HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission Minutes 10-18-20171 of 13 Meeting of October 18, 2017 Approved Minutes
Approved Minutes
Planning Commissi on Meeting
October 18, 2017
MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Marc Anderson, Commissioners Bryan Oakley, Donovan Saba,
Julie Witt, David Witte and Kira Vanderlan
MEMBERS ABSENT: Commissioner Jim Kovach
STAFF PRESENT: Community Development Director Steve Juetten and Senior Planner Shawn
Drill
OTHERS PRESENT: Councilmember Ned Carroll
1. CALL TO ORDER - 7:00 P.M.
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
3. PUBLIC FORUM
4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
MOTION by Commissioner Oakley, seconded by Commissioner Vanderlan, to approve the
October 18, 2017 Planning Commission Agenda. Vote. 6 Ayes. MOTION approved.
5. CONSENT AGENDA
A. APPROVAL OF THE OCTOBER 4, 2017 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
MINUTES
B. BRANDON AND ABBY WEBBER (2017086)
Approve a variance to side yard setback for property located at 940 Garland Lane.
MOTION by Commissioner Oakley, seconded by Commissioner Witte, to approve the consent
agenda. Vote. 6 Ayes. MOTION approved.
6. PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. ZION HOLDINGS, LLC (2017067)
At the request of the applicant, Chair Anderson continued this item to the November 15, 2017
Planning Commission meeting.
5A
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B. BEACON INTERFAITH HOUSING COOPERATIVE (2017075) .. "
Chair Anderson introduced the request by Beacon Interfaith Housing Cooperative for reguiding,
rezoning, preliminary plat, and site plan for a 47-unit apartment building to be called Cranberry
Ridge for property located at 18140, 18220 and 18240 State Highway 55.
Senior Planner Drill gave an overview of the staff report.
Commissioner Oakley asked to see a map that shows the distance to the closest city park.
Senior Planner Drill replied that he does not have an aerial map that shows that distance but
provided an estimate. He noted that the developer may have a map that shows both the city park
and school park.
Commissioner Witte asked for information on the fire lane.
Senior Planner Drill stated that apartments are required to have a fire lane within 50 feet of each
side of the building. He stated that because of the location of the play area and pond, the
applicant is requesting a variance. He noted that the commission will not be considering that
request as it is an administrative variance through the fire department. He advised that there are
other measures the applicant can take in the building to appropriately address fire safety.
Commissioner Witte asked if access for this building was thought about when 45th Avenue was
constructed.
Senior Planner Drill replied that there was a plat approved for this site with an office building.
He stated that plat would have dedicated and constructed 45th Avenue running along the site to
provide access to the parcels to the east, but noted that if the whole area was developed at once, a
different scenario might be more appropriate.
Chair Anderson referenced the guiding, which identifies this area as CO currently and the
proposed guiding for the site as LA-4. He stated that he is unsure of the term, but it could seem
to be considered spot guiding.
Senior Planner Drill replied that it could be considered as spot guiding, but noted that the City
has the ability to guide the best land use. He agreed that this guiding does seem to stick out. He
stated that this would be a land use decision and whether this is the best location for this land
use, explaining that this site is along the highway and between office buildings.
Chair Anderson stated that reguiding this parcel LA -4 would allow high density residential and
there is no guarantee what it would look like down the road in terms of affordability.
Senior Planner Drill provided additional information, noting that because this is a question of
land use, the reguiding must be considered on its own. He stated that if approved, the reguiding
would occur instantly and if the developer did not move forward or sold the site to someone else,
any type of high density housing could be built on the site.
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Chair Anderson stated that therefore the affordability aspect should not be considered because
the reguiding would allow any type of high density housing. He asked why the affordability is
being mentioned at all.
Senior Planner Drill replied that the developer's narrative specifies affordability as one of the
driving forces for their request but agreed that the reguiding would be separate and that issue
should not be considered in this discussion.
Commissioner Oakley asked if there are other undeveloped parcels in the city that are currently
guided LA-4.
Senior Planner Drill highlighted parcels in the city currently guided LA-3 and LA-4 that are
vacant. He also noted other commercial office areas that are vacant or underutilized.
Chair Anderson introduced Lee Blons, representing the applicant, who provided background
information on Beacon Interfaith Housing Cooperative, noting that the organization just opened
its 17th housing development. She stated that this site is within the Wayzata School District. She
stated that this would be a high-quality housing development that would enhance the housing
stock of the city. She provided the range of rents that would be found within the development and
noted that additional units would be available to help families get back on their feet. She
stated that their housing model helps families to move out and become homeowners. She stated
that the proposal has generated a lot of support from their congregations. She stated they
recently held a public open house and house party to meet with residents and answer questions.
She stated they were disappointed that staff did not recommend approval of the request. She
stated their site does meet all of the requirements for LA-4 guiding. She noted that the City's
site criteria are similar to the criteria the organization uses to find a good fitting site. She
reviewed the elements, noting that the site is within walking distance to parks, schools, grocery
stores, services, employment, and transit. She displayed an aerial map that identified the site and
nearby amenities she previously listed within walking distance. She stated that she understands
Cherrywood Pointe is a recently approved senior housing product that is allowed within
commercial office areas and noted that the requirements for that type of housing are similar to
what they would require. She stated she does not believe the adjacent sites would be developed
for commercial use because the access to Highway 55 has been cut off. She stated that the
proposal meets all the requirements, and they are not requesting any variances from the RMF-4
zoning district. She stated they have worked hard to meet the requirements of the City and
would be happy to join the community. She stated that this is a legislative decision because the
commission and City Council can decide what they would like to prioritize and asked that the
commission approve this affordable housing product. She stated that although staff stated that
this is a land use decision and affordability should not be considered, land use is also a tool that
the City uses to accomplish the goals of its comprehensive plan. She reviewed the housing goals
the City has set for itself within the comprehensive plan, noting that the City has set goals to
provide lifecycle housing and a variety of housing stock that is affordable to persons of all
income levels. She stated there is a need for quality affordable housing within Plymouth. She
asked if the city's land use fosters the development to meet those goals. She'stated they are
asked for reguiding of 2.4 acres, noting that there are only 20 developable acres within the city
currently available for this type of use and therefore this would increase that area by ten percent.
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She stated it is her understanding that there are only two major areas available for development
right now for this type of use. She explained that the large parcel is unlikely to meet its own
criteria for high-density housing because of its location and the other has large wetlands and is
not for sale. She stated they did not find other areas for sale that would be developable for multi-
family housing. She advised of barriers the City could remove to encourage affordable housing.
She stated the proposed affordable development would meet all the requirements of the City and
would be a welcome partner in the community.
Chair Anderson introduced LaDonna Hoy, Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners, who
stated that her organization is a development partner with Beacon Interfaith. She stated that
Interfaith Outreach has been a partner in helping families keep a roof over their head in the eight
communities in which they provide service. She stated that it does take, and has taken, everyone
working together to address key community issues, including the lack of affordable housing in
the communities. She asked the commission to consider the growing and urging need for
affordable housing and the success that they have had as community partners in bringing quality,
well-managed, affordable neighborhoods in the community that are changing the future of some
families and children. She stated that a presented need for a quarter of the people, 446 families,
that reached out to Interfaith during the past year was homelessness. She stated that working
families, on average, are spending 64 percent of their income on rent. She stated that over time
they have found that safe and affordable housing is impacting the community in a positive
manner. She stated that all of the successful sites they have partnered to develop have presented
challenges and the communities have worked together with them to find a solution. She stated
that Interfaith has partnered on nine developments and Beacon has developed 17 affordable
communities that are helping families and children move towards a better future. She stated that
this is a reasonable land use and did not believe there could be a better land use for the site.
Chair Anderson introduced John Harris, BKV Architects, representing the applicant, who stated
that he agrees with the assessment of Ms. Blons. He provided a rendering of the proposed
project, noting the high-quality materials and design that have been put together in collaboration
with Beacon. He stated that BKV feels that the high quality of this proposed project would be
every bit the equal of Cherrywood Pointe and would not look like some believe affordable
housing would look. He stated that high visibility is important to Beacon and BKV because they
want people to be proud of this housing. He reviewed the materials and design elements that
would be incorporated in addition to the landscaping materials. He stated that this site has
excellent access to nearby services. He stated that they worked very hard with city staff and
thought that they had very productive meetings with the City. He stated they were able to
comply with the turnaround for snowplows. He stated the project attempts to put priority on
providing as much greenspace as possible to create a front porch area and play area in the back.
He stated they believe the south side is the safest place to put a play area. He stated the building
access would come off the spur road and then discussed the overall layout, noting that this
project would have underground parking. He highlighted the access easement that would
provide a link to the ghost development for the adjacent parcels. He stated there are
extraordinary fire protection components, noting that they provide those elements in every
project that they complete. He stated that the fire chief seemed to concur that these elements
would be appropriate. He reviewed the proposed floor plan for the building. He also provided
examples of floorplans for the different units that would be found within the building.
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Commissioner Oakley referenced the site plan and access to the ghost plat and asked if there
were options discussed for creating a street that would meet the City requirements.
Mr. Harris stated they would love to do underground storm water storage but it prohibited by the
City of Plymouth. He noted that a road through the site would really squeeze the greenspace and
create issues with parking. He stated that this proposal complies with all the standards of the
proposed zoning district. He stated that staff advised them not to seek variances and therefore
they complied with all regulations. He stated that because it is a family housing site, they
wanted to preserve the most greenspace possible.
Ms. Blons stated that the width of the drive lane is the same width as a public street. She stated
that the issue is the extra right-of-way that would be required for a public street.
Mr. Harris stated that they asked City staff if widening the drive lane would make any difference
and were told that it would not make a difference.
Commissioner Oakley asked if there was discussion with the property owners to the east about
including those parcels.
Ms. Blons replied that this is the right-sized development for them and therefore it was a
financial decision not to add three more parcels for the same size building. She stated that they
did speak with the immediate neighbor but were unable to come to an agreement on price.
Chair Anderson opened the public hearing.
Chair Anderson introduced Pastor Danielle Jones, Wayzata Community Church, who stated she
tried to help people find a home at her church. She stated that this project would provide a home
for people in the large community of Plymouth. She stated that her church is located on the edge
of Plymouth and they support this project because homes matter and community matters. She
stated that the church has agreed to donate $500,000 to the project as they believe the
development would make the community stronger. She stated that this investment would give
people that are currently spending all their funds on housing space to breathe. She stated that
this would give people of all income levels the same services that should be available to
everyone. She said she hoped the commission would see that providing affordable housing for
families in the community to live their best life would be the best outcome for the city.
Chair Anderson introduced Sadia Tarannum, 17540 49th Avenue, who stated she is part of the
Beacon Collaborative and is in support of the request. She stated that she has lived in Plymouth
for over 14 years and lives very close to the proposed site. She stated she has been working with
Interfaith for over ten years and their message remains the same, to build an inclusive
community for everyone. She stated that she has worked with the City of Plymouth for public
events that she has participated in and likes that the city enjoys being a diverse and encouraging
community. She asked the commission to welcome this development to provide the same
opportunities for all families and welcome them into the community.
Chair Anderson introduced Tamim Saidi, 3300 Plymouth Boulevard, who stated his organization
believes in helping all income levels and all people. He stated that providing this housing would
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provide the same opportunities for the people that work and run the community and help them
feel a part of the community. He asked the commission to support this request.
Chair Anderson introduced Kelly Boston, 18020 45th Avenue, who stated she lives in the
Plum.tree neighborhood and has for 16 years. She stated she is concerned with this large-scale
apartment building across the street. She stated this site is not zoned for this use and is not
appropriate for the development. She said she did not believe that this site should be rezoned for
multi-family housing. She stated that this proposal would cut off and landlock the two existing
commercial parcels. She stated that there are other appropriate parcels for this development.
She stated this location would not be a good fit for families because it is in a triangle of three
busy roads. She stated the apartment would be its own isolated island and the goal should be to
have walkable shopping and access to transit. She stated that a 47-unit apartment building will
increase traffic on Old Rockford Road and noted that traffic is already a concern in this area.
She said she did not think the full effect on traffic is yet known as the senior living facility is still
under construction and therefore that impact has not been fully realized. She stated that her
concerns are shared by a number of Plum.tree residents and urged the commission to leave the
zoning as it is.
Chair Anderson introduced Kjell Ferris, 3695 County Road 101, who stated that Peace Lutheran
Church is not far from this site and most of the members of his church live in Plymouth. He
stated that it makes complete sense that these are the criteria for the multi-family development
and this plan contains those elements. He noted that this site checks all the boxes and his church
supports all the families that are ready to live in this high-quality apartment home.
Chair Anderson introduced Christopher Pierson, 2830 Kimberly Lane, who stated he supports the
application. He stated that if the history of Beacon and Interfaith are any guide, a few years from
now we hope to be standing in the same room as the resident who opposed the project, where she
says she loves her new neighbors and is advocating for the next project, maybe even in
Plymouth. He stated he has lived in Plymouth almost continuously since 1970 and his wife has
lived in the city since 1965. He stated his family has deep and lasting roots in the community,
and he became interested in affordable housing when he sat on the board for Interfaith for six
years. He stated when trying to give comfort and support to the less fortunate, you almost cannot
do anything unless they have a stable place to reside. He stated that Plymouth can do better in
terms of providing a variety of housing products for people of all income levels to live and work
in the community. He stated that this is the right thing to do. He noted that there are challenges
and questions in terms of access and guiding, but believed that those could be worked out.
Chair Anderson introduced Pastor Amber Ingalsbe, St. Barnabas Lutheran Church, who stated
she is speaking in favor of the rezoning and comprehensive plan amendment. She spoke of the
high-quality facility that can be expected from Beacon and Interfaith. She stated that Beacon has
a unique model that provides support services onsite and creates a stable environment. She
stated that after visiting another model, she was pleased to see how the residents were welcomed
into the overall neighborhood. She stated that people were being provided with homes and being
provided with the same services and opportunities that their neighbors are.
Chair Anderson introduced John Blaha, 18040 45 111 Avenue, who stated he is opposed to the
project and the proposal as a whole. He stated he was in the lobby and looked at the 2030
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comprehensive plan. He stated that this is not about affordable housing, because everyone can
agree that is a good thing. He noted this is about the site, and this is the wrong site. He stated it
was said this site is a gateway to the city from the northwest. He stated the land use has already
been decided as commercial office by the City, and a project like this would stick out and would
not fit with the guiding and zoning or the overall area. He stated even if this proposal was for a
commercial office building of similar size, it would not fit into the area. He stated this is a bad
site and location for this project. He stated no one is denying that affordable housing is a good
thing, but it should not be the focus of this discussion. He stated this site would be dangerous for
a residential building, because it is landlocked and families would be crossing busy roads. He
stated this project does not fit into the area.
Chair Anderson introduced Joel Spoonheim, 11710 23th Avenue, who stated he loves this city and
is a resident. He stated this is the first commission meeting he has spoken at and that he has
great appreciation for the planning staff. He provided his history as a city planner and noted that
this is the first time in six years he has read a packet staff created that he disagrees with. He
stated that a comprehensive plan is gray and believes that this request meets the standards of the
City. He reviewed the elements of the staff recommendation that he disagrees with. He noted
the definitions in the code leave gray area and therefore this type of housing would be
appropriate in the same way that senior housing would be allowed. He noted that all the
children's play areas are shielded from the busy roadways. He stated that children cross roads to
get where they want to go and that is not a question of this application, but rather traffic
management. He stated this site should have been guided for pure commercial use if that is what
the City desires, as the current regulation allows for housing with the mixed-use designation. He
stated the traffic generated by the adjacent parcels would be small because of the small size of
those parcels. He noted the housing and commercial uses would have different peak times and
therefore would be harmonious. He stated the commission has a hard job because of the gray
area, but noted that the commission must look to the principles of the comprehensive plan. He
stated there is almost no land left for multi-family housing and the City has prevented the
construction of future affordable housing with its land use plan. He said he believed that the
zoning should be changed to allow this affordable housing community.
Chair Anderson introduced Robin Caufman, 18140 45th Avenue, who stated she is the first home
on 45th Avenue and Old Rockford Road and her family has been residents of Plumtree for 18
years. She stated that they would have a clear sightline of the property and support this request.
She stated that over the past 18 years they have seen the community grow and develop and a lot
of the residents have needed affordable housing or an apartment at different stages of their lives.
She stated that she has a coworker who is a Plymouth resident that wanted to move her mother to
the community but could not find an affordable housing option within the city. She stated that
she would like to see the site developed as housing rather than commercial office. She stated
that she likes the town office project that looks like a residential product and noted that the area
feels like a residential area. She stated they support housing over commercial office and feel the
visual impact would be greater with a commercial use. She said she also believed that traffic
would be greater with a commercial use. She stated that there are development challenges with
this site and they would like to see the area develop rather than remain vacant. She stated that
developing the site as proposed would at least provide an option for the remaining commercial
sites. She said she hoped the commission would consider this request.
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Chair Anderson introduced Nancy Anderson, 3835 Xenium Court, who stated she has been a
Plymouth resident since 1983. She stated she is very much in favor of this project and has been
working as a collaborator through her church. She stated this housing would remain affordable.
She explained that many affordable housing developers would change the designation to market
rate in the future and that would displace the residents and make changes that are not necessarily
healthy. She stated Beacon would remain the property owner/manager, and the project would
remain as affordable.
Chair Anderson introduced Jim Gessford, 710 Shenandoah Lane, who stated he is a civil
engineer turned attorney but tonight appears as a father, coach, youth group leader, and Boy
Scout leader. He stated every child is one caring adult away from becoming a statistic or a
success. He stated the community is rich with resources and every low-income family that has
the opportunity to live in this development has a higher chance of becoming a success story.
Chair Anderson introduced John Sahney, 18130 45th Avenue, who stated this is a great cause for
good people. He stated he would oppose this request because of the location. He stated this is a
high-density project that would place a high number of children into a high traffic area. He
stated this is forcing something into a space that does not fit. He noted the buses cannot fit into
the site, and the kids would have to go out of the site onto the busy roads to get on the school
bus. He stated this would be a high number of children that would cross these busy streets
without planning and in directions they are not supposed to go. He stated this is an accident
waiting to happen. He stated it seems unsafe to have such a high density of children living on
this site. He stated that the park is about an 11-minute walk from this area, noting that he does
not walk to that park because it is unsafe to walk on the busy roads in the area. He stated he is
not against the project or affordable housing, but is concerned about the safety of this location.
Chair Anderson introduced Laura Janckila, 3380 Shadyview Lane, who stated she has been a
resident since 1998 and is a member of Wayzata Community Church and is a big supporter of the
community and affordable housing. She stated the hardest thing tonight is to separate the rules
of land use and affordable housing. She stated she wants the City to be a leader in affordable
housing. She stated there has been a lot of change and development in the city but she wants to
see housing for everyone in the city. She stated there is a problem in the metro area and would
be proud for the City to make a stand and support affordable housing. She stated affordable
housing often comes on real estate that is not prime. She stated the City is not going to get a
better shot at affordable housing and asked the commission for its support.
Chair Anderson introduced Jeremy Schmidt, 4595 Urbandale Lane, who stated he is opposed to
the rezoning, noting that he lives in the Plumtree neighborhood. He stated that partially rezoning
the property would make the development a sore thumb that would stick out. He stated the
commercial office space would fit with the existing office use. He stated he is also concerned
with the traffic, noting that there is constant traffic at all times of the day. He stated that children
crossing Old Rockford Road from this location would be a safety concern. He noted with the
number of teen drivers from the high school in the area, there could be a concern with children
walking from this site. He noted the senior development could also be a concern because those
drivers may not have the reflexes to prevent an accident if a child runs out into the street from
this site. He asked the commission to deny the rezoning request.
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Chair Anderson introduced Jeremy Bullock, 4715 Urbandale Lane, who stated he has owned his
property for 14 years and is familiar with the neighborhood. He stated he supports the cause of
this project but does not support the reguiding. He stated it does not make sense to put 47
families into this site. He stated the senior project has residents that are mainly indoors while 47
families would want to be outside and would not want to play in the ditch on Highway 55. He
stated it is common sense that this would not be a good fit for families with children. He said he
did not believe it would make sense to put children on that site, whether affordable or market
rate. He stated that although the walk to the park is one half mile, it is a long walk with multiple
busy road crossings. He noted that the traffic continues to get worse and is bad during school
times when kids are being brought to and from the schools. He stated that long after everyone
gets paid for their work, the families would still be living on this site and the commission needs
to think about what is best for those families. He stated putting children along Highway 55 does
not make sense.
Chair Anderson introduced Greg Tolander, 4565 Queensland Lane, who stated he applauds
everyone that supports the project and noted it is great to see support for affordable housing. He
stated that unfortunately affordable housing is not the topic tonight; it's land use. He stated if
this is a great fit, there would not be these challenges and the site would not be used to access the
adjacent commercial parcels. He stated that noise is also a concern. He stated he has noise from
the train and from the highway. He stated noise is generated from the four-lane highway of
Highway 55 and the high traffic roads all the way around it. He stated that the project looks
beautiful but there are a lot of windows and that would let through a lot of noise. He stated he
finds it odd that this is the best place for this project. He stated there have to be other
opportunities for this project. He stated he is lucky to live in Plymouth and urged the City to
keep the existing zoning and not make spot changes.
Chair Anderson introduced Mark Keeler, 5416 28th Avenue, who stated he is a lead pastor of a
church in Plymouth, noting that they are excited to partner with these organizations on this
project. He stated he volunteers his time in Minneapolis, where he lives, and appreciates the
time of the commission. He stated this is undeveloped land and therefore there would not be an
impact on taxation. He stated that developers are in competition for good land and if this was a
good fit for commercial, there would be proposals from developers. He stated there is one
developer with one good plan from a group that has done its due diligence on what will be
needed to make the project a success and bring affordable housing to the community. He stated
he always hears high regard for Beacon, not only as a faith organization, but as a developer. He
stated that Beacon would have support services within the same building to provide assistance to
the families that would live in the development.
Chair Anderson introduced Kristin Loncorich, 4575 Rainer Court, who stated she is opposed to
this location for this project. She said she agreed the City needs affordable housing but noted
that this is the wrong location for the project. She stated this site is far too busy for this high-
density project. She stated a traffic study was not done and the estimated traffic counts do not
consider the low experience level of the high school drivers. She stated adding 47 more
households would completely overload the already busy streets. She stated this project would
have only one access onto Old Rockford Road for the 47 families. She said she was also
concerned with adding a school bus stop on Old Rockford Road. She stated the full impact of
the senior development is not yet realized until that project is fully occupied. She stated there is
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no plan for construction worker parking, and although that was not part of the application, it is a
concern for the Plumtree residents. She stated while the Cherrywood Pointe project is being
developed, there have been a minimum of 20 to 30 construction workers parking in their
neighborhood. She noted that construction workers are changing their clothes near their vehicles
before and after work, and there are lines of cigarette butts left where the construction vehicles
park in her neighborhood. She stated the construction worker vehicles are also parked near the
neighborhood park, occupying the parking stalls that would normally be available for residents
that use that park for their families. She stated the neighborhood has had to engage the
assistance of the police for the problem. She stated this landlocked site is not the right location
for this project.
Chair Anderson introduced Bruce Lieberman, 10600 Minnetonka Boulevard, who stated he is an
attorney representing the trust that owns the two parcels east of this project. He stated that he is
representing the owner of those properties, noting that they have been attempting to market the
properties over time with a number of drawbacks. He noted that MnDOT has stated that upon the
development of these two parcels, the access to Highway 55 would be closed and access
would need to be provided from 45th Avenue. He stated they had hoped that 45th Avenue would
be extended to serve these two parcels, but this development does not show that option. He
stated that proposed buyers have no interest in building commercial office or low-level retail that
exit through a residential parking lot, because it is a safety issue as there will be unsupervised
children in the parking lot. He stated he is not here to address the nature of this project, but the
concern that the developer and its architect appear to be overdeveloping this parcel. He stated
this development would not allow for a city street to serve the remaining parcels to the east,
which are guided commercial office. He stated he would assume that the City wants the parcels
developed as commercial office and would hope that the development of the parcels is done in
some organized fashion so there is not an issue of access for the future.
Chair Anderson introduced Dan Mckenzie, 4545 Queensland Lane, who stated he has lived at his
property for 19 years and has seen a lot of change during that time. He stated he agrees with
everyone that affordable housing is so important to the community but does not believe this is
the right place. He stated this is an attempt to shoehorn a large building onto a lot that will not
accommodate it. He stated that personally he waited for seven minutes to turn onto Peony Lane
from the Plumtree neighborhood. He said he thought traffic would be alleviated when the City
extended Peony Lane, but it has gotten worse. He stated that adding another component to that
would significantly tax the existing neighborhoods and would have an impact on their quality of
life. He stated there would be an impact to the quality of life not only for the existing residents,
but for the residents that would move into the building. He stated he supports affordable
housing, but this project would not be a good fit for the site.
Chair Anderson introduced Blake Boston, 18080 45th Avenue, who stated he was shocked when
he heard of the attempt to put a 47-unit building into a small and awkward space. He stated as he
did more research on the process, he found there would have to be a compelling reason to rezone
the site. He said he did not believe there is a compelling reason as they are just trying to fit a
large development into the site. He noted there are concessions made in the proposed
development that prove this is not the right spot. He noted there are other locations in the city
that are already zoned for this use. He stated that this is a real safety concern, putting this
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number of children into the site. He noted he often runs by the Primrose site and is often
throwing balls and toys back into the fenced area that have come out toward the street.
Chair Anderson closed the public hearing.
Senior Engineering Technician Quast stated that the most recent traffic counts he has are from
2013 and provided those counts for this area. He stated the counts anticipated this area being
able to support the amount of traffic projected. He stated he is not aware of the projected counts
from Cherrywood Pointe, but noted he would not anticipate a large number of counts from that
development.
Chair Anderson stated there was a comment that there is not much difference between apartment
and senior housing, noting that the code allows for senior housing within commercial office but
not apartments.
Senior Planner Drill reviewed the mix of units for Cherrywood Pointe, noting that the parking
requirement is less for senior development, and the traffic patterns are different as seniors
typically choose to not drive during peak times and do not drive as much in general. He stated
even though the facilities may look the same from the outside, the use and nearby services used
are much different.
Chair Anderson asked if there would be other space available in the city for this type of
development.
Senior Planner Drill noted that the city is running out of space for any type of development as the
city is becoming built out. He identified available land but noted again that the city is running
out of any type of space for commercial or residential development.
Commissioner Oakley stated there are a lot of gray areas the commission reviews and noted that
this is one of them. He stated he is proud to be a resident of Plymouth and was pleased to see the
level of courtesy and respect that each speaker had. He stated the last time the commission had a
crowd this large was in respect to the Islamic Center and the speakers were not as respectful, but
believed the commission got it right that night. He stated there are three parcels that need access
to their site and driving through a parking lot is not proper access and therefore he will not
support the request. He stated this is not the right site as proposed. He stated if full access could
be provided, this could be the right site for the development, but he could not support the request
in the current form.
Commissioner Witte stated he finds this to be a difficult decision. He stated he is a huge
supporter of Interfaith Outreach and while he believes this is the right group, it is not the right fit.
He stated that perhaps if the developer controlled all the properties, it could be viewed
differently; or if the property was adjacent to LA-4, that could be the right fit. He stated the
residents of Plumtree purchased their property with the expectation that commercial office space
would be across the street. He stated as much as it would pain him, he would not support
reguiding the property.
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Commissioner Witt stated she is a huge supporter of affordable housing and her focus has been
how to provide housing for those that cannot afford a $500,000 home, but still want to live in the
community. She asked how the concerns of playing in a driveway or throwing balls into the
street could be a concern for families that do not currently have housing. She stated she is not in
favor of the location, noting that she would have concern with access for the three remaining
parcels. She stated she is saddened that the City has boxed itself in by not providing the
appropriate zoning for this use. She challenged the developer to go back to the drawing board
and find a site that would fit. She stated that City staff is very honest and does not say no very
often. She stated she believes there is a place in the community for this project but the plans
need to be tweaked.
Commissioner Vanderlan stated it is very impressive to look and see all the people that are
participating in this process from so many different backgrounds all united in a sea of cranberry.
She stated she is very much in favor of affordable housing, but is also a mother and a firefighter.
She stated she drives by this location several times per day as she lives in this area. She stated
she has concerns with safety for this site and could not vote in favor of this proposal because of
the safety issues. She stated that walking to the nearby playgrounds would also be an issue. She
echoed the comments regarding access for the adjacent parcels. She noted if the development
spanned all of the sites, perhaps it would be a safer option. She said she hoped there is a better
location for the development.
Commissioner Saba stated he was so excited when he heard of the project because affordable
housing is a passion of his. He stated he does not believe this is the right site, noting the high
number of accidents at intersections near this location. He stated that he voiced big concerns
when the second access was provided to the high school and noted that this is not far from there.
He stated you can tell yourself that people will walk, but they are not going to walk from this
triangle to the nearby developments because of the high amounts of traffic. He asked that the
developer consider that families will be living on this triangle and noted that he will not support
this request.
Chair Anderson stated that he has been concerned for a long time for the high price range of the
projects the commission continues to see. He stated he has been in favor of affordable housing,
noting that as a developer he helped the Commonbond project happen, but in that case they had
200 acres to work with. He stated he is concerned with children attempting to walk to the park
across the busy roads. He stated that walking from this site to Kimberly Lane school scares him,
noting that when the high school lets out there are 50 buses that travel from that site down Peony
Lane and onto Old Rockford Road. He referenced a recent accident involving a high school
student and a vehicle. He stated he supports what Beacon is trying to do and hoped that they will
find a location that works in Plymouth. He stated he likes the elements that Beacon would
incorporate, but noted as this is laid out, it is not the right site or layout for the site.
MOTION by Commissioner Oakley, seconded by Commissioner Witte, to deny the request by
Beacon Interfaith Housing Cooperative for reguiding, rezoning, preliminary plat, and site plan
for a 47-unit apartment building to be called Cranberry Ridge for property located at 18140,
18220 and 18240 State Highway 55. Vote: 6 Ayes. Motion approved.
7. NEW BUSINESS
13 of 13 Approved Minutes Meeting of October 18, 2017
8. ADJOURNMENT
MOTION by Chair Anderson, with no objection, to adjourn the meeting at 9:51 P.M.