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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission Minutes 03-31-1993CITIES OF PLYMOUTH AND MPMTONKA PLANNING COMMISSIONMINUTFSJOINTPUBLICHEARINGMARCH31, 1993 MEMBERS PRESENT: Plymouth Planning Commission Chairman Mike Stulberg, Commissioners Dennis zylla, Ed Albro, Barb Stimson, Scott Syverson, Julie Witt' and Mike Wigley; MinnetonkaPlanningCommissionChairmanJanisCallison, Commissioners Greg Yitchack, Barb Link, Mark Parks, Ken Taller, Shirley Vold and jTom Jensen.. MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT:. Plymouth Planning Director Chuck Dillemd, CityEngineerDanFaulkner, Associate Planner John Keho; Minnetonka Planning Director Ann Perry, and SeniorPlannerKimLindquist.. CARLSON REAL ESTATE COMPANY, INC. WAL-MART AND SAM'S CLUB Minnetonka - Rezoning to adopt a Planned I-394 District Master DevelopmentPlan; Comprehensive Guide Plan Amendment from Office/Industrial toCommercial; Site Plan Review "Sam's Club"; Subdivision 'Carlson 'Center 13thAddition" for Carlson Real Estate Company, Inc, located north of CheshireParkway, west of Cheshire Lane, and east 011494 in Section 3. (93008) Plymouth - Guide :Plan Amendment from I P, (Planned Industrial) to -CR -2Ret¢i1 Shopping); Rezoning from I-1, (Planned Industrial) to B-2, (ShoppingCenterBusiness); General Development Plan Amendment; Site Plan Review ofVal -Mart"; Conditional Use Permit for outside storage and automotive repair; and a variance for sign location for Carlson Real Estate Company, Inc., locatedeastof1-494 and west of Cheshire Lane. (93013) Minnetonka Director Perry reviewed the Minnetonka staff report; Plymouth DirectorDillerudreviewedthePlymouthstaffreport. Commissioner Jensen asked why a project of this size was being considered as a pad oftheCarlsonCenterplan, and not on its own merits as an indepeCons application. HeIiftillswasbeingdonebecausethelandthesiteisonisapartoftheCarlson - Center Master Plan. - Director Dillemd stated that all the development in this area that was a parf of theCarlsonCenterMasterPlanhaveandshouldbeconsideredasapartofthatplan, Planning Commission Minutes March3l, 1993 Page il48 Commission Jensen stated that he sees this s to as being more closely related to the retail portion of the Carlson Center property, and not closely aligned with the industrialpartofthesite. Commissioner Wigley asked if the traffic study, which seemed low as to trips generated, was taken from a tattle rather than actual studies. Director Dillered stated the figures used were lone by ,Strgar Roscoe-Fauseb. He said that because of the unusual design of this proposal, actual figures were not -readily available and this study as to generated trips is somewhat bfa hybrid. Director Perry stated that the figures used were for a combination of uses such as the retail uses proposed and the anticipated future use by restaurants or other retain !tses .of the remaining areas on the site. Robert Hoffman, representing the Carlson Companies, introduced the consultants he had with him: Linda Fisher, John Shardlow, Ron Krank, Dick Woosfield and Rick Nau, Greg Frank, Cathy O'Connell, Ed Hasseck, Brad Lis, Howard Bergerrud, ,andMikeSonnerfieldrepresentingWal-Mart. Mr. Hoffman stated that the respective staffs have been reviewing this proposal for the past 12 months. He said that they have held d neighborhood meetings. Mr. Hoffman began his presentation with a discussion of the land use for this proposal. He said that the petitioner does not consider this proposal as land use change for the Minnetonka portion of the plan. IIe said that he did not believe this was also a zoningissuesinceitisjustamovingaroundofbuildingsontheCarlsonCenterPUDMaster Plan. He said that Sam's Club is not considered a retail use in the City of Minnetonka, that itis a wholesale club for businesses with memberslup only. Mr. Hoffman discussed the land use in Plymouth, He said the existing CR -2 guidinginPlymouthisanapproveduseforCommercialRetailorCommunityShopping. ThelandsouthofthisexistingCR -2 guiding in Plymouth is being asked to be modified from Industrial (I -P) to CR -2, extending this use on the south side of the site. He said he felt they have met the 7 criteria necessary to the change this guiding. He said that the one reguir ing criterion, regarding the abuttment to the low density residential area, could be questionable, but he said that the property to the north of this site zoned CR -2 abutts low density residential property already. IIe said that the east side of Cheshire Lane is primarily Industrial property. Mr. Hoffman discussed the criteria which netted to be met including the word reasonable'; the CR -2 available property in Plymouth,, the highest and best use of the Planning Commission Minutes larch31,1993 Page 4 49 property; the cumulative tax benefits of this proposal; employment opportunities; and, how the applicant feels they meet each of the criteria. He said this proposal is a much better plan than that approved on the Master Plan because it proposes a smaller building mass ,on the site. Commissioner Wigley asked for a response to Criterion, 5 regarding the impact of this proposal on the public beyond the benefit to the land owner alone. Mr. Hoffman said that this will be discussed later. Linda Fisher reviewed the history of the Carlson Center. She said many of urese items were discussed In each staff report, but she felt they needed, to be discussed further. She discussed the improvements to the roadways and inter -changes and the guiding changes made since 1980 to the Carlson Center site. She stated that the original plan for the Carlson Center was to be phased and comploted by 1992. Chairman Callison stated that the Commissioners would take a 10 minute recess and then interrupt the developers presentation to allow the public to speak. She said that once public has spoken, the presentation by the developers could be continued. Mr. Roger Lowenoll, 13513 Windy Hill Road, Minnetonka stated that they were told most traffic would come from Highway 12. He said he was concerned about the amount of traffic that would be, generated by this development.. He said he figures that there would be 3 cars per minute generated by the proposal in addition to current traffic. He said he felt a land use amendment would be. needed in Minnetonka. He did not feel that Sam's Club was a true wholesale business. He said employment generated would mostly be beginning wage scale workers. Ms. Linda Stewart 13910 Knollway South, Minnetonka, stated that her neighborhood backs up to the Toys R Us Building in the Ridgedale Festival Shopping Area,. She said she does not feel low density residential and commercial business are a good mix.. She said fencing and landscaping do not diminish the intrusion of a commercial site on residential neighborhoods in regard to noise, lights and traffic. She stated that there ,are no changes proposed for traffic signals and increased tum lanes for the site. She said site felt the present roadways would not be able to handle the increased traffic this proposal would generate, Ms. Stewart stated that storm water runoff in her neighborhood would also increase and become a problem. She said that there are already many retail sites within a mile of this h+roposal which would be impacted by this development. She said the neighbors have met with the developers and expressed their concerns, a 0 Planning Commission Nnulcs h1arch 31, 1993 Page # 50 Commiz4rner Jensen addressed the buffer issue raised by Ms. Stewart. He said he perceives the existing buffer to the Minnetonka residential neighborhood as being very substantial. Ms. Stewart responded that most of the trees are deciduous and that she can see the Sam's Club site from her home. She said when homeowners bought their homes they were told by the City that this site would be industrial/office. This type of development was acceptable to the homeowners as these businesses would be 9-5 daily, with no weekend operations. Mr. Dave Nygren, 420 Berkshire Lane, Plymouth, said he was representing the Berkshire Homeowners Association, and stated that they do not want to see the guiding changed on this sitp from industrial to commercial. Mr. Terry Leininger, 13624 -5th Avenue North, stated that a petition signed by homeowners in the Carlson Addition, Berkshire Area and Hofferman Addition, states that they ,are against the reguiding of the property. He said the effects from the proposed application in regard to noise and traffic would be detrimental to the area. He said that he did not feel that the petitioner meets the criteria for reguiding. He said that the proposed landscaping will not seal their neighborhoods from the impediments of this proposal, and that the only benefit that would come from this proposal would be the taxes which would benefit the schools and the City. Mr. Leininger stated that the increased traffic would be detrimental to the area, He said that Berkshire Lane would not be adequate to handle the traffic, He said the proposed 8 foot fence would not shield the homes because the homes are on a hill and their elevations are higher than the proposed 8 foot fence. He explained that homeowners purchased their homes assuming that this site would be developed as industrial/office. He said that the citizens should have been told about the proposal for this development at the time the cities began discussing it with the applicant. He said he wanted to know how many cars would going into the site on a daily basis. He said that the previous Wal-Mart proposal in Plymouth was expected to generate 15,200 trips per day. He could not believe that with the Sam's Club addition to a proposal that the consultants estimate of 15,000 trips per day could be accurate, Jim Engler, 13530 Knollway Drive, Minnetonka, stated that he and his neighbors oppose the reguiding of the site. He said the increased traffic and drainage are a concern, Jim Filippi, 12610 -58th Avenue North, Plymouth, 'stated he Was representing the Berkshire Homeowners Association. He stated that there is ample retail development in the area, and just because industrial/office is not developable at the current time, the business cycles change and there will be a .time when the site will be desirable for industrial/office development. He said that the storm water drainage is a concern, and En Planning. Commission Minutes March31, 1993 Page # 51 even though building coverage will decrease, bard surface coverage increases because of the parking lot space, and this Will affect the drainage and water quality, He said that the increase in traffic during the weekend and evening hours will be a major detrimental factor on the neighborhood. He said that tax revenue to the City would actually be less than if the site is developed as industrial, 'He said he does not want to see any prior TIF fonds used for this project. Mike Corey, 13820 Knollway Drive, Minnetonka stated that the increase in traffic is his main concern; and the effect this traffic will have on the existing roads in the area. He asked the Commissioners to look very carefully at this issue. Richard Stewart, 13910 Knollway South, Minnetonka, stated that Cheshire Lane access roads are very narrow, and he is concerned about the increased traffic, drainage, and inadequate buffering. He said he feels the Sam's Club is a retail use, and the rezoning would not be appropriate. Don Hauge, 45 Quantico Lane, Plymouth, stated that he is concerned about the increase in traffic. He said that traffic has 'increased in the past 5 years since the completion of Carlson Parkway, and he said this has had an effect on the welfare and public safety, Chairman Callison closed the Public Hearing for the Minnetonka City; She said that the Minnetonka Planning Commission would discuss this issue on April 15, and that even though the Public Hearing was closed, they would allow the public to speak. Chairman Siulberg stated that the Plymouth Public Hearing would be continued to the April 14 Planning Commission Meeting, John Shardlow„consultant for the Carlson Ileal Estate Company project, stated that he has looked at the design features of the Master Plan. He said that trails and transit are an important part of this plan, along with significant perimeter landscaping. He said all access will be from Cheshire Lane and their design is to eliminate some of the curb cuts shown on the existing Carlson Center plan. Their plan is to screen all loading areas, He said their goal was to tie the two buildings together by design and create good circulation between the two sites; and, also to maximize the setbacks on the two sites, but minimize the activity at the backside of the buildings, Mr. Shardlow stated that Wal-Mart reduced the original size of thea building which allowed for less required parking and the increase in the amount of landscaping. They propose to provide a sidewalk along Cheshire Lane, He said this plan has a substantial commitment to landscaping, and they propose to install landscaping as a buffer for the residential sites which was supposed to be done at an earlier stage of development on the Master Plan, He said that in comparing this proposal to that of the original Master Plan, this plan proposes smallerbuildings, He said that Carlson has offered to plant 0 0 Planning Commission Minutes March 3l„1993 Page # 52 overstory deciduous and evergreen trees on the private properties along the proposed fence to aid in screening the site from the residential properties.. Mr. Shardlow said that the Berkshire home area was a main area of concentration as far as screening, and landscaping as these homes are closest to the site. He said that he felt this plan was consistent with the original Master Plan. Commissioner Parks asked Mr. Shardlow how long this type of Master Plan usually takes to be completed. He also asked bow Wal-Mart would handle the expansion of the roadway if needed on Cheshire Lane. Mr. Shardlow stated that he felt Cheshire lane. should not have to be widened. He stated that some Master Plans this size can take as long as 10 years or more. He said that he predicts that if this plan for Wal-NUA and 'Sam's Club is approved, the remainder of the site will develop in the very near future. Commissioner Parks asked where the land for the widening of Cheshire Lane would come from. if it was needed, and would it come from the landscaping area. Mr. Shardlow responded that it could come from a reduction in the parking area. Ron Krank stated that the design of this proposal is high quality and compatible with the Carlson Center properties. He said that 75% of the sales from Sam's Club will be to businesses, only 25% will be the public who must purchase`a membership. He described the facade materials and colors which will be used on both buildings. He said signage will be minimal. Dick Woosfeld, BRW, discussed the traffic; He said Strgar-Roscoe-Fausch did the traffic study, and that trips generated would be less than that allowed by ordinance in Minnetonka. In Plymouth, he said none of the intersections would have a change in the Level Of Service by reviewing the P.M. peak hour outbound traffic. He said no roadway improvements would be needed, and that Carlson Company will mitigate any problems and provide a buffer and landscaping. He also suggested that signs be posted No access to Commercial Area', to prevent traffic, from going into the adjacent residential areas. Mr. Hoffman summarized the merits of this proposal as being taxes, employment, greater building and parking- lot setbacks, integrated site design, less signage, landscaping, internal trails, more wetland preservation, and just 1 year of constriction versus a longer construction time frame if smaller parcels were developed on an individual application basis. Chairman Callison stated that Minnetonka will have their next meeting on April 1$, giving the applicants an opportunity to answer question, Planning Commission Minutes March3l, 1993 Page N 53 Chairman Stulberg stated that the Public Hearing will be continued in Plymouth on April 14, 1993. Meeting adjourned at 11:00 p.m.