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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission Minutes 10-05-2016Approved Minutes Planning Commission Meeting October 5,201 6 MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair James Davis, Commissioners Marc Anderson, Gary Goldetsky, Donovan Saba, Jim Kovach, Julie Witt and David Witte MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: Planning Manager Barb Thomson, Senior Planner Marie Darling, Planner Kip Berglund, Public Works Director Doran Cote OTHERS PRESENT: 1.CALL TO ORDER -7:00 P.M. 2.PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3.PUBLIC FORUM Marc Anderson stated that he received the Plymouth magazine in the mail that features a story on saving the bees. He stated that there is a movement in other cities where they have passed regulations that prevent certain chemicals from being sprayed on plants, similar to how the city regulates the use of phosphorus. He stated that in his yard they use plants that are bee-friendly and they do not use the sprays that harm bees or make the plants unsafe for bees. He noted that perhaps the city may want to consider regulating the sprays that make plants unsafe for bees. 4.APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION by Commissioner Goldetsky, seconded by Commissioner Anderson, to approve the October 5, 2016 Planning Commission Agenda. Vote. 7 Ayes. MOTION approved. 5.CONSENT AGENDA A.APPROVAL OF THE SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES MOTION by Commissioner Witte, seconded by Commissioner Kovach, to approve the consent agenda. Vote. 7 Ayes. MOTION approved. 6.PUBLIC HEARINGS A.SATHRE-BERGQUIST, INC (2016071) Approved Minutes 1 of 10 Meeting of October 5, 2016 Chair Davis introduced the request by Sathre-Bergquist, Inc. for preliminary plat and variances for Skrypec Addition located at 5585 Ximines Lane. Planner Berglund gave an overview of the staff report. Commissioner Goldetsky stated that this is a beautiful neighborhood and commended the planning department for their oversight in the planning for the area. He asked if there are lots in this area smaller than what is proposed through this request. Planner Berglund replied that proposed lot two is roughly 10,414 square feet and noted that in the existing development there are smaller lots, for example one is 9,776 square feet in size. Commissioner Goldetsky referenced the driveway options and asked if staff had a preference for one or the other in consideration of the aesthetics. Planner Berglund stated that the condition in the proposed resolution would make it clear that the owner of the new lot be made aware that the existing driveway would encroach onto their lot. He noted that the option would be for the applicant to decide. Commissioner Anderson stated that 13 of the 16 lots on the street are not 12,000 square feet or greater, therefore most of them are nonconforming. He asked if the homeowner would be able to rebuild if the home burned down. Planner Berglund responded that the nonconforming section of the ordinance states that a home can be rebuilt if destroyed. Planning Manager Thomson clarified that there is, however, a time limit for rebuilding. Chair Davis introduced Dave Pemberton, representing the applicant, who stated that there are two current lots in the project, and they are re-establishing the old lot line between the properties. He stated that in regard to the driveway questions, the existing driveway is not in the best condition, and the owner of the driveway has agreed to adjust that driveway in order to not encumber the other lot. He stated that the house shown on the survey is just an example of what could be built, noting that a builder has not been chosen for the site. Commissioner Anderson asked where the existing lot line is between lots one and two in relationship to the new lot line. Mr. Pemberton replied it is the same line, and the lot sizes for those lots will not be changed. Chair Davis opened the public hearing. Chair Davis introduced Jessica Hallock, 5560 Ximines Lane, who asked the city ifthere will be a minimum square footage for the new home in order to maintain the property values of the existing homes in the area. She said she wanted to ensure that the home that is built will be consistent with the neighborhood. Approved Minutes 2 of 10 Meeting of October 5, 2016 Chair Davis introduced Larry Klick, 10705 57th Avenue, who stated that he has a concern with the approach to the back of the home, noting that there is a creek in that area. He stated that he is not opposed to the subdivision but noted that the footprint for the new home shown will not match with the existing homes. He stated that the home would need to be moved back in order to match the setback of the homes on the street. He stated that he understands from the presentation that the creek will not be impacted and therefore only has concern with the front yard setback of the home to ensure that it matches the other homes on the block. Chair Davis closed the public hearing. Planner Berglund stated that there is not a minimum square footage for homes. He stated that the required setbacks would tend to dictate the size of the home that could be built on the lot. Planning Manager Thomson stated that given the existing homes in the neighborhood, something that is smaller and therefore out of character would likely not get financing, and therefore a new home would fit with the existing homes. Planner Berglund stated that when the subdivision was approved, it was through a PUD, and there were slightly different setbacks than what exists in the current zoning district. He explained that under the PUD, the front yard setback was 30 feet and the rear yard setback was 20 feet compared to the zoning district requirements of 25 feet for front and rear yard setbacks. He stated that therefore a builder could get approval for a 25-foot setback. He noted that the applicant simply provided an example of where a house could be placed on the lot to meet the requirements of the district. Planning Manager Thomson stated that because there is a variance request, the city does have the ability to add conditions, such as an additional setback requirement to match the adjacent homes in the neighborhood. Chair Davis stated that he likes the idea of moving the setback to match the other properties. Commissioner Anderson stated that he could support that but would also support reducing the rear setback to match the existing homes as well. Commissioner Saba asked if the gravel road to the right of the property is managed by the city. Senior Planner Darling replied that the road is owned and managed by the homeowners association. Commissioner Witte referenced the rear setback for lot one and asked if there would be a variance required for that rear setback because this subdivision would be creating new lots, even for the lot with the existing home. Planning Manager Thomson stated that the issue is where the new home is placed, and that can be addressed by what is included in the resolution. She stated that if the commission wishes to allow the 20-foot rear yard setback, that setback could be specified. Approved Minutes 3 of 10 Meeting of October 5, 2016 MOTION by Commissioner Anderson, seconded by Commissioner Goldetsky, to approve the request by Sathre-Bergquist, Inc. for preliminary plat and variances for Skrypec Addition located at 5585 Ximines Lane with the added condition that the front yard setback of the new home be 30 feet and the rear yard setback be 20 feet. Vote. 7 Ayes. MOTION approved. B.BWBR ARCHITECTS (2016076) Chair Davis introduced the request by BWBR Architects for a site plan amendment and conditional use permit amendment for a building addition to Wayzata Evangelical Free Church located at 705 County Road 101. Senior Planner Darling gave an overview of the staff report. Commissioner Anderson asked if parking is being added with this project. Senior Planner Darling stated that all parking shown on the plan is existing and clarified that there will actually be five stalls removed to accommodate the addition. Commissioner Anderson asked about the existing parking situation, noting that he used to live in that area and advised that there was a lot of parking on nearby streets. Senior Planner Darling stated that even accounting for the loss of five spaces, the existing parking exceeds the city parking standards and noted that she had not received any complaints from the neighborhood regarding parking. Commissioner Witte asked for more information on the bio-retention system. Senior Planner Darling repfa:d that the addition is too small to require ponding but in working with the watershed district the applicant is proposing to enhance the water collection basin as a best management practice (BMP). She stated that the screening in that area is fairly heavy, even in leaf off conditions, and she wanted to ensure that the landscape requirements would be met with the removal of vegetation that would need to occur in the area near the basin. Chair Davis introduced Richard Stuerman, representing the applicant, who stated that he is available to answer any questions. Chair Davis opened the public hearing. Chair Davis introduced Margaret Crowder, 17720 6th A venue, who stated that there is a parking problem with the church all the time. She stated that the previous winter there were church users that parked on both sides of the street, which barely left room for one vehicle to pass through. She stated that there is a real problem with parking in the neighborhood because of the church activities. She stated that the bigger the church gets, the more activities they add and the more traffic and parking problems that are created for the neighborhood, and therefore she does not support any further expansion of the church. Approved Minutes 4 of 10 Meeting of October 5, 2016 Chair Davis introduced John Silbaugh, 17700 6th A venue, who stated that when the church was built, it was his understanding that there was woodland behind the church and that the church wanted to buy it to expand parking but noted that homes were put in that area. He stated that the quick fix to help the neighborhood would be to cut off access from the neighborhood trail to the church. He stated that on the busy days it is probably more convenient for people to park in the neighborhood rather than go in through the main entrance. He stated that he does not mind the church expanding, but would like to see the trail connection cut off and additional landscaping put in to make it more difficult for church members to park in their neighborhood. He stated that when the road was redone the cul-de-sac was made smaller and the road narrower, which means that if people park on both sides of the street it is not safe for the people in the neighborhood. He stated that if it is made more difficult for people to get to the church by walking through their neighborhood that may help alleviate neighborhood concerns. Chair Davis introduced Deb Kessenich, 515 Narcissus Lane, who stated that she is the president of the neighborhood association and noted that the only thing she has seen about this project is the notification for this meeting. She noted that it appears they are removing a lot of landscaping, screening and greenspace and adding more building. She stated it appears that this development would remove the last bit of grass space and the entire site will be concrete and building, and the small amount of screening will be removed. She asked for information she could bring back to the neighborhood and was surprised that a pond would not be required when removing the green space from the site. Planning Manager Thomson explained that the church did send notices about a meeting they hosted to discuss the addition, as was noted in the staff report. She stated that with this type of application, notice is sent to all property owners within 500 feet of the church boundaries. She stated that notification is also put on the website and a sign placed on the property. Ms. Crowder stated that she has been at her property for 41 years, and therefore they have been through development after development. She said she believed that the last time an expansion was done, the church had stated that was the last thing they were going to expand. She stated that the church has taken over the whole area and the surrounding homes are impacted by the traffic and parking problems that the church activities add to the area. She stated that she did not hear a reason for the additional 9,000 square feet or the intended use. She said she believes that the church is big enough and does not need any further expansion. Senior Planner Darling stated that the majority of the addition is for a multi-purpose room used for a gymnasium, youth activities, and fellowship activities along with expansion of the kitchen and storage areas on the other side of the building. She explained that the addition is split between these two areas of the building. She stated that the total addition is a little over 9,000 square feet, and therefore ten trees will need to be planted. She explained that because trees are also being removed, another ten trees would be required. She stated that the church is proposing to plant 16 over story trees, 9 under story trees, 26 larger shrubs and other various smaller shrubs and perennials. She stated that the applicant has not yet specified how they would maintain the required screening from the neighboring homes but noted that six feet of screening is required, with either vegetation or fencing. Approved Minutes 5 of 10 Meeting of October 5, 2016 Chair Davis stated that although he recalls hearing that the site would not be required to install a pond, he does see a small pond on the plans. Senior Planner Darling replied that the difference between a pond and a basin is that a pond is typically deeper and designed to allow the sediment to soak into the ground, while the purpose of an infiltration basin is temporary, short term storage of water with the intent that it would soak into the ground. She stated that when there is an addition onto an existing building you do not need to retrofit to meet the existing standards but simply accommodate the addition. She reviewed the path runoff would travel to reach the infiltration basin. Mr. Stuerman replied that currently there is no storm water retention on the site and therefore this will be an improvement. Mr. Silbaugh stated that there is heavy flow and was concerned that the water being pushed to the infiltration basin by a pipe would cause that water to flow right into the neighborhood. He stated that currently the water sheet drains through the parking lot into the storm drains and believed that this solution was only benefiting the church as it will help to keep the parking lot from becoming icy. Mr. Stuerman stated that they have been working with the watershed and city engineers to develop this improvement. Chair Davis asked if there would be sufficient space for the screening. Senior Planner Darling stated that there would be room for fencing ifthere is not enough space for the plantings. She acknowledged that there are traffic volume issues for churches on big event days. She stated that perhaps representatives from the church could address the parking issues, noting that if people are parking in the neighborhood because it is closer, church officials could be speaking to their members about parking in the church lot only. She stated that if the church believed they had sufficient space, they would not be requesting this addition. She explained that the church parking requirements are based on the capacity of the main worship area and not the additional gathering areas, unless those would be used at the same time. She noted that the church meets city requirements for parking. Commissioner Witte asked if this site is subject to the conditions for pervious and impervious surface, similar to a request that was considered the previous month by the commission. Senior Planner Darling replied that typically the requirements for pervious pavement or pavers is one method to meet BMPs or reduce runoff. She noted that another method would be to create a bio-retention swale and advised that the applicant must demonstrate to the watershed how the requirements would be met. Commissioner Witte asked if there is a purpose for the cul-de-sac, and if not, whether the homeowners could request that the cul-de-sac be abandoned and the road connected with the other neighborhood, which would possibly assist in providing a solution to this problem. Approved Minutes 6 of 10 Meeting of October 5, 2016 Senior Planner Darling stated that there are driveways that outlet onto the cul-de-sac, and therefore it could not be vacated. She stated that the homeowners could petition the city to post no parking on one side of the street. She said she was not aware of when the trail connection was installed. Ms. Crowder replied that the cul-de-sac was in existence when the church was built. She did not think the cul-de-sac could be abandoned as there is a home that has a driveway that accesses the cul-de-sac. Chair Davis introduced Reuel Nygaard, 3230 Saratoga Lane, who stated that he has attended the church since 1982. He stated that the church is aware that there are some issues with parking, and they have gone to efforts to assist with the parking problems on Tuesdays during bible study. He stated that the church would be willing to eliminate the bridge connection, which may assist in deterring people from parking in the cul-de-sac. He confirmed that on Tuesdays the parking lot is not full, and people are parking in the cul-de-sac because they view it as a more convenient spot. Commissioner Witt asked how many families belong to the church. Mr. Nygaard estimated 400 members. He stated that there are two services, one at 9:00 a.m. and one at 10:45 a.m. Commissioner Witt stated that she belongs to a much larger church with 1,200 families. She stated that near her church parking is only allowed on one side of the street, which helps with on street traffic. She encouraged the church to remove the bridge to make it more difficult for people to park in the cul-de-sac. Mr. Nygaard stated that they would be willing to remove the bridge, which would make it difficult to park in the cul-de-sac because there would not be access. Commissioner Goldetsky asked if there is an estimate as to whether traffic to the site will increase with the addition, and whether there have been any critical traffic incidents compared to other similar uses in the city. Senior Planner Darling stated that she is not aware of any specific traffic concerns in this area during the service times. Public Works Director Cote stated that he is not aware of any issues, noting that the typical high traffic times for a church are usually non-peak times for regular traffic. Commissioner Saba stated that he lives in the area and has not noted any huge traffic concerns from the church. Planning Manager Thomson stated that typically the sanctuary size dictates the amount of traffic coming from a church site. Approved Minutes 7 of 10 Meeting of October 5, 2016 Mr. Stuerman stated that the addition will not cause additional traffic but will simply provide gymnasium space for different activities. He stated that the church is actually considering moving from pews to chairs, which will reduce the number of seats in the worship area. Commissioner Goldetsky stated it is his understanding that this addition will not cause a change in the amount of traffic. Planning Manager Thomson stated that her church had a similar transition from pews to chairs and could attest that there was a reduction in the number of seats. Commissioner Witt stated that she would support an additional condition to remove the bridge between the church and cul-de-sac. Commissioner Anderson stated that while he would support removing access from the church to the cul-de-sac, he would not want to push for parking on one side of the street as he did not think that request could be tied to this application. Public Works Director Cote stated although there are areas in the city near churches where parking has been restricted on one side of the street, that request is brought forward by the neighborhood through a petition. Chair Davis closed the public hearing. MOTION by Commissioner Witt, seconded by Commissioner Anderson, to approve the revised resolution for the request by BWBR Architects for a site plan amendment and conditional use permit amendment for a building addition to Wayzata Evangelical Free Church located at 705 County Road 101 with the added condition that the access from the Narcissus Lane cul-de-sac be removed. Vote. 7 Ayes. MOTION approved. C.CITY OF PLYMOUTH (2016081) Chair Davis introduced the request by the City of Plymouth for the 2017-2021 Capital Improvement Program. Public Works Director Cote highlighted noteworthy projects in each of the program areas. Commissioner Witt stated that in her experience, capital budgets provide data to review, using the example of six squad cars proposed for replacement. She stated that being there is no data, she is understanding that the role of the commission is to simply "bless" the item and trust that staff has done the leg work behind the data. She asked if the council will receive the additional data. Public Works Director Cote provided an example of the data models that staff µses, noting that the models were just updated the previous month, in order to predict when replacement is needed for items such as vehicles. He noted that he does have the data in his office should the council, or anyone else, wish to see that information. He stated that equipment replacement is based upon Approved Minutes 8 of 10 Meeting of October 5, 2016 use, condition, serviceability, whether the item can be re-purposed, and whether the item is still needed. Commissioner Anderson noted that $4,500,000 is a lot of money to be investing in the ice facilities. He acknowledged that the facility does receive rental funds and asked if the facility pays for itself. Public Works Director Cote stated that he would defer to the parks department as he was unsure if the facility pays for itself. He noted that some of the repairs may not be fully covered by the rental funds received. He also noted that the city is seeking alternative funding to cover the repairs to the ice center. Commissioner Anderson referenced some data he recently read where LED lighting can cause damage to eyes, noting that the lighting in the parking lots of the parks are proposed to be replaced with LED. Public Works Director Cote acknowledged that staff is aware of that data but explained there are different intensities for the lighting, and staff will ensure that the appropriate lighting level is installed. Commissioner Anderson asked why the city would be contributing toward the improvement of a county road. Public Works Director Cote explained that each city must cost-share a portion of county road projects and noted that in this case the city has volunteered to pay a larger portion of the cost than it typically would in an attempt to bring the project forward on the county's schedule, as the project is not currently included on the county's schedule. Commissioner Witte referenced the bridge at Rockford Road and 1-494 and asked for additional information. Public Works Director Cote stated that this project is a high priority of the City Council. He stated that currently Mn/DOT is proposing only to re-deck the bridge, but the council is hoping to gain funding to improve the capacity of the roadway over the freeway as well. Commissioner Witte asked where the maintenance, such as dredging costs, for city ponds would be included in the CIP. Public Works Director Cote noted that $125,000 per year is budgeted for pond maintenance. He noted that annual inspections are conducted and surveys are completed to determine if dredging is needed. Commissioner Saba stated that the flashing yellow light item comes up a lot in discussions with residents, noting that the question he is asked the most is how many lights have been done and how many lights are left. Approved Minutes 9 of 10 Meeting of October 5, 2016 Public Works Director Cote replied that about two thirds of the lights have been completed and about one third remain. He noted that this project should be completed by the spring. Chair Davis opened the public hearing and closed the public hearing as there was no one present to speak on the item. MOTION by Commissioner Witte, seconded by Commissioner Kovach, to recommend approval of the request by the City of Plymouth for the 2017-2021 Capital Improvement Program. Vote.7 Ayes. MOTION approved. 7.NEW BUSINESS 8.ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Chair Davis, with no objection, to adjourn the meeting at 8:56 P.M. Approved Minutes 10 of 10 Meeting of October 5, 2016