Loading...
1986 06 02 I I I 227 REGULAR CHANHASSEN CITY COUNCIL MEETING JUNE 2, 1986 Mayor Hamilton called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.. '!he meeting was opened with the Pledge to the Flag. Members Present Councilman Horn, Councilwoman Swenson, Councilman Geving, Councilwoman Watson. Staff Present Don Ashworth, Barbara Dacy and Bill Monk. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Councilwomam Watson moved, Councilman Geving seconded to approve-the Agenda as presented with the addition of a brief presenta- tion on Council Procedure and Policy by Councilman Geving. All voted in favor and motion carried. CONSENT AGENDA: Councilwoman Watson moved, Councilman Geving seconded to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. All voted in favor and motion carried. 1. a. First and Second Reading of an Amendment to Section 19.03 of the Zoning Ordinance Regulating Corner Lot Setbacks. b. Preliminary and Final plat Approval, Greenwood Shores 2nd Addition, James Agnew, 7061 Shawnee Lane. c. Approval of Final Plat, Development Contract and Grading Plan for Triple Crown Estates. d. Adoption of Findings of Fact, Lewis Woitalla Variance Request. VISITOR PRESENTATION: Don Kelly: 2081 West 65th Street. I, along with five of my neighbors, have r.eceived a letter from the City requiring us to correct problems with our private sewer system and to commence correction within thirty (30) days. We have had problems with our septic system that have, in the last couple of years with the additional ground water and now with the flood waters at a peak. OUr problem is that ground enters the septic system and then flushes the pestilence into the house. To compensate for this for a few weeks during the spring, we find it necessary pump the affulient out into the yard which of course, isn't a situation that we are happy with. Right now, and probably until the balance of this year, we do not have a problem. Obviously we need a permanent solution to the problem. Last fall the City was going to improve the drainage along our road. We hoped that was going to help us with our ground water problems. '!hat project was put off until this spring. The City put in drain tile along the road. We in turn put in 250 feet of drain tile in our lot to try to draw ground water away. 1 228 City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 Unfortunately the soil in our area is such that you can have water standing three feet away from the drain tile and it goes nowhere, so essentially what we have is a basin into which our septic system drains. The basin also serves as a runoff area for ground water and the ground water causes the septic system to back up. We are in a situation now where the City is demanding we correct the problem. The only solution that I can imagine that is going to correct the problem is going to be putting in sanitary sewer. The municipal line happens to meet my western property boundary and the line is also one block north of us so for us to put in sanitary sewer we would have to move that line to the south. Also, there is some question about whether or not we could gravity feed into the sanitary sewer on Melody Hill or Murray Hill. Since the problem does seem to be a neighborhood problem, it has been identified as a problem for the six residents, it probably involves more people on our street and on Crestview, a more satisfactory solution would probably be to put in sewer on the two streets. This would involve putting in a lift station to serve them until the Lake Virginia interceptor is installed in a few years. The only other alternative would be for each of us to put in our own system, our own little lift station and for each of us to expend a lot of money in a temporary solution that would be replaced when sanitary sewer is put in in a few years. Mayor Hamilton: I can see we aren't going to discuss that this evening but if you would have it on a future agenda so we could review the whole problem and discuss it at that time. Don Kelly: One of the problems that we have is that we have been directed to commence correction within thirty days without having any idea what we are suppose to be doing. It is difficult for us to do that. Mayor Hamilton: I'm sure we can extend the thirty days since you have brought this, I think the Council should review that and look at our alternatives and see what can be done. PUBLIC HEARING PROPOSED STREET VACATION OF A PORTION OF LONE EAGLE ROAD IN CARVER BEACH, SAM MONTGOMERY. I I Barbara Dacy: The requested action tonight is to vacate the 20 foot by 100 foot strip of Lone Eagle Road that is west. In 1978 when the Chaparral 1st Addition was platted, it appears that the southerly 20 feet of Lone Eagle Dri veway was incorporated into the boundaries or area of Lot 26 and Lot 27 of the Chaparral Plat. Now with the property owner of the lot to the north is intending to do, is requesting that the city vacate the northerly portion so that he can take the necessary legal action to claim that as part of his legal description and his lot area. I spoke with the City Attorney this afternoon because an adjacent property owner had mentioned to I me in the last week that they were interested or wanted to know if they could file claim for the southerly 10 feet of the northerly 20 feet. I double checked with the City Attorney and he advised me that Council's 2 Ci)C11Q :;eel ~ v City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I action tonight is solely to vacate the right-of-way. We have no power to determine who has ownership of any part of that right-of-way. That is to be determined through the Court process. There are no utilities within the paper street or obviously, it is substandard mix so it is not intended to be improved. Therefore being no public purpose, Staff is recommending that this portion be vacated. Councilman Geving: I had a question on this. I know we have never done this but we are talking about roughly 200 square feet on many of these vacations and I am wondering if there is a possibility that we can sell a lot such as this to meet conforming. Let's say that the tax forfeited parcel which was recently picked up has 12,000 square feet. This being approximately 200 square feet. It would make a very nice piece to that lot and my question is have we never done this to my knowledge. We've never really sold a piece but I can see us at some future time maybe, possibly thinking about that. I think it would be an appropriate way of disposing of paper streets and other vacated pieces that we have no longer any use for. I know some roads on Circle Drive, I think there is a small piece that I recall and others that just happen to be odd pieces that we picked up because of road construction project. Maybe you would want to address that. Is it possible we could do that? I Don Ashworth: I know of no mechanism by which it can be done. I can check wi th the City Attorney's office. My understanding is whether they are plotted or come in a normal case like this street, it still remains an easement along and to either half of that road. In a vacation, that ownership reverts back to the owners on either side. Councilman Geving: That is if we vacate, but what if we don't vacate. Don Ashworth: I don't know of any cases. If you obtained the street for street purposes, I don't know. Let me verify it with the City Attorney's office. I am confident of the fact that you can not do it. Councilwoman Swenson: In vacating this, do we have any authority to require that their be a planting there for screening purposes as a concession? Dacy: The property would become part of the property owners own personal property. Not to my knowlege has there been a condition. Councilwoman Swenson: This would again, have to be established in the Courts I would imagine. Mayor Hamil ton moved, Councilman Geving seconded to close publ ic hearing. All voted in favor and motion carried. I Bill Monk: Keep in mind with any street vacation that as a roadway gets platted, no matter what form that platting should take or acquisition should take, the City has basically two things it can do with it. It can either keep and use that right-of-way for public purposes, be it street or utility, or it can vacate it for the use of the abutting property owners. 3 CD. 'J2 ,~ ,L:..J <iJ) Ioty City Council Meeting ~ June 2, 1986 As right~of-way; I know of no legal way by which the City could sell right~ of~way because it is basically just public land and not something that the City owns: It is more just you use it for a specific purpose: If you don't you can vacate and that is about the only options the Council has wi th it: '!he same would go with putting any condition on it: Either the City has to make a determination that it would use it for a specific purpose or not: When you vacate a street; you are making a determination that you will not; and I know of nowhere to place a condition on a vacation: I Councilman Horn: I understand that we can't benefit from this but is there anyway that we can be liable in dividing it between the potentially benefiting properties that would cause some conflict. Monk: The claims would be made legally to acquire whatever is vacated by adjacent property owners. The City makes no determination of either property owners rights nor takes on any liability. Resolution 86-31: Councilman Horn moved, Councilwoman Watson seconded approving the street vacation of Lone Eagle Road in Carver Beach of Lots 2259, 2265-2269. All voted in favor and motion carried. I PUBLIC HEARING: PROPOSED STREET VACATION OF MAPLE LANE IN BARDWELL ACRES. Public Present Kay Hegman Councilman Geving moved, Councilman Horn seconded to close public hearing. All voted in favor and motion carried. Dacy: The Maple Lane right-of-way was part of the Bardwell Acres plat originally in the early 1900's. It has a substandard right-of-way width and there are no utilities nor is there any public purpose involved for the right-of-way. This came to the City's attention because of a plat application pertaining to this property but no matter what happens to that particular plat application, the right-of-way should be vacated no matter what. Therefore, we are recommending approval of this vacation. Resolution 86-32: Councilwoman Watson moved, Councilman Geving seconded to approve the street vacation request for Maple Lane between Lots H, I and J of Bardwell Acres on the west corner of Highway 7 and 41. All voted in favor and motion carried . I 4 (1)<l"1l r /.~ ~')> J'_ City Council Meeting ~ June 2, 1986 I APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilwoman Swenson moved, Councilwoman Watson seconded to approve the Minutes of the May 5, 1986 Regular Chanhassen City Council Meeting with the noted correction on Page 13, third paragraph which should read: In other words, I would like to see a maximum of, let's say, 20% under the 15,000 square feet. All voted in favor except Councilman Geving who abstained. MJtion carried. Councilwoman moved, Councilman Geving seconded to approve the Minutes of the Chanhassen Planning Commission Mintues of May 14, 1986. All voted in favor and motion carried. Councilwoman Watson moved, Mayor Hamilton seconded to approve the Minutes of the Chanhassen Planning Commission Minutes of March 19, 1986. All voted in favor and motion carried. Councilman Geving pointed out to the other council members the strong language from the public on page 5 on the Planning Commission Minutes of March 19, 1986. I TOMAC DEVELOPMENT, SOUTHWEST CORNER OF HIGHWAYS 1 AND 41- a. Request to Rezone 5.4 Acres of land zoned C-l, Office Building to C-2, Corrmercial. - - - - b. Preliminary Plat Request to Subdivide 7.9 Acres into Six Lots. I Dacy: On June 3, 1985 the Council approved the Land Use Plan Amendment request to redesignate this area as commercial on the Land Use Plan and to rezone the the south site from R-l to C-l. I would like to go through the differences between the application of last year and this application right now. What is being proposed is 5 lots as opposed to 4 lots that were proposed last year. Access into the site has been changed by one way in from TH 7 and one way in from TH 41 and a private access drive through the site to 64th Street and on out to TH 41. You may recall that last year discussion regarding the traffic option circled around five options. This was the one that the applicant proposed at that time which was to close off Oriole and construct a connecting street into a full intersection and make the required median right turn improvements at TH 7. As of now, as I mentioned, that is not the case. Oriole Lane is to remain open and the site is to be accessed by private access drives from TH 41, TH 7 and 64th Street. The zoning pattern is also different. What is being requested is for the northeasterly three lots to become C-2 and retain the western boundary as C-l as it is now zoned. The Planning Commission recommended rezoning of only Lot 6 to C-2. 5 cc~2' Ld~_."J City Council Meeting ~ June 2, 1986 I would like to run through the differences in uses between the C~l and C~2 I district: You will probably recall from last years discussion~ C~l primarily allows only offices~ financial institutions and medical and professional offices as permitted use: As a conditional use~ C~l will allow hospita1s~ mortuarys~ research facilities and residential uses: The C-2 district is more intense. It will allow general retail, banks, offices, restaurants, dry cleaning establishment, mortuarys and civic institution as a permitted use. Permitted use at this time requires the Planning Commission and City Council review. It is not a required public hearing. Conditional use provision of a C-2 district will allow auto service station, dry cleaning establishments, motel and hotels, parking ramps, private clubs and 1aundramats. I would like to go over the elements of the preliminary plat at this time. Because of the concern regarding this rezoning action last year, especially in regards to the traffic patterns, Staff requested that they also submit a traffic ana1aysis essentially included in your report. The traffic analysis referenced four conditions. One of them being the improvement of 64th Street as it intersects TH 41. It also recommends signage to prevent right turns traffic going back in through the neighborhood. MnDot has reviewed the proposed traffic pattern and their letter is also attached in your packet and they have recommended that certain things be made to the connection to TH 4 and TH 41. Just a brief comment on the TH 7 Corridor Study that is still progressing. The Corridor Study is still in the preliminary stages. They had a public hearing in April to take preliminary I public comment. The applicants have met with the Consultants, BRW on the matter. What they are proposing is not contrary to the intent of the TH 7 Corridor Study and in essence, is minimizing the impact from TH 7 and will be shifting that impact to a different portion of the site. At this point I would like to shift to Bill Monk to go over grading and traffic concerns. Before Bill starts, the Planning Commission also recommended approval of the plat subject to the conditions contained in the Staff report. So they approved the rezoning for this one lot and and approved the preliminary plat subdivision. Bill Monk: The overall proposal is proposed to run sanitary sewer from existing laterals on 64th Street up into the plat and this will easily provide sanitary sewer service to this entire area. Whether it is developed as commercial or higher density residential. The water main is also proposed to be extended from 64th Street and the water main is proposed to be looped around back over to Oriole Avenue and the Orchard Lane area to allow good flow through the entire area. I won't make further comments on those unless there are questions at this point in time. The actual access proposal as Barbara has noted, has changed quite a bit. Instead of proposing a major access point on TH 7, the proposal now includes a right in that would include a right turn lane up on TH 7. A right in off of TH 41 and also including improvements to TH 41 to allow the turn lane and major improvements to 64th Street as that becomes really, the major ingress/egress from the site. All improvements, proposed roadway and utilities within the site are proposed to be handled in a owner I installation or privately in keeping with the City policy for that type of installation. The proposal for 64th Street would include a minimum of the 6 '100 CdUUJ City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I four conditions that Barbara read, of the traffic study which Staff did request be so required with the submittal, would in essense be construction of three lanes down in this area to allow a free right turn into the site and also three lanes up at TH 41 access point to again allow a free right movement and some widening on TH 41 in this area. That is a condition of any approval that would be given. Traffic is proposed to increase substantially on TH 41. As I noted in my report, however, the numbers that have been projected for the entire development, when it is filled out, still do not project into warranting a traffic signal on TH 41 at 64th Street and are within acceptable limits if the full improvements are made to 64th street as outlined. I On drainage issues, what is being proposed it merely to combine a series of existing low areas and created low areas along the road so that runoff from this site can be caught up in the various ponds and the rate of outlet as it is released onto 64th Street would be maintained at its present rate and not increased. This does meet Watershed District and Staff City policies for handling runoff. However, the City has it's own set of problems in this area and it affects the work we have been doing recently on Herman Field Park. This shows the existing street layout am the arrows show existing drainage patterns, just rough drainage patterns as they currently exist. We've got a road area on 64th Street just to the east of Oriole Avenue. Drainage comes from all directions down to that low point before it flows overland through an existing swale across a residential lot am through the corner of what will be Herman Field. FLows across the proposed access to Herman Field, and we've had some problems with that am that is really why the project has not come back for Park Commission or City Council consideration. We are still wrestling with a lot of the concerns wi th the extension in that area. I will be recommending that the Council authorize Staff to work on a minor storm sewer improvement in this area. The installation of catch basins and a pipe that would run out across the site into the City parkland am eleviate that problem that would allow this development, no matter how it develops, improve the drainage system in here basically through a cooperative type project that would not necessitate involving assessments and I am recommending that the Council approve the preliminary plat with that direction be given to Staff so that we can try and improve the drainage problem. The problem that presently does exist up in this area. There are a lot of items involved in this. I guess with that, a brief overview of the improvement section, as the Council gets to various areas I will be available to answer questions. Dacy: Just one final comment. I should note that the Planning Commission added a condition on the plat that screening and landscaping be installed along Lots 2 and 5 to adequately screen the C-2 area. That is the same thing as the western boundary of the site. Also you should have at your table a petition that was submitted to my office from the surrounding property owners. I Doug Arndt Jr.: Mr. Mayor, Council members, thank you for your time tonight. We are back before you this year to upgrade part of the property on the corner of TH 7 and TH 41 to C-2 use. Partly because Tomac has spent the last year trying to firrl an acceptable C-1 use for it. As you well 7 2Q~ pL:'- ~dU' .,- City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 know from reading the newspapers and other publications, office space in the western and southern suburbs is overbuilt at this point. Office use for this site, at this point or the foreseeable future, is not a real alternative as amply demonstrated by the Sullivan Center which is in foreclosure. What we propose on the site on the larger lots that the Planning Commission recommended to go to C-2, is a 28,000 foot, high quality retail service center that would contain some higher quality shops. Not just a regular service center that would be a benefit to the immediate area and for Chanhassen. The need for such a center, we feel has been demonstrated, although we have not signed any leases because we are going through the various city processes, we have tenative commitments for up to 50% of the space. In terms of the financing arranged, we have long term financing arranged for this center. TOmac Development plans to own and operate the center for the foreseeable future. We intend to be good neighbors and long term neighbors. As far as what we propose before you this year as compared to what happened last year, we really sat down with the architects that we are using, who are very professional and very good at what they do, they have worked on such projects as Galleria and Bonaventure and a similar project right now under construction in Skokie, Illinois. We wanted to address the traffic problems that we knew were a problem last year and we feel we have done that with the right in off of TH 7 and the right in off of TH 41. We are not interferring with any of the existing traffic patterns. We are not asking for closure of existing streets. We feel that is the best possible way to handle the traffic on and off the site. As far as the buffering the existing neighborhood, we are not asking, in fact we are asking for less C-2 area than was asked for last year, we are keeping a strip of C-l office between the C-2 and the neighborhood. Right now it is vacant land which provides a good buffer. Also, as Barb indicated, as part of our developers agreement, are willing to landscape with adequate landscaping, our landscape architect is here tonight if you want to go into detail into it, to screen the project from the neighborhood and make it acceptable in that way. We have also indicated our willingness to enter into a developer's agreement which includes the landscaping, approval of the details of the building when we reach that process, we also will include the improvements on 64th Street and obviously meet all the city standards and MnDot standards for the access off of TH 7 and TH 41 and we will also meet the drainage requirements. I guess I would like to summarize just by saying that what we are proposing, we feel is a very good, high quality development that would really add something to that area of Chanhassen. We are not asking for any City money or IRV money or anything. It is all going to be privately financed. We will be adding to the tax base and we really want to be good neighbors. If I may, I would like to have our architect come up for a few minutes and run through some of the details on the building we are proposing if that is alright? Reed Becker: I am with the architectural firm of Heise, vanneyand Associates. We have taken a very close look at this site and what we have done is has already been described, we have right in off of TH 7, a right in off of TH 41 and ingress and egress off of 64th Street. We have sited very carefully our center. Most often what happens is the center focused wi th its parking out to the road so you see the parking from the center. 8 I I I I I I 2or; In P: ~ ' .~.;~ ~_.. City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 What we have done is turn the building to the road and we have a nice elevation on both sides and what it does is buffer the parking in this area from the road so the surrounding areas see the landscaping, which is the green space with trees and the parking is on the interior of the site. As mentioned earlier, there is an area here which is separated by almost 2@@ feet between the residential area and our center. In order to be a better neighbor, we have provided a berm area in here and a landscape buffer so we have both berming and landscaping. We have done a study that shows the houses that are in this residential area, their sight line, due to our buffer and our trees, they would be looking over the top of our shopping center and would not see the building itself. 'Ihey are lower so they are looking up, their sight line would go right over the roof. They would not see the center. The fact that we have landscaping on all four sides of our project, the parking as I mentioned, not only is internalized, but required parking calls for 157 spaces. We have 163 including handicapped so we have more than adequate parking. Bill Monk has already addressed the utilities. That we are in compliance with the City requirements and the Wastershed District and would work with the City on any details that would be required to make this project work. The materials, I would just show you a rough picture perspective for what we propose the building will look like. We have used a very residential scale on purpose in this building. What we have is a couple of anchors at each end, the total height of the building is 19 feet and we have a band that runs around the building at 8 feet that would have the signage for the different stores on it and below that is the walkway. Above that we have gone to a shed roof which is a typical residential style roof trying to give a more residential low scale appearance. We also have met all of the other city ordinances in terms of lighting, the landscaping as I already covered, and any other requirements such as screening. As was just mentioned, a developers agreement would contract us to all of those requirements. Doug Arndt Jr.: If I may, we have a representative from the Civil Engineer, our Landscape Architect, the Traffic Engineer to answer any questions you may have. Mayor Hamilton: I think what we would like to do first is ask if there are obviously people here from the neighborhood who would like to make comments and if you want to make comments, if there is a spokesperson for your group, I would appreciate that so that everybody is not coming up here and saying the same thing. Kay Hegman: I have a question first of all. I wonder if the office buildings aren't used, why would we use them for a buffer? Secondly, I would like to know what C-2 will finally bring into our neighborhood. What is going to happen to those big lots on TH 7 and TH 4l? will there be fast food restaurant or a 24 hour gas station with that noise and lights going all night long with kids and everybody. This is a little tiny neighborhood and this is a little tiny plot they are going to put all this stuff on. It's only what, 7 acres. My husband did send in a letter to put in your packet because he wasn't able to be here tonight about the traffic. We live there and we know how much traffic is there now. There is just no way with two new roads coming in that it isn't going to be herendous. We've been 9 Gl." 0:' '0.' ." .J -. fi, L,~!.~'j . City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 here last year, the year before when Mr. Reutiman wanted to put in a motel, and we fought this now for three years and it isn't fair. No one is considering the neighborhood. We just have to keep coming back and coming back and we have no choice. Whatever is decided, we just have to take it. I think this is way too much. It really isn't right. I Bill Sweringer: I live on the adjoining corner. I don't have any problems with the commercial corner. That certainly is the traffic count is high and certainly anyone understands that across the street Shorewood has a major shopping center. I have two questions. (be is what will happen with the two front lots that were not discussed by the architects and two, who is going to pay for the street improvements on 64th Street? Bob Wagner: 2511 Orchard Lane. This is the file that accumulated in a residential mode for this development over the last three years. I sort of feel like one of the dogs in Padalon's experiment and every time he rings a bell anymore I salivate. I think it is getting to be sort of old hat. It was less than one year ago that this was rezoned to C-1 and as I recall the residents at that time preferred R-1. I think the road access as proposed by the developers would certainly be adequate for a C-1 development. I think that would mix qui te nicely. I have a problem in my mim wi th the C-2 zoning and parkland developnent right down the road. I think that should be addressed. I think along with some Chinese water torture here, this also raises the issue of strip zoning to some extent in I my mind still, that has been an issue going back three years ago. I just foresee that there is a nice parking lot here am a nice empty lot behind it and as they say, they will come back every year and propose a more' intense use to be able to get a return on their investment. I see that we have land behind this that can be rezoned or addressed a year from now with the parking lot in place with a potential for C-2. I think that if this were to even be considered as being passed, that now is the time to lock in a long term commitment from these people that the rest of this lam will remain C-I. They mentioned the Galleria and the Bonaventure as examples of their work and that is certainly beautiful property. I also stop am think of the high traffic that goes along with it. I question the traffic flow, not out of this back up on 64th to TH 41, but out of this western on Oriole around to TH 7 and I'm not going to be convinced that traffic isn't going to flow both ways out of this development. I think that one other issue that I would like to see addressed, is the one of the lighting that is going into this complex. I think that any parking lot deserves lighting from the standpoint of protection to the shoppers and I think there should be some concern given to that same lighting and the effect on the residential neighborhood. Robert Sommer: I live on Chaska Road probably a little less than a half mile from this proposed development. I don't have a comment to make, I have a question. I guess it relates to, as I gather and I haven't been pri vy to what is going on very much in the past, but from what I have gathered, they wanted to put in an office building and this is no longer I feasible because the office building situation is overbuilt. Obviously they didn't do any market research before. I'm curious if they have done any market research on this. Whether a shopping center is needed in the 10 I I I 237 City Council Meeting ~ June 2, 1986 area. We have downtown Excelsior, there are extensive plans for downtown Chanhassen. I am curious what type of market research has been done. Sandy Putnam: I 1i ve on Chaska Road which is across TH 41 from this. I have a couple of concerns. One is I can foresee that traffic will, instead of making a left to go up to TH 7 on TH 41, will shoot straight across TH 7 onto Chaska Road, which if you are familiar with that road, is not a road devised, is strictly a residential area, it is a narrow road, it is not a well maintained road most of the time. The other concern I have is that it has only been a year since this has changed. I remember well at the Planning Meeting one of the members on that council saying once it's changed from R-l it is much more played with, which is exactly going on. The person was relunctant to change it at that time. I think you need to consider that those of us who live in that neighborhood our homes are our primarily financial investment. I realize that the commercial use has a financial investment too, but when we purchased our homes this area was R-l. Our homes are our primary financial investment. It affects our financial status, it also affects the quality of life that we expected when we purchased. Now we gave once and I think it is enough. John Schumacher: I 1i ve on North Manor about two blocks west of the proposed change here. I guess my question would be, it seems we were here a year ago and the Council voted for a C-l zoning and everybody in the neighborhood was pretty happy with that and we are wondering why the people, how they can come back and petition so soon for a C-2. Why can't we just leave it with a C-1 and be happy with that. It seems to be the general consensus of opinion in the neighborhood for what its worth. Mayor Hamil ton: Barbara, would you please address the zoning issue and why the applicant can request the change in zoning. Dacy: There were two folks who mentioned what types of uses are involved in the C-2 district. Again, C-l is strictly office and financial institutions. C-2 is more intense in that it will allow retail sales, restaurants, dry cleaning establishments as a permitted use. An auto service station is a conditional use which means a public hearing is required and adjacent property owners have to be notified. '!here was a question as to who would be responsible for the improvements for 64th Street. It is a condition of the plat that the applicant be responsible. I will read the condition of approval: Street improvements to west 64th Street between TH 41 and the site entrance be required as a part of the development contract with the City approval of the final design. As to how the applicant can request a rezoning action. Our ordinance does not stipulate a time limit or the number of times a person or property owner can apply for rezoning of their property. That is an individual right that any property owner has to request to the City for rezoning action. 11 238 City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 Mayor Hamilton: Perhaps Doug, one of your people should respond to the lighting question am your three lots on the north, what you are proposing for there and your market research question. Unless you don't want to respond. I Doug Arndt Jr.: N:>, we are more than happy to respond. We want to give all the answers we can possibly give. The two lots to the north, we are in the process of signing an agreement with Hardees Family Restaurants on the corner lot. On the secom we haven't determined a use for yet. Obviously we spent some time on the property with the Planning Commission on Saturday morning am listening to the trucks go through the gears am so on going out of the intersection, it is rather noisy and those uses we feel would be suited to that corner. As far as the market research obviously, the agreement with Hardees for their restaurant, they don't go into anything blindfolded. They know full well what they are getting into am the way the numbers work. As far our 28,000 square foot retail center. Like I indicated, we have close to 50% of it pre1eased without anything in writing yet, obviously, so we have done research on that basis and these aren't just short term mom and pop type operations, most of the leases we are going to be entering into are five and ten year leases backed by solid tenants. They aren't just individual stores they are good quality tenants that will benefit the area. Councilman Geving: Excuse me. I think the question was addressed to what market research have you done to show it isn't suitable to office buiding. I think everybody accepts that you have people who are interested in this for this other use, but what market research have you conducted that says it isn't suitable for office use? I Doug Arndt Jr.: '!he market research that we have done is talked to all of the major developers in the Twin Cities area that are doing office and office warehouse. N:>ne of them indicated any interest in buiding anything on that corner at very reasonable land prices. You have all seen am heard the numbers they are paying for land in Plymouth, Eden Prairie and Bloomington am we are way below that am they are just flat not interested. '!he other thing I said, the Sullivan Center across the street wi th a major national tenant as the lead tenant, the building is in foreclosure. '!hat speaks for the office market in that area. I'm not saying ten years from now it might not be there. We would like to put an office building as the buffer between our retail store and residential area. Sam Stern (Attorney for Tomac): I wanted to clarify something. When Tomac was in last year they did not ask for C-1. In fact there was some concern a year ago as to whether or not the office development on that corner would be appropriate. They felt at that time C-2 would be more appropriate am it was the Council's decision to go with C-1 at that time. So it is not a question of coming in trying to get C-1 am coming back. In fact what they did, given the interest of the neighborhood in preserving as close to a residential basis as can be, spent a year looking for office potential am what representatives of Krause-Anderson among others said, if you put in a quality shopping development like this, that will encourage the C-l I 12 2' 'J) 01 .d~<:_P City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I development which responds to the other issue. There is absolutely no intent to do anything other than the C-l. I think it would be foolhardy for Tomac to think that the Council would approve anything. Staff has talked about the transition that they would like to see between R-l and C-2. There is another point and then I will sit down, but we are here to answer questions. In 1968 the generalized guideplan for Chanhassen designated the southwest, the property that we are talking about, as service commercial. It wasn't until 1972 that a new zoning ordinance designated it as R-l. So initially there was some thought that it was a service commercial oriented area and given the traffic flow and given from Chanhassen's point of view, it's presence as the introduction to the city, it seems more appropriate, we believe for C-2 in that corner than residential with the transition to C-l which we hope can be developed with the C-2 development that we propose now. Then leaving the R-l, of course, as it is. Reed Becker: I would like to address the lighting situation. There is an ordinance in Chanhassen for shielded lighting and lighting in todays market, the lighting that is available is as good as the lighting that you see on the board up here in that there is a definite line outlining the square. Even with the parking lot lighting we can shield the lighting so it lights the parking lot but does not go, we wouldn't even light the C-l area let alone the residential area, because we can control it that finely by todays modem lighting standards. I Mayor Hamilton: According to my notes there is one issue that has not been discussed by Staff or Tomac and that is the relationship of the C-2 district in proximity to the proposed Herman Field parkland. I believe that was a questions that was brought up. Dacy: Maybe I could ask for clarification on the question. Are they regarding to the drainage issue? Mayor Hamilton: No, I believe the question was about the park being so close to the proposed development and what the impact would be on the park when it is open and people using that park in such close proximity to a high traffic area as I understood the questions. Who asked the question, maybe YGU can clarify it. Bob Wagner: Yes, I am concerned with, as you expressed, the intensity of a C-2 developnent in relation to the parkland... I Monk: That is the approximate location. I'm not even sure of the exact size. The land that the city presently owns is designated, we are referring to as Herman Field, there is proposed a roadway access, gravel roadway access from the corner interesection of Oriole and 64th. The City has looked at running into this location with creation of a very small gravel parking lot in this area for limited uses in this corner. Those being playground and other active areas, but this has always been seen as the way to drive into the site. We are also working on presently having one access that comes into the backside, the piper Ridge subdivision which is not shown on here, arrl we are looking at trying to acquire an easement along the lot 13 6";', ~ 1) /_fL,~.-_: .._~ -",- City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 line in this area so people could walk along the end of Forest Circle to maximize the amount of pedestrian traffic that could get into the north am west sides of the park. The south side being basically wetlands and really part of the regional park. As far as separation of uses, we are not anticipating a large traffic movement down into this park. We do anticipate limited use with only basically walk in child's ball field in this location, not a full size ball field. And our whole thing to accomplish most of this through pedestrian use. They are relatively close and I guess all I can do is state where the park exists. Some conflict in this area as vehicles attempt to come down am use the park, but I haven't given any particular thought beyond that but that is the situation as it exists. I Mayor Hamilton: I would like to ask Mr. Sweringer if you could just give me your ideas on the park, if you think the children in your neighborhood would be crossing on TH 41 to get to that park once it is developed. TO the ball field. Mr. Sweringer: I did make reference to the park but I am thinking that the intersection of 64th and TH 41 and right now, with very little traffic on it, it is very difficult to cross from 64th across TH 41. I don't know if it is too close to TH 7 or not but I think that is going to one of the toughest issues there especially depending on what happens to West Jr. High School am the potential sale of that. Perhaps another 70 to 100 cars moving in and out of there daily. I still don't feel the question of those front lots was addressed to my satisfaction. I'm still concerned about that. As far as the park goes, I don't think that is going to be affected greatly. The north lots, Lots 2, 3 and 4. The one with Hardees. No one has ever discussed whether there would be a second fast food restaurant or whether it would be a service station. Either of those two lots would certainly impact on traffic flow and I talked to several of the major service stations, Food-n-Fue1 type companies. They have to have a vast amount of traffic. They have to pump several millions gallons of gas in order to break even on that am that requires a lot of cars. That, of course, has concerned me because everything is going to exit on 64th and TH 41. I Councilman Geving: I believe Bill, I did have a question that I didn't see an answer to, or I didn't hear it am that was the cost of maintaining and upgrading 64th Street. I don't believe that was addressed Bill. Maybe you can answer that. He asked who was going to pay for the upgrading. Dacy: It is a condition of approval that the applicant be responsible for upgrading 64th Street 100%. Councilwoman Swenson: May I point out though, that is only upgrading it only to the lot line of the developer so from that point to Oriole, we are still dealing with a very small road. Councilman Geving: I just wanted to make sure Bill's question got answered. I 14 6);. ,'. -c1 ."-~/-:.~': _/ City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I Mr. sweringer: I am probably the most immediate neighbor outside of Jan and Harry Reed, and the PeOple who live on the backside who will be bermed by the development. I am the one that is going to look directly from my back porch right into the area. I currently watch TH 7 and 'IH 41. There is no question in my mind that this is a commercial corner. I'm lit day and night by the Shorewood Shopping Center so some more lighting isn't going to affect me, and as a matter of fact, they will probably drown out anything that this development ever hopes to do. I'm more concerned about traffic flow onto to TH7 and TH4l. '!hat is my main concern. '!his is without question a commercial corner. Councilman Horn: I would like some clarification just to make sure we are all under the same understanding. If I understood what the Planning Commission's recommendation was, it was to rezone only Lot 6. Dacy: Yes, that is correct. Councilman Horn: Lot 6 then would be what we have planned for this development, would not allow a fast food Hardees on Lot 4. Dacy: If you maintain Lot 4 as C-l and only rezone Lot 6, it would only apply to Lot 6. I Councilman Horn: My major concern is that if we create major traffic along here, and that same concern I had last time I looked at this, PeOple are going to make a right off of Oriole Lane and back onto TH 7. You don't ever consider intensifying this areas if Oriole were closed off to TH 7. I think the generation of traffic down to TH 41 is being the egress to this development is the only thing that makes sense, but I don't think it will happen with Oriole open. Councilwoman Swenson: Now I think, why don't we consider Hardees. Is that a fast food restaurant? Dacy: Yes. Councilwoman SWenson: So that would not be allowed in a C-l district? Dacy: That is correct. Councilwoman Swenson: My main concern with this is that we are talking about a lot that is proper block, that is approximately 6, we are talking about Lot 6. Dacy: Maybe I misunderstood your previous clarification. '!hey are requesting the Lots 3, 4 and 6 be rezoned to C-2 but the Planning Commission only recommended Lot 6, but the request still holds for all three lots. I Councilwoman Swenson: My major concern is when we went through this before, and seems to me we all had a lot of headaches on it, is that we are going to have a lot of interior traffic coming west on Sandpiper and going 15 01 L~ CJ) .cd "::.!J City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 back on Sandpiper to eliminate this corner of TH 41 and TH 7. I am very much I concernErl with the junction of 64th and 'IH 41. While the developer is planning to upgrade 64th East and West from his lot line, we are still wiming up with a very small, very narrow street from 64th to Oriole am then Oriole. This is obviously a street that is intended for residential use. I don't see any way that we are going to be able to eliminate an intensification of traffic on those roads and if in fact the park goes in, I can see a whale of a lot of people from the park shooting up Oriole Lane and getting over here, one way or another and going to pick up a hamburger at Hardees. I just don't like it. I see Mr. Sweringer's viewpoint. Lot 6 is a conceivable situation with a shopping center but I am afraid that would be kim of like a topsy am it would just grow. We have one am then we have an excuse to say well, we might as well add Lot 3 or 4 along with that. I worked really hard on this last time, as I'm sure everybody else on the Council did and the Planning Commission, and I felt at that time the C-1 was an equitable solution to the problem am I guess my decision hasn't changed a bit. Councilman Geving: A year ago I think Council looked at this request very, very hard. After a lot of discussion, a lot of review, am I agree that Bob Wagner's file is as big as ours, we probably have twice as many papers on this whole subject that we have been fighting am working with for the last three years. I think Council made a major concession in converting this residentially zoned property to C-l. It was a designation that I felt uncomfortable with but I did feel that it finally solve the problem that we I worked on for the last three years. I was quite surprised that it is corning back to us again for another look. This takes a lot of our time, it takes a lot of our Staff's time am quite frankly I think if the developer had made his market study at the time he requested this back in 1983 and 1984 am 1985 again, then I think we wouldn't be here tonight, am maybe if he has problems with his ability to get office space in this area, maybe we ought to convert it back to residential because that is the one thing that is really selling today. Secondly, I think that the action of the Council has been very consistent. The denial of the original application from C-2 to C-l meant that the Council had acted to reduce the intensity and density of this planned area to make it a more viable residential district. OUr second action in the same respect was to approve the Randy Herman's Piper Ridge development. It was only twelve units but it is going to be a very nice, high quality residential area. Thirdly we approved the eventual development of Herman Field, am I think all three of those actions kirrl of gave an indication to the people who lived in the area that we are attempting to make a very nice residential area for you. We want to keep what is there at least. My concerns are that I have no idea what will happen to Lots 3 and 4 if we go along with the Planning Commission recommendation to rezone and work with just Lot 6. I have no guarantee, or this Council has no guarantee, that if we are to approve that, that next year we would be looking at Lots 3 and 4 and subsequently we would be looking at eventually Lots 2 am 5. The whole thing is really going to be a mess. I think we will continue to fight with this developer in terms of wanting something more and like I said earlier, I thought we gave them a I major concession in designating this to C-l. Now, if in fact the developer does have 50% of 28,000 square feet of rental on a retail center already 16 ~ /1 ':? L,j'-:.;::LJ City Council Meeting ~ June 2, 1986 I commi tted~ we've got lots of places in downtown Chanhassen for those people. I would like to see you bring them downtown. Finally, I don't think anything has really changed for me in the year since we last looked at this and as far as I'm concerned the whole area should remain C-l. '!hat is the end of my corrments. I Councilwoman Watson: Dale said a lot of what I've been feeling since we met last June which I was opposed to at the time. I had carpooled with someone in this area and I had a chance to drive Oriole and 64th Street, attempt to cross TH 41 at 64th to go onto Chaska Road and it is just about impossible as well as the fact that these are obviously residential streets. The homes are relatively close to these streets. You are never going to make them any bigger than they are now. It can't be done without putting those people practically in the middle of the road, so I feel and have felt even more strongly since I did that than I did when I voted no on the C-l in the first place. I understand that they want to come in and produce a high quality development. I've never heard anyone say they were going to come in and produce a poor quality development and I really think it should go downtown. '!hey have people who want to develop in Chanhassen, we've got places for them. I guess we made this decision only a year ago and I didn't want it then and I don't want it now and since they don't have a use for the C-l zoning, as they indicated that they can't use it, then I agree. I think it should go back to residential. If there isn't room for office space. They are building houses at Crosstown and Highway 18, they are building houses all along 494, we have a development, and the gentlemen who is planning this is sitting in the audience, who is going to put housing along the 212 Corridor. People are willing to build houses in buffered areas even in high traffic areas and I believe if this were planned correctly, this would sell. As Dale pointed out, the thing that is selling in Chanhassen right now is residential houses. We are building it and we are selling it and that is what belongs there. I Mayor Hamil ton: I guess I have many of the same concerns. I felt that when they last requested C-l that the proposed development was good one, with the exception of a few traffic problems that existed on that plan, I thought the C-l was a good zoning for this piece of property. I think the development they have proposed is certainly not all bad and the shopping center looks nice and would probably be a nice amenity to the community. You have a shopping center right across the highway that I don't think is extremely successful and we are proposing putting some of the same things in this shopping center that are contained in that one. I'm not sure that they would be any more successful here than they are across the street. Lots 3 and 4, I guess I'm not convinced if a shopping center was to go in here, perhaps Lots 3 and 4 would be a better place to put it rather than Lot 6. Swing it around the corner. I'm not sure we have seen the best plan if that is going to be that way. I still think C-l, I liked the previous plan, I guess I was one of the proponents for it last time. I thought it was a good plan and I felt that C-l would fit nicely in the neighborhood and it would minimize the noise. You wouldn't have weekend noise and weekend traffic and that was certainly one of our major considerations when we approved C-l, so I agree with the other council members that at this point C-l. As a residential corner, I don't 17 2.. ~ A.,. L~_L,I_ ,. -..:- -- City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 think it is a residential corner but there would probably be some multiple housing put in there that could work out nicely. Are there any further corrments that you would like to make, Doug? I Doug Armt Jr.: Yes, a couple. First of all, as far as locating the space we have interest in on TH 7 and TH 41 into downtown Chanhassen. '!hose people are interested in that corner not downtown Chanhassen unfortunately for various reasons. Sam Stern: Location and the traffic flow there that we don't believe is comucive to residential on that corner am we even have representatives of the neighborhood acknowledging that is a commercial location. As such that TH 7 and TH 41 makes sense for these people am for some reason, they are not interested in downtown Chanhassen. Doug Arndt Jr.: As far as the traffic and your concerns about the traffic. We paid a professional engineer who makes his living at figuring out how people drive, where people drive and why they drive. You've got the packet in front of you and I'm sure you have all read it and seen it's conclusions. He doesn't feel that there is a problem going back to the west on 64th am going back up 64th to TH 41, both the State am traffic engineer have said that intersection will handle it as it is currently designed as long as we upgrade 64th which will take care some of the existing problems. '!hat is money out of pocket that we are willing to spend am further, to keep the questions about keeping 64th west of the I intersection into our area the way it stands, I, as I come out of Ridgedale or any number of other shopping centers, having my druthers, will always take the easiest way out and going down a narrow, bumpy road is not the easiest way out. If you can get back on TH 41 if you want to go east on TH 7 and just take the right hand turn onto TH 7, that is a pretty easy way out. Sam Stern: We talked about alternatives at the Planning Commission meeting involving signage, I don't know if we discussed speed bumps or whether or not that would be acceptable, but there are ways of, am it is really an enforcement problem more than anything else, of controlling the traffic. If in fact it is going to be, and it is acknowledged that this corner is more appropriately commercial, than the issue is, and Tomac is more than happy to work with the City and State, how to best assure that enforcability so that we are not running the traffic through the neighborhood. We have a representative from the traffic study people here and maybe he can address some of the concerns. I would like a full airing of the issue so that we are not at least making decisions on false impressions. Steve Grow: I'm with Parks and Ashmen Associates and I'm a professional traffic engineer. Traffic is a pretty subjective issue especially if you live on a street next to a development such as this, and we have heard a lot of concerns by the neighbors. However, we have looked at the traffic, we've looked at the way in which the trips are going to go in and out of the site and I think you should keep in mind that in many ways, this is very excellent access to the site and the City Engineer has agreed. You have got two right in only's off of major streets and it is a big I 18 ? L-d"l 4L:.::.~ -...- .......;' City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I improvement over the previous one. As far as the egress, going out, we have proposed that 64th Street will be upgraded between the south site exit and TH 41. '!he question remains as to whether the traffic along 64th Street and Oriole Avenue will bother the residents sufficiently to hold up this approval. I'm not going to stand here and say that there won't be any traffic on that section, but we, through our studies, believe that there won't be significant amounts of traffic. The easiest way out is along the 64th Street to TH 41. There is no question about that for people going south or going back east. We have anticipated about 40% of the traffic will go west so you have 40% of the exiting traffic that you have to worry about. ~w we propose that we put a sign there that says "Local Traffic Only" and I assume that people will obey that sign. Other factors that enter into that have to do with how much time it takes to go each way for a person, how much congestion there is at TH 41 and 64th Street which we believe can be handled adequately. ouring off peak hours, the congestion is not going to be significant and there is not going to be any incentive for people to go through 64th Street, Oriole Avenue and make a difficult left turn at a unsignalized intersection having to cross four lanes of TH 7. It is only in the peak hours where this 40% of the traffic that does not choose to obey traffic signs and I can come up here and quote you numbers but it boils down to whether you think that is going to be sufficient to be unacceptable. In my professional opinion, it's not. Thank you. I Doug Arndt Jr.: TO clarify two things. '!he center across the street that you all express interest in is owned by Ryan Construction. My partner, Todd Thompson is the leasing agent for the center. It has been fully leased for some time with the exception of one 2,000 square foot piece that is now going to be filled next week as a 81,000 square foot center. Ryan Construction, I'm sure any of you that are involved in anyway in the construction industry, does not do anything that is not profitable. It has been a very profitable center for them. They are currently considering either upgrading it or selling it and the new owners will in all eventuality upgrade it. TO put our center in perspective, we are at 28,000 square feet, they are at 81,000 so we are less than half the size. What we are proposing is a small, quality center that is not going to necessarily compete directly across the street. What we are trying to do is intercept some of the people that may be going to Bonaventure or over to Ridgedale. They don't have to run all the way to Wayzata to get a pair of boat shoes or what have you. Councilwoman Swenson: Hopefully they will only have to run to Chanhassen. Mayor Hamil ton: We have a request before us to rezone 5.4 acres of land zoned C-l, Office Buidling to C-2, Commercial. I Councilman Horn: As I understand, we couldn't make a motion to accept the Planning Commission's recommendation because that is not the action before us. Is that correct? OUr action is either to accept or reject the proposal as it brought before us tonight. Dacy: Yes, the Planning Commission's action was a recommendation to rezone just Lot 6. However, the request still is to rezone Lots 3, 4 and 6 to 19 ~&Jl) I ,.,.~ ~ \U City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 C-2. You can approve it, deny it, approve one lot, two lots, three lots or table. I Councilwoman Watson moved, Councilman Geving seconded for denial for Tomac Development, Southwest Corner of Highways 7 and 41 for the request to rezone 5.4 acres of land zoned C-l, Office Building to C-2, Commercial for Lots 3, 4 and 6 and to table the item until the Attorney can prepare Findings of Facts for denial. All voted in favor and motion carried. Dacy: I would recommend that the Council consider the Attorney preparing Findings of Facts for denial. Mayor Hamilton: I would entertain a motion to table this item until the Findings of Facts can be foun:] by the City Attorney. Councilwoman Watson moved and Councilman seconded to table this item until the Findings of Facts can be found by the City Attorney. All voted in favor an:] motion carried . NORTHERN STATES POWER COMPANY: a. Zoning Ordinance Amendment to allow Substations as a Conditional Use in the R-lA, Agricultural REsidence District:-- b. Conditional Use Permit Request to Allow Zoned Substation to be Located on 7J;.Cres of Property ZOned R-lA, Agricultural Residence Districtand Locate<rat the Northwest Corner of County Road 17 and County Road 18. -- - --- I c. Conditional Use Permit Request to Allow 115 kv Power Transmission Lines through the Ci ty of Chanhassen Ei th'er Along Highway 5 and the Chicago-MITWaU'k'ee Ral.lroad or along the future Highway-212 Alignment. - - - Dacy: I would like to, if possible, discuss all three items because everything is interconnected and Staff has also prepared some video tapes to aid in your review of this so I beg your indulgence and ask you watch the TV for a little bit here. What we are going to do start by showing you snapshots and strategic aspects of the four alignments for the proposed transmission property. The four alternatives consist of three options along Highway 5 and the fourth option is along 212 Corridor. Option 1 is extending the transmission lines from the Westgate Substation along the north side of Highway 5, reaching 184th Street going north to the railroad tracks and then south an:] west along the railroad tracks to the business park to the existing 69KV line to the south. Option 2 is just follow the Highway 5 alignment into Chanhassen to approximately where the taco shop and cement plant is, again along the railroad tracks through downtown and down to the existing 69 kv line. I 20 oAr; ~ I, ,_"_. ! .c.>.~ ..:A. t: City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I Option 3 is to cross Highway 5 at the Dakota Avenue intersection to the south side of TH 5~ and then to the railroad tracks through the business park: Option 4 is to follow the TH 212 Corridor: At this point a tape change occurred during Staff's presentation am the video presentation. I Mr. Hoisington: Your Honor and members of the City Council. We had the luxury of being able to look at this from a rather narrow perspective, the perspective of downtown as opposed to having to look at all of the alternatives that you must struggle with. What that does for us is allows us to eliminate Alternative 1 because for the sake of impacts on downtown, Alternatives 1 and 2 are basically the same. Because of the distance between downtown and 212 Corridor, where there will be no impact on downtown, we did not evaluate that either as per the direction of the City Council and Planning Commission. I won't go through the characteristics am the construction schedule of the transmission line, I think you have been through that enough times in the past. We are all familiar with the height of the poles am the spacing am so forth. The only comment I would like to make with regards to some comments that I have read in Minutes and so forth with regard to 212, is that 212 will be an absolute necessity to the City of Chanhassen and as traffic consultants to the City of Chanhassen or the HRA, we have every reason to believe that thing that has been out there for so many years is going to realized one of these days and if it isn't, you are going see a horrendous roadway project on Highway 5 in future, so I guess all I would suggest to you is that we not treat 212 as something that may never occur. I think it is going to occur and I don't think you can avoid it occurring in the future. We had to struggle for a long time with the downtown plan for the City am one of the most difficult parts in dealing with downtown was the railroad line itself. If the railroad line represented some kind of an edge to downtown, we would have had much less difficulty dealing with it but what it does is it represents a barrier exactly between Highway 5, which is our way to get into downtown and the real heart of downtown which is on both sides of West 78th Street. We though of all kims of things that could occur am all different ways an access could be provided and what we concluded was that what was needed was sort of a loop that included Great Plains Blvd. but also included the second access to downtown. As most of you know we have been in the process of evaluating that over the last several months am we are about ready to come back to you with the recommendation that has the agreement of MnDot and all the agencies that have been involved in the process with us. I only want to say to you that railroad has been a very difficult barrier for us to overcome and I will say that I'm not sure we've overcome it at this point. What I will say is that it is a two dimensional kind of barrier. It's not a three dimensional barrier and I think we can tolerate or live with it, but I'm not sure we can live with a three dimensional one that would reinforce that railroad line. I won't go through the downtown plan objectives. You have those and you have had the opportunity to review I 21 248 City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 those in the past. I will say that objectives 8 and 10, I believe would be I violated by any proposal that would run the power line down along the railroad tracks. I won't go through the concept plan highlights but what it does is summarizes for you what we were trying to accomplish and what some of the features of that plan are and what the effects of the transmissions line on downtown. Again, we are considering only Alternatives 2 and 3. ~wntowns are the most difficult part of any community to deal with unless you happen to be a central city where you have housing problems that are also very difficult to deal with and usually those problems are very close to downtown. The reason downtown is so difficult is because you have to invest dollars there and the reason you have to invest dollars there is because you have to make what is happening downtown competi ti ve with what can happen in the corn field. It is easy to do things in a corn field. It is very difficult to do them in downtown. What they mean is the city has to put dollars into it and at the same time it is putting dollars into it's downtown to revitalize it, it cannot afford to be shooting itself in the foot and doing things that are contrary to that very substantial investment in the downtown area. OUr conclusions are that Alternative 2 would be one of those things that would be very detrimental to your downtown business community. When we develoPed the plan, we expanded the business or the planning area to include both sides of West 79th Street, both sides of the railroad tracks, purposely to unify and integrate that business are but secondly to provide access to Highway 5 to the most important part of that business community. We believe that Alternative 2 would violate not only the plan objectives but would tend to I create that three dimensional barrier that would be obtrusive, difficult to overcome, would tend to diminish the private sectors willingness to invest in downtown and we just simply can not, under any circumstances see it located as per Alternative 2. Alternative 3 would have a much lesser impact. What it does is put the power line at the edge. I'm not suggesting that it is any better for the properties that it goes through. Only that it puts it at the edge of downtown and the only real impact you have is from downtown. You can look from West 78th Street and will be able to see the power poles in the background. That doesn't bother me a whole lot in comparison to what the impact will be if it is right along the railroad tracks. We make some recommendations to you, just seven of them. We would ask you to exclude from any further consideration Alternative 2 as the alternative routing for the transmission line. I'm not sure how you deal with alternatives 3 and 4 but since neither have significant impact on downtown I wouldn't really care to get into those. On the other hand, if Alternative 4 is selected, we noted that there was some consideration on running down section lines as opposed to the roadway corridor itself. We would disagree with that. We really don't want to see a multiple corridor si tuation out if that should become the al ternati ve that would be accepted by the city. One of the things we would strongly encourage you to do, wherever possible, put existing power lines wi thin the downtown underground. In the communities I have worked with, we have struggled with that and succeeded in some cases and not in others and even the normal service, normal distribution lines we would encourage to be put underground. Of course, that takes some effort and some expenditure of I city funds to make that sort of thing happen. 'lb build one major facility along railroad tracks, we believe would be contrary to intent. With that I 22 C'ilJQ bj "::!L/ City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I think what we will do is show another video tape and try to give you an impression of exactly the same structures that you would be looking at in this case. We can't replicate the situation for you precisely but what we can tell you are a number of things that would coincide. At this point staff gave it's video presentation showing examples of transmission lines and substations in other towns in the Twin cities area and their relationship to adjoining residential and business areas. I Dacy: The other recommendations from the Planning Commission was that the Opus Corporation be given a chance to present their concerns and their representative is here tonight. Thirdly, that the City Manager certify that there is a need for the transmission lines. In your packet there is information that NSP has submitted convincing the Staff that indeed there is a need for the transmission line. The data they have submitted coincides with our records as far as residential, commercial and industrial growth. It is interesting to point out that in fact the southwest area, their Minnetonka division, leads the metropolitan area in the percentage of increase in electric loads since 1980. Fourth, the Planning Commission recommended that the City Manager agree that the 212 Corridor is not a viable alternative. Mr. Hoisington has just spoken to that issue. Finally, that the City would work with NSP to minimize negative impacts on business parks and downtown that would continue depending on which option is chosen by the Council. Just briefly on the substation request. What is needed is a zoning ordinance amendment in the R-lA district to allow such a use. The present ordinance does not address it specifically. Some communities like Eden Prairie allow substations or transmission lines as a permitted use defining that as an essential service. However, our present ordinance does require a conditional use for the transmission lines and based on that, the Planning Commission recommended approval of the zoning ordinance amendment to allow electrical substations as a conditional use subject to five standards and they did add a sixth one requiring that substations shall be 500 feet from a single family residence. So the final request for this particular item is for the location of the substation si tee I'm going to refer to the area up here. At the location of 17 and 18, and there is a reduced copy of the aerial in your Staff Report. The Planning Commission action on this was to recomend denial of the location of the substation at this site feeling that alternative sites should be looked at specifically adjacent to the railroad. In between the Commission and Council meeting, NSP submitted additional information in conjunction with Staff, the alternative two sites were evaluated. The three major criteria to locate substation sites is (I) importance of access between the substation site and the existing 69 kv line; (2) immediate access from the major collector roadway such as Lyman Blvd; and (3) the location of the substation at the appropriate point along the transmission of routing. Not only do they have to locate the substation site in a position that is appropriate for feeder lines and distribution and transmission lines coming in so there is no lag of voltage down the line. Also, as you recall, NSP is proposing in conjunction with Chaska Electric, to hook into the Chaska distribution lines immediately the west. With those three criteria, two other sites were looked at. The first site is further north along Lyman I 23 c; h. (\', L".d U V City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 Blvd. adjacent to the railroad tracks. Visibility and visual impact is characteristic of all the sites that you just can't avoid. No matter the site, there is going to be a visual impact from some direction. Drawbacks for site number 1, in view of the criteria, is that it is located too far away from existing kv lines. NSP would have to double back on their lines. While access is good in location to the Chaska distribution lines, the major drawback with Alternative 1 is it's distance from the existing line. Also, there is a william's Pipeline easement that runs in this area that was not specifically defined for this particular matter but that is another limiting factor with these two options. The second site, while it is closer to the 69 kv line is further east for connection into the Chaska distribution lines. Also, as you walk the site, the topography rises gradually to the east and then falls rapidly down into this low spot in here, NSP requires that access to their substation site not exceed a grade of 3% because of the type of vehicles they have. This site would need extensive grading in this area for access to this particular site. We corne down to the original, considered site. It has immediate access to the 69 kv line, it has immediate access to County Road 18, it does provide the appropriate location for the transformation of electrical voltages from the 69 to the 115 but the remaining factor is the visual impact. Based on that, Staff has revised site plan to sink the substation to create a 15 foot berm. The top elevation is viewed from County Road 18 from approximately the south. As you can tell, there is a difference in grade of approximatley 15 feet such that a control house could be completely behind that berm. What you would be able to see is the top of the' 115 transformers which are approximately 36 feet in height. If you can remember back to that videotape and I was talking about that particular structure in Brooklyn Park, you can see those singular poles. However, the majority of the ground structure would be sunk and screened from County Road 18. The bottom elevation gives another view of that as well. As you can tell by the grades on your site plan that the property is being screened from the south and west. There are stands of existing vegetation in southeast corner and along the northwest corner so that the view from the traveled roadway would be screened. There is no question, because of the grade to the north and east, that this site will be exposed. That exposure is characteristic not only of this site but also of the other sites that we looked at. The applicant has submitted a revised landscaping plan to compliment the berming, etc. along that. Item 6(b) of your packet, we have recommended six conditions of approval on the substation site. Basing approval of the plan that see tonight the installation of landscaping, the installation of a culvert under the proposed access driveway and the driveway access shall be blacktopped to the security fense. Also, you will note that there is an existing house on the property that is being leased. At this time, in order to give the present owner time to vacate the premises, as a condition of approval, that the house be removed within one year of the date of Council approval. Thank you for your patience. Staff is completed. Don Chmiel: I'm with Northern States Power. I think Barbara has sufficiently covered what we had looked at as far as proposals. What we have done in the substation site itself, if I could just point it out. You are looking at a contour now of 925. Previously the sole substation was 24 I I I I I I 69fZf Ld UJ .1;_ City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 moved to the south, up above the 940 level as shown here. By taking it and it back and depressing that station, we will gain an additional 15 foot height in screening for it whereby utilizing the existing berm off of this area and as Barbara also mentioned the fact of planting some landscaping in adjacent to that particular site with a different selection of plantings all the way through within this area. I guess we agree with all the specific conditions on the substation site itself. The only one is the number 5 which is the driveway access should be blacktopped to the security fence. We would prefer just putting an apron in on this particular location and using crushed rock. Because of the heaviness, in the event that we have to bring in a mobile transformer, we would have to build that dri veway which is about 200 and some feet long up to a 20 ton capacity road and we feel that we could much better utilize that with crushed rock than we could with that and thereby saving some cost differences as well. That is the only condition we are basically not in agreement with. I guess we are open for direction as to location of the transmission lines. We do know there is a need and I think we have proven that need now to the City in bringing in substantial data and bringing in our ledgers showing where those load and capacities are, so with that I will turn it back to the Council. Mr. D=gler: I live on Lyman Blvd. and my parents live on the corner and maybe you aren't aware of it, I hate to bring it up and talk about it, but my brother was killed by this relatively low 69 kv compared to the 115 that they are proposing now. I'm not going to talk much about the line. My main concern right now is the proposed substation. I feel real bad that NSP didn't take the recommendation of the Planning Commission and look more into moving up by the railroad tracks. I feel that the City of Chanhassen does not need another blight out in a good, prime location. I agree with everybody that said the railroad tracks are to live with but they are there. We have to live and I think that is the place for another faciity just like this. I'm not sure if you have looked, walked out, if you are familar with the other proposed two sites. I think they are number 1 and number 2, but I live there and I took the time last night and walked over to the other two proposed sites plus this proposed site. I personally feel either site, 1 or 2, is better than this proposed site for a couple different reasons. Site 1 is easy access. You are on top of a hill which can be bermed appropriately. The problem with Williams pipeline, if you look at a map, there is plenty of room up there. William Pipeline is not going to present a problem in that area. In between one-tenth of a mile and two-tenths of a mile, you have more acreage right there. One-tenth of a mile is only 500 and some feet. You have plenty of room for substation. It is close to the track. From on top of that hill you can look and only see three at the most, four family houses right there. There are two more that you know they are there, but because of the growth of trees this time of year, you don't see the house. You go back to this proposed substation and there are seven that you can look right at, broad daylight and there are two more with the growth of trees, you can't see. The next proposed option was 2. It was mentioned that it was low ground. You walk in there it goes down and then up. It's not classified low ground by any means. It has been a field with corn last year. It is obviously not low ground. It is lower than option 1, but not classified as low ground. NSP might have a 25 PC;0 Ld~'L'd City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 problem with 3% slope but I'm not so sure Lyman Blvd. itself is less than a I 3% slope. I think you can easily make a road if you want a road to get in. This proposed site is relatively close to existing houses, within one- quarter a mile there are three houses that are going to stay there. Obviously within 500 feet, within 1,000 feet, even throw a ball from the house that is there now. I just heard tonight that that house would have to be moved. I'm sure the owner of the land would go along with it but that is not his number priority right now to get rid of an existing family structure. We know that the City of Cllaska is buying the land. '!hat was part of the agreement with NSP. The City of Chaska realizes the problem of a substation within a city. They realize it is an eyesore and they will work Chanhassen to put it in a spot that would be the least problem. I have talked to their City Manager and he recommends, highly agrees with putting it up next to the railroad tracks. It is actually closer, cheaper for his distribution lines. '!heir power need is in their industrial park which is west and north of the railroad tracks and he said at this proposed substation, they would have to bury the line from this substation up to the railroad tracks and then again bring it up because they firmly believe in burying their power lines within their industrial park. This substation is qui te a ways away from Chanhassen's need. Chanhassen's need is obviously in the industrial park. with either option 1 or 2, next to the tracks it is a straight shot east right to the industrial park. We heard how they would have to back track off of the 69 kv line. That is, if you take option 2, approximately one-tenth of a mile, 500 feet. That is not much a back track. If you take option 1, at the most it is three-tenths of a I mile, 1,500 feet. I don't think that justifies. Here, there is still going to be a back track of about one-tenth of a mile. '!he owners of the property, as far as obtaining ownership of this property. Chaska Investment owns this proposed property and they also own the other two proposed sites. I have talked with them and they see no problem. They would rather see it up next to the tracks because they realize too, with Chanhassen's present growth, the railroad tracks are not going to help them sell the property next to the tracks. Where this is a prime piece of property, their plans would be to make it into hobby farms, at least one, maybe two hobby farms. '!hey see this is a prime location. '!hey would be more than happy to have the substation next to the railroad tracks. My personal opinion is this is too close to residential property. If my folks knew back then what they know today, that 69 kv line would not be where it is today. I have a family, a set of twins plus a girl, and I know how these boys are only 2 1/2 years old and they wander. I have a driveway that is two-tenths of a mile long and would you believe it, there has been at least one of them down by the mai lbox. I hope he has learned his lesson but it is less than two-tenths of a mile from my folks house which someday I might be farming at that place, from there to that substation. I would rather than that substation as far away from my folks and my family. Obviously it is very feasible, very possible to put it up next to the rai lroad tracks where it would have the least amount of impact on Chanhassen. Why spoil a nice piece of property. I can't think of anything else I would like to say right now. Thank you. Bob Worthington: Executi ve Director, Governmental Affairs for the Opus I Corporation. I am here representing Opus as well as American Linen who is 26 2~Q .,.",<:~.L City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I I our joint venture partner in the Chan Lakes Business Park. First of all, we would like to thank you very much for giving us the owortunity to have input into a process which has kind of gotten away from us when we discovered that there were some proposals that was going to affect our property some two weeks ago. Planning Commission recommendation subject to, of course, us doing further research and getting together with NSP to find out basically what was being proposed and come to some conclusion as to what we felt the impact was going to be on our business center. We met with NSP. Had a long and cordial discussion with them. It is tough decision that the city has to make and I guess, based on our findings and conclusions, we're not going to make it any easier. As most of you know, we took over Chan Lakes Business Park in 1982 from Ed Dunn and his group who had done quite a bit of planning on this property along with the City prior to our assuming of this development. Before taking over this park, we did quite a bit of research into some of the things that the planning group that Dunn had hired, had done in order to try to structure an environment for what he wanted to be, his group wanted to wi thin the City of Chanhassen, a premier business park within this area. Several of the things we discovered we were impressed with. '!hey were using modern day standards in order to upgrade the environment of that particular park. Upgrade the architecture, create natural amenities so that people who used the park, that is tenants, people who bought buildings, who bought land to develop in the park, could have a high degree of pride, could have a high degree of comfort and safety in using that which ul timately would be produced as part of this particular park. One of the standards and covenants they used was to bury all overhead utilities underground. I don't think I have to go into why that particular thing is of interest. The gentlemen before me used such terms as blight and such terms as ugliness, indicating that when you are dealing with overhead transmission lines, you are dealing with something that is very functional, very necessary but also, if not properly controlled, has a detrimental effect in terms of the environmental perception of people who might be using property adjoining that particular facility. All of this metropolitan area, skirmish lines have been drawn and NSP has, of course, always been in the middle in terms of where do we put those things. We hear stories time and time again about safety problems, about people feeling their properties are going to be detrimentally affected and insufficient utilization of property and in each instance we kind of come up with some sort of compromise. In our opinion, the high transmissions wires along either TH5 corridor which goes along from our property or down the railroad tracks represents a very, formiable aesthetic challenge which if not properly handled, is going to have negative impacts upon, not only the land used but within the park from this point on. It is also going to have an effect upon what kind of marketing we have to do now in order to attract potential customers and tenants to the particular park. As you know, since 1982 we have been going slow. We have been having a tough time in trying to convince people, just as they have had in downtown, that Chanhassen should be the place for their particular business should be located, but we feel we have turned the corner. We have overcome the question of access which everybody is always talking about as a detriment. We've overcome the question of price, overcome the question of whether or not this locaton is as good as in Bloomington, as good as in Minnetonka, is as competitive as it would be in I 27 C1"iEI1 &1 U L::: City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 Eden Prairie, and we have started to fill up our specutative space in terms I of Chan Lakes Business Park One and last fall we had Chan Lakes Business Park finished and we have located now eight new business wi thin this community, arrl what have we sold? We sold environment. We sold aesthetics. We sold community commitment to certain values that are important to people who locate within these facil i ties. We think if you arbitrarily now say lets put a high wire transmission facility down along the railroad tracks that are going to be 100 feet tall, are going to have six wires stringing from them. As most of you know if you look at our plat here, we have properties that adjoin that particular facility, you are going to divide the park into two neighborhoods, which we haven't done at this point, you can understarrl what is happening with the railroad track going through and we are going to have to now concern ourselves with how we take care of the high tech, high image type of business that may have wanted to locate near a railroad track but is now saying. Railroad track is one thing but when you start putting high transmission lines next to it, no good. I think you have to take into consideration values here. Everybody kirrl of looks upon people in irrlustria1 parks as kirrl of being second class. They don't deserve the same kind of treatment as people living in residential homes. If you've got anything wrong, throw it up there. We happen to represent those folks and we happen to believe that they deserve the same kirrl of consideration arrl same kirrl of concern in terms of locating a facility as you would in a residential neighborhood. We believe that there is an a1 ternati ve. OUr proposal would be that you look at the 212 corridor and until the State says we are not going to do I facility at all, then arrl only then should you look at the railroad tracks and if you look at the railroad tracks, we would recommend that you look at it from the point of view of either lowering the towers, burying, I know that is a very expensive cost, and even though we are going to get a benefit, but you are going to have one errl of town taking care of the other, then maybe have separate special assessments district go by everybody who has benefitted arrl participates in that cost. Then under those circumstances, can you have everybody win. I guess our official position at this particular point in time is we are opposed to having a high transmission wire down along the railroad tracks and down along the front of TH 5 because it will have at this point in time, a detrimental effect on the park, it is going to be contrary to what has already been done in terms of planning arrl investing in this park. We think it is going to be very tough once that is done to keep our marketing efforts along the line that we have started in the past several months. Councilwoman Swenson: Mr. Worthington, wouldn't you agree that the very same things that you talked about also relate to private residences. We wouldn't really need the lines at all if it wasn't for the industrial area arrl the very things you mentioned tonight about environment arrl amenities and blight, etc. is no less going to effect a lot of property owners with a lot of money invested where they live. This type of thing is going to be considerably more bothersome, if you will to use a mild word, going through residential areas than it will do in an industrial park. Bob Worthington: Councilwoman Swenson, I think that is a value judgment that you perhaps hold. I don't think that we, who have seen these I 28 0f?P; ~~ Q]) t~ .J- City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I facilities built in other areas through residential areas, probably agree wi th that. Councilwoman Swenson: I suppose as you say, it would be depending on where you sit am what your property is but I fim it difficult to believe that if it is going to effect the environment and the amenities and create a blight in an imustrial area, that it isn't going to do exactly the same thing in a residential area. TO me this is totaly inconsistent. Bob Worthington: I agree with you 100% but the question is, with the technology that is being proposed, what we are doing is we are developing a trade-off. Everybody wants the service but it goes into your neighborhood. Perhaps the solution that I just talked about, which is looking at some sort of assessment district which would pay for the cost of burying that particular wire in the area where it is going to have the highest area of impact. Maybe that would be the best solution to the problem. Mayor Hamilton: You would be willing to contribute to that, is that what I am hearing? Bob WOrthington: Ch yes. Councilman Geving: Would you agree Mr. Worthington that there is a necessity to build this line. I Bob Worthington: I agree there is a necessity for additional service, yes. Councilman Geving: I guess the question I am asking is, if we don't put this line in, I keep hearing from people like Jerry Carlson and others, that it is going to affect their business and their abil i ty to keep in business and in your respect, I suspect that you would not be able to sell properties is you knew you couldn't have power to satisfy their needs so the power need is there. Bob Worthington: '!hat is correct. We are not taking issue. Councilman Geving: We always come up with his idea of placement am that is what we are going to get to eventually this evening. I am happy to hear what you had to say. At least you had a recommendation for us am we can now take that into consideration. Thank you. I Al Klingelhutz: Mr. Worthington came up with some of the same things that I've been thinking about. en a corridor that really isn't established yet, we have been waiting twenty five years for a corridor to be established. It looks like it's coming closer but we aren't sure and to put a high line in an area of a corridor that might never happen, to me seems like putting up a blight that shouldn't be there. I heard Mr. Hoesington say something about three dimensional blight of the downtown area. The railroad track, the highway and then if you add another one. The high line would probably kill the downtown project. I am just wondering would a four lane freeway and 115 kv line through our R-lA land, which just last week the Planning Commission approved final plat on which will be coming up to the Council 29 C7'I"::'~ -p. 1:' :, -;l A..~;:fJ.l('~- "'"' City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 very shortly, of 231 residences along this very same line plus all the residences that are now. What the impact would be in selling those lots. Personally, I don't think it will sell very good. I've been in real estate business for a long time and I did have a piece of property with the 65 kv line running through it and every time I showed it, that was the first objection. We don't like this because we don't like to live close to such a powerful high line. What it does to the value of land in residential area could be just as great or greater than what it does to an industrial park. You already have a corridor there. I believe, if it is going to be overground, my first suggestion to NSP was, wouldn't it be nice if you could bury it. If that could happen, I think we would all be happy. I Jim Curry: It is hard for me to imag ine how a rai 1 road could be more blighted than a railroad is by being a railroad. When Ed Dunn and I built that park, we put it there because the railroad was there and, of course, I can't add much to what Al said, but it is the lesser of evils. You would rather it was buried. If it isn't buried, the railroad tracks is the place for it. Certainly all of us wouldn't want to live by it, and I know that is why the park was put there. Partly because it was on both sides of this track so I don't think the high line there would be as offensive as it would be down in our residential area. George C. Martin: I live on Audubon Road next to Deglers. A couple things I would like to say. I guess the citizens along the highway and the Planning Commission all agree that it should go by the railroad tracks. I He went on to say that the people who work in the Industrial Park are only there from 9:00 to 5:00 then go home to Bloomington, Eden prairie, Edina, or wherever but he, along with his neighbors have to look at the high lines from early morning until late at night. He felt the right place to put it is by the railroad tracks. Brad Johnson: One of the things that is nice about coming out here this evening as we are always concerned about people being able to find their way to downtown Chanhassen because we are faced with a number of different barriers. I am happy to say tfiat I couldn't even find a place to park in the parking lot outside today. We've got people coming from the south and people coming from all the way over near Shoreview. I represent the Chanhassen Downtown Development Group which is made up, basically, it is a relationship between Boomberg Companies and downtown Chanhassen or the Chanhassen HRA, so in a way I feel I represent the City, indirectly. We are proposing a 20-30 Million Dollar development for downtown. The project will service daily about 5,000 people when it is completed. We primarily plan on shifting the entrance into the community, attempt to include this area into the downtown area and also much of this to the west. Back to our blighted areas of Chanhassen, basically the back part of the Dinner Theater, in muddy weather is not a really great asset to the community. We plan to change the main entrance to the facility along with all the community activities in the city for children and all of us, into this particular area. One of my concerns, of course, is that this is where we I will be running the line. N::>t because of danger so much but I think it does not fit what we are trying to do aesthically. I'm not a planner but we are spending quite amount of money to make sure we maintain the local 30 2~g8' City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I I church and I don't know if you can see it out from TH 5; but in the evening it is nice to see that~ We are trying to preserve the look of downtown primarily becau~e we think if it looks good; people will come there; and if they come there, they will shop and it will be a successful project. I'm sure none of you can disagree with that: O1anhassen has had to face many development barriers. We have heard a lot about barriers this evening. One is the highway access, we would love to get rid of the cement plant. Lakes, even though they are nice to have, lakes in fact have been a barrier to our community because as you look at the lakes from the east, it is very hard to get here. It is just a problem. As you look at this particular photograph we are an isthmus that is just about ready to arrive as far as development is concerned. Once that starts to develop and we get on track for this particular area, the only place they can shop, we have been faced with a lot of barriers. One happens to be the lake. We have split school districts which makes it difficult to market residential property. We have railroads that run through the town and at one time we had very high interest rates which caused things to slow down somewhat. We are now preparing another barrier. I read Fred's report and I concur with him and we at the Chanhassen Downtown Development Group are opposed to the transmission lines using the TH 5 Corridor and the railroad track. The reason we are opposed to the TH 5 Corridor is because, I think one of the problems we are going to face, and again I am speaking just from marketing downtown, I realize all of you are marketing other things so I am just concerned with downtown, is that I try to picture myself driving down that road, and I'm glad somebody took a videotape, because I was going to have one of our archi tects draw up a picture of what a road looks 1 ike, as narrow as TH 5 and straight as it is most of the way, with a number of those towers in a line. Even though they are separated and a long ways apart, as you drive down TH 5, it is going to be a narrow one that already has some transmission lines there. It is not going to be a real appealing thing. As far as barriers downtown, again I agree with Fred about the problem we might have if we have a lot of high towers separating TH 5 with the downtown area. We just have to deal with how we are going to do that. I don't know what affect we will have on this development in here. I guess it would affect it just about the same as it would affect everybody else. We plan on having people there about 18 hours a day and consumers who shop in areas like to have nice places to shop and part of it is what it looks like. I have talked to a couple of other planners today and they say very seldom have they seen a successful downtown with a high line going down through the middle of it. Power lines of this type do create a negative feeling for shoppers. Again, what we are merchandising in this plan is the attraction of shoppers to this particular area. We are overcoming some of our barriers. TH 5 may be upgraded, 212 may come along, TH 41 is a very goOO road, Highway 17 is a very goOO road. We are making access to downtown. Development has just started in central Chanhassen. It seems to be improving. We can't change the school districts, the railroad has been here for a long time. I think Bob has some ideas, I think everybody here has some ideas. I'm told to put it underground is One Million Dollars per mile, $160,000.00 per mile above ground so that gives us some number to think about. Maybe there are some alternative solutions. We would recommend that you reject TH 5 plan and corridor and reject the railroad. Let's not shoot ourselves in the foot. I 31 o <1} 0, ~"..J.U City Council Meeting - June 2~ 1986 Dacy: Before you start. 'Ibis issue came up a couple of times in the comments. I just wanted to clarify the need issue that the transmission line needing to go through the industrial park because that is where the need is. Certainly there are businesses within the park that do need the electricity but I wanted to make clear, it is also a southwest area electrical need. The residential growth has also caused the need for the transmission line. Another important factor for the connection between Westgate and Scott County is to provide that link in the circular pattern of the transmission lines so that no other lines are overloaded into the Deephaven-Excelsior area. I just wanted to make that clear. I Councilwoman Swenson: It sounds like we are adopting all of the problems of the southwest corridor which is south of where we 1 i ve and north of where we live. I wanted to ask Mr. Chmiel. You have shown already for the need for these power lines that are going through? Mr. Chmiel: '!hose are adjacent coming down TH 5 from Eden Prairie. '!hat is a distribution three phase line. It is not a high capacity line. Councilwoman Swenson: w:>uld that be replaced or would that remain. Mr. Chmiel: There are two probabilities that we are looking with that particular line coming down. Either with the distribution aspect, carrying it as a secondary under the existing transmission on the same pole. Basically with those existing wood poles, you have spans of between 200-250 I feet on the distribution line. On the transmission, we are looking at anywhere from 400-600 feet in spans which will mean pole for pole you will be eliminating one pole for every transmission line structure you put in. You would be eliminating number of structures as well. Councilwoman Swenson: Is that the same distribution line that currently goes along side the railroad tracks through the industrial park? Mr. Chmiel: No, that distribution line goes directly into 79th Street right through town. Councilwoman Swenson: Do you happen to know what the line does along the railroad track? Mr. Chmiel: '!he lines paralleling the railroad track are communication lines of the railroads. Maybe if I could address one more thing in relationship to the underground as opposed to the overhead. As I mentioned on page 14 of the April 23rd Planning Commission Minutes, I stated that the Public utility Commission will not allow NSP to underground to benefit one respective city and if the city so desires to go underground then basically it is the city's requirement to pay the differences between the overhead to the underground. Councilwoman Swenson: Do you have a projection of what this would run? Mr. Chmiel: Roughly we are talking $160-$170,000.00 per mile at a ratio of 6 to 10. First of all what you have to do is to get a pipe and in that I 32 2R. ~. \"'. ~ ,:;.juu City Council Meeting ~ June 2, 1986 I pipe you contain the oil for circulation. You have to have pumping stations at intervals as well, and the reason you have the oil in the pipes is to cool the conductors to keep it cool. You are talking roughly going through that area, if I remember correctly what Bob said, I would say that cost would run just over One Million Dollars just to parallel the railroad tracks in the industrial park. Councilwoman Swenson: In addition to what NSP would add to putting them above? I guess I am looking at the differene between the two. Mr. Chmiel: $170,mm.00 per mile as opposed to One Million Dollars per mile plus. I Councilman Horn: I think Pat answered those and that was whether we could double up on some of these going through. I think the general comment I have is that obviously there is going to be a blight anywhere we put them. I would tend to disagree somewhat that there is the same amount of blight through an industrial area. I think the residential area would suffer a more severe blight and I think we have born that out by some of the comments by people who are industrial leaders in our city. They have accepted a certain lot size next to their business but require an additional lot size next to their residential area that is significantly larger which appers to me to be some sort of justification. I think we have to be careful not to interfere with the downtown area so I think we need to follow some existing right-of-way. I think 212 will happen. I think we have defined a right-of-way for that. I think that would be the preferred right-of-way if this weren't put on us today. Since this is put on us today, I think our decisions are somewhat different and we aren't going to get as good a solution. I think it has to stay away from the downtown area and it should follow an existing line such as the road. I Councilman Geving: I have several comments. I did attend the Planning Commission meeting on this subject so I was surprised tonight, for the first time to see the transmission facility itself, the substation. I hadn't seen that before. I hadn't seen the plan for it except that I was quite pleased to see that it was moved north of where it was originally proposed. I kind of like that idea. I do have a couple of questions however, and comments. I think that we asked NSP to go out and try to secure a route along an existing corridor. That was our original charge to NSP rather than trying to cut down the section lines and disturbing residential areas. I think they tried to do that to the best of their ability. No one seems to want this transmission line but I think it is definitely needed. Now if I had my druthers, I would really like to wait for the 212 corridor but I am afraid that is down the road just too far for us at this time. There seems to be a sense of urgency. Again, I go back to the Planning Commission comments and people were indicating that they are already experiencing difficulty so apparently there is a need and it is more urgent than we realized. I guess the thing I would like to comment on or question, Mr. Chmiel, is if we went with the 212 corridor, how much additional lay in would be required just for the transmission line that would need to be put in. Have you got a figure for that that someone can give me a figure for a number of feet that would be required in addition to 33 (~', "J,"~ -P', .~?-.,,~', E.\ ~ \!J! v City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 the existing road right-of-way. I NSP Representative: We would probably take 40 feet easement width along side the highway right-of-way. Councilman Geving: Another 40 feet. If I could add that to 212, has anyone got a figure for 212. Dacy: 300 feet. Councilman Geving: So maybe 340-350 is a pretty big swath to come right down through a planned residential area that doesn't exist yet but it is on paper and certainly will be on us before we realize. '!hat is quite a big area that we are speaking of in terms of a swath through that area. I think when you put everything together, the pros and cons, like I tried to do, I feel that the less total impact is by going on 'IH 5 but eliminating the first two options completely and I don't think we should even consider any further comments on options 1 or 2, but shift our thinking immediately to either the TH 5 corridor that goes through the south part of town to the south side of TH 5 up to the church property and then goes across the railroad down through the industrial park. Now, if we could just place those poles so that as we come through Chanhassen, we don't impact, let's say the Legion property, a very valuable corner, or we don't put an 100 foot pole in front of the Lutheran Church on top of the hill so that the spans at least can be placed so you don't have that kind of visual affect. I Then I don't think that would be too bad. Those are some of my thoughts. I really think the TH 5, Option 3 is the one that I tend to think is the best. Councilwoman Watson: I like Alternative 3 as well. It already exists and I think that, as Dale pointed out. The videotape was very nice but when you sat and looked at that one St. Louis Park and the poles marched after each other down that line, it was far uglier than I expected. I was really appalled by that and I guess those great big white poles. I like the little ones. I always liked wood compared to the steel ones. I don't like any of them frankly but at One Million Dollars per mile, it seems to me that even Opus might cough when we suggested that we would like to assess these costs as it goes through the industrial park. I do think those white poles are incredibly unattractive. I don't know why they have to be white. I don't know what would a better color is, but I don't like the white, metal poles and I guess that is what goes with it. I also would prefer either of the substation locations along the railroad tracks. I don't want that substation si tting out in the middle of that area. I think someday that is going to be a very attractive, high amenity residential area and I don't think a substation would do to the potential use of that property. Mayor Hamilton: I certainly feel it is a very difficult issue to attempt to resolve. It is kind of like putting in a sewer line. Nobody wants it to go anywhere near their property but yet we want to continue to grow as a community. We have residential developers here and commercial developers here. Everybody wants to continue to grow and sell their property and have people come in but nobody wants to a power line in so you can serve all I 34 CJ. .' r::; ~ L"}J<.J.0,}',.- City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I I your people with electricity. I don't know if it was in my neighborhood,if it went through my area. I've been through several areas in Richfield and Bloomington where power lines go through residential areas and all of them seem to be full, but perhaps they bought those homes knowing full well that the lines were there. I don't know, but they seem to live there and exist and I don't hear of too many problems. But we do have a problem with power and we need to get electricity into the community and the whole southwest area and we also have a need to, I feel, to continue to develop downtown Chanhassen. We have been working on this project for many years and I think we now have a very viable and good plan that is being put together and to through up another roadblock in the way of developing downtown which is something we have tried to do for so long, I think would be a mistake at this time. I just think looking at the future and the long run, the best place to put this thing is to run the 1 ines down the 212 corridor. The State can establish or MnDot can set up where the right-of- way is. We can put the lines down the 212 corridor and it is going to be in a position along side of a highway where you so often see them in other areas of this state and other states. It would remain there for a long time and I think my personal feelings is that it wouldn't bother anybody. If you are going to have visual blight I guess no where you put it. No matter what you do today, you drive down the streets and you see visual blight virtually everywhere you go and if that bothers you then I guess you are going to have to stay in your house because you are always going to see it but put it where it has the least amount of impact would seem to me to be the most reasonable thing to do. As far as the substation is concerned, I think where it is proposed by Staff is certainly the best location am it is going to be virtually not able to be seen at that location and would seem to fit into the scheme of the plan best. Those are my comments. I would certainly with the City Manager said of his assessment of the growth. Councilwoman Swenson: Mr. Chmiel or gentlemen, can you give me an idea of cost of the easement that you could be required to buy if you were to follow the 212 Corridor? NSP Representative: Regarding cost, we usually try to value the land than the easement would be a percentage of that. We couldn't say, we aren't in the acquisition end of the business, but our normal method of establishing prices for easements is a percentage of the lam value. Councilwoman Swenson: Al, you have a pretty good idea of what that land value is. Could you give me an idea of what the cost of the lam is? I Al Klingelhutz: I know what the land value is. Everyone that has spoken here tonight has said, what does it do to the value of the lam not only on 413 foot easement, 11313 foot easement, but what does it do to the value of the land on each side of the easement. I think that is one thing that NSP is not talking about. When they come to get an easement across my property, they are going to talk to me about what it does to the value of land not only for an easement but what it does to the value of the land. I think Mr. Curry will say the same thing, am everyone down the line will say the same thing. 35 61lab!l ~{?L~ City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 Mayor Hamilton: '!hat is fine, we're not arguing about that point but let NSP. I would like to not eliminate that al ternati ve until NSP has talked wi th the land owners and until they come back and say we absolutely can't do it financially. I Councilwoman Swenson: The aim that I am working towards is taking that into consideration, you mentioned $170,000.00 per mile on the line and One Million Dollars per mile underground. Now if you were to take that $170,mm.00 and add to that an anticipated cost of your easement down 212, is it conceivable that we could come up with some median figure that would not make an assessment totally unrealistic to put it underground. In other words, let's not stop at that $170,000.00 because that really isn't a realistic figure. If a corridor were granted through 212 it would cost considerbly more. Now is it conceivable that we could think in those terms. NSP Representative: The prices we were talking about, the incremental price of $160,000.00 per mile and roughly One Million Dollars was for equipment cost only. Normal procedure is we get appraiser and look at the value of the land and a percentage is paid on that basis. If it gets down to an unreasonable figure, the company does have the recourse to let an assessment be made of it and the Courts can decide what a fair value is. Usually what happens is NSP historically has made offers to land owners that always ends up being higher than they get after going through the court system. I don't think it is going to get to the price differential of $160,000.00 to One Million Dollars per mile. That would be the far stretch. I Councilwoman Swenson: So we aren't necessarily talking about $830,000.00 per mile being the cost? NSP Representative: No. Jim CUrry: As an answer to your comment, if you only buried it in the downtown area, that isn't even half a mile. That wouldn't be that far and what Pat was saying, I think, was that they are going to spend more on more easement, stick that money in there at some comprom ised figure to reduce that difference even further, I think that is what I heard you say. You are only talking about a few blocks. Then it takes care of your problem Tom and then I think the City would probably accept an assessment for such reduced figure. You are only talking about $300,000.00-$400,000.00, if my mathematics are right. It isn't that far. How far would it be to keep the downtown area fram be blighted? Dacy: Just looking at the section map here, from the Hennepin County- Carver County line to approximately the church property, it is one mile and than from the church west through the business park it is another mile. So there are two miles total. Jim Curry: Are both of those miles equally important to the downtown. I would have thought that the secorrl mile, even just part of the secorrl mile. Is there any minimum you can do? Can you go half a mile? I 36 I I I ~/~o Lrj~u;I~? City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 Mr. Chmiel: You can go any amount you want. Jim Curry: I thought the first mile was less important because those people have spoken at the last meeting am it didn't bother them, I don't think that much. So you've got the area along TH 5 which is part of the downtown area that seems to the bug in peoples mims. That is the part we ought to bury. Mayor Hamilton: I think as Opus has said too, Mr. Worthington, it is a problem going through their property too because they want to go underground or at some other place than their property. Jim Curry: Yes, but there has to some kim of compromise somewhere, if it comes down to the buck. That is one place to cut it. Al Klingelhutz: What is the extra length if you went down the 212 Corridor to the substation versus the railroad tracks? Mr. Chmiel: I'm sure it is another half mile or mile difference in length there. Dacy: From the Westgate substation there is approximately 4 1/2 miles along the 212 Corridor and along TH 5 there is about the same amount. Mr. D=gler: By adding that up, we are assuming the proposed substation is where you propose it. If you put it by the railroad tracks, where I think would obviously be better. Where it is proposed, that property can be used for much better for some other purpose where up by the railroad tracks, so if you put them up by the railroad tracks it would be much shorter. Mr. Chmiel: Giving Councilwoman Swenson using an arbitrary lam value of $3,000.00 per acre and 45 foot width easement that the representative of NSP stated, it makes the cost of acquisition of right-of-way $15,000.00 per mile if they paid at market value, so if it was 4.2 miles of acquisition along the 212 Corridor, it would 4.2 times the $15,000.00. If they indeeed purchased that right-of-way at a percent of market or if the $3,000.00 was a inflated figure, the cost would be less than that. Councilman Geving: The question I have is timing and assuming Mr. Chmiel if you go down TH 5, you could do that a lot quicker than you could do the 212 operation. Could you tell me the relative difference in the amount of time? Is it a year, two years? Mr. Chmiel: I think we are looking at TH 5 with the requirements that we need for servicing and planning, would be made by 1988 for a 115. If we were to take that same line it would be the same time frame for both of those, be it the 212 Corridor or TH 5. Maybe I could interject am clarify a little more. NSP Representative: In order to complete the transmission line by May of 1988, which is our completion schedUle, if we could have our route established by October 1, 1986. 37 C} (:;~4- A~ "-i -- City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 Councilman Geving: That is what I'm after. Thank you. I Al Klingelhutz: Do you think you can get all of the easements by October 1, 1986? Mr. Chmiel: N::>, but the route won't be established by then. NSP Representative: My reply was in order for us to meet the May, 1988 conclusion date, we should have a route established by October of 1986 and that is the point when we start negotiating with land owners. Councilman Geving moved, Councilman Horn seconded to approve the Zoning Ordinance Amendment 85-5 to amend Section 6.04 to provide for electrical substations as a conditional use in the R-LA Agricultural Residential District. All voted in favor and motion carried. Dacy stated regarding the Conditional Use Permit Request to Allow a Power Substation to be located on 7 Acres of Property Zoned R-LA, Agricultural Residence District that the Planning Commission recommended denial of the proposed site wanting NSP to evaluate the two other options adjacent to the railroad tracks. At this point there was discussion on whether to vote on 6(b) or 6(c) first in regards to the transmission lines placement and the substation placement. Mr. Chmiel: Once it is determined which route is going to be selected for the power line, that would probably have some bearing on where the substation ought to be. I Mayor Hamilton: We probably shouldn't just specifically say Conditional Use (b) at the corner of County Road 17 and County Road 18 since if it goes down 212 then you might want to select another site by the railroad tracks. Mr. Chmiel: The present location for the substation is what we are suggesting and the reason for that because it being in adjacent to that 69 line also with the proximity for the means of distribution. Dacy: To clarify the proposed substation site. As NSP is proposing, if the transmission line is either on TH 5 or 212 Corridor, that location can accommodate both of those alignments. However, if TH 5 is chosen as the preferred alignment by the Council and then a revision of the substation site, then maybe the Council wants to consider the other two sites further to the north. But as proposed, that site can accomodate both alignments. Councilwoman Swenson moved, Councilman Geving seconded to approve Option 3. a. Placing the transmission line along the northside of TH 5 until it crosses to the southside at a mutually determined location between the NSP and our professional planners with the least possible impact on the downtown area. I 38 CD ,n h: L.J I{}.j 0) City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I b. It then follows the south side of TH 5 to the railroad and could be constructed within the MnDot right-of-way. It would go down to the church on the souths ide of TH 5 and then from the church it would follow the railroad to the substation, wherever they may be located. c. We would like to continue conversation, discourse on the subject of underground placement of the wires as it would affect the downtown and industrial park developments. d. Existing distribution lines be eliminated or incorporated with the 115 kv lines. e. '!hat between the Staff and NSP, work out the arrangement for the distance between the pOles and the height of the pOles in some locations to minimize the visual affect. All voted in favor except Councilman Horn who opposed. Motion carried. I NSP Representative: Could I interject one more thing, in order to have the flexibility when we start looking at prices, maybe another option with your land use planner, that we could work on some possible alignments coming into the the downtown to minimize the impact. If the price of underground is too great you may want to look at some other option so that is why Don is trying to get some flexibility and not be pinned down to a specific street where you have to turn. Bob Worthington: I just wanted to ask that if it is determined not feasible to put it underground, that we could be part of the decision making process to at least know what is going on. Mayor Hamilton: You will be a part of any discussions that the City in involved in. Mayor Hamilton moved, Councilman Horn seconded to approve the Conditional Use Permit #85-14 for an electrical substation as depicted on the site plan stamped "Received May 23, 1986" with the following conditions: 1. The applicant receive a driveway access permit from Carver County. 2. Installation of landscaping as depicted on the plan stamped "Received May 23, 1986". 3. '!he applicant receive a permit from the watershed district and comply with all conditions of said permit. 4. Installation of a culvert under the proposed accessdrive to allow for proper flow of area drainage. I 5. '!he substation will not be used for habitation and will not contain sanitary facilities. 39 2An '_~,h~ ~ -!)\J- City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 6. The existing house and garage on the property shall be removed within one year of the date of approval of the conditional use permit. I All voted in favor except Councilwoman Watson who opposed. Motion carried. Councilwoman Swenson: Are we sure that is where we want it? Councilwoman Watson: No. Not at all. The vote at this time is on this particular location. It doesn't give a choice of locations. It simply says do you want it located on this 7 acres. So I guess if you don't like it, we've only got one choice. Councilwoman Swenson: Barbara, could we possibly have a shot of the alternatives before we make this decision. The other two possible locations for the substation. Dacy: Again, I'll go back to the three cd teda. The location to the 69 kv line, the access to the roadway and the ability to connect into the overall system of the transmission lines. No matter what the site, visibility is going to be an issue and I think it all comes down to cost as far as the applicant is concerned. Anything can be regraded substantially. The drawback to 1 as I mentioned earlier, is that lines would have to double back from the existing line along the souths ide of the railroad and there is existing stand of vegetation there. This site is just as visible as this site. It is fairly level so they would have to do a lot of grading like they are proposing down at the substation site but the major drawback for the applicant is the double backing. It can be done but it is more expensive. Site 2 is further east and further to the north. Significant way to go for access. There is a drop in topography. The area is low. I'm not commenting on the soil types. I'm just saying there is a drop in topography. I walked the site too, did take some shots and I don't want to bore you anymore with more TV, but you will be able to see this site and this site as you corne from the east and west. As you corne from the south, you will be able to see 1. As I said, visibility is going to be an issue with all three sites. It comes down to the criteria as to locating the substation close to the existing 69 kv line and the ability for the applicant to get access to that. That is why they are proposing this particular site because it achieves all those three requirements. I Councilman Geving: Can you show me where the railroad tracks are across from the access? Dacy pointed out the railroad tracks. Councilman Geving: What is wrong with that site just to the northwest of where you are. What is wrong with that industrial park site? Dacy: It is not zoned for industrial. It is zoned R-lA at this time. I do not recall who the owner of this property is. I'm not sure if Chaska Investment has it or not. I guess my preference is that first one. I 40 267 City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I Councilwoman Watson: I guess I don't understan:1 why we have so few choices. Dacy: They are looking at this specific area and based on the information they submitted to Planning Commission, they can shift only so far to the north and to other areas to achieve the location to put the substation in it's appropriate location between the two other substations. Mr. Chmiel: Adjacent to the existing corridor that is already existing wi th that 69 kv line. Councilwoman Watson: In the Southwest. There is an industrial park there. That is where I want it. Dacy: In Chaska. Councilwoman Swenson: I talked to Mr. Chmiel about that. I think he gave me a very satisfactory answer. I Mr. Chmiel: One of the considerations too is the certain amount of taxing dollars that will be derived from the facility of a substation as well as the transmission. By having a substation within the City of Chanhassen, there is approximately $60,000.00 some tax base on that substation per year. The City does not get the full $60,000.00 but it goes to the school district, the County and the City. Final Plan Amendment Request and Final Plat Approval to Subdivide 2.62 Acres into Six Single Family LOts, Pheasant Hill Subdmsion, Tom - Klingelhutz:-- -- Dacy: The applicant requested preliminary and final plat approval for the creation of six lots as appear on the transparency. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the request subject to the four conditions in the Staff Report finding that the proposed lot design was consistent with that originally considered in the sketch plan review and the amendment would not have a significant impact on the originally approved POD. The City Engineer also has an additional recommended condition that just came up within the last week. I Monk: It has come to our attention that Hughes' driveway and Hughes' property directly to the east of the proposed subdivision, the driveway does cross a portion of Lot 4. Very minor in nature but we are recommending that a condition be placed on the final plat that an easement be granted across Lot 4. It is a very narrow strip and at no point do we believe it to be wider than 10 feet. The easement be executed across Lot 4 to allow for the existing driveway to continue to be used in it's present location so it doesn't have to be shifted into the wetlands further east. Second item was brought up concerning the line of trees very close to the edge of the plat. Staff is not recommending any condition in respect to those existing trees. They are mature and we are hoping they will be 41 C?tC!.D Jl..~~.'~.b10 .?..u~ City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 retained by whomever's property they happen to be on, but we don't see how the City can place that into a condition form. I am recommending that 5 be made concerning the requirement for an easement for driveway purposes across Lot 4 be executed and granted to Mr. Hughes. I Councilwoman Watson: When there are only six lots. I don't see any reason why we have to see just the average lot size and median lot size. I think we could have gotten the six lot sizes. Dacy: The lot sizes are the plat too. Mayor Hamilton: Have any trouble with that condition 5 Tom? Tom Klingelhutz: No, no problem at all. I think it would be foolish to make him move his driveway when the lot is so large anyhow. Dave Hughes: I live on the east side of the property line and I acknowledge the Council is not setting legal property lines. I am appreciative Mr. Monk's willingness to enter that easement and Mr. Klingelhutz's willingness to go along with it for my driveway and I paid SPecial note to his comment that he wouldn't bulldozed those trees subject to finding just whose trees they are. Councilwoman Swenson moved, Councilwoman Watson seconded to approve the Final Plan Amendment Request #83-1 for platting six single family lots in Outlot D as presented on the plans stamPed "Received April 24, 1986" and subject to the following conditions: I 1. Creation of a 10 foot landscaPed strip along the two lots abutting Lake Lucy Road. 2. Shorten the cul-de-sac ten feet. 3. All construction meet urban design standards for utilities. 4. Site grading be required to route runoff away from the already develoPed property to the east. 5. An easement be granted across Lot 4 for driveway purposes for the adjoining property. All voted in favor and motion carried. Blue Circle Associaton, Northeast Corner of Highway 101 and Lake Drive East: a. Preliminary Plat REquest to Subdivide 1.93 Acres into Two Comnercial Lots of 1.35 Acres and .58 Acres. -- I b. Conditional Use Permit Request for Gasoline Sales on Property Zoned C-2, Commercial. 42 C?r:>r-. /1:.....;-'.~~/-J ._" .~--'"' ~:....-..- City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I c. Site Plan Review for Commercial Uses on 1.35 Acres of Property zor:ied C-2, Corrmerclii1. - - - - I Dacy: I will quickly run through this request. '!he plat request is to divide the parcel into two lots so the free standing build on the eastern portion of the lot can be conveyed to separate ownership. Condition of plat approval that the two lots file across easement access agreement between the two lots so that those lots can only be used as proposed from Lake Drive East. As you recall, the lot was platted in conjunction with the Hidden Valley Estates plan and you will recall that Lake Lucy is going to connect eventually down to Dakota. It was a condition of approval along the south side of Lake Drive East that there be a 6-8 foot berm along this area. This Outlot and the Outlot to the east of the American Legion Property was zoned to C-2 at the time of the Hidden Valley Plat approval. So the applicant's site plan requires two approvals by City Council. One is a Conditional Use Permit for the sale of gasoline. Two is the site plan review for the commercial use itself. Retail uses are permitted uses in the C-2 district so the conditional use only pertains to the sale of gasoline. The site plan for determining the location of the pumps does meet the setback requirements for the C-2 district. Of concern may be the gas pump signage that is proposed. I think most of you will recall that earlier request of the Holiday station and at the Lincoln Properties has prohibi ted any type of gas pump can't be signaged. However, if it is considered by Council as recommended that the signage only be located on the north and west side and not the south and east to only promote the ability to see the signs from that direction and not from the neighborhood. As far as the pumps are concerned, the Fire Marshall was consulted and he is recommending conditions of approval. As far as the site plan is concerned, we have noted 12 conditions that would be made a part of approval. What I would like to do is briefly go through those so we know what Staff is recomnend ing . 1. As far as signage is concerned, there will be one pylon sign on the west side of the site. It is also being recommended that along the south side, along with a basis of signage in and around the profile sign rather than a pylon sign to give it a different character. 2. Additional landscaping in the northwest corner of the site. However,at this time Staff wants to withdraw that condition because of the issue that is raised with the access from TH 101. What is being proposed is a one-way in or one-way out from TH 101 into the site. MnDot has come back and said that in the future when the American Legion property develops to the north, that this access will be closed and a new access be built along the north lot line and that the traffic design of this site be reoriented to the north to access into the driveway. Thus is condition 12 that the City Engineer added at the time of Planning Corrmission approval. 3. Is to direct on-site catch basins and not to Lake Drive East. I 4. '!hat the access island on Lake Drive East be lengthened 10 feet to the north to assist with traffic channelization. This will alter the turning movements of cars entering the site and also coming out of the site. We 43 6l) 1'7 [t) ~cu City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 propose two lanes as you exit the site for a right hand turn and left hand turn. I 5. Requires that lanes in here be clearly striped. 6. That the developer acquire the MnDot permit and comply with all of its conditions. 7. The standard condition requiring all bituminous areas shall be lined with concrete and curbs. 8. That the root-top equipment be screened as shown on the plan dated April 24, 1986. 9. Installation of landscaping. 10. Refers to an installation of a fire hydrant along Lake Drive East. This is to insure proper water supply for fire protection services. 11. One of the parking spaces along the front of the shopping center be at least located to provide for fire lane. Fire lane access and the elimination of one parking space will not affect parking requirements. The Planning Commission recommended approval on the plat, conditional use permit and the site plan approval with the 12 conditions as presented. I Pat Hallasee: I guess I have nothing to add other than the fact that we have worked very closely with the Staff in developing our plan and feel the recommendations they have added are very wise and are consistent with good planning and we intend to follow those recommendations. Mayor Hamilton: I think I saw that you are planning on putting in a Q-Superette in there. Pat Hallasee: That is correct. Mayor Hamil ton: Don't they generally sell 3.2 beer. Pat Hallasee: 3.2 beer, yes. Mayor Hamilton: Personally I have a problem with that. I would make that a condition that a 3.2 beer license not be allowed at the Q-Superette. Pat Hallasee: I think that would be a substantial problem. Councilwoman Watson: Why. Mayor Hamilton: We would just have so many problems, we've had problems with other facilities in the City and I work continually with the Carver County police department and that seems to be a major source of minors purchasing alcoholic beverages is buying through a Q-Superette or that type I 44 ""'" ""'-<1 OJ;;' j ~1 #':-::J t? _ -" City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I of establishment, whether it is a Tom Thumb or whatever types sell it. That is a major problem. We've had those problems in this community before and it is an important problem that we have a hard time dealing with because you can't have someone sitting down there all the time. You often times have 16 year olds working in those type of facility and they are selling to other 16 year olds. Police departments tend not to patrol those type of facilities simply because it is a 3.2 and you can't get drunk on 3.2. Dacy: The only comment I was asking for clarification was, is that the liquor license is not a zoning issue pertaining to this application. Mayor Hamil ton: I brought it up because I want the applicant to know that is an issue. A discussion followed on what other facilities such as Holiday, Super American and Kenny's sold 3.2 beer. It was established that Super America and Kenny's did. Holiday does not, trying to decide if a precedent has been established with respect to issuing of liquor licenses to these type of facilities, a gas station facility with a store attachment. I Don Ashworth: Council has great discretion in terms of liquor licenses. You have issued a license to SA and have not issued one, nor have they applied for one, to Holiday. Pat Hallasee: I think it is an issue that's of some fairly major importance though. I'm not going to say it is a real major factor in Q's business, I know it is an important part of their business and I've never really specifically questioned the gentlemen about whether he would go forward on this site or not without it, but I do know they are in competi tion not only with Holiday but with Kenny's market also and they would certainly be at a competitive disadvantage if they were not allowed to compete on the same basis as Kenny's. Councilman Geving moved, Councilwoman Watson seconded approval of Subdivision Request 86-12 as depicted on the plat stamped "Received April 24, 1986" and subject to an easement across Lot 1 being recorded in conjunction with filing the plat to insure permanent access for Lot 2. All voted in favor and motion carried. Mayor Hamilton moved, Councilwoman Watson seconded approval of Conditional Use Permit Request #86-2 for installation of gasoline pumps as depicted on the Site Plan stamped "Received April 24, 1986" subject to the following conditions: 1. Gasoline tank storage shall be in compliance with the Uniform Fire Code and a permit must be obtained from the State Fire Marshal. I 2. Gas pump canopy signage shall only be located along the north and west facia of the canopy. 3. Approval of site Plan Request #86-1. 45 ~1'/61> ~6hd City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 Council woman Swenson: Is it anticipated that there will be any automobile repair or maintenance on this site? I Pat Hallasee: No, it is strictly gas sales, self service gasoline and convenience food. Dacy: '!he canopy signage would be part of this request. Councilwoman Swenson: I looked diligently through here I thought and I could find no copy of what they wanted to put on this sign. Is there a copy of what the signage on the canopy was going to look like. I know we were very SPeCific with Holiday that they couldn't put anything on this sign... The signage would have to be restricted to the name of the station. Dacy: '!he nine foot square sign, that is the Q sign, the other one lists prices. Councilwoman Swenson: Ch no. have it up there. You can put prices. We went through this They want rotating pylons. You can't have it up there because if you the name of the establishment but no the gas with Holiday. That is a main corner there. Dacy: No, they understand that it is not to be rotating. '!hat is prohibited by ordinance. I Councilman Horn: What is the difference if the prices is on the canopy or on another sign. Councilwoman Swenson: I think it can be pretty "icky" looking eSPeCially as you are entering the City. If our whole policy is going to change than I think we should establish it before everyone else is going to be wanting signs all over the marquees. Do I understand that the area that is going to be facing TH 5, the north lot line is the rear of the shopping center or are we talking about something else. Dacy: Yes, the north side is the rear. Councilwoman Swenson: The pumps are going to be facing Lake Drive East? Dacy: Yes, at the corner of Lake Drive East and TH Hn. Councilwoman Swenson: What provisions are being made for the architectural appearance on the north side of the building. Pat Hallasee: It is all brick. sides. The building will be brick all four Councilwoman Swenson: Where do you intend to have trash containers? Pat Hallasee: We have indicated two positions on the Site Plan. We understand the trash containers will be screened. We would want to do that anyway. I 46 6)FJQ ,f,,,,1 (j \:_.~ City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I Councilwoman Swenson: Now we are having two signs. We're having a pylon on the northeast side and another one on Lake Drive East. Yes, the sign ordinance provides that you can have one sign for every street frontage so as a corner lot they are allowed two signs. Councilwoman Watson: What does the pylon say as opposed to what the canopy says? Dacy: '!be detail on what the sign say was not submitted. '!bey will apply for a sign permit and they have to meet the location and the size requirements as stipulated by the sign ordinance. We require them to show the location on the site plan so the Council is aware that there is going to be a sign on the particular site. Councilwoman Swenson: We approve the signs then. signs? Council approves the Dacy: No, it is processed administratively. The gas pump canopy signage is included in the conditional usage permit approval however, the free standing pylon signs are administratively approved because that is what the sign ordinance provides. If they meet the standards of the sign ordinance on the free standing signs, they file an application and Staff processes the permit. I Councilwoman Swenson: I noticed in the Planning Commission Minutes, according to you, one of the conditions for approval was that there was to be no gas canopy signage. en page Thirty ene of May 14, 1986 Minutes. Okay the one on Lake Drive East is going to be the neighborhood type, the ground profile and the one on TH 5 is eight feet tall. I believe that is what I read. Dacy: en TH 5. No. Counci lman Geving: You are down to number 9. Councilwoman Swenson: On the back here it says rotating it says it is going to 6 feet side and 8 feet high on a 12 foot post. Which is the same size as McDona1ds. Dacy: 20 feet is the maximum. '!be Planning Commission did approve the Conditional Use Permit as presented in the Staff Report. 48 square feet. The maximum for a commercial sign is 80 square feet so they are underneath that requirement. All voted in favor except Councilwoman Swenson who opposed. Motion carried. I Councilman Horn moved, Councilman Geving seconded approval of Site Plan Review Request #86-1 as depicted on the site plan stamped "Received April 24, 1986" and subject to the following conditions: 1. The free-standing sign along Lake Drive East shall be a ground profile sign. 47 Cj') '7 61_ /j ~ .J.- City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 2. All site drainage be directed to on-site catch basins and not to Lake Drive East. I 3. The access island on Lake Drive East be lengthened 10 feet to the north to assist with traffic channelization. 4. The exit lines to Lake Drive East be clearly signed designate proper turning and directional movements. plan be submitted with the building permit denoting stripage of the access areas. and striPed to A detailed signage and 5. The developer acquire a permit from MnDot for the TH 101 access and adhere to all conditions of said permit including maintaining ditch drainage. 6. All bituminous areas shall be lined with concrete curb, including the islands at both access points. 7. Roof-top equipment and trash enclosures shall be screened as depicted on teh plan stamped "Received April 24, 1986". 8. Installation of landscaping as depicted on the plan stamPed "Received April 24, 1986". 9. An additional fire hydrant will be located on Lake Drive East. this will insure proper water supply and availability for fire aparatus. I 10. Fire lane access will be provided in the front of the building. The SPecific location to be determined after final building plans are suhnitted. 11. The TH 101 access is approved as an interim entrance/exit with closures require upon the construction of an access along the north property line at a future date. Such closure shall be required only upon the legal right of Lot 1, Hidden Valley 2nd Addition to use said access. Also, site plan revisions to allow for this access shift shall be approved by the City to insure property vehicular movements. All voted in favor and motion carried. Dacy: Mr. Mayor I just noticed that on the plat request, the agenda should have read preliminary and final plat. They have submitted both. As a matter of fact, the plat in your packet is a final plat. For the record could you entertain a motion. Mayor Hamil ton amended his motion and Councilman Geving seconded to amend the Preliminary Plat Request to subdivide 1.93 Acres into Two Commercial Lots of 1.35 Acres and .58 Acres to include Preliminary and Final Plat approval. I 48 (017[:; L4 (j ~~ City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I Sign Variance Request for a 96 Square Foot Temporary Real Estate Sign and an Off-Premise Directional-Sign at theHldden Valley Sllbdivision SITe,- Hemphill Northern, Inc. - -- Councilwoman Watson: Where is this located. Where is 6390 Near Mountain Blvd., Chanhassen. Dacy: It is the construction trailer on Near Mountain Blvd. Hemphill Northern is requesting a variance for the ability to have a leasing sign approximately 90 square feet in area along the south side of TH 101 for the advertising of the sale of Hidden Valley lots. The second request is to have a six square foot off-premise directional sign at the American Legion site on the southeast corner. The Planning Commission action was to approve a 54 square foot sign on the south side of TH 5 on the commercial property of Hidden valley for a two year time period. Also, on the second item, there was a motion made to approve the off-premise sign but that motion failed so that request was denied. Councilwoman Swenson: Barb, did you happen to find out that 80% provision. Dacy: Yes, the 80% does apply to commercial and industrial signs only and not to the subdivision lots. I Mayor Hamilton moved, Councilman Horn seconded for approval of a 6 foot by 9 foot sign, 54 square feet, east of TH 101 on commercial zoned property of Hidden Valley for a two year period of time. All voted in favor except Councilwanan Swenson who opposed. Motion carried. Councilwoman Swenson: Why are we allowing 54 instead of 32? Michael I noticed you abstained. Michael Thompson: Did I abstained! Councilwoman Swenson: We have a 32 foot ordinance, we're going to have everybody in the City of Chanhassen within who wants to come anywhere near us is going to come in here and want to change a sign. Michael Thompson: I'm on the Planning Commission. I think our philosphy is basically this. Whether it is 54 or 96, we are trying to come up with something that is equitable. We feel that it is our obligation to try and help our developers sell the property and anything we can do to enhance the situation without hindering the community and if signage will help them, we can work on a temporary basis. In this case, the application for 96 square feet was rather large, and the applicant indicated that he would consider a lesser size, and I think we compromised at the 6 by 9. I think we also talked about a double sided sign. The possiblity of a double sided sign. It could be faced that way so it could be double sided. Whether that is right or not, we just decided that. I Dacy: As I recall, Mr. '!hompson, that it was consistent with the motion or approval for the Near Mountin. 49 ,-_.. ~ ,.r-. ..' y. i " L,j C'D City Council Meeting ~ June 2, 1986 Councilwoman Swenson: I think the Near Mountain sign is an entirely different situation. I am absolutely sure that if we do this, go beyond the 32 feet, we are going to beseiged by people wanting the same. I Councilman Horn: W::>uld it better for a shorter period of time? Councilwoman Swenson: I can't believe that the two years has been established. He can come back wi thin a year and let us know what is going on. I would still personally would prefer the 32 feet. Tom Bracher: Hemphill Northern. The off-premise sign would be a 6 square feet which is the size of a standard real estate for sale sign and we would be locating that on the American Legion property. That again, would be for a two year per iod. However, that could be the type of sign we could be moving. Just have it there on the weekends. The reason we are looking at that particular site is that is right at the intersection of TH 101 and TH 5 and we are looking in addition to our larger sign down the road, we are looking to get traffic to turn right at that intersection. That is what our idea was for that. Councilman Geving: Aren't you going to have a sign right in front of your sulrlivision as you enter it? When you get organized, aren't you going to have a nice sign. Tom Bracher: Yes, we are thinking of putting some type of entry monument at the intersection. I Councilman Geving: You sure will be able to see that. I know you will be able to see from TH 5 and you will be looking for it so obviously you will be turn left there. I don't see any reason for this 6 foot sign. Mayor Hamilton: Then we should eliminate the others like Chaparral sign that they sure didn't have a permit for up on the hill as you cross the bridge. At least these folks came in and made a request. It is something they would like to have for weekends which seems reasonable since that is when they do their major advertising. We could make that a condition. You would not be opposed to that being a condition? Tom Bracher: No, that is fine. Holidays we are closed so it would just be Saturdays and Sundays. Councilwoman Watson moved, Mayor Hamilton seconded, to approve a six foot square off-premise sign directional sign on the American Legion property, with their approval and that Council see such approval, at the intersection of TH 101 and TH 5 to be up only on Saturdays and Sundays. All voted in favor and motion carried. I 50 9F7FJ uJ {j tJ City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I I Request for Sewer Extension, Lots 977, 1002-1006, Carver Beach, Terry Cook. Bill Monk: Several years ago a group of lots owned by the Carver Beach, Lots 977 and 1002 through 1006 did go tax forfeiture. They were purchased by an individual who has now requested permission or is really requesting permission from the City to expand utility and street utilities from the existing terminous several hundred feet to the west of Nez Perce, about 150-160 feet to service these lots. The lot is 12,000 square feet. The report says that it is the City Attorney's opinion that if the street and utility extension is approved by the City Council, this parcel will then meet all conditions and ordinance of 47-J and would be buildable. At this point in time this owner is requesting private installation of all utili ties and street improvements down to service the lot and stating that they will pay 100% of those costs and we would require some type of financial guarantee probably in the form of a bond situation to cover proper installation of those utilities. utilities would be full sized lines A sewer and 6 inch water and a street to match the existing street section so if further extension were to take place, they would not have to go back and rip up any of the sections. I have tried to show in free hand style where existing lots are. There are two existing houses that come out on what is known as Hiawatha Road over to the paved section. I'm not sure if the driveways are exactly in the right place. There are a number of houses along Carver Beach Road that do have access to Carver Beach Road. Again, at this point the owner is requesting permission to privately extend full size utility and street improvements down to service the property. That is it in a nut shell and I guess I will answer questions from the Councilor the public. I Wally Schwab: I will attempt to be brief. I am the owner of the property directly to the south and adjacent to the property in question. I have opposition to Mr. Trinka's request and probably will need to go into a little bit of background in order to explain why I have this opposition. When this property went up for auction about 2 1/2 years ago. My wife called over to Chaska and she was informed by the people there, whose names she did not get unfortunately, that it was not a buildable piece of property. It was assessed at a value of $500.00. A neighbor and myself went to the auction, Dale Magnuson, intending to purchase this piece of property and finish out the general method in which all of the properties along both of these property lines were laid out. I have a map indicating what we are looking at. What the layout of all the properties are in this general neighborhood. It was our intent and desire to finish this end prior to our purchasing this property had been split up, as it were as opposed to the rest of the properties. We were not able to purchase the property because Mr. Trinka wanted it quite badly apparently. So, thinking it was an unbuildable piece of property, we quit bidding on it. Bill says that it is 12,000 square feet. I take exception to that. It is composed of one package that 100 by 20 feet and five packages that are 80 by 20 feet therefore making it 10,000 square feet which is exactly the same as what my land is. The building of a house on that particular piece of property, I've got the most to lose in relation to this, the building of a house on that piece of property will put that house's back door exactly 60 feet from my back door. That is putting intercity bunching in an area that was 51 Ci'lFiQ ~ G C" City Council Meeting ~ June 2, 1986 originally laid out to be free and open. Therefore, it is because of my objections to the possible building of a house on that site that I am against Mr. Trinka's request to extend the street and sewer. I am really super directly involved here. Had I been at all able to purchase the property, even knowing that it was building, I certainly would have tried to. I went as far as I could. Mr. Magnuson an:] myself pooled our resources and it still would not do the job. We have circulated in the neighborhood a petition a copy of which has already been submitted to you, and I have further copies also to join it. They are just people in the neighborhood who feel very much the same as myself arrl our directly related neighbors. I guess that is the whole basis of my thing, that they are just going to bunch houses arrl in particular it is going to bunch me in my back yard. Thank you. I Dale Magnuson: I am the property owner to the west of this property. My feelings are the same as Wally's. My house sits on a lot that consists of 24,000 square feet and my neighbors to my west are all in the 17-20 and up to 30,000 square feet. Now, we are proposing here, what is being proposed is having two houses on one of those lots. TO make matters even a little worse, I have three additional lots, 976, 975 and 974. Another person has these lots in the front which I can't make out the numbers, which if they were combined would make 12,000 square feet. So if this would go ahead, theorica11y those are buildable lots also. So then you are going to have three houses jammed together on a tiny spot and I just think it would ruin the whole neighborhood. I Jay Misgevits: I am at the end of Hiawatha where the drawing isn't very clear. First of all the question, will I be denied access to my driveway. If it is extended from here down, won't the road be torn up? Monk: There will be very temporary portion where the applicant will have to go back and connect the sewer line and repair it. I would assume that work could be done in a day so that there wouldn't be any long term access denied there and they have to go back, I believe about 50 feet to get to the existing uti1ties, but it would be very short term. Jay Misgevits: There is a hearing here and the same thing happened with an unbuildab1e lot approximately in my back yard right here, on Western Drive. I asked the City Councilor the planners at that time if a hearing was necessary to exterrl sewer line and the water arrl I didn't get an answer. My backyard was torn up and I'm still digging rocks and tar and things out of that, arrl I was assured this would be a minimal type operation. It wasn't and the road is not the same, my backyard isn't the same. My primary question is who is going to guarantee that I can gain access to my house? The City or the person who is developing this lot? Is that clear? Monk: The answer is the City would guarantee through inspection of compliance of plans and specs that would have to be provided for extension of utilities arrl streets in here. We would make sure that provisions were I made for continuation of use and access, so in essence the City through it's inspection of the plans arrl specs would make sure provisions were made for that and would be prepared to enforce those provisions. 52 0f7G /d (j ~) City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I Jay Misgevits: '!he roadway would be up to the same specifications as now and extended. Okay, then that leads to my second point is that I agree wi th the people who just spoke that the whole character of that neighborhood is changing. When I sit back and see you are talking about really big developments in the city and I kind of have a sense that is where your consciensenous is. It is late and I know that, but I have lived here since I was four years old and I think the word precedent has come up. When we moved in we were guaranteed and I know there is a turnover in the City, the planners and the Council and all that, but all those small lots at the part of Carver Beach, that part of Chanhassen, were almost guaranteed unbuildable and that is one of the reasons we bought the house we live in. I think now when I call Barb, the City Planner and she talked about who ever bought that is going to get a lawyer to sue the City, I don't know, to build a house there, but the point is my precedent, where I am coming from, is that the City over and over said they were unbui1dab1e lots. Now there is a total switch am it is almost like if wanted to move to Richfield where they have the 10,000 square foot lots but now it is being pushed. Now I have no choice but to move out. My third question is like what was stated, can I build a house in my back yard if I have 12,000 square feet? I Monk: I think I should go into that in a little more depth with the Council members some feeling for this situation. . It may answer that question and give everybody, I know it is almost 12:00, but it should be answered. The situation is different. The reason being, as PeOple stated, this is unique in that most of these lots in this area, lot lines basically go all the way back. People own property, I know I don't have the property lines right, but these people own property. '!he gentlemen speaking right now I believe owns all the lots on the western, like this. If you look at the City'S Ordinance 47-J it basically states, one of the main conditions is that if you have been a lot of record since 1972. The lot we are looking at has been a parcel of record since 1972 and therefore Ordinance 47-J would apply. The other lots in here, I am just drawing lines, would go all the way between these two streets. If these people wanted to, any other individual wanted to come in here and split their property in this way, they would basically need a variance. Jay Misgevits: But I bought two parcels. Monk: Well then you could basically have the same set-up as this one does if you do indeed have two parcels of record. I don't know how these parcels exist but if they are one parcel they would need a variance to lot size. Jay Misgevits: Q1 the lot on the map, there are two lines drawn and there would be two parcels put togethers. Monk: In checking the records, this zone only shows one lot. I Jay Misgevits: Is that a moot point? Does it have to be two parcels? 53 CJ..' r.~;f) ~::J0v City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 Monk: '!his is one parcel. If you own two parcels, a front and a rear, you I could well come under the provision of 47-J arrl get a secorrl building permit. What I am saying is most of these parcels did exist as one parcel of record and would require a variance in order to split which is a different process than what is being looked at this point in time. I just wanted to make that point. Jay Misgevits: Okay, the answer to my first question is I would not be denied access to my house. The second point is that it is really kind of destroying the character of that area and third is that I might be able to build a house in my backyard, right? Monk: Yes, if it is two parcels you meet 7,500 square feet, it is a very distinct possibility. Jay Misgevits: 7,500 square feet? Monk: 50%. Councilwoman Swenson: We couldn't split your lot. If it is one parcel, we could split it. Jay Misgevits: Yes, it was bought in two parcels, but my main point is that is not why I bought two parcels to build two houses. I want to make it clear, the important thing is the character of the neighborhood as the way it is. I Mayor Hamilton: '!his has come up other times and a person has a right to request to build on their lot. Other neighborhoods have had the same problem and there is nothing you can do about it. If you own a lot and want to build on it, you have the right amount of square footage and everthing else is met, there isn't much you can do about it. It just happened to Carol. Councilwoman Watson: It just happened in my neighborhood and there isn't a thing you can do about it. You don't like it, you don't want it but it happens anyway. Kermit Austad: I used to live one door down from Dale there. I don't know where you guys get the 12,000 feet for that lot. It is 10,000. Monk: 10,000. I made a mistake. Kermit Austad: It is like Dale said, if you permit this then another one comes along jammed in there and we already have a mess down at the other end where you guys let this guy build garage in front and here we have been trying to eliminate these small lots and problems from Carver Beach. It doesn't seem like it is working that way. '!here is one up by 17 that looks like a vegetable stand up there when you drive in and if you get three more jammed down at the other end of it, it is going to make one big mess out of I the whole left side of Carver Beach. I don't think it is right, so I hope you won't make the same mistake again. 54 9'R1: ';;,..-..-.. ':..- -.- City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I Public: If that is a buildable lot from 1972 on, when the sewer and water was put in, why wasn't it... When the sewer arrl water went in 1976. Monk: Basically when sewer and water went into Carver Beach a lot of the reasoning behind, just in reading the file, was in an attempt to service the existing properties that were there. utilities were not run except down by specific request to service vacant property arrl I can only assume it was not one down there because there was no request to service that area at that point in time. I can't say anything about that because I just don't know. Councilwoman Swenson: It isn't a buildable lot because sewer and water were not extended to it therefore it is not a buildable lot. Monk: Not as it stands. Mayor Hamilton: That is why they are requesting a sewer extension. Councilman Horn: The question is do we have a basis to deny that request. I Councilman Geving: Yes, I think that we declared about 7 years ago that this was an unbuildable lot because it didn't have city sewer arrl water. I think that if we took the worse extreme and looked at the map that was provided here and a number of these PeOple did exactly what is being proposed here tonight, is to split those lots and build on 10,000 square foot. You did that throughout both this Hiawatha Road and extended it over to Western Drive, I don't know how many actual you could get, but I see 13 potential homesites with that 10,000 square feet. 13 of these little, bitty 10,000 square foot lots and I think it would change the entire character of what I now see as being quite good in that entire Carver Beach area. We have made attempts in the last ten years to combine lots, build bigger homes on bigger size lots and if we go back and try to destroy that neighborhood now by allowing this, even the first one, the precedent will be set and we will be dammed hard to deny the next one. Mayor Hamil ton: Why didn't we deny the ... Councilman Geving: I wasn't here that night or I would have voted against it. Councilman Horn: Because it was over 15,000 square feet. I Councilman Geving: That just happened to be big sized lots. I wouldn't have had any problem with that. It is the same theory. It is the same theory but here I am multiplying this and you could probably do that again, here is what is happening here. We are going to extend sewer and water 150 feet. The next guy comes in and we add another 150 feet. The next thing you know we are all the way down to the completion of a paper road and we have got the potential for 13-10,000 square foot lots. I just don't think it is what we want in that community. 55 0Q? LJOL',-J City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 Councilman Geving moved, Councilman Horn seconded to deny the request for sewer extension on Lots 977, 1002-1006, Carver Beach with Terry Cook as the applicant. I Counci lman Horn Councilwoman Swenson Mayor Hamil ton Councilman Geving Councilwoman Watson Opposed Favored Opposed Favored Favored Motion carried, 3 to 2. Terry Cook: When you say it is the first horne, Wally got a home of that size. Councilman Geving: '!hat is right. He's got a home that size but he isn't backed off into another home in his backyard. Terry Cook: Another point to make is that Hiawatha Road goes down, it declines down and people farther than what this lot is, you wouldn't even be able to get water and sewer in. '!his is probably the last house that could be built. Councilman Geving: I'm not so sure. Councilman Horn: I know Roger isn't here, again, I have to ask the same question, do we have the legal right to deny this? Is it based on an earlier ordinance are we stuck with it. I Don Ashworth: I sincerely believe, to use your words, you are stuck with it. From the standpoint that this was a legal lot of record in 1972. Any of the other parcels would have a right to corne in before you and ask for a lot split and the City Council at that point could deny those. I have a great deal of empathy for the people here, but the fact is that was a lot of record in 1972 and under your ordinance he does have a right to build. Councilman Geving: I'm not so sure. Don Ashworth: If you would like to table the item, to clarify the item through the City Attorney's office, I would be happy to do that. I think the interpretation we had was clear. Mayor Hamilton: I think we should clarify the reason for denial. Councilwoman Swenson: I think it is necessary to establish why we denied it. Mine is that it does not conform to the Ordinance 47-J, Section 1, Subsection 2(a). '!he lot is not serviced by municipal sanitary sewer and has not been assessed that way. Mayor Hamil ton: '!he request was for sani tary sewer. I 56 61l0CU biVu City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I Approve Construction Plans and Specifications for Lake Drive East Between Highway un and Dakota Avenue:- - - - Monk: A lot of time and thought has gone into these plans and I hesitate to run right through them. I do have exhibits to show easements arrl all kinds of things. Bob Fregard is here, has elected on his own to sit through arrl listen and to be able to answer questions. I will go over some very brief highlights. Plans do include and you will see, if you looked at the different sheets, the widening of TH 101 is quite entensive. We did include a concrete sidewalk on the north side of the street. This is an eligible MSA project cost and storm sewer improvements do include improving existing drainage on Dakota and will carry water down to the CPT swa1e and do include some easements that will have to be awlied from the Mason Corporation for the holdings that they own in there. I am not anticipating any problems. If the Council would like me to go through the plans, I can go through them quickly or if they would just rather ask questions. I think the plans are consistent with the Feasibility Study which the Council did review quite extensively. It's a major project. I don't want to belittle it and I don't think the Council does either. The hour is late but the improvements are extensive and we could spend a lot of time. Hopefully the Council has had a chance to look at them arrl if you have questions. I Resolution 86-33: Mayor Hamilton moved, Councilman Geving seconded to approve the Construction Plans arrl Specifications for Lake Drive East Between Highway 101 and Dakota Avenue and the solicitation of construction bids on the improvements. All voted in favor arrl motion carried. Monk: I am assuming on the motion that would include authorization to proceed for acquisition of easements necessary. There are a couple of temporary easements. Park and Recreation Commission Recommendation on Goose Population Control Program. Lori Sietsema: The Park and Recreation Commission held a public hearing on May 27, 1986 on the proposed goose population control program. The program involves removing and relocating Canadian Geese at Lake Ann, Lake Lucy and Lake Susan. Four people attended that meeting. All four of them were Minnewashta residents requesting that Lake Minnewashta be included in the program as well. They have a severe goose problem with the lake homeowners there. The Park and Recreation Commission recommended that the City proceed with the program. Made a second motion suggesting that the Council consider Lake Minnewashta. They were unsure whether they had the authority to make a bonafide recommendation to include Lake Minnewashta so they left it as a suggestion. There were other Lake Minnewashta homeowners here tonight. Because of the late hour they had to leave. There are still a few here. Q1e of those was Dick Wing and he left me a note he asked me to read to you. I My concern is not emotional. We have gone from intest and nuisance to outright stress. My concern is now the heal th arrl safety of my family. We 57 20A ,;' ,)L~_ JlO""'... "--"" ..o.__ City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 have lost the use of our swimming raft and dock. Two major problems of recent. Overnight loss of docks am swimming raft through heavy deposits of goose droppings. Removal which necessitates shovels. Late night and early morning noise. This very morning at 4:45 a.m. more than 30 geese came onto our yard with the associated noise level. This is a real problem. I am not asking the City to fix it but only to help me solve it. I will gladly pledge any funds necessary as may be needed and will approach additional lake homeowners for additional funds. Richard Wing. I I also have peti tons from Red Cedar Point homeowners and other Lake Minnewashta homeowners. Councilwoman Swenson: Lori, do you know if Chaska has been approached on this project? Lori Sietsema: I haven't talked to anyone at Chaska. I did talk to the people at Lake Minnewashta Regional Park. Council woman Swenson: I think Chaska might be interest in their parks there because this is a major problem down there. Mayor Hamilton: Wouldn't it be more appropriate for those people to contract on their own. We are contracting for the park, for the purpose of getting them out of the park not city wide. I guess I'm not sure if it is appropriate at this time, going around to every neighborhood and removing geese. It seems to be up to them as to what they should do. Dr. Jim Cooper: University of Minnesota, Department of Fishery and Wildlife. The question at hand involves a permitting process through the Department of Natural Resources and Fish and Wildlife Service. To obtain these permits for the removal of geese from community property, involves a collected decision and approval of local authority. In other words, neither agency wants to be involved with approving removing geese unless the community itself agrees that this is a problem and should be done so. I Mayor Hamilton: So supposing we go into areas where there are goose problems. Is that assessed back to them? Don Ashworth: Mr. Wing has noted his willingness to pay, we have budgeted monies under the Park and Recreation Commission for the park areas. When the item was submitted, the Park and Recreation Commission, they were concerned that they had not dealt with this type of expenditure, that they should carry out the park monies for other areas in the community. I think we are in the experimental year. If I might suggest that we approve the program if we do have private neighborhoods who want to have their area improved, we will seek their support and literally donate the funds to pay for that area. If we have a generalized, everyone appears to like this program, in the future potentially, the City could pick up the cost. Councilman Geving: Look at the number of people who are interested in I peti tioning. There must be 100 names here. They should be willing to chip in something to get the problem under control. 58 C';)Q~ ~jc.a City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I Mayor Hamilton: Like Richard said, he was willing to put funds up and he thought he could get funds from the neighbors. What would be the additional cost, what do you charge per goose or how do you do that? Dr. Cooper: The cost is approximately 25% of the quoted cost. What it involves in an area like Lake Minnewashta would be somewhere in the range I would estimate, two-thirds of a day with a crew and trucks and that runs us, depending on the travel distance and logistics, anywhere from $500.00 to $700.00. Mayor Hamilton: I think we ought to go ahead and go up there and with that amount of money, I think we should probably do that. Councilwoman Watson: Do the geese arrive there well, do they, in Oklahoma or wherever we ship them off to? They stay there next spring? They will go back to Oklahoma? I Dr. Cooper: Yes they do. '!he majority of them stay there. '!he work that we have been doing is experimental. That is why the University involved with it. If it was operational, we had all the answers, then the University would not be involved. Our estimates on work we have done in Minneapolis, Golden Valley and now in New Brighton at the International Airport, indicates that, in round figures, 85% of the geese that are transported to Oklahoma, remain there. '!he other 15%, for some reason, like Minnesota and all our nice weather in the summer, and find their way back. We are working closely with both the Department of Natural Resources as well as the Fish and Wildlife Service to have an alternative site and will be using an alternative site this year. We hope that we can eliminate this return. It does reduce the effectiveness and extends the length of time it takes to obtain a population reduction. '!he other part of your question is that all transportation and handling of these birds adheres to all of the ordinances passed by both State as well as Humane Society ordinances and requirements. The question was asked if anyone had petitioned from Lake Susan. Lori Sietsema said that no one had. The person from the public indicated that he thought they were the most beautiful site you can see on the lake. Lori Sietsema stated that Dr. Cooper's staff does a survey on the lakes and their goal is for three pairs per lake. If three pairs is all that is on the lake, then they wouldn't do any removal of geese. Ray Redker stated he lived on the north shore in Sterling Estates. When he built his house in 1976, there were two geese. Last summer he couted 110 on his property. There are usually 6-8 small ones per pair and it is multiplying. I Alfred Smith collected the signatures on the petition. '!hey were all from lake property owners on the lake. He indicated that the $700.00 Dr. Cooper indicated, taxes should cover the additional cost of $700.00. Councilwoman Swenson asked if the geese were taken as family groups. 59 286 City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 Dr. Cooper: When we catch the geese, they are caught as family groups. However, the adults are sent to Oklahoma and the immature birds are separated and released here in Minnesota. That is a very successful program. The mature birds will call home that place they learn to fly, just as the geese that originally started here, did so. The immatures are released in State approved areas in coordination with the Department of Natural Resources where sportsmen and other folks desire additional geese. Not in urban or suburban areas. I Lori Sietsema: The funds required are $3,360.'m per year for a four year program. Councilwoman Swenson: Do we have to take the whole four year program. We might decide we don't like it after a couple of years. Lori Sietsema: In the Park and Recreation Commission recommendation they did recomnen::1 that we evaluate the program on an annual basis. Mayor Hamilton: We need an additional $500.00 to $700.00 to cover lake Minnewashta so if we go to $4,000.00 that should be reasonable cost. Mayor Hamil ton moved, Councilman Geving seconded to approve the Goose Population Control Program and allocate $4,000.00 per year to accomplish the goal and include lake Minnewashta. All voted in favor and motion carried. I Dr. Cooper: The Canadian Goose is here to stay and this is one thing when we talked to the Park an::1 Recreation Commission, is even if you elect to eliminated all geese in Chanhassen, that the geese in adjacent comunities will pioneer into here so I want to very upfront on this that this is to some degree an ongoing program of goose control. However, I feel it is much more widely than the in::1i vidual owner needs. We are hoping to coordinate the the Met Council and look at this in a much broader issue because we talking 10,000 geese an::1 that is up from 1,000 in 1973 an::1 it could 20-100,000 if these programs aren't implemented. Accept Feasibility Study for Water Trunk Line an::1 Storage Facility Improvements. --- Monk: Again I am sorry for the lateness of the hour because this is a major issue that needs to be addressed by the City Council. At this point in time I am going to let the report and comments speak for themselves. I am recommen::1ing that the Council accept the Feasibility Study an::1 authorize scheduling of a public hearing at which time we will be able to go into the details of the proposal at much more depth. The j ist of the proposal is basically that I have found that the construction of a tower and two trunk 1 ines in Chanhassen are very much needed at this point in time and I am recommending that trunk lines be constructed and fully assessed where the Silica Reservoir be funded by the City using the directed general funds. The Manager's office has done extensive work in that area and will be prepared to review the finances on June 9th with City Council as you look at your upcoming bond issue. I can not overstate the need for the I 60 (;J;(.)Fj /';.4 () ~-, City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 I improvements listed in the report and while I hate to end there, I will answer questions. Councilman Geving: Ib these people that you have included in your proposed assessment area, have any inkling that they are going to be assessed considerable monies, for example the Kerbers $48,000.00, the Kerber Estate $110,000.00. Ib you think they have any inkling that this is coming at them? Monk: No, that would be the purpose for the public hearing would be to alert all these property owners that this is coming. Again, I can tell you that the Adella Kerber property has been sold. It is in the process of being resold. The John Kerber Estate. Hansen and the Bernie Kerber property is very well aware of what is going on at that site. The Brosey property has been sold. Mayor Hamilton: When it sold, did they come in here before they purchased it and ask if there is going to be any assessments? I Monk: Basically two have and I told them that Council is reviewing for this potential but it is nothing more than a proposed project at this point in time but that is the reason for the public hearing to send them out the report and let them read it. This is a very reasonable trunk assessment and with the property being sold and being ready for development, I am not expecting an outcry, but again that is the reason for the public hearing. Resolution 86-34: Mayor Hamilton moved, Councilman Horn seconded to accept the attached Feasibility Study for Water and Trunk Line and Storage Facili ty Improvements and schedule public improvement hearing for July 7, 1986. All voted in favor and motion carried. Dacy: Mr. Mayor, before you move on, I checked with the applicants for the Tomac application. They wanted the Council to act to table the preliminary plat item also to next meeting. You just acted on the rezoning item and just for clarity of the record to table action on the plat as well until that time. I think the motion was just in reference to the rezoning and just for the clarity of the record. Mayor Hamilton: 'Ibmac was preliminary plat request to subdivide 7.9 acres into six lots. That is what we did not deal with so that is the only thing we have to deal with that item so they are asking that we table that until June 16th. Why would we want it back on June 16th? Dacy: Because that is when the Findings of Facts from the Attorney's office will be brought back as well on the rezoning. It is just an item to make clear that the plat is not hanging out there with no action. I Mayor Hamil ton: I guess I really don't see why that has to come back. at the same time we have the Findings. Mayor Hamilton moved, Councilman Geving seconded to table the Preliminary Plat Request to Subdivide 7.9 Acres into Six Lots for Tomac Development for 61 000 ,~4GU City Council Meeting - June 2, 1986 the Southwest Corner of Highways 7 and 41 until June 16, 1986. All voted in favor and motion carried. I Councilman Geving: '!he only thing I wanted to bring up, we received a letter today as residents of the City, I'm sure you all got the same letter. What I would like to propose is that whenever a letter is broadcast to the general public as this one was, to over 3,000 residents, that it be signed by the Mayor and not a staff member. A lot of people don't know who Bill Monk is, . he's not an elected official. I had two neighbors ask me who Bill Monk was because they came over and said I can't put on my water anymore. Who is this guy? I think as a matter of policy it would be good for the Mayor to do that. Zoning Ordinance Worksession, City Planner. The Council discussed when would be a good night to meet for this worksession. Barbara Dacy indicated that the June 3rd date had been set at the end of March and just wanted to remind the Council of that and if they wanted to set another date would be fine. It was decided to postpone the Zoning Ordinance Worksession until June 3, 1986 with the Special Meeting of the Board of Review meeting. Councilwoman Watson moved, Mayor Hamilton seconded to adjourn the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 12:45 a.m.. Prepared by Nann Opheim I I 62