planner Drill stated that staff could investigate that option. Commissioner Anderson questioned the type of authority or veto power that the city has over allowing access to Highway 55 from the high school site, acknowledging that MnDOT would have the ultimate authority. He questioned the type of additional safety measures the city may want to see in place to prevent high school drivers from ignoring the right in/right out only and crossing over to head east. Public Works Director Cote stated there is a median across Highway 55 at that location, which would prevent drivers from crossing. He stated that the school district would like to provide active warning signs that would alert both high school drivers and drivers traveling along the highway. He also noted that due to the proximity of the railroad bridge, there is no opportunity to add a right turn lane into the site, and due to the proximity to the traffic signal at County Road 101, to add an acceleration lane leaving the site. Commissioner Anderson stated that it appears the school will lose some parking with the new design and questioned if that is why the new parking area is proposed. Senior Planner Drill confirmed that some of the existing parking would be lost with the new design and identified the areas where additional parking would be added. Commissioner Anderson questioned if the city has requirements for parking for this type of use. Senior Planner Drill replied affirmatively. He noted that the proposed parking would comply with the required standard. Commissioner Anderson confamed that the commission could recommend approval on the high school expansion tonight without a final answer from MnDOT on access. Chair Davis questioned if the city could veto the access to Highway 55 even ifMnDOT were to approve it. Approved Planning Commission Minutes March 18, 2015 Page3 Public Works Director Cote replied that MnDOT controls the access to Highway 55; therefore, the city does not have authority on that matter. Chair Davis confomed that the residential outlot on the plan is speculative at this time. Chair Davis introduced Scott McQueen, Wold Architects and Engineers, representing the school district, who addressed the issue of fencing near the soccer fields. He stated there will not only be chain link fencing, which he believed will be eight feet in height, but noted there will also be netting installed up to 20 feet high. He stated that the safety issues regarding Highway 55 have been jointly studied with the city and MnDOT. He advised that a traffic and parking study had been completed, noting that the study concluded there is a need for 1,549 parking stalls. He advised that city code requires 1,950 parking stalls and reported there will be 1,985 provided. He noted there are an additional 118 parallel parking stalls not included in that count. He stated that the field lighting will be the newest generation lighting, which will have an improved cut off and reduced glare from the existing equipment. He noted that a traffic study was completed not only for the existing access, but also for the potential additional access. Commissioner Anderson asked if there is a preference for the type of access desired for Highway 55. Mr. McQueen confirmed that school district has been asking for the right-in/right-out access. Commissioner Anderson asked if, in the event the access is approved from Highway 55 and accidents were to occur, whether the school district would be willing to install barricades and require that the students use the signalized access for dismissal times as this would still be a private drive owned by the school district. Mr. McQueen believed that to be the case. He stated they will work with the city going forward, noting existing collaboration with the city for special events, such as football games. Chair Davis opened the public hearing and closed the public hearing as there was no one present to speak on the matter. Commissioner Witt echoed the concerns of Commissioner Anderson regarding the safety of an access onto Highway 55. She noted there is already a lot of congestion in that area and did not believe it would be an ideal situation to add high school traffic into that situation. Chair Davis acknowledged that the school dismissal is around 2:30 p.m. and that would eliminate interaction with rush hour traffic. Commissioner Kovach asked if there were any available traffic estimates or accident data for the golf course. Public Works Director Cote replied that the traffic study did not look at a comparison, but rather where the students were addressed and therefore, where they would likely be exiting the school site. He noted the study did not identify a large number potentially traveling to the west. ApprovedPlanning Commission Minutes March 18, 2015 Page4 Recognizing the concerns raised, he also reviewed the conditions that are being considered for inclusion in an agreement among the school district, MnDOT and the city as paii of any granting of access to Highway 55. Public Works Director Cote detailed steps designed to help insure safety entering and exiting the site both at Highway 55 and the existing access points on Peony Lane and under what conditions access would be reduced or eliminated in the future. He noted that these are potential conditions and have not been fully vetted at this time. Planning Manager Thomson confirmed that in other instances the city has included a condition in an approving resolution, requiring a traffic management plan. Commissioner Witt stated that staff has hemd the concerns of the commission and believed the Commission should trust that staff will address those concerns through the resolution. Commissioner Anderson echoed the comments that staff has hemd the comments of the commission and could craft a resolution. He stated that he was pleasantly surprised at the potential conditions of approval for the Highway 55 access. MOTION by Commissioner Anderson, seconded by Commissioner Witt, to recommend approval of the request by Wold Architects and Engineers for a preliminai-y plat, site plan amendment and conditional use permit amendment for an expansion to Wayzata High School located at 4955 Peony Lane with the added condition to allow staff to work out an agreement between the city, school district and MnDOT for a traffic management plan for the access road. Vote. 5 Ayes. MOTION approved. 8.NEW BUSINESS A.LTF REAL ESTATE COMPANY, INC. (2015014) Chair Davis introduced the request by LTF Real Estate Company, Inc. for a site plan ainendment and variances for a parking expansion at Life Time Fitness and the Plymouth Ice Center located at 3600 and 3650 Plymouth Boulevard. He indicated that the applicant needs additional time to address an outstanding issue and recommended that this item be continued until the April 1, 2015 Planning Commission meeting. MOTION by Commissioner Saba, seconded by Commissioner Witt, to recommend that the request LTF Real Estate Company, Inc. for a site plan amendment and variances for a parking expansion at LifeTime Fitness and the Plymouth Ice Center located at 3600 and 3650 Plymouth Boulevard be continued to the April 1, 2015 Planning Commission meeting. Vote. 5 Ayes. MOTION approved. 9.ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Chairman Davis, with no objection, to adjourn the meeting at 7:55 P.M.