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Home My WebLink AboutCouncil Information Memorandum 01-26-2017 CITY OF PLYMOUTH COUNCIL INFO MEMO January 26,2017 EVENTS / MEETINGS Planning Commission Agenda for February 1st.................................................................................Page2 Official City Meeting Calendars.........................................................................................................Page3 Tentative List of Agenda Items...........................................................................................................Page6 CORRESPONDENCE Fire & Ice Winter Festival Set for February 4th..................................................................................Page 7 REPORTS & OTHER ARTICLES OF INTEREST West Metro Suburbs Sees Increase in Hotels, with the Latest Coming to Plymouthin 'Urban-type Village', Star Tribune.............................................................................Page 8 Residents of Twin Cities Suburbs Find Places Online to Gather, Vent, Star Tribune......................Page 12 Pelican BioThermal Opens Plymouth HQ Expansion, FINANCE&COMMERCE...........................Page 16 PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA WEDNESDAY, February 1, 2017 WHERE:CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS Plymouth City Hall 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, MN 55447 CONSENT AGENDA All items listed on the consent agenda are considered to be routine by the Planning Commission and will be enacted by one motion.There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Commissioner, citizen or petitioner so requests, in which event the item will be removed from the consent agenda and considered in normal sequence on the agenda. 1.CALL TO ORDER – 7:00 P.M. 2.OATH OF OFFICE – Kira Vanderlan 3.PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 4.PUBLIC FORUM 5.APPROVAL OF AGENDA 6.CONSENT AGENDA A.Approve the January 18, 2017Planning Commission meeting minutes. B.Michael Steinhauser. Approve a variance to the rear yard setback for an addition for th property located at 10610 54Avenue. (2016102) 7.PUBLIC HEARINGS A.Creekside Plymouth LLC.Rezoning and preliminary plat for “Creekside Woods Phase II” for property located at 17125 and 17135 Old Rockford Road. (2016098) (Continue the public hearing to the February 15, 2016 meeting.) 8.NEW BUSINESS A.Ricardo and Cynthia Armijo. Variances to allow a carport in the front yard for property located at 1035 West Medicine Lake Drive. (2016100) 9.ADJOURNMENT Page 2 February 2017 SUN MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1 2 3 4 7:00 PM PLANNING 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM COMMISSION FIRE & ICE MEETING FESTIVAL Council Chambers Parkers Lake Park 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 7:00 PM 7:00 PM ENVIRONMENTAL PARK & REC QUALITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE (EQC) COMMISSION MEETING (PRAC) MEETING Medicine Lake Room Council Chambers 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 7:00 PM 7:00 PM PLANNING REGULAR COUNCIL COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers MEETING Council Chambers 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 7:00 PM HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (HRA) PRESIDENTS MEETING DAY Medicine Lake Room CITY OFFICES CLOSED 26 27 28 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Phone: 763-509-5000 OFFICIAL CITY CALENDAR Plymouth, MN 55447 Fax: 763-509-5060 Page 3 March 2017 SUN MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1 2 3 4 7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM 7:00 PM 11:00 AM2 PM HEALTHY LIVING ENVIRONMENTAL WEDDING EXPO FAIR QUALITY Plymouth Creek Plymouth Creek Center COMMITTEE (EQC) Center MEETING Medicine Lake Room 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 7:00 PM 5:00-7:00 PM PLANNING Board & COMMISSION Commission Social City Hall Lobby MEETING Council Chambers 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 7:00 PM HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (HRA) MEETING Medicine Lake Room 26 27 28 29 30 31 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Phone: 763-509-5000 OFFICIAL CITY CALENDAR Plymouth, MN 55447 Fax: 763-509-5060 Page 4 April 2017 SUN MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 7:00 PM 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM PLANNING PLYMOUTH HOME PLYMOUTH HOME COMMISSION EXPO EXPO MEETING Plymouth Creek Plymouth Creek Council Chambers Center Center 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 5:30PM 7:00 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL ENVIRONMENTAL MEETING QUALITY Plymouth Creek Center Feasibility Study COMMITTEE (EQC) Medicine Lake Room MEETING 7:00 PM Medicine Lake Room REGULAR COUNCIL Council Chambers 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 7:00 PM PRIMAVERA PRIMAVERA PLANNING Plymouth Fine Plymouth Fine COMMISSION Arts Council Arts Council MEETING Show Show Council Chambers Plymouth Creek Plymouth Creek Center Center 4:30 PM-7:00 PM Open Book Meeting Medicine Lake Room 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 7:00 PM PRIMAVERA 7:00 PM Plymouth Fine REGULAR COUNCIL HOUSING AND Arts Council MEETING REDEVELOPMENT Show Council Chambers AUTHORITY (HRA) Plymouth Creek Center MEETING Medicine Lake Room 30 CHANGES ARE NOTED IN RED 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Phone: 763-509-5000 OFFICIAL CITY CALENDAR Plymouth, MN 55447 Fax: 763-509-5060 Page 5 Tentative Schedule for City Council Agenda Items February 14, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers Approve Joint Powers Agreement for the North Metro Range Approve purchase of single axle and tandem axle dump trucks with snow/ice control related equipment Public hearing on proposed lodging tax February 28, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers Utility Rate Study March 14, 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. City Hall Lobby and Medicine Lake Room Board and Commission Recognition Social March 14, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers Recognize Board and Commission members City Manager’s quarterly update following regular meeting March 28, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers April 11, Special, 5:30 p.m. Medicine Lake Room Plymouth Creek Center Feasibility Study update April 11, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers April 25, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers May 9, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers May 23, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers June 13, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers June 27, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers July 25, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers August 8, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers August 22, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers Page 6 City of Plymouth News Release For Immediate Release Jan. 19, 2017 Contact: Dan Lauer Recreation Supervisor City of Plymouth 763-509-5283 dlauer@plymouthmn.gov Plymouth Fire & Ice winter festival set for Feb. 4 Plymouth, Minn. – Plymouth’s winter get-together, the 28th annual Fire & Ice, is set for 3-7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4 at Parkers Lake Park, off of County Road 6 and Niagara Lane. This free family-friendly festival combines recycling bin races, a youth ice fishing contest, hayrides, pony and sled-dog rides, miniature golf on the ice, snow bowling, box hockey, recreational skating, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing – weather permitting. If it gets chilly, attendees can warm up at a bonfire with s’mores and hot chocolate, while supplies last, sponsored by Step by Step Montessori. Food trucks will also be on site. An interactive DJ will take the stage that evening, followed by fire dancers. The finale of the event – fireworks sponsored by the Plymouth Civic League – will begin around 6:30 p.m. Goofy Hat Contest The annual Fire & Ice goofy hat contest begins at 5 p.m. at the Showmobile Stage. First- and second- place winners from multiple age categories will be selected to win prizes. Free Shuttle Service Free shuttles to and from the event will run 3:30-7:30 p.m. at Oakwood Playfield, 1700 County Road 101. More Information Fire & Ice is free, aside from food trucks, and open to the public. For a detailed schedule of events, visit plymouthmn.gov. For weather concerns, call the weather line at 763-509-5205 or check the city website. Cutlines: FireandIce2016.jpg: Recycling bin races are a staple of the annual Fire & Ice winter festival in Plymouth. This year’s event is set for Saturday, Feb. 4 at Parkers Lake. FireandIce2016_2.jpg: Warm up by the bon fire, and enjoy fire dancers and fireworks during the annual Fire & Ice, set for Saturday, Feb. 4 at Parkers Lake. -30 - Page 7 WEST METRO 411229415 West metro suburbs sees increase in hotels, with the latest coming to Plymouth in 'urban-type village' Project will be built on the old Four Seasons Mall site. By Kelly SmithStar Tribune JANUARY 19, 2017 — 8:10PM Rendering from ESG Architects of Agora redevelopment in Plymouth, Which will replace the vacant Four Seasons Mall and its surface lots. Plymouth’s abandoned Four Seasons Mall and its parking lots soon will be replaced with senior housing, shops and two upscale hotels — the first hotels to be built in the suburb in a decade. The project, dubbed Agora, got preliminary approval from the City Council this week for redevelopment of the 17-acre site near Hwy. 169 and Rockford Road. The council is expected to give final approval next week for the project and also may consider a lodging tax and tax-increment financing. While Minneapolis and St. Paul have had an unprecedented influx of new lodging,Plymouth’s expansion reflects a surge in interest and construction of hotels in suburbs as well. According to a recent report by the real estate firm CBRE Hotels, nine hotels in the west and north suburbs are under construction or will be in the next year — about 22 percent of all new hotels in the metro area. Page 8 In Wayzata, the first hotel on Lake Minnetonka in more than 50 years — the Hotel Landing — will open this summer as part of a condo development. In Eden Prairie, afive-story Hampton Inn has been approved to be built, the 12th hotel in that suburb, and the city is hearing that other hotel developers are interested. In Plymouth, city leaders are expecting another hotel in the next year besides the Aloft hotel and TownePlace Suites by Marriott in the Agora redevelopment. That would make 10 hotels, or more than 1,200 hotel rooms, in the suburb. “The west metro has seen their share of hotels come into the market,” said Lowell Lankford of Rock Hill Management, the developer of Agora. “The last two years have been the best we’ve ever had.” Four Seasons Mall in Plymouth, photographed in 2013, has sat vacant for years and is now slated to be redeveloped into two hotels, senior housing, retail, offices, a bank and restaurants. With the increase in travel and the economy rebounding, he said there’s more demand for hotels. And hotels are aiming to open in time for the 2018 Super Bowl, which will be played in Minneapolis. Some nearby Plymouth residents voiced concern earlier this month about the size of the four-story hotels near their neighborhood and the possibility they will draw prostitutes or other criminal activity. City leaders said police will respond as needed, and that the hotels will be high-quality. Lankford added that the four-story buildings are near the highway and not the neighborhood, and that market research shows a demand for hotels in Plymouth. The closest hotel is nearly 5 miles away. “There is a need in that particular area,” he said, citing business travelers for many corporate offices off Hwy. 169. Page 9 New lodging tax? If the Plymouth City Council decides to introduce a lodging tax, a public hearing would follow. State law allows cities to impose a lodging tax of up to 3 percent, with 95 percent of proceeds going toward a local convention or tourism bureau for marketing or promotion. In Minnesota, 110 cities have a lodging tax including cities near Plymouth such as Golden Valley, St. as Bloomington (7 percent) have higher taxes. Plymouth city leaders say they may seek special legislation to broaden what the city can do with lodging tax proceeds, such as using it to revamp facilities like its ice center. For three years, Plymouth has asked the Legislature in vain for bonding money to support the ice center’s renovations, including a new roof. “We’re frustrated we’re notmaking any progress on that,” City Manager Dave Callister said. “This \[lodging tax\] is a way to capture money back for our community.” Agora developer Rock Hill Management has signed a purchase agreement and is leading the $52 million redevelopment. Traffic and environmental assessments have been done, and the project would include wetland restoration and phosphorus removal. Agora,slated to be an “urban-type village,”would replace the 1970s mall that has sat vacant near the busy corner for about five years. “It’s blighted,” Callister said of the mall property. “It’s pretty exciting to have something actually in that area.” Wal-Mart bought the site in 2010 for $10.6 million and was going to build a Wal-Mart Supercenter,but the retailer faced resistance from neighbors. Citing poor soil, 4 acres of uninhabitable wetlands and traffic concerns, the City Council placed a yearlong moratorium on the site while a market study was conducted. A mixed-use development with offices, retail and senior housing was ultimately recommended, and Wal- Mart wound up putting the site up for sale in 2015. Besides the 95-room Aloft hotel and a 100-room TownePlace Suites, Agora — which means “gathering place” in Greek — would feature a 139-unit senior housing project with independent, assisted-care and memory-care units; retail, offices, restaurants, a bank and a mini plaza that could host community events. Page 10 It also would include a three-story, 339-space parking ramp, which the city could agree Tuesday to buy from the developer for $5 million to accommodate park-and-ride commuters taking an express bus to Minneapolis. Construction is slated to start on retail space, offices, hotels and the ramp this summer. Those areas could open by December; the senior housing is expected to open by December 2019. “It’s an exciting project that will be a huge benefit to Plymouth,” Lankford said. “This is a gateway area that’s fallen into great disrepair.” Twitter: @kellystrib kelly.smith@startribune.com612-673-4141kellystrib Page 11 LOCAL 411422235 Residents of Twin Cities suburbs find places online to gather, vent Civic Facebook groups gain influence, critics. By Hannah Covingtonand Erin AdlerStar Tribune JANUARY 21, 2017 — 11:08PM ScreenshotThe We Love Lake Elmo group on Facebook is one of a growing number of social media where pleas about lost pets and rants about local politicians both reside —often side by side. It’s a place where pleas about lost pets and rants about local politicians both reside — often side by side. On city-specific Facebook pages, snarky and serious content converges as a growing number of residents join groups like Neighborly New Brighton, Real Life in Chaska, We Love Lake Elmo and Columbia Heights Rant & Rave. The citizen-run groups are used to rally support, track community events, mobilize petition efforts and find the family dog. Many have gained the attention of elected officials, lurking quietly in the background. Researchers say social media has buoyed civic and political engagement in new ways. And increasingly, digital activity is stimulating old-fashioned political participation. Page 12 “There’s a strong relationship between online action and offline action in terms of politics,” said Shelley Boulianne, an associate professor with expertise in political sociology at MacEwan University in Canada. Take, for instance, Virginia Pleban, a 77-year-old regular commenter on the We Love Lake Elmo page. Pleban said posting online and attending City Council meetings persuaded the city to clean up several weedy rain gardens. “It’s the only way I could get across to people on the council how upset I was with certain things,” Pleban said. But the groups have critics, with some citing the vitriol that often bubbles up as a reason to avoid them. “My supporters and I laugh about \[the West St. Paul Neighbors page\] more than anything,” said former mayor Dave Meisinger, whose divorce papers were once posted on the page. “I think they’re overly passionate — this is all they have.” Julie Fliflet, a Lake Elmo City Council member, describes the We Love Lake Elmo group as a “hate site — and one in which only one point of view is given.” These groups count anywhere from a handful of active members to several thousand. Nearly eight of 10 adult American internet users are on Facebook, according to a2016 reportfrom Pew Research Center. The rise of social networking sites has changed the way people spend time on the web, researchers like Boulianne say, especially since the 2008 election. Spaces like Facebook groups, Boulianne said, have connected users. “That’s what was missing from prior digital use,” she said. “They didn’t have effective venues to engage people in groups and have group discussions.” It’s hard to say how many city-centered Facebook groups exist around the metro, with several often sprouting up in a single city. But in groups like West St. Paul Neighbors, the number of members — more than 7,700 — accounts for roughly a third of the city’s population. Some groups are public, allowing anyone to view members’ posts. Others are private. These privacy settings can be a cause for concern if elected officials contribute posts. A 2014 law change clarified that social media use does not violate the open meeting law if exchanges are made with all members of the general public. If a group is private, the League of Minnesota Cities generally cautions council members against commenting, said Amber Eisenschenk, a staff attorney. Page 13 “These types of groups are on cities’ radars,” Eisenschenk said. “Social media has definitely been a game- changer for citizens.” Sifting content Group administrators often determine the kind of posts that fill a page — and which are deleted. Some carefully police content, while others allow a wider variety of posts, from restaurant reviews to event reminders. The description for “Concerned Citizens of Shakopee” makes its focus on social and political issues clear. The group even creates Facebook “events” for upcoming City Council and County Board meetings. But business owners among the group’s 2,600 members, for instance, are advised to avoid advertising. “The biggest difficulty of the page is keeping it on point,” said Sean Nelson, who helps oversee the group. Several city leaders said positive comments, or ones that defended them, have been deleted from their city’s pages. “It can definitely get heated,” said Kevin Hendricks, a member of West St. Paul Neighbors. Only about 10 percent of West St. Paul Neighbors’ posts are political, said Hendricks, who uses the site to find out why sirens are blaring on his street or to comment on a new roundabout. Makinganimpact Occasionally, content from the pages comes up at City Hall. Soon after the Columbia Heights Rant & Rave page debuted in April, it was cited at a council meeting. In August, the group also hosted an election forum, allowing members to post questions for candidates. Some say the page made a difference in the November election, noting the tight mayoral race between longtime former Mayor Gary Peterson, who didn’t post during the forum, and current Mayor Donna Schmitt, who did. “I think \[the page\] may have cost me the election,” Peterson said. In Lake Elmo, regular commenters have mixed thoughts on whether the page swayed November’s mayoral race, which pit incumbent and current Mayor Mike Pearson against council member Fliflet. The page’s creators said they’re trying to address the city’s ongoing dysfunction and constant staff turnover, but Fliflet said it slanted against her. Pearson admits that conversations can get “dicey” on the site, but he still checks it out — though he never comments. “There’s just a certain legitimacy to it because it’s unfiltered,” Pearson said. Page 14 Yet some posts raise questions of bias and accuracy, city officials said. Paula Geisler, a Chaska Council member and a moderator of the Real Life in Chaska page, said gossip sometimes comesfirst and facts second, causing misunderstandings. She mostly uses the site to monitor how residents feel about issues, like a controversial power plant or a new Goodwill store. But she said she’ll chime in when necessary, correcting people if there’s “something that’s egregiously wrong.” “I think it gets more people interested — I truly do,” Geisler said. hannah.covington@startribune.com Erin.Adler@startribune.com612-673-1781 Page 15 PelicanBioThermalopensPlymouthHQ expansion By:MattM.JohnsonJanuary23,20174:35pm Pelican BioThermal,a maker of temperature-controlled packaging solutions for the life sciences industry, has expanded its manufacturing facilities at its U.S. headquarters in Plymouth. The company’s $1.65 million expansion project at 3020 Niagara Lane N. increased the company’s local footprint from 54,000 square feet to 70,000 square feet inside an existing building, said company spokeswoman Anna Julow Roolf in an email to Finance & Commerce. Expanded manufacturing capabilities in Plymouth will support Pelican’s production of single-use, temperature-controlled shippers as well as components including insulating foam, according to a Pelican news release. Pelican will increase the size of its workforce at the facility by 8 percent, Julow Roolf said. She declined to disclose how many people currently work for Pelican’s Plymouth operation. The company received no public subsidies or grants related to the expansion, Julow Roolf said. Pelican has another facility in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Pelican BioThermal is a division of Pelican Products, Inc., which is a portfolio company of Behrman Capital, a private equity investment firm based in New York and San Francisco. Page 16