CC Minutes 1998 02 09CHANHASSEN CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
FEBRUARY 9, 1998
Mayor Mancino called the meeting to order at 6~35 p.m. The meeting was opened with the Pledge to the
Flag.
COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Mancino, Councilman Engel and Councilman Mason
COUNCILMEMBERS ABSENT: Councilman Berquist and Councilman Senn
STAFF PRESENT: Don Ashworth and Todd Hofknan
APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Mayor Mancino moved, Councilman Mason seconded to approve the
agenda with the following items being deleted: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9. All voted in favor and the motion
carried.
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS: APPROVE PROCLAMATION DECLARING VALUES WEEK,
FEBRUARY 15-21.
Mayor Mancino: Under public announcements I would like to read a proclamation declaring Values Week
February 15th to the 21st. Whereas, it takes a whole village to educate a child, an African Swahili proverb,
a whole community has the responsibility to work in concert with the home to provide consistent messages
about how we treat each other. Whereas the entire community must be involved. This includes school,
business, clergy, law enforcement, social services, city government and city services. This involvement
begins with identifying core values and continues by community members modeling and promoting these
values. Whereas the City of Chanhassen has adopted and promotes eight community values. They include
citizenship, environmentalism, generosity, human worth and dignity, integrity, learning, respect for others
and responsibility. Whereas this is the Seventh Annual Community Values Week. Now Therefore, the
City of Chanhassen hereby proclaims the week of February 15th to the 21st, 1998 to be Community Values
Week. As we continue to face the challenges and opportunities of our society, I call on all citizens of the
City of Chanhassen to promote and model these as values. The City of Chanhassen's commitment and
dedication to building a bright future for all members remains the top priority.
CONSENT AGENDA: Councilman Mason moved, Councilman Engel seconded to approve the
following Consent Agenda items pursuant to the City Manager's recommendations:
Resolution #98-18: Approve Participation in ISO Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule
Program.
b. Resolution #98-19; Approve 1998 Liquor License Fee Schedule.
d. Approval of Bills.
City Council Minutes dated January 26, 1998
Planning Commission Minutes dated January 21, 1998
f. Approve Declaration of Private Access Agreement, Outlot B, Minnewashta Landings.
City Council Meeting - February 9, 1998
All voted in favor and the motion carried.
VISITOR PRESENTATIONS: None.
Don Ashworth: Mayor? Even though, like item number 2 was pulled, really at the request of the applicant.
Potentially there may be somebody in the audience that still would like to talk on the item. I don't know
how you might want to handle that.
RECONSIDERATION OF DESIGNATION OF 2.2 ACRE PARCEL IN THE VILLAGES ON
THE PONDS DEVELOPMENT AS A CONSERVATION EASEMENT. (DELETED FROM
AGENDA)
Mayor Mancino: Is there anyone that has anything to say on the unfinished business, number 2? Seeing
none, we'll move on to new business.
REQUEST FOR A PUBLIC GATHERING PERMIT FOR A WATER SKI TOURNAMENT ON
LAKE SUSAN~ STEVE CARLSON~ INT.
Todd Hoffman: Mayor Mancino, members of the Council. This is the second year that the City has
reviewed this request from the International Novice Tour to approve a public gathering permit at Lake
Susan and Lake Susan Park for a water-ski, wake board and knee board tournament. The dates are May
30th and 31st. This coming spring. They host approximately 50 to 60 participants. On Saturday they hold
a practice session from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. And then the actual tournament is on Sunday from 8:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Again, last year was our first year with this program. It went over very well from a
participant, spectator point of view. We've notified all of the residents on the lake. We did not receive any
calls following up with any complaints or problems. Again, this year we have made, or the similar mailing
was distributed to the residents around the area of Lake Susan to, if there were any issues that we did not
know of, they would have the opportunity to bring those up at this time. So again it's staff's
recommendation that the City Council approve the request for a public gathering permit to host the water-
ski tournament on Lake Susan on May 30th and 31st. The reservation fee is $200.00. $250.00 per day to
reserve the Lake Susan pavilion and then at Council's discretion, they had $1,000.00 escrow fee last year
for potential damages and if you'd like to make that a part of your motion as well, you should do so.
Mayor Mancino: And what about insurance? As far as, does that need to be made in the motion or is that
some sort of.
Todd Hoffman: Yeah you certainly can. The million dollar policy they had last year. I don't see it
mentioned in the staff report so why don't you make a note of it and we'll insure that it's included as a part
of the program.
Mayor Mancino: Thank you. Is the applicant here and would you like to address the City Council. And
after the applicant has, anyone else in the audience that would like to comment, may certainly do so. Please
come up to the podium. State your name and address.
Joe Mueller: Hi, my name is Joe Mueller and this is my wife Pam Mueller. Steve couldn't make it tonight.
He's our, actually our Tournament Director this year. Pam is our State Coordinator. There's really
nothing that we have to add. We felt it went great last year.
City Council Meeting - February 9, 1998
Mayor Mancino: Good.
Joe Mueller: We're holding six this year versus the four so.
Mayor Mancino: Are you a little concerned, when I saw the dates on May 30th and 31st, I mean well this
year the ice will be off the water because there's hardly any now but, does it usually work well early in the
season in Minnesota?
Joe Mueller: Well in order to fill our six tournament agenda, and not put too much stress on the five or six
major sponsors, we had to break them up and so with most of the competitors, they like to get out there as
soon as possible so.
Councilman Mason: They're out skiing, yeah.
Joe Mueller: That ice is out, they're out in their boats so.
Mayor Mancino: I must be missing something. Good, well thank you. Thank you for coming tonight. Is
there anyone here that would like to make any comments on this activity or? Okay, thank you. Then may I
have a motion please?
Councilman Mason: I would move approval. City Council approve Nit's request for a public gathering
permit for a water-ski tournament on Lake Susan May 30-31. And that would include the charge for
reserving Lake Susan as well as the escrow and do we need to say anything about insurance or not? Okay,
and I'm assuming that would be done anyway, and along with any applicable insurance policy they have.
Mayor Mancino: Okay, and that's a reservation fee of $250.00 per day and the $1,000 escrow. Second
please?
Councilman Engel: Second.
Councilman Mason moved, Councilman Engel seconded that the City Council approve Nit's request
for a public gathering permit to hold a water-ski tournament at Lake Susan on May 30-31, 1998,
along with INT paying the reservation fee of $250.00 per day to reserve the Lake Susan Pavilion, a
$1,000.00 escrow fee and requiring that the INT have an insurance policy for the event. All voted in
favor and the motion carried.
Mayor Mancino: Just making sure that no one is here for any of these issues or, because if you are, you
can certainly talk to them tonight. Under new business, number 3. Appeal Decision of the Board of
Adjustments and Appeals Decision for 8 foot side yard variance request, Daniel Rutledge. Anyone here for
that? Number 4. Request for Land Use Plan Amendment from Residential Large Lot to Residential Low
Density. Anyone here for number 4? And number 5. City Code Amendment for Bluff Creek Overlay
District, First Reading. Anyone here to comment on that? Then we'll move forward. Is everyone else here
tonight for City Center Park and Bandimere Park master plans? Are the rest of the people, are you here for
that? No? Further, okay.
City Council Meeting - February 9, 1998
CITY CENTER PARK AND BANDIMERE PARK MASTER PLANS AND PROJECT BUDGET
REVIEW; AUTHORIZATION TO COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS PACKAGE.
Todd Hoffman: Thank you Mayor, members of the City Council. Before I mm it over to Jeff
Schoenbauer, who is here from Brauer and Associates, the firm retained by the City Council to develop the
park master plans and work us through the construction phase of the projects, I'd like to say that after 8
years of work by the community, I just want to state for the record that I'm proud of the hundreds of
volunteers that have spent hundreds of hours involved in this process to bring us to where we are today.
Prior to 1989, some 2 to 3 years prior, there was a community group, a park task force at that time as well
that was established to push forward the acquisition of land in southern Chanhassen for the development of
future parks. And so, because of their foresight we stand ready today, some 8 years later, to put that good
work to use in the development of this park site. Also during that time, City Center Park has been a
cooperative joint effort between the School District 112 and the City of Chanhassen. So this playground
community park that is just north of City Hall, just behind us, has always been a cooperative effort
between the school district. It's much of the property is owned by the district. Some of it is owned by the
city. We mow the playground. But then we get to use it in the evening after school hours for our youth to
participate in the youth sports. So as we move forward again to further that site, redevelop it, create more
useable space and potentially acquire additional space, it's been talked about for a great many years.
Again, there's concept plans that go back to 1989, at the same time that referendum, that were utilized to
develop the plans that you'll see today. In the meantime there were other groups that came forward to
request, their athletic association would testify at public hearings, at the City Council, at Park Commission
meetings, about the need and their desire to see additional facilities developed, and without that public
testimony and that community input, the park task force which was forced in 1995. 1995, but have never
come forward, and worked for almost 3 years again to put forth the 1997 park, trail and open space
referendum which allowed this money to be bonded to develop these park sites. So there's a lot more
behind the scenes activity. The fun stuff is what you have up there on those boards. Those two plans,
those two single sheets of paper have a lot of work behind them, both at Jeff's office and in this community
so as Jeff runs through those this evening and points out the highlights, there's just a great deal of effort
that has gone into it and we're glad to be at this point today.
Mayor Mancino: Thank you. And Jeff I assume you're going to go through each, park themselves, each
one and then people may comment on that park.
Jeff Schoenbauer: Yeah, we can do it that way.
Mayor Mancino: That would be helpful so we can keep it separated.
Jeff Schoenbauer: We can do that. Mayor, members of the Council. I'll keep my formal presentation if
you will, fairly brief seeing that you've seen them before and I'll just highlight some of the things that came
out of the last park commission meeting and what led to their approval of the project. With respect to City
Center Park. Essentially what we're trying to do is still maintain the four ballfields in the park. We've
done some reconfiguration in this area here to get this infield in particular further away from this
gentleman's residence over here. The orientation is a little bit less desirable but in the balancing of
neighborhood concerns with that of park usage, it was felt appropriate to reorientate that, given the user
groups that will be using this particular site. This field here, it's our preference from a orientation
standpoint and a use standpoint, to leave it in this particular location. We have about 60 feet or so between
the foul line, if you will, and adjacent property which seems like it should be adequate to accommodate the
concerns of the neighbor. In addition to that, we are continuing to show expanded parking. It is unlikely
City Council Meeting - February 9, 1998
that we will be able to afford those types of amenities this go around but we are showing that for master
planning purposes. With respect to some of the issues that came out of the last Council meeting, as well as
the Park Commission meeting. Again, we realigned the north ballfield. We've met with the school district
staff on a number of occasions and looked at their particular needs within the context of community wide
needs and we're able to, I think work with them successfully in capturing all of their, both summer and
winter activities in this zone here. Continuing to move forward on the hockey, hard surface hockey arena
area. And one of the items that came out of the last park commission meeting was trying to get a larger
field, soccer field on the site than we had originally understood to be a need. We were able to get one 50 x
90 field in this general location. However, it does just with limited space encroach on some of the, on one
of the other soccer fields so they will be able to use it for programming use for that purpose, but it does
force a compromise. It does not force a compromise however with the ballfield. Also we've rearranged the
promenade here a little bit. One of the concerns they had was to get the trees on the opposite side of the
sidewalk and we were able to accommodate that. And the Council, during discussions last time, there was
real emphasis on making sure that there was family spaces within the park and what we've done is
strengthen the design for those amenities while we still retained the other options and I'll just speak to those
real briefly. Essentially what we want to use these spaces here for is visual cues as well as seating places
and gathering places for people that just want to sit down and enjoy the park. We are showing it adjacent
to what would most likely be a warming house facility and adjacent to that, we're seeing more successful
programs where there's movies in the park and type of theater in the park and that would work very well
off of this space here, utilizing this open green space for informal seating and otherwise and I think that
could be a very successful program here. And then we continue to introduce and strengthen visual access
points to the park and as we go further on in our development of the plan, we'll introduce benches and
picnic tables and so forth so I think overall we'll achieve a very nice balance between youth sport needs, the
school district needs, community needs and family, and just general community park needs. With respect
to budget, we're still struggling with trying to reel that in and that struggle will continue until the day that
we build it, I'm sure, but we are, at least $100,000.00 over our estimated $500,000.00 budget for this park
so obviously as we get more fine tuned we'll have to make some choices along the way. With that I'll just
turn it over to you for questions.
Mayor Mancino: Okay. Before you do that I think we'll hear from people who are here and then we'll
make some comments or, unless there's some. Thank you Jeff. Anyone here tonight wishing to have
comments and give them to the City Council at this point? On City Center Park. We'll bring it back to
Council. Mike? Comments or questions.
Councilman Mason: No. I think Todd said it very well a little earlier. An awful lot of work, an awful lot
of good work has gone into this and things will continue to keep changing until we start building but I
definitely like the direction it's going in.
Mayor Mancino: And that reminds me. I do want to let everyone know that this will be going out for bid
and then it will be coming back to the City Council to approve the bids so we may, as this goes out to bid
and comes back to us, we may have to slice some things and relook at this and so this is not final form.
We're waiting to see what the fiscal impacts are on what we've designed. Councilman Engel?
Councilman Engel: I like it. I like what I see.
Mayor Mancino: Okay. I like it too. I just have a couple comments. Where Jeff, can we go back to.
When you say that we're over budget. What part do you think we will be able to accomplish? Are the two
added parking areas not within the $500,000.00?
City Council Meeting - February 9, 1998
Jeff Schoenbauer: Yeah, it's unlikely that we'll be able to afford the two parking areas. The arrangement
of this space. In the interim this space will, right here, remaining open space will be used by the soccer so
it won't be a loss as far as their concerns are. From that point on, our objective will be first of all to get all
of the mass grading done on the site and make sure that we can accomplish that. Make sure that we can do
the things that are really being pressed for. The ballfields, the soccer fields. Our second objective then
would be to start to, to bring this particular area into design and basically try to remove a lot of the play
activity that happens currently in this parking lot area and bring that into the park. For a couple of
reasons. This really doesn't present a very functional or safe opportunity for play, and we're really
expecting that we're going to need to maximize the use of this parking lot for the facilities themselves so we
think that's important as well. And then also we need to seriously consider what we can do with the
existing hockey rinks, which are pretty much near the end of their life cycle expectation. And to what
extent we can afford to do that. And there will be a number of different things, choices to be made there.
Whether you want to go with permanent boards, temporary boards, hard surface, not hard surface and so
forth.
Mayor Mancino: So in the area, let's say up in the northern part where the expanded parking will be. Will
we be grading that now or?
Jeff Schoenbauer: Just, we'll do all the grading as necessary to balance the earthwork on the site so we
only have to do that once. Other than that, we're really going to have to try to minimize the amount of
disruption we create because then we have to do something with it once we create it so.
Mayor Mancino: So we could do things like Bocce Ball or horseshoes up there if we're not doing parking?
Jeff Schoenbauer: In this general area? Yeah, I think so, sure.
Mayor Mancino: Okay. My only comment was that, I am not at this point able to, because I need to see
the road that goes through on the southern part. How that fits up with the rest of City Hall and where that
comes out and how we're going to use that. So I would be saying yes to this master design with the caveat
that the road that goes on the northern side of City Hall, I would like to take a really good look at it.
Jeff Schoenbauer: Yeah, and it would be our expectation, given that the intent is eventually to develop the
City Hall plan, that this be designed ultimately designed in a context of that, what you're trying to achieve
there so, budgetarily it works out well for us and then long term it works out well for it.
Mayor Mancino: We'll go onto Bandimere. Oh, one other question Jeff on the, in this upper, on City
Center Park. In this upper left hand comer there are significant trees that are already there. There are
some significant. Those will all be staying?
Jeff Schoenbauer: We're trying to save those and under this scheme we think we can. We're getting to our
grading analysis now so that will tell the final tale but it is our expectation that we'll be able to save those
that have value.
Mayor Mancino: And would we be following the same process we always do, meaning that we would
stake and put the yellow fence up... drip line of the trees, etc?
Jeff Schoenbauer: Yes. Yeah, that would be a given part of the construction process, yes.
City Council Meeting - February 9, 1998
Mayor Mancino: Okay, thank you.
Jeff Schoenbauer: We'll continue to work with the residents around the park as we go forward to make
sure that there's nothing missed there too.
Mayor Mancino: Thank you.
Jeff Schoenbauer: Bandimere Park is, at least as challenging with respect to budget and overall site
constraints and so forth and, but all and all I think, that being said, I think we've achieved a real nice
balance between community park, athletic facility, neighborhood parks, trails and so forth and I think that
the park commission was very comfortable with that as well. A couple of things that we did go ahead and
add here based on some of the Council comments last time around. We did add a hard court play area
adjacent to the play area. We added a sand volleyball court and instead of having two tennis courts, we're
introducing the idea of a basketball court, being that that seems to be where a lot of the trends are for
outdoor recreation. So we think that adding those types of amenities and focusing a little more attention on
the family picnic area, makes the park more year round useable and so forth. Other than that, we're still
focusing on the three premium level fields if you will, for youth ball. And then the two different designated
spaces for soccer that we have on the plan. We'll continue to show the dispersed parking to service these.
And coming up this week we're going to be talking with a variety of engineers from MnDot and the County
and so forth on the TH 101 access issues. As you can see by the plan that I have in front of you here,
there's about 860 feet under the criteria that they've given us, of impact to TH 101. Needless to say, that's
a significant economic impact on our budget if it comes out of our budget to accomplish that. That could
easily run in the neighborhood of $100,000.00 to simply provide that access point so we have our
challenges coming up with respect to how to deal with that starting this week and moving on forward so it
will be interesting. The other thing that we did do at the neighborhood's request was we added a trail link
up through here and this, the grade through there are a little bit steep so we wouldn't probably put that
under our highest priority within the context of the budget, but we did show it as a courtesy to them that we
were taking their input. Otherwise I think everybody's pretty content. And again we're about, I think
$100,000.00 or so over budget here, best case scenario, so we'll likely have to reel it in on this as well.
And those choices will be defined for you as we go along.
Mayor Mancino: Do either of them include some sort of signage for the parks?
Jeff Schoenbauer: Yeah.
Todd Hoffman: Both.
Mayor Mancino: And is there, prior to...to the public, talk about both of the parks if you will, about
lighting. Night lighting. What's going to happen as far as our master plan for lighting on both parks.
Jeff Schoenbauer: In Bandimere's case it's our suggestion, just if they're not budgetary limitations alone,
is to have fairly minimal lighting here. In the short term, we don't anticipate the budget will allow us to
light any of the facilities. However, we'll be also designing it with the intent that down the road they could
be lit. From a security standpoint we would probably suggest having some lighting in the parking lot, just
pool lighting so that the police department and so forth can police those areas very casually. But other than
that we don't anticipate a great deal of lighting in Bandimere.
City Council Meeting - February 9, 1998
Mayor Mancino: You won't be lighting the trails at all?
Jeff Schoenbauer: No, we won't be. In City Center Park we haven't considered lighting within the context
of all the other budgetary priorities but we will be as we move forward looking at what the cost might be
for that, and the desire to have those areas lit. It would seem more practical to light some of City Center
versus Bandimere just because of the urban versus more rural context but we haven't taken it to any
further than that at this point.
Mayor Mancino: Comments from anyone here tonight? ... something to say or any questions to ask? No
one? Okay. Back to any questions or comments.
Councilman Mason: Well, I've said it before and I'll say it again. When you have good people doing
things, when it comes up here you don't have to ask a whole lot of questions.
Mayor Mancino: Any?
Councilman Mason: You know I'm an ex-tennis player so I guess I'd just as soon see a tennis court there
but I also understand the rationale for doing it the other way so. No. I'm pleased with what I see.
Mayor Mancino: Councilman Engel?
Councilman Engel: The only, not the reservation I have but the regret is that, show us the picture and it
looks great and then you say we're $100,000.00 over budget and you go, damn. Because I don't want to
give anything up.
Jeff Schoenbauer: If you have any in's to local contractors, now's the time to use it.
Councilman Mason: Well it will be interesting to see when the bids come in and what kind of decisions we
have to make. That will be tough. That will be very tough.
Councilman Engel: I wish we could get it all and there'd be no problem with the budget but it's never the
case, you know. I like what I see. I hope we can get as much of it as possible in the first go around.
Jeff Schoenbauer: We do have some hurdles to be clear with, not only MnDot but the pipeline choose to
play or not as well so we'll see what happens.
Mayor Mancino: Well, and we can certainly, as we're developing this and have a master plan, can phase in
improvements over the years. In fact I think that's kind of nice for a community to do because we're
always changing and so there, look at I don't know maybe some changes if it needs to be made and phase it
in and have something new in the community. I like the idea of retaining the existing silo. I think that's
pretty nice to have that. To keep that feature there and the other little amenities, the hard court and family
picnic areas are great. Thank you.
Jeff Schoenbauer: Okay, thank you.
Mayor Mancino: May I have a motion for approval to actually, just to go forward on bids for this please.
A motion and a second.
City Council Meeting - February 9, 1998
Councilman Mason: So moved. Yeah, so moved.
Councilman Engel: I'll so second.
Councilman Mason moved, Councilman Engel seconded to approve the City Center Park and
Bandimere Park Master Plans and project budget review and authorization to complete construction
documents package. All voted in favor and the motion carried.
Jeff Schoenbauer: Next time around it won't be quite as fun.
Mayor Mancino: Okay, thank you. Update on trails please. Weren't we going to have any? Okay, we're
fine, that's it. Any comments on trails? From people that are here. Okay. Well thank you for coming.
That's about it tonight.
ADMINISTRATIVE SECTION.
Mayor Mancino: Administrative section. Any questions from Council members? Todd, thanks for
bringing us up to date on the Lions Club. On what's going on there. And I really enjoyed reading the e-
mail from Dan Lorinser about the Family of Christ Lutheran Church site for a library. I thought that was
interesting. I had not thought of that.
Councilman Engel: Right away I thought good idea, and then I thought, yeah right.. You bring in it out
of downtown and it's kind of what you want to keep. Libraries are downtown. That's right. But it's a
good idea.
Mayor Mancino: Well with that we will adjourn tonight's meeting and see each other next Monday night at
our work session on February 17th. Tuesday night.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:08 p.m.
Submitted by Don Ashworth
City Manager
Prepared by Nann Opheim