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News Alley ~ Updates from City Hall--Apri115, 1998 ~ Public Safety Department . Community and professional response to the tragic death of firefighter Mick Wiborg has been overwhelming. We have provided support to family and firefighters. Because Mick had successfully completed the health screening prior to experiencing chest pain, we will be looking at the overall process. Last year Chanhassen Elementary School named Mick their "Everyday Hero," and he was. . Tornado training exercises for the city and county are scheduled. . Bike helmet sales are brisk and greatly appreciated by those brining in their children for them. Those purchasing helmets are also provided with lots of crime prevention safety infonnation. "IÞe.~þeriff's Dept. anticipates donated use of personal watercraft for patrol on lakes, which Kerri Nolden will be assisting with. She will also be starting bike patrol in parks. . You were given statistics regarding incidents at the Bowling Center, and we do not see it as a particularly problematic location for police calls. Administration . Sirens: As I mentioned Monday evening, staff will be preparing a public bid notice fornext week's Villager (needs to be submitted to them by Thursday). Hopefully we can discuss options for bidding at Monday night's work session. The financing is anticipated to be scheduled on May 4 concurrent with year end tranSfers and fund closings. Various alternatives are anticipated to be presented includ- ing modification to our various tax increment districts to allow for installation 00 or 4 this year with the remaining 4 being a part of the 1999 budgetary process. Should a financing plan be agreed to on May 4th, award of bids could occur at either a special meeting on May 11 th or the regular meeting on May 18. Public WorkslEngineering Dept. . Spring hydrant flushing continues during the hours of 11 :00 p.m. and 5:00a.m. . The Street Department has completed Phase I (downtown) of switching the traffic signal red indicators to the lower wattage LED lights to save on monthly energy costs. The next phase will 'be the signals on Trunk Highway 5 in Chanhassen. Park & Recreation Dept. . Between 700 and 800 kids and their parents attended this year's 11 th annual Easter Egg Candy Hunt at Bluff Creek Elementary School. Mayor Mancino and Park & Recreation Chair Jan Lash judged the coloring contest. Planning Department . Attached please find correspon- dence to and from Clayton Johnson concernmg the "Old Town" development proposal. . Attached is correspondence regarding landscaping issues at the Postal Service Annex. . The deadline for Lowell Carlson to install a fence around his property is May 1 st. Ifthefence is not installed by this date, staff will contact the lowest bidder and arrange for installation. CITY OF CHANHASSEN April 15, 1998 690 City Cmter ÐriV(, PO Box 147 Chanhl/!Jm, Minnesota 55317 Phone 612.937.1900 General Fax 612937.5739 Engineering Fax 612.937.9152 Public Safety Fax 612.934.2524 11% wWw.d.chanhl/!Jm.mn.us Clayton T. Johnson, Executive Vice President Bloomberg Companies, Inc. P. O. Box 730 Chanhassen, MN 55317 Dear Clayton, I am in receipt of your letter dated April 3, 1998 regarding the proposed Old Town plan. I will be happy to answer the questions you have. I. Who authored this document? The City Council requested this study after they noted the changes that were occurring in this area of the city. These changes included the move ofSt. Hubert's School and Church, the Pauly's site, etc. Staff was directed to develop a study that would address these changes. 2. Why were we not included in these meetings? There was a notice sent to all property owners in the subject area to attend meetings. Notice was given to Bloomberg Companies at P.O. Box 730, Chanhassen, MN 55317 every time there was a meeting. 3. Why would the dinner theater, constructed in 1968, be considered part of Old Town or the historic district? The plan acknowledges that some of the uses in this area may change. The dinner theater is one of the core buildings in this area. The plan also considers that there is vacant property in the area. The dinner theater property does have property to the south that can be developed. If the dinner theater continues to operate in its current fashion then the impact of the plan as currently proposed would be nil. If, however, the dinner theater were sold and another use were to be put in place or any changes to the Structure were proposed, then the new standards would be necessary. The City of ChallhllSsm. A growinu community ith I. lak I.'" h . J . . . > W t Mil es, qua If} smOM. a c aWlIIg aowntown, thrlVmg bllSmesses. ,md beautiftl parks. A great place to liV(, work. and, Clayton T. Johnson April 15, 1998 Page 2 4. Why would the commercial on the property be restricted to entertainment? Use on the property has not been restricted to entertainment. There has been an ongoing dialogue since the 1970s that the downtown core have an entertainment district. The Old Town plan recommends this area be considered this area as a primary entertainment district though its zoning has not been restricted by such limitations. 5. Are you aware that such use would eliminate the current ML T proposal which has been actively supported by staff and council? Again, the zoning on the site remains the same CBD, Central Business District, which does allow offices. 6. What consideration has been given to Mr. Bloomberg's long term goals for this property? The CBD zoning provides for a variety of uses that support a strong central business district. If Mr. Bloomberg has other uses in mind, we would like to hear about them. 7. What is meant by the term "dated architecture" used in the report in reference to the Dinner Theater? The term "dated," was not intended to be negative, but rather to state that the "frontier" look is no longer the predominate design theme in the city. Brick and stuccO are the pre-dominate material now being used as building materials. 8. Were any of our tenant's who, via lease agreements, have an interest in this real estate been notified or participated in this process? The city policy is to notify property owners and in this case Bloomberg Companies was notified of every meeting. We would hope that you would share this information with your tenants. Notice will be sent out to the property owners for the public hearing. Anyone is welcome to speak at these meetings. 9. Is this an attempt to rezone or, in any way, restrict the use of our property? The plan does not propose any rezoning except for one minor change at the St. Hubert's School and Church property. The plan would recommend architectural standards that would be subject to design review. This plan must first be adopted by the City Council after the public hearing by the Planning Commission. Clayton T. Johnson April 15, 1998 Page 3 If you have any additional questions in regards to the Old Town plan, please feel free to contact me. I encourage you to follow this issue through the public process. Sincerely, Kathryn R. Aanenson AlCP Planning Director KRA:v c: City Council g:\plan\ka\clayton tjohnson.doc BLOOMBERG COMPANIES INCORPORATED P.O. Box 730 _ CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA 55317 - 0100 - (612) 934-5850 April 3. 1998 Ms. Kate Amundson Director of Planning City of Chanhassen REF: "Old Towne" Dear Ms. Amundson, I received a phone call on Wednesday, April I, from a local realtor infonning me ofa planning commission discussion item on "Old Towne" to be held that evening at 7:00 PM. I had just returned from a 10 day vacation and was not able to re-arrange my schedule to attend the meeting. I was subsequently provided a report that was written prior to a March 23 meeting. Upon reviewing this document and discussing it within our company, we have the following concerns: 1.) Who authored this document? 2.) Why were we not included in these meetings? Since I have been actively involved since 1986 in all phases of our company development and redevelopment efforts as well as all of the downtown projects, you and other staff members are certainly aware of our strong interest. 3.) Why would the dinner theater, constructed in 1968, be considered a part of "Old Towne" or the historic district? 4.) Why would the commercial use on property be restricted to entertainment? 5.) AIe you aware that such use would eliminate the current ML T proposal which has been actively supported by the staff and Council? 6.) What consideration has been given to Mr. Bloomberg's long term goals for this property? These have been shared with previous councils and HRA Commission and included a combination of office & retail uses. 7.) What is meant by the term "dated architecture" used in the report in reference to the Dinner Theater? Taken in the most positive light, it must be a reference to Mr. Bloomberg's reputation as a builder of very unique and desirable properties. Or is it an attempt on somebody's part to impose their architectural taste on our property. 8.) Were any of our tenants (approximately 30) who, via their lease agreements, have an interest in this real estate been notified or participated in this process? 9.) Is this an attempt to rezone or, in any way, restrict the use of our property? For the record, any notices affecting the dinner theater property must be directed to the following individuals: Clayton T. Johnson Executive Vice President Bloomberg Companies, Inc. Tom Scallen President Century Park Pictures // . / Awaiting your response. V ery,ti'uly yours, i~' ¿/J L....---/L-, - Clayton T. Jò\'IIÍSon - '---.. Executive Vice President Bloomberg Companies, Incorporated RECEiVED APR 13 1998 CITY üF CHANHASSEN cc: Herb Bloomberg Tom Scallen Michael Brindisi John Rice Don Ashworth Todd Gerhardt . FRONTIER LUMBER & MILLWORK. BLOOMBERG CONSTRUCTION. . CHANHASSEN FURNITURE GALLERIES . CITY OF CHANHASSEN MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and City Council 690CityCenterDrive,POBoxl47 FROM: Challhassen, Minnesota 55317 Phone 612.937.1900 GeneraIFax612.937.5739 DATE: Engineering Fax 612,937.9152 Public Safety Fax 612.934.2524 SUBJ: Wéb www.ci.chanhassen.mn.us Sharmin AI-Jaff, Planner II Jill Sinclair, Environmental Resources Specialist April 20, 1998 Update on Postal Service Annex - Landscaping Current Site Conditions The berm on the Post Office Annex site has been constructed and final graded. The portion of the berm constructed on the National Weather Service parcel is in accordance with the approved plans. Recent rains have created an erosion problem on the berm (since the landscaping of the berm was not completed by the city due to the lateness of the year and frozen ground conditions). The new alignment for the trail location has been staked, however, tree removal and construction has not begun. Agreement between the City and the PostaI Service An agreement between the City and the Postal Service was executed on September 24, 1997. The Postal Service agreed to construct a berm and an eight (8) foot high wooden fence over the berm. The agreement also states that $32,325.00 be paid to the city for the sole purpose and use by the city for the seeding, landscaping, trail relocation, maintenance and other related site work within the conservation easement. The dollar amount was derived ITom the following proposed costs: Item Estimated Cost Actual Cost Fence Trail construction Berm extension Landscaping $1,000 $5,000 $,1000 $25,000 $1,660 $14,200 $1,000 $25,737 Total $32,000 $42,597 The difference is $10,597 over budget. The City of Challhassen. A growillg commullity with c!eall lakes, quality schools, a charming dowlltoWII, thriving businesses, and bcautijùl parks, A ]!,reat place to live. work. on, Mayor and City Council April 20, 1998 Page 2 Trail Reconstruction The cost for reconstructing the trail is $14,200, approximately $10,000 over budget. When the berm location was being discussed at the preliminary stages, it was intended to cover approximately 200 linear feet of the trail. After the berm was completed, 670 feet of trail was covered. The reconstruction is expected to be completed in the fall of 1998. The trail is part of the comprehensive trail plan and serves as an east-west connector between existing neighborhoods and the Bluff Creek corridor. It is an essential link and necessary investment. Landscaping of Berm Area The final grade on the berm has been completed and the fence has been constructed per approved plans. Landscaping on the south side of the berm (facing Bluff Creek Estates) is unfeasible due to the slope of the berm and the existing vegetation which leaves little or no room for planting. Staff had hoped to move large trees into the area with a hired tree spade, but there is no suitable access for the equipment therefore eliminating that as an option. The only safe and practical option is to plant balled and burlapped trees with a bobcat at locations to be determined in the field rather than by the submitted plan. Additionally, due to the current site conditions staff recommends all shrubs be deleted from the plant schedule and a ground cover such as crown vetch, clover, etc. be used on the north side ofthe berm. It is not practical to expect that side to be mown or maintained in any formal landscape. Fence The majority of the fence is located on the postal Service site and has been installed. Sixty-seven feet extends onto the National Weather Service site and was proposed to be paid for and constructed by the city. This extension was recommended by Mr. David Braslow as a noise barrier fence. Staff contacted the contractor for the Postal Service. They quoted a price of $25 per installed foot for the fence. The fence is eight feet high and made of treated wood. The price that was quoted by the contractor was based upon them constructing the portion of the fence located on the Postal Service site. If another contractor was hired, the price per foot would increase by $15 or more. The city has paid the contractor for the construction of the fence. :.¡î Mayor and City Council April 20, 1998 Page 3 Options The Council has the following options: · Reduce landscaping to meet budget total. This would mean landscaping budget would be $14,140. Proposed landscape quantities would be reduced by half. · Ask the benefiting neighbors to pay for the difference if they want all planting materials proposed on the landscape plan to be planted. · Do all proposed improvements and have the city pay for the difference. g;\pJan\sa\post7.doc ~. UNrTEDSft..TES POSTIJLSERV/Œ FS01 01 :WRLangley April7,1998 Chanhassen Carrier Annex Landscaping of Berm by City DON ASHWORTH CITY MANAGER/CLERK CITY OF CHANHASSEN 690 COULTER DR CHANHASSEN MN 55317-9741 ÐCC¡;;,"j~n \,-t. ~J,,;,' ';" \PR 0 9 1998 ~ I,.,.." .',): ",·",r.:í'¡ CITY Or In,'' ,:." .-~.- Dear Mr. Ashworth: This office has been advised that the exposed soil above the sodded area of the berm near the rear of the postal service property is eroding very badly. The top soil is flowing down the berm over the sodded area and onto the paved areas and into the storm sewer. This situation must be corrected soon or it will clog up the storm sewer and create on site drainage problems for the postal service. As part of the agreement between the City and the Postal Service executed by the City on September 24th, 1997, the City was to landscape the berm in return for the postal service paying to the City an amount of $32,325.00. The Check was sent to the City on October 3,1997 and received by the City on October 8,1997. We are asking the City to take immediate action to resolve the erosion problem before it creates drainage problems which cause additional cost and expense. Your timely assistance and cooperation in this matter is needed and appreciated. Sincerely, 1f-- ,¡'/c-.Pi WILLIAM R. LAN CONTRACTING OFFICER CC: Thomas M. Scott, ESQ CAMPBELL, KNUTSON, SCOTT & FUCHS, PA 1380 CORPORATE CENTER CURVE SUITE 317 EAGAN MN 55121 Brian Marshall, Manager, Northland District ASO 6800 W 64TH STREET STE 100 OVERLAND PARK. KS 68202 -4179 (913) 831.1855 FAX: (913) 831-4202