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09-12-2022 City Council Work Session MinutesCHANHASSEN CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES SEPTEMBER 12, 2022 COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Ryan, Councilman McDonald, and Councilwoman Rehm. COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: Councilman Campion and Councilwoman Schubert. STAFF PRESENT: Laurie Hokkanen, City Manager; Charlie Howley, City Engineer/Public Works Director; Kate Aanenson, Community Development Director; and Kim Meuwissen, City Clerk. PUBLIC PRESENT: Tim Little, ReMax Advantage Plus C. Chanthakhammy, Import Motors, LLC Andrew Lutaya, MnDOT Metro District West Diane Langenbach, MnDOT Brandon Bourdon, Kimley Horn Mayor Ryan called the Work Session to order at 5:30 p.m. VALLEY AUTO SALVAGE REQUEST FOR EXPANSION OF NON-CONFORMING USE FOR RECYCLING Community Development Director Kate Aanenson introduced the real estate agent and property owner of the subject property, Tim Little and C. Chanthakhammy. Mr. Chanthakhammy provided information on other sites he owns and operates, as well as his plans for the subject site. His proposal is to create an environmental-friendly recycling facility to collect and process scrap metal. Cars would be processed by decontaminating the fluids, safely removing parts and selling them to his buyers to be recycled into new metal. Ms. Aanenson presented location, zoning, and land use maps of the property, a history of the site, and the proposed expansion of the existing non-conforming use. Mr. Little reviewed the proposed site plan including traffic movements, and location of the truck scales, office/processing building, and unloading site. The purpose of the expansion is to provide additional metal recycling services to include residential items such as lawn mowers and fans, or metal scrap from construction sites. The processing building will include stalls to drain fluids from vehicles. Autos will be recycled by being decontaminated and dismantled, and then the shells are moved off the site. The site is also proposed to be enclosed by an opaque fence. Ms. Aanenson provided a history of the Highway 61 Corridor adjacent to the site, specifically the future development of the Moon Valley site to the north. The site was originally approved as City Council Work Session Minutes – September 12, 2022 2 a non-conforming use by the Township of Chanhassen in 1958. The property owner would like to expand the recycling operation to include scrap metal, appliances, electronics, etc. Pros include improving aesthetics of the property through permanent screening and addition of a building and reduce environmental impacts by providing storm water best management practices, hazardous fluid containment and collection, and elimination of dirt tracking off site. Cons include expanding and extending the existing non-conforming use and the significant improvement costs. Mayor Ryan asked about Watershed District review and the business process. Mr. Little responded that they have spoken with the Watershed District and have hired a knowledgeable contractor to address drainage and pollution issues. Mr. Chanthakhammy added that a lot of items will be taken in by businesses (such as machine shops), placed in a roll-off container, weighed, and payment issued. Smaller items brought in by residents would be weighed and processed inside the building. He anticipates receiving and processing items from Scott and Carver Counties, as there is a need for the service and there are no nearby competitors. Cars will be decontaminated and processed on site. The shells will not be crushed and stored on the site but be transported off site on semi-trucks. The site is proposed to be aesthetically pleasing, and the developer plans to work with the City in this regard. Councilwoman Rehm asked about visual impact from on the bluff on the Moon Valley site and also asked what happens to the fluids. Ms. Aanenson responded visual impacts would be something staff would consider during the review process. Mr. Chanthakhammy responded that specialized equipment would decontaminate the fluids which would then be placed in holding tanks. Councilman McDonald asked if there will be any crushing or shredding of cars on the site, how they plan to process catalytic converters, and what the noise level will be from the facility. Mr. Little replied that the car shells are hauled off the site to be shredded. Mr. Chanthakhammy responded that at his St. Cloud facility they require a title and ID before they accept catalytic converters, and that noise was not a concern because there are no neighbors. Mr. Howley asked what the site would look like in ten years if the use didn’t change and no improvements were made. Mr. Little responded that it could revert back to a salvage yard similar to how the site looked like prior to the cleanup. HIGHWAY 7 ROAD SAFETY AUDIT Public Works Director/City Engineer Charlie Howley introduced representatives from MnDOT and their consultant from Kimley Horn. Mr. Lutaya explained the definition and purpose of a Road Safety Audit. The goal is to identify potential projects/strategies to improve safety. Strategies include the Four Es of Safety: education, enforcement, engineering, and emergency medical and trauma services. Highway 7 was divided into three study corridor segments. Existing traffic volumes and posted speeds were reviewed as well as previous plans and studies. Public engagement was also conducted via an interactive map and survey, and an online open house. City Council Work Session Minutes – September 12, 2022 3 Mr. Bourdon provided an overview of the technical aspects of the segment that runs through Chanhassen, which included addressing safety concerns at various locations along the segment. Bar charts were displayed showing crash severity, manner of collision, and causes of fatal and serious injury crashes, as well as a map showing the locations of fatal and serious injury crashes along the segment. Corridor-wide initiatives include installing enforcement lights, increasing signal conspicuity (yellow borders), increasing enforcement, and creating a Highway 7 Corridor Coalition. Short-term segment-wide improvements include a corridor study, additional lighting, potential pedestrian improvements/connections, and installation of street name signs. Medium- term improvements include battery backup at signals and construction of signal improvements, and to improve visibility to reduce the number of drivers who run red lights. Long-term improvements would be as recommended in a future corridor study. Slides were presented showing proposed short, medium, and long-term improvements at specific locations along the corridor. Mr. Lutaya discussed additional recommendations to consider to ensure safety projects continue to be implemented in the study areas. He also provided a list of next steps which include meeting with stakeholders/cities, sharing information with elected officials, sharing findings from the study with the public, and identifying funding and project prioritization. Mr. Howley asked what comments were received from previous outreach meetings such as this one. Mr. Lutaya replied that a majority showed an interest in forming a coalition. Mayor Ryan expressed her appreciation for the presentation and would be interested in forming a coalition. Councilwoman Rehm asked how coalitions are formed and how having a coalition would help the process, and asked if tunnels were considered from a pedestrian or biker standpoint. Ms. Langenbach responded that coalitions are important, especially relating to applying for different funding. Mr. Bourdon replied that tunnels were not specifically looked at and it depends on the results of a deeper analysis of the corridor study. Ms. Langenbach added there was a paving project for that segment of Highway 7 scheduled for 2027 which would provide an opportunity to take a closer look at what the needs are and how tunnels can be incorporated. Mr. Howley asked for an explanation of the Intersection Control Evaluation (ICE) report at the intersection of Minnewashta Parkway. Mr. Lutaya responded that it has everything to do with funding. The signal was proposed last year but ultimately a roundabout is recommended. Ms. Langenbach added that usually an ICE report compares a signal to a roundabout to determine the best option; however, funding for a roundabout is an issue. Mr. Howley asked if this ICE report is a precursor to the project that is going to happen or are there still a lot of decisions that need to made funding wise to make the signal even happen. Mr. Lutaya replied that there are funds identified for a signal. Councilwoman Rehm asked about reducing the speed limit. Mr. Lutaya responded that historically there has not been good success at reducing speed limits. It is more likely that speed limits might be recommended to go up. Ms. Langenbach added that they found that installing a City Council Work Session Minutes – September 12, 2022 4 lower speed limit sign doesn’t change driving speeds. Installing a roundabout or making a road feel more confined slows traffic. Mayor Ryan thanked the representatives for their presentation. 2023 PRELIMINARY BUDGET, LEVY, AND CIP DISCUSSION Item postponed to September 26, 2022. FUTURE WORK SESSION SCHEDULE Date Item September 26 • 2023 Preliminary Budget, Levy, and CIP Discussion • Fire Department Open House, 6-7 p.m. October 10 • Lake Ann Park Preserve Master Plan: Open House Follow-up and Project Update October 24 • General Fund & Property Supported Funds Discussion November 14 • CIP, Debt & Utility Rate Study Discussion The work session adjourned at 6:45 p.m. Submitted by Laurie Hokkanen City Manager Prepared by Kim Meuwissen City Clerk