1hCHANHASSEN CITY COUNCIL
WORK SESSION
SEPTEMBER 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino called the work session to order at 5:40 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Mancino, Councilman Senn, Councilwoman Jansen,
COuncilman Engel and Councilman Labatt
STAFF PRESENT: Scott Botcher, Bruce DeJong, Anita Benson, Charles Folch, Roger
Knutson, Kate Aanenson, and Todd Gerhardt
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Mayor Mancino stated that she would be reading a resolution proclaiming the week of September
20-26, 1999 as Pollution Prevention Week in Chanhassen.
CONSENT AGENDA:
Approve Plans & Specifications; Authorize Advertising for Bids - Temporary Traffic
Signals at TH 41 & 82"d Street West - Proiect No. 97-1B-3.
Councilwoman Jansen asked clarification on this item from the City Engineer.
be
Approve Plans and Specifications for Utility Telemetry System Upgrades (Y2K);
Authorize Advertising for Bids - PW385.
Mayor Mancino asked about the completion date for the project, who was responsible if the
project didn't get done by the completion date and what were the consequences for not meeting
the deadline. Charles Folch stated that the completion date was December 17, 1999. That the
project was on a tight schedule but there were provisions in the contract for liquidated damages if
not completed on time. Roger Knutson stated that projects for Y2K compliance did not have to
be bid. Charles Folch stated that the bidding was being done for the manufacturer. Councilman
Senn asked why the project was being bonded. Scott Botcher stated that was a suggestion as a
means of payment, or the Council had the choice to pay cash. Mayor Mancino stated that staff
make sure that the amount of liquidated damages was sufficient to cover expenses if the
completion date was not met.
c. Set Assessment Hearing Date for Capital Improvement Proiect Nos. 98-15 & 98-16.
No questions were asked on this item.
Approve Change Order No. 2 to Coulter Boulevard West of Century Boulevard -
Proiect No. 97-1D.
No questions were asked on this item.
City Council Work Session - September 13, 1999
Teich Addition, David Teich: Final Plat Approval and Approve Development
Contract for Land Use Review File No. 99-17.
No questions were asked on this item.
f. Approve Revised Development Contract for Southwest Tech Center-Proiect 99-17.
Mayor Mancino asked Roger Knutson to clarify the bold type in item H on page SP-4 and also
asked if the word "reasonable" should be deleted on page GC-5. Roger Knutson explained that
reasonable could be left in or deleted, it wouldn't make a difference.
g. Request for Extended Work Hours - Southwest Tech Center - Proiect 99-17.
Anita Benson distributed a handout on this item. Councilman Senn stated he would be pulling
this item from the Consent Agenda.
Chanhassen Lakes BuSiness Park 8th Addition, Eden Trace Corporation: Final Plat
Approval, Approve Construction Plans & Specifications and Development Contract
for Proiect No. 99-14.
Mayor Mancino asked Anita Benson to clarify why the last two sentences had been deleted out of
condition 10 on page 3.
Villages on the Ponds 6th Addition, AUSMAR and Group Three Properties: Final
Plat Approval; Approve Construction Plans & Specifications and Development
Contract for Proiect No. 99-19.
Anita Benson explained the changes that had been made on this item. Kate Aanenson stated that
on page SP-1 affordability language had been added. Mayor Mancino stated that she did not
agree with staff's recommendation to delete the median island at the entrance to the project.
Anita Benson explained that when Highway 101 was reconstructed, the median island could be
installed at that time but that there was not enough room to accommodate it at this point. Mayor
Mancino asked that a new condition DD be added on page SP-6 to state that the developer would
construct a median island when Highway 101 is upgraded. Councilwoman Jansen and Kate
Aanenson discussed the pond mitigation aspect of.the project.
I. Approval of Purchase of Network Servers and Desktop Computers.
.Councilman Senn stated that he would be pulling this item offofthe Consent Agenda for
discussion. Mayor Mancino and Councilman Senn asked for clarification on where the funding
would be coming from for this item, which Scott Botcher and Bruce DeJong answered.
m. Approval of Minutes.
No questions were asked on this item.
City Council Work Session - September 13, 1999
n. Approval of Bills.
No questions were asked on this item.
o. Approve Resolution Desi~natin~ Authorized Signers on Citv Bank Accounts.
Mayor Mancino and Councilman Senn asked about the City's safety deposit box and it's
contents.
3(a). Request for a 3.2 Malt Liquor License for RSS Golf~ 825 Flying Cloud DriveI Jeff
Helstrom.
Mayor Mancino asked if this item could be incorporated into the liquor license ordinance, which
was about 80% completed.
3(b). Request to Amend Conditional Use Permit 98-8 to Add a Second Tier to the Golf
Drivin~ Range~ Located at the intersection of TH 212 and TH 101; 825 Flying Cloud
Drivel RSS Golf.
Kate Aanenson clarified this item for the Council.
3.5 Reconsider the Transfer and Assignment of the Cable Television Franchise to
MediaCom~ LLC.
Brian Grogan, the City's attorney, and Rick Finch representing Triax were present to answer
questions. Councilman Senn asked for clarification of the PEG increase.
Mayor Mancino adjourned the work session at 6:25 p.m.
Submitted by Scott Botcher
City Manager
Prepared by Nann Opheim
CHANHASSEN CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
SEPTEMBER 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. The meeting was opened with the Pledge
to the Flag.
COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Mancino, Councilman Labatt, Councilman Engel,
Councilwoman Jansen and Councilman Senn
STAFF PRESENT: Scott Botcher, Roger Knutson, Todd Gerhardt, Anita Benson, Kate Aanenson,
Bruce DeJong, and Brian Grogan
APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Councilman Senn moved, Councilman Engel seconded to approve the
agenda as presented. All voted in favor and the motion carried.
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Mayor Mancino: First of all I'd like to welcome the American History and Government Class from
Minnetonka High School. Are you all here?
Councilman Senn: If they are, they've aged dramatically.
Mayor Mancino: Here we come. Anyone else here tonight from the American History and Government
Class from the Minnetonka High School? We'd better send everybody an e-mail. I also have a
resolution about Pollution Prevention Week, September 20th to the 26th and I'd like to read that
resolution. Whereas, the people of Chanhassen take great pride in Chanhassen's natural beauty and
support a clean and safe environment, and number 2. Whereas, Pollution Prevention is the most
environmentally sound method of protecting our natural resources; and Whereas, Pollution Prevention
can increase industrial and resource efficiency, saving participating organizations time and money, and
also create a more sustainable economy; and Whereas, Pollution prevention measures can improve
environmental conditions and the health and safety of workers in the work place while increasing
commercial competitiveness; and Whereas, through increased use of pollution prevention, Chanhassen
can meet the challenge of having ecologically healthy communities and a vigorous business environment
for it's citizens; and Whereas, Pollution Prevention Week will be observed by other communities and
other organizations throughout the nation and this recognition is an opportunity for government to work
together with business, industry, environmental groups, community organizations and citizens for a
prosperous and sustainable future. Therefore, Be It Resolved, that Chanhassen does proclaim September
20th through the 26~, 1999 to be Pollution Prevention Week in Chanhassen and encourages all citizens to
join in this observance. Actually to tell you a little bit about the September 20 to the 26 as Pollution
Prevention Week, the theme for this annual national league celebrated event is, Together We Can Prevent
Pollution. If Not You, Who? And they have special daily topics during the week so I encourage all of
you to observe this and do we need to pass this as a resolution? May I please have a motion to pass and a
second this resolution.
Roger Knutson: It's a proclamation.
Scott Botcher: A proclamation I don't think have to.
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino: We'll just leave it as a proclamation, thank you.
CONSENT AGENDA: Councilman Senn moved, Councilman Labatt seconded to approve the
following Consent Agenda items pursuant to the City Manager's recommendations:
.a.
Resolution 099-72: Approve Plans & Specifications; Authorize Advertising for Bids - Temporary
Traffic Signal at TH 41 & 82na Street West - Project No. 97-1B-3.
Resolution #99-73: Set Assessment Hearing Date for Capital Improvement Project Nos. 98-15 &
98-16.
Resolution 899-74: Approve Change Order No. 2 to Coulter Boulevard West of Century
Boulevard - Project No. 97-1D.
eo
Teich Addition, David Teich:
1) Final Plat Approval
2) Approve Development Contract for Land Use Review File No. 99-17.
14.
Chanhassen Lakes Business Park 8th Addition, Eden Trace Corporation:
1) Final Plat Approval
2) Approve Construction Plans & Specifications and Development Contract for Project No. 99-
mo
Approval of Minutes:
- City Council Work Session Minutes dated August 23, 1999
- City Council Minutes dated August 23, 1999
Receive Commission Minutes:
- Planning Commission Minutes dated August 19, 1999
- Park & Recreation Commission Minutes dated July 27, 1999
n. Approval of Bills.
o. Resolution #99-75: Approve Resolution Designating Authorized Signers on City Bank Accounts.
All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously.
B. APPROVE PLANS & SPECIFICATIONS~ AUTHORIZE ADVERTISING FOR BIDS -
TEMPORARY TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT TH 41 & 82N~ STREET WEST - PROJECT 97-1B-3.
Councilman Senn: l(b) I pulled. I'm still not comfortable with that. If the rest of you are we can go
ahead and vote on it and I won't waste any more time on it tonight but I'm just not happy with that item
yet.
Mayor Mancino: Okay. You're not happy with going out and at least getting bids?
Councilman Senn: No I'm not.
Mayor Mancino: Okay. Then may I have a motion?
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Councilman Labatt: Motion to approve.
Mayor Mancino: Second to that motion?
Councilman Engel: Second.
Resolution//99-76: Councilman Labatt moved, Councilman Engel seconded to approve the plans
and specifications and authorize advertising for bids for temporary traffic signal at the
intersection of TH 41 and 82ad Street West, Project No. 97-1B-3. All voted in favor, except
Councilman Senn and Councilwoman Jansen who opposed, and the motion carried with a vote of 3
to2.
F. APPROVE REVISED DEVELOPMENT CONTRACT FOR SOUTHWEST TECH
CENTER - PROJECT 99-17.
Councilman Senn: I wanted to amend l(f'). On page SP-4, item H. I would like to delete the proposed
changed language from the word or on, basically the last sentence. And on page GC-5, item C, delete the
request, or I'm sorry, item D. Delete the word reasonable.
Mayor Mancino: Is that, excuse me, in both C and D?
Councilman Senn: Yes.
Mayor Mancino: Is there any other discussion on that?
Councilman Senn: No.
Mayor Mancino: Is there a second to that motion? I'll second that.
Councilman Senn moved, Mayor Mancino seconded to approve the Revised Development Contract
for Southwest Tech Center, Project 99-17 as amended. All voted in favor and the motion carried
unanimously.
G. REQUEST FOR EXTENDED WORK HOURS - SOUTHWEST TECH CENTEIL
PROJECT 99-17.
Councilman Senn: I asked this item to be pulled. The recommendation is to extend working hours and I
would like to make a motion that we do not extend working. Well, that doesn't really require a motion
then I guess.
Scott Botcher: Move to deny the request.
Councilman Senn: Move to deny the request? And I will move to deny the request then. I don't think
working hours should be extended in an area abutting residential neighborhood. Granted it's Eden
Prairie, not Chanhassen but I think we should somewhat maintain the same standard and the proposed
extended uses I think will impact the neighborhood negatively and consequently I don't feel that those
hours should be expanded.
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino: Okay I understand. Now we have extended them you know in Chanhassen. I guess
they haven't been, I'm not sure if they've been adjacent to a neighborhood. The only one that I was
halfway looking at was Saturday till 6:00 instead of 5:00. Giving them one extra hour on Saturday.
Councilman Senn: I guess that wouldn't bother me. I was mainly looking at the extension during the
weekdays to 10:00 p.m. which I thought was really negative. So yeah I would go to approve the 9:00 to
6:00 on Saturday but to deny the request for extended hours on Monday through Friday.
Mayor Mancino: But that means Monday through Friday it stays at 7:00 to 6:00.
Councilman Senn: Correct.
Mayor Mancino: Okay. Any other discussion from council members? Do you feel comfortable with
that?
Councilwoman Jansen: I'm sorry, did you just say that Saturday was also 7:00 a.m.?
Councilman Senn: No, 9:00.
Mayor Mancino: 9:00 to 6:00 so we would extend Saturday one more hour. Originally 9:00 to 5:00.
Councilwoman Jansen: Okay. And Monday through Friday is the 7:00 a.m. to 6:00, okay. I got you. I
do like that change.
Mayor Mancino: Okay, any other discussion? Oh okay, would you like to come.
Councilman Senn: Can I get a second to the motion first though please.
Mayor Mancino: First let's get a second to the motion.
Councilwoman Jansen: I'll second.
Mayor Mancino: Yes, come forward.
Greg Vass: My name is Greg Vass. I'm representing Welsh Construction Company and CSM
Corporation. I'm the project manager for Welsh Construction. The request for extended hours on the
Monday through Friday was specifically and limited to refueling and light maintenance of some of the
earth moving equipment. On the plan we had proposed to keep everything to the northern third of the
property to keep it as far away from the adjacent residency to Eden Prairie. There's been some question
and concern about what constitutes light maintenance and refueling. If you've seen the site, we have a
number.of large earth moving equipment, pieces of equipment out there. D8 dozers, P6's. Some large
backhoes. Off road trucks. These are very expensive pieces of equipment. They have a regular
maintenance schedule, i.e. oil changes, fuel filters, greasing, things like that, and the fueling operations as
well, we'd like to do them during the evening as much so we can keep the pieces of equipment moving
duringthe day and staying productive. In the event that we're unable to do that, it's going to prolong the
actual earth work operation on the site so we felt as trying to be sensitive to the neighbors, the more work
we could get done during the working hours to keep the equipment moving, the less disruptive it would
be. For instance if we couldn't do it, we might extend the operations by a week and a half to two weeks
worth of earth moving equipment time so the objective of the request was from the 6:00 p.m. to 10:00
4
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
p.m. hour was specifically just for refueling operations and light routine maintenance on the equipment.
If something substantial happened to the equipment short of a breakdown in the middle of the field that
we couldn't move the equipment, it would be taken off site to be repaired. So I don't know if that
changes your perspective on it or not but we are getting into the tough time of the year for earth moving.
We want to try to stay ahead of the weather and that's obviously a selfish request on our part but if we
have to take time out of the day to refuel these pieces of equipment and perform this maintenance it will
prolong and extend the actual time that we're going to be on site with that earth moving equipment. So I
just wanted to bring that to your attention. If you could take that into consideration we'd appreciate it.
Mayor Mancino: Okay, thank you.
Councilman Labatt: Are you going to have auxiliary lighting?
Greg Vass: Generally no. Truck...Excavating is our earth work and utility contracting firm and they
have a service vehicle that comes out. It has the necessary lighting right there on the truck and we've
already talked to them and instructed them, if we're granted approval here tonight, to make sure that the
lights from that truck are shooting over to CSM's other industrial property. The other side of East Lake
Drive so they wouldn't be shining on the residents. They've got a couple of spot lights that sit on the
back of the truck if they need them.
Mayor Mancino: Okay, thank you. What about to 8:00 or something when kids go to bed?
Councilman Senn: Well I really like leaving the hours where the hours are because extending the work
hours I think leaves a lot of ambiguity to what can be done. If we are specifically talking about refueling,
then let's say refueling with no starting of engines and no moving of equipment and no overhead lights.
Okay which basically contains a light problem. Contains a noise problem. I remember we did this once
before and part of that maintenance started to be moving things around. Loading them on and off trucks.
Caused all kinds of trouble and problems with the neighborhood and I think we just, that's why we have
the hours. And so if we're simply going to honor the request on the face of what the request is, then let's
just okay refueling outside of those hours and okay maintenance on the vehicles so long as it requires no
starting of engines or movement of equipment. And thirdly, no lights that are overhead.
Mayor Mancino: Okay, and you would feel comfortable going till i0:00 or just doing a two hour, till
8:00.
Councilman Senn: I think under those conditions I'd be comfortable going to 10:00. I don't care.
Mayor Mancino: Okay, any other discussion?
Councilwoman Jansen: I guess I'm curious because I'm still thinking that we're going to have engine
noise, if the truck is going from vehicle to vehicle, even though it's.
Councilman Senn: Well the truck itself won't provide any noise. I don't think it's going to disturb the
neighbors. It's the equipment itself that does. You start up one of those earth movers and.
Councilwoman Jansen: Okay, so we're talking a regular sized truck, not a.
Councilman Senn: Wait, I'm saying no starting of engines on any of the equipment.
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino: Is this like a Snap-On Tool Truck?
Greg Vass: It's an industrial grade refueling vehicle. It's a high trailer with attachments. From a
logistics standpoint, we are probably proposing to be at a minimum about 800 feet away from the
residents property line. Probably closer to 1,000 feet away from their homes and there is a substantial
iberm that .separates on the property line and we're willing to accept those conditions, although it only
gets us about not quite halfway to where we'd like to be. And I don't view it as being an ongoing
situation. As a practical matter, fueling trucks, or at least with Bellaire, they want to cycle every day
based on where their equipment is located and we have a lot of the equipment out here so this is going to
be a priority job. But as you guys are all familiar with, Highway 5 can be a little owly once in a while.
We can't necessarily always predict how traffic may affect the timing of that vehicle.
Councilman Labatt: Does your light maintenance entail starting up the engines on the heavy equipment?
Greg Vass: It on occasion could. I'm not probably the right guy to address the specific technicalities of
what would need to be done, and I don't know what needs to be done when you change the oil in one of
· those vehicles. If you physically have to start the engine to cycle the oil through it or not. If it would be
started it would be for a very short period of time.
Mayor Mancino: Okay, thank you. Any other questions for Greg at this time?
Councilman Senn: I would like to restate my motion then as amended would be to allow extended work
hours on Saturday from 9:00 to 6:00. To not approve extended work hours Monday through Friday, but
to allow as part of the permit the refueling of vehicles so long as no engines on the equipment are started
and no overhead lights are used and no movement of equipment other than the service vehicle.
Mayor Mancino: All the way till 10:00.
Councilman Senn: All the way till 10:00. Well I don't care. I mean if somebody's uncomfortable with
that, I'm willing to.
Councilwoman Jansen: Would you accept a friendly amendment to 8:00 instead of 10:007
Councilman Senn: Sure, more than happy to.
Mayor Mancino: Would you also accept a friendly amendment that if we get residents from the adjacent
properties that call, that we will rescind the extended hours?
Councilman Senn: Yes. Because some of you I don't even think were here when this originally came
through but this neighborhood was very concerned about this sort of thing when it did come through for
approval in the first place and I think we pretty much promised them we'd make sure it doesn't happen so
I think this is part of that.
Councilman Engel: A question before we move the amended amendment. How long does it take to
refuel all those vehicles?
Greg Vass: It depends on what day and what vehicles are all in need of fuel. I mean it's probably a
couple hour procedure if they have to fuel all of them. Now it's a due course, like I said, the equipment
gets, the refueling truck and maintenance truck gets cycled around so there's a reasonable chance it could
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
hit the site sometime during the day in kind of a morning start-up and then hit it again at the end to top
them off. Quite honestly I'd like to offer up a comment. I've been out on the site and I was the
individual that presented when Welsh had this project on the board about a year and a half ago. The
amount of noise that's going to be created is far less than the amount from a semi trailer that currently
come up and down East Lake Drive basically at will, 24 hours a day so you know I'd like to still try to
meet halfway and say the 8:00 timeframe would be acceptable but I would like the opportunity for a
periodic start-up of the engine if it's necessary. And I would concede that we would not be moving any
of the equipment and that would get involved with back-up signals, OSHA required safety warnings and
so forth. But if we had to occasionally fire up a dozer here to check a fitting or change a filter, we'd
certainly like permission to do that.
Mayor Mancino: Okay, thank you.
Greg Vass: Thank you.
Councilman Senn: Motion on the floor.
Mayor Mancino: Motion on the floor. Are there any amendments?
Councilman Labatt: Would you accept a friendly...
Councilman Senn: I don't know how you govern that and meet what we promised would happen out
there. That's the problem. And quite frankly we've never allowed this to happen anyplace else.
Especially abutting a residential neighborhood.
Councilman Labatt: I can understand their predicament. As you Put oil into a thing and how do you
know if it's all circulating and all that.
Councilman Senn: Well do it during normal work hours.
Councilman Engel: Keep your insurance current.
Mayor Mancino: Okay.
Councilwoman Jansen: Second as amended.
Councilman Senn moved, Councilwoman Jansen seconded to approve for the Southwest Tech
Center, Project 99-17, to allow extended work hours on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00p.m.. To
not approve extended work hours Monday through Friday, but to allow as part of the permit the
refueling of vehicles so long as no engines on the equipment are started and no overhead lights are
used and no movement of equipment other than the service vehicle until 8:00 p.m. as long as there
are no complaints from the abutting residential area. All voted in favor and the motion carried
unanimously.
J.
VILLAGES ON THE PONDS 6TM ADDITION~ AUSMAR AND GROUP THREE
PROPERTIES: FINAL PLAT APPROVAL; APPROVE CONSTRUCTION PLANS &
SPECIFICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACT FOR PROJECT NO. 99-19.
Councilman Senn: 10)(2).
7
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino: Which is a new 1 (J)(2). A modified.
Councilman Senn: And basically l(J)(2) as modified because we had a modified version in our packet
which !is as I understand it, was also sent to the applicant so they're aware of that. But there's one
condition that wasn't in that modification. A question that came up in the work session about not
deleting .the median in the entry of the project, which we'd like to see stay there that was part of the
original plan.
Mayor Mancino: When 101 is realigned.
Councilman Senn: Correct.
Mayor Mancino: So that wouldn't take place until the new alignment of I 01.
Councilman Senn: New alignment of 101 would occur. Whenever that is.
Mayor Mancino: Whenever that is so that would just be an added condition DD. Okay. Is there a
second to the motion?
Councilwoman Jansen: I actually had a couple of questions that I had raised in the work session and we
did touch upon them as far as the request, or staff's recommendation on the changes to the original
wetland alteration permit. And I guess just to follow up on that conversation so everyone is aware as far
as the neighborhood. One of the issues that we had raised in the site plan review was the amount of
buffer that was being impacted by expanding the NURP pond on this location.
Mayor Mancino: In that southern area.
Councilwoman Jansen: In that southern area. The recommendation as it's been explained to us in the
work sesSion is that that buffer amount went from 15 feet from the edge of the lake to 37 feet from the
edge of the lake. So that has been expanded with this final plat. The only part that I am still
uncomfortable with is that within the original final plat authorized for the Villages on the Ponds there
was definitely identified the need to not impact Area A. This is doing that. It would seem that we should
be able to go back to that original plat and explore the alternatives, because though we are trying, we're
impacting that area on the pretense that we are avoiding impacting tree coverage on the northern segment
of the site. And as this came through the Villages review, priority was given to really protecting that
buffer for lake water quality around the creek and next to Lake Susan. So I think as a water quality issue,
to again try to remain out of that Area A is significant to the water quality on this site and I know that be
expanding that NURP pond on this location we're trying to accomplish that same thing. It just seems like
from reading this we are giving priority to protecting the tree canopy on the northern side, and I don't
know that we have fully discussed that since it's just ended up within this proposal. That was one of my
issues. And not to drag this out but going back to that 30,000 foot point of view as we went through the
site plan review, our approval of that predicated on the understanding that the City was achieving the
affordable housing goals. Now we're currently sitting here tonight giving final plat approval and there's
a little bit ofunsureness as it's been brought back to us several times to try to eliminate the affordable
housing. It would appear that we may not have the affordable provided for, so shouldn't we be
tightening up the requirements? The Mayor made the statement when we went through the last round of
conversations on this that the density on this site was increased from medium to high to achieve the
affordable housing. So now we have high density on a site where we're not getting the return on the
8
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
affordable. That was one point that we had changed. The second point, as we went through the whole
landscaping and tree preservation part of the site plan, it's not meeting the requirements for the Villages
on the Ponds, landscape and tree preservation. And we can address that very easily tonight by just
changing on l(J)(1), page 9. Condition 2. As it reads we're modifying it such that it reads the
development shall comply with a landscape plan #99-9 submitted and approved as a part of the site plan
for the apartments. Should that development not be constructed, the landscaping shall comply with the
Villages on the Ponds development design standards. I would like to see us nix the first part of that
statement and go back to the landscaping shall comply with the Villlages on the Ponds development
design standards, as well as city ordinance requirements for site landscaping. All required tree
replacement units for reforestation must occur on site. Right now they're not. So right now as we had
approved the site plan, it was with the consideration that we would have the city need met on the
affordable and until that's established we're giving some concessions here that I don't know that we
would have done that necessarily with that change to the site plan. So one piece of that site plan is
changing and we're not reviewing the rest of it and that's where I'm coming back to the density change.
The landscaping change. And then reviewing what we're doing around the NURP pond condition.
Mayor Mancino: Any other discussion?
Councilwoman Jansen: Roger's raising his hand.
Mayor Mancino: Can't change from the site plan we've approved. Go ahead.
Roger Knutson: Paragraph V is rewritten. I believe addresses the affordable housing.
Councilman Engel: What page?
Roger Knutson: SP-5, paragraph V.
Councilman Senn: In the number two doc. In fact that actually firmed it up.
Mayor Mancino: SP-5, number V. 20% of the housing units shall meet the criteria established for
affordability by the Metropolitan Council. The developer may not obtain a building permit or commence
construction until the developer provides the city adequate guarantees that the affordable housing
requirements will be met. So the affordability is still there.
Councilwoman Jansen: So we don't go forward with the site plan without the affordability. Therefore
the other conditions are still met. The Villages standards. This condition shall be modified as follows.
Mayor Mancino: Speak to that please. It's meeting the site plan review that we've all approved. 99-9.
There is nothing new. What is new to this final plat is that you have taken the concerns, let me know if
there's something different. You have taken the concerns of the Planning Commission and the City
Council during site plan review and made sure that there was a good buffer between the NURP pond and
Lake Susan.
Kate Aanenson: Correct.
Mayor Mancino: They've increased it from 15 feet to 37 feet. Okay.
9
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Kate Aanenson: They...relocation of the pond. If there was another way to move that. That was
eliminated. Discussed taking the sewer and water down the slope towards the lake. It's going back
under 101. There were several points that you asked us to examine which we did discuss in the plat. Not
the development contract. Some of those have been modified. When this gets recorded there is a list of
conditions so we address for you specifically which conditions were there, and how they've been
modified or dropped offor met, whatever. If it's still something that needs to be followed through. From
final plat to today what's been done is all of the nuts and bolts so far as design detail. Storm water
calculations, street design. That's what has been done since final plat so when this gets recorded, some
of those issues that were in place have been addressed so they're no longer applicable. So things do
change. I mean it happens with every site plan. There's modifications. Sizing of ponds may fluctuate
and it's a decision we have to make as we go through every project. Is there going to be tweaking? Yes,
there will be.
Councilman Senn: I think there's some confusion here, ifI could jump in because I don't think that's
Linda's question relating to the pond. The point that she's raising is over the issue of tree preservation
and the amount of landscape materials as required under Villages on the Pond. And both of those were
issues that we dealt with.
Mayor Mancino: During the site plan review.
Councilman Senn: During the site plan review, which are supposed to be incorporated into this and
what Linda's I think saying is they are not...
Mayor Mancino: Yes they are.
Roger Knutson: Paragraph 9(a). SP-3, paragraph 9(a).
Mayor Mancino: Other special conditions. The development shall comply with the landscape plan 99-9
submitted and approved as part of the site plan for the apartments, which was done on June 28t~`, right?
Should that development not be constructed, the landscaping shall comply with the Villages on the Ponds
development design standards as well as city ordinance requirements for site landscaping. Security for
landscaping will be incorporated as part of the site plan review process. I'm assuming, if you were
present here on June 28th, that at that time the landscaping plan was approved by this Council on 99-9,
correct?
Councilwoman Jansen: But the question that was raised at that point was we didn't have the total
compliment of the entire Villages project and we still don't have that as requested in the last work
session on Villages, is to see that anything that is not occurring on this site is supposed to be balanced
then into the rest of the Villages. And right within this paragraph it's basically stating that this is not up
to the landscape design standards for the Village on the Ponds. We haven't seen what, and yes we have
the impervious surface amounts but this is below the compliment for tree replacement and reforestation
on this site. It was stated in that meeting that there probably would not be enough room, because of the
size of this development, to provide for that.
Kate Aanenson: That's right and that's why we did, we preserved all the trees on the slope on, they
bought the 2 acres and that was part of the reason for doing the PUD.
Mayor Mancino: But Linda all this consideration was brought up again during the reconsideration that
Steve brought up and we discussed it.
10
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Councilwoman Jansen: And it's not asking it to be reconsidered, but we have not gotten as requested in
the work session after that meeting the balance of where is this reforestation. That if it's not occurring
on this site, where is it occurring because there's some major shifts and again I've got the map. We're
nixing all of this reforestation that we're supposed to be getting on this site. On the west side it's
required to have 35% canopy. 2.7 acres. By the time we nix the canopy that was taken out in-between
the buildings, and what's happening around the NURP pond and it's not being replaced on this site, what
we had asked for was to then see where those units are now being shifted over to the east side. The east
side is required to have 7.7 acres of canopy. As it was shown on the site plan that was in the Villages on
the Ponds and I think again this is from like the EAW, was showing that 3.12 acres would remain. But
then they had the tree replacement units. That's where we were going to be receiving, I thought, a grid as
requested on the actual landscaping to show the total project. If we can't place those units.
Mayor Mancino: Let me ask Kate. Kate, have you obviously gone through and where is that, the
reforestation taking place from the area that we're deleting?
Kate Aanenson: We gave on impervious surface. We gave on our wetlands. I misunderstood on the
trees. We're way over on trees on the other side. We can prepare that.
Mayor Mancino: You can show us that.
Councilwoman Jansen: If we're way over on trees on the other side it doesn't show up here and I guess
that's where we were going to get an update.
Kate Aanenson: Okay, that's fine. The tennis courts aren't going in. The soccer field is not going in.
Mayor Mancino: Okay, so you can give us an update. You feel very comfortable that it's being met on
the east side of the development? Okay. Councilman Senn.
Councilman Senn: Would it be a fair statement to say that.
Mayor Mancino: Why don't we put it as a condition.
Councilman Senn: ...what Councilwoman Jansen is raising, okay. There were a number of things that
we did on this but kind of a caveat we threw on at the end, which I'm not sure relates to these
agreements. But the caveat we threw on all this at the end, that anything we relaxed effectively in
relationship.
Mayor Mancino: Was transferred.
Councilman Senn: Was transferred to the other and we made that very clear. But again that's not part
of this agreement that goes into the language. I mean that basically just goes as a policy matter as to how
we're going to view the rest of the Villages on the Ponds.
Councilwoman Jansen: So if I'm following.
Mayor Mancino: But obviously Linda wants to quantify it and see that.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Councilwoman Jansen: Well and I'd also like, just for the developer on the other side to be aware that as
we-required on the affordable, if this doesn't happen on this side, it needs to happen on the east side. So
if we're below forestation and we haven't anticipated it over to the east side, the developer needs to be
aware it might affect those sites.
Kate Aanenson: Correct, and that's the point I was going to make. There are things that are onerous on
this developer, the Shelard Group, and there's things that are onerous on the underlying PUD, which is
AUSMAR and those are the things that we need to make sure that we're putting the right, the balancing
of the landscaping over on and how they trade that as far as they're negotiating different deals needs to
go with AUSMAR. There are certain things that's obligated with this developer, site plan agreement and
those we need to make sure we're keeping clear. What you're talking about is some of that's going with
the underlying developer. Helping shift around and the wetland banking.
Mayor Mancino: So it's kind of been an operating principle that we're all saying the same thing.
Kate Aanenson: ...can't transfer to the Shelard Group, unless they've worked that out and said we're
going to take on the responsibility.
Mayor Mancino: Understand it.
Councilman Senn: It's not appropriate in this agreement but it is appropriate.
Mayor Mancino: For us tO go over it and just to see it.
Councilman Senn: ...and also for us to restate it maybe as it relates to just where we go from here.
Kate Aanenson: And that the staff can be making sure that as each development comes in, that they're
aware .of what, if there's something else, any issue that needs to be addressed. You can't wait until the lat
project, and we manage several PUD's and it's the same situation. Impervious surface or landscaping.
Councilwoman Jansen: Okay. It just seem, in agreement, absolutely. This seems significant enough that
if it's going to affect a site plan on the other side, then if we can do this rather quickly in order to reflect
that so that we're properly communicating the same way that we did if we were to have eliminated that
condition 3 on this side.
Mayor Mancino: We don't let them off the hook. Can I have a motion please?
Councilman Senn: Okay I would move approval of Village on the Ponds 6th Addition, AUSMAR Group
Three Properties final plat approval and also approve construction plans and specifications and
development contract for Project 99-19 as modified and to add the condition DD relating to the median
isle.
Mayor Mancino: That's it.
Councilman Senn: ...just say and to restate, or and to ask staffto simply restate and remind the
underlying developers that we are not relaxing any of the overall standards as it relates to Villages on the
Ponds.
Mayor Mancino: Is there a second to the motion?
12
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Councilman Labatt: Second.
Councilman Senn moved, Councilman Labatt seconded to approve the final plat, construction
plans and specifications and Development Contract for Project No. 99-19, Villages on the Ponds 6th
Addition as modified to include condition DD stating that the median island at the entrance to the
project be built in conjunction with the upgrade of Highway 101. All voted in favor, except
Councilwoman Jansen who opposed, and the motion carried with a vote of 4 to 1.
L. APPROVAL OF PURCHASE OF NETWORK SERVERS AND DESKTOP COMPUTERS.
Councilman Senn: I asked that 1 (1) be pulled. I think from the session before everybody, or I believe
everybody on the council now understands that these funds would be coming out of what we previously
referred to as the contingency fund. And my second reason for pulling it is to make a motion for
approval however with the deletion of one of the three laptops. Not as far as allocating the funds but as
actually purchasing them. The concept was is that that was to be purchased as an additional one, a back-
up one in case one of the two went but with the changing technology I think we ought to set the funds
aside. Not purchase it and every 60, 90 days this stuff is changing and we'll probably get more bang for
our buck by purchasing it when one of the others break down rather than doing it now. So with that
change I would like I say, move approval.
Mayor Mancino: And again, just so everyone understands that that's under PC replacements, revision 2
and with the PC replacement RNB. Instead of the quantity of 3, there would just be a quantity of 2, but
still set the money aside so that if we do have a computer that goes down we can buy a new one at the
time with new internals. Faster and better, new gadgets. Okay, may I have a motion then.
Councilman Senn: That was a motion.
Mayor Mancino: Oh! May I have a second, thank you.
Councilman Labatt: Second.
Councilman Senn moved, Councilman Labatt seconded to approve the purchase of the computer
equipment using funds from the General Fund No. 116-4703, amending PC Replacements -
Revision 2, PC Replacement - RNB, changing the quantity to 2 but set aside the money to purchase
a third computer at the time a replacement is needed. All voted in favor and the motion carried
unanimously.
Mayor Mancino: I think that'S it for the consent agenda. I would like to welcome right now the
American History and Government Class from Minnetonka High School. If you guys could please rise,
we'd like to see you. If you could stand up. Nice to have you here and watching our City Council
meeting. Enjoy it very much. Thank you.
VISITOR PRESENTATION: SCHOOL DISTRICT 112 REFERENDUM~ BEV STOFERAHN~
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
Mayor Mancino: We're honored tonight to have Bev Stofferahn is the Superintendent of Schools for
District 112. Thank you so much for coming tonight.
13
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Bev Stofferahn: Thank you for allowing me a few moments to be with you. As Superintendent of
District 112 and a resident of this community it is indeed my pleasure to share some information with
you tonight as city leaders about our upcoming referendum and with your permission I'd like to approach
the overhead and use that mic over there.
Mayor Mancino: Anyone else who's here tonight, if you have any questi6ns about the referendum,
please ask when Bev is done so.
Bev Stofferahn: I also have with me tonight Mr. Mike Miles who's a parent in our district who would
like to just say a comments when I'm finished. District 112 we believe is growing to greatness. Our goal
is to be the very best school district that we can be. We have great students. We have supportive
communities that we serve and we have very high expectations for achievement of ourselves as well as of
our students. I'm happy to tell you that our very number one goal is to increase student achievement and
we're working on that and meeting success in doing that. Success indicators this past year as a trend,
over the last number of years, that our test scores are improving and that we have very high parent
satisfaction ratings as determined in an independent survey. Our challenge however is to continue to
focus on the increasing student achievement and quality programs, at the same time we are facing very
rapid enrollment growth. The same kinds of issues that you've been addressing tonight certainly face us
in the school district. We are growing very rapidly. We are growing by approximately one classroom
full of students per month. Now granted they don't come in neat little packages. Whereas in April you
don't get a group of 5t~' graders and in March you get 30 new 4t~ graders. -They come all over the place.
But overall that's the trends that we have been facing and dealing with. We are the third fastest growing
school district in the metropolitan area, and one of the very leaders in this state. We are only out paced,
very slightly, by Lakeville and by Farmington. Another way to show that to you is to have you take a
look at a graph that shows our student population growth since 1991 over here on the far left, at which
time we had 4,005 student in our school district. Less than 10 years later this fall we have exceeded this
one by another 300. We have now, we opened our doors in September 2nd to 6,836 students. In less than
10 years. It was interesting when we were looking back at some of this information and I just pulled out
some old statistics. For anyone who could possibly remember the 1950's, we had 489 students K42 in
District 112. Now we have almost every class much larger than that. With that kind of growth our
buildings are over capacity. We have more students than we have room for, particularly in the buildings
that reside around here. Namely Bluff Creek, Chanhassen Elementary as well as both of our middle
schools. All four of those buildings are right now beyond capacity. We have implemented some, what
we would call band aid solutions. On a short term basis we are housing some of last year's kindergarten
students, this year's first graders, mainly from Bluff Creek as well as from Chan Elementary at the ECC,
the Early Childhood Center and giving them their first grade quality education in that building.
Meanwhile the district offices are in the process of trying to find time to pack boxes. We are vacating
our spaces and we will convert our offices to classroom space to house more of those students on a short
term basis. We have already moved our food service department out of Chaska Middle School West and
we are adding six additional classrooms at Chaska Middle School East. With all of that we are still well
beyond our capacity. Our short term options are making the most of our available space but we're simply,
to put it succinctly, out of space. Meanwhile our growth is projected to continue. Since our last building
opened in 1996, that's the current high school, we have brought in more than 800 additional students into
the district. The Met Council, I'm sure this is no surprise to any of you, projects that the population
within District 112 is going to double by 2020. That's an awful lot of students yet to come.
Mayor Mancino: Chanhassen isn't helping in any of this are we? I mean we're not adding.
14
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Bev Stofferahn: No. Not at all. We looked at a graph of enrollment. Here is a graph showing our
projected student population growth based upon the demographic study that we had done by folks from
the Humphrey Institute this past year, and you can see this is where we are right now. At 6,836, within 5
years from this fall we will be just shy of 8,000. And we are now already over capacity. So the answer is
not to do nothing. The Board has taken action to allow the voters to go to the polls on November 2nd to
vote their feelings on a bond referendum. The components of that referendum were made up of, from
recommendations that came forward from a very large task force of parents, of citizens as well as staff.
Who studied an awful lot of data and took very seriously their charge to come up with a recommendation
to the Board of Education about what to do long term. They completed their work this spring and the
board has accepted and has endorsed their recommendations so we're now ready to come to the citizens
and discuss what's included in the bond issue. First of all we need a new elementary school. We would
open a school in 2001, if voters approve this this fall. The building would house 625 students in grades 1
through 5 so it'd be very comparable in size to both Chanhassen Elementary and Bluff Creek Elementary.
The cost of that is a little over 10 ½ million and another halfa million set aside for a site. We have not
got land right now for future buildings. Also bringing to the voters a component which would give us a
new middle school. The building would house 700 students in grades 6 through 9. It would be expanded
in that it would have core space. Gyms, commons areas, lockers, cafeteria large enough, so on for 900,
but we would build it to house 700 students right now. Opening in the fall of 2002. The price on that is
$17,290,000 and site acquisition jumps quite a bit here because you need so much more land when
you're dealing with secondary schools than with elementary. The question has come up about why not
add on to our current middle schools. We looked long and hard at that and I think that was probably the
first response of many of our task force members to do that, but the more we looked at it and the more we
thought that that's not only impractical, it just isn't feasible at all. By the fall of 2003 we believe that we
are going to have about 3,000 students in grades 6 through 9. For those of you that have had a couple of
young adolescents in your house overnight you know that that's what sometimes can be quite a
challenge, much less 3,000 of them on the same campus. That's larger than most Minnesota towns. It's
not a good solution academically. It's certainly not a good solution socially. These young people need
smaller schools. Research clearly shows, in which they can connect with learning, with adults in a
meaningful way and certainly with each other. The other added problem that we would have by adding
onto the current campus is that we would reduce our acreage by 7 acres under state, we would now fall
under state minimum guide lines. The problem with adding, another problem with adding onto the
current middle schools is that it's not just classrooms we need to add on. We're so desperately short,
particularly at East, with core spaces. Gyms, cafeterias, music areas, kitchens, and so on and those are
very, very expensive areas to build. So for all of these reasons the task force is recommending, and the
board is too, that a new middle school be erected. We would involve the parents of the students to be
housed in those buildings about decisions about the boundaries and the distribution because we would
basically have four grade levels, 6, 7, 8 and 9 in three buildings. We haven't addressed specifically who
would go where in terms of boundaries or what grades, but we will involve parents and citizens in that
discussion when the referendum passes. Another component in the referendum is land for future sites.
Beyond the two that we're proposing in this issue. The board would like to be able to buy tomorrow's
school sites at today's prices, and have asked that we set aside $3 million for that. That is they believe
just being good stewards of the district's resources. In addition there is a proposal for items that we
would call repair and betterment. The district owns and operates more than 1 million square feet of
space at this point. That is a lot of space to maintain and our current resources are insufficient to care for
those existing sites. There is not a school district in this state I believe who could, in all good faith, stand
in front of anyone and say they get enough funding from the state to maintain their facilities. We have
been very inadequately funded, particularly in terms of capital funding each year and we are forced to
make terrible choices between things like text books and roofs and copiers and computers. And those are
some pretty grueling meetings when you get into those discussions because the budget is so small. So the
15
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
board is asking for $7 million to address the highest priority needs in each and every one of our existing
sites. This will take us part way towards fulfilling that goal. And the last component is technology
infrastructure. We have and we need to continue to build the support network for our students so that
they can learn in the most efficient and effective ways possible. One of the keys to that is a fiber optic
cable that would connect our schools to voice, video and data in supportive learning so that the
transmission that they can receive and to give can be supportive of what they are learning in the
classrooms. Right now for example in virtually a brand new high school we have to limit the number of
students who can do research on the internet at any one time because the whole system will crash. This
would allow us equity among the schools. It would allow us to get the channels in which we can send
enough voice, video and data not to have the systems crash and the price tag for that is about $1 ½
million. As you well know, it's not enough to erect buildings. You have to also figure out how you're
going to operate them and for that reason on the ballot also will be an operating levy referendum. We are
capped by state law in terms of the maximum amount that we can ask for and this would help put us near
that capacity. We're asking for permission to raise $112.43 per pupil unit, that's on current pupil units as
they rise, that amount lessens and as the tax base changes and expands, that amount lessens but that's
what it is right now, to help us operate the buildings in terms of the core staff. Things like media centers
and staff, nurses, food service workers, principals and so on. Pay the utilities as well as the maintenance
so that we don't have to allocate, reallocate all of that out of existing funds and take more away from our
students. Certainly a prime consideration to all of us is what does this cost. The average homeowner in
this district 112 owns $175,000 home. And on the bond issue it would cost, at current prices again,
$18.50 a month or $222.00 a year. And on the levy portion for the operating would be $6.50 a month or
$78.00 a year for a total of $25.00 a month, less than a dollar a day, or $300.00 a year. This is based
again on the average home in this school district. For those homes that are not in the average category,
but ranked higher or lower here's a breakdown of some of the other costs, and I know we all scan and see
where does ours fall in there right now. One of the good news pieces is that this district's projected net
tax capacity is on the rise. So as folks like you take action to allow this community to grow and your
counterparts in our other communities that we serve do the same, and more residents come in and own
property and more commercial and industrial is put in, this tax base expands and consequently the price
tag for each and every one of us begins to diminish. And I just missed my last one in here. I was going
to show you what's happened to the school taxes which I thought would be interesting to show. All of a
sudden that transparency seems to have slipped away. Here we go. While the tax base rises, the school
tax, history. Again on that same average home is greatly coming down. In 1996 school taxes were just
slightly under $2,000 so of a taxpayer's bill, almost $2,000 of it was schobl taxes. In 1999 it is at $1,332.
Now that is even different and updated from the graph that we sent out and put into your packets. That
one that you have does not include the homestead tax. This one does. This came straight from the
county auditor last week. So the good news scenario here is that this price continues to fall.
Mayor Mancino: And Bev that's because the state has picked up a little bit more of the school?
Bev Stofferahn: A little bit but most of this is because of the expansion of the property tax base. The
state has done not much shifting of the funding at all. So we're asking our residents to become informed.
To pay attention to the newsletters that they will see. To visit our web site at www.districtl2.org. To
take a look at school flyers. See if you can get your hands on them. Just a few children, and certainly the
newspaper coverage. In summary again we believe that we're growing to greatness and we need your
help as residents of this community to continue to provide the quality education to the children that we
serve. If you have any questions I can certainly try and address them. Otherwise I'd like to turn it over
to Mark for, or I'm sorry, Mike Miles for a statement.
16
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino: Okay, any questions from council members? No, go ahead Mike. I may after Mike is
done, just ask if there's anyone in the audience that has any questions.
Mike Miles: Hi. My name is Mike Miles. I'm with the citizens campaign for District 112 referendum.
I'm also a resident, I've been a resident of District 112 for 12 years and have two daughters in Bluff
Creek Elementary School. It's a great school I'll tell you that. I would like to first of all thank you all for
letting me speak this evening. Secondly, I would like to state the obvious and asking you for support for
this referendum to build a new school, new elementary and middle school. The question follows, why
should people support this measure? People of the community with children fully understand why.
While the schools have made great strides in academic achievement in the past few years, these gains are
now being seriously threatened by over crowding. Our school district is growing so fast...4 to 5 students
per classroom, increasing the number of students in the middle school to 3,000 pupils. The effect of
jamming 3,000 adolescent and pre-adolescent children into one school will be hazardous not only
academically but also emotionally. These times in our children's lives are possibly the most vulnerable
ones, when it is a time when they are most influenced by their peers. While not wanting to raise the
specter of places like Columbine, I sincerely believe that to increase stress upon our children during this
time through over crowding may result in consequences not as dramatic but just as tragic. For people
who do not have children in school, people have asked me why should I care? I would like to point out
that the one primary reason people move to a community is for the quality of the school district. It has
been shown that in districts where the school referendums fail, housing values fall. Many people
complain these days things are getting worse and worse. You Can make a difference to stop this process.
You've heard the slogan, think globally. Act locally. This is a perfect chance to do that. The
communities and nations that will succeed tomorrow are those who can produce a well educated work
force. The best and most lasting legacy you can leave is a well educated community. Just as the school
board supported your imitative for parks in Chanhassen, it's now your chance to support the board, oh
sorry. Just as the school board supported your imitative for parks in Chanhassen, as the board would
support whatever was best for the children, the parents of the referendum now ask for the same courtesy.
Thank you.
Mayor Mancino: Thank you Mike. Anyone here tonight want to come up and ask a question about the
referendum? Any questions that you have on it. What it means to you or.
Scott Botcher: Bev, I assume you're having many public meetings elsewhere that will be advertised that
constituents could attend.
Bev Stofferahn: Yes, we are meeting with every school's parent group this fall as they come in. If that is
applicable we would invite folks to join in to those conversations. We will also, we'll talk to anybody
who will listen to us so if there's a group around who would like a presentation, all they need to do is call
our offices and we'll also hold some information nights open to the general public so we're trying to get
the word out, yes.
Mayor Mancino: And voting is Tuesday, November 2ha?
Bev Stofferahn: That's correct.
Mayor Mancino: And where do the Chanhassen voters go? The District 112, where do they go to vote?
Bev Stofferahn: Bluff Creek. Over at the Rec Center.
17
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino: Okay, Bluff Creek Elementary School at the Rec Center. In the Rec Center. Good,
wonderful. Thank you. We just have a question.
Audience: I was wondering about tax increment financing. What happens to the school? Do you get
money from that? These apartments, there's going to be 222 apartments go in and they get tax increment
financing...
Bev Stofferahn: Generally on tax increment financing the schools do not get the benefit of that until such
time as the TIF agreement has expired and the tax, the businesses begin to take on the tax burden.
Audience: ...apartments, that's going to mean some more children coming in.
Bev Stofferahn: Yes it is. Apartments tend to yield more children.
Mayor Mancino: Okay, a couple things on tax increment financing, and Todd would you correct me if
I'm wrong please. The state pays the school district all the money that is owed to the school district in a
tax increment financing district, correct? All the money that is made up in a tax increment financing
district that would normally go to the school is appropriated to the schools and the state?
Todd Gerhardt: That's my understanding of it. Bev, wouldn't you agree that when a tax increment
district is created the school district is not a total net loser.
Bev Stofferahn: That's correct, right.
Mayor Mancino: It's a wash. You do get your money from the state.
Todd Gerhardt: About 10%.
Bev Stofferahn: But the advantage, you know even though we don't recognize maybe 100% of the taxes
that we might, if that business or whatever came in under some other accord than a TIF, the other side of
that is that they may not get there without the TIF. So eventually.
Kate Aanenson: To answer one of the questions. As far as apartments, the number of children. That is a
misnomer. If you look in the city of Chanhassen, the highest percentage of children is in our traditional
subdivisions. We'd be happy to share that data with you but apartments do not generate the number of
children that single family homes do.
Bev Stofferahn: It depends on the kind of apartment. High rent apartments, you're absolutely right.
They do not.
Kate Aanenson: ...in the city of Chanhassen so we'd be happy to share that data.
Bev Stofferahn: ...more children and single family is still the best all around.
Mayor Mancino: Yes, where we produce children is our single family subdivisions. Not so much of our
apartments in this particular city.
Bev Stofferahn: Given the kind of apartments, that's very true.
18
City Council Meeting- September 13, 1999
Councilman Engel: What is our current pupil cost at now for 99-2000? In 112.
Mayor Mancino: Total? As far as the what the state allots for pupil plus referendums that have been?
Councilman Engel: What are we spending a student in district 112 in 99-2000?
Bev Stofferahn: If we include everything including debt service and everything else, it's slightly over
$6,000 a year.
Mayor Mancino: Per student.
Councilman Engel: Because I remember last time we came for a referendum it was something like
$6,700 and I just want to make sure, is that going up or down? Are we able to drive that down through
growth?
Bev Stofferahn: Some 0fit gets driven down through growth. Some of it gets offset in other ways.
We've been flat funded by the State of Minnesota in our general fund for the last 8 years so that number
hasn't risen as much as it should have and could have. There's so many factors that enter into that. It's
too simplistic to say one thing causes it to go up or down.
Councilman Engel: We have very heavy capital financing to build these new schools as a component of
that, I'm aware of that. I'm just wondering if it's making any progress from the last time. We had a
referendum in 90, well two referendums ago. I can't remember what the dollars were last time. I just
want to know if it's going up or down.
Bev Stofferahn: Yeah I think, you know without going back and pulling those numbers out and looking
at them, I'd say it's relatively the same as it was a couple of years, the last time of a bond issue.
Mayor Mancino: Do we have another question, do you want to come on up. Okay.
Audience: ...
Bev Stofferahn: The high school currently houses about 1,347 students. It is built for capacity right now
of 1,500. It has a footprint for 2,000. In other words core spaces there in terms of commons areas,
gymnasiums and so on to house 2,000. It does have a capacity to add another house or another wing on
the high school. This proposal would not do that. As close as we can come in our projections right now
is that by the fall of 2003-2004, the high school will be over capacity by approximately 145 students.
That is a number that we can live with for short term if we need to. It's more important and more critical
right now to alleviate the crunch in the elementary and the middle schools, but it's a good sign, or a good
indication that this growth is not stopping. That we project it to continue and that the board certainly will
be back in the future for more schools. Your welcome.
Mayor Mancino: Any other questions? Thank you. Thank you very much.
Councilwoman Jansen: Mayor Mancino, I'm curious on the last referendum. Do city councils take
positions on referendums as far as support or is it an individual position?.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino: We've usually, this council has done, individuals can take positions. Certainly even
for .our park and rec referendum the city council doesn't take a position. It's usually a grass roots task
force position to go out there and garner support.
Councilwoman Jansen: Okay, very good. Thank you.
Mayor Mancino: Any other? Okay, going forward. Thank you very much. Yes.
Scott Botcher: No, I was just going to clarify so I understand. Mr. Miles was it, are you making a
request that we consider a formal action of support? I don't want to blow you off but if we do, then we
need to deal, put it on the agenda for the next time I think.
Mike Miles: I would be very happy...
Scott Botcher: You both sort of touched on it and you know. I don't know what their policy is.
Mike Miles: Other councils do that.
Mayor Mancino: Sure. What we have done before is the last referendum we received our resolution
from the school district and we did a little bit of revising and passed a resolution. Okay, so you're
certainly welcome to give one to Scott and we'll put it on the agenda. Thank you. And then other
council members spoke more individually about the resolution, etc. I think a lot of that had to do with
having two school districts in Chanhassen, etc so thank you. Thanks Scott for clarifying that.
REQUEST FOR A 3.2 MALT LIQUOR LICENSE FOR RSS GOLF~ 825 FLYING CLOUD
DRIVE~ JEFF HELSTROM.
Mayor Mancino: And actually Kate, do you want to do all this in one or do you want to take it? I think
we should take it A and B.
Kate Aanenson: I'd be happy to cover A but it's not my item. I can try to cover it. I don't know if Todd
or Roger would like to cover it but.
Mayor Mancino: Who would like to cover it?
Councilman Engel: Roger, do you want to take a shot at it?
Mayor Mancino: Would anyone in the audience like to cover it?
Roger Knutson: Just to refresh your memories. Was it about a month ago you amended an interim use
permit to allow as a land use sale of 3.2 malt liquor at this location. That's the land use piece of it. It's
been taken care of. There's another piece and that piece is amending your liquor license to allow the sale
of liquor in this type of establishment. Malt liquor. Right now your ordinance does not allow that. So to
move forward to allow them to have the same of 3.2 malt liquor, you'd have to amend your liquor
ordinance and that's what's in front of you.
Mayor Mancino: Okay, thank you very much.
2O
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Councilman Senn: We currently have the same situation at BluffCreek Golf Course. Is that through
some type of exception to the ordinance or what?
Roger Knutson: I don't know the history of that.
Councilman Senn: I assume it must be.
Roger Knutson: It's been going on for longer than anyone's memory on city staff, and whether they were
somehow grandfathered in or whether it was missed or what happened, I can't answer that question.
Councilman Senn: But we grant that every year.
Roger Knutson: Yes you do.
Councilman Senn: Okay, so it is an exception that already exists for same type of facility then?
Roger Knutson: It's been done.
Councilman Senn: Okay.
Mayor Mancino: And because it's been granted every year, nobody really knows why at this point.
Councilman Engel: Other than they're not opposed to it.
Mayor Mancino: Exactly. Thank you Roger. Any other questions for Roger?
Councilwoman Jansen: Well and I guess along that line of questioning, it's not as though it's been called
out and discussed that we are definitely going to be approving a liquor license for Bluff Creek Golf
Course. It seemed to be news as that was brought up with this, correct? It's just been, has it just been a
joint or a group approval of just all liquor licenses or has it even been discussed?
Roger Knutson: I don't recall any discussion.
Councilwoman Jansen: Okay.
Mayor Mancino: All the liquor licenses come at the same time as a group and we look them all over and.
Councilman Senn: No one ever pulled it out.
Mayor Mancino: No one ever pulled it out.
Roger Knutson: When the current ordinance was adopted, whenever that was.
Mayor Mancino: We just assumed they met ordinance.
Roger Knutson: I can't answer that, I don't know.
Councilman Senn: It wasn't grandfathered in. It was basically Don Ashworth was the one who I believe
spoke to it when the ordinance was originally changed and that was left as an exception to the ordinance.
21
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
And it was just clearly left as an exception at the time because it was a seasonally you know operated
business and that sort of thing.
Mayor Mancino: So you're that old that you remember back then? Okay~ Okay... In just a second, is
'the applicant here and would you like to address the council on this and then we'll open it for a public
hearing. It is a public hearing. Do you have anything to say Jeff?. Or if you don't, that's fine. Then I'd
like to open this for a public hearing. Anyone wishing to address the council on this request. It is a
public hearing. Okay, seeing none we'll close the public hearing and come back to discussion on
council's part. Councilman Labatt, any?
Councilman Labatt: I'm not opposed to a liquor license. I just wonder...underlying issue with Bluff
Creek and...correct both problems by changing the ordinance...
Councilman Engel: I'm fine with that as well. Let's just go ahead and amend it and include golf driving
ranges and courses as legal uses. Or legally permitted.
Mayor Mancino: Councilwoman Jansen.
Councilwoman Jansen: Well I guess two points is that as Roger was discussing and we touched upon a
little bit earlier is that if we're in the midst of revising the ordinance totally, then to.just slip this revision
in the interim, it seems like it should be part of the full revision to the ordinance versus it's own
amendment. I however would not support allowing the 3.2 liquor in this particular establishment because
I think it sends the wrong message. It's a short term use facility that caters more to individuals. You
compare that to a Bluff Creek golf course where you're talking about several hours of activity. What
does it take to do a round of golf, 4 hours? Typically groups of four. So you have more time being spent
on the activity. It's more of a social activity versus a quick go in, hit a few balls, grab a beer and boom,
you're on the road. So I have a little, I have a real problem with this conceptually and I do not compare it
to a Bluff Creek golf course. I would certainly like to see us address our ordinance to bring that
establishment into conformity, and I think that's pretty standard with most golf courses. But we don't
have a facility here with RSS that is, well it's a short period activity. It's not a social activity. The food
is pre-packaged so we're not having food consumed at the same time we're providing for the alcoholic
beverage. It just seems like it sends the wrong message. They're boom, in to hit a few balls, grab a beer
and they're out on the road. Well, maybe they need to be meeting at an establishment where more time is
going to be spent if it's going to be more that social issue. So I would like to see us table this. Address
the full ordinance and I would only be in support of approving it for a full golf course establishment. Not
just the driving range.
Mayor Mancino: Okay. Councilman Senn.
Councilman Senn: No questions.
Mayor Mancino: Okay. I'll just give my comments and that is that I would like to wait and I'd like to do
it in the next month so that Jeff has a time frame that we're looking at and do it, we're about I think 80 to
85% done with the revision of our liquor ordinance and we've been worked on it and I don't know,
March and April. We've seen it through two revisions and I'd just like to finalize it and get it done in the
:next month and include golf driving ranges. I have some concerns, not in this particular site but I know
in other, another golf driving range that the, a lot of times during the summer it's kids that are there that
operate it so I would be very uncomfortable with, well they couldn't legally have a minor selling the 3.2
but I'd like to bring that up in the discussion as we talk about the whole ordinance. So I don't
22
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
philosophically have a problem against the 3.2 in golf driving ranges but I'd like to talk a little bit about
that within the context of the whole ordinance. So, and again I would like, if we do go that route, make
sure that we put a time commitment on it that we will honor and get the ordinance finalized. Those are
my comments. Is there a motion?
Scott Botcher: Will you guys have Dram Shop? Will you have Dram Shop insurance as part of the sale
of this alcohol?
JeffHelstrom: I'm not sure. We'll have all the insurances that we need...
Scott Botcher: That'sjust something else as we get there. We may want to make sure that we copy that.
Councilman Senn: I would move approval of this amendment to the ordinance to allow 3.2 malt liquor
licenses at golf courses and golf driving ranges, except for with permanent plumbing facilities.
Mayor Mancino: Is there a second?
Councilman Engel: Second.
Councilman Senn moved, Councilman Engel seconded to approve the first reading of an
amendment to City Code Section 10-55(b) to allow golf courses golf driving ranges with permanent
plumbing facilities as an eligible license location. All voted in favor, except Mayor Mancino and
Councilwoman Jansen, who opposed, and the motion carried with a vote of 3 to 2.
Mayor Mancino: Does it need 4/5 or just ~?
Roger Knutson: Just simple majority.
Scott Botcher: So that was the motion to change the ordinance though, right? Do have to vote to
approve the license?
Roger Knutson: If you're going to approve it.
Councilman Senn: Okay, I'll make a move to approve the license for RSS Golf.
Mayor Mancino: Is there a second?
Councilman Engel: Second.
Councilman Senn moved, Councilman Engel seconded to approve the on-sale intoxicating 3.2 malt
liquor license contingent upon receipt of the $280 license fee and the liquor liability insurance
certificate. The licensed premises would include the clubhouse and outdoor brick patio, driving
range, par 3 course, and putting course. No beer would be allowed to be consumed in the parking
lot area. All voted in favor, except Mayor Mancino and Councilwoman Jansen who opposed, and
the motion carried with a vote of 3 to 2.
REQUEST TO AMEND CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT 98-8 TO ADD A SECOND TIER TO
THE GOLF DRIVING RANGE LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 212 AND
HIGHWAY 101~ 825 FLYING CLOUD DRIVE~ RSS GOLF.
23
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Kate Aanenson: Back in August of this year you did approve two requests of the applicant. The third
:request was tabled. You approved a variance and a code amendment to allow for the lighting and you
also allowed for the amendment for the liquor which you just addressed tonight. The third request which
Mr. Helstrom waited on based on some design concerns was the additional bunkers .... driving range.
They are painted, they are metal, painted brown. What the applicant would like to do is put a second
story on the bunkers as shown in the site plan. There was code issues. This is where...a platform. Put in
the .staff report, the building official and the fire marshal have some concerns. One safety issue, when
you're driving offto walk towards the end and how would we address that. This is a unique type of
building construction which we haven't seen in the past. The applicant and his architect have worked to
try to resolve some code issues and again that was part of the reason why this was tabled. The staff's
concern still is that this is in the flood plain portion of the building. We believe intensification of that in
the flood plain is not good planning and the Planning Commission concurred with that and voted 4 to 1
to recommend denial of the site plan. The applicant has made some improvements to the site plan design
itself and that was one of the other issues that the Planning Commission had. Specifically on the
.stairwell, putting cedar on that and providing some additional landscaping. And it's a taller building.
While it is set to the east of the site and there are trees landscaping it, it sits down lower. It's still again
intensification of the site. It will be taller than the house, which is 24 feet, and the height of this will be
approximately 28 feet as far as a visual barrier. The staff is recommending denial of the request. Should
you 'decide to approve it, staff has provided conditions of approval and I'd be happy to answer any
questions you may have.
Mayor Mancino: Thank you. Any questions for staff at this time?
Councilwoman Jansen: I have two if I could. In the July 13th report to the Planning Commission, you
had noted that there were three conditions of the original approval that still remained outstanding to be
met. Where do we stand now as of today having brought those up back in July, as far as addressing
those.
iKate Aanenson: The building code issues have been addressed. Mr. Helstrom did provide us with the
soils report and that has been reviewed and the third component he is working on and that was the non-
conformity of the sign. He has applied and that is going to the Planning Commission on Wednesday so
he's in the process of resolving those.
Councilwoman Jansen: Okay, great. And then my second question as we discussed this being an interim
use, and potentially then moving on to a more permanent site. Where or are there locations within
Chanhassen that would allow for this establishment, without having to change the zoning or provide for
variances.
Kate Aanenson: In the A2 district a golf course, driving range is a permitted, a golf course is a permitted
use in the A2. And this is an interim use so anyplace it's A2, which is a lot of the southern area of the
city. Pretty much southern area of the city, right.
Councilwoman Jansen: Okay, so there are alternatives to pursuing expanding this location where it's not
a permanent use? Okay. That's what I was curious about, thank you.
Councilman Senn: Isn't this location A2 also?
Kate Aanenson: Yes, it is.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino: Any other questions for staf~ Applicant, would you like to address the council on
this?
Jeff Helstrom: As you can see from the plan what I've done since the Planning Commission meeting is
I've tried to make it look more rustic and more like the area that... I think by adding the cedar shake
shingles to the stairway and eventually replacing the shingles on the house with cedar and then doing a
cedar lap siding on those stairways, I think it's going to look better than it does now. Plus it gives us the
room to be able to use the facility and have more kids in there and more people being able to use the
facility without waiting. We had a big problem in the winter with people having to wait in the house to
hit balls so I just think with what I've done to the plans by adding a second tier, it looks a lot better than
it even does now. And I've also added some trees along this left side. The trees that are there now are a
lot bigger than I really had to put in. I actually had those spaded in there. Those are 20-25 foot tall trees
and eventually those trees will cover that whole side so I still aesthetically I've done everything I can to
really make it look nice and it will look better than it does now if the second tier is approved.
Mayor Mancino: Jeff, the perspective that's drawn here, the rendering, can't be right can it in that what
you're adding is going to be taller than the house and it really doesn't show it be taller. It shows this.
JeffHelstrom: Yeah, we're leaving 3 or 4 feet taller than the top now. But this really isn't drawn to
scale so.
Mayor Mancino: It looks better this way. I understand why people don't draw things to scale. It just
looks great, but it's not what it's going to look like. That's what we keep adding to ask architects...
Yeah, you have to be a mile away to see it like this but anyway. Okay.
Jeff Helstrom: There's been a question or two about the visual block from adding the second tier and if
you've been down to the site and looked at it, you really can't, with the bunkers there or not, you really
can't see anything over there anyway because the bunkers are elevated 6 feet and then they're 12 feet
higher so you can't see over them anyway. So adding another tier really doesn't affect the, doesn't make
it more ora block I should say. And in terms of intensification of the site, I mean I can assure the council
that I'm going to be fully insured so I mean I do have flood insurance so if it were to happen, I'd replace
two tiers just like I would one. But there is really none of this area that's in the flood plain anymore
because I elevated it so much to install the net system. I brought the elevation of this up about 5 or 6 feet
so, and most of it was out of the flood plain before. I know Kate's got a map of that. The comer over
here was the only piece that was in the 100 year flood plain and that's been elevated out of the flood
plain. And it is a concrete foundation so you know, I'm not real concerned about that part of it.
Councilman Engel: Have you thought about using wood instead of siding around all the outside?
Jeff Helstrom: Well, I already have the metal siding on the lower part and that was a pretty significant
expense to put that on and that was the original approval was, it didn't specify material. It was the color.
So I really, I don't have the money to.
Councilman Engel: Reside the whole thing?
Jeff Helstrom: To redo the whole thing. That's why I did everything I could at this point to work with
what I have and to make it look better. And I just really feel that it's going to look a lot better with the
second tier than it does with one tier. And it really makes sense.
25
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino: Thanks Jeff.
Councilman Labatt: Jeff, what's on the west side of the building here? ...put your mowers down there.
Jeff Helstrom: Yeah.
Councilman Labatt: Is there anything to prevent you from adding more pines there to screen that side of
the building?
Jeff Helstrom: There is a big pine there now. It's just not shown because it would have blocked the
view of what that end looked like.
Councilman Labatt: Point to where it is right now.
JeffHelstrom: Right there. So I have no objection to.
Councilman Labatt: Add a couple more pines.
Jeff Helstrom: Some of the trees may be out in this area toward the parking lot to get a little bit more of
a visual block from 212. That's not a problem. I speced in putting some additional trees in here so.
Councilman Engel: Are you saying there's no road or access route or utility buildings in the way of the
west side to break up that west wall? You could put more pines in there like you've got on the east side?
Jeff Helstrom: I can put them back here a little bit. I can't put them right up next to the building.
Because that's already a paver patio there and then this will come out far enough that there just wouldn't
be any room to put on here but I could put it a little farther back and I've got some berming back in here
so it would really have the same effect from 212.
Mayor Mancino: Any other questions for Jeff?.
Councilman Labatt: What's the roof of the current dugout right now?
Jeff Helstrom: It's just a rock...barrier than rock on top.
Mayor Mancino: Flat roof.
Jeff Helstrom: Yeah, fiat roof.
Councilman Labatt: And that will be using the same, if the second level is approved it would be rock
and tar material.
Jeff Helstrom: On the top tier, correct. Other than the roof of the...cedar shake and that will be slanted.
Councilman Labatt: And then the lights that we approved a while ago, would you in essence move them
to the second level?
Jeff Helstrom: Yeah.
26
City Council Meeting- September 13, 1999
Scott Botcher: Do we have any lighting diagrams showing with lights on the second level?
Kate Aanenson: No I do not.
Mayor Mancino: Any other questions?
Councilman Senn: I'm assuming right now we have an approved lighting plan, right? Based on the
other lighting. Right, so I mean wouldn't a new lighting plan have to be filed or whatever?
Scott Botcher: It should be.
Councilwoman Jansen: Good question.
Jeff Helstrom: Same wattage of lights. They're just hooked up to the top.
Mayor Mancino: Well that can in a condition of approval. That there needs to be a lighting plan to
accompany this. Okay, any other questions? Okay, thanks Jeff.
Jeff Helstrom: Thank you.
Mayor Mancino: Kate a couple of questions, and then we'll open it for a public hearing. As far as the
flood plain. None of the building at this point is in the flood plain at all?
Kate Aanenson: I disagree with Mr. Helstr0m. If you recall, this was a very complex issue. It did
require a wetland alteration permit. It did require a conditional use for altering the flood plain. I'm not
sure that we said it was going to be 6 to 5 feet higher. But a majority of it is in the flood plain. He has
shifted it somewhat. If he has filled it that high, I'd be curious to have him reshoot it because that was an
issue. We have the old FEMA maps going back to 19, late 70's so they are old .... flood plain. Now he
did raise those.
Mayor Mancino: And you're just saying that you did, according to what we passed and okayed, there
was going to be some raising but maybe not to the level that it has been raised?
Kate Aanenson: Correct. And if it's outside the flood plain I guess that'd be easy enough for him to
verify. I think he'd want that for his own edification and insurance.
Councilman Senn: This may have all changed since I had it but it used to be the only time you could get
flood plain insurance, or flood insurance is when you are in the flood plain. You cannot get flood
insurance when you are outside of the flood plain. That used to be the rule because it was federal flood
plain insurance and the only way you were eligible for that was to be in the flood plain.
Kate Aanenson: Based on his survey, his engineer, a majority of the property is in the flood plain.
Councilman Senn: So it is in the flood plain. Has to be if he has flood plain insurance.
Roger Knutson: He just admitted part of it's in the flood plain so that would get him.
Councilman Senn: That would get the insurance.
27
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Roger Knutson: The insurance kicks in.
Mayor Mancino: No, but Jeff also said that the building is not in the flood plain. He said it is no longer
in the flood plain. Jeff, can you come up and clarify that.
Councilman Senn: ...property were in the flood plain, then he's eligible for flood plain insurance under
the old, or the rules I have to live by.
Mayor Mancino: Jeff.
Jeff Helstrom: Maybe I was misunderstood. The elevation of the dugout where we hit from is higher
than the flood plain. The actual foundation part of it, the block would still be in the flood plain. The
elevation, because, when I say raised, it's on a foundation and if you go out there and see the block
foundation is higher so if we got a flood, a 100 year flood or 200 year flood, you'd probably see water a
couple feel below...
Mayor Mancino: Okay.
Councilman Engel: Does that mean you'd still be open during a flood?
Mayor Mancino: We all know where to come when it floods .... okay, my other question for Kate is that,
is there any other place that we have this intensity of building and have metal siding? I know that the
only other.
Kate Aanenson: Paws, Claws and Hooves.
Mayor Mancino: And that was.
Kate Aanenson: And the mason we made that decision was based on the !ntensity with the horses and.
Mayor Mancino: Cleaning out of stalls I remember that them was.
Kate Aanenson: Maintenance that we felt that that was a compromise.
Mayor Mancino: I know it was just on that one part.
Kate Aanenson: Just on the horse barn itself. The other building is wood. The dog kennels.
Mayor Mancino: Okay. And this is 270 feet long by 28 feet tall. Okay. Thank you. Public hearing.
Anyone wishing to address the council on this.
Councilman Engel: ...which I'm curious about.
already that wide? Alright.
Are you extending the width in any way? Okay. It's
Mayor Mancino: Anyone wishing to address, this is a public hearing. Open to a public hearing. Seeing
none, we'll bring it back to Council. Okay, comments from council members. Councilman Senn.
Councilman Senn: No other questions.
28
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino: Okay. Councilwoman Jansen.
Councilwoman Jansen: Oh you know I have comments on this project or I'd surprise everybody. And I
just two from addressing what was just said here by the applicant as far as suggesting that it doesn't make
it a visual block, and that was one of the concerns that'was raised by the Planning Commission. I could
agree with that if what you're trying to see is the field where people are driving their balls to. So if
you're trying to see the ground then yes, I can see where maybe this isn't a visual block but this is
considered a scenic area. So I think what the Planning Commission was suggesting as far as it being this
massive visual block and I think it was referred to as the same dimensions as a football field. Is that how
long a football field is?
Mayor Mancino: 300 feet.
Councilwoman Jansen: You are presenting a very large barrier in a scenic area. So I guess I take a little
exception to saying that it's not a visual block and I would support the Planning Commission's view of
that and we keep coming back to building in a flood plain. Supposedly being acceptable if the person
who builds in the flood plain has flood insurance. Well correct me if I'm wrong, whoever is familiar
with flood insurance. Roger, I don't know if you can enlighten me here, but doesn't flood insurance
provide for reconstru'ction of the establishment that has now washed down the river? And then isn't it
federal, is it federal or is it state funds? Federal funds, which is taxpayer money, that then comes in to
pick that establishment up out of the flood plain that's now washed down. Is my understanding correct?
Roger Knutson: Yes.
Councilwoman Jansen: So though we would like to say this is okay, because the applicant has flood
insurance, therefore go ahead, when Kate's suggesting that we practice good judgment in not building in
a flood plain, she's suggesting, as I read your comments, that as a city council and as a city planner we
need to look more long term. Not beyond what is the applicant going to do but what is the impact of that
building washing down the Minnesota River valley and then needing to take taxpayer dollars so we are
ultimately affected by this. We shouldn't be reaching some sort of comfort level based on whether or not
Jeff is insured, which is a really good idea. But it doesn't alleviate the situation that Kate's trying to
address. Those two things said from his point, the overall encompassing issues with this application is
trying to achieve, as I understand what staff is suggesting, is achieving a reasonable use of the property.
Staff has stated that they're comfortable that we have provided for a reasonable use of the property. If
we do start making land use decisions based on necessitating the business and trying to provide for their
expansion on this property, we're intermixing private concerns and city government concerns. If the
business is going to expand, they know what the parameters were, we're changing our land use for a
business decision if we do it based upon the reasons we've been given. We're addressing whether or not
we're going to follow the land use plans and goals of our comp plan and the Bluff Creek watershed
natural resource plan, which was just adopted into the comp plan. So brand new guidelines and goals
and we would be going against those. And then we're also addressing whether or not we're meeting the
goals and objectives of our partnerships with the DNR and the Fish and Wildlife, so this goes beyond just
the aesthetics of what we're doing on this property, although I'm sure other members are going to
address those issues so I'm not going to address them myself. My key points. One, is that the request
violates the guidelines that are established for this area in the comp plan and the Bluff Creek Watershed
Natural Resource Plan. We don't have compelling reasons to address the community need that would
then justify our making those land use changes, or the conditional use permit changes which ironically
echoed what is coming up later on our agenda and it seems to me we've got two items before us. We
29
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
have another conditional use permit that's coming before us where on the similarity with this is that this
request has specific restrictions in place that we're being asked to change, It would be similar to our
agenda item for the Family of Christ rezoning that if an office were to come in and buy that church,
knowing what the height and the use restrictions are, 6 months later then deciding to come in and ask for
:an expansion on the site. I don't think we would be granting that sort of a variance from a conditional
use'permit. I think we need to look at this more seriously than ah, it's a golf complex. Ah, it's in a
swamp. It's a significant resource. To that point number two, anytime we do look at a variance request
we take it very seriously when the neighbors come in and have issues with the impact that that variance is
going to have on their properties. We listen, even if it's just one neighbor. In fact historically we've
listened, if it's a neighbor that the variance isn't even affecting, but they're in that neighborhood. It
affects their quality of life and we're ignoring two significant neighbors to this property, the DNR and
the Fish and Wildlife have continually sent the city letters asking us to restrict the use on this property.
And if we allow for the expansion of this building, we ignore the request of those two significant
organizations. But staff is trying to work in partnership with to achieve the goals of our Bluff Creek
watershed plan which ultimate could encompass grant requests. Why would organizations that are
neighbors to a property where we're ignoring them simply asking us to use the restrictions that are in
place, why would they ever enter into a financial arrangement with the City to help us support our goals?
I just see it as counter productive. Three I already mentioned. The staff advising us to practice good
judgment. That we've already built in this area and expansion isn't exercising good judgment. We are
affected by the cost of cleaning up after the floods. That is taxpayer money. We are polluting the
watersheds when we allow for that, and in fact encourage it. And point number four, with the continued
success of the business we're only going to see further intensification requests. It's inevitable. They've
only been open a short period of time. We're already hearing about how much they've already invested,
even beyond what had been considered initially. We're going to hear that again. That now the City
maybe is causing a hardship. And instead all we have to do is hold to the guidelines. Hold to what's
being recommended to us by the professionals, being staff, DNR, Fish and Wildlife. We may not
understand the reasons why but the professionals are telling us that there's good reason to not intensify.
We're not here to make a business decision. I said it before, if we were here to make a business decision,
it's a no brainer. You want these guys to succeed. This was a terrific endeavor but this property was
selected as a test location knowing that there were restrictions on it being'an interim use. We can then
move to a permanent location. And I just, I hate to see the City Council break with city policies and
guidelines in order to provide for the best interest of a business versus the entire community. That's all.
Mayor Mancino: Thank you. Kate., clarification. This is an interim use. Is also Paws, Claws, and
Hooves an interim use?
Kate Aanenson: I believe we amended that. It's in the BF district which is a different zoning district and
that district had limited uses. Most of them being conditional. I believe we amended that district to
make that a conditional use because we felt based on the activity there, that seemed like a reasonable use
of the property. We amended the BF district to make that a conditional.
Mayor Mancino: So that's really not an interim use.
Kate Aanenson: No, it's more permanent in nature. We didn't have a timeframe on it but we did make it
a conditional use in the district.
Mayor Mancino: So the whole philosophy again behind this being an interim use is on the side of 212
and the wildlife refuge?
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Kate Aanenson: Yes.
Mayor Mancino: Okay. I mean I know that was stated earlier, I just wanted to. Councilman Engel.
Councilman Engel: I'll try and keep it to short. To address the flood issue and Councilwoman Jansen
brings up a good point. If it there is a flood, the destructible material washes down into the flood plain.
The massive majority of this structure is raised out of the 100 year flood plain. It's sitting on a concrete
base. Now washing that concrete down that river with any flood we've had here. That's the first thing I
look at when I look at what could be damaged from the flood. The second is from the macro view. If
you've lived here long enough and driven by that place and looked at the prior uses of that property, I
don't think you can honestly say it's not infinitely more attractive the way it stands now. It simply looks
better. So he's done a good job with the property. I think he's the best steward the property's had. And
none of the discussions we had last year, or whenever it was we approved this thing. These things run
together. I know we used the vehicle of interim or temporary as a use permit. That wasn't the spirit of
when he sunk the money into this project. We all realized there was really no viable use for that property
other than things like this. And we just used that as a vehicle to go through it. No one was saying well
we'll put it here and you just pull everything up and move the nets and move the bunkers and move the
buildings to another use. That wasn't what we were talking about. When the discussions were taking
place, that was just the method we were going to use to allow them to give a run at this thing and see if it
would go. It wasn't.
Mayor Mancino: I'm not sure all of us agree with that but I'11.
Councilman Engel: I would say it's...pick up stakes and move shop to another piece of ground. Maybe
I interpret things wrong. I personally think it'd be a foolish move for anybody to build it with that
intention but. And if you put more trees on the west side, I don't have any problem with it.
Mayor Mancino: Okay. Councilman Labatt.
Councilman Labatt: I don't view it as a major intensification of the project. I mean if you're saying the
footprint of the building was different...adding 14 feet upward. It is a very attractive... I don't have a
problem...moving the lights to the second level.
Mayor Mancino: Okay. Well I'll give my two cents worth in here. It was always passed as an interim
use. We were up front about that. We had conditions of approval as an interim use. There's no and's,
if's or but's about that. That's the way we went ahead and we passed it. I did not in the base of my
thinking at the time when we had discussions about it, said that it would be a permanent use. We had, I
think it was the MUSA line, when the MUSA line gets down there as a date for that. And again we were
very, very upfront about it. And part of an interim use is that you don't want to see, go through years and
years of adding to it and intensifying the use. I mean that's why you have an interim use and that's what
we talked about at the time. Whether there were other agendas or other motives going on, I'm not sure
but I also know that if it is, the council is thinking about this not being an interim use but a permanent
use, that's a whole other discussion. And it also is a whole other discussion about materials. There is no
other place in our city where we allow this sort of materials to be used to you know, intensify or to add
on to something. We just don't allow metal siding anywhere. And if you go to a wildlife areas,
especially you go hiking, cross country skiing, lodges and everything are done so that they kind of fit in
and have a natural siding to them. They're not metal siding. In fact I don't think we've allowed, except
for Paws and Claws, allowed any metal in this city for years and years and years. So if the discussion
needs to be looked at again that it is not an interim use but a permanent use, that's a whole other
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
discussion we need to have as a council. It's a whole other discussion on .what can be done there. What
sort of materials can be used because it will, that greatly changes things. And we haven't had that
discussion. For the basis of my decision and our decision last year at the council, we did not talk to those
pOints. Of it being anything but an interim use. And there have been so many requests for changes on
this, it concerns me that it came in knowing it was an interim use and then has progressively asking for
more and more to make it a permanent use. And we did not accept that when we said yes a year ago.
That was not the basis of our consideration. Again, if we want to bring it up for a basis of consideration,
then we should do that and look at it the right way and decide if it's right or not, and then really take a
look at it. But at this point, no. I'm not in any mood to go ahead and allow an interim use to expand.
Expand materials that we would never allow any other place. To have a sign that's bigger than, I mean it
just becomes a special little area and I think we need to look at it differently as a council. And if we need
to look at it as a permanent use there, then let's do that. But let's send it back to the Planning
Commission. Get their suggestions and come back to us.
Councilman Engel: I have a question for Kate. What year is the MUSA line scheduled to be extended
across the road south of 212.9
Kate Aanenson: It's intended to go down to 212 in the year 2015.
Councilman Engel: To 212. I believe that is a significant omission. It is not scheduled to ever have it
brought in the MUSA line, is it?
Kate Aanenson: Right. It was the staff's opinion though that you have a flood plain. A reasonable use
of the flood plain was a driving range, never to have bunkers. That was the staff's original position not
to have a permanent structure in the flood plain. It's not good planning. That was our original position.
Councilman Engel: But that property by definition is not scheduled to ever be brought into the MUSA
line.
Kate Aanenson: Right, it's agricultural, as it was before and that's the majority of this area is
agricultural. It's been farmed and that's what a majority of it is. It's been farmed.
Councilman Engel: That's what I remember from before.
Kate Aanenson: Or it's in a wildlife sanctuary. Majority of it's in the sanctuary.
Councilman Senn: But there was a house...
Kate Aanenson: It was our goal to try to acquire it. There's some farms on some homesteads as you go
further to the east. But it's a goal to try, if you look at the comprehensive plan of the RAGU National
Wildlife is to acquire that property.
Councilman Senn: Including the motel down there? The mini storage down?
Kate Aanenson: Correct. Those are all non-conforming uses that will eventually go away, correct.
Mayor Mancino: So that's a whole other discussion if we're talking about a permanent. I mean that's
what we've done interim.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Councilman Senn: But I mean the other thing I was trying to get back to is I mean that's always been
treated as a special area going way back to the approval of the mini storage down there...Paws and
Claws. Everything else down along 212 has.
Kate Aanenson: That's on the other side of 212. Everything in the flood plain, nothing new has been
built in the flood plain prior to probably the 70's. This is the only new building that's been put in place,
except for a home at 1 unit per 10 acres which is reasonable use of the property.
Mayor Mancino: Before there was just fields. Farmstead there. There was no other building or etc,
yeah.
Councilwoman Jansen: Well and Mayor, speaking to where Kate was going and the mention that as far
as it was stated that there were no other considerations given for this property, and Kate if you could
speak to your having tried to approach this as part of a parks and open space and have it be purchased.
Kate Aanenson: Right, that was one of the properties that was looked at too as part of the parks and open
space referendum that was on. And then also working with DNR as part of the creek. The natural, the
seminary creek that runs through the property that DNR was trying to acquire and still is working to
acquire.
Councilwoman Jansen: And then one other thing was mentioned that raises a question for me is the
concrete base and the suggestion that it won't wash down the river. What's the difference between the
concrete base on these bunkers and home foundations that are affected when they're in flood plains, is it
different? Is it deeper? Is it.
Scott Botcher: If you drive up and down the Missouri and the Mississippi Rivers. Concrete floats really
well in a flood. Concrete's easy to float...just like a water ski.
Councilwoman Jansen: Okay, so it's wrong to assume... Isn't that incorrect to assume that because it's
on a concrete base it isn't going anywhere? Am I wrong?
Mayor Mancino: I don't know the technical answer to that.
Councilman Senn: One clarification. If you do have federal flood plain insurance, you pay very dearly
for it and it's...
Mayor Mancino: I would think so.
Councilman Senn: ...believe me, I had to pay it and it's very expensive and the people that are covered
by taxpayer dollars are those who don't...
Councilman Engel: Do not obtain it.
Scott Botcher: This has been my experience. My experience is that FEMA has some say as to whether
or not you increase elevation within a flood plain, the less you mitigate, increased levels of water
elsewhere within that flood plain. Isn't that correct?
Kate Aanenson: Yes. It did require on the original application, the conditional use for alterations in the
flood plain.
33
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Scott Botcher: We're sort of making a mockery of interim use permit with this thing and it's, you know
I don't disagree with what Mark said. Is it a much better use than that thing ever probably had on it?
Yeah, absent of just being trees, I would agree with that. It's ultimate highest and best use is probably
part of the wildlife sanctuary. But it's not an interim use by any standards or definition that our book
says. I just don't think that there's any inclination on anybody's part to make this anything less than a
permanent structure down there. And if that's the extent...
Mayor Mancino: Then let's address it from a permanent use and the materials and everything else and
what we expect from it. We always just kind of did it halfheartedly and kind of said, ah we'll allow this
and that and the applicant is coming back and wanting to intensify, intensify so let's deal with it on the
level that they're asking to play at and that's the permanent use. So with that, I'll make a motion and I
will move that the City Council deny the request for a site plan amendment to create a second story
driving range at RSS Golf. And I would also suggest that we do, if the applicant would like us to
consider it as a permanent use, to come back and do that and let's go through the philosophical
conversations about making it a permanent use down there and what the expectations would be if we are
so 'inclined to. But anyway, it would be denial of the addition. Is there a second to the motion?
Councilwoman Jansen: I would second that and also to add to what you just said as far as reviewing it as
a permanent. What you said earlier was getting it back to the Planning Commission because if we are
going to do this, it is a different building materials conversation if this is permanent.
Mayor Mancino: To make it a level playing field for all of our businesses here in Chanhassen.
Mayor Mancino moved, Councilwoman Jansen seconded to deny the request to amend the
Conditional Use Permit #98-8 to add a second tier to the golf driving range for RSS Golf. Mayor
Mancino and Councilwoman Jansen voted in favor; Councilman Senn, Councilman Engel, and
Councilman Labatt voted in opposition. The motion failed with a vote of 2 to 3.
Mayor Mancino: Okay the motion doesn't carry. Is there another motion?
Councilman Engel: I make a motion, I would approve the request for site plan amendment to create a
second story driving range, RSS Golf per staff's conditions contained in the report with an additional
one, number 9. At least three evergreen trees of at least 25 feet in height to screen the northwest side of
the building from 212.
Scott Botcher: Would you add the resubmitted of the lighting analysis to make sure it conforms with
code?
Councilman Engel: That as well. Number 10.
Scott Botcher: Code does say you will need Dram Shop by the way.
Councilwoman Jansen: Would you accept a friendly amendment for the applicant to work with staff on
an alternative siding from the metal?
Councilman Engel: Won't require him but I would encourage it.
Mayor Mancino: Okay, got a second?
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Councilman Engel moved, Councilman Labatt seconded to approve the amendment to the
Conditional Use Permit #98-8 to add a second tier to the Golf Driving Range for RSS Golf subject
to the following conditions:
1. The bunkers shall be designed and built consistent with thc revised site plan dated September 8,
1999.
2. An elevator shall be provided for access to the second flood because the occupant load is over
thirty.
3. The building with the addition of a second floor is now required to be protected with a fire
sprinkler system throughout.
4. The on-site sewage treatment system must be evaluated by a licens6d designer to determine if it is
large enough to handle the additional volume. This must be determined prior to issuance of a
building permit.
5. Some type ofguardrail system will have to be provided for the second floor driving stalls.
6. The applicant and/or their representative shall meet with the Inspections Division to discuss plan
review and permit procedures.
7. The building is required to be protected with a fire sprinkler system throughout.
8. Additional plans will be reviewed when submitted, i.e. parking lot, fire lanes, etc.
9. At least three evergreen trees of at least 25 feet in height be planted to screen the northwest side of
the building from 212.
10. The applicant shall resubmit the lighting analysis to make sure it conforms with code.
All voted in favor, except Mayor Mancino and Councilwoman Jansen who opposed, and the
motion carried with a vote of 3 to 2.
RECONSIDER THE TRANSFER AND ASSIGNMENT OF THE CABLE TELEVISION
FRANCHISE TO MEDIACOM~ LLC.
Scott Botcher: I think it was about two weeks ago, maybe four weeks ago. I don't remember when,
adopted a resolution approving a transfer and assignment of the cable television franchise to MediaCom
from Triax. In doing so you made an amendment to the resolution. Triax to date has not been willing to
execute the agreement pursuant to your amendment so Mr. Finch from Triax is here. Brian Grogan,
counsel for the city in this transaction is also available to give a brief pres'entation and answer any
questions you have.
Mayor Mancino: Thank you very much.
Brian Grogan: Mayor, members of the Council. Would you like me to address you from the podium or
is this okay here?
35
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino: Oh that's fine.
Brian Grogan: Again my name's Brian Grogan. I'm an attorney at Moss and Barnett representing the
City solely on this issue of cable television matters. Pursuant to staff's introduction, we had a few issues
that Triax and/or the proposed transferee, MediaCom found to be unacceptable relating to the resolution
that was adopted by the Council. Among those were concerns about specifying when the franchise
actually mandates a system upgrade. You may recall we had a provision that said 18 months from the
date the franchise was affected, they would have to complete a system upgrade in your city. That should
have worked fine except the company didn't accept it within the 30 days that they were supposed to have
about 8-9 months ago when we adopted this original franchise. So therefore there was a question mark as
to when the upgrade would actually be completed here in Chanhassen and since that was one of the
biggest issues that we had at the time we negotiated the franchise, we wanted to clarify in the resolution.
Instead of putting in the resolution what Triax and MediaCom have requested is if they could write a
second or a side letter clarifying that they agree with us that the effective date for completion of system
construction will be January 7th of 2000. We have that letter, I believe it's enclosed with your packet
from MediaCom indicating that they agree that that is the deadline for the system construction. I'm
satisfied that that's adequate. That we have clarification of that franchise issue, but again it's an
important date because if they fail to meet the construction upgrade, we then would of course want to
proceed with any kind of enforcement actions that the council might deem appropriate. I didn't want
there to be a question mark about when the actual date of completion was. So we've handled that
through a side letter. I think the side letter's fairly straight forward and to the point. Again, Scott I
believe it is enclosed in your packet. The second issue was the question of an 84 cent pass through that
was attributable to public educational and governmental access. In the original franchise the council
required 84 cents be dedicated to support local PEG programming. The question was when did that fee
get implemented and when it was implemented, did subscribers receive the benefit of PEG support that
was already built into the rate base? By our calculations we assumed that 54 cents of a customer's bill
last year went to support public access programming. With this new franchise we increased that to 84
cents so there should have only been a 30 cent change in a subscriber's bill. The issue was complicated
by the fact that the change for the PEG access went into affect at the same time they did a rate increase
and as we talked about in your work session, subscribers had of course a great deal of confusion about a
new line item fee, an increase in their bill and whether this was a straight, brand new fee that the city
imposed or something other. What in fact occurred is that the fee increased by 30 cents, not by the full
84 cents. Staff has gone through this issue many times with Triax. We've exchanged letters and
correspondence. The fact of the matter is, while they combined it with a rate increase, we're satisfied
that at this point they have properly allocated that the 84 cents onto the subscriber bill. There may have
been a one month period, as best we can tell, when it was not properly calculated but that was likely
offset if we did a thorough analysis of the rate regulation, by the fact that they didn't fully increase the
basic and expanded fee to the maximum level they were allowed to. So what you have here is you have a
maximum rate that they were able to regulate to. They didn't bring it up that far. They brought it, they
kept it down to offset this PEG access fee on the other side. Bottom line is, we could go through and
spend a lot of time and effort and give you a chart and verify that. I have been provided the forms by
Triax. I'm comfortable at this time though stating to you that even though we probably were a month off
because of the way they handled this, that in the end we're not going to find that subscribers have over
paid as a result of this issue, and I believe that's the conclusion of staff as well. I know it's a convoluted
eXplanation but it concerns the rate regulations of the FCC. That was issue number two that you brought
up. Issue number three was concern about MediaCom's financing and their ability to actually close on
this transaction and any impact that might have on subscriber rates. We did provide you at your last
meeting with a report regarding the financial qualifications of MediaCom and I think the best way I can
36
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
answer some of the questions that Scott has raised, because I was not here at the last meeting, but the
concern was can these guys actually obtain the financing that they're indicating in the report? If they
don't, the transaction will not close. The resolution that you're adopting conditions your approval on
them successfully completing the transaction as they stipulated to you in their information that they
submitted. So two things happen. Either they get the financing. They close on the transaction. Your
approval is effective. They fail to get the financing. They don't close on the transaction. Triax remains
your cable operator and the resolution is null and void. So as it relates particularly to that financing
question, either it will happen or it won't depending upon whether they can get that bank syndicate to
finance it. Whether that has an impact on subscriber rates is frankly largely irrelevant because of the rate
regulation scheme the FCC has in place. They've taken away all of your authority virtually to regulate
cable television rates. So this operator, or Triax or any other operator can raise rates virtually at will.
There's nothing we can do to prevent that. We can hope though that the marketplace, including satellite
providers and satellite dish providers and other competitors will keep them at a marketplace rate that's
competitive. But there's nothing we can do in our resolution or in our franchise to dictate that otherwise.
I believe those were the major issues that the council had raised at the last meeting, but I'd be happy to
answer any questions if I can.
Mayor Mancino: Thank you Brian. One of the questions I have on the upgrade, what is the status of the
upgrade in Chanhassen right now?
Brian Grogan: Mayor, I would refer you to a representative of Triax to give you that update.
Mayor Mancino: Thank you Rick. If you could introduce yourself.
Rick Finch: Thank you. My name's Rick Finch. I'm the General Manager for Triax Metropolitan Area
Cable Systems. The status of the upgrade is right now we're proceeding. We've got a three phase
approach that's going on. There are three main, what they call optical transmission nodes that the city of
Chanhassen will be served by and it's happening in a phased approach so that the northern,
approximately the northern tier of Chanhassen will occur first and the timing of that, if you'll allow me to
grab my time chart here.
Mayor Mancino: Sure, thank you.
Rick Finch: The timing of the actual completion, and when I mean completion that is full
implementation of the cut over of the system is scheduled for this section to be in mid to late November.
The second, what they call OTN, which is the primarily the southern parts of Chanhassen is scheduled to
be completed the later part of November, first part of December. And then the third, which is the
smallest of the three areas, which is the western parts of Chanhassen are scheduled to be done by mid-
December. Obviously there's going to be a lot of work that needs to be done between now and then.
There's already been a lot of work done and we have secured all of the necessary equipment, contractors,
and all the design and permits are being issued as we speak so we feel fairly confident that we'll be able
to meet that deadline, provided we don't run into any unforeseen circumstances. But at this point we feel
good about being done on time.
Mayor Mancino: So you have all your subcontractors in place and they're out and they've started the
northern tier?
Rick Finch: Yes, they will be.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino: Actually physically have they started the northern tier?
RiCk Finch: Physical opening of the ground hasn't started yet, no. But all of the necessary permitting
has been, I think as of last week, was submitted for the first section. And really once that gets approved,
wlsich we don't see any issues with at this point, it goes relatively quick. A lot of it is involved in the
planning and preparation side of this type of a project but once that starts going, it goes relatively quick.
Mayor Mancino: Okay. Brian, what sort of clause do we have in our agreement with Triax that if they
don't meet the January 7~ date, what happens?
Brian Grogan: We have two different penalties that could potentially kick in. One is a penalty from the
bond that they posted. They post actually a bond and a security fund under our franchise. And there is a
liquidated damages clause, which I know you've discussed at other times during your meeting tonight.
Unfortunately I don't know the figure off the top of my head but I want to say it's in the range of $500
per day for failure to complete the system upgrade. In cities that I've worked with in the past, the council
has never been so concerned with the city collecting the money as trying to find a way to get the
subscribers a benefit.
Mayor Mancino: Done.
Brian Grogan: Yeah, for the service that they're not getting. And that's a question we could perhaps
pursue depending upon the amount of damages that may incur. Also there's a provision in the document,
since it is considered a material violation and as such it could be grounds for some type of revocation or
termination proceeding, if you deem that to be a material breach, which again we've stated very clearly
and I think Triax understands that there isn't a more material provision that you had in your franchise
other than the fact that you wanted the system rebuilt.
Mayor Mancino: In the other cities where, that also use Triax that you represent, has Triax upgraded the
transmission, the optical transmission nodes. Has that all taken place and I know that they went to some
of the westem communities first like Waconia. Has that been done? And is it on time and Wayzata and.
Brian Grogan: It's my understanding Waconia is in fact done. Waconia, Mound and Chanhassen, the
three cities I represent are all essentially on the same 18 month schedule so all their expiration would all
be approximately January of this year to have the upgrade completed. Wayzata was earlier. Wayzata
had a 12 month time frame that hit last January actually. They were by year end. The schedule was not
met. It was about 6 weeks late and an accommodation was made by Triax to subscribers in that
community for being somewhat tardy. Maybe Mr. Finch could address that but that's my understanding.
Mayor Mancino: Okay.
Rick Finch: Wayzata was about 45 days late and we did issue a credit to the subscribers in a direct
proportion to what the fines the city had as it related to the franchise for being behind schedule. And we
issued direct credit to the subscribers. Waconia is done and Mound is underway and we anticipate
Mound and Chanhassen both to be done. I really, I know that it's a big issue. We all know that the
upgrade is the issue. All of your problems over the years have stemmed from the age of your cable
system and the growth of this area. It has just stretched it to the limits. So it is a major priority for us to
get this upgrade done and get it done on time. So hopefully you won't have to concern yourself with
those issues but we have got a major focus on making sure it gets done.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Brian Grogan: One thing Mayor, just to emphasize that there is a force majeure clause in the contract
which deals with acts of God.
Mayor Mancino: Say that again, a what?
Brian Grogan: Force majeure.
Councilman Senn: That means if the ground freezes you can't hold them to it.
Brian Grogan: ...that's a concern obviously. Whenever you have a clause like that that's drafted that
that says ifa tornado hits, ifa flood hits, their performance is excused. It's our position, I think it's one
that's fairly common sense, it does snow in Minnesota in November and December. Last year was an
anomaly. We can't all be out playing golf at Thanksgiving.
Mayor Mancino: Now you can. And a flood can take you away and you can still be playing golf.
Brian Grogan: ...at any rate, I just wanted to emphasize for the council that I know that the weather will
be an issue if this franchise, or if the upgrade doesn't get complete. Your position obviously is going to
be one that when you get into the late fall in Minnesota there's a chance that snow's going to fly. That's
not necessarily an unforeseen or uncontrollable event. We all assume that's going to happen and
certainly Roger is well aware of that and is, enforce those provisions all the time but just to let you know
that that's in there and not through this company but another company's, I've seen them try to use that
for an excuse. Again, not Triax and I just emphasize to you that you might keep that thought in mind as
you go forward. Put them on notice that you don't think that's appropriate.
Rick Finch: IfI might add, all of our underground, the major underground construction we're trying to
have done by the end of October. That's our goal. Middle to end of October. So that we don't run into
the freeze problem. All the rest of the work can occur beyond that without having major construction of
dealing with frozen ground.
Mayor Mancino: And when you deal with frozen ground, do you do it like the well service who came to
my house and put in charcoal and lit the charcoal and waited until the ground unfroze to pull the well up.
I can just see Chanhassen lines. Anyway, one other question then I know you have. Let me just ask this
last one. Our concern about the financial viability also had to do with after this acquisition takes place,
will there be funds enough to put in the new optical transmission nodes in Chanhassen? I mean from
looking at the financial information that we received in our packet, it hardly looked as if they would be
able to after the acquisition has taken place.
Brian Grogan: The bottom line position on that is they have a contractual obligation to do it. Whether
they have the funds or not, I know that's not the answer you're looking for but if they breach that
contract then they have to deal with the ramifications of the breach which, could be termination. The
franchise is valued at this point at, in excess of $2,000, $2,200 per subscriber so that's a fairly significant
asset that they can't afford to lose the franchise on. But part of MediaCom's plan is to have in excess of
$250 million available for capital improvements and they are undertaking an aggressive renewal schedule
in many communities around the upper Midwest that are Triax properties, planning to upgrade all of
them within two years and then put on the advance services and drive a new revenue stream through data
and other services that they want to provide. So it would be surprising to me that they're not going to
build the Cadillac and then try to drive it as aggressively as they can.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Rick Finch: If I may add just...part of the purchase agreement also pertains to Triax fulfilling their
capitalized expenditure plan for this year, which Chanhassen is a part of. So it's really, really it's almost
a Triax is funding it. We've been paying for all of the work. We bought all the supplies. So it really
isn't so much a MediaCom issue per se, even though the timing of it is, you're really about, well if we
close November 1st, about 60 days or so that we're owned by MediaCom as it relates to the due date of
the construction.
Scott Botcher: The other side is Nancy just and then I'll be quiet because I know Mark wanted to go
with that. This industry is going an intense consolidation and Brian and I talked about it. These deals are
just thin. I mean we talked about it and that was the best word we could, it's not just Triax and
MediaCom. You look at AT&T's deal. I know Brian educated me on that. These are just thin deals and
you know it's very possible they're going to do all this and some of this stuffand as we talked about as
staff in two years they'll be out there chanting IPO, IPO, IPO and that's just what the market is doing and
so that's not a good or bad I guess, depending on your position but I don't think we can be naYve about
what's going on in the marketplace.
Brian Grogan: Just to echo that point. These systems were acquired for about $2,200 per subscriber,
ballpark. The properties over on the other side of St. Paul, they're Media One properties, are nearly
$5,000 per subscriber so you can view that a number of different ways but the fact is the market is
certainly value these very aggressively.
Mayor Mancino: Thank you. Councilman Senn, you had some questions.
Councilman Senn: Yeah, Brian what's the bond amount that we have?
Brian Grogan: You have a $100,000 construction bond and then you I believe have a $20,000 security
fund is my recollection.
Councilman Senn: Okay, and under the current agreement basically there is $500 per day in liquidated
damages?
Brian Grogan: Correct, but you would be drawing that most likely from the security fund which them is
a requirement that any money that's withdrawn, there's a requirement the company replenish that to
bring it back to the 20 so arguably it's set up to be a bottomless pit of money.
Councilman Senn: And under the approval of this transfer, can we alter those conditions?
Brian Grogan: To modify the bond? The contract, the question before you is the qualifications of the
transferee. It's not an invitation from a legal standpoint to reconstruct that contract so while there may
be an opportunity to negotiate changes, if you were ever challenged on that and had to sit before a judge,
there iisn't any legal basis to say we can force the modification of a contract simply because they're trying
to approve a new transferee. That would not be a very defensible position for us to be in.
Councilman Senn: Why has it taken, in your mind, 6 to 7 months now to finally have the answer to this
84 cent question after we've expended a fair amount of time, effort and fees to you to get that figured
out? ~Why has it taken 6 to 7 months to get an answer out of Triax? It's not that the question has not
been asked in countless letters, correspondence and everything else. On many times starting back in
February.
4O
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Brian Grogan: My response to that is we've had different people giving different answers from Triax.
We've had, we have Triax legal counsel. We have Triax local and we have Triax corporate. We also
have a company that in the midst of that was being transferred to MediaCom and because of the issues
that were presented to them there was not able to perhaps dedicate the time and energy to answer that
question adequately. By the time we finally sifted this out, as we suspected there always was an issue
there. The answer was different than we understood though. We had bills, just like the bill that you
presented this evening in the workshop, that said very dearly month number one, no fee. Month number
two, new 84 cent fee and that's the evidence we always pursued. It wasn't until recently that we were
given the explanation of the fact that the rate increase and the line item fee all occurred at the same time
and that we were artificially held below the maximum permitted regulated rate. So why it took 7 months
to get there, the only answers I have are the ones I just provided.
Councilman Senn: That's it for questions.
Mayor Mancino: Thank you Rick. Any other questions from council members?
Scott Botcher: Just one other question, and we had talked about this Rick intemally and this is an issue
that I've had an interest in. And I want to make sure my understanding is correct. That Triax has been
kind enough to assist us with this and that is the provision of, I may not know the technical term but the
capability to lead a wire, whatever you want to call it, to have that PEG access or the services here in
City Hall that would allow us the opportunity to broadcast these meetings live to our constituents so they
could get real time know what's going on. Brian didn't mention that. Is that still part of the game?
Rick Finch: Yeah it is. I know you mentioned it to me. I think what had happened is at the time when
the franchise was renewed they contemplated the continuation of the Mound-Chanhassen joint local
access studio. By the time it came around to March of this year, and the City ultimately assumed
command and control of that, the studio there in Mound lost their lease because they were demolishing
the building. So your staff had to go through a series of discussions about what do we want to do with
our local access. And it was early enough in the design phase of this upgrade that we can incorporate the
ability to have live cable casting capabilities and/or taped delay cable casting capabilities from this
location here in Chanhassen that would only broadcast your council meetings and Planning Commission
meetings just exclusively to the City of Chanhassen residents. And so we are incorporated into the
design and we're proceeding with that.
Mayor Mancino: Is that part of this agreement?
Brian Grogan: It is. On your resolution under 2(d) on page 2 is the requirement that stipulates exactly
what Scott just mentioned.
Rick Finch: Yeah I think the franchise contemplated, but I don't think it clarified it enough so I think...
appropriate to do it here.
Scott Botcher: Because I think that's important that our constituents know what's going on.
Mayor Mancino: Okay, thank you. This isn't a public hearing but is there anyone here tonight that has
any questions on this transfer? A lot of times we get fairly active people on the Triax subject so. Okay,
so hearing one let's pull this back into council. Any discussion? Any questions on this? Councilman
Senn.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Councilman Senn: It appears to me that we're adequately protected on the 18 month time line but I think
there's t~o things that we need to deal with and I think one is that we need to deal with the force majeres
clause and make sure it's negated so that isn't the excuse.
Mayor Mancino: I'm sorry, the what clause?
Councilman Senn: Force majeure clause. More or less weather related. And secondly I also think that
we ought to condition this transfer on Triax paying our legal fees going back to February since they've
been so nice to let us expend and not give us the answer to our question we finally got tonight. I think
that's only fair that the taxpayers have to pay for that kind of incompetence.
Councilman Engel: How much is that?
Councilman Senn: Don't know if Brian can tell us that.
Brian Grogan: I can answer that two ways...fees that you incurred to pursue the 84 cents issue which is
what Councilman Senn is requesting. I do not have an agreement in place for that reimbursement. I
unfortunately didn't anticipate that question either so I don't have for you an estimate of those fees. I
could certainly get one for you first thing tomorrow morning but I don't have that available now.
Councilman Senn: Okay, I think it's immaterial. They ought to pay it. Whatever the amount.
Mayor Mancino: Any other comments from council members? Okay.
Councilman Senn: If not I can make a motion to approve the transfer and assignment of the cable
television franchise to MediaCom LLC with the following two conditions. One, that the force majeure
clause be removed from the existing contract as it relates to weather as a related excuse to be done by
January 7~'. And secondly that Triax, under that transfer be responsible for paying all legal fees incurred
by the City associated with the past seven months over the 84 cent question.
Mayor Mancino: Is there a second?
Councilman Labatt: Second.
Brian Grogan: Mayor, sorry to interrupt. IfI could just ask a question of clarification on it. Is the
motion to eliminate the, we call it a force majeure clause but essentially it's an Act of God. It's an
excuse if an unforeseen event comes up and prevents them. Is the maker of the motion intending that the
clause be eliminated in it's entirety or simply to put them on notice that you will not accept an excuse of
frozen ground or snowy weather in Minnesota as an excuse for non-performance?
Mayor Mancino: Can you clarify that Councilman Senn?
Councilman Senn: Only as it relates to the completion of the system upgrade.
Brian Grogan: With respect to the weather, the Minnesota weather and the frozen ground?
Councilman Senn: But I mean I'm not looking to keep them under that forever but as it relates to this
year after year after year promise for system upgrade. It just relates to the upgrade. So effectively you
42
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
know, once the upgrade is completed, you know I mean I'm assuming they want that in the contract and I
think they should have it in the contract as it relates to a normal business.
Mayor Mancino: So again it would be taking it out, removing it as it relates to the upgrade done by
January 7th?
Brian Grogan: Okay, what I expect is we'll have to obviously visit with Triax and MediaCom attorneys.
If I'm the attorney on the other side of the table obviously my first question is I'm going to try to protect
my client's rights as it relates to those issues, especially MediaCom's going to want that because they're
the transferee. They're acquiring this system. Which I will certainly do. I'm just, it's entirely possible I
may end up back here with one or more attorneys trying to have them plea their case back to you about
that issue because I just, I anticipate, and maybe Roger could support that; On any issue if you pull that
clause out, you're likely going to get a reaction from opposing counsel.
Roger Knutson: I wouldn't say it's likely.
Mayor Mancino:' But let's get down to common sense. I mean what you're really saying is you don't
want to hear excuses and I think the excuses have to do with the frozen ground and snow.
Councilman Senn: No, it's broader than that. I want the responsibility to lie where it should. I expect
that to be an issue with MediaCom and it's not MediaCom's problem. They should seek an indemnify
from Triax. It's Triax's problem. That's who problem it has always been. So in my mind I'm trying to
peg both things clearly back to Triax at this point before they transfer out of this franchise. One is our
legal cost. Two is this escape, okay?
Roger Knutson: What if we had a Memorandum of Understanding with them, and I'm not saying they'll
agree to it, that says force majeure shall not, for completion of the system shall not include snow and
frozen ground. I mean if we have tornadoes or riots or acts of war, whatever, other things. It concerns,
as I understand it, am I right?
Councilman Senn: Between now and?
Mayor Mancino: Well act of God.
Councilman Senn: Basically between now and January 7% what else is there?
Roger Knutson: Well Mark, dealing with a bunch of lawyers they have to worry about everything. But if
you have a Memorandum of Understanding for snow and frost.
Mayor Mancino: That's pretty common sense, okay. Yes.
Brian Grogan: I just wanted clarification, thank you.
Mayor Mancino: Thank you for asking.
Resolution//99-77: Councilman Senn moved, Councilman Labatt seconded to approve the transfer
and assignment of the cable television franchise to MediaCom LLC with the following two
conditions:
43
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
1. A Memorandum of Understanding be executed to state that Triax cannot use the excuse of
snow and frozen ground for completion of the system upgrade by January 7, 2000.
2. Triax, under that transfer be responsible for paying all legal fees incurred by the City
associated with the past seven months over the 84 cent question.
All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously.
The Council took a short break at this point in the meeting.
REQUEST FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THE HIDDEN VALLEY PUD TO ALLOW CHURCH
FACILITIES~ ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES OR OFFICES AS PERMITTED USES~ AND TO
INCORPORATE SPECIFIC DESIGN PARAMETERS FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF
LOT 1~ BLOCK 7~ HIDDEN VALLEY; LOCATED SOUTH OF LAKE DRIVE EAST AND EAST
OF HIDDEN COURT~ 275 LAKE DRIVE EAST~ SECOND AND FINAL READING; FAMILY
OF CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH.
Public Present:
Name Address
Alan Gebauer
Chris Anderson
Lisa Pederson
Kim Weispfennig
David & Lynn Jossi
Roderick Franks
David Joshua Nelson
Phyllis Kielblock
Dan Lorinser
Tu Kaufman
Pat & Dick Hamblin
Gordy Nagel
Greg Gmiterko
John Curtis
Vernelle Clayton
2080 Boulder Road, Chanhassen
16886 Hanover Lane, Eden Prairie
5940 Mill Street, Shorewood
6920 Chaparral Lane, Chanhassen
250 Hidden Lane, Chanhassen
8694 Mary Jane Circle, Chanhassen
566 Kassel Lane, Chaska
7262 Vista Court, Eden Prairie
8020 Erie Avenue, Chanhassen
300 Hidden Lane, Chanhassen
340 Sinnen Circle, Chanhassen
514 Del Rio Drive, Chanhassen
8121 Hidden Court, Chanhassen
410 Santa Fe Circle, Chanhassen
422 Santa Fe Circle, Chanhassen
Mayor Mancino: I'm assuming that it's a request for not only office but also medium density residential.
This is the final hearing and it requires 4/5 of the council vote tonight to make it an amendment change to
the comprehensive plan, correct?
Kate Aanenson: Thank you, I was going to reiterate that.
Mayor Mancino: Staff report please.
Kate Aanenson: Just again to frame up what you've already started. This is the second reading. It does
take 4/5 vote. There's a land use amendment also included in this comprehensive plan change. What the
staff has done, based on the meetings to date, including the most recently the work session, is try to
develop a zoning ordinance. Develop definitions and provide alternative land uses within that district.
44
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
The district that we are proposing is a PUD, and that PUD would allow the only permitted use would be
the church as it sits today. Anything beyond that change or expansion would require a condition use of
the current church. The other condition that we're recommending is a health service as defined in the
packet that we gave you. And then institutional and then office and then medium density. The
discussion came back as far as the medium density, not to take six dwelling units per acre. It was higher
at one time and that was reduced. We've also included in the PUD the setbacks and parking standards.
Also impervious, building materials and there was some changes recommended on that. That was that
vinyl siding only be a secondary material. The other one was the loading and parking and that that be
100% screened. Also that lighting be residential in character. That was a change from the last draft that
you saw. Again we have included definitions. Those would be incorporated into the city code. With
that I do have drawings. I'm going to let the architect go through those. There was some concern about
exactly what the impervious, how much, what the footprints would be. They're included in your packet
but I think for the edification of the audience, I'll let the architects go through that and show you exactly
the footprints and what those implications as far as impervious surface. I do have a table. It was
included in your packet too so maybe I'll let the architect go through that and explain the different
footprints proposed. Again while we've given all three options, that doesn't mean you can't within that
make changes eliminating, adding to, any of that that's here tonight so that's all I had.
Mayor Mancino: Thank you. Any questions for staff?. I just have one. When you say institutional, you
just mean church?
Kate Aanenson: Correct.
Mayor Mancino: There's no other institutional that would be allowable there? Okay.
Kate Aanenson: Well, the way we put it is an establishment of non-profit or have a public purpose the
way it's set in.
Mayor Mancino: Well that's my question because we have only talked about it being church. We
haven't really talked about it being other non-profit or public purpose because then you know you open it
up to museum, all sorts of things. Okay. So again we may want to change that wording.
Kate Aanenson: That's a good point. IfI can just expand. I guess we were looking at some of the other
non profits that, Girl Scout headquarters or something, Boy Scout but you're right. It is pretty open.
Open ended as it's written.
Mayor Mancino: Okay. Just wanted to ask that one so we know what we're talking. Okay, applicant's
architect is here.
Kate Aanenson: Jim's, something Jim's going to say.
Jim Selerud: I'll begin with a few remarks here. Mayor and council members. Glad to be here again
with you this evening. I'm Jim Selerud representing Family of Christ. Nate Castens, Josh Nelson, our
pastors are here as well as many of our plan members and we represent also many who aren't here with
us this evening. Here's a prayer frequently spoken in our congregation, including this past Sunday
service. Oh Lord God who has called us your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by
paths as yet untrodden and through perils unknown, give us faith to go out with good courage not
knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us. That sounds a
little humorous as well as it's also serious. We've been traveling this journey together with you a long
45
City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
ways and we think you've come to know who we are in part in this process, but you still don't know us
from the inside out. None of you council members regularly shop in our business or eat at our
establishment or are provided with our services, but you still come to know us a lot better than you did a
· while :ago. This reminds you that we as a congregation are a little different from those who usually come
before you in two aspects. We don't advocate from a personal perspective or a private profit or for
protection. Private protection. Secondly, the important difference is that Family of Christ may be here
1,00Oyears from now. Now that expectation isn't shared by many but certainly you as a government,
other churches share that and schools. Maybe a few folks who are in liquid nitrogen as well. Now
neither of these attributes gives us greater wisdom or discernment of the best final development for this
site, but it certainly does set up along side of you as crafts persons and caretakers of the public good and
providers of public service. And we'll continue on this relationship with you, even when we have long
concluded this rezoning. It means that though we will eventually physically leave this site, the site
remains part of our mutual care and service in the community. Though we have been in almost
unanimous support of previous staff positions, and they with us, we ask for a couple departures tonight as
we sort through these last details for approval. We particularly request the return to the ordinance and
original staff position of 30 feet residence to residence side setbacks. The change that was requested by a
councilmember in August. The change to the 50 feet was requested by a councilmember in August. In a
minute you'll hear from Ron Erickson of KKE who has helped us visually tell this story. It's critical that
you understand that each item of cost that's added for us or diminishing of our sale price translates
directly into less service and less building space at our new site. Going from eight single story housing
· units, as you'll see laid out here, to two story units means that one whole community meeting room will
be removed from our new plan. This is very important to us, and you and we think to the community.
Please weigh these issues in your balance as you make your final decision. Your getting to know us over
this time has provided you a little bit of a window into who we are and we wish you to join with us, but
please continue to support our mutual efforts in this community. Thanks.. Ron. Tell our story here.
Ron Erickson: I will. I'll do the best I can. Mayor, members of the council. And I know you've looked
at these plans a number of time so I'm just going to go through this real quickly, but what I want to do is
look at the three plans and just talk a little bit about why these uses. And I think one of the things you're
going to see, just from a, and you know just from a good planning standpoint that the uses we're
proposing on this site are really good uses from a planning standpoint. They're uses, and the church has
really wanted to have a minimum, or actually improve the impact from this 1988 plan on the community
and if you look at just the way the housing is situated. The office buildings across the street. All of these
uses make nice transitional uses in a planning sense. This is the plan that was, if we can get this up a
little larger. We're going to work together as a team here on this. Okay. This is the plan that was zoned
in 1988 and right now, as you recall, it's this piece is the piece that's currently built. So that plan called
for the addition of a sanctuary at this part of the site, which would be a larger building, and additional
parking that would go around both parts of the site. The parking on that plan would be 30 feet here and
30 feet here. With the building setback back at 50 feet. And we've tried to, in working with this and
we're looking at these other plans, is to say you know what would be, what would work just as well or
better with the neighborhood. This is a plan that the seniors housing, and you can see one of the things
we've tried to do on this plan was number one, it increases the green area to the south. And I think
importantly it also eliminates the visual of parking. I mean all the parking in this plan is put, so you don't
have'the lights in the winter time or 4:00 or 5:00 at night you don't have the lights coming in and shining
around and that kind of thing, and those are hard things to screen. So we think there's some advantages
: to this. And all of these buildings would be very residential in character. I mean they're the same
height, the two stories are residential type buildings. They'll be the same height as the surrounding
houses. They'll have similar roof pitches and it will just be a nice quality development. And the third
plan that we've looked at is a plan that would have, that would convert the existing church to offices.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Would add an additional office building that's a comer up near Highway 5 and across the street from the
office building across the street and these would be one story buildings. Very low profile, but I think
another thing that it does it takes the parking that was on the first plan. The one that you saw in 1988,
and moves it from 30 feet, moves it back to 50 feet so it gives, it pulls the parking back and cuts the
parking down and allows an opportunity for more green space. If you look at the southern part of the
site, what this does, it has, these would be one story residential buildings, and what we're proposing in
lieu of the 50 feet for a setback, I think from a planning standpoint we think there'd be an advantage to
30 feet. And really it probably won't affect the, I haven't done the plan of 50 feet but it probably won't
affect the number of units, but what it allows us to do is to do these. And these would be duplex
buildings. Allows us to do one story units so we would propose that we do 30 feet and one story and
then this 30 feet is the same 30 feet that was on that first plan in 1988 but that was parking. So you
would again all the parking would be internal. You would have a nice views around the perimeter and
this would all be one story buildings. So they'd actually be less in height than the buildings surrounding.
One of the things I wanted to show you, this is a photograph. Well, I don't know how large we can get
this but, I'm going to pass this around so you can look at it but this is a photograph taken this week. This
is the building that the house that's next door, and you notice, there are no windows in that side of the
house. There's a small window that's behind this tree, but this shows you the landscaping that's there
and we're planning on adding to that landscaping. I mean there's a tremendous buffer that is already
there. I'd like to pass this around. And I've got other photographs here if you want to you can have but
there is, this is a photograph, well it doesn't work any better so. I cut some sections through these, well
first of all I want to demonstrate just some differences between these plans. The original plan, the 1988
plan had 54% of the site in hard surface area. The assisted living plan that we're showing has 32% so
that has significantly more green space on the site. We think that that, adding that to this is an
improvement.
Mayor Mancino: Are you talking about the 25,000 square foot or the 50,000 square foot?
Ron Erickson: The 50,000.
Councilman Labatt: What were your first numbers again?
Mayor Mancino: 54 impervious surface.
Ron Erickson: Was the 1988 plan. That's this plan right here and you can just look at those. Maybe ifI
could get all three of these plans up. The original plan had 54%, and you can see because of the parking
and again on these other two plans, you know we've tried to develop a plan that would be a win/win.
Where there'd be more landscaping and the parking so I really think that this parking's being under
estimated. I mean in terms of the traffic coming in and out, lights and those kinds of things. As opposed
to just looking at the, in this case the quietness of a one story house that isn't much different in scale to
units, than the buildings next door which are two story. And I've got some sections I can show you.
Anyway, this plan is 54% of the site is impervious. This plan is 32%. And this plan is roughly a little
over 41%. So the point is that these plans both have significantly more green space, which means more
opportunity to do berming. More opportunity to do landscaping and kind of break it up. Another factor
would be to look at these sites just in terms of the number of parking spaces on each one of these sites.
This site with the church has 153 parking spaces. The parking spaces relate to traffic. It relates again to
the idea of the lights and that kind of thing. This plan has 40 parking spaces so it has almost a little over
a fourth as much. And this plan has 75 parking spaces. I also want to show you that the parking on both
of these plans is very much concealed. Here, even though there is some up against the residential, it's
back 20 feet further than what exists today so that is an improvement there. The other thing I want to
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
.mention is this access to Hidden Court. This plan doesn't have an access to Hidden Court. This plan has
an access for 8 residential units. This has an access for 60 parking spaces, so again we think this is
.something that could be an improvement to the neighborhood. And then in terms of the residential
setbacks, .and what I did was I, instead of saying parking setbacks and building setbacks, I'm more
interested in just what the green space because I think parking and buildings both have their issues. And
:soI've combined those, but on the original plan, if you look on this side there's a setback of 30 feet to
:this is the plan that was shown in 1988. 30 feet to the parking and 30 feet to the residential to the east.
And on this plan, that would be 135 feet and 50 feet. And on this plan it would be 30 feet here but again
it would be to one story buildings. 30 feet here to one story buildings and if you're looking at that
photograph I handed, I'm showing you around that was taken this week, you can kind of see what the
background of that, and of course we would do more landscaping in this area. The church wants to be a
good neighbor. And the other thing to consider here is on this plan, the 1988 plan is that this sanctuary is
a bigger building. I mean by it's nature. It's not a one story, maybe one story but it's going to be a
higher building probably. And here is a section. This is a section through the center of the site which
you've seen and it's the same on all of the plans because the center piece of the building stays the same,
and almost anyplace you cut a section from the homes to this site, I think these two plans, the additional
plans we're asking to be part of the conditional use are improvements over the plan you saw in 1988.
And this is a section, looking from the, I'll put this plan up but it's looking right through here. From the
existing church back to the house that you have these photographs on. Again, it's a house here that has
one small window there and I think it was planned for this but on the first plan with the church it shows
the house. This is a scale of the house that's next door to the property line. There'd be 30 feet. There's
the parking lot. And then there's the sanctuary that's shown so this is roughly how that section would
look. The second plan with the office and the residential shows the church up here staying at one story.
Very residential. This is the existing residential. And then we would have these one story duplexes with
again very nice, and again with the parking all to the inside and we'd create some additional landscaping
and berming there. And then the third option with the assisted living shows the setbacks, again with
more green space and more opportunity to create landscaping. So we think the two additional options
that'were put in the conditional use are really better in that they increase the green area on the site. They
hide the parking. They reduce the parking, and just have a nicer, will have a nicer feel for, in terms in tie
into the surrounding neighborhood. And that's it.
Mayor Mancino: Okay. Any questions for Ron at this point?
Councilman Labatt: I've got one. You talk about 50 foot setback or the 30 foot. If you went to a 50
foot, would it force you to go two stories with the townhomes?
Ron Erickson: Yeah, and probably two stories but it'd be the same. I mean I don't want to say that that's
not a, I think this is a better, more sensitive plan to have the smaller, two story buildings. I mean one
story and spread them out but we'd probably go two story and maybe cluster them in units of 3 instead of
2 instead of just having duplexes.
Councilman Labatt: And then, I missed the impervious first percentage for the medium density housing.
Ron Erickson: 41.6 was our calculations and then we just did these. I hope somebody else has done
them that we're not, I'm sure we're really close to the percentages.
Councilman Labatt: Okay.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino: Any other questions? Okay, thank you. This is not a public hearing tonight. We've
had plenty of those so we'll bring it back to staff and have some discussion from, I'm sorry, bring it back
to council and staff and have some discussion on this. Couple questions Kate. Under health service.
The except relatives. Can you speak a little bit to that where it says, I am on the development standards
and under health service, number 1 is 100% of residents shall be 55 years or older and then in parens,
except relatives. I think we had that discussion during the work session.
Kate Aanenson: If someone wanted to move in there, that a spouse that was younger than 55.
Councilman Engel: Remember we went through that before. I think the ~asier way to make that
stipulation read would just be the criteria for assisted living facility has been changed to require one
resident per unit to be 55 years or older and then leave it. Because that lets everything go. As long as
they're seniors. Whereas if you get into relative, you're going to start to cross some boundaries there that
may be difficult. Do you know what I'm getting at?
Mayor Mancino: We're all looking at you Roger.
Roger Knutson: ...I'll be more specific about it. You get into issues of sexual preference.
Councilman Engel: You get into a lot of that.
Roger Knutson: ...Martial status issues.
Councilman Engel: Yep, Let's just not even.
Mayor Mancino: So your suggestion is what?
Councilman Engel: If it read this way it would accomplish what you want to accomplish with the least
amount of words and there's effectively no way I think, we're getting what we want which is senior
people and we're not going to put any oh code or standards on them beyond that they've got to be old.
The criteria.
Mayor Mancino: Now wait, we have to reconsider the...
Councilman Engel: All kidding aside, the criteria for assisted living facility has been changed to require
one resident per unit to be 55 years or older and if you just leave it at that, it accomplishes what we want
without getting us into any other trouble.
Scott Botcher: What ifa couple brings their kids?
Councilman Engel: That's fine. As long as they're 55.
Scott Botcher: Yeah, as long as everyone knows that.
Councilman Engel: Right, but generally...
Councilman Senn: Only one resident per room is what you're talking about?
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City Council Meeting- September 13, 1999
Councilman Engel: Per unit. That way you can't have the facility be the benchmark, the units that are
used. You know what I mean?
Councilwoman Jansen: That was the guideline that we were handed in the work session by the
gentleman, I don't see him here tonight, that works with the assisted living facility.
Councilman Engel: Steve Nomess.
Councilwoman Jansen: Thank you. Pretty much the same wording.
Councilman Engel: Yes it is.
Mayor Mancino: So you don't think there should be a minimum age?
Councilman Engel: 55 is it.
Mayor Mancino: No, for the other ones.
Councilman Engel: What if that person's 55 and they only have one child and that child happens to be
30.
Councilwoman Jansen: Can we say adult?
Mayor Mancino: No. That's okay. Never mind. Never mind. I don't think, okay. I understand.
Councilman Engel: It gets progressively complicated. No matter which one you give me, I can give
you.
Roger Knutson: A 95 year old person who has.
Mayor Mancino: A 20 year old wife. Okay. Okay, one other question for you Kate. I see here, just help
with this. That under development site coverage and building heights. Page 2. Again, we had the PUD
standards for hard surface coverage of 65%. Well obviously everything that we have seen, and what we
would be based any changes on, the largest impervious surface is 54% which is the original 1988 plan.
So we could change that to be 55% impervious surface, okay. Because I want there to be a match-up
because I can tell you from experience that I've had on the Planning Commission and Council, 65%, well
that means that maybe they did want it to be 65% of impervious surface. Let's make that building a little
bigger so. Let's bring it back. Any other questions before we give comments?
Councilwoman Jansen: Well along the same lines as what you were just asking Mayor. I'm curious.
We're putting parameters on a conditional use. We're being presented concept plans, correct? So
though we're looking at these conceptual layouts and to get warm and fuzzy about this and accept it, it
could have nothing to do with what we are finally presented by an actual applicant, other than if it meets
the written conditions. It wouldn't necessarily have to meet these pictures.
Kate Aanenson: Yes it's a conditional use and you've laid out the standards. You can also attach
additional conditions to mitigate any impact.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino: So could we as evidence in here, not only have the written word but also include the
renderings of the conceptual site plans and say hey, this is where we're going. We're not open for a lot
of deviation. This is it. This is what we like. This is what we based a lot of our decision on.
Kate Aanenson: I'll let Roger answer that but I'd 'say first.
Mayor Mancino: Because we want to be upfront about.
Kate Aanenson: We're trying to assure everybody what it's going to look. like. Having said that, when
something comes in.
Mayor Mancino: They can always bring anything.
Kate Aanenson: Right, they may ask for something, but it may be something that's even better that we
hadn't anticipated. I think we want to leave the door open to it but this is the benchmark we're
expecting.
Councilman Engel: This would be ground zero, you start from here.
Kate Aanenson: Yes.
Roger Knutson: A way you could do that is rather than saying it has to be those pictures, because it's
problematic but it'd be unlikely that each time a developer wants to bring the project...you could go on
record. As examples. Not as part of the ordinance but as examples the council finds these plans to meet
these criteria.
Mayor Mancino: Okay.
Roger Knutson: ...a picture to look at.
Mayor Mancino: Does that answer your question?
Councilwoman Jansen: Sure.
Mayor Mancino: Okay. Any other questions?
Scott Botcher: I have one and Roger brought it up. Under institutional..;
Kate Aanenson: We already talked about that. We want to leave it as a church as defined.
Councilman Senn: Church use only.
Kate Aanenson: Church use only as defined in the definition. We caught that, yep .... and that's in the
definition section.
Roger Knutson: Any expansion of the church.
Scott Botcher: So then the establishments that are non-profit or have a public purpose, would that
sentence come out?
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Kate Aanenson: Yes. Because actually what we did under church uses, we said there can be some
ancillary. If the church is running a Girl Scout troop, that's fine. That sort of thing.
Mayor Mancino: Let's have some discussion on these uses. Let's also talk about the uses, and going
back to just conceptually the, why we would make a comprehensive plan amendment change in changing
the zoning, why it would benefit the entire community and just not give special treatment here? And
what that has to do with the conditions that we've kind of reviewed so far. Councilman Senn, you want
to start?
Councilman Senn: No.
Mayor Mancino: This is a hard one.
Councilman Senn: No it's not a hard one. I'm going to say it's the hardest one in seven years. I guess I
can .sit here and say that because I've never in seven years had an item before us asking us to basically
reguide and rezone property without a specific plan. And I hope the church understands that that is a
major accommodation from the City. We have never done that in seven years that I know of.
Mayor Mancino: Well, Villages was to some degree.
Councilman Senn: They had a specific plan. And you know the, this has been, I mean it's been a real
difficult decision, especially more and more as time went on and on and more and more information
became available because you know there is no right answer. I mean there's no right answer for the
neighborhood and there's no right answer for the church because you're never going to get the two
opposing viewpoints together. Pure and simple. So the situation we get forced into is we're Solomon.
Now we get to divide the baby however we want.
Mayor Mancino: Just to remind you, you ran for this position.
Councilman Senn: I certainly don't have all the answers but I kept finding myself coming back to kind
of what are my fundamental precepts and terms of how do you split that baby. You know I want to try to
accommodate the church in relationship to providing them some options so they can proceed with their
new facility. And by the way which, you know I really look at, and from a pure ideal of sitting in this
position. That's not our job, okay. And the second part of it is looking at it on the fundamental precip of
one of our jobs is to protect the neighborhoods and the abutting land uses and changes that occur
effectively that differ from foundations that people made decisions on as to where they buy and
whatever, do business or whatever. And in my mind, like I say, that just became very, very difficult and
I'll tell you what. I've never, like I say in seven years had such a tough one because every time I went
down the road I kept running into some kind of a brick wall, one way or the other. And so essentially all
.I could do is kind of try to find something that I could view that way. And what I found in my mind to be
that rational benchmark in relationship to meeting the church's desires and the neighborhood's desires,
pure and simply and I tried to start explaining this I think last meeting and I hadn't really even thought it
through enough to explain it but you deal with effectively the intensification and density of the site as it
relates to the surrounding area. And what I tried to do is put myself in a position that if I'm an abutting
homeowner, okay. Yes, I made a decision to be there once based on the neighborhood and what
surrounds it, i.e. a church and I probably assumed that's the way it was always going to be. And if it
can't always be that way, what's the next best thing? Well in my mind the next best thing would be
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
whatever is as unobtrusive as possible and doesn't exceed what I thought would be there as far as a
church goes.
Mayor Mancino: So not intensifying the use.
Councilman Senn: Not intensifying the use. So I just kind of ended up kind of getting down to a
numbers game. And I went through each one of these uses and kind of said okay, well now if I'm going
to kind of set that as my benchmark and stuff, you know where do I take it and go with from there? And
I took the plan of the multi-use, the residential and the office one and looked at that and said okay, yeah.
We have essentially eight units of housing there and figured each units of housing, roughly it's about
1,200 square feet per unit or so. And came up with 9,600 square feet and I took 15,000 square feet of
office space and voila. Ah, 24,600 square feet. Sounds the same intensification of the site that a church
would expand to it's maximum which is 25,000 square feet. Okay. Then I took the assisted living.
Mayor Mancino: Oh, so your benchmark was the original.
Councilman Senn: My benchmark was the original church use. Well not even really the original church
expansion plan because I think that only played out to about 19,000-20,000 square feet. So from what I
figured out from that, I mean really the church had the ability to expand on the site to about 25,000
square feet you know if they would have wanted to do that. Then I took the assisted living as another
option and said okay, well how do you structure that that way? Well, with re-use of the existing church
and whatever you build on it, I guess I just kind of dropped any thoughts of how many units or whatever
and just simply said hey, there should be a 25,000 square foot cap on it. Then I looked at a third option
which goes back to some previous zoning effectively on the site which was medium density multi-family
and looking at medium density multi-family at roughly six units per acre essentially translated into about
21 units. And again taking those 21 units at about 1,200 square feet, I think came out to about 20, just
over 25,000 square feet. Now I said okay, we've got the church that can expand up to 25,000 square feet.
We've got the option of a multi use with office and residential. About 25,000 square feet. We have
assisted living option at about 25,000 square feet. And we have...medium density residential of about
25,000 square feet. At the point I kind of got to that was the first time I ever started to feel comfortable
about this thing at all. And just said geez, you know this is kind of a fair answer to the neighborhood.
Kind of a fair answer to the church. And I'm going to go back to again the fundamental questions that
we were asked, or problems that were posed to us in the first place and that is providing options. We've
now provided four options for this property. And from a neighbor's standpoint we have not offered any
option which intensifies based on this property. And not granted there's a lot of other details you can
look at this in terms of okay well, will each of those uses, you know how much comings and goings or
traffic could they bring to the site. You know every one of them is different and the times of day are
different for example. The offices would be pretty much daytime. It'd be dead in the evenings and
weekends and you know the houses are a different thing and the assisted living's a different thing. Has
visitors and all that so I mean you can crank all those things into the equation all you want and you can
kind of beat your head against the window and you're never going to get to you know, to really feeling
comfortable with any of those answers. So then I kind of took it all and kind of plugged it back where we
looked back into where we were in terms of our conditions of development and you know to me it just
kind of started to fit and it kind of fit you know real easy. The only condition that I found myself
wanting to put on it, especially since this was a negotiated thing in a PUD, is I want to assure that that
housing, under whatever circumstances housing occurs on there other than assisted living, that it would
be owner occupied. Because if I were a neighbor living there and was told they're rental units coming in,
which I never... Basically it didn't take a whole lot of change to what we have drafted basically in front
of us. Under health services it's basically your maximum of 25,000 square feet of, instead of a maximum
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
of 60 units. The rest of it all seemed to pretty well fit, and you had mentioned earlier Mayor, but I had
.the same note basically back under like coverage, basically just cross out the 65 and 55 and just let that
be 'the governing standard because effectively that was what was there before. And under the proposed
again expansion. Of the church use. And you know I don't know, I know all of us have elements of this
we like and we dislike and we've had a lot of discussion on it now. And one of the realities, you always
have to put your thought process in, especially in a decision like this is what's going to get 4/5 vote. And
that became real problematic too, given discussions. Now people may have changed their minds from
past discussions but it seems to me in looking at this and looking at this as an option, at least from what I
heard is probably about the only chance we have of passing this. But I guess that's where I ended up.
Mayor Mancino: Thank you. So again, I just, I want to be clear. So again you have options that we
were asked to look at. You came up with the four options. Try and do it in order of what's on our
attachment. One, and I know I'm repeating what Mark said but I want to make sure we're all clear here.
That on health service, assisted living facility. Number one to read 100 percent of the residents shall be
55 years or older. Or one resident per unit has to be 55 years or older. And that the maximum of the
footprint is 25,000 square feet?
Councilman Senn: Yes.
Mayor Mancino: Building footprint. That...under institutional, that church.
Councilman Senn: Church use only.
Mayor Mancino: Church use only and that any physical expansion of that church use not to exceed
25,000 square feet. Under office, and again would it need to be office with housing? So it has to be that
combination again as in staff report. And your fine with those uses of office and residential. You would
also support just a six unit per acre residential use for the site too?
Councilman Senn: First to clarify just on the office. With the office one I would support eight units
period. Okay. That's assuming an average of about 1,200 square feet per unit, okay. And then...as the
medium density housing option, which is a separate and fourth option, I would support 21 units which
would be again at an average of 1,200 square feet for a total of 25,000 square feet.
Mayor Mancino: And the only thing I'm saying, then you wouldn't have the adaptive re-use?
Councilman Senn: We would not have the adaptive re-use under that option, but I'm assuming that's not
something we've governed by. And the only other caveat is that any housing would be owner occupied.
Mayor Mancino: The intent statement says the purpose of this zone, we would have to change that, is
that it's use. Okay.
Councilman Labatt: I just had a question for Mark. So under office, like under C in office. Must be
developed in conjunction with medium density residential. You wanted that to also say...owner
occupied?
Councilman Senn: You could even scratch medium density residential. You can say 15,000 square feet
of office combined with eight residential units of approximately 1,200 square feet be owner occupied,
yes. That's the way.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Councilman Labatt: So whoever, housing is stated in conjunction with office, will always be owner
occupied?
Councilman Senn: Right.
Mayor Mancino: One last thing on that. What we were presented with showed the visual, showed a two
separate office buildings. In the written it only says 15,000 square feet of office space. It doesn't say if
they're two buildings.
Councilman Senn: Well my personal preference in that option would be that we attach that plan.
Mayor Mancino: So that it be two buildings? Okay, because that's again not in the written word. The
density here is construction with eight units. Eight units of one floor residential housing... Again,
buildings of 15,000 square feet developed in conjunction with eight units of one floor residential plus
owner occupied. Thank you. Linda.
Roger Knutson: Mayor, could I just clarify one thing for my own mind? Are we saying that the total
footprint of the buildings, both the existing and the conditional, the total footprint of buildings will be
25,000 square feet and no more, is that correct?
Councilman Senn: Well I mean there's a little give or take in there Roger. I mean approximately 25,000
square feet. The figures I used came out somewhere in most cases between 24,000 and 26,000 square
feet I believe.
Roger Knutson: My concern is a combination of uses, so for example if you wanted 15,000 square feet
of assisted living, not the 25,000 max you would allow. Now I want to have some office, I can go to
15,000 by this. Other standards might prevent that. I don't think that's what you want.
Councilman Senn: Or separate options.
Roger Knutson: You have a choice.
Councilman Senn: Right.
Mayor Mancino: You can't combine them all.
Councilman Senn: You can't combine anything beyond those four items.
Roger Knutson: Then I think that should be stated in here as well.
Councilman Senn: Okay. I wasn't clear.
Roger Knutson: If you choose a health service, that's the only choice you have. You can expand the
church. If you choose to expand the church, you can't do anything else. This is what we want to make a
clear statement of.
Councilman Senn: That would be my suggestion, yeah.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino: I have to process this. I mean you know. As I have said before when we do meet all
publicly so a lot of times these are the first times we've heard things from other council members so be
patient with-us.
Councilwoman Jansen: I feel better hearing Councilman Senn say that this is one of the, is the most
difficult in the last seven years. Then I don't feel so badly that it's taken me so long to process this in 9
months. I guess first, and a lot has been said in the in-between meetings, in the meetings and maybe I fail
sometimes to really identify that I am trying very hard to identify with both sides of an issue. Anytime
anything comes before us as a council, I think we work extremely hard to get everyone's issues and
concerns on the table. And I have had occasion now over the past couple weeks to hear it not
intentionally slighting me but the statement has been made that I have sided with the neighbors. And I
truly have made an effort to look at this for the issues and'the concerns that have been brought before us.
I don't personally know any of the neighbors. I probably know more members of the church, if you
wanted to get down to it personally. But that's not what this is about. It's not a personal decision. I can
certainly on a personal level relate to the needs and the concems of the church and it's members. I think
it's fabulous that these expansion plans are needed. That the move is necessary. I find that exciting.
And yes, those needs are compelling. I have to check those personal feelings at the door which gets a
little burdensome sometimes. I wish I could just bring them in here and sit here and voice my personal
opinions. It'd be a heck of a lot easier, but as a government official we get presented the guidelines that
we have to use and should use with every application and I keep coming back to we're not just protecting
the rights of the applicant. We have to look at the rights of the community, of the neighbors, and that's
why the guidelines are in place. It's so that we can be fair and we can be just and hopefully we're not
showing personal bias. And are we being flexible? I mean that has been another question that's been
posed now that we've been considering this as a council since May l0th. At the May l0th meeting the
recommendation that came to us from the Planning Commission was to deny the request. They had their
reasons. They were justifiable. We could have just accepted them right then. We chose to explore with
staff the assisted living. Now we took that maybe just a step farther than the Planning Commission and
~that's no critique of how they judge the assisted living part of this but maybe as individuals and council
people we had heard more from the senior community on the need for the senior assisted living facilities.
So that's where this thing turned into more of this five months of continued review so I mean I hope that
flexibility has been identified and both with the church and with the neighbors. I mean everybody has
participated in this project and thank you so much because everyone has put a lot of effort into it and
every little bit of communication, one way or the other has been listened to and hopefully applied to this
and I hope that the way that I address this comes across that way. But I'll go back to where Councilman
Senn suggested that the fundamental question that we're trying to answer is providing options. And I
continue to go back yet another step from there and what has been presented to us ultimately is whether
or not we can justify an amendment to the PUD and comprehensive plan. And I've restated these once
because I have to keep bringing myself back to them to make sure, and I hold myself as you've heard me
say on other issues, to following policy and following our guidelines. It's the only way I can be fair. It
says to make these amendments we must show that the parcel has not been given special treatment.
That's point one. Two. The changes are for the benefit of the entire community. And three, the action
complies with the comprehensive plan. If the action doesn't meet the three criteria, it can be deemed a
spot zoning. Not that anyone's threatening to sue us, which means that the lot or parcel has been rezoned
to benefit an owner or a use incompatible with surrounding land uses and does not further the comp plan.
Sothat's pretty weighty. We've got to look at that, and I keep coming back to that as we keep going
through these options. As it was presented back in May, assisted living has...pressing need in this
community. We received a petition with 200 signatures on it when the senior residents in this community
heard that we were considering rezoning this for assisted living. They saw it as an ideal spot. Now as
government officials it's not as if our land use plans have designated an assisted living location. Now
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
I'm not a senior assisted living guru. I don't know if this is the right site. I don't know if it's going to
work, but I do know that I can certainly get on the band wagon for making this an assisted senior, I have
to keep saying that. Senior assisted living facility. It's a compelling need. The neighborhood has
actively participated in helping us try to get our arms around what the guidelines are that we would need
to put on that kind of a use. To me it's staggering. The amount of conditions that are out there that we
haven't even scratched the surface of what this facility could come in asking to be, do or look like. And I
come back to Councilman Senn's desire to limit the square footage to 25,000 square feet. Does that
work? Is that a feasible senior assisted living facility? I guess we have heard from advisors to the church
that 50,000 square feet is the only way to make this feasible. I don't know if that's true. I don't know if
we can do the 25,000 square feet and the only way that I would feel comfortable knowing that we're
putting conditions on the senior assisted living to make it happen, would be to have a formal feasibility
study done for this site so that then we would have the outside recommendation, unless somebody else
has another way to come up with whether 25,000 square feet is feasible. I would have to go with the
50,000 square feet or somehow reword the condition that we have to be providing for a feasible assisted
living facility. I'm having trouble with revising that guideline to hold that size down to that magnitude. I
really would like to make that happen. It's too important of an issue to the community for us to limit it
to where it may not be able to be built. Then I come back to having to re-evaluate the office and the
medium density. For one, going to Councilman Senn's new suggestion that we rezone this for medium
density and not have the adaptive re-use, I'm not comfortable with that. Staff's whole approach to thiS
whole rezoning has been that we do an adaptive re-use of the building and I guess I'm kind of engrained
in that and that's what went before the Planning Commission and in doing this change, ! just don't think
it's been given all of the considerations and conditions that staff and the Planning Commission had to
consider. So I'm not comfortable with that. As far as the parameters that we're putting on the office and
the medium density, I have to go back to the May l0th meeting. And in that meeting we were all trying to
address whether or not it was a compelling, we had a compelling reason to put an office on this site.
We're not landlocked in this city for office development sites. They're out there. There's, we just had a
comprehensive plan review. If we had a compelling reason, that would have been addressed. I think
everyone knew at the time and I wasn't involved, that this issue was going on with the church. So if it
could have been, it probably would have been as a separate whole policy decision on rezoning this
property. And as I've continued to question why I'm so skeptical about granting this rezoning, I keep
coming back to a simple statement that I've said a lot and that's that actions speak louder than words.
And given the repeat actions that are made by the majority of this council, that we consistently grant
variance requests and you've been here at enough meetings to know I'm not making this stuff up. We
constantly grant variances to conditional use permits, comp plan guidelin6s, zoning codes, interim use
permits, you can go on. Bring a request. We'll consider it. I've heard us called the Yes Council, and
that's what I am reacting to and I'll apologize to the church for having to keep that in mind but I don't
have the confidence to vote for a rezoning that's contingent upon conditions that our actions virtually
make meaningless every night that we vote. We're forever just throwing it out the window. Until we
take the guidelines that have been put into place more seriously when these issues come before us and we
did it again tonight. We don't follow the policies. We'd rather change the policies. We think we can
change the policies just by voting the way that we do, and I can't do that. So ironically simply by our
considering doing this rezoning without it meeting the initial litmus test, we're doing it with this one.
We needed to come up with that compelling reason. We tried to push that aside and go ahead and say
that you know we can just put conditions on this to hold it to where we can control it. Well, we don't do
that. By our actions we don't hold developments to the conditions that we put on them. So I will
apologize to the applicant if maybe I had more confidence that what we are presented we would hold to
our guidelines, then maybe I would feel more comfortable with entertaining it further. I don't know. I
don't know because I can't make it past, as the Planning Commission couldn't, the compelling reasons on
the office. The one little bit of encouragement that I have from a memo that was included in one of our
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
earlier packets, which is noted here from the church. Summary points regarding Family of Christ sale
transaction, regarding sale of existing facility and construction of the new church. Point number 7. To
satisfy the investor group and Lutheran Brotherhood, if only assisted living were available, the assisted
living user at a minimum would have to proceed through site plan approval prior to any closing between
Lutheran Brotherhood and Family of Christ. This results in two undesirable affects. A, the church's
construction is delayed for one whole school year, and B, one of the benefits of the rezoning application
by the church is that the church is in control of it's destiny. Under the above scenario it's destiny is in
the hands of the quality and timing of the application by a third party and that benefit would be lost. I
apPly that same comment B to the position the City puts itself in by granting a rezoning without a firm
application before us. So I think the church can relate to our hesitancies about approving something we
don't have a firm plan in front of us for. We give up the control of the destiny on this property, though
we say we've put conditions on there to control it. So I am in favor of the rezoning for the senior assisted
living only. And conversation on how we decide what the square footage would be.
Mayor Mancino: Does that mean you want to see a site plan, a real site plan prior to giving that rezoning
of assisted living? Because you've kind of.
Councilwoman Jansen: Or a feasibility study. I mean at least a feasibility study. I'm assuming would.
Councilman Senn: ...feasibility study.
Councilwoman Jansen: Like libraries, are there not.
Mayor Mancino: Well we were paying for that as a City has the feasibility.
Councilman Senn: The City paid for a feasibility study for.
Councilwoman Jansen: We suggested even within our strategic plan that there's a necessity to do a
feasibility study for the City on senior housing options and assisted living was one of them. It would just
simply be calling for it now versus waiting until 2000 and we all know that the money's there to.
Councilman Senn: But I want to understand something then. What you're saying is no matter what the
size is required to be feasible, you support senior assisted living on that site?
Councilwoman Jansen: I would like to know if25,000, if you're going to limit it to 25,000, is it feasible?
Councilman Senn: That's not our job to determine feasibility, nor success of any business.
Councilwoman Jansen: And that's where I come back to I think that this is an important enough
community need that if it's 50,000 square feet and it can be built compatible with this neighborhood, but
what does a feasibility study tell us. Is it 259. Why rezone it, why even rezone it for senior assisted living
if 25,000 square feet isn't going to work?
Mayor Mancino: Well also Linda the needs assessment was thought about is more of a municipal
facility, or having some relationship with the city. Not as a private venture. So the feasibility would
need to come from private business, if that's what you want to require. Part of it. Thanks. Mr. Engel.
Councilman Engel: Is Councilwoman Jansen done?
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Mayor Mancino: Are you all done?
Councilwoman Jansen: Oh yeah.
Councilman Engel: Okay. Well I think Mark pretty much hit the nail on the head when we started this
and I ain't Solomon either but this is a no winner. There's no doubt about it. Whatever comes out of
this, there's no way the council wins on this one. Can't come out without half the group being mad at
you. There have been a couple that way in the last three years. Not many. This will be one of them, and
as somebody who's been on this council for the last three years and has voted for this avalanche of
variances, yeah I've voted for a lot of them. I can tell you what most of them are for. They're for decks.
Patios. For a home on a goofy piece of property. Doesn't quite fit. We've got oddball properties like
that all over the city. They're too near a creek or a lake or a pond or a road or a ditch or a tree or an
anthill farm or something, I don't know. Whatever, take your pick. And everybody should remember
that when it's your turn to come in for your deck, or whatever it is you want. If you didn't need to take
variances, you would need a council to look at it so yeah we do them. I've voted for a lot of them. No
apologies. I didn't use the 25,000 square feet as my guiding statistic on this because nobody has yet
demonstrated to me where that number came from empirically. From what I've understood so far from
all the discussions is that the church when it was originally built was asked what do you think you'll
expand to. Had no idea. Picked a number. I don't know, 25,000 feet. That seems to be where that
number came from. If you go by the acreage of the site and the code in the city, it's 65% impervious, and
you do the math based on the plans we've been shown tonight, that site would actually support a 100,000
square foot facility and stay within the 65% impervious. So I think 50,000 square feet is not too bad and
a really compelling use. Senior assisted living. So it's not in my opinion an over intense use. A 100,000
square feet meets the plan but I think that's a little intense given where it is today. 50,000 square feet's
half that, and is at half the impervious coverage. Using the same ratio of parking spaces to resident units.
The office residential I've got a question Kate. If you look at developments, new developments like a
golf course. And lots are sold for say $100,000 and you can put restrictions on the buildings. Homes
essentially to be built there. But they have to be at least 2, 3 times, 2 ½, 3, 4 times the land value.
Thereby insuring a market value of the property, which is at or above existing homeowners. Thereby
protecting their investment. Can we do that feasibly in this site?
Kate Aanenson: No.
Councilman EngeI: Has anybody thought about that?
Kate Aanenson: The only thing we require is the square footage minimum. We don't require rental
versus owner occupied. If somebody rents their house out, we have no control over that. It's all over the
city. Buy townhouses and rent them out. I don't know how we would control that. I could ask Roger but
we've never done that.
Councilman Engel: Valuations.
Kate Aanenson: No, rental. Whether you can say it has to be owner occupied. I don't know
constitutionally if you could do something like that.
Councilman Engel: Specifically the question I'm asking about, can you target values? Do you know
what I'm getting at?
Kate Aanenson: No.
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Roger Knutson: You can have, technically do that.
Councilman Engel: By requiring size?
Roger Knutson: By size and exterior finishes and things like that and location, you can figure it out. No
one's going to spend $100,000 on a lot and put up a $ 25,000 house.
Councilman Engel: Right, and I'm just, I'm looking at this because when I've looked at potential
building sites you see restrictions like that and it just occurs to me we could, to protect the homeowners
there, make it so that any existing homeowner's structure that would be put next to them would not
negatively impact their home but would pull them upward by putting requirements in place that would
require you to build a certain structure that would be of a value that they would find attractive.
Mayor Mancino: Too complex for us.
Councilman Engel: I don't know...don't give it up yet.
Councilman Senn: Have single family period.
Councilman Engel: I don't know, I'm throwing it out there because nobody's talked about it yet but yet
I've seen it when I've gone to look at other building sites.
Kate Aanenson: You can do it and a developer may do it but the City certainly can't do it.
Councilman Engel: That's why I asked.
Kate Aanenson: I mean this same issue came up on the beachlots when we were restricting the number
of boats you can put on a beachlot. Every one of those associations came in and said you're devaluing
my property. Every one of them.
Councilman Engel: The office residential has I think a bit more risk attached to it. You've got to put
some real restrictions in there, I think, as much as you can legally. That would guarantee, and that rental
thing would really be a problem with me. IfI was a neighbor as well. But if it was an owner occupied
unit and I knew it was ora certain value like I've seen them across from my development, they're nice
townhomes. They're more expensive the homes on the other side of the street, the single families. But
they've got a certain amount of square footage that drives them there. So if you could do something like
that I'd be comfortable with the homes there. Would be a plus. Short of that I don't know how you can
guarantee that with homes. Even if they're owner occupied. Just my thought on that. I don't have
anything more to add.
Mayor Mancino: Trying to listen to everybody and kind of pull us together in certain ways and that's not
going to be the easiest tonight. Okay, Councilman Labatt.
Councilman Labatt: Well I just want to try to clarify something here on the assisted living and the
'25,000. Now if I remember right, the 25,000 in the footprint.
Mayor Mancino: I think that Councilman Senn, and please correct me if I'm wrong, where he had that
number...church that showed the expansion.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Councilman Labatt: Right.
Mayor Mancino: ...
Councilman Labatt: Okay, so in that rendering, one of these draWings we had, shows the 25,000 fits
here. And then this spot up here to the north is.
Mayor Mancino: That makes the 50,000.
Councilman Senn: Steve, that's...comfortable to look at because that's just simply looking at a kind of
like a floor plan. In my mind where I was having trouble, again putting myself back on an abutting
property was, you know given whatever choices, do I want to look out at a few thousand square foot, you
know two story building on this site when what I've been used to is a, you know basically a 7,000 or
whatever it is now or whatever square foot building on this site, which I knew someday could expand to
25,000 square feet.
Mayor Mancino: This is the 50,000.
Councilman Labatt: Here we go. Okay.
Mayor Mancino: And this, with the wing make it...
Councilman Labatt: Right... Secondly, thanks to Councilman Senn for putting the square footage into
perspective .... been a long, agonizing time. A lot of times have to put in...an item by staff and council
and neighbors and in looking at it, is it a win/win? No. Is it a lose/lose? No. I think it's a good middle
ground in what staff has come up with here. Number one it sets forth the conditions on what we're going
to allow there as a city. What use. What mitigates the least impact to the adjoining neighbors on both...
I like the fact that they've come in now with medium density housing which is single story. And I think
that ...nice option. It will maintain a nice buffer between the Northcott Building and the homes on
Hidden Lane. We do maintain control by having a conditional use permit attached to it so I'm in favor of
all three. The only question is, by limiting it to 25,000 are we just making it a non... If we're going to
zone it, let's do it right and allow for two stories of housing. In looking at the rendering...the
landscaping, they've pretty much created a barrier...
Mayor Mancino: I'll take a few minutes here and then we'll have to try and pull this together. A couple
thoughts also to say, this isn't the longest process that I've worked on a project. I can tell you they've
gone a lot longer. A year or two in the making so yes, this has been five months and everything and it is.
It's an incredibly kind of hard project for us because we do sincerely want to make it win/win/win. And
when I say win/win/win I mean for the community, for the neighborhood and for the church. There's no
question. It's tough. My heart and my head have to come together and make those decisions. It's not one
or the other. It really does have to come together. I've been not trying to force it. Just letting that
process happen and this one hasn't quite jelled for me yet, to be very, very honest. And I think part of it
is because as Councilman Senn says, we don't do this very often. We want to see a site plan for a
rezoning. It's hard. It would be hard for all of you, whether your neighbors or in the church to sit here
and make that decision without seeing a site plan. And again that's why it's been so hard. A couple
things. Do we make comprehensive plan changes? Absolutely. Not all the time. Not willy nilly. But a
comprehensive plan is a living, breathing document. There are times when it needs to be changed
because we can't predict, I mean we don't know the what if's. The market changes. People needs
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
change in the community. And although we have a comprehensive plan that guides us, it is a guide and
we do try and stick to it. But there are those times when things have changed and we need to make a
change in the comprehensive plan. And I have said earlier in this that it takes a lot for me, having been
on the Planning Commission and chairing it for four years, to make that change. That when businesses,
when churches, when residents move in and they look and see if the zoning of the adjacent property next
to them, that's what they make their decision on. So when I think about making a change, it's kind of
like it has to be, win/win/win. Because we're all in this together. I will just go over some, I don't want
to take too much longer because we're going to have to try and pull this together, but listening to
everyone, assisted living, and I think even the Planning Commission, although the Planning Commission
did not vote for rezoning of t. he property. When I was at the meeting they were open to looking at an
assisted living rezoning, but they did want to see a site plan. They just thought it was too nebulous. Too
out there. There weren't any hard facts, but they were interested in assisted living. And that I would
support. As far as the office/housing combination. I am still not convinced of that. I have had that
problem from the very beginning. The reason that I have that concern is that from a pure planning
standpoint, if you had given me this property from the beginning and said okay, Planning Commissioner
what should go there? I would not have, very honestly, I would never have designated part of it as office.
That Lake Drive East to me is the buffer, the commercial, the neighborhood commercial is on the north
side facing Highway 5 and is the buffer. So I again cannot support office next to the residential. That's a
very big dividing line for me for the office. If this were, you know property that again nobody had lived
in that we were doing some creative rezoning and it were open farm fields, I might look at it a little
differently. But we do have an established neighborhood abutting it. Expansion of the church site.
Absolutely. We need to take the cloud off of that and allow for the original plan and the expansion of the
church site to be a permitted use. The other use that I have thought about is that again from a planning
perspective making a transition between the single family and the commercial on the other side. I mean I
think the church is the greatest use. I think it's the most harmonious and obviously has worked well.
The only other use that I would look at is a multi-family. Some sort of duplexes, six units per acre.
Because I do think that that is a good transition. It keeps it residential. It just allows for a little more
density in that area .... I tend to think, and obviously you can rationalize a lot of things, but all those uses
that I feel comfortable with, the assisted living, I think the community, I know the community has a need
for. Multi-family I think is a good transition and we are always looking at opportunities for life cycle
housing and multi-family does fill that, and of course I feel very comfortable with the expansion of the
Church, which we have their original plan and which we supported in 1988 and I would still continue to
support. So that being it.
Scott Botcher: Is it my mm?
Mayor Mancino: Yes.
Scott Botcher: I've been very patient. That's hard for me. Just a couple things. I'm going to try to
wrap up even quicker than that. I'm going to skip all the detail stuff that most of you guys all went
through. As a plan goes, I don't have a problem with the proposed restrictions as they are in front of you.
I think they're workable, but I'm going to come back to the very first thing I said, and I told somebody
today. Nancy or Linda. It was a lady.
Mayor Mancino: Thank you. Thank you very much. Now was it a senior lady or a little younger lady?
We're going to make you really look bad.
Scott Botcher: ...Basically, and I think I told Jim this. I have a great deal of difficulty, Mark said this
earlier, trying to approve a, trying to do a site plan for somebody. That's simply not our job. And so I'm
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
going to say two things. One, if you choose to go down this road, I think and Kate's worked very hard
and if her daughter's still here she should be very nice to you. Because she's worked very hard on this
and it's been, while you guys think it's tough, try to be these people trying to do a site plan for
somebody that doesn't exist yet. But I told Jim and Randy early on I just, I have a fundamental problem
with that. I don't think it's our role to do site plans for people. We're not the private sector. I know
Mark has said this many times, we're not the private sector and like the feasibility study, that's primarily
why I don't think we can do a good feasibility study nor should we do one. I don't think that's
necessarily our role. If somebody wants to build one, that's great. They can provide us with one. Part of
the reason we're struggling up here so badly is that the target is not fixed. We don't know what we're
shooting at except for some dirt out there. That's all we're shooting at. I said this before and I'll say it
again, I mean I've been in churches that buiId on sites and they had to sell their property contingent upon
the buyer receiving site plan approval from the governing body. That's life in the big city. I mean that's
how it is. And I mean I know how it is when you have your, when you get Lutherans begging for money,
they're relentless. And you want to give them. I am one. They're relentless at asking for money because
they, you know, you want to see the church built. And it's a great asset. It's a tremendous asset. But I'm
not sure that's our job. It's not our job to put together this whole package and come up with the site plan
and just have it all sitting there for a developer to come and buy. That's about what we're doing here.
And I'm not sure that's in our best interest, nor in our citizens best interest. Now that doesn't mean that
the exercise maybe hasn't been productive. And you know five months isn't a terribly long time. It feels
like it. It's not. But I have two quick questions for Jim or Randy. Lutheran Brotherhood is the agent
doing the bridge financing, and I assume that's still the case. But they're in line to do that. Okay. I
understand, and this is purely hearsay. That there's a party already in line behind Lutheran Brotherhood
to buy it from them. Is that accurate?
Jim Selerud: ...structure, Lutheran Brotherhood.
Scott Botcher: And I understood that. I guess early on in the summer it was my understanding that there
was not this third party in existence. I guess if there is a third party, they should probably come in and
make a site plan. You know if there's a developer out there, and that's great. Then why would a third
party buy the property? That's what I'm saying. Then they need to come in and make a site plan
submittal to the city.
Jim Selerud: ...
Scott Botcher: But this isn't a site plan approval.
Jim Selerud: ...
Kate Aanenson: Herein lies my dilemma.
Scott Botcher: I know this has been your dilemma.
Kate Aanenson: You want to do a site plan instead of giving it uses. We're trying to combine and that's
what we're getting hung up with.
Scott Botcher: I know, and I just.
Kate Aanenson: Because we have institutional zoning throughout the city that has several different
options, you know, and we're trying to get those too so we have to say.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
.Scott Botcher: So there is, and I know it's unexecuted but there is a third party developer out there. So
why don't they, why are we doing this? I mean why don't they come in and make a contingent offer to
purchase, if you've got them. Line them up and bring them in. It doesn't seem like the market has a lack
of:interest in the property. Or maybe I should be speaking to the council. My recommendation is then
maybe, and I'm tom. Kate and I have gone round and round on this and seriously, she's worked very
hard on this and I don't have a problem with what's there and you guys have all said very good things. I
just fundamentally question then why we're doing this, for whatever it's worth. And I'm done. Because
Senn was leaving at 10:00. Those are just my thoughts...
Mayor Mancino: Well, council let's go back to that discussion. Waiting for a site plan, developer to
bring in a site plan for us to approve and look at it that way.
Councilwoman Jansen: So what would we need to do tonight to send this through the system for a site
plan review? We've voiced our opinions.
Mayor Mancino: We wait for an applicant to come in. We wouldn't do anything.
Scott Botcher: The request before you is to rezone it. I mean I think.
Councilwoman Jansen: So that would have to be denied? So tonight we'd have to deny and then it
would go back through site plan and that's when rezone would?
Mayor Mancino: We'd have to get a formal application.
Roger Knutson: There are lots of possibilities. One, first you're up against a time deadline so you're
going to have to act tonight unless you get an extension. Otherwise you could theoretically table this
action, with their approval. I'm not suggesting you want to do that. And say alright, now go find your
developer and find out which one of these alternatives you want to build and then process a site plan and
then 'we'll come back to you with a real live deal. Or you could say, we're going to close this chapter.
Go find your real live deal. Have a contingent purchase or however you want to deal with it, and then
start the process when you have a real live deal.
Councilman Engel: Seems to me you get the same result either way.
Mayor Mancino: Well I think it's easier, yeah. Yeah. Close the deal and then go. Discussions around.
Councilman Labatt: Or if you want to go back and put ourselves at Square One with...
Scott Botcher: You don't have a submittal.
Councilman Labatt: ...request for rezoning.
Mayor Mancino: Yeah, but you have a request for a rezoning. Options for rezoning...site plan approval.
Yes, there is a question for rezoning but it's probably going to be one out of four of these that lets us
hone in on that...rezoning and feel comfortable with that. And obviously we've spoken to that tonight
generally so I think that gives some.., if you look at our zoning, usually you have different uses. This
one didn't because of the PUD. Councilwoman Jansen.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Councilwoman Jansen: Excuse me. In essence if, and I concur with what Scott having mentioned that
it's, you know it's not our place to do the feasibility study but in my trying to come to grips with whether
we're approving something. If we're approving a rezoning for a facility that can't be built to the
guidelines. If we've now expressed, and everyone's expressed an interest in the senior assisted living. If
we deny the rezoning tonight, it virtually puts it back to someone coming in and showing that this site is
feasible for a senior assisted living facility, because they'd be presenting a site plan and going.
Scott Botcher: They wouldn't come in unless they did.
Councilwoman Jansen: Okay.
Mayor Mancino: They have to do their own market study and make sure that, and that's not for us to do.
Okay.
Councilwoman Jansen: I'm good with that.
Mayor Mancino: So where do you want to go with this? Councilman Senn.
Councilman Senn: Where do I want to go with it?
Mayor Mancino: How do we pull everybody together and let's make a good.
Councilman Senn: ...like my answer.
Councilwoman Jansen: I would move that we deny the rezoning request.
Mayor Mancino: Is there a second? Is there a discussion?
Councilman Engel: Well I'm not Solomon but I can count to four and there ain't four vote sup here by
my tally for rezoning so I don't know where we're going to be here. This could go all night.
Councilwoman Jansen: Well I guess in what was just suggested, if there's an option out there that's
going to come forward on this site, and move this through the process the way a traditional project moves
through the process. I've already voiced my opinion on what I support and don't support on this but let's
get back to doing this standard. We've certainly given all of our guidelines and parameters and maybe
once, okay. let me say this. What if an office medium density comes before us and it's wonderful. I've
got something solid in front of me. I might change my mind.
Mayor Mancino: Well there also may be some other options that we haven't thought of that aren't up
here.
Councilwoman Jansen: So I mean it's not to discourage. It may sound discouraging to say deny, but it's
not trying to discourage that this happen. It's to put it back through the way it's supposed to go through
as to what would happen next anyway.
Councilman Engel: Let me pose a theoretical question. We don't seem to be making any progress.
Adhering to our present course, if we put this thing back to ground zero and say okay gang, not making it.
Come back with a real plan. Does that help the whole process move forward?
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino: Well it does .... have control.
Councilman Engel: I know you guys may not think so but the problem is, you've got to get by four out
of five up here. So I know it may be hard for you to hear, but sometimes the medicine that doesn't taste
good really is what's going to cure the problem. The problem is you're not going anywhere right now. I
mean nothing's happening. I'm reading between the lines up here but I don't think anything's going to
happen. So what about it?
Councilman Senn: I don't know about that. Has anybody made a motion to try to pass an assisted living
option? No.
Councilman Engel: Take a step.
Councilman Senn: I heard four people over there say you supported assisted living option.
Mayor Mancino: I heard five people supporting assisted living option, with one saying there needed to
be a feasibility with the 25,000 square feet.
Councilman Senn: ...four as a benchmark in terms of what you have to have. If that's, you know after
you spend this much time and effort and everything else on something, I mean you hate to go back to
ground zero and spend the time all over again.
Councilman Engel: Okay, want me to take a run at one? In general.
Councilwoman Jansen: But it's the thought of, We keep saying that we're going back to ground zero.
We've got a lot, staff has done one heck ora lot of work here that's going to be applied to whatever
comes before us. It's not ground zero.
Councilman Engel: It's not ground zero, I agree. I agree.
Councilwoman Jansen: Here it is. Here it is. We've all spoken to it and it's basically doing what I'm
hearing.
Councilman Senn: I'll bet your opinion but don't lecture me.
Councilwoman Jansen: Well excuse me, I'm not trying to lecture so I apologize if you took it that way.
Councilman Engel: Let me try and do this thing, based on what we've got here. I would move to amend
the zoning to allow church or senior assisted living per staff report. And I'll it that simple.
Councilman Senn: Okay, now define what that is.
Councilman Engel: No.
Councilwoman Jansen: Roger has his hand up.
Roger Knutson: This is quick and dirty. Quick anyway.
Councilman Engel: I love that right now.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Roger Knutson: So what we're doing is we're taking this document as presented. We're leaving, we're
dropping off the office and multi-family. And we're redefining the over 55 in accordance with your
discussion of one person per unit.
Councilman Engel: Correct. One person per unit.
Roger Knutson: And that would be the document.
Kate Aanenson: Correct.
Councilman Senn: So up to 60 units?
Councilman Engel: Per staff's report.
Kate Aanenson: That's in the report isn't it?
Roger Knutson: Now the only thing I don't know, is there any of this other stuff that needs to be
changed?
Mayor Mancino: Well the other things that need to be changed is, let me just go over it from Mark's
point of view. And Mark you can say yes or no. Under health services you would keep it 100% of
residents 55, or no. One resident per unit must be 55 years or older. Two, maximum of 60 units. Is that
correct? Maximum of 60 units. Institutional would be church use only. And any physical expansion of
existing church not to exceed 25,000 square feet. Would delete all the information under office. You
would delete all the information under residential. You would keep the setbacks. The setbacks would
obviously stay but not apply to medium density residential because there wouldn't be any. And the'
development site coverage and building heights, you would keep that the same. And building materials
and design you would keep the same, correct? Okay. We have a motion on the floor. Is there a, yes.
Roger Knutson: Excuse me. On the access, you'd eliminate medium density residential and office.
Mayor Mancino: So it would just show assisted living facility. Okay, is there a second to the motion?
Councilman Labatt: I'll second it.
Councilwoman Jansen: Can I ask a question, just to clarify. I apologize. So there's no 25,000 square
foot minimum? Okay.
Mayor Mancino: This says maximum of 60 units.
Councilman Engel moved, Councilman Labatt seconded to approve the second and final reading
for the rezoning for Hidden Valley PUD to PUD-I mixed use to include church and senior assisted
living and approve the development standards for Lot 1, Block 7, Hidden Valley amended in the
staff report to change item 1 under Health Services to read that each unit shall have at least one
person 55 years or older and deleting items relating to office and medium density residential uses.
Councilman Engel and Councilman Labatt voted in favor. The rest of the Council voted in
opposition. The motion failed with a vote of 2 to 3.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino: Is there another motion?
Councilman Engel: My flight leaves at 7:00. I think I might have another path through the wilderness
here. We're reduced to that. I would propose we move to table. What do you think?
Mayor Mancino: Is there a second to the motion?
Kate _Aanenson: We're at the time frame limit.
Councilman Senn: We can do that if they agree to it.
Councilman Engel: It's up to them really.
Roger Knutson: How long do you want to table it for?
Councilman Engel: 30 days.
Councilwoman Jansen: What are we going to accomplish?
Mayor Mancino: Just a minute. And what do you want to have accomplished in those 30 days that we
table?
Councilman Engel: Good question. I didn't say I had every tree charted out. I said I had a path. I think
you're going to need a chainsaw and a wrecking crew on this one.
Mayor Mancino: I'm going to make the motion that we do not approve the land use change and that we
ask the applicant to have their developer come in with a site plan review that we can look at and make
that decision then if we want to rezone. But We do not do the rezoning.
Roger Knutson: And rezoning. You're moving to deny the rezoning and the comp plan change.
Mayor Mancino: Yes. And that we have a site plan come in that we can review and have it go through
Planning Commission and through City Council. I don't see us going anywhere else.
Councilman Engel: I think you may be right.
Mayor Mancino: Is there a second to the motion?
Councilwoman Jansen: So, I'm sorry. You're suggesting that this would come back in with a site plan,
right? Did I miss? Okay.
Mayor Mancino: Come back in with a site plan.
Councilwoman Jansen: I'll second.
Councilman Engel: I believe I've heard this one before.
Mayor Mancino: I know. I don't see us getting any closer. We're not going to get 4/5.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino moved, Councilwoman Jansen seconded to deny the rezoning and deny the
comprehensive land use plan amendment #99-1 and ask the developer to submit a site plan
application to go through the process. Mayor Mancino and Councilwoman Jansen voted in favor.
The rest of the Council voted in opposition. The motion failed with a'vote of 2 to 3.
Councilman Engel: You got an idea down there Mark?
Councilman Senn: Fresh out.
Councilman Engel: Roger? Legally.
Roger Knutson: The easiest thing is we all go home now and it will take care of itself.
Councilman Senn: Well then they get approved.
Roger Knutson: Yes. I didn't say it was the best thing.
Councilman Senn: I'm just pointing that out to people so they know.
Roger Knutson: You either act tonight or it's approved. You can act to deny it or you can act to approve
it. Or you can do nothing and it's approved.
Councilman Engel: In other words if we don't come to a decision.
Mayor Mancino: We're going to be here until we come to a decision.
Councilman Engel: So if we want to have any compassion, I'm going to use the word that gets thrown
around. Maybe the wrong word, for the neighbors, it's got to go in the motion and get voted on tonight?
Roger Knutson: You have to dispose of it tonight unless you get, unless they agree to give you an
extension.
Mayor Mancino: Which they have, they have said that they would give us a 30 day extension. To table
it.
Councilman Labatt: What are we going to accomplish?
Mayor Mancino: Well who knows. If people's mind changes or you know, etc. I've got to tell you, I
think it's important. I think it's very, very hard for us, don't get me wrong but it's also important what
we do and that we get a good majority that feel comfortable with where we're going...to have it go
through when none of us feel comfortable is just, I mean I'd like to see a site plan that we all feel
comfortable with. You know and if we get one in that we're not quite, how can we tweak it and make it
work. How can we work with both the church and the neighbors and I mean that's what we do a lot.
That's what we spend a lot of time doing. I mean that's what we did on Walnut Grove. That's what
we're going to do with other PUD's that come in. They never come in, a site plan never comes in
completely right at first. We work together to make it right for everyone. I think this is what it's going to
take.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Councilman Engel: Okay, let me take another stab at this because based on what, the calls I've gotten
from the neighbors, there ain't a great path through the woods but there is one. Doing nothing is not the
one you want. I can almost assure, I can guarantee you that. So I'm going to make that motion again.
Based .on the assisted living proposal and the renderings we were shown tonight in the staff report,
showing 32% impervious coverage, I would rezoning to senior assisted living per staff report. And I
would welcome an amendment if you so disagree.
Councilwoman Jansen: Well can I ask a question?
Councilman Engel: Please do.
Councilwoman Jansen: I think where we're getting hung up is trying to do the rezoning obviously before
the site plan. Is there a way to word this so that tonight we're not just carte blanche doing a rezoning to
senior assisted living but we're saying based on these parameters, given the site plan coming through the
system on these parameters, that's what we're approving.
Councilman Engel: I believe that's what I said. I'm trying to keep other'words out of there but that's
what I'm saying.
Mayor Mancino: It still has to come through site plan.
Roger Knutson: And a conditional use.
Mayor Mancino: And conditional use so more conditions can still be put on it.
Councilwoman Jansen: Okay, so we're not granting a rezoning to this tonight?
Mayor Mancino: Yes.
Councilman Engel: We are, but you've got to understand if we do nothing, we're not only granging the
zoning for .senior assisted living, we're giving everything in that plus legally. No other choice.
Scott Botcher: Assuming that, I mean except for what Jim said at the beginning, most of what's in
Kate's proposal is acceptable. As communicated anyway was acceptable to the church. I may be naYve
but I have to believe that it's acceptable to the church because it's acceptable to the ultimate user. Why
don't we just have the ultimate come in and make the proposal.
Mayor Mancino: A site plan.
Scott Botcher: I mean the church isn't going to do this unless they know it's acceptable to somebody.
They obviously have some understanding as to what may be acceptable in the marketplace.
Mayor Mancino: That would be true.
!Scott Botcher: ...people out there potentially to take this from Lutheran Brotherhood. I'm just raising
.the question. Big picture.
Mayor Mancino: So that again would be waiting until site plan comes in, because obviously these uses
are ones that.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Scott Botcher: And if you wanted to table for 30, I mean you talked about doing that and Jim said fine.
I don't know where they are but get the party in here. Do a site plan.
Mayor Mancino: Table it for site plan review?
Scott Botcher: No. I mean you guys are right, this is just messy all the way around at this point. And
it's very tough. It's terribly tough. I mean I don't want to go home and be vilified by, get kicked out of
the ELCA or something but.
Councilman Engel: Too late.
Scott Botcher: Yeah, thanks. Yeah, there goes my pledge. But I think, but I've got to ask the question.
You guys are working so hard but...is it your job to do the site plan? I'm done now.
Mayor Mancino: Okay. Oh wait, what was your motion?
Councilman Senn: I have a question. Do you think the neighborhood embraces the assisted living
facility? ...50,000 square feet.
Councilman Engel: I know they don't embrace everything but it's the plan that if they're given their
druthers, the only one I've not gotten total dissatisfaction with. Like I said, I'm trying to find a path
through the woods here. I know what it isn't. I know it's not nothing. It's no action on this council's
part. I know that isn't it. That's like pulling the pin and throwing the grenade and saying good luck.
Mayor Mancino: Is there a second to Mark's motion? Okay, I'll take a stab at a motion. I move that we
rezone the property to number one, institutional, which is church use only. And any physical expansion
of the existing church not to exceed 25,000 square feet. And number two, health service. Assisted living
facility subject to the following criteria. One resident per unit must be 55 years or older. That's it.
There's no office. There's no residential. Setbacks remain the same. The development site coverage
and building heights. Number one, the PUD standards for hard surface coverage is 55%. Under building
materials and design, number 4 says it's not or appropriate landscaping but and appropriate landscaping.
And that you delete medium density and office. And when the site plan comes in, this is my thinking,
and Roger I'I1 get to you on this. When the site plan comes in, when we actually see a real site plan, we
can look at that and make the determination at that time on square footage.
Councilman Labatt: Meets the criteria?
Mayor Mancino: That meets the criteria...
Councilman Senn: Essentially what happens is once you rezone the property, then you have to allow
them to re-use it. You have to allow a reasonable use of the property under that zoning.
Mayor Mancino: Well exactly but under your conditions imposable on permits, you have controlling the
number of area, both heights and location. Hold on. Hold on.
Roger Knutson: You could further restrict it greater than the impervious surface and setback
requirements if you can come up with specific reasons why it's appropriate for this site. Because it
would be a conditional use. For example, now I'm just making something up. It will generate too much
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
traffic for the local street capacity. If it's that X square feet. You know things like that you could restrict
!it'ssquare footage. But just, you couldn't, it wouldn't be a legislative decision at that point. It would be
quasi judicial. Or something like that. It'd have to be very concrete.
Councilman Engel: It's my belief Mayor that that motion puts the neighbors at greater risk than my
;motion does. Am I right or wrong?
Roger Knutson: It allows the developer to do more.
Mayor Mancino: Well it leaves it open and flexible to some degree. I mean you could say with a range
between 25,000 and 50 square feet I suppose.
Roger Knutson: Or you could say not to exceed.
Mayor Mancino: Not to exceed 50,000 square feet. And does that give us the right at the time, the
legislative right at the time, unencumbered, to limit it?
Roger Knutson: No. Because 50,000 square feet is the outside and then you have to have reasons why
you'd want to ratchet it down from that point.
Scott Botcher: I think legally you're in a defensive position.
Mayor Mancino: Yeah, got it.
Councilman Labatt: So can we, I'll take a stab at it. In a third motion here.
Mayor Mancinoi I think this is the fifth.
Councilman Labatt: Fifth? I move that we ask the applicant to table 30 days and come back...
Councilwoman Jansen: They're coming back here, not to the Planning Commission.
Kate Aanenson: Okay, this is where I'm having a little bit of problems because you're putting site plan.
We're not doing a site plan tonight. We're just trying to set up the framework so it comes back through
the process through a public hearing. What we're trying to say tonight is if it did come in, these are some
of the framework issues.
Mayor Mancino: I understand that but he's trying to.
Kate Aanenson: Well now you're tying site plan back into the rezoning. So and get an opinion from
Roger but that's what you're trying to do there. I think you need to back out of the whole thing and come
back through. Because you're trying to web the two together.
Councilman Senn: What I'm hearing is we cannot come up with a rezoning scenario that we can get
four people to agree on. So if that's the case let's just put it down and let's go on.
Roger Knutson: Motion to deny only requires three votes to pass.
Councilman Engel: Motion what?
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Roger Knutson: Motion to deny takes three votes.
Councilman Engel: I don't think that's what he's asking.
Roger Knutson: Turn it down?
Councilman Senn: Well we had three votes before in a motion to deny.
Roger Knutson: Did you? I didn't.
Scott Botcher: You only had two.
Kate Aanenson: No.
Councilwoman Jansen: We were two.
Mayor Mancino: We had two.
Councihnan Senn: I thought there was a second.
Kate Aanenson: No. 2 to 3.
Councilwoman Jansen: I'll make a motion to deny the rezoning.
Roger Knutson: And the comp plan.
Councilwoman Jansen: And the comprehensive plan revision.
Mayor Mancino: I'll second that.
Councilwoman Jansen moved, Mayor Mancino seconded to deny the rezoning for Hidden Valley
PUD and to deny the comprehensive land use plan amendment/199-1. All voted in favor, except
Councilman Engel and Councilman Labatt who opposed, and the motion carried with a vote of 3
to 2.
RESOLUTION ADOPTING A PRELIMINARY BUDGET AND PRELIMINARY TAX LEVY~
AUTHORIZE CERTIFICATION TO CARVER AND HENNEPIN COUNTIES.
Scott Botcher: The Finance Director is here to make his incredibly brief presentation.
Councilwoman Jansen: No.
Bruce DeJong: Hi. I've had three caffeine beverages tonight just to keep me awake to this point.
Councilman Engel: I've had eight since 4:00.
Bruce DeJong: I hope it works for you guys. I think this is pretty straight forward, and I just hope you'll
go ahead and approve this. I will give you two things and that is, I've been trying to dig through the debt
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
service stuff, which is the really the largest portion of the increase. And what I have found is somewhat
confusing because I can't tie out directly what special assessments are to be paid from the TIF district. I
just haven't had time to wrap my arms around that. Actually I went through and filled out something that
the State Department of Revenue requires us to fill out. I was working on that today, Form 280. And it
made it a little bit clearer but I still want to go back and tie out exactly, but it looks to me like if we
follow the same logic as we did last year, there are two debt service levies that we do not have to
completely levy and that would save us approximately $243,000 off the tax levy.
Scott Botcher: Here's essentially, and ifI screw up, since I've now been excommunicated...
Bruce DeJong: Dive in.
Scott Botcher: ...Here's essentially the deal. There's two parts that we haven't yet tied back clearly
because we haven't. Where it looks like last year's levy was, well the Park and Rec levy, Park and Rec
referendum levy last year appears to have been too high. Correct?
Bruce DeJong: Correct.
Councilman Senn: I was just going to say, why don't you quit skating around it and say that the levy last
year was substantially higher than the council legally approved it to be.
Scott Botcher: I don't know what you legally approved.
Councilman Senn: It's right in the minutes what we. approved.
Bruce DeJong: I don't have a clue because I haven't gone back to the minutes. All I've gone back to is
what the.
Mayor Mancino: Well I've got a copy of what we approved.
Scott Botcher: But then the second issue is, the whole issue with the special assessment debt and what
TIF revenues pay portions of special assessment debt and one of the issues that we need to consider as
we go down the road for other special assessment type projects is we need to maintain a sensitivity and
it's another one of the things piled on Bruce's lap to do some sort of analysis as to what we can accept. I
mean it's easy when you do special assessment sales and the city will buy out 20% of that project. Well
we've been sort of doing that in our 36 capital project funds and they've been adding up. And there's a
substantial financial commitment there now on behalf of the city that we just sort of need to watch a little
bit. What was the second levy that, the 200 and some thousand.
Bruce DeJong: The second levy was the two GO refundings of 1994.
Scott Botcher: That last year you applied the proceeds from that issue to servicing the special
assessment debt and the debt service, which is okay. What Bruce is saying is that he hasn't positively,
100% tied it back. You guys didn't know that? Is that correct Bruce? So Bruce is saying there's a
possibility of reducing the levy by the $200,000 and is it also a possibility of reducing it by the difference
in the park referendum?
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City Council Meeting ~ September 13, 1999
Bruce DeJong: Yes. It's possible to reduce this approximately $475,000, which would be a grand total
of $5,543,592 which is less than your levy last year. Or I mean it's less off an absolute dollar terms. It
would be you know 99% or 98% of the levy for this year.
Scott Botcher: The bottom line is I guess this is a CYA recommendation until we tie it back.
Bruce DeJong: I think this is a reasonable recommendation until I can you know do a good job with the
debt service study and make sure that I've got everything tied out and come back to you but a 5.8%
increase for the Truth in Taxation I think is probably less than what you've done last year. This is not
going up to the maximum by any stretch of the imagination.
Mayor Mancino: We've always done to the max.
Councilman Labatt: Mark, what was the last...
Councilman Engel: I think it was four something.
Mayor Maneino: No, at this time in the budget process last year we enacted the max.
Councilman Engel: That's right.
Councilman Labatt: Which was?
Mayor Mancino: I can't even remember but it was the max allowable.
Councilman Labatt: 147 20?
Mayor Mancino: I want to say it was, well for the entire levy it probably was but I can't remember, but
anyway it was, we always took the max that the legislature allowed. I don't think anything else had been
done.
Councilman Engel: ...established practice of the council that we just take the ....
Mayor Mancino: Yes we did last year. At this point we did .... so pegging this at 5.8% and saying we're
going to try and come underneath that is.
Scott Botcher: And we've identified close to half million dollars that we think we may be able to lop off
just once we're 100% sure that we can tie it all back. The other thing that's out there, and I'm not going
to belabor it but I'll talk to Nancy about it. The Southwest Metro Transit people are asking for 11%
increase. Whatever input those of you, I don't know who else is on the board over there.
Mayor Mancino: I am.
Scott Botcher: You and somebody else I thought though. That's something that maybe needs some
review.
Councilman Senn: Citizen member.
Councilman Labatt: It used to be Randy Herman.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Mayor Mancino: That was passed, as far as I can tell, that was passed at the June 28th meeting. 2000
Transit Service Levy Adoption was on the agenda for the June 28th meeting. It was l(m).
Scott Botcher: As a maximum though. As a max.
Councilman Senn: Plus we were told at that time we would have a chance to impact the time that we
adopted our own levy what that would be.
Scott Botcher: And you...studying their budget.
Councilman Senn: Yeah, just because you did it in June does not mean that you know equal that in this
levy.
Mayor Mancino: But we have to tell them that.
Councilman Senn: Southwest Transit has increased, it's up every year for the last several years. Or ever
since we went to the, where they opt out.
Scott Botcher: Is it appropriate to ask them to Come and make a budget presentation?
Mayor Mancino: Sure. I think they've done that before and we can have them before they make the... I
want to say, I'm just, well I can't remember. I was going to say, I don't think they've gone higher than
what we've gone as a city but I can't remember. Mark you were on the commission. You probably
remember that more than I would.
Councilman Senn: As far as what?
Mayor Mancino: As far as their levy, Southwest Metro levy not being any higher in percentage increase
than the city would levy increase.
Councilman Senn: That was the, how would you say, that was the general operating policy that was
established by Southwest at that time. That they wouldn't exceed the City's levies and stuff but they
would always at the initial one do out the max and the reason they gave they'd do out the max initially
was if they didn't do the max, Met Council would step in and take whatever the difference between the
max and the actual was.
Councilwoman Jansen: Can I ask a question? Hopefully a short one. For a change. If what we're trying
to accomplish tonight is just simply pass something that ultimately, if I understand this correctly, we
don't have to hold ourselves to but we can't go over as far as the levy. We've got all these moving
targets that are out there right now where we're still trying to figure out what went where and who went
which direction.
Mayor Mancino: Let's make it easy.
Councilman Senn: It's not quite that simple.
Councilwoman Jansen: Well we're trying.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Councilman Senn: It's also the basis on which everything is mailed out to every citizen in our city
saying here's what your city council is doing and this is what they are adopting for a levy.
Councilwoman Jansen: And if properly reported that what we are doing, if we had a discussion about
simply leaving our options open as we're evaluating what all of our positions are and we're not even
close yet. We have time to evaluate from now until the final hearing, correct in December.
Bruce DeJong: That is correct.
Councilwoman Jansen: So if we approve this number we think we're comfortable with and we eliminate
the option of being able to go over that, aren't we just taking a little bit of a risk, and I trust obviously
that you've gone through the numbers. You're comfortable with it. I'm trying to figure out why we
wouldn't just exercise the option. I realize you know there's a philosophical difference on advertising
that you're going to the maximum. But if we're doing that in order to properly analyze where we are
currently and we're giving ourselves the time to do that to where we're comfortable with our debt
numbers. Comfortable with where our fund balances are going to be used. I mean I don't know that
we've gone through to that great detail to where we can say okay, we're not going to need to go above
that. We don't want to go above the 5.8 but what if need arises and we've given up the option?
Scott Botcher: I guess what we tried to do, and because this was the council's direction in June, was to
not publish the max. Personally I would rather not publish the max. Personally I wish that the budget
was nice and clean and we could pull it all tight together and say here it is. We're obviously, we've been
whittling down and whittling down and best as we can and my guess is probably within a week we can
come back to you and say hey, guess what. We can lop that offthere but we can't do that right now. The
flip side of it is, is that Mark's right in the fact that the constituents will hit us up and good god, you
know what is this max thing. I guess the risk abatement is the fact that as we went through our fund
balances the other day, you have very adequate fund balances above the required reserve mandate in the
fiscal policy and so I guess I would tend to lend more toward not doing the max because you have a
pretty good comfort level on everything but these two items. And if we vCere risk takers, and we've
talked about this for the last couple days. If we wanted to be more risky we'd say ah, we have the right.
Let's do it but we want to make sure you tie it down. There's nothing to gain by doing that at this point
and there's a lot more to lose. So that's why we made the recommendation that we did.
Mayor Mancino: Which is the 5.78% levy.
Scott Botcher: Correct.
Mayor Mancino: I'd like to move that we go ahead and approve the levy at 5.78% over last year, and I'll
give my rationale to say that I think the general fund net levy at 3.5% higher is fine for max for the
general levy and I'm assuming that as you do the research on the rest of the debt service that we may be
able to bring that 5.8% down.
Bruce DeJong: Yes. I'm fairly positive that we'll be able to bring that down. That's the part that really
scares me because it's not easy to tie out based on the information that's available right now. And I don't
want to, I'll tell you, boy this is really going to sound terrible when the transcript comes out but, I'll tell
you that part of our meeting with the auditors next week is going to be related to the fund balances in
each individual debt service fund and they have some concerns about that that they've expressed in their
management letter. And so I don't want to handicap or limit us in any way because I don't know which
funds are probably going to be below and which funds are just fine, and I have to list on this form for the
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Department of Revenue each individual bond issue and how much we're levying so I'm being very
careful with that. That we've kept sufficient amount in each one of those that we will be able to meet our
obligations.
Mayor Mancino: I have a motion to accept staff's suggestion of the proposed levy certification. Is there
a second?
Councilman Labatt: Second.
Bruce DeJong: I do want to mention one more thing. Nothing has been included in the budget related to
any increase in the county contract for police services. If you want to maintain flexibility for that I would
recommend increasing the general fund levy above where you're at. Right now we are at status quo in
the budget and that's where we are here.
Scott Botcher: Unless, except for the fact again, and this was my own position on it. As I said, the
annual increase that you could potentially be looking at for the county contract is not so extreme that the
fund balance probably wouldn't cover it. My own opinion. But just so, Bruce is right. If you decide,
and it's not only the county contract. Any expenditures. You want to buy each of you those
expensive...laptops. No, that's not in there. And anything that you don't offset by reducing
expenditures elsewhere, which very well may do. Needs to be made up by alternative revenue sources or
fund balances. But as far as meeting the county contract if you chose to do that with the increase
expenditure, you're fine.
Councilwoman Jansen: And we're also looking at using, this is from my questioning you guys on Friday.
Thank you very much. We're also using the fund balances to address any capital expenditures including
the equipment 950 request that we pulled out, correct?
Scott Botcher: Some of the capital expenditures are listed in the respective funds and will pay for either
levy, enterprise funds revenue streams or fund balances. A number of the capital items that were in 950
as well :as the issues that are in the capital plan anyway, in all probability, unless you want to do
something different, will be paid for through a debt issue. Longer capital issues make some sense.
That's what we had talked about.
Councilwoman Jansen: Okay. Not fund balances, okay.
Scott Botcher: Again it's, you know we're just trying, utilizing the two of those as tools, you can do that
but you know you guys had stuff just spread out that you didn't know. And you couldn't have known.
Mayor Mancino: There's a motion and there's a second.
Resolution #99-78: Mayor Mancino moved, Councilman Labatt seconded to approve a resolution
setting the proposed Property Tax Levy Certification at 5.78% higher than the final levy certified
to Carver County in 1998. All voted in favor, except Councilwoman Jansen who opposed, and the
motion carried with a vote of 4 to 1.
Councilman Senn: I'm going to say yes with comment, which is my right.
Mayor Mancino: Absolutely.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Councilman Senn: And my comment is that I will vote yes on this to move it along but under no
circumstances will I support this kind of a levy increase when it comes down to it.
Mayor Mancino: Okay, that's fine. Linda, did you vote?
Councilwoman Jansen: Nay.
Mayor Mancino: So we have four yes's and one nay. On the revised property tax division, Department
of Revenue for payable 2000 TIF Aid reductions. We get a reduction of HACA for right around
$280,000 because of TIF, correct? Am I reading that right Bruce?
Bruce DeJong: It's actually a reduction of $302,000. What they did to us was they took our local
performance aid, which was never a deduction on any of these forms and the legislature eliminated local
performance aid. Rolled it into the local government aid formula and took it away from us. Had they not
done that they would have reduced our HACA by another $20,460.
Mayor Mancino: Thank you.
ADMINISTRATIVE PRESENTATIONS:
SCHOOL DISTRICT 112 YOUTH COMMISSION~ CITY MANAGER.
Mayor Mancino: The District 112 Youth Commission. Any questions on this? Everybody feel just
comfortable going ahead?
Councilman Senn: Other than the fact that you totally confused me.
Mayor Mancino: What?
Councilman Senn: Because in the past we always appointed one adult and one student to this.
Mayor Mancino: We already have a student.
Councilman Senn: Continuing you mean?
Mayor Mancino: Yes, that has one more year.
Scott Botcher: The terms are opposite of each other.
Councilman Senn: Oh, so it's a multi year term now?
Scott Botcher: No, it's just one but, no you're right. Yeah, two year.
Councilman Senn: Because it never was before. That's why I'm confused.
Scott Botcher: They're a year apart.
Mayor Mancino: And we got an e-mail from Scott telling us who the Youth Commission person is. And
I can't remember her name at this point.
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
RECOMMENDATION FROM SHERIFF BUD OLSON~ CITY MANAGER.
Scott Botcher: I just want to seek some input from you all on how you.want to proceed with this. If you
think this should come back to, go back to Law Enforcement Task Force. If it should go to Council and
you guys should really start chewing on it and give it some closure. I know you have one member I think
of the task force who moved to Sacramento or something. And you've got a lady, drawing a blank who it
is. Who's on it. If you still wanted to have her input on this, I think that would be easy enough to
accomplish. I just want to make sure that I've got it pushing along and Todd primarily has it pushing
along in the direction you wantit to go.
Mayor Mancino: And it's part of our budget. Any suggestions?
Councilman Senn: City Council work session.
Mayor Mancino: And invite Greg and Colleen?
Scott Botcher: And how about Bud?
Mayor Mancino: And Bud. Bud make a presentation.
Councilman Engel: Good idea.
Scott Botcher: I'll do it.
Mayor Mancino: Go forward on that.
Councilman Labatt: What date would you put that on?
Scott Botcher: I have no idea.
Councilman Labatt: It won't be next week?
Councilman Senn: I would like to request a City Council only executive session.
Mayor Mancino: Right now?
Councilman Senn: Right now.
Councilman Engel: Alright, second.
Roger Knutson: State the purpose.
Councilman Senn: The purpose is to discuss a litigation matter.
Mayor Mancino: Is that enough Roger?
Roger Knutson: Can you specify what it is?
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City Council Meeting - September 13, 1999
Councilman Senn: Do I have to?
Roger Knutson: Preferable.
Councilman Senn: I would prefer not to.
Councilman Engel: Should Roger stay?
Mayor Mancino: Okay, the City Council will go into Executive Session.
Roger Knutson: I have to stay.
Mayor Mancino adjourned the City Council meeting at 11:40 p.m. and convened into an Executive
Session.
Submitted by Scott Botcher
City Manager
Prepared by Nann Opheim ~
81
CHANHASSEN PLANNING COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
SEPTEMBER 1, 1999
Vice Chairman Joyce called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Alison Blackowiak, Matt Burton, LuAnn Sidney, Deb Kind, Kevin
Joyce, and Ladd Conrad
MEMBERS ABSENT: Craig Peterson
STAFF PRESENT: Kate Aanenson, Community Development Director; Sharmin A1-Jaff,
Senior Planner; and Dave Hempel, Asst. City Engineer
PUBLIC HEARING:
SiTE PLAN APPROVAL FOR A 5~223 SQ. FT. RESTAURANT~ RUBY TUESDAY ON
PROPERTY ZONED PUD~ AND LOCATED ON LOT Iv BLOCK 1~ VILLAGES ON THE
PONDS SECOND ADDITION~ ALLIANT ENGINEERING~ INC.
Public Present:
Name Address
Bob Savard 8080 Marsh Drive
Sharmin AI-Jaff presented the staff report on this item.
Joyce: Any questions for staff?.
Kind: Sharmin yo,u recommend putting, or removing the signage on the pond. Could the
applicant choose to remove, which one would be not the front of the.
A1-Jaff: Highway 5? They don't have.
Kind: Which way do the two that you're recommending keeping face?
AI-Jaff.' The one that faces the...and the one that faces the parking lot.
Kind: So they could for instance give the parking lot one and keep the one that faces Highway 5
or the pond?
A1-Jaff: No. Because the ordinance, well they could apply for a variance and you would have to
grant a variance. The parking lot is their main entrance.
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Kind: Okay, so they could keep the parking lot and the one on Highway 5 and get rid of, could
they pick whatever two they want?
Al-Jarl: They need two. They could keep two.
Kind: But the pond, Highway 5 one would require a variance?
A1-Jaff: Correct.
Kind: I can just understand why they would want a sign on Highway 5 so I'm trying to figurei
that one out.
Blackowiak: Mr. Chair, Sharmin I've got a question about the trash enclosure. Was this
approved as part of the Famous Dave's or part of the retail?
A1-Jaff: It was done with both applications went through at the same time.
Blackowiak: And are you comfortable with what is being proposed and it still seems to serv~ the
needs of both lots?
A1-Jaff: Yes. We looked at that in depth when Famous Dave's came in and we looked at twb
separate trash enclosures, one for the retail building and another one for Famous Dave's and ~fier
a lengthy discussion everyone agreed that a shared trash enclosure would be the best solution4
Burton: Mr. Chairman. Sharmin, can you give us a little more background on your discussions
with the applicant regarding the west and south elevations and what you're recommending ani:l
what their responses have been.
Al-Jarl: Our understanding is that one of the major issues that they would be facing would ~
cost associated if they were to add windows to the building. Meanwhile staff has to enforce t..he
requirements of the planned unit development. And we went through three reviSions. With ~e
first proposal they were proposing to paint the columns. It would be painted brick and we tol{d
them that that wasn't an acceptable solution. Painted brick is not permitted in the PUD. The.~
eliminated that. The paint. And the revisions basically showed brick only. Well, the building
looked very plain. The awnings were still there. With the third revisions, which is before yO~t
today, they came back with the EFIS and the awning. They included tile for the diamond shaped
accents on top of the building. We're also running against a deadline for the 120 days and w~
basically had to bring this before you. i
Sidney: One more thing Sharmin. In the development design standards, point 11 it talks ab{ut
slope roof elements.., i
Al-Jarl: It's a combin/ttion of a pitched element that they have on the building and staff added to
that the awnings as sloped element as well. They need to meet a 70% slope.
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Sidney: The awnings...
A1-Jaff: One other thing. The only thing we have as far as samples is the brick. We don't have
the colors that will be used on the awnings or the roof or. Thank you.
Joyce: I do have one question. I do concur with you that this seems like an awful lot of light
fixtures. Condition 9 we have the applicant shall reduce the number of light fixtures. Should we
be a little more specific like right now so that they understand how they need to reduce so they
can comply to that? Do you feel comfortable putting a guideline in there?
A1-Jaff: They feel that that is a trademark part of the corporate logo for Ruby Tuesday. It's very
important for them to keep those fixtures. Again, we haven't received a photometrics for the
lights but I went and visited other Ruby Tuesdays, specifically the one in Edina in Southdale.
There is no glare whatsoever.
Joyce: Are you going to need a photometric for both this and the parking lot, correct?
AI-Jaff: Yes. The light fixtures are shielded.
Joyce: I understand but I just think that that condition, because it's very open ended and I'm just
feeling that it might be...process we should close it up a little. With that said, any other
questions?
Conrad: Just one Kevin, or Mr. Chair.
fake windows?
I mean when you talk about adding windows, are they
A1-Jaff: We looked at the interior plan for this side and the areas, the problem areas are where
they have their storage coolers so my guess it would have to be fake windows. It's something
that Houlihan's did. They added three windows and the hotel, they added six windows.
Conrad: Real or fake?
Aanenson: Fake.
A1-Jaff: We're trying to maintain the same standards and requirements of all applicants within
the PUD.
Conrad: The hotel it's relatively easy to do. With rooms on all sides. Restaurants it's tough but
we're talking about, and detail wise you've recommended like on the south elevation one or two
fake windows? What have we recommended? I'm going to have a tough time voting for the
staff recommendation because I'm not sure what it really is.
A1-Jaff: Basically where you have the awning, underneath that. You may have a window.
Planning Commission Meeting- September 1, 1999
Conrad: Okay. So the full awning, and why. Visually that doesn't bother me personally.
Visually it seems if they put another column like their green and yellow columns to the left of the
awning, there would be some interest to this. But it is your recommendation that a fake window
that you can't see through is a better architectural detail? And you know I don't like, I don't
want to be involved in architectural things but it's going to be hard for me to swing with the
condition here ifI don't understand what we.
Aanenson: This is the third draft and the problem was the articulation on that facade so Sharmin
was working to try to get some additional articulation. They came back with the canopy and we
thought well, that makes you believe there's a window under it. So if you have a concern with
putting a window there, then we would suggest they do something else to make that not along,
unadorned wall. That was the concern that Sharmin was trying to resolve. That was our
response. I'm certain they can...
Conrad: I'll reinforce the Chairman's comment about the light fixtures. I think we'd like the
flexibility to review what they could bring back, is the way I'm reading your conditions. Is that
what you're looking for is the ability to look back? We don't really have an ordinance that says
you can't have 72 fixtures?
A1-Jaff: As long as they meet the requirements of the photometrics.
Conrad: Yeah, okay. And they're way under in terms of signage square footage, so and they
certainly could put signage on TH 5, right?
A1-Jaff: Right.
Conrad: We want them to actually. Yeah I think that's, we want to help them promote
themselves and not putting it on TH 5, I'm just making sure that, if that's where they want it but
boy, we don't want to restrict Highway 5 visibility. We want them to be successful. Okay, thank
you.
Joyce: Okay. If the applicant would like to address the Planning Commission at this time, please
step forward and state your name and address please.
Gerry Ruta: Good evening. My name is Gerry Ruta. I'm the President and CEO of RT
Minneapolis. I live at 8391 West Lake Drive in Chanhassen. My family and I moved to
Chanhassen about two years ago and I'm excited to talk to you tonight about Ruby Tuesday. I'd
like to give you a brief overview on the restaurant and my colleague tonight, Scott Nelson will
talk to you about the architecture and address some of the questions you may have. Ruby
Tuesday is a restaurant that's been in business since 1972. Most of the restaurants are east of the
Mississippi and south. There are 385 restaurants nationwide. My company bought the three
existing restaurants in the Twin Cities, Southdale, Rosedale, Mall of America October of 1998.
So we've been doing business as an entity for approximately one year. We have plans on
building six, I'm sorry, 9 more restaurants within the next 5 to 6 years within the Twin Cities.
Most of these restaurants will be free standing restaurants as you see today. We have been
4
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
working, as Sharmin has said, for the past several months on presenting a building that will be
acceptable to the PUD requirements of the Village on the Pond plan. We're excited to be a part
of the vision of this development. The staff recommendations are very good ones and we've
made quite a number of changes to our prototypical building. As we build our brand in the Twin
Cities, it's important to us that when building a brand you address service, great food, and of
course the image that you project. Part of that image is the prototype for the building. So we've
been working within the PUD requirements as well as our Ruby Tuesday incorporated
requirements as far as prototypical design goes. We think we've come up with a design that
should address most of those, and Scott can talk to you more about the architecture of the
building. And I'd like to bring Scott up right now.
Scott Nelson: Good evening. My name is Scott Nelson. I'm the project architect from DGR
Architecture and we've been working with Gerry and the staff here for several months and as
Sharmin has indicated, done several revisions in listening to the concerns of staff and in trying to
address the concerns and respond with some new ideas. Just say a couple things. Our company
does a lot of work with prototype restaurants and I won't name them all but I think in doing those
we've really begun to appreciate what Ruby Tuesdays does in their brand identity and their
enforcement of the prototypical standards. I think that as a prototype restaurant, as opposed to
several, this is not a box design, as many are ora 60 x 100 box. The building itself, the floor
plan itself is a very well articulated thing with ins and outs. Changes in height. It also uses some
very traditional brick detailing. Corbels, soldier coursing, diamonds that we've added tile to and
with the pilaster design we've gone through a couple revisions. Have changed these to an EFIS
which brings some color and texture to the building and their basic prototype design is made to
fit into small towns, urban centers, some of the neotraditional design type of ideas. We've
reviewed the conditions of approval ! believe that number 20 on here and we really don't have
issue with any of them but two that I'd like to discuss and review and you've actually touched on
a couple of these already ifI might. And we're more than willing to work with, continue to work
with the staff on a couple of the landscaping issues. I think a number of these have already been
addressed and we'll be happy to work with the building department as it goes through to the code
issue. You touched already on the issue of the fake window I'll call it, and we've discussed in
looking at a couple of possibilities, ifI could refer to the plan here. Refer to the elevations. The
reference was made in the revisions that additional windows should be added to the south and
west elevation. Actually the way the building... The south elevation is really an articulation of
steps that doesn't really show well...but this first piece right here we could add a window that
could be a real window...we've added the awning in the center in response to some of the staff
comments to provide some additional color and some texture out there. We also in the
initial...added a number of additional pilasters at all the comers, not just what's inside... We've
added them basically around the whole building. Added some additional canopies for it, and
light fixtures. Actually added a number of light fixtures so that it would look like one of the, one
that is typically the front and the side. We'd be more than happy to work with staff on...a dozen
or more light fixtures. Anyway, our hope was to get... The west elevation is a little more trouble
because all of that area back there is cooler, restrooms and service area that would be impacted
by windows... Especially at night to seeing through or seeing... The other condition that we have
some issue with is the signage on the west elevation which Sharmin pointed out .... area plan
here that shows where our site sits relative to the pond. Right across the pond from Houlihan's.
5
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Their building, because of the atrium inside, they're able to turn their building slightly such that
they can actually get the three signs and have all of them facing TH5 and the parking area. We
think that .the vision of the building coming from the west on Highway 5 is very
important...believe that we still need the one on the north side. Of course on the... We're more
than willing to continue to work with staff...couple of issues but those are the key...
Joyce: Commissioners have any questions for the applicant?
Conrad: Yeah...elevation, which is the side closest to the road? To Highway 5.
Scott Nelson: That would be this one.
Conrad: Okay. And so it was kind of, but you put the signage on the end away from the
highway.
Scott Nelson: Oh I'm sorry.
A1-Jaff: The only elevation that doesn't have any signage is the south elevation which faces the
Villages.
Conrad: Sharmin, that doesn't help with my question. So on the elevation I'm looking at, Ruby
Tuesdays is on the west elevation, the name you've put away from Highway 5 or, which is north
on that elevation? On this particular schematic, which direction is north?
Scott Nelson: It is the one with the entry.
Conrad: Okay.
Scott Nelson: See how the canopies cluster...and we've added light fixtures over... Ideally we'd
put our sign as far north...
Conrad: No, I think it would benefit you by putting it closer a little bit.
Scott Nelson: I think one of the reasons we looked at that there were some landscaping
elements...application. They're really kind of clumped around the comer. They've actually...
Joyce: Anything else? The comment I'd like to make is we like to have live samples of the
materials and I'm sure that City Council would probably like to see those.., samples of the, what
do we have just the brick here tonight?
Aanenson: The colors.
Scott Nelson: Stucco, the canopy.
Joyce: I would highly recommend that.
6
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Scott Nelson: Okay. But they are very close to what you see here.
Joyce: Considering that this is part of a PUD, we like to...
Scott Nelson: We'd be happy to do that.
Joyce: Okay. Alright, could I have a motion to open this up for a public hearing please.
Conrad moved, Blackowiak seconded to open the public hearing. The public hearing was
opened.
Joyce: This item is open up for a public hearing. If anyone would like to address the Planning
Commission on this topic, please step forward.
Bob Savard: Good evening, my name is Bob Savard and I live at 8080 Marsh Drive and I'm the
closest current residential neighbor to this development. My concern is particularly with the
addition of a patio at some time. Noise. We already have a development in Villages on the Pond
that has a patio and I have a problem with the noise. My concern is what will we do to try to
prevent extreme noise. I can stand in my bedroom and recite the words to the music that's
coming from the current live entertainment on the patio at Houlihan's and I certainly don't want
that to happen again. I'd like to make it clear though that I've been a strong supporter of the
development of Villages on the Pond, but in this particular case I'm concerned about that issue.
And secondly, I look at the south elevation of this building from my home. And I would be
concerned about how that appears aesthetically to me. Personally so thank you.
Joyce: Anyone else like to address the Planning Commission? Seeing none, could I get a motion
to close.
Conrad moved, Blackowiak seconded to close the public hearing. The public hearing was
closed.
Joyce: Back to the commissioners. We'll start off and put on this item.
Burton: Alright Mr. Chairman I'll venture forth here. I think it's basically a pretty nice project.
I do agree pretty much right down the line with the staff recommendations. I looked at the PUD
standards and it says that there shall not be undeveloped back sides of buildings. All elevations
shall receive nearly equal treatment and visual qualities, and I guess it's subjective but I don't
believe that they've met those standards and I don't think that the staff is trying to address that
with their recommendations. So I pretty much agree with the staff and then since the applicant is
willing to put a window on the south side there by the entry, I think we should require that they
do that.
Joyce: Anyone else have any comments on this project.
7
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Blackowiak: Mr. Chairman, I'll jump in. I agree with Matt. I also feel that the south and west
elevation needs some further interest. Specifically on the south, that is what many of the
pedestrians and a majority of the people who are going to be walking and doing business in the
Villages will be seeing. So I think that that is as important an elevation as the north almost. I
mean there might be granted more traffic per se. More cars per day. Whatever, but the south
elevation is going to be very important to the bulk of the Villages and to leave it totally brick, I
mean although brick is nice. I'm not saying it's not but I think we need a lot more interest there
because by itself it's just not going to do it. I feel that the applicant should consider a west sign.
I feel that the staff needs to really work with them on getting a western sign. I would encourage,
strongly encourage the applicant to do a patio right away, and although Mr. Savard was worried
about noise, I feel that this patio is on the northwest comer of the building and pretty much
screened by the entire building itself so I don't feel that noise would be, I could be wrong. I
don't think it would be a real major at this point because of how the building is placed. The fact
that it probably will project more towards Highway 5 than towards the southeast. And again, if
noise is a concern I'm assuming we have a noise ordinance. If they're exceeding some type of
decibel threshold we have, that that can be looked into but that I guess is another issue. And then
finally just make sure that we get a little more interest of whether it's a false window or whatever
it may be. More columns or something but don't leave the south and west elevations blank
because that just doesn't quite make it. It's not a complete building in my mind then. I need to
look at all four sides equally...
Burton: Mr. Chairman, can I follow up on one thing? A question for staff. Is the sign issue the
same issue we had with the Chinese restaurant that was across the way? Is it any different?
Weren't they looking for an extra sign and we wouldn't let them?
Aanenson: Yes.
Burton: Isn't this the same?
Aanenson: ...that would be frontage, correct.
Joyce: I'll ask a similar question...do you know?
A1-Jaff: Technically, as the ordinance reads you would need to give them a variance to put a
sign facing the pond.
Joyce: So in essence they'd have to come back to us? Did I open up a can of worms here?
Kind: Mr. Chairman, I didn't hear the answer. How many signs does Houlihan's have?
A1-Jaff: Three. One facing TH 5. One facing the interior of the development, Pond Promenade,
and the third one is facing the parking lot, which is permitted by ordinance.
Kind: They have signs on three sides of every building?
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
A1-Jaff: Correct. That is permitted by ordinance. Under the PUD requirements.
Kind: I don't get how this is different.
Blackowiak: Yeah exactly. Why does this need a variance as opposed to Houlihan's?
Al-Jarl: Houlihan's, signage on Houlihan's faces Highway 5, which is a street frontage. Pond
Promenade which is another street frontage. And the parking lot, which is also another permitted
elevation under the PUD requirement. With this application, with Ruby Tuesday, they have one
sign facing TH 5, which is okay, under the requirements. One facing the parking lot, which is
also okay. The third one is facing the pond, which is not permitted under the PUD requirements.
It could face south which is Pond Promenade and then they would have a similar situation to
what Houlihan's has.
Kind: How would you make the argument that the one facing the pond is also facing Highway
5?
Al-Jarl: They have one on Highway 5.
Kind: You can only count Highway 5 once? . ..got it. Mr. Chairman, I'll just speak to my
points. I would like to be able to see them to have a sign on the west elevation. It's important. I
would also encourage them to move it towards Highway 5. Do different landscaping or
whatever. And I agree with everything else that was said.
Joyce: Anything else?
Conrad: Well I like this. It's got some life to it and it's probably not Chanhassen. This has got
more character and color and it's kind of fun. I think you've all said the right stuff. Their
signage is real understated and therefore I guess I'd like to figure out how we could help them. I
don't want to break the rules however. There's no point to break the rules but their signage is
really understated and that's kind of neat so I'd like to make sure they have the right visibility so
staff that's, everything I've said is a contradiction. I don't know that you can do that. I think if
we can, a couple architectural details are going to solve some problems, especially on the south
elevation. If they can put a window in there. If they could put one more column or...or
whatever, boy that's going to solve it. I think it's real close and if they want to reduce the, if they
feel that they have too many lights, it looks fine to me but if staff wants to reduce it. It adds
character to the building and again, I don't know how we figure out what the right number is but
they seem to be willing so I think we should leave that in there and give staff flexibility but on
the other hand I don't think I want to say strip out, it does add character and we're not, I'm not
trying to reduce it by 50% by any means so that's clear. I think it's a nice building.
Joyce: Yeah. I'd have to echo everything else that people said. I would like conditions, if we
can make a motion to enter a photometrics study for the light fixtures and if that's okay, I'm
going to back off on how many light fixtures there are. I just want to make sure that we're not
exceeding anything. But after your explanation I can see they are kind of more decorative than
9
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
intrusive so as long as there's a, the photometrics comes back okay, I personally don'
problem with the lights. As far as the other condition about the windows under there
elevation is what really what I'm concerned with and I just think a little bit oftweakiJ
have any
the south
g with
some articulation, that's to your benefit obviously. I think Houlihan's did a good job on all four
sides of their building and you're 99% of the way there. I hope you can work out with staff...I
think that can be resolved. With all those comments said, can we get a motion for this.
Blackowiak: Well I'll make a motion that the Planning Commission recommends approval of
Site Plan #97-12 for a 5,223 square foot building, Ruby Tuesdays on Lot 1, Block 1, Villages on
the Pond 2nd Addition, dated received August 16, 1999, subject to the following conditions, and
I'm going to renumber slightly. The little glitch here. 1 through 5 stand as written. 6 and 7
aren't there so let's renumber 8 through 22 to read 6 through 20. And therefore it will be
conditions 1 through 20 and Kevin, photometrics is addressed in the final condition so if you
want to just take a brief look and see if you're satisfied with that.
Joyce: That's parking lot. That's what I was concerned about.
Blackowiak: Okay, then I'll revise renumbered condition 20. The applicant shall provide
parking lot lighting plan, light fixtures, design height, location photometrics, etc for review and
approval. The applicant shall also provide similar information for the building lighting as a
whole. Does that do it? Okay.
Kind: I was going to suggest another way to rewording that is just to delete parking lot.
Aanenson: Put them both in there. Parking and building lighting photometrics.
Joyce: ...friendly amendment for your condition.
Blackowiak: Sure. Parking lot and building.
Kind: I'll second that.
Joyce: Alright. Is there any discussion?
Conrad: Ah yeah, on condition 10. Staff has said adding windows so are we saying, do we like
fake windows?
Kind: I prefer the real one if they want to add them.
Com'ad: Well yeah. It still has some merit. The fake thing, you know why do we want to do
that?
Kind: You could just have it be adding windows period. Get rid of the last part of the sentence,
under the awning.
10
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Conrad: That might be more flexible. I think it's phony adding fake windows. It's a personal
deal and I'm not into architecture on this but maybe we could. By adding windows or
architectural detail, that might be a better way to let staff negotiate or revise it a little bit, if we
could do that.
Joyce: I'll entertain another friendly amendment. Would anyone like to make that friendly
amendment?
Kind: Did somebody make it? I'll make it. Number 10, which is actually number 8 will read
the west and south building elevation shall be revised by adding windows?
Conrad: And other architectural details.
Kind: Or other architectural details.
Blackowiak: Okay, I will accept that friendly amendment.
Kind: While we're into amending conditions, I'm wondering about number 9. If we should just
get rid of it. Because I think it's addressed on number 20.
Joyce: It's Alison's motion.
Kind: What do you think Alison?
Blackowiak: You know, I don't have a strong feeling either way I guess. I mean we could leave
it in. I mean this is a recommendation so.
Joyce: That sounds good. Motion made, do we have a second?
Kind: I seconded it.
Joyce: Thank you. Discussion we've had. Are we done with discussion? Good.
Blackowiak moved, Kind seconded that the Planning Commission recommend approval of
Site Plan #97-12 for a 5,223 square foot building (Ruby Tuesday's) on Lot 1, Block 1,
Villages on the Ponds 2"d Addition, dated received August 16, 1999, subject to the following
conditions:
Landscape islands will need to be increased to ten feet wide or aeration tubing will be
required to be installed.
The applicant shall vary the locations and species of plants to create a more interesting
landscape design around the building and pond.
11
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
o
The developer shall enter into a site plan agreement and provide the necessary security
required by the agreement.
4. Add planter boxes to west side of building.
5. All rooftop equipment shall be screened from views.
6. The Famous Dave's site plan shall be officially withdrawn.
7. The applicant shall reduce the number of light fixtures.
o
The west and south building elevations shall be revised by adding windows or other
architectural details.
o -
The proposed commercial development of 2.13 net developable acres is responsible for a
water quantity fee of $9,287. This fee is due payable to the City prior to the City filing the
final plat.
10. The wall mounted sign along the west elevation shall not be permitted.
11. Building Official conditions:
a) The building is required to have fire sprinklers.
b) The utility plan was not reviewed at this time.
c) The floor plan was reviewed for exit separation only.
d) I recommend that the building owner and/or their representatives meet with the
Inspections Division as soon as possible to discuss plan review and permit procedures.
12.
All areas disturbed as a result of construction activities shall be immediately restored with
seed and disc-mulched or wood fiber blanket or sod within two weeks of completion of
each activity in accordance with the City's Best Management Practice Handbook. All
storm sewer inlets shall be protected with erosion control measures until all disturbed areas
have been revegetated. A rock construction entrance shall be maintained until the parking
lots and driveways have been paved with a bituminous surface out to Great Plains
Boulevard.
13.
The sidewalk on the site shall be constructed in conjunction with the overall site
improvements and prior to issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy unless inclement weather
conditions prohibit. The applicant shall coordinate installation of the proposed
trail/walkway along the west side of Lot 1 through Outlot B, Villages on the Ponds with the
developer of Villages on the Ponds.
14.
The sanitary sewer and water lines and storm sewer on the site will be privately owned and
maintained by the property owner and not the City. The applicant shall be responsible for
obtaining the appropriate sewer, water and plumbing permits from the City's Building
12
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Department. Cross-access easements for the utilities and driveways shall be dedicated over
the lot.
15. Mylar as-built construction plans of the utility improvements will be required by the City
upon completion of the site improvements.
16.
A building permit shall not be issued until the access driveway meets fire code
requirements. The driveway may be constructed with a bituminous and/or Class 5 gravel
section, 20 feet wide which meets a 7 ton per axle design.
17. Staff recommends the applicant consider raising the curb elevation/parking lot grade in the
northwest comer of the site a minimum of one foot.
18.
Construction plans for utility extension to the lot from Main Street and Grandview Road
shall be submitted and approved by the City prior to issuance of building permits. All
utilities shall be constructed in accordance with the City's latest edition of standard
specifications and detail plates.
19. The applicant shall provide parking lot and building lighting plan, i.e., light fixture design
and height, location, photometrics, etc. for review and approval.
All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously.
PUBLIC HEARING:
CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT REQUEST TO CONSTRUCT A 100 FOOT TALL
MONOPOLE TOWER WIRELESS COMMUNICATION FACILITY ON PROPERTY
ZONED RSF~ RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY AND LOCATED AT 4151 HIGHWAY
7~ U.S. WEST WIRELESS IN CONJUNCTION WITH HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN
CHURCH.
Public Present:
Name Address
Dave Fischer
Peter Keller
Deb Reiff
Robert & Mary Blue
Barry & Giselle Matsui
Loren Witte
Bea Gemlo
Bill & Loma Slott
Jason Hahn
Pat Yantes
US West Wireless
6760 Country Oaks Road
6750 Country Oaks Road
6770 Country Oaks Road
4170 Hallgren Lane
4101 Glendale Drive
6780 Country Oaks Road
4167 Hallgren Lane
4142 & 4162 Hallgren Lane
4156 Hallgren Lane
13
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Sharmin AI-Jaff presented the staff report on this item.
Joyce: Any questions for staff at this time?
Kind: Move to open the public hearing.
Joyce: Can I get a second?
Burton: Second.
Joyce: That's quick. Alright this is open for a public, no I can't, I shouldn't allow that. We've
got to get the applicant up here.
Kind: Oh, sorry.
Joyce: You should be sitting here. Withdraw that. We need to talk to the applicant so if the
applicant would like to make a presentation at this time, please step forward and state your name.
Dave Fischer: Good evening Planning Commission, staff and citizens of Chanhassen. My name
is Dave Fischer representing US West Wireless located at 426 North Fairview Avenue, Room
101, St. Paul, Minnesota. And I'd like to just give a brief overview of where we arrived at this
location. How we started and kind of the quick A to Z ifI may. US West engineering
department issued the search ring for this location November 1st in 1998 and the coverage
encompasses the following locations centered around Highway 7. And the search ring goes as
far north to Howard Point, east to County Road 41, west as far as Smithtown Road, and south to
Red Cedar Avenue. On April 28, 1999 1 met with the City staffto discuss the possibilities of
locating our facility at the Chanhassen Fire Department. Based on positive feedback from the
City to allow us to pursue this location we performed a drive test and based on a couple different
reasons, one being our RF engineering requirements for the height and our objective to locate to
connect our coverage from that site to the west in Minnetrista, and also the lack of ability to
achieve our setback requirements being the height of the tower and half the height of the tower
from the right-of-way. Being that this was the issue and we could not meet these requirements,
we disqualified this location and pursued further locations to the west to try and meet up with our
other existing site to the west. June 7, 1999 1 scheduled a meeting with the Chanhassen staff to
discuss height restrictions, setbacks, zoning restrictions within our search area, and after
reviewing the area, keeping in mind the zoning requirements and our RF engineers objectives, we
determined the Holy Cross Lutheran Church would be the best site that would meet and comply
within the zoning regulations. After several meetings in June with the city staff and talking with
them we determined that we could be permitted through a conditional use permit as long as the
US West comply within the following zoning ordinance guidelines. 'In Section 20-1503 the
height restrictions up to 80 feet unless we accommodate one other additional user. In Section 20-
1504, that we may exceed the height limitations up to 25 feet. In Section 20-1505, that we
comply with all the setback requirements. Since US West was in compliance with all of the
guidelines as staff had pointed out in the zoning ordinance. US West proceeded with the Holy
Cross Lutheran Church. Understanding that there had been concerns from the community
14
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
surrounding the church, US West decided to hold an open house to address any questions and
concerns of the community. Under Section 20-1506 of the Chanhassen Zoning Ordinance,
towers in residential zoning districts, subsection (c) allowing towers in residential uses for
government, school, utilities and institutional sites. It has been US West's experience with
jurisdictions such as Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnetonka, Woodbury, and many other jurisdictions
that churches are typically defined as institutional sites. Since the City of Chanhassen does not
have a definition of institution and the city staff had not conveyed anything to the contrary, US
West had proceeded with the proposed site at the church under Section 20-1506. Towers in
residentially zoned districts, subsection, as an institutional use, which is very common
throughout the Minneapolis area. When we held this open house, US West notified all residents"
within 500 feet of the proposed property to address the following issues. Why US West chose
this location. How it related to our design requirements. The concerns regarding aesthetics and
how this affect property values. Why US West chose this site, the Holy Cross Lutheran Church
is the most sensible location that achieves our objective, yet also complies with all applicable
zoning outlined in the Zoning Ordinance that I stated previously. As well as subsection, as an
institutional use. The location allows us to meet all setback requirements and height
requirements and still achieve our objective in meeting with our site located to the west. One of
· the other issues which we understand the concerns from the public are regarding property values.
Based on the review of property value studies, including an article in November, 1996 there was
a real estate value impact study conducted in the cities of Stillwater, Golden Valley and New
Hope in 1996 by Rupert and Rupert Associates. And the study concluded, the findings of this
study indicate that all three study areas, there's no measurable difference in the market value and
selling prices between the property in close proximity to the communication towers and those
that are farther away from the tower. Therefore it is our conclusion that communication towers
do not have a measurable or identifiable impact on residential values, unquote from Scott Rupert,
MAI JD of Rupert and Rupert Associates. On behalf of US West I'm requesting approval of this
application for the CUP be approved for a 100 foot monopole structure to be located at the Holy
Cross Lutheran Church located at 4151 Highway 7, Excelsior. US West makes this request
based on the following criteria. Compliance to Section 20-1506 of towers in the residential
districts. Compliance to Section 20-1505 regarding to setbacks and compliance to the Section
20-1503, Subsection (b)(1) and 1504, Subsection (1), as well as Subsection 2(c) of 1506 of
institutional uses. I would like to thank the City of Chanhassen for their assistance regarding US
West's proposed wireless communication at the church and request approval for this application.
And would be more than happy to answer any questions concerning this.
Joyce: Thank you. Are there any questions for the applicant at this time? Thank you very much.
Dave Fischer: You bet.
Kind moved, Sidney seconded to open the public hearing. The public hearing was opened.
Joyce: Okay. This is open for a public hearing. If you'd like to address the commission on this
topic please step forward, state your name and address.
15
Planning Commission Meeting- September 1, 1999
I guess I'll volunteer to go first. Good evening. My name's Pete Keller and I live at 6760
Country Oaks Road. I've also served on a commission, local commission and I know it's a long
and huge and often unthanked job so I appreciate your dedication to the community. I'm a stay at
home dad. I do daycare. Have a home based daycare business and look directly at the church's
property. This is the primary view from my back yard. I find it wonderful that Dave's had the
time to read the ordinance. I can't agree more with Sharmin's conclusions that the tower does
not comply with 20-1506, number 2, section (a) that it quite clearly says that a church site, that it
has to be camouflaged within the steeple or the bell tower. It certainly is open to interpretation
whether a church is an institution or not but because it more specifically outlines a church as a
church, and the rules that apply to it, I think that's what we need to stick with. I also have to
thank Sharmin. It's been a true pleasure in working with her and getting some great feedback in
how the process works. And that if we want to go into the business of looking at a variance
request from US West, I think at that time it'd be far more appropriate for us to get into the
compatibility and residential neighborhood. How it's going to affeCt values. We would need to
do things like get a little bit more organized. I mean when I talked to Sharmin about her report I
was inquisitive as to why a lot of the things that we had discussed left out and it's essentially a
moot point. It's not appropriate to address at this time. The ordinance collectively says it's not
right. We need a variance to go into those other things. The other things, you know namely have
a lot of them have been brought up by Dave but I think it'd be interesting to get our experts on
whether there really is a need for this technology and our experts to look at real estate values and
our experts to look at resale and things like that. And also again, at the variance time it would be
interesting to look at things like increased incidents of lightning in the trees that are around there
and how this would negatively affect my business that I run at home with a view of this tower.
Why they really, truly believe that this is the best location considering Minnetrista's about a
stone's throw away from approving a 150 foot tower that's actually less than 2 miles away from
this location. And why really specifically should we come to the conclusion after approving
great hardship that the church is the only place that it could be. Why it has to be in clear view of
the neighbors without any screening whatsoever. This is in full view of our homes so I guess in
closing I really don't have a lot more to add except that I very encourage you. I understand you
are an advisory commission and I very much encourage you to advise the City Council on the
staff recommendation. Thank you very much.
Joyce: Thank you. Anyone else that would like to address the Planning Commission at this
moment.
Robert Blue: Hi. My name's Robert Blue. I live at 6770 Country Oaks Road. Right next door
to Pete, and as he did point out, this view here is directly west of my house. That tower, 100 feet
tall is approximately I would guess about 300 feet away from my house, and there is no
shielding. There is no trees. There's no nothing. It's going to be an eyesore sitting on my deck
and that's why I bought that lot in the first place was for the nice view in the back of that church.
I can't recommend this tower being there at all. Thank you.
Joyce: Thank you. Anyone else like to address the Planning Commission?
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Deb Reiff: My name is Deb Reiff and I'm on the other side of Pete at 6750 Country Oaks Road.
I have with me a letter that was given to us by the church one week ago when they had their
initial hearings or informational meeting on this. It states in here, if you believe that this tower,
which will be explained to you tonight, is something you can't live with, then neither are we
willing to have the tower built on the property of Holy Cross Lutheran Church. I don't know if
there's any church representatives here tonight but I think that we have 100% representation here
tonight of every house along the back there that will get to enjoy this oversized flag pole view.
And that the advantages to Holy Cross congregation as they listed in here, actually there's only
one and that is the financial payment that they would be receiving for this. I guess my feeling is
that churches should be holding fund raisers rather than erecting towers that are going to lower
our property values and just have this site in our back yard. And in criteria number 5, in their
recommendation, it is not true that it would not be, that there would be aesthetic impact because
there will be. The houses to the south have tree cover but as they explained a week ago, come
wintertime that tree cover is gone and these people that have built these nice homes there will
have that huge pole right in their back yard. And we have no tree cover so we can enjoy this
tower all the time from our back deck. So I request, I strongly request that this be denied.
Thank you.
Joyce: Thank you. Anyone else? Can I have a motion to close the public hearing?
Conrad moved, Burton seconded to close the public hearing. The public hearing was
closed.
Joyce: Okay, commission.
Sidney: Mr. Chairman...staff report and appreciate the comments..'. The zoning ordinance
clearly states the fact that this site...
Joyce: Anyone else like to comment on this?
Conrad: It doesn't meet it so the staff report is appropriate.
Kind: I agree.
Joyce: The only comment I'd make, I mean who was the fellow that used to work for the
Planning Commission that did all the work for us on the.
A1-Jaff.' John Rask.
Joyce: He became quite an expert on that. And just a note to US West, I think we really did
some due diligence on monopoles and really looked at our ordinance very, very seriously and did
a lot of research on it. John did a lot of research on it. This doesn't follow the ordinance so I
really don't think I could vote for it. So. with that said, could I get a motion please.
17
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Burton: Mr. Chairman, I'll move that the Planning Commission recommend denial of
conditional use permit #99~3 to allow the construction of a 100 foot tall monopole tower wireless
communication facility for US West Wireless based upon the finding in the staff report.
Conrad: Second.
Joyce: Any discussion?
Burton moved, Conrad seconded that the Planning Commission recommend denial of
Conditional Use Permit #99-3 to allow the construction of a 100 foot tall monopole tower
wireless communication facility for US West Wireless based upon the following:
The zoning ordinance requires antennas on church sites to be camouflaged as an
architectural feature such as steeples or bell towers.
All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously.
Joyce: This topic will come up again in front of City Council September 27th. Thank you all for
coming.
PUBLIC HEARING:
REQUEST FOR A 20 FOOT VARIANCE FROM THE 50 FOOT SETBACK
REQUIREMENT OF THE HIGHWAY CORRIDOR (HC-2) DISTRICT REGULATION
TO PERMIT THE ENCLOSURE OF THE SANITATION DOCK AT THE
NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE EXISTING BUILDING ON PROPERTY ZONED
IOP~ INDUSTRIAL OFFICE PARK AND LOCATED AT 8000 AUDUBON ROAD~ C.F.
HAGLIN AND PILLSBURY COMPANY.
Public Present:
Name Address
Dennis Wendt
Tom Lind-MacMillen
Dotti Shay
4749 Diane Drive
3311 East 51st Street
7230 Frontier Trail
Kate Aanenson presented the staff report on this item.
Joyce: Any questions of staff'?. Would the applicant like to make a presentation?
Dennis Wendt: My name is Dennis Wendt. I'm with Setter, Leach & Lindstrom. Basically we
concur with the recommendations the staff has made and we are willing to look at adding the
additional trees that they want. As far as applying for a building permit, the information that
they're looking for will be part of our contract documents for the city. I have the, a couple
18
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
people from Pillsbury that can address any questions that you have pertaining to the use of this
facility.
Joyce: Any questions of the applicant? Thank you.
Burton moved, Kind seconded to open the public hearing. The public hearing was opened.
Joyce: Okay, this is open for a public hearing. If anyone would like to address the Planning
Commission at this time, please step forward. Seeing none.
Burton moved, Kind seconded to close the public hearing. The public hearing was closed.
Joyce: Commission?
Burton: Mr. Chairman, I agree with the staff comments. I think it looks pretty good. Makes
sense here.
Kind: I especially like the benefit of the trash enclosed and I like the idea that it's a condition.
Joyce: Alright, can I get a motion.
Aanenson: Can I just make one clarification, excuse me. I meant to say this before. This is a
straight forward variance so it does not go onto City Council unless it's appealed so let me
modify that condition number 5 to say that before a building permit is issued, that they
demonstrate that the lighting is downcast and not shining on the adjoining property. Or is in
compliance with City ordinances.
Kind: Is that all lighting?
Aanenson: Yes.
Kind: The whole facility, not just this new addition?
Aanenson: Correct. Just so you understand it's not going on to City Council unless it's
appealed.
Kind: Mr. Chairman I move the Planning Commission approve Variance #99-11 for a 20 foot
variance from the 50 foot front yard setback for the construction of a sanitation dock enclosure
addition as prepared by Setter, Leach & Lindstrom dated 7/28/99 based upon the findings in the
staff report and subject to the following conditions, 1 through 5. And do I need to restate?
Joyce: Paraphrase.
Kind: That the applicant review overall lighting to ensure compliance with current city codes
before building permit.
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Joyce: Perfect. I've got a motion, do I get a second?
Blackowiak: Second.
Joyce: Discussion.
Kind moved, Blackowiak seconded that the Planning Commission approve Variance #99-
11 for a 20 foot variance from the 50 foot front yard setback for the construction of a
sanitation dock enclosure addition, plans prepared by Setter, Leach & Lindstrom dated
7/28/99, based upon the findings presented in the staff report and subject to the following
conditions:
The applicant shall replace the trees being lost due to the expansion on a two to one ratio.'
Based on the grading plan dated 8/20/99 submitted to the city, the replacement trees include
eight (8) conifers and 12 deciduous trees. These replacement trees shall be located to
soften the building elevation and help screen the condensing units to the east. A landscape
plan shall be submitted to the city for review and approval prior to the issuance of the
building permit.
A grading, drainage and erosion control plan needs to be submitted in conjunction with the
building permit application. Details such as retaining wall height, parking lot grades and
erosion control measures need to be denoted on this plan.
3. The plans shall be revised to show specific utilities that will be extended through the site.
Permits from the Building Department will be required for relocation and extension of the
storm sewer system.
Se
Before a building permit is issued the applicant shall demonstrate that the building
lighting is downcast and in compliance with city ordinances.
All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously.
PUBLIC HEARING:
CONCEPTUAL PUD REQUEST FOR MIXED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT (414
UNITS) CONSISTING OF MANOR HOMES~ COURT HOMES~ VILLAGE HOMES
AND TOWNHOMES ON 82.8 ACRES AND 3.7 ACRES OF COMMERCIAL USES ON
PROPERTY ZONED A2~ AGRICULTURAL ESTATE AND LOCATED ON THE
NORTHEAST CORNER OF HWY 5 AND HWY 41~ ARBORETUM VILLAGE~ PULTE
HOMES.
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Public Present:
Name
Address
Dennis Griswold
Mark Gugnther
Jim Deanovic
Paul Savaryn
Bud Olson
Bruce Geske
Brian Evans
Susan Markert
Pulte Homes
Pulte Homes
Peter Anderson Co.
9950 North Shore Road, Waconia 55387
7331 Hazeltine Blvd.
7325 Hazeltine Blvd.
2585 Southern Court
7461 Hazeltine Blvd.
Kate Aanenson presented the staff rePort on this item.
Conrad: ...conceptual point, this is conceptual PUD.
Aanenson: Correct.
Conrad: So I'm a little bit confused in terms of the process Kate. I thought we were kind of,
why all the conditions at this point in time? It looks like you put a lot of conditions on when
you're really looking for a non-binding comment by the Planning Commission at this time. I
don't understand.
Aanenson: That's a good question. We leave no stone unturned. We want to make sure we've
given them clear direction on what they need to do at the next evolution. That they're not going
off in one direction. That they hear from you. I think if you wanted to leave it in broad brush
strokes, come back with storm water calculations, more details in grading, that's fine. I mean
their marching orders are actually in the PUD ordinance itself that says what you need to show at
the next level of detail. So it could be addressed that way. But I think some of the things that we
did want them to resolve that wouldn't be in the PUD ordinance is articulation of the commercial
zone, specifically the list. You know the list that you feel comfortable with the uses. And then
architecturally, how they're going to make that compatible. The other thing that we talked about,
there is five different home products in there. Get some direction from you. The staff's initial
response was to make those more neighborhoods. We want diversity of material within there but
should that be done on a neighborhood basis or within the project and those aren't specific to the
ordinance itself.
Conrad: IfI could challenge everybody up here. Stay on the big picture tonight. Staff can do the
other stuff. Don't get hung up in all the conditions in the staff report. Do you like where
commercial is? Do you think there should be more commercial? Do you like the housing type?
Do you like the, stay big.
Joyce: We shouldn't get into the density at this situation?
21
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Aanenson: Well, it does require based on this project, it does require a land use
recommendation. Alteration which would read in that you'd have to, again we're not increasing
the total number of units. What we're doing, so that we would need feedback on too. So that's
the big picture though, that's correct.
Joyce: Then it will come back to us as an amendment?
Aanenson: When it comes back to you, the process would be conceptual approval,
recommendations, whatever you recommend to the Planning Commission they will also hear and
make a recommendation. They have to come back through the process with very detailed plans
for preliminary.
Joyce: ...that tonight at all either?
Aanenson: No. But what I'm saying is they need some direction so they know how to proceed.
Again, similar to like we did on Walnut Grove.
Joyce: Okay. Any other questions for stafP.
Conrad: Just a couple. The density transfer is coming from where to where in your
recommendation? The visual was so dark.
Aanenson: By the north side of the road is 0 to 4. And the south side is 4 to 8 so it's actually
coming in, based on our calculations at 114. They're coming in at just a little over...
Conrad: Were we preserving anything in that?
Aanenson: Yes.
Conrad: What were we doing?
Aanenson: This stand of trees. These trails connected throughout and then the area that's behind
the Olson... And then all this area over here will transfer the density. This isn't going up but
this is what we recommended based on the primary zone, that it's in the primary zone. That all
this be preserved. That has the slopes on it. That would be in front of the future Westwood
Church.
Conrad: So we're transferring density from the west side. You are transferring from the west
side of the highway?
Aanenson: Right. Consistent with the Bluff Creek overlay district.
Conrad: And that is all wooded?
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Aanenson: Predominantly. I would say 80%. Near 90.
Conrad: The ag/urban wetland that are marginal, you've just pointed at them. Is that where
you're trying to get maybe some funding to support the resurrection of those or, I wasn't quite
sure what the staff report said in terms of the future of the restoration of those.
Aanenson: Okay. MnDOT examined those as part of the Highway 5 frontage road. When they
went out and did their survey. And based on farming practices, some of those have been
eliminated. They are proposing a pond, this pond, part of this will hold Highway 5 drainage also.
But this pond does remain but they have been altered as far as past practices.
Conrad: Pretty worthless basically, is that what we're saying?
Aanenson: Right.
Conrad: So we don't have plans from the city to help, or from a government standpoint, to help
those?
Aanenson: No. Again, MnDOT was driving that issue. They're out ahead of us on that as far as
the frontage road.
Conrad: Do we have a visual direction for the comer of 41 and 5? Are you comfortable with a
pond being there? Being that it's a major intersection. We have the Arboretum across, is this
where staff is comfortable in terms of an entryway to really Chanhassen? Is the pond what you
like?
Aanenson: Ah no .... actually they're coming back with more of an arbor. We had the same
discussion on Bluff Creek Elementary that we're reflecting character of the Arboretum, which is
apple orchards. I'm not sure as far as mitigation of some of this, it's going to be a busy
intersection. Mitigation of visual qualities, that that's the best material that we should be using.
I think we can do a combination. City Forester, the Water Resource Coordinator and I have
discussed that. We think we can do a nice combination in that comer of forest, you know
reforestation and a water feature and that's who we are and I think that would be a better
statement instead of just the pond.
Conrad: The commercial area, you like the proportion? Has that always been our vision? That
amount of commercial.
Aanenson: The comp plan said, I believe it was 2 ½ to 5 acres. That is one of your attachments.
Flip through it quickly. 2 ½ acres. It's really a remnant piece and actually if you look at the
frontage road it's a point of discussion that Dave and I caught as we were looking at the location
of the frontage road. As this property goes back towards the group home it actually comes back
and touches Highway 5. We have a little remnant parcel. This is the commercial piece. This is
the property limits here. We've got this little remnant piece. It doesn't have a lot of, here's
Highway 5... in front of the group home...
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Conrad: Do we like that restored wetland? The commercial, if it's neighborhood commercial
it'd be cool if you didn't have to pass over a street. Do we like the restoration of that, do we like
the pond where it is?
Aanenson: I think that's being driven by MnDOT. They need a pond at that location. I think the
commercial was originally on the other side of the street and that was their recommendation.
Correct me if I'm wrong Dave. Yeah. But there is a nice tree row. If you bring that point up on
the back side of that house that's being rented right now, but it's difficult at this time to measure
the exact degradation as the trees at that frontage road and the gradings going to appear. It would
be nice to save the tree lines on the back of this... Actually in Bluff Creek we talked about an
alternative underpass and that was basically a critter crossing. Underneath Highway 5 we talked
about that. It was not implemented into the design guidelines so we're going to put little arrows
to direct the deer. But we do have the other underpass, but that was talked about. There is a nice
tree line but at this point it's hard to measure exactly what the grading and utilities are going to
do to that. And speaking of utilities, the sewer will follow similar to what it did at the Meadows.
It does follow the edge of the wetland. It will be in the low area so it will be following the
southern edge of that most northerly wetland. That's the Iow area. No matter what went in,
that's where the sewer would go.
Hempel: And a pathway will mostly likely follow the trail that's being proposed along that
wetland edge as well.
Aanenson: Right. And that's similar to what we did on the other side.
Conrad: The Markert property, do we care what kind of vision or guidance do we have for that
and we do have connectivity to that when it develops.
Aanenson: Right. And as we're planning access on it, Mrs. Markert is here. We have met with
her. She has some development potential for her property in the future but right now it's my
understanding she'd like to leave it in the agricultural use. She has plans on kind of an
agricultural use that you'll be seeing shortly, but we have provided access to her and where the
Highway 5 touchdown point was located, they did...in order to give her a little bit of buffering
and landscaping so it's not right adjacent to her property.
Conrad: The property to the west of TH 41, again that is recommended for density transfer.
How do people use that in the future? What is it's purpose?
Aanenson: It's similar to what we did on the property just north of Stone Creek. We left that as
a conservation easement.
Conrad: Is there a trail projected to go through?
Aanenson: No.
24
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Conrad: Is it just there?
Aanenson: Yes. Natural.
Conrad: Just the natural. And how many houses, what kind of density can we transfer out? 4 to
1 out of that area?
Aanenson: Well first they have to demonstrate what they could have got on that otherwise.
There is a wetland on the north, very small little finger of wetland. They have to demonstrate
what they could have gotten anyway if they were to do an official layout and then based on that,
we'd take those number of units and transfer them over.
Conrad: Any benefit to the, or what are we doing for the marsh to the north? That good, big
wetland there. Anything that you've recommended Kate?
Aanenson: Right. That one we did recommend. That was one of the projects we recommended.
We did receive some resistance at that time from the subdivision to the north. We'd like to
revisit that issue. The Bluff Creek corridor study made a recommendation to increase the habitat
by adding some, by making it a little deeper. Adding some water. Give some diversity up there.
We'd still like to revisit it. Again, this will be a very nice, with the trail around the entire
property, very nice experience and we would like to increase the diversity, and that is a project
and we will be working, if this goes forward, to try to make that as a part of this.
Conrad: Do you know what condition that is, or where you said that in the recommendations
Kate? And I don't want to get into details of it.
Aanenson: It is on page 7 under wetlands. Very bottom of the page.
Conrad: And is it in a condition on your recommendations Kate?
Aanenson: Yes. I believe so.
Conrad: I think that's important, that's why. We can come back to that Mr. Chairman, thank
you.
Joyce: Deb you had a question.
Kind: Yes. Kate, could you talk about the trail, the section that you'd like eliminated. Show me
where that was. I couldn't figure out the directions.
Aanenson: Highway 5 does have a trail section. 41 is not being upgraded at this time. They
show a trail going all the way around. The other issue, going back to circulation... There's two
access points. The project on the frontage road which is West 78th...creating a better grid. With
that we felt like there needed to some internal trails through there. Get out of here, you're
blocking a driveway.
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Kind: I agree. Yeah.
Aanenson: So we felt if we made an edge here, making this...and put a trail or sidewalk in.
Kind: And where's the trail that you want to get rid of?. That you recommended eliminating.
Hempel: We're proposing a trail along this wetland here...
Aanenson: Sort of duplicating that trail experience.
Kind: Thank you. And then have you calculated the hard surface coverage?
Aanenson: No.
Kind: That's being proposed here... And just this drawing, I can't tell that they're providing for
any visitor parking lot. Would our ordinance of I for every 4 units apply to this?
Aanenson: We'll have to calculate that. We didn't do the landscaping percentage of anything.
It's kind of broad brush at this point but that's something that they'll have to look at, correct.
Kind: That's all for now.
Blackowiak: Mr. Chairman. Could you, on this color map, show us where the primary and
secondary corridors fall based on the Bluff Creek study?
Aanenson: It takes in most of this...
Blackowiak: So pretty much everything west of TH 41, which is.
Aanenson: Correct.
Blackowiak: Okay.
Aanenson: And that follows the edge of this wetland. And then...but again the point I was
making with Highway 5 frontage road, some of that would be eliminated.
Blackowiak: So primary, pretty much the northern.
Aanenson: Correct.
Blackowiak: Okay.
Aanenson:
And then along this edge.
What about secondary? Is that all the rest?
No. The secondary follows...
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Blackowiak: Okay. Talking about setbacks from primary corridor, weren't we at 150 feet?
Aanenson: No.
Blackowiak: What is the building setback from the primary corridor? Why do I have 150 feet in
my mind?
Aanenson: I've got the attachment, it's one of your attachments. The other thing is with the
primary corridor is that, that was our kind of point of beginning..They can provide
documentation by a qualified person to say this site has been altered but that was based on the
information we had based on wildlife movement again and vegetation, slopes, wetland.
Blackowiak: But didn't we have some qualified people to do the Bluff Creek study? Aren't we
confident about the primary corridor delineation?
Aanenson: It's similar to what we did with the wetland. We inventoried all the wetlands with an
exact line of delineation. They would still have to go back Out and verify by a qualified person.
Blackowiak: Okay.
Aanenson: The ordinance is. attached as one of yours, I don't have that off the top of my head but
if you want me to look it up I can. They're going to have setbacks from the wetland.
Burton: I think it's on the last page.
Aanenson: 40 feet.
Blackowiak: 40 feet.
Aanenson: And that's consistent with like the, and that really is following the wetland. Edge of
that wetland which is going to be 40 feet. It's a PUD. You can put what standards you want in
there.
Blackowiak: So where, go to Family of Christ on the south side of TH 5, near Bluff Creek
school. Weren't we talking about 150 or 100 feet back?
Aanenson: That was an area within the Bluff Creek study that we had identified additional
enhancement to so as part of that PUD we said this is an area that we want to enhance. Similarly
we said that huge significant tree stands we wanted to preserve so that was an area that we had
identified in the study document, and I attached that in your packet, of an area we wanted to
improve because that was along the creek. So we said we wanted additional setback there. For
the PUD. What were we getting for that PUD.
Blackowiak: Right. So what are we getting, tell me what we're getting with this PUD and why
we should stay at 40 feet and shouldn't be farther back from the primary zone?
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Planning Commission Meeting ~ September 1, 1999
Aanenson: I don't know if I've given a specific setback. I haven't calculated all those yet, or
parking ratios. I think we're looking for some direction from you. Again, what the staff's
position was was lower the front end instead of putting the higher units, that we preserve the
significant stands. We transfer the density and the diversity of housing mix.
Blackowiak: And then the commercial, the amount of commercial. How does it compare, I'm
sure I've got it here somewhere but.
Aanenson: 5 was the original recommendation, but what I'm saying is the pond had to go on that
side so it left a renmant parcel. It may even be larger if you add what's on the other side. Or you
can' say, maybe you only have 2 acres and the rest of it will be office related or quasi because
you're going to have that remnant piece as TH 5 works it's, the frontage road West 78th works
it's way back towards TH 5.
Blackowiak: I'm just concerned about what kind of income, you know tax revenue.
Aanenson: Sure. I guess and we wanted more specific, what types of uses they were looking at
and maybe you could attach what some other quasi kind of uses that would be compatible to a
neighborhood.
Blackowiak: Andjust the overall, talking about what you want for that comer of TH 41 and TH
5 and you're not sure that the pond is what you want. Is this dense block of housing what you
want? We as a city want. It's pretty intense right there.
Aanenson: It could be more intense. It's up 8 units an acre. We lowered it down to just over 4.
I think that's probably better than keeping it up closer to 8. And also I think with this type of
product and orientation, I think it works nice with the trees being saved. You're not going to see
with the orientation of the buildings, you're not going to see the sea of rooftops through there.
Again, we don't have a lot of details on the topography, which is one of the conditions we had in
there specifically. How they can work those units which they're aware. We've discussed that.
Worked those units in so they're not, it's not mass graded. I mean it can hold 400 units. 400
plus units on the site. That's what they're coming in with. Whether it was all low density or
what about the higher density, they're still going to have 400 units. It's 100 acres.
Blackowiak: Okay.
Burton: I was just following along with Alison. I'm concerned with the density too, and maybe
it's just hard to look at the mixture here, but I like how the manor home section is spread out
with the houses and that green space. And it'd be nice if we could incorporate more of that feel
throughout the rest of the project too because just when you look through the corridor with the
court homes and, especially along with the village homes too, it's just so dense right through
there and I don't think it's like anything that I'm familiar with in the area. It just seems like it's
such a heavy use right in the middle there. And one thing I was curious about, is this whole
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
project within the conservation, excuse me, the Bluff Creek conservation overlay? Whatever it
is.
Aanenson: No.
Burton: Just the edges?
Aanenson: Yep. Just this piece here.
Burton: It's not in the overlay district, the whole?
Aanenson: No. I know it's hard to read but that is unattached.
Burton: Yeah, I couldn't read it at all. Because that's talking about incorporating the natural
features and working with them and I kind of like the rural feel that Chanhassen has and this I
think just eliminates that feel altogether.
Joyce: See what they have for the presentation. A Couple quick questions Kate. Is there a fence
around this area?
Aanenson: Yes.
Joyce: I mean is it a big fence?
Aanenson: There's not specifics on that.
Joyce: It looks like it borders the whole, that whole big section. I can ask staff. Are you saying
that this road right here is going to, like a turn around, is that the suggestion there?
Aanenson: Cul-de-sac it. We don't think it makes sense to pinch it between those two wetlands
and take down the trees.
Joyce: One, just so I can understand this. We're going to send this, this is kind of like a dry run
that we're going to send to City Council. City Council's going to get our comments.
Aanenson: Right. If you want additional you can certainly keep it here for a while but yeah, it's
ultimately your recommendation will go up to the City Council and then they'll give the final
read.
It may take some time to come back, correct. It's not in the MUSA. They'll have to wait 'til
that. They also have to petition for sewer. They have a two year phasing plan. They hope to be
started in 2000. Very optimistic in our opinion. Assuming, we've got to get the road in place.
Utilities in place. They can't proceed. We don't allow permits to go until the utilities are in
place so it could be a year out.
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Joyce: ...out in front of some people and find out what we're doing here so that's what we'll do
right now. If the applicant would like to make a presentation.
Dennis Griswold: Good evening Mr. Chairman and members of the commission. My name is
Dennis Griswold. The Director of Land for Pulte Homes and with me tonight is Mark Gugnther
who will be up in a few minutes to talk about the particular product types that Pulte would be
offering. And also Mr. Jim Deanovic who is one of the underlying property owners who will be
speaking to you about the rental townhome portion and also the leftover piece on the west side of
TH 41. So with that I think we've talked, or hit on a lot of the different points on the site plan.
I'd like to just quickly go through some of those points and give you some of the thoughts that
we had. Of course we're trying to, through the planned development process, do two things.
Provide a community that would be a life cycle community for a number of different housing
needs within the city of Chanhassen. And we're also trying to shift density around, or the units
around somewhat so that we can work with the proposed frontage road and with the existing
amenities on the site. Namely the wooded areas up along the marsh to the northwest behind the
Markert property, and also the wooded area down on Highway 5, which is right in here. Those
are the dominant features on the site that we can work with. Obviously we're totally avoiding the
major wetland on site within the corridor so we feel that when we accomplish this site plan we
will have a community that will be a life cycle community for various people in different age
groups, income groups, housing needs groups to enjoy this land and the amenities and also be in
a site that is very strategically located on a very busy road, but very convenient to the
metropolitan area. And I think that's what we're trying to do is blend the Highway 5 corridor if
you will with the amenities and given that we feel it is a very exciting site and a very nice site to
live at, if we can do those and accomplish it through working with you by the way and to this
point we've worked closely with staff. We've come through several iterations of this concept
plan, and we did want to keep it a concept level because as soon as we get into more detailed
plans you get more locked into a position. It's harder to flex with comments. It becomes a very
expensive process. This way we can have an interaction and hopefully come out with the best
conmmnity possible working with you and council. We obviously don't know all of what you're
trying to achieve. We were trying to provide an amenity on the comer of TH 5 and 41 in the
form of a pond with a fountain that would be backed by pretty heavy vegetation and a decorative
fence to kind of form the buffer between the heavy traffic area of TH 5 and the housing behind it.
We thought that could be a nice entrance to Chanhassen from the west. Reflect what is over in
the Arboretum in terms of plant material, but have the statement be more of a natural statement if
you will with the plant material and the pond. I think through the process with you and staff
maybe we can refine that to what your vision might be for that comer. It's obvious looking at the
plan we're willing to dedicate some space on the site. Some expenditure to accomplish that. So
we do have some common goals here. We want to come out of it with a very nice looking
community that is economically successful for our company but one that you can be proud of too
for years to come. We do offer within the plan development a series of paths that represent kind
of our best effort at where people might want to go on site. On an initial stage. That has been
recommended to change a little bit. Having gone through parks now, by revising the path along
the east side in this area, and there have been comments about bringing the path system more into
the southwest.., and maybe a better alignment on that street. So the streets within that part of the
site are all private streets that would be maintained by the association. But given that we can
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
work with you on the green spaces in a more organized path system through there. The more
heavily defined streets through this area and through here, of course public streets within public
right-of-way. We would be constructing those and of course dedicating to the city. It was our
understanding on a preliminary basis that that northerly, or northeasterly loop is something that
was being contemplated by the, by one of the overall neighborhood plans and we're very happy
to make that a cul-de-sac and not impose an access onto the adjacent property to the east. So we
think that would be a very good solution. We will be, just a little bit about our process. Pulte
Homes is a national corporation. We do about 20,000 units a year nationally. About 600 units
locally and we're actually the Marv Anderson Division here in Minnesota. We've been here
since 1990. And this is the type of community or project area that we really like to develop. We
do the development and the construction of the units so we control the total community and I
think we end up with a very nice product in the end. With that I would like to divert the
comments to Mark Gugnther to just briefly touch on the unit types that we're proposing. As we
mentioned on the site plan there are five different unit types. I'll just quickly point out where
those units are on the site and then Mark can come through with more specifics about the
architecture and the demographics. On the northerly part of the site, along the marsh are the club
homes, which are one level with a basement where topography permits. Those club homes
typically for the empty nester type buyer. In the center portion are our manor homes. They are
row homes that are front to back. Garage on the front, back has the patio with either three to a
building or four to a building. The area in through here, the rental townhomes which Jim
Deanovic will be constructing. He will address those after Mark...his comments. On the south
side of the frontage road would be the court homes through this area and those are 8 unit
buildings and 6 unit buildings. And then down in the southwest comer are the village homes
which are 12 plex units. They're three story on the garage side, or patio side, and they're
configured with the green space in-between that creates kind of a little two building
neighborhood affect for those people. So those are the different unit types. The villages, court
homes, the manor homes and club homes will all be constructed by Pulte. They would be owner
occupied and the 32 rental over here would be constructed by... With that I'd like to introduce
Mark Gungther from Pulte Homes to go through the demographics and...
Mark Gungther: Good evening. Mr. Chairman, commission members. My name is Mark
Gungther. I'm the construction manager for Pulte Homes, Marv Anderson Homes Division as
Denny mentioned. Denny did kind of give you a little background on Pulte Homes in terms of
it's size. The thing though that we've been most proud of here in Minnesota in our division for
the past 5 years we have been the best Pulte Homes Division across the U.S. in terms of customer
satisfaction. The product that we deliver to our customers is a very high quality product. Our
customers are very satisfied with the end result as well as the service they receive afterwards.
Like Denny mentioned, the community here of Arboretum Village consists of four products that
are owner occupied and another product, one product that is rental townhomes. The products
that we are presenting to you tonight, we have built hundreds of already across the Twin Cities
metropolitan area. We've learned a lot from our buyers by building these communities what
their needs are. What their wants are and then design and modify the products throughout the
years to meet those needs. The first product that I'd like to present to you as Denny mentioned
on the southern part is the village homes. This product is a two story townhouse with a tuck
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
under garage. We offer four floor plans in 12 home building so there are actually 12 homes in
one L shaped building.
Joyce: Mark, do we have a rendering of that?
Mark Gungther: That one there. Was there one in the packet?
Joyce: We have some nice color. I guess this one's black and white.
Mark Gungther: The square footage on these homes range from about 900 to 1,150 square feet.
Price range on these is about $100,000 to $110,000. The buyer profile on this, this caters
basically to a first time buyer. They're typically professionals just starting out their career.
Wanting to own. Moving up, or moving away from rental or mom and dad just said enough. It's
time to get out on your own so don't want to live at home anymore. Since they are a first time
buyer we have seen very few children in these communities. When we do a purchase agreement,
each buyer is surveyed and so that's how we get our demographic information so by building
hundreds of these homes we've been able to compile all that information throughout the years
and what we've seen in this product is about .25 children per household. And in the age group,
the majority of those children are falling in from birth to 5 years of age. In this product. As
Denny mentioned on the elevation that you're seeing here, this is the two stories with the tuck
under garage on the main entrance and then in the green space, this court yard area between the
buildings here, the elevation of the homes will be two story and patios on that side into the
courtyard as well as a couple units on the end with a patio courtyard. The next product is our
court homes. These are also two story townhomes. The square footage is larger than the village
homes. We range from about 1,100 to 1,350. The price range also is increased from about
$112,000 to about $130,000. We offer three floor plans in 6 and 8 homes per building. The
buyer profile on this is also very similar to the village home, except in the essence that they need
a little bit more income. It's a buyer that wants a little bit more house. Has a little bit more
income to spend and so they move into a two car garage unit. A little bit more square footage. It
is typically your first time buyer as well and we've seen about. 16 children per household in this
product. We offer in this community we do have multiple elevations. This one here is kind of a
hip roof and then we also have...elevations. The elevations do get mixed up within the
community so it's not just one elevation throughout the entire community.
Joyce: Could I back you up for just one second. On the village homes, there's a question I was
going to ask. Number one, you've got some bayed out windows in our rendition here. I assume
that's a premium or something like that or is that natural?
Mark Gungther: That is a different, the end unit is a different design. So that would be
incorporated into the cost of that. And then in the comer, these are actually, it's a single level
home. Single level...so that's the four different floor plans that we're offering.
Joyce: The other question when we're talking about elevations is, we're looking at the gabling
right now. They're just small gables here...
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Mark Gungther: Correct.
Joyce: Thanks.
Mark Gungther: The next product is our manor homes. Those are all... In this product we have
two floor plans. They are both split level townhomes ranging from about 1,200 to 1,500 square
feet. Price range is about $145,000 to $165,000. These are available in 3 and 4 homes per
building. The buyer profile on this is typically 50% are move up buyers. The other 50% are first
time buyers. Just like the village homes, court homes, manor homes and the club homes, these
are all association care communities. All the snow removal, ground maintenance, etc is all taken
care of underneath the association. So they're looking for association care as well. You typically
see a few more children in this community. About .32 children per household. And the last
product that we're presenting here is our club homes. We offer three floor plans in our club
home communities here as well. The square footage on here varies from about 1,222 square feet
and we also put 3 homes per building in here as well. The square footage varies in these homes
because we offer them with one level, as well as some of the homes will have a basement. And
the buyers that we've seen most recently are deciding to finish their lower levels so the square
footage goes up as well as the finish price, which will range from about $145,000 to $220,000.
These cater mostly to our active adult communities. Average age is around 55. This is typically
their last house that they're going to purchase or they're just nearing retirement and just
preparing for it. They're seeking, the primary goal is seeking that one level living as well as the ·
ground maintenance, association care. And we typically don't see very, see very, very few
children in here. About. 15 children per household and those range in age of 15 years and older
so living at home or just getting prepared to move out of home. So those are the four
communities. All homes presented to you this evening, we have they'll all be predetermined
exterior color packages and we can discuss that as well. All the elevations you see have brick.
Typically it's all maintenance free products that we install in there between brick, vinyl siding,
aluminum soffit, facia, and shingles as well so, with that I'd like to thank you for the opportunity
to present this community and questions on product, we can either hold those or have Jim present
the rental townhomes first and then we can discuss it.
Joyce: Why don't you present the rental townhomes and then questions.
Jim Deanovic: Hello, my name is Jim Deanovic. The part of the development that I am
responsible for is right in here, and Met Council would speak to affordability, life style and
integration and those would be affordable rental townhomes. A majority would be 50% of
median income and the elevations would be very, very similar to Pulte's elevations on their two
story models that are three building, four building units. The colors would be very similar to
that. We just feel real strongly that we go from a rental to a start up to the life style that they've
set forth in their plan.
Joyce: Any questions for the applicant at this time?
Kind: ! guess not. I was, I want to ask materials questions but maybe that's the next phase.
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Aanenson: Yeah. That's something that the staff has talked about. Certainly we feel again it's
on the comer of TH 5 and 41. It needs to be wow. Brick. More articulation. Certainly. We're
looking for direction from you on it too.
Joyce: I think that's something that we should comment on. At the comment stage.
Kind: Well I don't have any questions of the applicant. But I do have comments.
Joyce: Any other questions?
Dennis Griswold: Yes, I would if I may, like to make a couple comments. While I have it up on
the board. This is the artist rendering of that comer of TH 5 and 41 with the units in the
background. There would be the pond with the boulder treatment behind it and the fence and the
landscaping behind that so that's kind of the preliminary concept of what we were looking for
there and would be happy to work with you on refining that.
Joyce: I did have a question. Now what's, give me some insight on the fence. Does the fence go
all the way around this, the southern half of this development?
Dennis Griswold: It starts at this point. Right where, there's actually a little wetland right here
and the fence would tuck into the existing trees and it kind of...and it would be angular in areas,
working it's way around behind the pond. Angling in certain areas and die off at this point. And
at that point it tie into a mass of evergreens and other plant materials and berming and plant
materials...here and along the sides of... That's the concept.
Joyce: Could you explain, could you give me a little...decorative or is it functional.
Dennis Griswold: It's a decorative fence that would probably be 6 feet high. It would not
be...more of a decorative fence... Give some separation... That's the thought. The other thing I
wanted to comment on was that our concept of what Pulte at least is proposing on this site in
terms of density is to use the guide of the 4 units per acre and the 4 to 8 units per acre through the
site. And use that as the determiner for our unit count and our density on this site. We are
purchasing the portion of the Savaryn property east of County Road 41 only, and we're
purchasing the Mill's property which is all east of TH 41. We have no control at all on the
portion west of TH 41, even though it is the same tax number and it's being reviewed with this
development, we're not trying to ask for any density transfer from that. That is Mr. Deanovic's
property and we have no claim to that.
Aanenson: Can I make a comment on that? That's a big concern of the staff and it's been
pointed out in the first meeting. It is part of the same tax parcel. It has a primary zone on the
majority of the property. There's nowhere to transfer that density. This is an area we've
identified that we want to preserve. If Mr. Savaryn or Mr. Deanovic picked up Mr. Savaryn's
property, we think it's good planning practices to address that now. They choose not to transfer
the density, fine. But then look to the conservation easement but I think it needs to be addressed
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
as part of this project. Whether they choose to include it or not, because if it's just split off, given
the later density, there's nowhere to transfer it. I don't think that's good planning.
Jim Deanovic's comments were not picked up by the microphone.
Aanenson: Which is the reason why we supported this as part of the PUD.
Conrad: What's your vision for the commercial area?
Dennis Griswold: Right now the vision is limited basically that it is a comer of the property that
we feel would be appropriate for a neighborhood commercial area being at that intersection and it
could tie to the property to the east. We understand that the access recommendation is that there
be a combined access onto the frontage road for those two properties with a right-in, right-out
onto the north/south portion. So we are, we haven't at this point shown any site plan because we
don't have a specific user in mind but we feel that that would be an appropriate location for it. I
know there was some discussion tonight and at other times about would the property west of that
access point be appropriate for it and it's an area that is low. MnDOT was looking at it for a
holding pond. We would like to work with them on that location for their ponding requirement
and actually turn that into a feature by having a fountain in that area. And have the backdrop of
the trees and landscaping coming up the hill behind it so as you look towards the northwest from
TH 5, there would be a pond there with... While that side would more directly connect for
pedestrians coming down to that neighborhood commercial, it is contemplated that there would
be a path system all around that area and that we feel that it would be more appropriate on the
other side of the access point.
Aanenson: Can I just comment. That goes back to your original question and Dave pointed out
in his...will be a signalized comer...
Conrad: Kate, what do you think we should expect when they come back in terms of flushing
out a little bit the commercial layout? Right now it's a box. It's a block and we don't know. Is
that, will you have at least some, will you require at least a little bit of planning on that
commercial site after we approve or disapprove the PUD?
Aanenson: Certainly. I think it'd be similar to what we did on Mission Hills and that there is
commercial zoning adjacent to 101. We put together a laundry list that everybody was
comfortable with. That became the uses permitted. Or conditional. And then we also put design
guidelines so pitched roofs, materials, all that would also be, you know whether you want this to
relate to what neighborhoods. I think that would also be part of the specific standards for that
commercial district, and how it relates to the other piece. It should be one of the conditions. I
can double check to see. Yes, number 23. I think that can be further articulated by saying
address the adjacent property and how that relates.
Joyce: I like the idea of having conditional uses like you were saying. A list of that so that's
something we can look at as far as...I think Ladd brings up a good point. A little better pin
pointed.
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Blackowiak: Mr. Chairman, I have a quick question for Kate. You're asking us to look at you
know broad picture tonight. Sounds like they're in some disagreement at this point as to whether
this parcel west of TH 41 is going to be included. To me that sounds like basic step number one
is define your area. Are you comfortable with where you are right now? Or do we need to wait
until we get a little better defined area before we move forward with this?
Aanenson: Well it's the staff's recommendation that, while they believe they're not benefiting
from the density transfer of that piece is approximately 12 acres. It would be guided when it
came in you know residential low density, up to 4 units an acre. However many they could get
on there based on the primary zone. The staff's position is there's nowhere to transfer it
elsewhere on that property. It's not big enough. There is property on the other side and because
it's, we're saying you can't segment the two.
Blackowiak: Right, because they're the same tax number.
Aanenson: Right. And they're doing it with the project and whether they benefit, if they're
getting increased density, then that's a benefit to the PUD. They could choose to use that. But I
think the staff's recommendation would be to leave it as part of the PUD and I think, what I
thought I heard was that they were not receiving benefit as far as density from it. And while that
may be true.
Blackowiak: It's part of the property.
Aanenson: Right.
Blackowiak: So, what is your feeling? I mean do we need to tell you to go back and talk to them
and iron out step number one?
Aanenson: Give them some direction.
Blackowiak: Define your property area and then come and talk to us. Have a little more
information.
Aanenson: I would just say, just leave it as a condition. That's how we had it, yeah. Do you
want it included or not, and then you send the marching orders. If you don't, right. I mean they
can, if they don't want to do it, that's sending clear your direction.
Jim Deanovic: Can I speak to this?
Joyce: Come on up to the podium.
Jim Deanovic: You know I don't want to, if we eliminate that density on that piece, that piece
goes to a value of zero. You know if we're not utilizing the density, which I know we are not on
the other piece, I don't think that that's fair. It's as simple as that. I understand the conservation
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
and all the trees and everything else and I think that that has to be taken into account on a
separate, whatever would happen to that piece after that. I mean the owner is here, let him speak
to it.
Joyce: I'll let him.
Paul Savaryn:. My name's Paul Savaryn. It's been a family farm for 30 years and just address
that triangular piece. I'd recommend you drive by there but Kate's wrong on her characterization
of it. It's 12 acres gross. Tanadoona Boulevard is on the north side of it. We've had that rented
out for crops for the past 30 years and we receive rent on 7 acres so over half of it is tilled. And
the trees, although they're dense and they're on the triangular, the steep triangular angle, there's
nothing especially spectacular. It's just a dense growth of trees and I think any development in
that would probably want to make use of it, but the fact is, as it gets narrower, there's less and
less you can do on that southern end. So as far as that piece of property goes, I think it should
have a use for itself and I have many in mind that probably could work there but it is now sold to,
in the works to Mr. Deanovic.
Aanenson: Okay, let me just rephrase the issue. We've got a piece that's a part of it and they
want to segment something off. You have to assign it something. We can't just leave it there.
Joyce: I think what we've got here is, it's nice that we're going through this conceptual PUD.
Iron this out...area of this but I think what Alison said, I think they need some direction. I hear
what Kate is saying. It's not whether we segment this off or not, and then give them some
direction so they can come back to Kate... I'm not going to get hung up on this right now
tonight. We need to proceed forward because we have a whole project here that...one segmented
property. Although it's noted that it is an issue. Fair enough? Okay, let's get a motion to open
this up for a public hearing then.
Kind moved, Sidney seconded to open the public hearing. The public hearing was opened.
Joyce: It's open for a public hearing. If anyone would like to address the Planning Commission
at this point. Step forward.
Bud Olson: Mr. Chairman, public safety commissioners. I'm Bud Olson. I live at 7331
Hazeltine Boulevard and my piece of land, let's see does it show on that? Okay. My piece is
right here and my neighbor Bruce Geske is also here and he's just north of me by one parcel
there. He'd be right there. Just some of my, I'm kind of pleased by the fact that it's not going to
be Mill's Fleet Farm so I appreciate the fact that we're working on some other kind of concept
for this comer. Some of my concerns are, first of all sewer and water considerations. Bruce and
I are just kind of a couple of loners out there right now. Lundgren's got their project in over at
Longacres and we didn't have much, we didn't know about it. So when we look at the future of
our properties we're looking at, where's the sewer and water coming in for our two properties.
My home is 30 years old. It's got septic and well. I don't know how much longer this is going to
work for us so one of the considerations that I have in this whole project is how will you address
the two loners that are sitting out there regarding the project. I know the church has petitioned
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
for that sewer line to go across and I just don't want to be forgotten. So that's one of my
considerations. A couple others that I have is directly behind my parcel is a 2 ½ acre spot that is
part of this land process and it is part of this project.
Aanenson: It's topographically separated. It's on the other side of the wetland. They can't get a
road to it. The Olson's property is in front of it. It's land locked.
Bud Olson: Right, and I was waiting to hear some concept ideas for this whole thing and so that
piece concerns me. Across the road is the 12 acres that is part of this discussion already that
we've had. I have a consideration or concern for what we do on that side because that directly
impacts the front of my property across the road there. Those are a couple other concerns. Being
in the law enforcement profession I have a deep concern about this density when you consider the
frontage road that's coming out to TH 41. As you drive that I'm sure you know there's a curve
right into that road and I'm sure MNDOT's done studies and looked at that but I still have a car
density issue. That TH 5 and 41 is a high traffic area. We have a lot of crashes there. It's
another intersection here where we're going to add a large volume of traffic into that
neighborhood so I have some considerations about is that traffic controlled? Is that going to be
traffic controlled there for the purposes of getting in and out of that neighborhood. That is a
consideration of mine. Future usage of Highway 41. With this density and this number of
families and we've got kids that are going to be in this neighborhood. We have a school district
that the school is already maxed out over at Bluff Creek. How will that impact this
neighborhood and where do my children go? Where do the children of Longacres go? And this
project some considerations for the school district. Also, there are parks but I don't see much
green space here. I'm looking for where do all these kids go on their bikes? Where are they
going to travel to? Where's the park system going to be involved in this process here, so that's
another consideration I have great interest in. The rental units, I'm curious to see if there's going
to be any on-site management there. We know in law enforcement that on-site management does
a lot to control what happens on that property, so again from the law enforcement perspective I
think it's important to know, will we have on-site management that will be watching those
properties? I think that pretty much handles it. I am concerned about the usage of Highway 41.
Will the trail system come north? If it does, it will come right through my front yard and how
much impact that will have on the pedestrian bike traffic that comes by my neighborhood. So
those are some of my considerations on this. Thank you.
Joyce: Thank you. Dave, is there any comment on the...?
Hempel: Certainly Mr. Chairman, Planning Commissioners. That is one of the items that we've
requested the applicant to do is petition the city for extension of sewer service to the area. We
have received the petition from the Westwood Church group for that. We'll be in the process
later this fall of putting together a feasibility study for the Westwood, what I'll call, what I call a
. th
th ,
frontage road ~s West 78 Street. Or the extension of West 78 Street. And we 11 be putting
together a feasibility study for that later this fall, early winter. In that review we will take a look
at all the adjacent parcels that are included in the sewer district. Mr. Olson's property and the
property owner to the north were excluded from the Lundgren development to the north because
38
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
they were outside of the sewer district based on the comprehensive plan so those parcels will all
be looked at with this new area coming on line here in the year 2000.
Joyce: Actually that touches off another comment. I'm just wondering, do we have a traffic
study going on for this development? Is that something that's a necessary consideration?
Hempel: That is a point that we did think about. I guess as far as access points along there, we
did try to consolidate some of the access points and create a looped road system in our
comments. That's why we probably need a little more detail than a conceptual review than usual
because we did want to flush out a lot of issues to make the applicant aware that there are some
issues out there with regards to traffic, sidewalks and so forth. Those will be reviewed as the
plans get further detailed. Look at sight lines, spacings, working with MnDOT on the turn lanes
for the intersections and whether or not they need to be traffic control warranted for those
intersections. And so forth. All be coming down the line as the project...
Joyce: It's an expense obviously.
Hempel: Correct.
Joyce: But it might be something that...
Aanenson: Right, and again this project is predicated on the upgrade of Highway 5 and the
frontage road and there will be signals with that.
Joyce: Okay.
Blackowiak: Kate, when you say predicated upon, in other words when Highway 5 is upgraded
before this begins?
Aanenson: That's what we're saying. Their time frame was 2000 and we're saying that the
water would go in as a part of the road, then sewer also would need to be in place before we issue
permits so it's pretty optimistic to say they'll be under construction in the year 2000.
Blackowiak: So you're saying that Highway 5 needs to be in completed,
Aanenson: The frontage road, which is the first, because the frontage road gets built first. That's
access the by-pass during the construction of Highway 5.
Blackowiak: Correct. So could conceivably the builder come in and start building While we're
being by-passed from a frontage road or no?
Hempel: Highly unlikely.
Aanenson: Highly unlikely. It's very optimistic, yeah. I don't think so. That was something
that.
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Blackowiak: Big picture I mean. Big tracks. Lots of traffic. That doesn't sound like a good
combination.
Joyce: This is still open for a public hearing so if anyone else would like to come up. Seeing
none, close the public hearing.
Burton moved, Blackowiak seconded to close the public hearing. The public hearing was
closed.
Sidney: Mr. Chairman, I'I1 throw out my comments. I think we've had a good overall discussion
so far. Direction for staff...maybe make a few comments about a few points... I guess my
general comments are I like the project. I like the mix of products. However I do have some
concerns with the village homes and the court homes, that area. Individually the village homes...
that layout that I've seen...I'd like to see the road shifted around maybe to create different angles.
I have a feeling...more towards the center as far as the...in the development mainly because I'm
concerned with the height. That it would give the appearance of more apartment like structures.
Because we're not going to have a lot of vegetation...for many, many years to give screening and
buffering for this comer of TH 41 and 5. I guess I'm concerned about the massiveness of those
buildings. I'd prefer to...if that would be possible. Also not really...pond at that comer. I guess
there have been discussions about more vegetation and I would encourage more berming in that
area for the sake o£the residents because it will be very noisy on that comer so I guess I'd like to
beef up more ora buffer and green space on that 41 and 5 area. Also I think just the basic layout
needs to have more...green space .... manor home area is great the way it's laid out. Something
that appeals to me...I'm sure that can be worked on. Feel comfortable with the amount of
commercial...preserving what is there worked out really well.
Joyce: Great, thanks. Good comments. Anyone else?
Kind: Mr. Chairman. I agree with LuAnn and I won't repeat, echo many of my feelings, but I
want to add to the comments with the village homes. I'm really not thrilled about the idea ora
three story home with single car garages. And no double garages worked in here. I like the idea
of mixing the lower priced units physically with the double car units. The more expensive units
like we did in Walnut Grove where they're mixed in and not segregated off to the side. And I
think that we can have...single car units that's being recommended here. The court homes are
much more appealing to me. They start at $112,000 and I think would meet our affordability
requirements. The court home style versus the three story, single car garage village homes. I
really want to emphasize LuAnn's point about the contiguous green space. I think the spaces are
wasted by having those village homes looking at the open courtyard. Nobody else gets to benefit
by that...and it sure would be nice if some nice sight lines from Highway 5 to see some green
space. Let's see what else? And I do have some comments, I guess it would be more along the
lines of direction for what I would like to see in the next stage regarding I guess architecture. I
really encourage the Pulte folks to go take a look at Walnut Grove. I think that there's some real
nice things being done there, and my favorite things about Walnut Grove are that each style of
building has kind of a unique look to itself. It's not each building looking unique but each style.
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
So all the court homes have kind of a similar look about them. Not each individual building. I
am not a big fan of changing color of roofs on each building or changing the color of siding on
each building to make it look like a single family detached, because it's not. And I really prefer
subtle color pallets and one of the things I like about Walnut Grove is how there's a unified roof
color and materials are common but have a unique look to each type of home. The craftsmen
style, it's a classic style that I like. I'm not suggesting that this also be a craftsmen but I think we
really need to be careful of picking a style that's going to look dated and trendy. And the open
gazebo space at Walnut Grove is really neat and maybe that's more appropriate than a totlot. I
don't know. I think that's it.
Burton: Mr. Chairman I have just a couple short comments. I guess I commented a little bit
earlier and the comments have been echoed. I think that we need to have more green space and
to preserve it and I think a lot of it could be achieved with the layout. It just seems so dense to
me. Especially in the southwest comer. Then one of the audience comments was about
recreation areas and I do see that there are recreation areas for tots. I don't see that there are any
other recreation areas and it would be nice to see other options like perhaps ice rinks or
basketball courts or something like that so the other older kids, and the adults too have other
things to do there. I guess and then the wetland issue I would like to make sure that as we go
forward that we stringently adhere to the setback requirements and not make exceptions since
we're so early and they can get plenty of notice that that would be the case. I'd like to strongly
enforce that. And to also preserve the natural features as much as possible. I think that's it.
Blackowiak: Well yeah, I think I'd like to start out by saying that I strongly support what Kate
said about treating not only this parcel but also the triangular parcel west of TH 41 as the PUD
area. I would like to see that. The PUD area defined as such. I don't feel that leaving that little
sliver of the parcel is appropriate. We need to plan accordingly, and whether, I'm not talking
benefits. I'm not talking density transfer but I think it's good planning to put it all together. One
tax ID number. That's how it is. Treat it as such. Secondly, overall I think you need to look at
the commercial and make sure that it is attached or works with some way the parcel directly to
the east so that we don't just leave a couple little commercial here and a little commercial there
because that doesn't make a lot of sense. When we're looking at PUDs we keep saying higher
design standards. What is the community getting and I think that we need to do some real basic
planning before we even start getting into the whether we like the village home versus the court
home versus you know. That's all fine and good and that's...but like I said, overriding, I think
we need to define this parcel as, including the west of TH 41. And specifically the commercial.
Village homes, boy. Awfully dense and I use the word intense and I think they're very intense
for that comer. I would question whether it will even meet the parking requirements Kate. I'm
not sure. One garage per unit doesn't sound quite right to me. So I just don't know if that's the
place for it. I agree with what Matt said about the recreation opportunities. I heard all these low
numbers for tots. You know. 16 per unit or something so they're not going to be playing there.
We need to have something for the people that are going to be there so gardens, basketball
courts, gazebos, open green space areas. Something for the other people because according to,
what I'm hearing there aren't going to be lots of tots there. And finally, I don't know about the
primary zone but I would really encourage us to look at where the primary and secondary zones
fall and get a real good idea of distances from things and what we're trying to accomplish. What
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
we're trying to save up along this north end. And what we're going to do with this little land
locked just east of the Olson property, because that really needs, I'm just assuming we're just
leaving it. So if we're all comfortable with that. And let's take a look at that...carefully along
the north end and see what we can do. See what we want to accomplish there and maybe there
can be some passive recreation opportunities in that area to be addressed.
Joyce: Ladd.
Conrad: Actually I was hoping this was going to come in all commercial so probably, and I'm
serious. This is a commercial site and I'm sure the neighbors like single family. I'm sure, but
it's a commercial site where we could make some money. I'm vacillating back and forth. I
basically like what's been presented. If we care at all about affordability in Chanhassen, it's an
opportunity. Even the 3 or 4 of the, well 3 of the home plans are affordable so it's hard to make
affordable housing. So we should all check on that. I think some of the, every time we see
density then we worry about is it looking good but then boy, then get rid of our comprehensive
plan. Tell them how to make affordable housing. That doesn't negate what the rest of the
commission has said however. So it's not easy to give direction on stuff like this. Offer
affordability and I think Pulte's a good name. They do make a good product... A couple
concerns I have. Given I give up my commercial need there, given I give that up, you've got to
make the TH 5 and 41 intersection attractive. You've just got to. I'm not going to tell you how
to do it. You've got to tie it to the Arboretum and make it look, probably staff has a good sense.
You've got to make, I really, I think what we all react to is the blocks, especially in the village
home. It does look stamped out. That's how you make money. It does look very predictable and
that bothers me but that's what a builder like you can do very well, so I know that's your
strength. From a conceptual standpoint, it bothers me a little bit. I'd like some variation in there.
I think the connectivity in that area is real important and that one I'll make sure you do. The rest
you'll probably persuade me one way or another but I just don't want block. You've got to solve
that one. You heard some comments about the three stories and I don't know. I think we've got
to put, that's how you bring affordable housing in and you bring affordable housing in not by
putting it next to Lundgrens, but by putting it right here. So there's got to be a check up here, but
I think you can do some of the things. The connectivity, I know you can do. I know you can
make some green aisles going through here. I know you can. I know you can do some pathways.
I don't want a pond just to be a pond because of the highway, MnDOT says we need drainage. It
sounded like you were doing it so I heard that, make it work for the people that are there. Not
just a fountain. Make it work. That commercial, for sure you've got to, there's such nice
neighborhood commercial things that I've seen that integrate in and that's why I really don't like
it across the road. It's a little bit of a barrier and it stops. It makes people drive versus walk, but
maybe we have to have it where you got it. I would like to see how your schematic of how you
might be laying that out back Kate. I'm not going to approve it just a box. I have to at least have
a good faith estimate of where we're going with that. I'm not necessarily and I'm not sure what
we zoned it for so now I'm winging it but I really, it's just got to integrate. If we allow gas
stations, it's not a SuperAmerica. It's one that's sort of integrated with the family type
atmosphere that we might have at a market or whatever. It has to be really a true neighborhood
type of commercial center. I don't care how you solve the land to the west. I'll contradict maybe
the rest, some of the commissioners and staff. I don't know legally how we deal with it. I wish
42
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
you could use the density transfer. That's a great way that we have to get what we want and help
you and if that doesn't' work, I don't know how we do it. You heard we don't want so much
density so I don't know. I don't know how to size that. I think some of the other things they said
here are pretty good. Even though you only have 50 kids in this site, I'm surprised the Park and
Rec didn't give any.
Aanenson: They put 2 ½ acres they wanted totlots, right.
Co~xrad: They felt comfortable, okay well I guess you're hearing some challenges to that so they
have their opinion and we have ours and it looks like a lot of parcels and where's the park. I
think if you didn't put the word tot in here we would have been comfortable. To be determined
whether. Yeah, that's my. I think what we're getting is some good, well constructed, affordable,
predictable, good builder stuff here. If we start knocking out some of the things where they've,
the higher density stuff, then we're screwing around with affordable housing in Chanhassen so
it's your opportunity, our opportunity to get it. Again, I don't know, but I think you've got to
solve some of those other things that you heard up here. Those are important. If you can show
me how you can vary the predictability of those neighbors close, you know the village homes. I
kind of like how you, I like the green space between them. I think that's kind of neat but I think
you've got to do something there to help us put a lot of folks in there. In terms of walking.
That's all.
Joyce: ...I think your initial presentation is nice. I like, it's well organized. Nice materials. It's
laid out real nice for us so that's helpful so next time around you know...in that regard. I don't
have a lot to add. The only thing I can say is when I look at this, the part to the north of the
frontage road seems okay and this part always bothers me. I mean it's just as simple as that. So
it's kind of a flow of the project. We went to seminars and stuff Kate where we had the
neoclassical looks and things like that where we really condensed some of these higher density
buildings into one area to leave green space and I think that's kind of what we're saying because
it really looks chopped up.
Aanenson: Well that's what we tried to do with the village but you're already seeing resistance
because it's different. We're trying to compress some of that towards the front. Try to keep it,
make that transition from Longacres.
Joyce: I challenge Pulte to give us some sort of, something like that. I think both Deb and
LuAnn made some good points. LuAnn saying the elevation on those things. I think you can
alleviate that by what LuAnn said maybe blending the court homes. I didn't like, I personally
think you can work on the elevations as far as the articulation on those village homes. I think
more gables, more bayed out windows, things like that gives it a little more...look. I think it was
plain looking. This is just personal stuff I'm throwing out there but yeah, I mean I'm just saying
what everyone else is saying. It's just you've got these cookie cutter blocks and if there's some
way of pushing all this density into one area to take advantage of some green space, yeah. It'd be
different but I think you get more benefit out of it.
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Aanenson: Can I just get some feedback from you. If we push the taller ones toward the middle,
you're going up in elevation. You're going to see them more. That's why the staff pushed them
towards the intersection to give a sense of entrance so maybe it might be helpful to come back
with a couple different, before we spend a lot of time at the next evolution.
Joyce: I mean if we had a couple of options. Did we do that with Walnut Grove?
Aanenson: Oh yeah. A year of options.
Joyce: I mean they gave us some options. They came in and they said here's 2 or 3 ideas, what
do you guys, and you know you got the response back. People liked it.
Aanenson: Yeah, because what I'm saying is, if we're going this way I think you have to realize,
you're trading one thing for another and I want to make sure we understand what we're trading.
That was a concern that we had. That by pushing them up, you're going to see more of them.
And keeping them as a lower profile but maybe we can come back in an open discussion and
come back with some different versions as we move this along.
Joyce: I think we have a concept. Now it's a matter of working with it. Yeah, it's going to take
some time but I think thought and scratched and we got that Walnut Grove thing and I live next
to it... We finally came to everyone agreeing to it and shaking hands and being happy.
Conrad: Kevin, what's the price range down there?
Joyce: More than my house I'll tell you that.
Conrad: Yeah.
Kind: They have some units...
Joyce: Yeah you're talking about, but I'm talking about, we're talking about, see when we
started with those zero lot homes, they were, they looked like mobile homes. And what they
turned into are these bungalows and they're gone. For $250,000. If you're talking affordability,
yeah. I agree. But you've got also the $80,000 homes next to those nice homes and you've got
some affordability.
Kind: That's what I like. They're mixed in within. Not just segregated off.
Joyce: Yeah there was, the neighborhood blended in from single family to very nice bungalows
to some affordability.
Conrad: The price range is pretty compressed, and so again as you went from 1 to 150 to 180 to
210 to 240, I heard some ranges that were between 100 and 150 for most of their product. I was
pretty impressed so, I don't know. I'm not trying to argue affordable. I still like commercial.
44
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
What we get here...the density's okay. Figure out how to push it one way or another but do we
like, or do we want to cut density by 50%.
Joyce: Kate had a good point. You've got 100 acres. There's not much density you can cut.
How much density can you cut?
Aanenson: Well there's a wetlands in there. I mean you have to take out, there's gross and net.
Joyce: ...80 acres.
Aanenson: Correct.
Joyce: You're going to have 350.
Aanenson: That's what I'm saying. You're getting 400 units on there so it's how you want to
segment those. That's the $64,000 question. What I'm hearing is we need to come back with a
couple different iterations for you. I mean we spent, staff and Pulte, this is the third or fourth
iteration. Our recommendation, they were thinking all one product. We should try to get some
different product.
Joyce: What I'm saying is, I think this comer has to be worked on. That's my personal opinion.
I think I heard from everyone else they have a problem with that. It's a gateway into the city.
Aanenson: Right, and we tried, again the staff's position, just so you understand is we tried to
make a transition. Similar to Walnut Grove. Stepping the density towards the highway, which
was given the higher density, and tried to do that but what I'm hearing is just some of the other
issues. Open space. How the, as Ladd said, the predictability. Some of that issues and I think
we can come back with some different, before they go too much further, come back with some
other. It may be even before council.
Conrad: Yeah, this shouldn't be a dialogue between us but you're okay with the density there.
You just don't like how it's mixed around.
Joyce: What I don't mind about the density is that you have, you don't have homes up here
either though that are, I mean it's, this right on Highway 5. It's probably, I'd review it. I agree
with the fact that yeah, it seems like it's an industrial property...outside of the downtown so I
disagree with commercial.
Conrad: Or office would be fine.
Joyce; This would be a better office. If you had an office thing in front of me, yeah. I'd be
happier.
Blackowiak: Yeah, office in the southwest quadrant. Leave the homes up here as they are. I
mean that to me that would be ideal.
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Joyce: That would be ideal. But this is going to be developed one way or the other and we could
just toss out the whole idea. I don't find it really offensive, I just have a problem with this comer
I guess is what we're trying to say.
Conrad: But that's a tough comer. Do you not like so many units on it? Are we trying to strip
out units from this comer?
Joyce: What it looks like, to give it a better flow, yeah. We'll leave it at that. Like I know what
I like and I can't tell you what I like but I don't like this right now.
Conrad: But what they'd like to hear is if we want to strip out units some. That's the point of
this conceptual deal. If we think it's got 20% too many units or we think 5 more acres should be
commercial, let's tell them right now. They don't want to come back and we say well, yeah. So
are we comfortable with the density?
Joyce: You know what, I think that if they use a little imagination they wouldn't have, if they've
got to strip out 5% of them to make it look nicer, it might be worth their while.
Conrad: But they could have the 36 units from across Highway 41. Where are those?
Aanenson: Good question.
Conrad: We've got to give them those units I guess. They have a right to but anyway, it
shouldn't be a dialogue but.
Kind: Mr. Chairman?
Joyce: Yes.
Kind: To answer Ladd's question, I'd like to see less density in that lower area. What I'm
hearing from Kate that we in the comp plan have promised that 400 units could be on this.
Aanenson: No. They...get that many, no. I'm saying if you look at it on the gross, that's
approximately what they could get. It would be lower density on the north side of the frontage
road and it would be even higher on the south side, up to 8 units an acre. What I'm saying that
right now it's averaging about 4. They still probably maybe 2 ½, maybe closer to 5.
Conrad: It's low density folks. It's Iow density and you're trying to strip it out.
Aanenson: The 80. I added the 12 on the other side in.
Conrad: It doesn't look pretty and high density doesn't look necessarily as pretty as single
family.
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Joyce: Well I think it could be more imaginative. I think you can be creative with this, and
that's what I want them to come back with. Something a little creative. I think if you have some
options, and work with the staff because Kate has an idea here. It's brewing that she might be
able to offer you, and I hear what she's saying. That we don't want these big massive three
structure buildings up on a hill. I can see a problem with that. I think I'm just going to leave it at
that. We're going to bring this, we'll vote on this right now?
Aanenson: Yes. You can go a lot of different ways. Conceptual, you have to make a
recommendation to planning. I mean to the council, excuse me.
Conrad: The concept. How could I summarize what we just said?
Aanenson: You have three options. Table it, recommend denial or recommend approval with
conditions.
Joyce: I need a motion then. If everyone's done.
Conrad: Are we making the motion, yeah. So this is going to the City Council for a conceptual
plan review Kate?
Aanenson: Correct. It says, and I can quote, the PUD ordinance. The Planning Commission
shall conduct a public hearing, report it's findings and make recommendations to the City
Council.
Conrad: I've never done this before.
Aanenson: Yes you have.
Conrad: I never have, so you're making me go into waters that just, on a concept plan it's give
them some direction.
Aanenson: Yes you have.
Conrad: These are very specific things that probably I haven't reviewed because they look too
detailed for a concept plan. Therefore I'm real uncomfortable saying I agree with all these. What
I do agree with some of the directions that we gave up here. So I think, because it will come
back, I don't know what. Kate, you've got to tell me what's legal. If we need a motion on it,
then I'll make the motion. If that's what the ordinance says, I heard we had to process this with
the 120 day deal.
Aanenson: No. You've got three options. You can table.
Conrad: Previous deal, okay.
Aanenson: You can table it.
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Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Joyce: Make the motion.
Conrad: I don't have to but I may want to.
Aanenson: That's fine. Or you can change the recommendations. Those are, staff put those in
for guidelines. If you want to put something different, make them bi-oad brush, that's fine.
Conrad: I would recommend, I'll make the motion. That the Planning Commission, do we have
to do approval?
Aanenson: No. You can table or deny it.
Conrad: Yeah, but we don't want to do those. There's no point in doing those.
Aanenson: You have to make a recommendation.
Blackowiak: Unless we want to see some other options.
Conrad: That's right.
Blackowiak: I mean conceptually, are you in agreement with it?
Conrad: Well the validity of a concept plan is to get everybody's perspective. The developers
would like to know what everybody's thinking, especially the City Council. They make the last
decision. I have no need to keep it here and have us screw around with it and then have the City
Council say that's not really what I want. We agreed Ladd with you that it should be all
commercial. Don't need to do that. I'll make the motion that the Planning Commission
recommends to the City Council that they review the conceptual planned unit development//99-2
for the Arboretum Village and the comprehensive land use plan amendment subject, reviewing
the conditions in the staffreport dated September 1, 1999 with the following additions. After 31,
I put all my notes away. That 32 says the Planning Commission is looking for a more creative
approach in dealing with the same or less density south of the frontage road but maintaining
affordability. Planning Commission is looking, next condition 33. For a creative approach to the
intersection of TH 5 and 41 in terms of the ponding, aesthetic, attractiveness to tie into the
Arboretum and the feel of Chanhassen. Planning Commission is looking for more connectivity
in terms of pathways, green spaces, playground areas in the plan. Planning Commission is
looking for a more detailed vision of the commercial area. Planning Commission wants to
review the traffic implications of the site. I've got to leave the chunk of TH 41 off of my motion.
It is in the staff report. I don't know how to deal with that. They've recommended it be
considered part of that and I don't know that I can contradict or counteract that or contradict it
right now so I'm going to leave that in. That was the other issue. Parenthetically we did note the
comments from the public so we're not ignoring, I think everybody heard what you were saying
and they're good points. That's my motion.
48
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Joyce: Does anyone want to second that?
Kind: Thinking about it.
Blackowiak: I'll second that.
Joyce: Is there any discussion?
Conrad moved, Blackowiak seconded that the Planning Commission recommends to the
City Council that they review the Conceptual Planning Unit Development #99-2 for
Arboretum Village and a Comprehensive Land Use Amendment reviewing the following
conditions presented by staff and the Planning Commission:
1. Submit soils report to the Inspections Division. This should be done prior to issuance of any
building permits.
2. Submit streets names to the Building Department, for review prior to final plat approval.
The applicant will need to develop a sediment and erosion contrOl plan in accordance with
the City's Best Management Practice Handbook and the Surface Water Management Plan
requirements for new developments. The plan shall be submitted to the City for review and
formal approval in conjunction with final plat submittal.
All utility and street improvements shall be constructed in accordance with the latest edition
of the City's Standard Specifications and Detail Plates. Detailed street and utility plans and
specifications shall be submitted for staff review and
City Council approval. The utility systems, upon completion, will be owned and maintained
by the City. The private streets shall be constructed to support 7-ton per axle design weight
in accordance with the City Code 20-1118 "design of parking stalls and drive aisles." The
private streets shall be located in a strip of property or easement 40 feet wide.
Wetland buffer areas shall be surveyed and staked in accordance with the City's wetland
ordinance. The City will provide wetland buffer edge signs for the applicant to install after
the utilities have been completed. The applicant shall pay the city $20 per sign.
The applicant shall provide detailed storm sewer calculations for 1 O-year and 100-year storm
events and provide ponding calculations for stormwater quality/quantity ponds in accordance
with the City's Surface Water Management Plan for the City Engineer to review and approve.
The applicant shall provide detailed pre-developed and post-developed stormwater
calculations for 100-year storm events and normal water level and high water level
calculations in existing basins, created basin, and/or creeks. Individual storm sewer
calculations between each catch basin segment will also be required to determine if sufficient
catch basins are being utilized. In addition, water quality ponding design calculations shall
be based on Walker's Pondnet model. Stormwater ponds must have side slopes of 10:1 for
49
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
the first ten feet at the normal water level and no more than 3:1 thereafter or 4:1 throughout
for safety purposes.
o
The applicant shall enter into a PUD agreement/development contract with the City and
provide the necessary financial security to guarantee compliance with the terms of the
development contract.
The applicant shall apply for and obtain permits from the appropriate regulatory agencies,
i.e., Watershed District, Metropolitan Environmental Service Commission, Health
Department, Minnesota Pollution control Agency, Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources, and Minnesota Department of Transportation and comply with their conditions of
approval.
9. Fire hydrants shall be incorporated per the Fire Marshal's recommendations.
10. The applicant shall include a draintile system behind the curbs to convey sump pump
discharge from units not adjacent to ponds or wetlands.
11. The appropriate drainage and utility easements shall be dedicated on the final plat for all
utilities and ponding areas lying outside the right-of-way. The easement width shall be a
minimum of 20 feet wide. Consideration should also be given for access for maintenance of
the ponding areas.
12. The applicant shall incorporate berming into the plans adjacent to West 78th Street, TH 41
and TH 5 per city code. Additional buffering/screening should also be considered along TH
5 and TH 41 for noise abatement. No berming or landscaping will be allowed within the
right-of-way except landscaping along the frontage road in accordance with the Trunk
Highway 5 Corridor Study.
13. The lowest floor or opening elevation of all buildings shall be a minimum of 2 feet above the
100-year high water level of adjacent ponds, wetlands or creeks.~
14. If importing or exporting material for development site grading is necessary, the applicant
will be required to supply the City with detailed haul routes and traffic control plans for
review and approval.
15. The applicant/property owner shall petition the City for sanitary sewer service.
16. The applicant shall report to the City Engineer the location of any draintiles found during
construction and shall relocate or abandon the drain-tile as directed by the City Engineer.
17. Direct access to all lots shall be restricted to the interior streets and not onto West 78th Street,
TH 41 and TH 5. Access to the commercial parcel may be limited to a right in/right out
along Century Blvd. and a full shared access off West 78th Street with the parcel to the east.
5O
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
The exact location of the access points are subject to City and MnDOT review at time of site
plan review. Cross access agreement will be required at time of final platting
18. Site grades adjacent to West 78th Street, Century Blvd., TH 41 and TH 5 shall be compatible
with the future widening of Trunk Highway 5 project.
19. Provide a public street and sidewalk/trail system south of West 75th Street which will loop
back out to West 78th Street. Sidewalk/trails shall also be provided along the public streets
north of West 78th Street. Eliminate the trails along the wetland in the easterly portion of the
site. Provide trail connections to TH 5 trail and future trail connection to TH 41 between
West 78th Street and TH 5.
20. Landscaped median islands maybe permitted within the public streets contingent upon the
developer entering into an encroachment agreement with the city and the medians do not pose
a traffic safety issue.
21. Future extension of the north/south street is not needed. Shorten street to minimize impacts
to wetlands and trees provide cul-de-sac.
22. Each housing area become a neighborhood with some distinct characteristics.
23. The commercial development needs to be further defined with neighborhood uses only. This
too needs to have materials that are residential in nature. Neighborhood uses are those goods
necessary to meet daily needs.
24. A road be tied into the two access points on West 78th Street to give a better sense of order.
25. The applicant shall be required to maintain these preserved areas when the preliminary plans
are submitted.
26. Criteria must be established to determine which wetland classification best suits this area
before a setback can be established.
27. Preservation of the wood lots on the property.
28. Construction of the interior trails as association connectors at the applicant's expense.
29. Construction of the wetland trail as a comprehensive trail segment with appropriate public
easements being granted and trail dedication dollars used for construction.
30. Plans be submitted for the manor home and rental townhouse tot lot prior to approval.
31. The tot lot/play area in the court homes be expanded to 2 to 2-1/2 acres in size be centrally
located and be connected to appropriate pedestrian routes.
51
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
32. The Planning Commission is looking for a more creative approach in dealing with the
same or less density south of the frontage road but maintaining affordability.
33. The Planning Commission is looking for a creative approach to the intersection of
Highways 5 and 41 in terms of the ponding, aesthetic, attractiveness to tie into the
Arboretum and the feel of Chanhassen.
34. The Planning Commission is looking for more connectivity in terms of pathways,
green spaces, playground areas in the plan.
35. Planning Commission is looking for a more detailed vision of the commercial area.
36. Planning Commission wants to review the traffic implications of the site.
All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously.
OLD BUSINESS: ALTERATIONS IN THE BLUFF ZONE~ REVIEW OF
LANDSCAPING AND BUFFER ORDINANCE~ AND YARD .(PORCH) REGULATIONS.
Aanenson: It'd been around.
Joyce: It's been around the block. I missed a couple meetings hoping it would go away.
Blackowiak: How much time do we have in our work session?
Aanenson: I think that'd probably be better.
Blackowiak: Would that be appropriate to discuss this.
Burton: Do we keep them?
Aanenson: Yes.
Joyce: Why don't we do that.
Blackowiak: I'm just thinking that personally I'm getting.
Aanenson: Well it's the first day of school for you.
Blackowiak: Yeah. Would we have a better discussion if we have a little more time or do we
have a full agenda that night?
Joyee: Do we have a work session coming up?
Aanenson: Yes. First meeting in October.
52
Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 1999
Joyce: So can we just, why don't we put that in there. I think that's a good idea. Thank you
Alison.
Blackowiak: You're very welcome.
Joyce: Because actually ! think that's probably where it belongs anyhow.
Blackowiak: Because it doesn't need a public hearing or anything. It's just discussion.
Aanenson: Discussion. Just education.
Blackowiak: Okay, well let's do it at our work session then.
Kind: Which one are you talking about?
Joyce: 5, 6, 7 and 8.
NEW BUSINESS:
Aanenson: Just let you know on the 15th we do have the hotel coming in on the property next to
Applebee's. And then there are two variances. The hotel next to Applebee's, that will be in.
Also, the school, Chapel Hill Academy. I'm not sure that it will make it on for the 15th or not but
they're in for site plan review and they came in originally we had a condition that ties them to go
through the process to keep it moving. They have submitted so we have some issues there so I'm
not sure it will be quite ready and then that's the 15th. Then the first one in October would be a
work session and we're going to focus a lot of that towards transit...but then we'll also look at
some of these others too. And if you have something that you'd like to discuss...drive you
around and look at the project, so that will be part of it. Other issues. Oh yeah, if there's some
other issues that you would like to address, let me know.
Sidney: The church.
Blackowiak: Oh and Kate also, an update on the variance status. The status of the variances we
have either approved or denied. You started doing what has happened at Council...
Aanenson: There's a couple I'd like you to go look at too.
Blackowiak: Okay. That was not a good sounding comment...so I mean I'd kind of like to know
where we're at with that.
Aanenson: Yeah, I think that's helpful to go back and look at projects to say you know did it
work...it's kind of a good check and balance so we'll go out and do some field work too. And
we might try to start a little earlier because it is getting darker.
53
Planning Commission Meeting- September 1, 1999
Joyce moved, Conrad seconded to adjourn the meeting. All voted in favor and the motion
carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:20 p.m.
Submitted by Kate Aanenson
Community Development Director
Prepared by Nann Opheim
54
CHANHASSEN PARK AND
RECREATION COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
AUGUST 24, 1999
Chairwoman Lash called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Jan Lash, Mike Howe, Fred Berg, Jim Manders, Jay Karlovich, Rod
Franks, and Dave Moes
MEMBERS ABSENT: None.
STAFF PRESENT: Todd Hoffman, Park and Rec Director; Jerry Ruegemer, Recreation
Superintendent; and Tracy Peterson, Recreation Supervisor
VISITOR PRESENTATIONS: None.
CONCEPTUAL PUD FOR MIXED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT (414 UNITS)
CONSISTING OF MANOR HOMES~ COURT HOMES~ VILLAGE HOMES AND
TOWNHOMES ON 82.8 ACRES AND 3.7 ACRES OF COMMERCIAL USES ON
PROPERTY ZONED A2~ AGRICULTURAL ESTATE AND LOCATED ON THE
NORTHEAST CORNER OF HWY 5 AND HWY 417 ARBORETUM VILLAGE, PULTE
HOMES.
Todd Hoffman presented the staff report on this item.
Mark Gungther: Like Todd said my name is Mark Gungther. I'm the construction manager for
Pulte Homes in Minnesota. For those of you who may have known the name Marv Anderson
Homes from many years ago, that is us. Pulte Homes purchased Marv Anderson Homes about
1990, so about 10 years ago. Several of Marv Anderson's employees are still with us today and
stilI running our division today so that just kind of gives you a brief background about who we
are. So we have been around the Twin Cities for 40 plus years so. The community before you is
Arboretum Village. It does consist of four product lines that we have built elsewhere in the Twin
Cities metropolitan area. The first product is our single level townhomes or what we call our
club homes. I don't know Todd, are these in your packets at all?
Hoffman: Not in there.
Mark Gungther: I can pass these around too if you wish to take a look at those. Our club homes,
which would be located up here on the north side, and around this side of the marsh. Those cater
to more of the active adult. People who are retiring or looking to purchase their last home.
Typically you don't see any children in these communities at all, unless they are teenagers who
just want to stay at home and don't want to leave so. We get a few of them. The next product
that we have is their manor homes. This is a townhouse, four unit townhouse building. Three's
and four's I should say. They're located fight here in the middle of the community. The manor
Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
homes cater to move up, target kind of a move up buyer as well as some first time buyers as well.
'It's about a 50/50 split is what we've seen. Kind of looking for more living space but still not
ready to venture out into a full single family. They still want the association care. We're seeing
a few more children in here. Typically about .3 children per household in this product line is
what we've been seeing in our other communities. The products, the two products to the
southwest side is, both are condominium products. One is a two story courthome product is what
we call them. And that consists of eight unit buildings. That's this product line right through
here. And then our 12 unit village home product, which consists of these L shaped buildings
located in the very comer. Those products do cater to the first time buyer. We see young
professionals that are purchasing for the first time. They're getting out of rental products. Want
to own their own home. We see very few children in here. We're averaging about. 15 children
per household in these product lines, and the children are typically all under ages from zero to 5
is typically what we see. So that kind of gives you a quick, real brief area on the product that
we're supplying. I think in terms of looking at the buyer profile, the community does provide
some good recreational and aesthetic values to this community and areas such as the ponding
areas. We want to make sure that we have the ponding area with the fountain. This will give you
a perspective of what this entrance here would look like off of the intersection of County Road
41 and Highway 5. This here is the village home product that you'd see with that pond and
fountain located in that pond. I don't know if you want to pass this around Todd or you want to
let. Areas like Todd alluded to already as trying to save the vast majority of these trees and
provide as much green space. We are having to knick a couple of these edges to accommodate
those buildings but the vast majority of all these tree areas are all saved. The totlot that Todd
mentioned was the one in the middle of the court homes and the village homes. Once again, we
don't see a lot of children in these communities. The one totlot we feel is sufficient for in here,
as well as the one totlot where we see a few more children in the manor home product. The
totlot over here, these 32 units are rental homes. These are not part of our, they're part of this
community but we will not be building them. This falls under the owner that we are purchasing
the site from. And he will be building those 32 units as well as supplying that totlot. The trail
system that goes around, number one MnDOT is supplying the trail system that goes along
Highway 5, Highway 41, and also down, do we know the name of this road yet?
Hoffman: Arboretum Boulevard.
Mark Gungther: Arboretum Boulevard. Denny wasn't quite sure yet what the name was. The
other interior trails, Pulte Homes would be willing to supply the easement around the marsh
areas, as well as look at installing those trails around there as part of the park dedication fees as
well. And then as well as installing all these interior trails. There is one other area that we
haven't brought up or mentioned and it's up on the northern, very northern part. Let me slide,his
down. 'There's a 2 ½ acre piece up on the north end that is land locked at this time. That we :i~
would also like to be considered as part of park dedication. It's not, the other option is we can
still provide an easement on here immediately and then that way it's available for future use as
well if there's a trail. Trail need later on the north side. So that would be one thing I'd ask the
commission to consider as far as that 2 ½ acre piece as part of the park dedication. And then
whatever is remaining we can just, in terms of the cash dedication at that point in time. And at
that I guess, I now that's a real brief overview of our product. The area. I can go into more detail
Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
if you have more detailed questions of me. I want to thank you for your time and I'll just open it
up for discussion.
Lash: Okay. We'll open up. Jim, do you want to start?
Manders: So what you're talking about, your last comment about the park dedication is the green
area on the map up on top?
Mark Gungther: Yeah, this 2 ½ acre piece.
Manders: And evidently that's right against the marsh.
Mark Gungther: That's correct.
Manders: And it's really not accessible?
Mark Gungther: It's not accessible at all at this point in time. I'm not sure of who has the
property on the north side. I believe there is a residence on this exception right here.
Manders: Okay. That's the residence in that comer.
Hoffman: There's a house on either side. Bud Olson, the Sheriff actually lives on the exception,
and the other to the north is another single family. If you combine all three of those at some
point in the future, that would be a large enough...to support some sort of subdivision. That little
exception...and remain as open space...
Manders: Is there anything bordering of this to the north?
Hoffman: Single family home.
Manders: That's right, so there really isn't anything that would be a small 2 acre area.
Hoffman: Yeah, we could not provide access to this. The Lundgren trail comes very close but
it's separated from this land by a single family lot.
Manders: And that's kind of where I'm heading with the next question is the trails around this
marsh area, I see what's laid out on the map but I kind of lose sight of it. Is the road that you're
heading off to the I believe northeast, does that, right there. Does that kind of go up there and
dead-end someplace or is that going to kind of wrap around?
Mark Gungther: Not at this point. It will just be a dead end at that point.
Hoffman: It would continue with future development.
3
Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Manders: And so correspondingly then there's a trail on the back side of those homes that will
wrap around that marsh?
Hoffman: We would pursue that with...
Manders: So on the top side it just goes around on the other side of these other homes, that
wetland.
Hoffman: I'll go grab a trail map and we can throw it up there and show you what's going on
with this land map. There's also the, about a 10 acre group home. That kind of sits in the middle
of the next piece of land that falls...
Manders: Is there anything in, of course this probably doesn't border but isn't there a Highover
or something development to the north of this?
Hoffman: Yeah, it's Longacres.
Manders: But basically this trail is going to be completed around here so all the easements
necessary are.
Hoffman: We would acquire them, pursue them as future development occurs.
Manders: And then the access coming off from TH 5, is this Century Boulevard coming out of
the industrial park? Is that going to cross into this? Is that a stop light entrance or am I just not
reading this right?
Hoffman: Yes.
Manders: Is that how that's going?
Hoffman: Yep. I misspoke during the, Arboretum Boulevard is actually Highway 5. They tried
to get this to be Arboretum Boulevard but right now it's West 78th Street from downtown. I
don't know what they're going to do about that.
Manders: So that West 78th is going to have a trail on the inside like it is right out here?
Hoffman: As far as I know they're slated to start construction next spring...out to this terminus
at TH 41.
Manders: And so the issue with us being outside the half mile border area for park is something
that's pointed out but with all the other amenities around, there's no problem with that?
Hoffman: Well, the totlots serve that purpose and without those there...plan for the possibility to
provide those services and so if the applicant went before you and said we do not want or we
don't believe in totlots, we don't develop them, then it would be my recommendation that we be
4
Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
keeping some sort of public land to develop that but they're providing those recreation spaces for
the casual daily use. Short term.
Manders: So can you elaborate on what the contents of a totlot is going to be?
Mark Gungther: A totlot would be, I guess right now that's open for discussion in terms of what
we've done in the past is we've just done a play structure. More of a maintenance free play
structure. It would have about 5 or 6 different activities located on the structure.
Manders: Kind ofa 5 to 10 year old range type of thing?
Mark Gungther:
Lash: To 5.
Mark Gungther:
Oh no. It will go from, it will cater to the younger children.
Yeah, more 2 to 5.
Manders: And the size of this? I mean as big as this room or this table or how big is this?
Hard to tell.
Mark Gungther: Right. I mean if you're talking about 5 to 6 different activities on a structure
you're probably looking at a structure that may be 30 x 30 or so. 30 feet by 30 feet. So probably
about the size of this... Because the area that you have to oversize to accommodate for fall
protection, etc.
Manders: I guess I have a hard time trying to understand how much is necessary for a totlot but it
just doesn't seem like a lot. I guess that's about all I have.
Lash: Okay, thanks. Jay.
Karlovich: I'm going to start out with the questions about the north 2 ½ acre piece. What is the
property, the exception piece and the other property around that, what is that guided? Is that
going to be single family homes in the future or is that going to be multi-family?
Hoffman: It's guided single family is my recollection.
Karlovich: What does the staff think about, is that something that we want to keep that 2 ½ acres
as open space or a future park or, it just seems that you have a large marsh. You have some
strange exception pieces right on top of Highway 41. Do we even want that property or?
Hoffman: For the loss of park dedication is probably not going to serve the general public. At
that same value so I see the property as less...
Karlovich: As opposed to these three totlots, would it be wise to maybe put some type of little,
small little neighborhood park in there somewhere as opposed to three totlots?
5
Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Hoffman: I thought about that at the time and Mark can probably speak to that. Each kind of
pod is a different product and especially for people that's associated with people and product and
appreciate having their own place closer to home...
Mark Gungther: Once again, you know they are grouped as separate communities, but it is one
big community and they're intertwined. The trails do interconnect the communities as well as
the private road system. Trying to get more of a centralized location, you know try to keep the
totlots close to the home where they're not having to go a great distance from their homes,
especially with the young children. So it seems to have always worked out better to try to keep
this totlot within this community and this one within this one so they're not having to have their
children travel away, or where they might be able to see them from their house or they don't have
to go a big distance with their children to the park, or to the totlots.
Lash: Anything else Jay?
Karlovich: I'll pass for right now.
Lash: Okay, Fred.
Berg: I guess my only concerns are with the totlots too. If they're big enoUgh to handle. Now I
know you know your business. I'm not challenging that but we've had so many developers come
in here and tell us that empty nesters were going to be filling these things, and we're not going to
see any kids and they're just sort of over run. I'm a little bit skeptical about that.
Mark Gungther: Well we are going to see kids. I mean that's, you know like I mentioned. We
just don't see, try to design it to the amount of kids that you have that we've seen typically in the
communities. You know in the first time buyer, a third of our buyers in that community are
singles. Two-thirds are couples or, and starting a family or do have children to begin with so the
amount of children is very few. What we've seen in our buyer profiles. We've been building our
condominiums now for over 8 years so that's about 8 years worth of history to pull from so.
That's basically where we get our numbers from.
Berg: Todd you mentioned in your recommendation, one of them was, one of the totlots you
weren't happy with the location because of the roadway.
Hoffman: Yes, this one here. It's surrounded on two sides by roads. IfI was going to send my
child there, you know take my child in there, I'd as soon it'd be slightly more protected. Those
are private roads. I'm not sure if they can design it. These roadways...get through the review
process and you can find a little more protected area. Nestle that in. Then I think we're going to
see the majority, since this is the largest area, you'll see the most children here. Plus the
numbers... I'd also like to see a plan where...half court basketball in that area.
Berg: It's a little bit like a pig in a poke here.
Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Mark Gungther: Yeah like I said, it's typically what we put in is just a play structure so it hasn't
been any other court facilities or anything like that. It's just been a play structure that has 5 or 6
activities on it so.
Berg: Would you be willing, or willing to at least entertain the option of maybe looking at a
more, at a different, more preferable location for this one totlot or are these set in stone?
Mark Gungther: We can look at it. Trying to, you know our goal is to try to keep it centrally
located for the community. Keep in mind that this is, these are not a public thoroughfare and
obviously with the roads intertwining you don't get into high speed areas as well. These are all
private roads and they'll be all maintained and cared for by the association. So all the
snowplowing, etc is all taken care of by the association. We have placed in areas such as this in
the past, typically it hasn't been an issue. We can take a look at, you know if we wanted to take
it off of, this is the main entrance. If we wanted to flip it and get it away from the main entrance,
or take it off so it's not on this main thoroughfare here, we can take a look at that. Entertain that.
Hoffman: Mark, is there one of these communities we could go look at?
Mark Gungther: Absolutely. You could take a look at, the closest one would be in Shakopee.
It's our Western Ponds community. That one is currently under construction right now. That's
located on County Road 17 and Highway 169. On the south side there. Right across from the
hospital.
Berg: Marshall Road or whatever?
Mark Gungther: Marshall Road, yeah. You can drive in there. The totlot, there's an existing
totlot in there. You can take a look at that and what the play structure consists of.
Berg: And then my last question I think maybe you've already answered. Who would be
responsible for the maintenance and the upkeep of the totlot?
Mark Gungther: The homeowners association.
Berg: So the City would have no responsibility there?
Mark Gungther: Correct.
Lash: I have just a couple of questions too. Todd when we went over and visited Mission Hills,
right there. To help me visualize what this is, would that be comparable size?
Hoffman: I would think so.
Lash: Okay. And I had a question too about, do you ever have, you know there's lots of singles
and stuff and buying townhouse deals. Do they not, you don't ever have anybody request
basketball or tennis or something like that?
7
Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Mark Gungther: Not to my knowledge, we've never had any requests of that.
Lash: Most the time in these associations they're not allowed to put up basketball nets I think on
their garages, right? At least in Chaparral maybe. I just thought there's something that if you
have a lot of guys in their 20's.
Mark Gungther: Each association will vary. I mean to begin with you know each association has
an architectural committee. They would make the approval or not approval of those amenities to
each homeowner.
Lash: In the demographics I was looking through and the typical children living at home are
always you know point something, so it's less than 1 child per household average, but...
communities based on that because I didn't for sure how many of each type go in.
Mark Gungther: In the village and the court home communities, the village is 144 homes. The
court homes is 104 home for a total 0£248. With point, let's say .15. I think Todd you
calculated out what we were talking I think is about 40 children or so for that community. In the
manor homes, I haven't calculated that. There are 83 homes located in that area. Typically you
run about, like I mentioned, about .3 children per household. 25-30.
Lash: What did you say on the first one? On the village?
Mark Gungther: About 40-45.
Lash: And those are, the location of those?
Hoffman: The big block right here.
Lash: That big block. Ooh, okay. The other thing I just wanted to point out or ask to get this on
the totlot in this, the one that you just pointed to. I noticed that that is in Phase II. Year to start is
2001. Where the ones right across the street are in Phase I. Year 2000. So would you be
anticipating that you'd develop the totlot with Phase I so that the people moving in there would
have the totlot right away or would they have to wait then a couple of years until?
Mark Gungther: They would have to go with Phase II. With the amount of homes in there, you
know you're only looking at waiting about a year. At that point in time so that totlot would be
developed when this building here is built at that point in time.
Howe: Assuming it stays there though, right?
Lash: Right.
Mark Gungther: Right, yeah. If that's the location that's chosen.
Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Lash: Also I was just curious what Parcel A is? Is that yours?
Mark Gungther: No.
Hoffman: Susan Markert.
Lash: Oh, okay. I think that was it for my questions. Thank you. Rod.
Franks: Jan you hit on a few things that I noted also. First the totlot not going in in the village
home area until Phase II is developed. That kind of concerned me. As we have kids in 21% of-
the households, where in the village homes weren't having children in your demographics.
Whereas 18% of the homes in the manor homes report having children. I found that a little bit of
confusion there. You were talking about the manor homes having more kids, yet more of the
households in the village homes report having children so I don't know if that was a typo...
Mark Gungther: No, it ties in with there could be more children in one particular household.
Franks: More children per household.
Mark Gungther: Right. So that's the difference right there.
Franks: I can understand putting the totlot in the court home portion of that because you
sacrifice...to put it in there, but it seems to me it would make more sense to put the totlot, if you
can get it worked out, where the kids are more likely to be living. Very few children you're
saying are going to be living in the court homes area. It'd be advantageous I think to really move
the totlot in this area down to the village homes. Instead of right on the border of the village
homes. And ifthere'd be a way to incorporate that stand of trees down towards the bottom to
kind of buffer... Or across the street or somewhere in that comer, more contiguous to the tree
stand.
Mark Gungther: Yeah, you know the trees is a beautiful buffer and one thing that we were trying
to save. I'd hate to lose those.
Franks: Well I'm thinking if there'd be a way to put it next to.
Howe: Is this just green space in here? What would be between.
Mark Gungther: In-between there on the village homes there are patios. Those are individual
patios off each of these homes back up in here.
Howe: But there's not as much space as you would think from this drawing then that would be
open.
Mark Gungther: It is all open in this space here, but I don't know ifthere'd be enough space to
accommodate a totlot without encroaching upon somebody's patio.
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Manders: Is it possible build that area bigger to allow for additional space or are we locked into
these dimensions?
Mark Gungther: These dimensions, the way the buildings are designed are, you know that's how
that works out the best because it is a two story house with a tuck under garage. So everybody is
entering from the street side. The front doors and the garages are from here, and then these all
slope up. And so it's only a two story inside these courtyards.
Manders: But I mean it doesn't look like your streets are squared up so if you made one of these
blocks a little bit bigger to allow for a totlot, does it matter or does it? Evidently it does.
Hoffman: Fine tune it.
Franks: I guess that's what I was thinking too...taking out the street. Shifting this.
Manders: Yeah, just build it somehow so you'd have a larger area in the center, closer to the
trees down there where it's being mentioned to...
Karlovich: I just want to interrupt for a second. What about this area in here? ...for a little
more substantial park in there for...number of children in this area.
Mark Gungther: On Parcel A is not, you know that's not available to us so we wouldn't be able
to do anything with that so we're only, we're locked into just what is under our contract at this
point.
Karlovich: Right. What I was thinking was that if that was just you know dedicated, that area
there, then would Parcel A, when or if it does develop then could request the other comer to
make it more of a squared off area and have a future park there. It just seemed like a kind of a
dead area there in which I don't want to say put a park over here or put a big structure over here
and then you're going to lose your density here. It just looks like you guys all were able to shove
three units in there, but if a comer parcel lay was added into there, it could be a substantial park
area for the future.
Hoffman: Commissioners thoughts.
Franks: My concern is keeping some more play area down where the concentration of units is
down where the villages are. It's a nice idea to have...totlot across the street and farther over to
the north. That's where the concentration of kids will be in that section.
Karlovich: I guess I just generally think ofa totlot, I mean I have a totlot in my back yard.
Franks: That's my next question.
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Karlovich: A play system and you have 400 units in them, I still think you'd probably get at least
100 kids probably in there. And if you have 100 kids and they have no access to any type of
neighborhood park. I just, I don't know if we're just grabbing the park dedication fees, going to
use it somewhere else or do we need to supply something to the 100 kids that are going to be
there.
Franks: Well that's...looking at Mission Hills which is I think is about 208 units, and that totlot.
Howe: Is there just one of them?
Franks: Just the one it's totally inadequate in my opinion. Totally. And here you're talking just
in section you're talking about 200 units for a section, correct?
Mark Gungther: Correct.
Franks: And so when I think of just that one small totlot, and then it being bordered by the street,
the Mission Hills area is next to a pond and stuff and trails but it's also contiguous to the little
extra green band. And even then it seems a little tight. I guess my concern is kind of combining
with what Todd has mentioned and my own about size and location. I don't know, even if you
put it in whether it'd be worth it to you to put it in, even as far as the marketing thing because I
don't know if it's going to serve it's purpose. It's not going to be a place that's going to draw
families out to play. The ones that are there so you might want to look at reconfiguring that
somehow.
Hoffman: Mission Hills Mark, I don't know if you know where it's at. Just south on 101.
Mark Gungther: No, but I can take a look at it.
Hoffman: Take a look at it. You just go across Highway 5 on Market Boulevard, south on 101.
Head south, on the left hand side you'll see it. It's there. When Mission Hills came in, that
applicant had not included any totlot or combination and the commission worked very hard...that
there be one there and so I think it was...little bit more green space and not only could they have
their play structure but then also have the small green field so...participate in some small form
of...they could do that. The complex sold out and an associations are formed and the
association, they had to call us up and they're saying, you know how did we get stuck with this
inadequate park space and was the city involved in that? What was the developer's role and what
can we do to improve the situation so the commission has heard from at least one other similar
product what they.., at least in their belief inadequate needs...
Franks: I think the placement of the other two totlots, that looks great. Especially the one where
the manor homes are. Out in the middle of all three cul-de-sacs. You have the trails and there's
a number of homes that are there. I think that's really well placed. And it's also then the green,
the open space contiguous to that totlot also. I believe we have some view sheds going out either
direction of some open space, whereas you don't have that in the one where the village homes
are. I'd like to see that. The other thing too is kind of the. . . development of Highway 5... I hate
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
to see any of the trees that are there along Highway 5 go so. I understand... If there would be a
way to try to work with that and work with combining totlots into that tree area closer down to
the village home area, that's what I would suggest.
Mark Gungther: Incorporating it into this area here?
Franks: Yeah. And that's what I'm thinking if you could take this block, or one of these and
push them, you know and somehow deal with the street and then add the totlot. Or something.
Lash: Or right to your right.
Franks: This one here?
Lash: Yeah. If you could just take, aren't there just two units?
Mark Gungther: This is an eight unit home right here.
Lash: How many are there?
Mark Gungther: Eight.
Lash: Oh, eight. So if you took half, half that closest to the wooded area.
Franks: Well you could add the other ones into one where you have totlots. You might...in a
couple of units. Because you're sacrificing at least four units for the totlot currently?
Mark Gungther: Correct.
Lash: Okay, so that would be a trade off then. Four down there. If it was halfa block. And can
you make an eight into a four?
Mark Gungther: Yes, we can build these as 4, 6 or 8 unit buildings.
Lash: Rod, that's a really good idea. It would make it look more like a park. The kids could go
through the woods if they wanted a little bit. It wouldn't make it look like just a little play
structure stuck in the middle. Plus that is where all the kids are going to be. 45, estimated 45
kids down in that area as opposed to 16 up in the other area.
Moes: What do you think about from a centrally located, I was always thinking of a centrally
located one.
Karlovich: I think we all want to be designers. I want to throw out another idea. Can I ask you
just a question about the pond across from the commercial, the 3.7 acres. Does that pond have to
be there? From a topographic standpoint or. What I was seeing is that huge, large mass there at
the comer of Highway 5 and Highway 41. You know if you could even put that pond in the
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
middle of this large mass, it seems like it would be more inviting to all these homes around here
and maybe you could have a totlot next to a pond. I don't know, maybe this could be used for
commercial also. You can't have that much commercial there? Or maybe throw in the centrally,
12 unit structure over here and move the pond over here. It just seems like you have a huge,
large mass there with just a sea of condominiums and not a whole lot of amenities.
Mark Gungther: On the topography, I don't think it will accommodate it since this is all higher
ground up here so as far as allowing any need for storm sewer. I'm not sure exactly what those
ponds, or if they are established by MnDOT.
Hoffman: Well this pond I know is being used for some storm water. I don't know if you're
using it as a part of your project for storm water.
Mark Gungther: I don't know. We haven't seen, we're not at that point yet.
Hoffman: But I know this will be used in conjunction with the roadway storm water
management, and as you drive by you notice that this area is, has wetland vegetation in there
already. Down here in this field. It drops offdown and that's used in the pond for water
management. There's a small pond down here in the comer... I had the same impression that
this was a large mass of private streets and homes and if you break it up, Kate Aanenson, the
Planning Director talking to engineers about attempting to work with the applicant to make this
first street feel more like an access boulevard. Taking a look at, we talked about, Mark talked
about pedestrian access. Lack of sidewalk access in this area. Mark had a very good idea that
over...to connect these communities straight out to the trail system here and then straight out to
the trail system to the south. Otherwise you're going to get people to want to walk through, a
private yard or association.., allow that to happen.
Mark Gungther: On the perimeter here, this here is a decorative fence with berming and
landscaping that goes all the way around and I think it ends somewhere back over in here. So
that is, and that's kind of creating a buffer, and then...but there will be a decorative
fence...buffer the buildings and the homes here at this point in time as well.
Franks: I was just looking if that's where you have..., like the village homes are all three story?
Mark Gungther: They're three story on the street side. Two story in the green spaces. You
thought it was a two story with a tuck under garage.
Franks: So it's facing Highway 5 it might actually look three stories.
Mark Gungther: That's the reason for the buffering and stuff. So your viewpoint really would
probably be only two stories is what you'd be seeing. Buffering the garages and the roads.
Hoffman: The commission's thoughts are certainly not out of context. This is a planned unit
development application so if the design, the amount of green spaces is all up for negotiation.
We're the first commission to provide some input and pass that up to the Planning Commission.
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Lash: Okay Rod...
Franks: Yep, I'm done.
Lash: We're still working our way down here. Dave. Sorry. We kind of got off track.
Moes: I think all the items have definitely been covered by now. The one thing is the totlot and
the court and the village homes, it sounds like the recommendation has been put on the table to
see what a plan entails for that type of construction and quite possibly enlarging that and
relocating that. It may be less of a traffic.
Howe: Not a lot I can add. I like what you've done by saving some trees in some of that wood
space. I like the fact that you will incorporate some of the trails in and as I read this, and from
what I'm hearing, I also share the concern about the totlot as a way we can move that. Make it
bigger. Make two of them in that large area. That needs some work as far as I'd say but that's all
I have.
Lash: Okay. Jim, do you have something else?
Manders: Yeah I do. I just want to make, yeah I just thought of a couple more things. I want to
say at this comer of 41 and 5, I think that fountain area, that's a great way to, and I know this
isn't the beginning of Chanhassen but 41 and 5 is a very key artery coming into Chanhassen and I
think about this looks like, and hopefully it tums out something like that because it would be a
great look. And going down 5 further and what you get when you get into Eden Prairie, it's like
that mass oftownhouses right in the comer there and now they're tearing those trees on the other
side. And it doesn't impress me so I like that and the trail.
Berg: At Dell Road there, yeah.
Manders: Yeah. That's all I wanted to say.
Lash: Will you have some kind of an identifying marker or sign or Something that says.
Mark Gungther: Yeah, on the monument. Arboretum Villages, right. Right.
Berg: Promise it won't look like those townhouses, townhomes that Jim's talking about on Dell
Road and Highway 5 where every one of them is exactly the same and they're white or brown...
Manders: Yeah, they're not real inviting.
Berg: And there's about 5,000 of them.
Manders: Do they have totlots in there? I don't know, how big an area is that?
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Berg: I'm being somewhat facetious but it's an awful.
Mark Gungther: The structures, obviously on architecture are very similar. You know between
each village home. The court homes look different. There are different color packages
associated with them. With the products. On the village homes actually we have, we institute
several color packages on one building to make it look like more of a colonial look...building
itself so.
Manders: This map here just has the dotted lines in for these trails I assume but there's really
nothing over here. Is it like on the street trails? Sidewalks or what?
Mark Gungther: Once again it's all private roads over there and those act as the...
Manders: Talking about hooking up to the outside trail, you'd be on the outside of the fence.
Mark Gungther: Well what we would do is provide access through it. So maybe offset an
opening so the trail came through like this.
Berg: Who would maintain the trail? Would that be us? Or the development.
Hoffman: Not within the development. We would just work with them to maintain the one on
the perimeter of the site here.
Mark Gungther: This one here and here, yeah.
Hoffman: ...these would be connected that would be maintained as part of this project.
Manders: But I mean the one up West 78th and isn't there a trail along TH 5 too?
Hoffman: Yeah, those would be ours.
Berg: Do we have any control over the trails in the interior in terms of the quality of the trail?
Mark Gungther: In terms of the specifications as far as what goes in, as far as the base and the
mat? That would be open for discussion with staff as far as what...That's going to maintain
itself. We don't want it falling apart right away for the association. Because they're going to.
Manders: When you talk about trail, are you talking like sidewalk or is it going to go through the
development?
Mark Gungther: It'd be a bituminous trail.
Manders: Yeah, but I mean it's like on the street east as opposed to.
Mark Gungther: These dotted things, they go right through the green space.
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Manders: Yeah, but I'm talking about this other comer where there's no dotted line.
Mark Gungther: Over here?
Manders: Right, in that area.
Hoffman: On street.
Mark Gungther: It's on street.
Manders: Yes, okay.
Lash: The connectors that would, if they were to put in the connector through the green space
out to 41...bituminous then.
Manders: Okay. That's what I was getting at, okay.
Hoffman: And what Kate and I talked about today is the potential as this road became more
defined to put a sidewalk on that street... People would tend to congregate towards that. If
they're trying to get out to here, they're going to tend to congregate towards that roadway and
then there will be more traffic here so they'd have a sidewalk...The Planning Commission will
also talk about...
Karlovich: This center park right in here that I'm kind of circling, how many units is that?
Mark Gungther: That is 12 units. 24 homes.
Karlovich: 24 homes. That would just be awfully pretty if that was all just.
Hoffman: Central park.
Karlovich: A central park right there.
Berg: You could sell anybody on that. Sell the rest for $300,000, we're home free.
Mark Gungther: I don't think we'll have too many first time buyers in that market.
Karlovich: That would just be awfully nice if, I'd be even you know, be up for cutting down
some more the trees but I'd be up for even cutting down more trees to get your density out over
here and put a great central park in the middle of it all but just my personal feeling.
Lash: Okay, are you guys done? Fred, do you need a second?
Berg: No. I'm just killing bugs.
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Lash: Rod? Dave?
Mark Gungther: Can I kind of summarize as far as where we're at.
Lash: We're getting there. We'll try. Todd, do you have anything else you want to say?
So given all of that, I guess what we need to do is discuss a little bit what we want to do
regarding staff's recommendation and where we want to go with our recommendation.
Okay.
Berg: Well we need more information on totlots.
Mark Gungther: Is there, or can I ask the commission is there a recommendation of what you
feel based off of the demographics, approximately 40-45 children, is there a size? Is there
something in particular that you really want to see?
Franks: Todd, there's formula's for that. Square foot per resident and child and household and
all that. I haven't seen those for a while.
Hoffman: Playgrounds are...
Manders: We had a question. How much park space would be included in this given their worth
of dedication?
Hoffman: I calculated it.
Manders: Is it 5 or 10 or how much?
Hoffman: I'll figure it out for you.
Lash: If we just figure, while Todd's doing that, if we figure on the village homes. Say we
ended up with 45 kids. That totlot, that was the size of this room.
Franks: That'd be pretty big though, 30 x 30.
Lash: It wouldn't be this big? Yeah, but I mean you have 45 kids playing in an area the size of
this room. At the max. If they all showed up some night. Help me visualize what that would be
like?
Howe: Mark, is your development in Shakopee similar to this?
Mark Gungther: In Shakopee it is just the 6 and 8 unit condominiums. This product here only
with the totlot.
Howe: Village.
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Mark Gungther: Court homes.
Howe: Can we schedule a road trip to see that Todd or should we just do it ourselves to go down
there?
Hoffman: Oh, we could all go down there. We'll talk about that.
Karlovich: I just think if you give up 24 units, I'd say...even be able to give up one of the other
totlots maybe over by the rental homes and, take 24 units out of the density but.
Lash: What did you come up there Todd in your calculations?
Hoffman: Park dedication on this is, land acquisition is right around 9 acres. Cash is halfa
million.
Karlovich: How much land would be dedicated for this big of a development?
Hoffman: About 9 to 10 acres. City Code is 1 for every 75.
Karlovich: So that 24 unit area is only about 2 ½ acres or something?
Hoffman: Yeah.
Franks: Jay, you're looking at two of those blocks?
Karlovich: When it was up on the screen. I just think the other thing, you might have a small
totlot here and small totlot here but if this was just, right there. If that was just all kind of a big
park, they'd lose 24 units right here. But they could have a lot of structures out there. Kids that
don't want the totlots will go across the street and everybody else will come over and... It
doesn't have to be here but, that's centralized in our large map.
Franks: ...is that acceptable Chair?
Lash: We can all play designer.
Franks: Well I have my similar idea but taking a different approach, being sensitive to like
losing out on your profits or the deal, but if you like take and combine these into two blocks and
you fix the ones on the coruer, and then you take a similar size or little bit larger and make it in
this middle area here, at least your view from the totlot is through the green space on either end
between the village homes. So we might end up with a space that's actually fairly similar in the
center area for.., so maybe between the back door to the patio areas to the green space there.
Manders: You could have window peepers though.
Hoffman: It no doubts needs working anyway.
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Lash: Yeah.
Berg: Needs work. I think you've got the message.
Lash: So given that, do we want to table this until they come back? Do we want to make a
motion that they come back with some kind of a, you know take into consideration our concerns
regarding this one totlot in particular...
Karlovich: You know is there a general feeling that we don't need three totlots? That we need
one bigger area or no.
Lash: I don't have that.
Manders: I guess these roads are going to be fairly, I don't know how busy this exterior...I think
it's going to be pretty busy so I don't know you want kids running across that.
Franks: There are times that kids are going to be going to the park too. I can see some running
through Mission Hills in the early morning and then after Work and People are coming and going
pretty heavily. And those are the times when the kids are going to be heading to the park too so.
Berg: To help give you a little direction, I do agree with you. I do see a benefit to having one
larger play area.
Karlovich: I mean I guess I cross Galpin with my kids and go to parks or whatever and hold their
hands but I just think of three totlots as three rainbow play systems out there and for 100 kids, I
just, I think that one bigger area there and you know so we don't get as much in park dedication
fees. We spent it on 100 children in this area.
Lash: I don't have as much of a problem, especially with the one in the manor homes.
According to their statistics here. Their demographics, they'd have roughly 30 children but if
you look at that particular site, there's a lot of green space all around it. So in essence there
would be, even though it's a fairly small play area, play structure, there'd be some green space so
if they wanted to fly a kite or play catch or something, they could do that. The one by the
townhomes, you know we really at this point, I don't know that we have too much to say about
that. But this other one over here is the one that I have the most trouble with and I think it would
be good to keep this other totlot in the manor homes area because I think that'd be kind of a hike
for, and if the demographics are accurate, the children are, half of them at least are under 5.
...couple little kids in here.
Karlovich: Yeah, I think you need something over there but somewhere in the development a
larger area.
Lash: Oh yeah.
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Karlovich: I guess I picture, you have the demographic data but the court homes and the village
homes, that ones that are closer to Highway 5 and 41, they're less expensive and less expensive
so the people can't afford them as much. and the mason they can't afford them as much is
probably because they have more children or somebody staying at home with the child. I think
you'll still see quite a bit of children in each of these products.
Lash: I don't have a problem with looking for something bigger in that area, but I don't want to
sacrifice this other one.
Karlovich: I don't think you're sacrificing that much by keeping a totlot. See a totlot as a huge
expenditure.
Hoffman: Sales amenity.
Manders: I think what you're saying basically is leave the other two in there and just make this
one bigger.
Lash: Right. Pretty much what Todd said to start with.
Manders: And maybe redesigning that central area, and that was kind of my question early on.
Are these squares in there some preconceived pattern that have to be or can that be redesigned
somehow to accommodate the larger open space?
Mark Gungther: It would be a complete redesign of the building itself. They do work fairly
efficiently in utilizing the green space, you know as a center courtyard. They're designed to kind
of create a courtyard effect basically for the residents so when they come out from their patio
they have that courtyard effect. So they do have, I mean the residents if they wanted to play catch
and that kind of stuff, they do have this green space in the middle to do so. In-between each
building so that's really already there. It's already established.
Manders: Even if, if taking out both of those L shaped units is too much, what if you took out
one of them and left the other half for the totlot. Instead of taking the whole square, just take half
the square.
Karlovich: I guess what is the, I see the density as 5.14 units per acre. I just, if you have to lose
24 units or whatever, I mean if your density go down so far that you guys aren't going to do that
well on this site, it just seems like what we've got here is, you've packed in as many units as you
possibly can. Get a nice mix of different products but kind of found a couple rainbow places
comes out there for totlots.
Mark Gungther: Always trying to create that balance.
Lash: Well I think we pretty well talked this to death. I think we're pretty much all on the same
set. What I'm hearing we'd like to see, particularly in the court homes and the village homes
area, totlot relocated and enlarged.
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Howe: But I don't think at the expense of that wooded space. No, okay.
Lash: Okay, are we in agreement with that?
Franks: And somehow bring it in with Phase I.
Lash: I would like to see that too. Otherwise people are just going to be coming to hound us for
a park. So we want to do, well do we want to get a plan of what a totlot would entail and have
something else come back to us showing?
Berg: I don't have enough to be able to make an educated.
Hoffman: Mark and I talked about that. I really depends on your comfort level on whether or not
you send us away with recommendations and thoughts...or if you'd like to table it...
Lash: When is this scheduled to go onto Planning Commission and City Council?
Mark Gungther: Next week.
Lash: So if we tabled this, how much of a monkey wrench does that put into the whole system?
Hoffman: Well we would...resolve your issues and come back with...
Lash: But we wouldn't have a recommendation to send onto City Council. Can they act on it
without a recommendation?
Hoffman: They're going to review it but they're not acting on it.
Karlovich: Do we have an idea of the size that would be in there?
Howe: What if we visited the place in Shakopee before our next meeting. Is that possible?
Mark Gungther: I guess one thing that I would ask is that we would like to kind of keep
proceeding with this with the Planning Commission. We do have your recommendations. This
is something that we can go to work on right away, as far as larger size. We do know what kind
of the amount of children that are going to be in this neighborhood and in this community. With
that I think we could probably put something together and submit it with the Planning
Commission. Take that in effect, if that would be open to the commission as well.
Hoffman: You can make your recommendations specific enough so that they have to meet it. In
the conditions...
Lash: So if we were to make a recommendation with a minimum 5 and recommendation be that
the location be situated and surrounded by streets. Is that specific enough?
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Mark Gungther: I don't know if we can get away, not surrounded by streets but try to get it off
the main thoroughfare.
Karlovich: I don't want to just give our general recommendations and then send it on to the
Planning Commission. Unless we're going to say you know, middle of the court homes and
village homes that there will be a 2 to 2 ½ acre larger playground area. Not a totlot. Centrally
located.
Lash: So you would not be comfortable with that or you would be?
Karlovich: I would be comfortable with that. Otherwise saying just enlarge the totlot and
centrally locate it and so we've got 40 x 40 instead 0£30 x 30. I think that's going to do the job.
Lash: Jim...
Manders: In terms of recommendation or.
Lash: Anyone? Fred, you're writing.
Berg: I'm just trying to incorporate some of the things that we want to make sure we have in
there.
Karlovich: I'll make a motion. I'll make a motion that within the court homes and the village
home area that there be centrally located a large play area that maybe encompasses about 2 to 2 ½
acres. And the other totlots are fine where they are. And that the 2 ½ acres north next to the
exception piece not be part of any type of park dedication. That we just leave that alone with
possibly some type of dedication of a trail easement.
Berg: Do you want to include anything about preserving the woods...
Karlovich: Sure. I'll also add in that we're happy with the fountain' and the preservation of the
woods would also be preserved as shown in the plan.
Lash: Is there a second to that motion?
Berg: Second.
Karlovich moved, Berg seconded that the Park and Recreation Commission recommend
that a large play area encompassing 2 to 2 ~ acres be centrally located in-between the
court homes and the village home area, the other totlot location and sizes are fine as
presented, the 2 ½ acres located north next to the exception piece not be part of any type of
park dedication, the two wetland trails be identified as public corridors, and that
appropriate easements would be required and the city should grant full trail fee credit for
the construction of these two trail segments. Minor alignment modifications would be
22
Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
sought. The interior trails are the applicant's responsibility. And that the woods near the
fountain be preserved. Karlovich, Berg, Manders and Moes voted in favor. Lash, Howe
and Franks voted in opposition. The motion carried with a vote of 4 to 3.
Lash: Okay, 4-3's the motion.
Berg: State for the record why the.
Lash: Sure.
Howe: Well, I think it's a little early for us to be saying we want a 2 ½ acre central park in the
middle of these. There are other things. I mean are we talking about $500,000. We're talking
about trails. I think there's a lot there to look at before we make a recommendation or motion
that that's what we want. So I'm not saying I don't like that. I'm saying that I think it's the
beginning of a process before we commit to that.
Lash: ...
Moes: I was for it.
Franks: I was against it.
Lash: Oh okay, what was yours Rod.
Franks: You know pretty similar that I am not a park planner or a park designer so I'm a little bit
uncomfortable with automatically taking that approach without seeing if there's a little bit more
creative approach that the developer can take hearing our concerns. I don't know if they'd be
able to do it and I might end up...but I'm not comfortable doing it now.
Lash: That would be my... I would prefer to see their plan more.
Berg: I would say that I voted yes but in my mind that's what I was sort of assuming was going
to happen. This was setting some parameters but not necessarily hard and fast guidelines.
Kaflovich: I just want to at least note for the record that I made the motion because the applicant
said that they needed to continue to move forward and wanted to move onto the Planning
Commission and did not want to come back to us with that plan. And obviously was not
comfortable with just moving forward to the Planning Commission with a larger totlot so I think
I made it perfectly clear that if we're going to just push ahead with this then we go ahead with
that type of recommend, his recommendation.
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
RECREATION PROGRAMS: 1999 HALLOWEEN PARTY.
Ruegemer: The party's planned for October 23ra out at the Recreation Center again. Same type
of similar type of activities this year. I think Tracy was going to look at those a little bit more in
depth and maybe fine tune some things. You know the hayrides are always popular. The mass
quantities of candy I think is enjoyable. So we'll be bringing more to the commission. I'm sorry.
Franks: No hard candy.
Ruegemer: No hard candy. No hard candy, but we're going to get those big 5 pound bags for
$2.00.
Manders: That could go a long ways.
Ruegemer: 300 pieces in there for about $4.00.
Lash: Well when you give it to me say now be sure that you have adult supervision when you eat
this piece.
Ruegemer: So we'll be looking at those. I'm going to meet with Tracy here real soon and we're
going to meet with Charlie Eiler, our Halloween guru with that and kind of making, kind of
finalize the layout of things. Kind of go through a lot of the events since Tracy hasn't been to it
before. We're going to go through a lot of those types of scenarios and situations here so she's
comfortable in being the supervisor of that activity. I'm sure we're going to have at least 600 to
700 people again with parents so it's going to be pretty busy. Out there again. Flyers are already
done and up in the racks upstairs. They'll be going to the school here at some point in time. End
of September. Get that information out to the people so we will be talking to the commission too
about getting volunteers for the event and we have plenty of costumes. You name it we can get it
for you so we'll be bringing that I'm sure back in September again.
Lash: Have you ever thought of trying to incorporate, I know you're always looking for new
ideas so incorporate like a contest. A costume contest. Have different.
Ruegemer: We talked about that when we first were here and at the time I think we felt it was
competition with the kids and all that type of thing, but I mean that doesn't mean that that can't
happen. If the commission would like to take a look at that and would like us to incorporate that
:into the event, we're certainly open for that discussion.
Lash: It's an idea.
Hoffman: It's pretty large and complex. Sorting through that. Small town. Neighborhoods...
Lash: Okay. Do you have anything else?
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
SELF SUPPORTING PROGRAMS~ FALL 3 ON 3 ADULT BASKETBALL.
Ruegemer: Something we tried. Had a very successful season last winter with 16 teams. The
people really liked, seemed like they enjoyed themselves. Was minimal effort to put that
together last year. No officials. Very minimal and as far as putting out the schedule and that
type of thing, it pretty much ran itself after it started. We had a few injuries out there with that
but when you're dealing with that large ora league, those type of things are going to happen. But
we've had calls already for that. Monday night seems to work out good. Since we did play that
last year, for last year's league and it seemed like people were really kind of in tune with that
night so it's easier for people to do that. We did send information out to the teams that played in
the winter season as well as other people that had called and requested information so
registrations are coming up next week for that so I would anticipate having a league out there and
servicing our adult population for that so.
Lash: Questions for Jerry on basketball?
Berg: The fighting was down last year, right?
Ruegemer: Non-existent.
Lash: That wasn't the injuries?
Ruegemer: No.
RECREATION CENTER.
Ruegemer: Update for the software, I believe that's going in tomorrow morning. Rick Rice is
going to be up there about 6:00 a.m. to update that. Susan has had a lot of requests going past, or
into the year 2000 so it really is crucial that we get that up and we have been working CR Digital
who is the carrier of that software. Basically we've had the kind of the run around for the last 4
or 5 months on that but it looks like it is getting, Rick does have it in possession. In his
possession now. It's just a matter of getting that scheduled and getting that up to date so we're
kind of working through some things with that and we should have up and going hopefully
tomorrow.
Lash: Was September when we were supposed to be getting updates on the child care?
Hoffman: I'll check.
Lash: To kind of see how that's going. We should be keeping an eye on that.
Hoffman: I can give you a, as far as a site update. I don't know if anyone's noticed but the
parking lots have all been striped. The inside of the building has been cleaned. The sod is in.
The area around the recreation building will be drain tiled and stored this fall. The hockey rink
which failed is being repainted at the contractor's expense. I caught Bev,
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Superintendent...today. Talked about the tennis court and hopefully we'll get to work with the
district to,seek a resolution to that issue... It's a big pond out there and...so we'd like to see a
50/50 split on outside fences. The school has difficulty writing those checks but...when the
parking lots were expanded, the school didn't have the cash for that. The city up fronted the
money and... It's about a $25,000 fix. The City would upfront the Cost and add those costs with
interest onto the payment they made to the parking lot so. I'd like to see it get completed...
Lash: Okay. Anybody have anything on the Rec Center?
SENIOR CENTER REPORT. No questions were asked on this item.
PARK AND TRAIL MAINTENANCE REPORT.
Berg: Is there something, back to the trail things. I don't know if this is the appropriate time to
ask, along Powers. Where it's low and the water flows in, is that being fixed?
Hoffman: That's the first lift of asphalt which you see out there today. Now we're working with
the contractor and all the restoration and sodding issues and they have to meet a 30 day period on
those for acceptance. They have to complete their punch list items on all of their turf issues and
then get those corrected prior to coming in and putting the final lift of asphalt. When they put
down the final lift of asphalt, those areas that are holding water, they'll put a patch in those and
then put a second coat on so it drains appropriately. I take a lot of phone calls. People think we
spent their money on a trail which has a lot of bad spots and gravel and dips so.
Lash: I noticed one night when I was walking along there. I think it's right by the pond by
Saddlebrook, and it looks like there's wash out underneath. I don't know if they're going to put
in kind of a.
Hoffman: Undemeath the trail?
Lash: Yeah. Under the trail it looked like it was washing out.
Hoffman: Yeah, it takes a lot of water down...
Berg: Those big stones by Kerber there are we, is that our landscaping or is that his?
Hoffman: ...
Berg: They present a nice, friendly image there.
Hoffman: I've been talking to them...he does not have a permit from the County to complete the
work. He's working within the right-of-way. He's working on top of the trail but.
Berg: ...like a mine field.
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
ADMINISTRATIVE SECTION.
Lash: Okay, did anybody have anything in the Administrative Section?
Berg: Somebody should talk to Scott and have him take a couple more English classes. This kid
obviously goes to Minnetonka.
Lash: I was going to say, I'm hoping he goes to Minnetonka. Okay, anybody have anything? I
had one thing that was way towards the end. Anybody else have anything?
Howe: Some of the park requests was that they were dirty inside the park. Was because it was
busy when it was hot out? Everybody was at Lake Ann?
Ruegemer: Lake Ann and Lake Susan. Ongoing issues. Nobody works harder than our Park
Foreman, Dean Schmieg on keeping seasonal staff in line. For that we converse constantly on
that issue. We really, our department, our administrative staff really impresses upon the
importance of that and Dean knows the importance of that and Dean has been very specific with
individuals cleaning that. There's a checklist that they've developed. There's a lot of
expectations put on the individuals cleaning that if it isn't getting done so we really need to...
that effort and get those clean. I mean we are charging a good price for those and with that
comes expectations. High expectations. We certainly are aware of that.
Lash: My question was regarding the concession sales at Lake Ann. And just because I know
over the years we had a lengthy discussions over the gate fee and how much we actually
generated in revenues after we took away all of the staffing costs and I guess I'd be interested in
just sometime when you have extra time in just seeing.
Ruegemer: Expenditures versus revenues?
Lash: Yeah. Because by the time, how many people do you have working there?
Ruegemer: Three.
Lash: Three people?
Ruegemer: Well there's three staff.
Lash: But not at the same time?
Ruegemer: Not at the same time. We really tried to cut down on staff.
Lash: Okay, and that thing is open from.
Ruegemer: 11:00 to 6:00.
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Lash: So it's open for 7 hours a day. You must be paying them $6.00 an hour, right?
Ruegemer: More.
Lash: Even if we figured $50.00 a day for staffing cost.
Ruegemer: I can certainly do that.
Lash: I think it'd just be, I think it'd be kind of worth while to see how we're coming out on this
deal. I'm not saying that I want to close it down or anything but I just want to make sure we're
not losing a whole ton of money on this proposition.
Ruegemer: Last year net after expenditures was roughly about $6,000 to $7,000, which was up
.considerably. This year we have spent a little bit more on product. A little bit more on staff but I
think still we're going to be I'm sure over 5 for revenue. And that will be included in the
concession evaluation. Probably next month.
Manders: I don't know Jan where you're heading With this. If we can self serve candy machines
but we've got the other lake facilities that have.
Lash: No, I wasn't really heading anywhere. I just wanted to make sure that we're not losing
money.
Karlovich: Greenspan came out today, there's inflation. We obviously have to raise the candy
prices. Everything and it's all because of wage pressure.
Hoffman: Wages is it.
COMMISSION MEMBER COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Howe: We'll speak for Rod too. This goes back to the Dave Huffman race. I got a phone call
before I went on vacation, about 10 days ago from the District Manager for Americlnn. And the
woman we've been working with, Sheila is no longer there. She's gone. And he's very
interested in doing it. He says is it still too late this year and I kind of laughed and said well
yeah. It's probably not going to get off the ground this year but I'm going to call him next week
and we're going to set something up so I'll be in touch with you but this is the District Manager
and he stills want to do this. He's very interested.
Lash: You told him the idea of the Dave Huffman?
Howe: He knew that.
Lash: He's big on that.
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Howe: He found her file and this woman was good and he had all the information and
everything she had done. I don't know why she left but.
Hoffman: Better job.
Howe: Probably, so anyway. Next meeting I'll have an update and we'll talk to him together.
Ruegemer: I made a contact too of people that have actually planned a lot of these events so I
don't know if they could be part of the assistance process or what, but we can talk.
Lash: Any other commission member reports?
Manders: I was just going to ask a question. I should have brought it up back in park
maintenance. At Bandimere Park, that old access point where we used to have our recycling,
washes out terribly bad. Is there something that can't be done to maintain that hillside? I know
they've got rocks in there to keep people from driving up there but sod it or something.
Hoffman: They seeded it with a new seed mixture that's called a no cut and the seed mixture
failed so. We were down this morning and we looked at it and we're getting new seed, a seed
company...in Shakopee.
Manders: Then even the main entrance into that park there's quite a wash coming out of there
too.
Hoffman: As we take ownership of it, there's a number of trees to be...but as far as the overall
site, we couldn't have picked a better year for turf establishment. Out at City Center and
Bandimere so. Both for the contractor and for the city we're far ahead with all the rain and
moisture that we've had.
Howe: There a dedication that's coming up for those parks before our next meeting, right?
Hoffman: Yes. September 9th. 2:30 at the school. For the school kids, just before the school
kids get out and then 7:00 p.m. for the, so there will be an invitation and special issues coming
out.
Berg: We'll be hearing something?
Hoffman: Oh yes. All the commissions. Ail the volunteers and community adjacent to the
school, contractors, consultants, school board.
Lash: Any other, we got off track, committee reports? Anyone? Okay, then commission
member presentations?
COMMISSION MEMBER REPORT.
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Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Hoffman: Jay's asked to report on last night's council meeting.
Karlovich: Last night's council meeting was largely monopolized by the movie theater
development in which, I don't know this is just kind of a side issue but it seemed like there was a
lot of difficulty there having to do with the parking. It was very refreshing to hear that somebody
was going to tear down the bowling alley but they wanted to put in 16 screens and have, I think it
was up to almost 2,800 seats and there was no traffic control and no parking. They had to use the
city's parking and the neighboring parking and that still wasn't going to be enough and they even
talked about you know parking over in the Rainbow Foods parking lot. It just got ridiculous. It
seemed like they were trying to shove too much into there but that was just a problem there.
Otherwise the resolution was passed to authorize condemnation of the Fox property. I think
there was a Fox member, family member present but they did not acknowledge their presence
and it sounds as though, at least my discussion with the City Attorney was that the Fox's aren't
represented by an attorney. I don't know if they've gotten an appraisal for the property. They
just don't want to sell so it's not as if we're going forward with condemnation and just taking
somebody's property. We just have an unwilling landowner and the firm that the city and City
Attorney has hired, the Bettendorf appraisal firm is, at least in my experience, is a very good and
fair appraisal firm to pick to give the landowner a fair shake on the value of their property. So
it's something that I think needed to be done and it's moving ahead.
Lash: Is the property owner unwilling to...property or is it because of price?
Karlovich: I think they have an inflated price, at least from the discussion that I had with the
staff and that their price is just extremely higher than the, our appraised value and I don't think
their price is based on an appraisal of their own or any type of legal counsel so it's really hard to
just throw out what the Bettendorf firm says and just double or more the appraised value and
throw that much more money at the landowner. The condemnation will go forward and will
probably take a more serious look at this time and you can always negotiate and do it by direct
purchase all the way along the whole process. The thing that the City Attorney needs to do is to
go forward as quickly as possible with the condemnation process because they're not doing a
quick take so the date of valuation of the property, as long as the court case hangs on, keeps on
getting pushed out into the future and so we don't want to buy at prices a couple years from now.
We want to buy it at the prices as close to today as possible.
Lash: But do you think that they have this inflated price in mind because they want to get a
whole bunch of money or do you think it's because they really don't want to lose the property?
Hoffman: Sure. The bank is holding the property as a land holding as an investment and he's
been actively negotiating with us over the sale of the property. He's at no time alluded to the fact
that he's artificially inflated his price because he doesn't want to sell his property. The middle
section of it's going to go, half of it goes for 212 right-of-way and then there's a fourth left on
either side, a fourth which we're trying to acquire and the other fourth on the west side which
remains.
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Park & Rec Commission ~ August 24, 1999
Karlovich: At least in my business I see a lot of times who are, landowners get emotionally
attached to their property so it's worth more than what the market will bear. Because they've
been there forever.
Berg: Was there any discussion, I'm changing the subject, about the skate park?
Lash: Yeah, I was going to ask Jim.
Manders: We had a huge discussion.
Lash: Are we taping this still? Are we shut off?. Okay, that's what I was wondering.
Manders: It was in their, what is that first section?
Berg: Consent agenda.
Manders: Consent agenda. Are there any items that you want to take out? None. Passed.
Done. End of discussion.
Lash: So what's the status then? Do we have an order in?
Hoffman: The order will be here this September.
Manders: I see there's a big bird pond out there. Is that to be corrected?
Hoffman: The grates are small and, on the storm drain, and they plug with grass and so every
time we get a rain we're out there, we're chasing the contractor to better design.
Lash: Okay, were you done Jay?
Karlovich: My next date to go.
Hoffman: Oh it will be a while. Seven turns.
Lash: You can go any time you want though.
Manders: Next week as a matter of fact.
Lash: You can go whenever you want. Anybody else? Okay, we'll readjoum.
Hoffman: Last comment is that there will be dollars left over from the open space fund so in
talking to Botcher about.
Manders: Dollars, you mean for park acquisition?
31
Park & Rec Commission - August 24, 1999
Hoffman; Yeah, there's a million four left remaining right now. Fox will not take the full
million four so we'll initiate discussion about the next. We don't want to be too hasty until this
.other one gets settled but...over two years to get to this point with Fox.
Manders: How much is Fox? Halfa million?
Hoffman: 36.2 acres. Whatever amount end up. But there will be money left to start the next
one.
Lash: Okay, are we done done at this time?
Chairwoman Lash adjourned the Park and Recreation Commission meeting.
Submitted by Todd Hoffman
Park and Recreation Director
Prepared by Nann Opheim
32