PC 1993 08 18REGULAR :-~NG
AUGUBT~ .18 ~ 1993
·
Vice C~air conrad Called 'the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m.
rmak'Dtane. H~r'.',ber. tS~'~"~ Conrad, Joe Scott, Nancy
e,'~' 'mi~ '~rtan' Ba~zl~
Members~ A~aent: Mat'~'~dvina
.
.
stafg ~r.a~en~ Paul' ~~," p~,~,%~...D~rect.~,l ~~tn Al~aaff,
Planne~: i~ {D~ H~pe~%~s~.~~'~!~-~ ~r~f~n, Park
and Re~,.Coo~ator ~ and ~1It~ ~e~, 'City Attora~
Sharmin. ai-JafT.,presi~t~""tbe'":staf~"*~6rt on"~'iS'
. -. -. .-. , , f. -~ :'-: ,9'~ -...... ...:,.. ,:.
Harber. ts: I haWe a-cou, pte.-.~.~t'~'o"ns?~of'~ta~f. Wi%h-' .th~..i'.Proposed'
expansion, when I was out there today, as I see it,-you really
won't ~ee any of this fr~m the street. And w~'ll the buffer be in
the back of it?
A1-Jaff: There will' be-~o~ i~'the;" ~';'bA~k.
Harberte: But it'w~d"prO~/~de 'e~6ugh'~f a"-scr'e'en?
A1-Jaff: Yes.
Harberts: Okay, thank you.
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Conrad:
here f~r~~
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voted ~ favdr :~ ~ ~~ ~rio~. 'T~"p~lto h~ing was
Conrad:
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 2
Mancino: I have a couple questions and one is, that I notice on
page 3 of the staff report that there will be no rooftop units
exposed and I wanted to ask the developer, how is the new space
being heated and cooled, especially when it's going to have
people inside assembling? In assembly jobs.
Applicant: The current heating in the substantial part of the
building is done with the gas hung heaters inside. The current
rooftops that are on the building include two air conditioning
and heating units for the office area and the rest are inside the
building and this addition currently has no air condition slated
for it so it has the inside type furnances. So there's no
rooftops.
Mancino: Thank you.
Applicant: There is a provision for a later time to possibly put
air conditioning in but there's no slated timeframe for that.
Mancino: Thank you. Dave, I have a-question. Kind of a comment,
a suggestion. In your report you stated that you wanted to
eliminate the curbing along the south side of the parking lot to
promote the sheet flow across the parking lot.
Hempel: That's correct. That's the conversation with the
Watershed District, with Bob Obermeyer. The site originally came
in, we had concerns over the...onsite ponding they have down
below but...necessary to require the curbing and storm sewer. We
also probably did more damage by flowing down into the wetland
areas, installing storm sewer and also maintenance of it. But
the sheet drainage effect you have a buffer strip area to the
parking lot...minimize erosion.
Mancino: Okay. My question was, you were a little concerned
that we might get people parking there and that we. might have
some erosion. Could we ask for shrubbery to be planted there so
that number one, we don't have erosion. N~mher two, it will stop
people from parking off the outside the parking lot area? Would
that help?
Hempel: That would help, sure.
Mancino: Then I would like to make that recommendation.. That we
do ask for some shrub plantings along that south side of the
parking lot. So that we won't have any erosion...off parking lot
parking. That's it.
Conrad: Thanks Nancy. Brian, do you have a voice' to talk? Are
you going to nod or anything?
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 3
Batzli: I'll talk a little.
Conrad: Okay.
Batzli: Since the applicant indicates that they may have a plan
to put AC in later, would we normally require screening on the
roof for that?
A1-Jaff: Yes. In fact we could add a condition that should in
the future they have the need for rooftop...adequate rooftop
screening, rooftop equipment screening should be used.
Batzli: The retaining wall in condition number 2. Who decides
whether that's required?
A1-Jaff: Engineering.
Batzli: When does that happen?
Hempel: Based on contours...it's required with construction of
the building.
Batzli: So when do you look at it? When do you get it?
Hempel: I would look at it again when the building permit came
through, before I would sign off on it.
Batzli: Okay. I just, the wording is fairly vague I guess. SO
contour lines of the grading plan will be submitted to city staff
to determine whether a retaining wall is required. Is that
right? And do we need a rationale in this case for why we're
providing variances? Other than the fact that we asked somebody
and they said okay.
A1-Jaff: Staff is comfortable with the variances. We don't feel
that it will impact the street.
Batzli: I understand that but what's our justification for that?'
Krauss: The variances...from newer interpretations...This is an
industrial subdivision that was platted over a decade ago. The
existing building pretty much has a similar setback. The DNR
regulations are established on the presumption that we do nothing
to treat the water quality, which of course is not true here. We
of course require that. And we exceed the setback from the creek
for the DNR but not the hard surface coverage. The DNR regularly
allows, you know they have a review authority where they
regularly allow those kinds of variances to occur. For example,
Rosemount exceeded the hard surface coverage but because all the
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 4
water goes the other way into a retention basins so we could save
the trees along the lake, they had no objection to that. We felt
the environment was...
Batzli: But in this case it flows towards the creek.
our justification?
So what's
Krauss: Well Dave if you want to, where is the water intercepted?
Hempel: Downstream there's two retention ponds. One on the west
side of Park Road...
Batzli: So we don't need a skimmer? We don't care? We figure
if somebody's car leaks a bunch of oil and it drains, it's going
to get trapped somewhere in the 100 feet?
Hempel: Within 200 feet.
Batzli: There's been two separate variances. The 100 foot one
and then the surface, impervious surface and what's-our
Justification for the 100 foot one?
A1-Jaff: There's a limitation where the applicant asks that that-
variance be...
Batzli: They're going to adjust it?
Applicant: The 90 foot, it really, and it wasn't an intention to
go under 100 feet. In drawing scaling, or it's hard to determine
where this creek really is in this area and we have no problem
with the 100 foot setback. We're just having a bit of a time
figuring out where it is. Our intent is to just need it if it's
...of any consequence. The vegetation between the parking lot
and the creek is quite thick and well protected. In fact we've
done repairs on it, if any of the sheeting area has been damaged.
Since we've got the location in the back. Several locations that
a truck for example would damage the sheeting area and we would
resod that and take care of that as we have. But that 95 foot
thing is kind of a...kind of a scaling thing to try to determine
where the creek middle or side is or whatever. And regarding the
retaining wall. We've gone through several alterations there
from the original plan where we had some water problems again to
substantially redirect, regrade that back area of the building.
And 2 years ago we had to put, do soil in there to repair the
runoff situation from our neighbor's property there. We feel, if
you look at the elevation as the building moves back, that soil
actually goes down. The building is substantially buried on that
side. Our hope is, just for reasons of...is to continue that
type of arrangement going through and around the corner there and
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 5
having natural runoff through vegetation and grass. If you look
carefully at that, and that seems to work best on that particular
site. I don't know how closely you examined that but we've done,
had to do some more than 2 years ago to redo that particular
area. And it seems to work real well right now with the runoff.
Batzli: So do we need anything in the conditions regarding
granting the variance for the impervious surface or amending the
plans for to eliminate the 100 foot?
A1-Jaff: Amending the plans to eliminate the 100, to achieve the
100 foot setback.
Batzli: Okay. So that's in your condition 7?
A1-Jaff: Correct.
Batzli: Okay, but we don't need anything .in there about granting
a variance?
A1-Jaff: No.
Batzli: Okay. Nothing else.
Conrad: Okay, Joe.
Scott: I don't have any additional comments.
Conrad: Okay, Diane.
Harberts: Nothing.
Conrad: So we don't have the variance on the 100 foot setback.
The impervious surface, Dave you're comfortable with that in
terms of runoff?
Hempel: Yes.
Conrad: Okay. Rational Paul is that it had been platted before?
Krauss: Well it's a few things. We have a DNR shoreland
regulation that they moved the entire state'of Minnesota and
works just fine if you're on a little...but it doesn't work very
week in the metro area, and they acknowledged that but they never
changed their regulation. You also have a pre-existing
development that is largely completed. We're just adding onto a
building that was never designed to accommodate that fully.
Thirdly, the primary thrust of what the DNRwas trying to achieve
is protection of the creek corridor. Physical protection of the
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 6
creek corridor. We've done that. We're maintaining a bigger
setback or bigger setback than they would like and it's not
the... And the final thing is, it's to make sure that water
quality is maintained and we already have that in place and
operating.
Conrad: Okay, good. Any other questions? Discussion.
a motion?
Is there
Batzli: I move that the Planning Commission recommend approval
of Site Plan Review $87-9, the variance to hard surface coverage
shown on the plans dated July 14, 1993 subject to the following
conditions. Condition 1 reads, no outdoor storage of trash shall
be permitted except at the location indicated on the plans.
Condition 2 shall read, the applicant shall submit grading plans
to city staff to determine if a retaining wall is required along
the north propety line between the proposed building and adjacent
property to the north. Conditions 3, 4, 5 will remain as set
forth in the staff report. Condition 6 shall read, delete
curbing along the south side of the parking lot to promote sheet
drainage across the parking lot. However, if this creates a
parking nuisance or abuse, or if, do you want shrubbery in there
automatically?
Mancino: Yes.
Batzli: Okay. Let's read condition 6 as follows. Delete
curbing along the south side of the parking .lot to promote sheet
drainage across the parking lot. The applicant shall add
shrubbery along the south side of the parking lot to eliminate
runoff and erosion and to control parking along this side.
Condition 7 shall read, the design of the southerly edge of the
parking lot must be adjusted to comply with the 100 foot
Watershed District setback. 8 to remain as in the staff report.
Condition 9, read if rooftop equipment is added, screening shall
be required.
Conrad: Is there a second?
Scott: Second.
Conrad: Discussion.
Mancino: I'd like to add a friendly smendment to condition number
4. I would like to add to the first sentence to say, from the
city's approved tree list so that the complete first sentence
reads, provide 5 additional overstory trees from the city's
approved tree list along the north portion of the site and all
disturbed areas shall be seeded and erosion control blanket
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 7
installed until vegetation is re-established.
Batzli: I'll accept that.
Conrad: Anybody else have a problem with that amendment? Okay.
Otherwise we'd vote on it separately. But we'll include it in
the original motion. Any other discussion?
Batzli moved, Soott seoondsd that the Planning Cosmission
reoommend approval of Site Plan Review ~87-9 with a variance to
the hard surfaoe ooverage, as shown on the plan dated July 14,
1993 and subject to the following conditions~
X. No outdoor storage of trash shall be permitted exoept at the
location indioated on the plans.
2 The applicant shall submit grading plans to o~ty staff to
determine if a retaining wall is required along the north
property line betweenthe proposed building and adjacent
property to the north.
The Surface Water Management Fee Currently charged to the
parcel will increase accordingly when the site expansion is
completed.
·
Provide 5 additional overstory trees from the oity's approved
tree list along the north portion of the site and all
disturbed areas shall be seeded and erosion control blanket
installed until vegetation is re-established. Financial
guarantees for landscaping shall be submitted to the City
prior to issuance of a building permit. Also, provide Type
III erosion control around all distrubed areas of the site,
especially along the creek. The site should be restored with
two rows of sod behind the curb line with the exception of
where the drainage outlets in the parking lot. In this
specific area, the two rows of sod should be required as well
as seed and erosion control blanket on the slopes toward
Riley-Purgatory Creek.
5. The applicant must demonstrate that there is no more than .5
foot candles of light from the fixtures at the property line.
·
Delete curbing along the south side of the parking lot to
promote sheet drainage across the' parking lot. However, if
this creates a parking nuisance or abuse, the applicant shall
add shrubbery along tho south side of tho parking lot to
el~minate runoff and erosion ~nd to oOntrol parking
along that side.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 8
·
The design of the southerly edge of the parking lot must be
adjusted to comply with the 100 foot Watershed District
setback.
·
The triangular shaped areas located within the westerly
parking lot shall be sodded and the curb shall be extended
around them with the exception of the triangle located to the
southwest of the parking lot. This triangle shall remain
bituminous so it will not impede drainage.
9. If rooftop equipment is added, screening shall be
All voted in favor and the motion carried unan4mously.
PUBLIC HEARING~
NICK JACOUES TO SUBDIVIDE 1.18 ACRES INTO 2 SINGLE FAMILY L~TS ON
?~OpERTY ZONED RSF AND LOCATED NORTH ON LAK~ LUCY ROAD, WEST 0P
POWERS BOULEVARD. 1210 LAKE LUCY ROAD. JACOUES ~DDITION.
Public Presents
Judy Kepp
Gary Welch
Timothy Rashey
Dwight & Rhonda Schneibel
Jeanne Brower
8860 Cty Rd 52, Carver
101 Choctaw Circle
45 Willow..., Tonka Bay
6501 Arlington Court
6611 Ar-lington Court
Sharmin A1-Jaff presented the staff report on this item. Vice
Chair Conrad called the public hearing to order.
Harberts: I have a question. Could you Just give us a little
bit more detail about sharing a curb cut. Are we talking a common
driveway?
A1-Jaff: Correct.
Harberts: So basically it would run the property line?
Krauss: Well, there's a potential of it Y'ing off at the back of
the curb. It's a common entrance onto Lake Lucy Road.
A1-Jaff: So let's say the house would be located here, the curb
cut, they would use this existing curb cut and potentially...
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 9
Harberts: We're talking, though are we talking some type of
easement or agreement or something?
A1-Jaff: A cross access easement would be required as well as
the portion that is shared between the two homes which would be
this area. Would have to be paved up to a 7 ton design.
Harberts: Are they proposing, is the other place going to be
built. Is it family related or Just? I think we got a yes
maybe. Okay, thanks.
Conrad: We'll open it up for public comment.
is here, we'll let them speak.
Is the applicant
Judy Kepp: My name is Judy Kepp. I'm representing Nick. He
lives with his mother at 1210 Lake Lucy Road. He's an over the
road truck driver and he could not be here tonight so if I can't
answer any questions, it will have to stay open until he gets
here. What we wanted to do, we do share the driveway. We'd
rather have it not tarred because all the roads right there are
not tarred. We'd rather have the gravel. We like it better. We
would have the garage on that side...with it angled. Angled up
because we have...split entry, walkout type house. And the
easement, I don't know how to go about that or what to do with
it, I don't know. I mean would that have to be gone through
more?
Harberts: Are you related to the applicant?
Judy Kepp: I am his girlfriend.
Conrad: I guess what I'm interested in, or we would be, is if
you have a problem with that tonight. Yeah, you're going to have
to, if you don't like the recommendations of the staff report,
we'd like to hear that. If you agree with it, you've disagreed
with one of their comments so far, but if you disagree with that
portion, you should make your point. We're not going to tell you
the process but I think you should tell us your opinion.
Judy Kepp: Okay well, all I know is we will share the driveway
if it has to be in. That's alright with us but we don't want to
tar it. We'd rather keep it gravel.
Batzli: Is it planned to be developed in the near future?
Judy Kepp: Yes. We have talked to a developer but I mean all of
a sudden little thing where we're dividing land between his
mother and us is starting to cost more and more than what we
thought it was going to so that might be one setback on us. But
Planning Commis~ion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 10
I mean, we came to the city. Nick came and asked how much sewer
and water was going to be. He was told like a $25.00 to put into
the lot. Now all of a sudden another developer came and it went
up almost $2,000.00 and then he came again and got another
estimate, it went up 3...so we don't know...
Batzli: Dave, would they have to tar the entire length? Can they
tar the first 10-15 feet or something?
Hempel: The ordinance requires to share a common driveway. The
private driveway requires it to be paved up to the point where it
essentially breaks off to a single driveway access. The driveway
is supposed to be built 20 feet wide and 7 ton standards. That
personally in my opinion may be alittle excessive for just a two
lot subdivision. The grades here do drain out toward Lake Lucy
Road and a gravel driveway is subject to some erosion...Lake Lucy
Road so we'd be very interested to seeing that blacktopped, at
least a portion of it.
Judy Kepp: So you're saying that it would have to be all paved?
Hempel: Just the common portion of the driveway.
Judy Kepp: Which is how many feet?
Hempel: Well it depends on where the driveway would Y off or
branch off. It could be right outside the property line. Could
be 30 feet behind the trees...
Judy Kepp: Like I said, I can't make the total decision, or
whatever. Nick is going to have to talk to somebody. I'm just
here representing him.
Conrad: That's alright. Any other comments? Okay good, thanks.
Any public comments?
Dwight Schneibel: Good evening. We haven't met yet. My name is
Dwight Schneibel and I own the lot Just to the west of the
proposed area on 6601 Arlington Court. And we haven't met the
people that are planning to develop it and I guess a couple
things come to mind, or questions. First of all this drawing
doesn't really specify where the house is going to be located at
on the lot. And we're kind of curious how far away from the lot
borders the house is going to be facing and what portion of the
lot the house will be at because it will obviously make quite a
difference. Our lot is, sits on a hill below where that lot
would be located at so the elevations are quite different and
brings up some concerns on losing the privacy with the house
right on top of the hill where they're building. And if there
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 11
would have to be anything done with the lot below...or change the
hillside which faces the new lot that they're developing. So I
guess there is some concern on the change of the hill. .The
drainage of the water. Where the water would drain in case of
rain. And also if it would obviously affect the privacy that we
presently have with our home, with the new home being built on
top. It there would be a need for some type of natural growth,
privacy fence being put up, or hedges of trees or something of
that nature to continue to have that privacy in there. And if
there was a change in the lot and having some of it excavated
out, that there be some portion put in there to make sure that if
there's a change in our lot, that that would be taken care of as
far...rocks that we already have on the hill...So I have
questions on where the house is going and questions about the
privacy remaining the way it is right now. Also, the other thing
that kind of comes to mind and curiousity would be the value of
the home that's being built on the hill. We live in Curry Farms
development which is a Centex development and I guess we'd be
interested in seeing the value of the home being somewhere around
the mean average value of the houses we have in our area...cul-
de-sac or in the Curry Farm development is presenting a
development going Just south of us. I think it's Willow Creek
where the homes are...and I guess we don't want to lose the value
of our home with...So those would be my concerns at this point.
Conrad: Thank you. Some of those maybe we can address. In
terms of where the building pad would go, in a subdivision we
really haven't asked the developer. The owners to do that. What
would be the process for them locating a building pad?
Krauss: This may not be the answer that the gentleman would
prefer to hear but Codes give the property owner a great deal of
latitude as to where they can put their home. It has to meet
setback requirements which puts them a minimum of 10 feet back
from the property line. But beyond that is a matter of personal
discretion on the site. In terms of privacy, I understand the
issue but the city has never been in the habit of requiring
screening from one single family home to another. Generally
homeowners do that kind of thing anyway. It hasn't been something
that we needed to become involved in. We certainly do screen
between different intensities of use but from one single family
home to another, no. In terms of drainage, those concerns are
very valid. We take that into account. When building permit
comes in, if there are drainge issues, we ask them, Dave ask them
that there be some information provided as to how the drainage is
going to be handled. We make sure that natural drainage patterns
will not be disturbed and that there not be flowage directed in ~
areas where it was not appropriate. Our building inspectors are
getting pretty good now too of making sure of those kind of
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 12
things...In terms of disturbance on neighboring lots, that's
trespassing. The grades have to match at the property line.
There should be no disturbance beyond that, or somebody's on
somebody else's property at that point. The last question that
was raised was as to the value. Again, the city has no minimum
value requirements and to do so raises a lot of ethical and
possibly legal questions. Again, it hasn't been an issue.
Generally homes tend to be a certain value and it keeps creeping
upwards. Not every home conforms to that exactly but...
Farmakes: But from a practical matter Paul 'though, there is a
minimum size that's required for footage size and if you look
into that you will see that there are other conditions that are
minimum requirements in the city of Chanhassen for single family
homes.
Scott: I think we're talking about 1,500 square feet finished
with an attached 2 car garage.
Krauss: That's true but those are fairly minimal standards. I
don't know of any houses I've seen in 4 years that are anywhere
near it...
Farmakes: But I think from a practical standpoint though, there
isn't going to be a warming shack built on a piece of property in
Chanhassen for a single family residential zone, if that's some
of the concern of the neighbors. The city does have minimum
requirements for single family homes...
Scott: Also too, there isn't any site grading that's proposed
for the property so my interpretation is that there obviously
will be some excavation for the foundation, etc but the grading
will be minimal. So the drainage pattern will probably not be
altered.
Conrad: So I think the bottom line is, many of your concerns
there are basic regulations but specifically they're not going to
be addressed. I think grading and drainage will be addressed as
a building permit is taken out. But the other issues are really
based on code and current city standard setbacks. The applicant
has a right to build where they would like to as long as they met
our current code. Any other questions? Any other comments from.
Judy Kepp: This won't close so Nick can come up and talk to you
about some things?
Conrad: Well we're going to make a motion tonight and that
motion will go to the City Council. If he has some comments, he
has to get to the Planning staff and address those based on what
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 13
our motion reads tonight and he still could oppose what we're
recommending but it's, and then the City Council will vote on
that with his comments included. But he'll have 2 weeks or
whatever until this gets there.
Dwight Schneibel: Can I just get one clarification. What are the
city codes or clarification on the privacy between the homes.
You said there is no code or city recommendation that they have
to build some type of privacy or continue to, I should say, make
sure our privacy isn't changed because when we obviously moved
into the home, the reason that we liked the location and the area
is because of the privacy that we did have. I'm not saying that
anybody doesn't have the right to build on their lot but I guess
we don't want to lose what we thought we got when we bought the
home and part of that will be lost if we lose the privacy that's
right there presently behind our home. By a house that we have
no control over. We have no idea where it's going to be placed.
How far away from the lot line it's going to'be. 'As far as I can
tell right now, it could be sitting right on top of the hill
right behind our house and there's nothing. What you're saying
at this point that's going to help insure some of the privacy or
end the privacy that we presently have and I guess that's a big
concern of mine.
Conrad: Yeah, I know what you're saying. Paul, there's really
not much that we or staff can say. It's going to meet our
minimum side yard setbacks. They have to do that. But beyond
that, to tell you the truth, it's interpersonal communication
that you have and maybe that's more important than what the city
can legislate.
Dwight Schneibel: That i s fine. We haven't talked about and we
don't have any gripes about it. We're just finding out but at
this point just clarification. The only guideline we have is the
10 foot offset that we have. That's the only privacy...
Conrad: Pretty much so. If you thought that there were some
trees or some natural features that were being disturbed, I think
we'd be very interested in that but, and again, but if there's
nothing that we see there, they do have the right to build within
the current code.
Dwight Schneibel: And the current code as far as for the type of
home they have to build.
Conrad: They can do anything.
Dwight Schneibel: It's just the, it has to be a 2 car garage, at
least square footage of 1,500 square feet.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 14
Conrad: Right. And pretty typically you're protected. You know
we have seen very few cases where new development in this area
has been substandard or hasn't appreciated the surrounding
property. With property this big, I'd be real surprised if you'd
be unhappy. Now that doesn't protect you. -The odds are with
what I'm saying but then again they're only odds so. But I'd be
real surprised if they built something that was less than
appreciating the surrounding community, but that doesn't you
know.
Dwight Schneibel: ...that doesn't obligate...I guess I'd just
like to tell...the types of homes that have been going up around
the area. In Willow Ridge substantial homes and I think the
homes that are presently in Curry Farms development right next
door are along the same type of...
Conrad: Thanks. Any other comments? Is there a motion to close
the public hearing?
Soott moved, Batzli seoonded to olose the publio hearing. All
voted in favor and the motion carried. The publio hearing was
olosed.
Harberts: The only comment I have is, I would support their
recommendation to lay asphalt on the common part of the driveway.
I appreciate staff taking that proactive approach. Number 3 in
terms of including that a written maintenance agreement is
established, even though we do have family, ownership does
change. So I think that was a good call. But my only comment
really is to support the need for an asphalt drive. I don't
think 7 tons is excessive because again you don't now what's in
the future. I don't know, if an over the road driver, he brings
his rig and drives it home or what but the code was established
for some purpose but I guess there's always an opportunity to
consider a variance. That's it.
Scott: I have no comment.
Batzli: Is the taking of 40 feet what we've been doing along the
road with other people, with other developments?
Hempel: That's correct. Consistent with Willow Ridge.
Developments on the south side...
Batzli: Do we need so much?
Hempel: Based on that status of that road, the future road is
classified as a collector type street, minimum right-of-way is 80
feet...
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 15
Batzli: That's a lot of feet. We need to look at that someday.
That's all I got.
Mancino: No comment.
Farmakes: The property is not large enough to subdivide again?
Krauss: No. No, this one will be above standard...
Farmakes: The applicant shares parking does not wish to pave it,
pave the shared driveway...I'm assuming they're going to...
farther back from that they place it and there's an agreement
here that the road is paved so there is a cutoff there. Unless
you build a dual road...I'm still kind of ambiguous about how
that would be handled. I'm always uncomfortable with shared
driveways. I know there might be a fair amount of distance
that's involved. The reason being, from what I've seen in
practical matters, some of these left over lots, especially
around Lake Lucy Road, there's a development built around and
there's a little corner lot or something left over and being
divided. The one I'm thinking of right now is on Lake Lucy and
right on the corner of Lake Lucy and Powers...many of these cases
cars have to be parked out into someone else's lot. And the
shared driveway situations, unless there's a substantial amount
of road available, can create a problem between neighbors. Now
in this case...attachment to the adjacent property owner but in 5
or 10 years that may not be the case. I would hope that if there
is a shared parking lot there, that it be minimum to avoid those
type of things. There is enough driveway...Lot 1 and 2 to allow
them enough parking space to accommodate...I have no further
comments.
Conrad: Okay. Thanks Jeff. I have nothing to add other than
making sure we incorporate the staff's condition number 7 and the
change that I think is some common sense in terms of the length
of the common drive. A portion of the asphalt I think. It
shouldn't be the entire length but just up to the Y. Other than
that, I have no more comments. Any other discussion? If not
I'll ask for a motion.
Scott: I move that the Planning Commission recommend approval of
Subdivision $93-17 as shown on the plans dated July 18, 1993
subject to the following conditions. Conditions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
and 6 will remain as they are. Number 7 to be added to read,
park and recreation fees to be paid at time of permit
application. And Nancy, do you want condition number 3 to, or
excuse me. The condition relating to the trees, to include the
language about, from the tree list. Recommended species.
Condition number 6, add the language that the trees to be planted
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 16
come from the recommended species list.
Conrad: Anything else? Is there a second?
Mancino: Second.
Conrad: Any discussion?
Batzli: I guess I'd prefer to see something in there in
condition 3 relating to the reasonableness of this road design.
Conrad: In reference to what Brian? The length of the asphalt
or the.
Batzli: The 7 ton design, yeah.
Conrad: What are you suggesting?
Batzli: I don't know because I would be comfortable with only
about the first 10 or 15 feet so that we don't track the gravel
onto the road and we eliminate the possibility of the runoff,
which is what I think we're requiring it for. You know it seems
to me that our variance standard takes into account conditions of
neighboring properties and here it clearly, we've got gravel
roads up and down the whole way and I don't know why we're
requiring something extraordinary from this lot. So I would at
least like to see after the word 20 feet in width, something like
for a 15 foot initial section or until the driveway splits. You
know subject to city staff approval or something like that
because I think there needs to be some reasonableness here.
Conrad: Joe, what was the intent in your motion. You took
number 3 pretty much verbatim. You didn't make any changes.
Scott: I think Dave, what would be the minimum that you would
recommend for a paved section?
Hempel: A minimum to the property line from the street curb.
Scott: Which is a 10 foot.
Hempel: Which is, in this situation would be probably about 14
1/2 feet.
Mancino: Nobody else has it on...
Hempel: ...would have it. The driveways down further are, to
the east are pre-existing conditions that go out into the...In
fact we are in the process of requiring an ordinance that all new
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 17
driveways be hard surface. Right now...from an ordinance
standpoint.
Harberts: I have a question. How is the 20 foot derived and as
a basis for the code or the ordinance.
Krauss: That came from a section of code where we started
allowing...on private driveways, which the city never used to do~
When we...private driveways, we figure well it's okay to do that.
We still have to get a fire truck in there. The UPS truck has to
come in and police car or whatever and the minimum acceptable
standard, and this was by...
Harberts: Given that, you know with your experience Paul, what do
you feel...like that. 15 feet or whatever to the property line.
What's your feeling on that?
Krauss: Well I don't know. Dave is correct...talked.about the
need to have a driveway ordinance and we don't. And there are.a
series of problems that occur. Major deal? No, it probably
isn't but the code requires...having common driveways that it be
paved up to a point where you no longer have two houses uses it.
And you know, there are ways and maybe they can work this out
with Dave to come up with a, I mean there's nothing that says the
existing curb cut is where it should be. Maybe it gets moved
over a little bit to the property line and maybe if engineering
is acceptable of it, the curb cut's a little'wider than the
standard and it Y's off right away. At that point it's not an
issue. I mean there's ways to work this out. I guess we
understand...where you're going and we can probably work out
something before it gets to the City Council.
Scott: How about if we put something into condition 3 at the
end. The shared portion of the driveway shall be constructed to
a 7 ton design and 20 feet in width. The paved section will be
determined by the applicant and city staff.
Batzli: Subject to city staff approval. I like that.
Harberts: I do too.
Scott: Is that what you want? Okay.
Conrad: So we have a motion on the floor. Brian, was your's,
what was your's? You were Just talking right?
Batzli: I was just talking. I didn't propose an amendment.
Conrad: Right. Do we have a second to Joe's motion?
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 18
Mancino: I'll second it.
Conrad: Any further discussion? So the intent, what we said to
staff is to negotiate this with the applicant. Is that what we
said?
Harberts: I also liked the flexibility that Paul talked about
because I think it's generally the feeling here that we don't
like those common accesses but some of them, sometimes it may
occur so if we have the opportunity of flexibility with that curb
cut, I'd say let's go after it.
Batzli: We don't have an ordinance.
Harberts: Right. But that usually seems to be the intent of the
Commission here with regard to common access points.
soott move~, xanoino seoon~e~ that the Pla--ing Commission
reoommend to approve Bubdivision #93-L7 as sho~n on the plans
dated ~uly LB, 1993, sttbJeot to the following oonditions~
1. No alteration or tree removal shall be permitted beyond the
40 foot setback from the rear property lines. Trees designated
for preservation shall be protected by snow fence or other means
acceptable to the city. Protective measures must be located at
or beyond the ground footprint of the tree's crown. No fill
material or construction activity shall occur within these areas.
These measures must be in place and inspected prior to the start
of grading activity.
2. The applicant shall dedicate drainage and utility easements
on the final plat over all drainage areas. The following
easements and right-of-way shall be provided:
a. The southerly 40 feet of the parcel shall be dedicated to
the City for Lucy Road right-of-way.
b. Standard drainage and utility easements along each lot
line.
3. Lots i and 2 shall share a common curb cut access onto Lake
Lucy Road. The shared portion of the driveway shall be
constructed to a 7 ton design and 20 feet in width. The paved
seotion of driveway will be determined by the applioant and
staff, subJeot to oity staff approval. A cross access easement,
including maintenance responsibilities shall be drafted by the
applicant in favor of both lots.
4. Lot 1 shall be custom graded and shall provide a tree
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 19
preservation plan for staff approval prior to issuance of a
building permit. Staff shall have the right to require a change
in house pad and location if it will result .in saving significant
vegetation. A snow fence shall be placed along the edge of the
tree preservation easement prior to grading..
5. The property owner of Lot 1, Block i will be responsible at
the time of building permit issuance for one sanitary sewer and
water connection and hookup charge. The City Treasurer's office
shall determine the charges based on the original assessment plus
interest accrued from the date the original assessment was
levied. The connection and hookup charge may be assessed against
the parcel.
6. Ail disturbed areas must be seeded or sodded to prevent
erosion. One tree must be planted within the front yard setback
of each lot. The tree must be deciduous, at least 2 1/2 inches-
in diameter at the time of installation, and seleoted from the
oity's reoommended s~eoies list.
All voted in favor and the motion oarried.
~UBLIC ~EARING:
CONCEPT UNIT DEVELOPMENT FOR MIXED HIGH DESNITY (190 DWELLIN~
UNITS) ~%ND NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL USES ON 62.05 ACRES OF
~0PBRTY ZONED RSF AND¥CaTION OF a PORTION OF 86TH STREET. THE
~ROPERTY ~S LOCATED F~ST OF HIGHWAY 101 ~ NORT~ AND SOUTH OF
66T~ STREET, MISSION HILLS, TANDEM PROPERTIES~
Publio Present:
Name address
Milton Bathke
Gene Klein
Mark & Lori Jesberg
Bruce Engel
Jeff Williamson
Randy Fresett
Joe & Gayle Hautman
8404 Great Plains Blvd.
8412 Great Plains Blvd.
8407 Great Plains Blvd.
8699 Chan Hills Dr. No.
8411 Great Plains Blvd.
8411 Great Plains Blvd.
8551 Tigua Circle
A.W.(Mike) & JoAnn Mulligan 8501 Tigua Circle
A1 Klingelhutz 8600 Great Plains Blvd.
Dave & Sharon Nickolay 8500 Tigua Circle
Joanne L. Larson 8590 Tigua Circle
David Nagel 8550 Tigua Circle
Sharmin Al-Jarl presented the staff report on this item.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 20
Farmakes: When you say...are you talking about commercial
there...
A1-Jaff: Well it isn't...the guide plan guides it for commercial
as well as residential. It's a mixed use. We don't know what
the applicant is proposing within the commercial district.
Farmakes: Typically a mixed use, is that not low type commercial
use? It's not a Target type situation.
Krauss: It's really not specifically addressed in the
comprehensive plan. It says mixed use. It"s mixed commercial
and high density residential. It's really open to some
interpretation as is...We think we know the scale...PUD process
is even though commercial development there is premature, I think
it's probably something that wouldn't happen until Highway 212
was a little more eminent. The PUD process allows you to send
very solid, firm guidelines...development that happens here.
Just rezoning the land, you have no controls at all and that's
not something we recommend. Just to touch on what Sharmin was
mentioning. This is a PUD concept plan. This is the first time
through with this. As these things usually are, it's somewhat
rough. We've been working closely with the applicant over the
summer. There are some changes that have been incorporated into
it. Some of the responses. But this level of detail is more of
a fact finding mission frankly. To see what kind of issues need
to be addressed when the formal documentation is submitted.
We've raised a series of questions that we'd like to have
addressed. We assume you'll...assume that some of the residents
in the area will do the same as well. That's the purpose of this
meeting. A PUD concept is a non-binding review. It has to be
formally brought back through the process. Go through the public
hearing for official action so that's still in the offing. So I
guess you should...with a goal of refining the plan and laying
your issues out on the table. At the other end of the spectrum,
we shouldn't expect everything to be resolved to nth degree at
this stage. That's not what this type of review's for.
Farmakes: Taking that in mind, the 9.2 acres there on the
commercial site. Do you envision that large enough to...strip
mall or do you envision that large enough for a light use service
type useage. Dry cleaners. Fun and run type. Gas station.
Krauss: Well the thing that obviously concerns us is, 9.2 acres
is almost exactly what Target is.
Mancino: That's not neighborhood commercial.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 21
Krauss: That's clearly not neighborhood commercial. I mean we
could tell you what we think and we're asking the applicant, for
them to tell us what they think it is and reach some
accommodation with that. What we'd like to see is something
that's, as Sharmin said, of use to the neighborhood. That
includes the gammit from small multi-tenant office space to a
daycare center to small service commercial. Those kinds of
things that are used on a daily basis. It is going to be sitting
on a major interchange, and I know it's hard to visualize. Well
yeah...year 2000 now or something.
Batzli: Oh really? I saw '97 last time. It's delayed again.
Mancino: What happens if 212 doesn't get built? That could
happen couldn't it?
Krauss: Well, it hasn't been built for 35 years so I guess
anything's possible. The project is moving forward. It's kind-of
hard to say.
Mancino: But the reason why we zoned it mixed use to begin with
was because we thought 212 would go in.
Krauss: There's an official map highway corridor there.
Mancino: If there's not 212, do we really want to have a mixed
use in that area or do we want to have?
Krauss: Honestly that becomes arguable. I mean when that
section of the city will probably ultimately have enough
population that you'll want something. Would you want as much-as
you would if you had a highway interchange? Probably not. Our
comprehensive plan is predicated on MnDot doing what they say
they're going to do and they're buying up right-of-way slowly.
Farmakes: Well, from a political standpoint as businesses go in
there, which they are. As people subdivide and start building
these types of roads. From a political standpoint, so comes the
highway...
Krauss: It's an approved project. I mean the State has
scheduled to let contracts on the east end of it.
Batzli: The people will come in and complain that a highway's
going in next to them. That's what will happen.
Scott: Also with TH 101 being kind of like the highway that
isn't. Roughly, is it a chicken before the egg where this
development is going to drive the city's expenditure of upgrading
Planning Commission M~ting
August 18, 1993 - Page 22
TH 1017 I've read here about that particular classification for
that highway and what kind of bill are we talking about? If
MnDot isn't going to pay for it.
Krauss: We have no idea. First of all, I mean we do have, there
is a state highway. The only improvements that are made to
Highway 101 since the 1930's are safety related. There's no...
Clearly the road is in terrible shape. Clearly it's inadequate.
Clearly the city have acted as though they're a state government
in trying to respond to what the State by default isn't doing.
The reason why we commissioned a study 4 years ago, 5 years ago
to decide how to upgrade things between Highway 5 and 212, which
is also why the city has already spent considerable dollars
upgrading Market Blvd/TH 101 intersection and rebuild it down to
the creek. We met with the I guess it's Chuck, the chief
engineer. And we were asking him.
Harberts: No, he's the metro district engineer.
Krauss: We had a meal with them a month ago trying to get this
item on the agenda and...was that we ought to keep talking on it
and they're may be some method wherein the highway is turned back
to county or city jurisdiction...pot of funds that MnDot has
called turnback dollars. We're hoping of meeting next week with
the city of Eden Prairie, Carver County, Hennepin County, MnDot
staff to try and set the ground rules for it but it's a very big
issue and it's beyond one development tripping or not tripping. I
don't know where the straw that breaks the camel's back. We
realize that it's not a good situation. That's why the city's
already committed to doing so much.
Harberts: Is there a proposed dollar value though? What kind of
money are we talking about here?
Krauss: I don't know. We did have some rough estimates. In fact
Fred Hoisington is here to be on your agenda last tonight, and
maybe tomorrow now. And he was going to give you an overview of
some of the preliminary work he did with realignments and his
original study I think had some preliminary cost but that was 5
years ago. We haven't updated that yet.
Harberts: ...looking at alignments, yeah.
Krauss: Now MnDot is scheduled, with the construction of Highway
212, MnDot is scheduling to rebuild TH 101 from Lyman Blvd up to
86th Street. That's part of the highway project.
Mancino: Whenever that.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 23
Krauss: Exactly.
Scott: And wherever 86th Street ends up going.
Krauss: That's true too.
Mancino: Is there a formula in the comprehensive plan, I mean I
read the whole housing section but is there a formula in the
comprehensive plan that is mixed use on anything? I mean like is
there a formula for how much of a mixed use should be commercial
and how much high density? No guidance?
Krauss: No.
Mancino: So that's why we're ending up with the 9.2...
Krauss: Well the...corresponds to where the lines were put on on
the official city map. But it is open to some interpretation.
Conrad: Any other things? Any other comments right now? We'll
open it up. If the developer has some comments. I think from a
Planning Commission standpoint, the key word here is conceptual.
This is a concept plan. It will come back. Some of the staff
recommendations are kind of specific so it gets you carried away
into looking at specifics but again this is the time that we can
tell a developer what we're thinking and for them to tune into
where we're going and then they can take their calculated risk or
gamble if they want to go a little bit against what we're
recommending. But again, it's their opportunity to see where we
are. I think as we get close to a recommendation, again there
are some specifics and I think that's, they really get kind of
specific but I think we have to be kind of general in our
approach. With that, if the developer is here and would like to
make a presentation, we'd sure entertain that at this time.
Dick Putnam: Mr. Chairman, my name is Dick Putnam. I'm one of
the partners of Tandem Properties. My partner Jim Ostenson in
the pink shirt is here also. Dennis Marhula and Greg Koskey from
Westwood Engineering are the engineers and planners inthe
project. They're both here this evening and we'll ask Greg to
give you a very short explanation of some of the site plan
issues. Don Jenson who is the manager of land development for
Rottlund Homes is here sitting in the front row and he'll be able
to explain the unit types that they're proposing and answer any
questions you might have. We received the staff report. As the
staff said, we've been talking with both the engineering staff
and the planning staff primarily for quite a length of time.
Also with Mr. Hoisington about the road realignment. The impact
of that and so forth. I might Just tell you how we're purchasing
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 24
the property. We're buying the land on a contingent purchase
agreement essentially. If the project's approved, acceptable to
what we need to do, then we would buy the land from the two
underlying owners, Mr. Klingelhutz and Mr. Bartz. Mr. Klingelhutz
will retain the commercial area and we aren't involved in that
other than it's included in the planned development at this point
so as Mr. Krauss said, he and A1 I think have had some
discussions about what that outlot will be and what size it
should be and that's an issue we're kind of responding to on
what's presented to us. If it's 10 acres or 5 acres or what have
you. We'd work around that. I guess what I'd like to do at this
point, we did have a neighborhood meeting last night with just-a
few people there and they brought up some good questions. Good
issues. Good suggestions of what changes we might be able to
make. In reading some of the letters, it's pretty clear however
that there seems to be a real basic underlying dispute with the
comprehensive plan in that commercial and higher density and
medium density housing that happens to be proposed for this site.
And it's nothing we have any control over. I guess we looked at
the plan and talked with staff and highway planners and proceeded
accordingly. What I'd like to do at this point is ask Greg come
up and maybe explain very briefly since the staff did a pretty
good job on outlining it, for what the plan entails and Don, to
explain the units for you and then we'd be able to answer any
questions that are raised in the staff report after that if you'd
like.
Greg Koskey: Since the staff did a very thorough explanation at
the beginning here I'll just keep my comments fairly brief here
and touch on some points that I'd like to emphasize. One was
that we had met with the staff early on to review the Comp Plan
and various site issues. To that end we developed a site plan
that was generally consistent with the comprehensive plan in
terms of general areas and uses that would define the commercial
multiple family and single family areas. The multiple family
that we're proposing is generally lower density than might be
allowed by that comprehensive plan. We also took into
consideration the alignments for Highway 101 and 212 as defined
by MnDot and that the Hoisington Group is working on for the 101
alignments. Knowing that wetlands is that ever important issue
that we have to recognize, we did field delineate the wetlands.
Had our wildlife biologist go out there and stake them and field
survey them so that we can work around them. The intent
certainly is to avoid any contact with them. I know that there
was comment in the staff report about impact, potential impact
from 86th. The intent certainly is that we 'stay out of it
recognizing that there are serious repercussions if we start
dealing with that particular issue. When we got into the
specific site planning of the property, we took a look at how the
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 25
use relationships were going to work. We naturally wanted to get
a single family buffer here adjacent to the residential to the
east. Recognizing that 212 is going to be a fairly major roadway
coming out of a freeway thoroughfare, we wanted to get a little
bit higher density type units to this area and working with a
slightly denser, lower type impact unit up here. The units down
in this area are 2 story. They're generally 4, 8 and 12 unit
buildings. We have a density in this area of around 9 units to
the acre. Up in this particular area we're looking at one story.
units generally before and...in our buildings. We've also worked
with private roads running through this site. We wanted to keep
things generally in a curvalinear manner. Keeping straight
sections fairly short. Attempting to use the variety of sizes of
units and the arrangement of roads to help create an interest so
as you move along you don't see long lines of buildings that look
very monotonous. We're trying to create some interest here with
the way that we arrange units either at angles, moving along so
that you're seeing the buildings from different forms, different
directions and not seeing the same thing all the time. Overall
density for the site, including the residential. We're looking
at something around 4 1/2 units to the acre. Again averaging 9
units here. About 6.7 units for the one story units and about 2
1/2 units per acre for the single family residential. 86th Street
is, as you see intended to be realigned up at this point here.
Working with reasonable setbacks here and working with the plans'
for 101 that the Hoisington Group has worked with, there is also
a proposed connection to the existing Highway 101 at that point.
The street right through the single family residential is
intended to loop north and come back up to TH 101 at some point
in the future. When that area develops. The grading, we've
worked with in a fashion that's generally consistent with the
site. The one inherent consideration that you have with any type
of residential, multiple family residential is there is only so
much grade that you can work with on these sites so they do have
a tendency to flatten to some degree but we are attempting to
retain as much of that existing character as we possibly can. We
are also with the site drainage patterns, creating areas of where
quality ponding prior to discharging waters into the wetlands.
Generally we're routing water through the site in a southeasterly
direction that will ultimately end up moving down towards the
Riley Lake area. The utilities to the site are being serviced
with sanitary sewer up north of this site. There is watermain
that will have to be extended into the site from other areas
through a public works project to service this particular
property. Landscaping is one where in the multiple family area
we're generally working with the density of about 2 1/2 degrees
per unit which is a little bit higher than you'll typically find
in a single family residential area. We're trying to also work
with shrub massings around foundations and elsewhere throughout
Planning Commi~sion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 26
some of the critical site areas. By appropriate massings of
these trees we can buffer areas along TH 101, along 86th Street.
Buffer along 212 in conjunction with the berming that we're
proposing along 212 and 101. We're also trying to arrange
landscaping throughout the areas to help define open spaces,
shape of buildings, soften the massings of the buildings and help
provide for the privacy of the individual units. Where they have
their individual gathering areas. I think-with that I'd like to
pass it along to Don.
Don Jenson: Mr. Chairman, members of the Commission. Don Jenson
with the Rottlund Company. It's been a while since our company's
been before you. We are in the process of developing our own
single family subdivision...I'm looking forward to working with
Tandem here. We are the builder in this particular development,
which means that they're developing the property for us. They're
taking care of the streets, utilities, the land development
approval process. We're the end user and that, in this
particular case that means we're looking forward to bringing more
of the single family houses such as what we're buildling at
Windmill Run, down to single family lots. We are looking at
providing market rate housing that staff eluded to, regarding
first time home buyer product. That is what we are intending to
provide on the southern end of the property adjacent to 212 is
the Rottlund Villa. Some of you may have friends or business
associates that live in some of those. There's approximately
1,400 of the villa units now built in the Twin Cities. All
quadrants of the Twin Cities. It has sold, depending on the city
and the development costs, as our newsletters would say, anywhere
from the high $50,000.00's in the very first years, up to the low
$90,000.00's in some communities. All of those things are driven
by conditions and decisions of the various elected bodies.
Planning Commissions, etc and how those things impact development
costs. I think there's goals of the city to have housing that's
more affordable. Then you can influence those through your
decisions regarding conditions on any given approval of the
project. We're also excited about bringing a very new product
for us, which are called our garden homes. They are the one story
product and I'll flip over this sheet to those in a moment. This
would be a somewhat more detailed and perhaps the cart before the
horse but we wanted to give you an idea of what will be here
regardless of the site plan. Assuming that you approve it. With
that I'll move to the other side of the microphone.
Farmakes: We're looking at a fourplex here?
Don Jenson: What you're looking at right now is the back to back
unit which means that any given side, if there were 8 of them on
the footprint looking in plan view, which is.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 27
Farmakes: ...multiple.
Don Jenson: You multiple it, correct. So you'd see on an 8 unit
building, you're only going to see 4 units on any one given side.
Farmakes: How many am I looking at right here?
Don Jenson: You're looking at 4.
Farmakes: 4. So it's a 4 plex.
Don Jenson: It's an 8. But you're looking at.
Farmakes: 4 on one side and 4 on the' other side.
Don Jenson: Correct. Now the site plan that you saw as part of
the plan has combinations of 4 unit buildings, 8 unit buildings
and 12 unit buildings, and I'll show you exactly where each unit
is.
Farmakes: I'm seeing 3 garages here. Where's the fourth garage?
Don Jenson: You're actually seeing 4. You have one building.
One unit is right here and it has, all end homes have 2 car
garages.
Harberts: Oh end homes so the centers have singles.
Don Jenson: The centers are single so here's your other unit.
And that should be in your packets, although it may be on a sheet
that's quite small to read regarding floorplan. They're all
roughly about the same size. These are about 1,150 square feet
typically. The center one is a little bit smaller. It's around
1,100 square feet and then that pattern is just reversed. What
you have on the site plan then for a 4 unit building, of which I
believe there was one roughly in the center of Block i next to
the wetland, is you have a combination of two ends. What we're
done with this particular building style is the end home has a
step roof, meaning that we have a vaulted ceiling space over on
this side and then you've got a full 2 story space on the other
side. So it's roughly compatible with how a lot of single family
homes from the end view are built. The building itself is about
72 feet wide on the end view, which is not a whole lot wider than
a lot of single family homes that have a wide or a triple car
garage. About 40 foot wide house, depending on where the garage
occurs, and 80 to 90 foot wide lot. You almost have the same...
when you're looking at the end use building, especially when it
steps up. It's no greater or no more visually a concern,
depending on a person's perspective, than a 2 story home is on
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 28
the street. And depending on how a person views the sketch plan
that the developers have put together here, the pattern that you
see from the street, whereas you look over the wetland coming
down to 86th into the Villa development on the south side, is a
series of building masses and roadways which are about I 1/2
times thinner than some single family neighborhoods. In other
words, you might have a 70 foot wide, or excuse me. A 50 foot
wide home and you've got your side setbacks and you're going to
have another single family home with it's 2 =ar, 3 car garage.
Your side setbacks of 10 and 10 perhaps or 15 and 15 from another
home. In this case you have a building mass and then you have at
least a 20 foot wide long driveway plus a street, private or
public. Another driveway area so you're going to have about an
65 to 70 feet between buildings. Again that's more detailed in
the next part of the site plan but to get to the building style,
that's what we're proposing in this area. What we believe is
that encourages...you have created an awful lot of jobs in
Chanhassen. Adjacent to Chaska. Eden Prairie. You have a lot
of manufacturing, a lot of service sector employment. You're now
seeing it across the street out here and in the retail
developments that you've been successful in attracting and a lot
of those jobs simply don't pay the high prices. High wages that
are there purchasing the family homes.
Farmakes: Materials on this particular model here. The outside
clapboard. I see you have some.
Don Jenson: No. I'll tell you what the outside building
materials are. They're brick around the garages. Now that's
usually around our entries to the homes. Places where a lot of
hands get touched so it's around the doorways. Usually we have
some type of turning corner. Where we turn the corners, we carry
the materials around so it's just not like a fireplace where it's
just in the front of the face. So we're carrying it around the
corners. It's also on all garage tops so if a vehicle would miss
the garage door for some reason, it's not going to dent the
building. It's going to have something solid there. The siding
is all an aluminum product. This all has a lifetime, similar to
most single family homes that are being built today of about 25-
30 year life. The roofing materials, same thing. When we put
together homeowner associations for these types of neighborhoods
that we've been building in the Twin Cities, we're trying to make
sure that they don't have big costs that they're going to have to
worry about. Some of the associations on different housing
projects, different housing types, in the 70's. Late 60's, early
80's used a lot of wood products. They used them when wood
products had a little bit better quality but still high
maintenance. The redwoods, the cedars, they..paint very
frequently and quite often and if you have a single family home
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 29
that still has a lot of wood, it's a job you dread doing. You
end up hiring it away after the first time you do it yourself in
most cases. So what we would like to is the low maintenance,
long life exterior products.
Farmakes: The trim, the windows?
Don Jenson: The trims are all aluminum or aluminum clad. In
some cases various types of metal composites on the...windows.
That's the building product. They all, I could furnish you with
additional sheets. It's a detailed inventory of what comes with
the home but again it's about 1,150 square feet, at a minimum. A
little bit larger on the end. About 1,180 in some cases. That
will fluctuate a little bit depending on how we treat the window
areas. It is lofted, lofted space. Gas fireplace. All the
appliances come in. This particular neighborhood that we're
looking at, we are going to shoot for.providing housing that is
under $80,000.00 for a first time buyer. Now you'll see a spread
on all of our promotional material. If you look in the newspaper
every Sunday you would see that a lot of our advertising we talk
about how much the interior unit costs because a i car garage
versus a 2 car garage, you can expect some savings there. There's
usually in most of our neighborhoods, surprisingly a $6,000.00
spread between the 1 car garage and the slightly smaller square
footage and the end home with it's 2 car garage and lofted
ceiling space.
Farmakes: Is the garage door also aluminum?
Don Jenson: The garage doors have been primarily wood. They're
painted. There have been some shifts, it depends on our suppliers
and the particular development, neighborhood that they're in. So
there's some shifts there. The standard exterior patio which is
usually at least 10 x 10. You might not be able to measure that
by looking at the plan. All of these homes have standard air
conditioning, standard...we feel they're important. Will also
affect that purchase price. Staff has eluded to an idea that
they might want to try some type of special district where there
might be various other incentives, either to Tandem or to an end
builder like the Rottlund Company to do x in exchange for x, of
which I don't know what those ideas might be.
Farmakes: You're using the word range. Is that the average
price then or is that the base price?
Don Jenson: Well you've got 2 different styles of homes with,
it's usually a spread of about $6,000.00 and you'll find that the
very first subdivisions we did, if you wanted to research them up
at Brooklyn Park or Coon Rapids, had land costs and other
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 30
development costs that allowed those to come to the marketplace
in the iow 60's. We recently completed a project in Bloomington
and Eden Prairie where some of the end units, and they were
adjacent to a woods and they were adjacent to very large oak
trees, some of those end homes sold for a little over $90,000.00.
So it's subjective. It depends on the location and it depends on
the neighborhood and the various conditions of the development.
Mancino: Would this be comparable to the property that you Just
developed east of Dell Road and south of TH 5?
Don Jenson= From a neighborhood image on the exterior in terms
of what we are now doing for our landscaping program, for our
signage programs, our directional signs...at Dell Road and TH 5.
How people are directed to their homes and how the project looks
from the exterior in terms of the landscaping. It would be
similar. The building facade itself is different. What we are
trying to do there is that was also very high. That was above
the number that staff was looking for. Those sold in the high
80's and low 90's. And what we're finding-is that there's a lot
of people left behind. There's a lot of people who still can't
qualify at that level. There's a lot of singles, for whatever
reason, and most of our neighborhoods are women who are looking
to buy. About 50% in most cases are single women. That doesn't
mean you have children that you're tagging along. It just means
that there's women in the workforce that are looking to buy a
home and get started themselves and so without a partner and
that's just what our demographics and our buying patterns show.
Then on the end house we're finding that .there's couples. It's
primarily younger people and it's primarily the first time home
buying market. We also see about 10% of any given neighborhood,
and most of them are anywhere from 70 units.up to 170 units so
this one fits squarely in the middle at 112 units. That about
10% of those have been historically older buyers where price was
important...I'm going to classify that as people over 50.
They're coming out of another home or they may not have even
owned a home yet. They're simply trying to get homeownership in
this state, with it's high tax. You get one benefit on your tax
form and that's if you own a home for the most part. What we
found then is we could develop another product and that's what we
have along the street and we're calling those our garden homes.
We've taken the same square footage, which.is approximately 1,100
to 1,200 square feet and instead of two levels, we've got it all
on one level. This does mean that it needs, and 'it will fall
under the '88 guidelines for home construction meaning that
doorways, hallways are wider than the 2 1/2 feet that you see in
most cases. They're all 3 foot wide doors. Hallways are wider.
There's more of a requirement to have a flat site because you
can't have more than 4 units without meeting some of the federal
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 31
guidelines for accessibility. What we have then again is the
same concept. The end home. The 2 car garage and our current
concept plan is 1,220 square feet so you've got your dining area,
you have your garage area and you have your laundry and kitchen.
You have a master bathroom, half bath, master bedroom and then'
kind of a den/bedroom and a porch. We found that the 4 season
porch, or however builders like to classify it in Minnesota, it's
still a big plus. It keeps the mosquitoes away and in areas, and
especially neighborhoods where you have more wetlands or where
long grass is close by, the mosquito populations are going to be
up so you need to get away from those. But there again this is a
fairly efficient home. Like all of the Rott!und products, we
have accessibility to be straight out of the garage into the
homes. You don't need to close the garage door and go outside
and back into the front door. That's one of the reasons that the
townhome design and the villa product has been so popular with
women. It's real secure entry system. We've also taken then the
idea of a single car garage has merit. There's a lot of older
buyers that no longer have a mate, or maybe never had one. They
only have one car. There's no reason that you need a 2 car
garage just to store boxes. So we've taken the 2 car garage
away. The 2 car garage again as part of the plan. · It's a little
bit smaller unit. It's 1,117 square feet and again a similar
concept. You have your 4 season porch in the center. A patio
space, master bedroom, and you have one master bath. This does
not have a second bathroom in it so that's one of the places the
square footage is increased. The end home has i 1/2 bath system
with 2 car garage. The interior homes 1 bath and then the
laundry and kitchen area have a direct entry straight out of the
garage. It has a total building height of 23 feet. The villa is
around 28 feet so there's not a tremendous amount of difference
between the roof height pitches. It's a 5/12 roof pitch. Similar
building materials again. It's aluminum products on the exterior.
In some cases some of the vinyl manufacturers have been pursuing
us for vinyl siding. It kind of depends on your personal taste
whether you see one or another having more merit. That
particular siding industry has improved in how their quality of
their siding. You're seeing it on homes all the way up through a
quarter million, $300,000.00 so. It has an ability to hold color
for long periods of time...bleaching out like previous projects
did in the clapboards, etc. Metal trim and typically that's in a
white.
Scott: So in this particular plan, basically what we see here is
unit A and unit B. Those two actually would be, you could put
them together and that's basically how they would be?
Don Jenson: That's exactly how they are. If you were to push
these 2 together, that's how they show up on this plan. What's.
Planning Commi~ion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 32
colored over here on the right side.
Scott: Okay. So the indentation back there is the patio and
then the 4 season porch adjacent to the side of the garage of
unit A.
Don Jenson: Here's your porch. Here's your entry area. In this
particular building product, building design also has more of a
vestibule or covered entry area so as you're standing at the
front door as a guest, whatever and it's raining as this year
every other day, you can stay out of it...get in the front door.
...garage and have direct access to entry that way. Single
family homes, which we hope to be the end builder there as well.
Your minimum lot standards here are being applied to the PUD
plan. It's a minimum lot size of 15,000 square feet. That's
going to translate into a move up style home or perhaps upper
end...but it wouldn't be unlike neighborhoods we're starting to
build up on CR 117. I'd be happy to answer any questions for you
regarding the housing project but other than that, that's the
overview. It's the first time home buyer and it is an empty
nester. People who are looking to downsize or in some cases
people who are looking to get into first time home buying on a
modest scale. Don't need all the square footage. It's all on one
level. And we think that there's a strong...for that in the
western suburbs and particularly out in Chanhassen. Western Eden
Prairie market area because you've done such a good job of
getting service sector...and jobs here. It-will keep people off
the roads so they won't be driving a half hour to get to work...
Mancino: What's the occupancy rate of the one in Eden Prairie?
Have those all been sold?
Don Jenson: It's all been sold. There's been several resales
and people that have been resaling have been getting their equity
out and paying their broker and making a profit so we're leaving
something on the table, definitely. Development just had it's...
2 weeks ago which means we're still in our-warranty period for
that neighborhood. That one was sold out very quickly. Most of
them, for 112 units, interest rates not going through the roof,
we would expect that once we started marketing and selling, that
we would be able to move through a development plan like this in,
sell through and build that whole neighborhood is about a year.
So if you were to approve this plan sometime in the near future,
and the streets were to start next year, by the end of the year
1995 you would see a completed neighborhood. We would expect the
similar pattern to occur for the garden homes. We're starting
our first neighborhood of that particular home design in Eagan.
We haven't broken ground on a structure yet and it's got
tremendous acceptance. It's half sold out right now...provide
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 33
the modest home with what people want and -that part of the market
is served. Thanks.
Conrad: Thank you.
Dick Putnam: Mr. Chairman, in quick summary I might just refer
to the two recommendation sections in the staff report of the
engineer and also the planner. I think by and large we can work
with them on really all of the recommendations. One
recommendation about a traffic study, we're a little in the dark
about. I assume that pertains to the commercial area. Is that
correct?
Hempel: That would reflect the intersection there with necessary
turn lanes and so forth. The intended use there, trips being
generated from multiple and commercial use. So it's kind of a
combination of both areas.
Dick Putnam: Okay. The last item is item 11 where it indicates
the applicant shall dedicate to the City in the final platting
the necessary right-of-way determined from a traffic study for
the future Trunk Highway 101 and 86th. In our meetings with the
staff since day one we've indicated...we would be dedicating
right-of-way whatever's necessary. We indicated from day one
however that TH 101, which takes up, depending upon what you
count, anywhere from 7 to 11 acres of property is not something
that we're prepared to dedicate nor are the underlying owners.
At no time at this point short of reading this report has anyone
suggested to us that that would be a condition of approval. I
guess I'd ask Paul perhaps before the next meeting to check with
the City Attorney and the Plymouth case and some others that seem
to indicate that in our previous discussions that that would not
be the position of the city of Chanhassen for dedication of a
state trunk highway or county road or whatever so that would be
the only one that we don't feel would meet in working with staff
and for the design.
Conrad: Good, thank you. This is a public hearing. Are there
any other public comments?
A1 Klingelhutz: Members of the Planning Commission and staff.
I'm A1 Klingelhutz. I live at 8600 Great Plains Blvd, Chanhassen,
Minnesota. I just recently received the staff report on this and
I did try to get ahold of city hall today to discuss a few items
in here. One of the main items that I wanted to discuss was the
right-of-way for Highway 101. When you lo0k at that map and see
that the piece of property that I don't think there would be
anything happening to until at least the year 2000, the 9.2
acres, and expect dedication of a 200 foot right-of-way plus a
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 34
berm between the old TH 101 and proposed new TH 101, which would
constitute between 5 and 6 acres of property. Without reasonable
access from TH 101 to that commercial property would be asking
for an awful lot. I think I mentioned at one time not too long
ago, over my dead body or I'll go all the way to the Supreme
Court. And I mean it. I Just can't see it. As far as the state
building a new TH 101, I don't think there will be any, I mean to
86th Street, there won't be any dollars other than city of
Chanhassen's pocket. By letting the state acquire that portion
of that right-of-way. It's a major collector street. Proposed
to be a 4 lane highway. Proposed to take the traffic from having
a major interchange on Highway 212 to downtown Chanhassen and I
even believe the first portion of that road was purchased and
already built...landowner. I cannot proceed having that road
being such a major...being donated by the developer or the
landowner. I'm speaking also for Mr. Bartz who lives down in
Kentucky. He called me today and asked that I should represent
him. He feels very strongly about this as I do. Thank you.
Conrad: Thanks Al. Other comments.
Dave Nickolay: Members of the Commission, my name is Dave
Nickolay. I live at Rice Lake Manor. 8500 Tigua Circle,
otherwise known as Lot 6, Block 1, Rice Lake Manor. We have the
largest piece of property to the east of the proposed
development. The map up there in no way I believe does it
Justice. That line that Sharmin just drew goes all the way back
to the black line of the back of the pond. That's a 4 1/2 acre
piece of land and I guess I Just want to start out by saying that
my wife and I are not opposed to development in Chanhasen, or
development on this property. We directed a letter to you at
very short notice. I worked on that letter until midnight on
Sunday night because we just got home on Saturday night. We did
not receive adequate notice from anybody. No one from the staff.
No one from the development company. No one has talked to us
prior. The last time any discussion that I'm aware of took place
on the land was back in 1990 when the comprehensive plan was
discussed. And I talked with Sharmin a little bit about that
today but I feel that a development of this magnitude next to the
development I live in, and...I'd just like to walk through a few
of those real quickly with you if I could. The first and most
major concern is dealing with the issue of the 190 units that are
being proposed, and I've learned something here tonight that I
don't believe my wife was told and the members of our community
of Rice Marsh were told, the other night at the neighborhood
meeting. The 190 units are really going on about 40 acres of
actual land. The development of Rice Lake Manor was developed I
don't know, about 15 years. We've been there about 12 years now.
We were the third ones to build in that development. We have 7
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 35
units on 40 acres about, recognizing you've got to take the
streets out of 40 acres and we've got significant amount of land
in the marsh which is a wildlife easement. So somebody will have
to tell me and I did talk to Sharmin a little bit about it today
but I'm not here to get into the specifics of what's built but I
think the fact is, we're looking at 190 units next to 7 units at
this point. We have one open lot at this stage. There will be 8
units there someday. My most major concern is that there's no
transitional planning here to go from this size lot, acreage. I
had a choice. There were only two lots sold when I purchased
this particular site. I purchased it because of the wooded
nature and just the whole aesthetics of that lot, and I built a
house on it appropriate to the site. Some of you, as I
understand, took a walk yesterday through the area. I'd be more
than welcome to invite you to my home to show you what I've got
there in terms of what's being proposed. There's no transition
here. To go from what we originally bought into in this area to
what's being proposed. This is going to totally change the whole
purpose of what we did back 12 years ago. It's probably longer...
My second point is, deals with the fact that Lot 6 in the Block 1
there, I think will be significantly impacted for a number of
reasons, and I'm not going to bore you with all the details. I
think I outlined there that the property to the east, or I'm
sorry, to the west of me will not be what I would consider
conforming to the property that I own. And I think that's going
to have an impact on what I have there. Another major concern
that I have, which I'm not holding anybody responsible for this
but the contour of the land's been adjusted on the horse farm
over the last 10 years. The horse farm's been allowed to dump
their horse manure on the land and that has created a drainage
problem. All the land to the west of me, where what used to be
the corral up on top of that property, and then slightly to the
south, all drains through my property now. It does not run any
longer off to the back of the marsh because that was filled in
with the horse farm's manure. And so that has created a problem
for me and I won't speak for one of my neighbors but it's created
a problem for him. It's created a problem for both of us in
terms of the water drainage. In the most recent heavy rains,
only the second time in the 12 years I've lived in Chanhassen, my
house is on a slab. The water table got high enough. I have good
underground...that filled with water. I had to have that pumped
out. The area that it's draining into, the culvert under my
driveway wasn't meant to drain all the water from the west across
my property. And that isn't I don't believe how the original
land contours laid out. The third point is the fact that...with
the large wooded area that I have on my property. It's directly
adjacent to the single family homes and the people who were Just
up before me, I have a strong feeling there's going to be a large
number of young families in this area. There's no park in that
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 36
area. My children play in that woods along with a few other
children in the neighborhood. I think it will be an attracter.
There's a treehouse in the woods right now. I canJt, how am I
going to chase children off my property? I have them myself.
The property line which is on the west side of my land, is all
treed and I planted some of those trees. There's oak trees
there. There's an ash tree there and then there's a variety of
other foliage on that line. I would sincerely ask you that none
of those woods, if you're going to approve this plan, that none
of that growth be destroyed in any manner and you'll have to
determine what's reasonable in that regard. It doesn't make any
sense to me if you're going to approve this, to tear out
something and the landscaping in preparation of this site, only
to plant something back, if it's already there. And some of you
took a look at that. So I'll let you be the judges of that. The
last point under the impact is, what I would consider the
northern 1/3 of my property, on the very bottom of the hill
behind my house is a main trunk line for the sewer system. For
one of them. It is not a trail. It is used by, when I say it's
being used. It's not being trespassed at this stage but I have
reason to believe that it's going to become an easy access point
off of this development. There's no place for them to go here.
They're not going to go walk out on TH 101, as you're well aware.
They're going to work their way, for recreational purposes.
There's a pond on the back of my property. There's a nice marsh
out on Rice Marsh. I have reason to believe that this is going
to be an area where I'm just not going to be able to protect
until such time as the city would put a trail in or use that
property for some other reason. Quickly moving on to my point 3.
West 86th Street. I told Sharmin that she should go out there
this morning after the rain. You would have truly gotten a feel
for what West 86th Street turns into after a good rain. Was it 2
winters ago or in the spring, there is no base underneath that
road. That road heaves up. It does what it wants to do when it
wants to do. It was originally designed as a farm access road.
That is not a city street. The city doesn't maintain it as a
city street. And so West 86th Street should not be considered a
street by Chanhassen standards. It is in need of major upgrading.
Two cars cannot pass...on that road the way'it exists right now.
We have children and a number of the other neighbors have
children. A school bus cannot pull out onto Highway 101 without
crossing both lanes. If you're heading south out of that road,
you cannot head south. It's a blind access. You're taking
chances. We go down the left lane until we clear ourselves. We
look to the corner first and then we go out. West 86th Street, if
you approve this plan, has to be upgraded. With the realignment
into the new spot that they're showing in the dark color area on
the map, it cannot be left as it is with this kind of traffic on
that road. It's a hazard for us right now. The fourth and fifth
Planning CommiB~ion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 37
points are the wetlands issue. I encourage you because of this,
the high density of this development to have an environmental
impact study done by the appropriate state Or local, I'm not sure
who actually does that. It's too major of an area there in all
regards and I would encourage you to have that looked into. My
sixth and final point is that the, at the hearing in, it was in
September, 1990. We were told about another development,
Klingelhutz development which was going to be over by Riley Lake.
Or Lake Riley. And they were going to connect the sewer and the
water and bring it down the side of West 86th Street and then
take it to the south. And we were told at that time, and I
testified at that meeting and I told Sharmin to check the Minutes
and I don't remember what I said at that meeting, but we were
going to be connected to the city water at that stage. And at
that point they didn't, the staff did not even realize that we
had the underground connections in place. So they took our fire
hydrants, but we haven't really needed them but somebody took
them. We have them capped off but I guess my point is that any,
the residents of Rice Lake Marsh, and I will.speak for myself.
I'll let my neighbors speak for themselves, is I don't believe
that we should have to pay for any connections or upgrades to
this area. I believe we've paid for that once before and I
believe I testified to that effect back in 1990. I never heard
back. The staff that were here then, or that were there then,
are not here now and that still remains an open issue. I'll
close by saying I have two requests. One, all of the issues that
I had addressed and I'd like all of the issues that my neighbors
addressed, we have a good group of people there. We get along.
That all those issues be addressed in writing to you and to us.
And my final request is that, if you're going to approve this
type of development next to my property, and I won't speak for
anyone else in my area, I feel I should be given consideration
for what I have there and how it's going to change. I don't know
what that is...I was not going to be here tonight but I changed
my evening work schedule so I could be here. I just feel this is
being rushed. I haven't had a whole lot of time to think about
this. I'm not feeling good about it. Staff, I did get in this
morning. In view of the 35W upheavel and I couldn't get to work,
I was able to talk to Sharmin a little bit this morning so I'm
feeling a little better but I'm really concerned about this and
no one has talked to me, or my wife. So with that I thank you
for your time and consideration and I'd be happy to answer any
questions.
Conrad: Good, thanks David. I think you're probably talking, or
finding out about it. You may feel you're behind things but as
we said in the beginning, this is a concept.. It is the beginning
I guess and there is time for you to be involved so I don't think
you should be frustrated that way. A lot of valid points that
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 38
you bring up and hopefully as we express our thoughts. Again,
it's a real tricky issue when you get into a concept. We're
talking, we should be talking general things. Not specifics.
You may be concerned with some specifics. We may ignore them
right now. We may touch on them. It depends on the preference
of the commissioners. But again, I think what we want to, what I
personally want to focus on is the overall global direction and
provide the developer our insights so they know where we're going
before they commit a whole lot of time and effort to a project.
They already have but this is their way to find out what we're
thinking. So anyway, hopefully we'll get back to some of your
points a little bit later. Any other public input?
Joanne Larson: My name is Joanne Larson and I live at 8590 Tigua
and there's a couple, I hope you all have my letter but there's
some concerns. I'll just go over the most important ones that...
One thing I'd like to bring to your attention...is the developer
stated tonight that the purchase of this land is contingent upon
the approval of this and I'm just frighten that maybe if we say
okay, this is just a concept. Let's approve the concept. He
comes back and says, hey I purchased this land. You approved the
concept. Now you're telling me I have to make changes. I think
the commission should be careful about that. We just got back
from vacation on Sunday night and found out about this and didn't.
have too much time to prepare so I called a developer friend of
mine and I go, I'm going crazy you know. What do you think? And
so I got a little advice from him also and I' thought it was good
advice...not all of them are from here. The density is way too
high and the transition is not good. Single family homes should
be extended to the south. I feel that single family homes should
be extended to the south here. Also I'm concerned about what's
going to happen over here. We have high density in the back
along this line. When this developer comes in, will he be able to
rezone this to high density? So my first point, the density is
way too high. And then transition is good at all. In fact the
developer has not even provided an area of transition from a
single family home to the 12plexes right across the road here...
I also feel no driveways should enter off West 86th Street. On
the land here there are a lot of driveways that butt up to West
86th Street and can enter, you know turn right off of West 86th
Street right at that driveway. All entrances to the multi-family
dwellings should be kept to the west end of the large pond.
Personally I'd like to see from the middle of the pond here multi
dwellings just this side of the pond. I feel that the entrances
to these multi dwellings should only be on this side of the pond
and that's it. No entrances any further to the east. I'd also
like to see this myself, single family here. I think we can
split this up to quite a few good lots single family.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 39
Batzli: Excuse me, ma'am. Do you have a justification for why
there should only be entrances to the west of the pond?
Joanne Larson: I just feel for the transition, that's why. I
think it would be a nice transition. Also I don't know what
you're going to plan on doing for West 86th Street but it would
become a collector street and should be widened to 30 feet. I
don't know, maybe that would keep some of the traffic down...
support the aesthetic affect and has a real nice, I mean if they
just sort of were separated. If the single family homes were
extended south. I commented a couple things on the villas. I
like this style of the villas. I've seen them off Dell Road.
I'm really happy with those. I'd like to see the ones in
Chanhassen upgraded to the same architectural design as the ones
off Dell Road. They have gables over the windows and I like, I
would prefer vinyl siding. I think it gives a little softer
look. I'll pass over the...The last thing I'll just touch on
again is that we ask that the city not rezone or approve any
concepts at this time because MnDot's not even sure that highway
212 will be built. We need to see more alternatives. We need to
know if 86th Street. I'd like to know if it's going to dead end
there at Tigua Circle or are you planning in the future to extend
it all the way to Eden Prairie. I'm also concerned, like I
mentioned earlier, is that development right to the south of
Tigua Circle, east of the plan...What's that going to be
developed into? Can that be rezoned to high density? Is it high
density right next to it? It's just all too over powering I
feel. Thank you.
Conrad: Thanks for your comments. Other comments?
David Nagel: My name is David Nagel and I live at 6551 Tigua
Circle. I don't know how to say this but I had to come back from
vacation for this. As you can see on there, I have on that plan
there's 5 lots that abut up to mine and I don't feel like I
should have to sacrifice my lot for all those. I think that they
can somehow they can get like 2 lots in there or 3 but I think 5
is ridiculous. Everything that Dave, my neighbor touched on I
think I agree with 100%. The people in there will not have a
place to go. They will be coming across into my backyard and I
have trees that I planted in there too. I think my backyard will
end up being a playground. If anything I'd like to see somewhat
of a high fence put up, and I'm not talking chainlink. I think
something on the order of like a 6 1/2 foot cedar privacy fence.
Another point of mine is, are we going to be assessed, the
homeowners in that area, for like Dave says the water hook-up
because everything is in the street now. And the road. I came
from Minnetonka originally and we got assessed for road
improvements that didn't even affect us. I'm afraid that's going
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 40
to happen here. And to me this development is not an improvement.
I mean I saw people out there, the Planning Commission walking
yesterday when I came back from up north. And they can see what
it's like out there. Now I don't thinkt his is an improvement so
when it comes to paying anymore money for a so called
improvement, I wouldn't go along with that. -That's about all I
have. My main concern though is the 5 lots that abut up against
mine. I feel that is really, it's going to screw my yard up.
Dave has 2 1/2. Larson's have 1 3/4 and I have 5. I think that's
a bit unfair. That's all I have, thank you.
Conrad: Good. Thanks for your comments. You know there are a
lot of, there's a tendency to get frustrated because we may not
be responding to some of your specific questions. And I really
don't want to right now because I'm trying to get into the
concept stuff versus the particulars. I think there's probably a
good reason for having a neighborhood meeting with the developer
and some of the people that have been on vacation so, and
probably in attendance with city staff so some of these questions
can be answered. I know you get nervous about that. It's a big
development going in. Right now again, I don't want to, this
meeting could last for hours and there are a.couple other items
on the agenda. I'm not trying to cut short the comments because
we want them. Yet on the other hand, it's sort of, we haven't
even started to talk yet and as commissioners and we have our own
opinions too and this could take, it could take a fair amount of
time. But anyway, your specific questions will be answered and
we'll make you feel comfortable with it. May not always be the
answer you want to hear but at least we'll be talking to you.
Other neighborhood comments.
Mike Mulligan: My name is Mike Mulligan and I also live on Tigua
Circle. I'm in the first lot east of the Dave Nickolay's lot
there. I've not been there quite as long as Dave. About 9
years. 10 years since I bought my lot. Obviously we're all
speaking for ourselves and we're not professionally organized and
we haven't been doing this for 2 years, working on this. But I
think you feel the general theme that's running through these
comments. Is that we feel that the intensity of the development
is not only too great for our neighborhood. I haven't done the
numbers...but it's pretty self evident that it's too intense for
the neighborhood we're in. The short notice we got. Every
single person who lives in those 7 occupied lots there has been
on vacation and some of us were not able to be here tonight.
Have not returned. We would respectfully ask for enough delays
so that we can get our act together and make some sort of
cohesive statement.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 41
Conrad: Thanks for your comments. Again, this is. a concept
review and you're going to have plenty of time to do that. Other
comments.
Bruce Engel: Hi. My name is Bruce Engel. I live at 8699
Chanhassen Hills Drive North in the Chanhassen Hills development,
which is across TH 101 on the west side of this proposed
development. I just have a few brief comments. It appears to me
that the plans for TH 101 and 212 should be finalized prior to
this type of a project being approved. It may fit nicely with
the 212 and 101 when they're completed but it would look kind of
silly out there if say 212 wasn't ever built. In addition, the
Highway 101 traffic is, once this happens, the traffic will be
greatly increased, which it has, we've all seen it go up a great
deal since these past few years and the ease of access and egress
for residents will be decreased and I think we're additionally
concerned about the future safety risks. The safety
considerations on TH 101 for all of us. I think if you drive
that, more and more concerned. Again as the staff report
addressed, this PUD, planned unit development for the total...
total plan should utilize the environment and apparently there is
some additional concern and I'd like to see, make sure that there
is a great deal of attention placed (a), to the grading and make
sure the wetlands aren't jeopardized. And finally, my final
feeling on this is regarding this commercial area. 9.2 acres
seems to be, well it's too big. I don't think you need a space
of that, for this size of development that is as large or almost
as large as a Target. I don't think we need a Fleet Farm in
there. I think we should keep our commercial. Major commercial
development along the Highway 5 corridor. Thank you very much.
Conrad: Other comments.
Joe Hautman: My name is Joe Hautman and I live in Rice Lake
Manor. Rice Lake Manor could put those 8 lots together and
compise about 40 acres. 8 lots for 40 acres compared to the 190
units here. So if we came in together, the'8 of us, applying a
formula used here, we could ask for a subdivision with 216+
units. Now that would be extremely profitable for us. But that
would be lousy planning. That really would wouldn't it. You're
not going to agree if the 8 of us decided to sell out and plan
like that. Well the same thing somewhat applies next door. This
is not a good plan for that neighborhood. The density is too
high. The reason is, that is the topography does not lend itself
to multiple units. We've already heard tonight from the
developers. How they're going to have to straighten...It's
simply the wrong development for that topography and that is a
concept. The reason that one of the people suggested that the
driveways for the multiple should be west of the pond is, as
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 42
you've heard tonight, things that are designed for first owners.
Single people without children. So it makes sense to have the
entry to the, from the busiest sections west of the ponds because
the single family's going to have children. So it makes sense to
separate the traffic pattern. Have the single family where there
won't be children. Have a separate entrance there and keep the
higher traffic areas with no children have their own separate
entrance west of the pond. An important point for all of us is
the special assessments. When we bought there we had all the
special assessments in and paid for. We had...blacktop, storm
sewer, catch basins, the whole works. Including the water. And
we rely on you to protect us in that regard so that we don't end
up paying any further special assessments. Thanks.
Conrad: Thank you. Other comments? Anything? Okay, is there a
motion to close the public hearing?
Batzli moved, Manoino seoonded to olose the publia hearing. &11
voted in favor and the motion oarried. Tho publio hearing was
alosed.
Conrad: Did Todd leave? Hoffman. Yeah, I was going to ask him
about parks.
Krauss: I can tell you what we know, and...putting together his
recommendation and I'm not privy to that. The comprehensive plan
does describe a large park area due east, along the south side of
Rice Marsh Lake. It's an extremely attractive area. Heavily
forested and it's going to be severed from the balance of the
property by the Highway 212 corridor. Access to it is a little
problematic because we don't have public right-of-way going all
the way through it. I had some preliminary conversations with
the Eden Prairie Park Director. They are also planning a
significant park in that area and are working with MnDot to get a
trail underneath Highway 212 that would run north/south that
would basically allow us to have a trail loop around 86th Street
to the rest of the city. Through the park, underneath 212 and
back along a new trail that was built along..Lake Riley
Boulevard...specific recommendation to the Park Board?
Hoffman: No, the staff report is still being developed. It will
take into consideration any comments brought out this evening...
8:00 a.m. meeting scheduled with the applicant tomorrow morning
to discuss some issues. I have not had the opportunity today to
get together and talk about trail alignments. Pedestrian movement
through this site between the proposed park open space to the
east and Highway 101 to the west. So you've got...recommendation
in this regard for the park commission...
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 43
Conrad: Okay, good.
Mancino: Can I ask Todd a question? I'd like to see a
neighborhood park in this development. I know that the trail
around Rice Marsh Lake is going to be a community park. Correct?
Hoffman: The basis of whether it'd be a community or
neighborhood or a combination of both has not been addressed to
date. In the 2000 Land Use Plan, the site is considerably wooded.
It rises up above Rice Marsh much more than some of the property
on the north side of the lake which is typically much more wooded
vegetation type of wetland. So that issue has not been addressed
but now would be an interest with 212 coming through and the land
use will change in this area, we'll have to address what that
park is actually going to look like. In regard to amenities,
recreational amenities which the residents of the site can use in
very close proximity, I made an indication to the applicant that
I found it was unusual that there was not a community amenity
such as a pool and play structure. Kind of support this type of
location included somewhere in this development typical of what
you find in many other multi-family development types of
applications. So again, that will be addressed in my staff
report. Comments in that regard will be heard from the Park
Commission...
Scott: Todd, does the Parks Department own any property in that
area?
Hoffman: To the north we own, the city owns 70+ acres which is
delineated by these two parcels. The one Just south of Hidden
Valley and then the parcel which is larger just south of
Chanhassen Estates. But again there's a small neighborhood park
located right in this location. Access to this park from this
development would need to come out onto TH 101 and then access
the recently completed trail which travels then east along the
toe of the slope or sandwiched between the wetlands and the homes
which are in that area. Other than that, there's no neighborhood
or community parks developed as of yet in this region of the
city. However, the city does have land holdings of approximately
32 acres called the Bandimere Community Park site which is south.
Scott: That's the recycling?
Hoffman: Correct. Where the recycling center has been and that
is south...
Mancino: Todd, another question. When we have developers, well
we haven't had developments like this. But do you find that
homeowners with children plus homeowners that are just single or
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 44
older, over 50, want parks as much as families that have
children?
Hoffman: It's a difficult question to answer because it's really
an issue of personal taste. But typically people, whether it's
active recreation, passive recreation through the enjoyment of
open space and parks, access to trails, all those are amenities.
which the...regardless of age. So if you would like to see those
incorporated, or at least that access to them, it's accommodated
through the site plan.
Conrad: Okay, thanks Todd. Well, we'll go for planning comments
and again, we can have at it folks in terms of details but again
I'd sure like us to keep in general terms if we can. The staff
does have a list of recommendations so I think you can react to
those but I also think we should react in general terms to the
overall site that we see and let the developer and staff know
what we're thinking so. With that intro, Jeff.
Farmakes: Well I'm glad...In previous meetings that we've had...
made comment to the homeowners that stood up here and he asked
about the pricing of homes next to him and we didn't know what
the price of the house was going to be. I think the standard
comment that the city comes back and says we're not in the
business of dictating that certain price house is going to be
next to a certain price house directly. Indirectly obviously
there's several other issues that come into play that the city
has minimum requirements. And being that you have a foot of land
in Chanhassen and you have a dictated amount of cost to build
something on it and strict requirements...medium price house and
I believe the medium price house now in Chanhassen is $110,000.00
to $120,000.00. Somewhere in there. Which basically says that
that's the minimum requirement that we wind up with in this city.
I'm a little disturbed that we come into a development targeting
price totally from a governmental standpoint rather than letting
the market do that. The reason that I'm uncomfortable with that
is many of these large developments, the huge ones that you see
in town and so on are dictated somewhat by government
requirements and political concerns versus marketing concerns.
Marketing always seems to work out better... I realize that
there are other considerations that we've talked about here
tonight. Providing housing for factory type work. For businesses
in Chanhassen and so on. Entry level homes. Single family.
Single parent type and I think that's...I'm wondering if the
scope here, if what we're attempting to do is solve all our
problems with one developer. I find the scope of this, for this
particular area, with it's surrounding properties, may get a
little tunnel visioned to solving the problem that we talked
about. Providing housing in Chanhassen due to the deficit for a
Planning Commiszion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 45
certain type of housing. I would like to see some more
moderation that's been talked about here to the east of the
property. Perhaps in Block 2 larger lots. Between 8 and 1. I
would also perhaps like to see bringing single family down into
the areas of 12, 11, 10, 9 and 8. Somewhere and perhaps they're
duplexes buffering before you get to the 4 and 8plexes. I
realize obviously that that will lower the amount of density but
I do think that the homeowners that have come forward here are
making a legitimate concerns. This is not a buffered area.
There is not a transition, even if it's one row of houses.
Again, that refers back to the tunnel vision type of approach of
solving a problem by taking into consideration...Certainly units
11 and 12 that are on 86th Street, the people who purchase the
homes for Lots i and 2 on Block 3, they're.certainly going to be
adjacent to large density development of single family homes.
Again I think that's compounding the problem. Overall, I'm going
to make my comment general from this point. I think with the
development overall, the scope for high density is too big. I'd
like to see some more moderation in the transition. Again I feel
uncomfortable dictating the size of the units and say that these
should be duplexes and this should be 4plexes. I know that's a
market of what generates those types of developments. Except
where the city or the federal government comes into play. I know
that in the case of Eden Prairie, some of the developments that
the village homes, particularly I'm thinking of Centex, they've
done quite an exemplary Job in terms of making a transition. The
prices however on those units as I recall were in the high 90's
to the low 100's so we're talking about a step up here from where
this targeted amount is. The grading that Sharmin talked about
earlier, I would support that. I'd like to see whatever
development comes in here that we try to maintain that. It's
been something that we try to maintain on any of our developments
that we've tried to...Whatever happens here, I also am concerned
about the scope of our parks to look at these things. I'm talking
about neighborhood parks. There is, quite a lot that can be done
in these types of developments. Areas that are referred to as
common areas or areas where there's a small scale park and I'm
thinking of perhaps Block 1, Lot 6. The 4plex kind of tucked in
there in the middle of much higher density. Perhaps an area like
that...The outlot, I'm still concern at the size of the outlot.
I realize of course there's a lot of concern that 101 and 212 may
not happen, and...any highway projects type costs. But it would
seem pretty reasonable if that case...we're having here, the
pressure that we're having to the south now, that highway's going
to happen in the relative near future. Where it goes exactly,
the preliminary work has been done for that and it may vary
somewhat and I am again somewhat concerned. If there's
commercial going in there, that works into our long term
development. We look at the proposed commercial area that was at
Planning Commi~sion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 46
TH 41 and TH 5. I responded in the task force in that development
to propose commercial development there by the Mills property and
the response was there that we had enough commercial of a half a
million square feet in the downtown development that that's
suffice for our population. I am concerned about the size of
this commercial development. It's almost as large as the Target
area and I would not like to leave that as an open ended thing.
By allowing that much space as commercial, I would not like to
see that go beyond the scope to Droviding services. Dry cleaning,
daycare, the type of thing that you would not envision in the
typical strip mall with more servicing higher residential area.
I'm concerned about the size of that. It's so large that it
would seem to me that it's bordering on being another strip mall.
And if that's the case...should be discussed. So I'd like to see
more information there on the size of that. On the area of safety
and traffic, I'm assuming that that can't be, that the cost of
traffic studies and so on until you come up with a relative plan
that you feel has been narrowed down somewhat that we're going to
get a professional response...Obviously there's this amount of
density being put into this area, there's going to be a
considerable amount of additional traffic in that area...
Mancino: I don't want to repeat all of Jeff's...I do agree with
all of Jeff's comments. I'll try to add to the big picture one.
Paul, when is Fred's study going to be done? The updated 101
alignment so that we actually have the final 101 alignment.
Krauss: I will defer to Fred on that one.
Fred Hoisington: Nancy we will, almost all the information is in
now so we would expect to perhaps, time permitting on the agendas
and so forth, to have something that we'll be at least
recommending. So we're not that far away from having a
recommendation to make to you and to the City Council.
Mancino: And your recommendation may ~not be this alignment?
Fred Hoisington: It's possible that it won't be but my
understanding is this plan takes into account any possible
alignment.
Krauss: If I could address. The alignment does affect portions
of this property to a greater or lesser extent. But it's not
significant. It can be accommodated so it's.
Mancino: Would it not add to this outlot size?
Krauss: It would add or subtract. More likely it will subtract.
But it's got to be made clear that when we...the city's alignment
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 47
study and bring it to the neighborhood and get the City Council
to approve it, nobody's going to be out there with a...in the
foreseeable future. There is no project to upgrade the highway.
We're working with people in trying to put something together but
clearly that's a ways off so I don't want to mislead anybody that
a quick solution to the Highway 101 issue is in the offing. What
we're trying to do, in lieu of the safety with the proper
planning processes of where this road's going to go, we're trying
to put the city and it's residents in the drivers seat so we know
what the solution is and we can work towards that on behalf of
everybody that's agreed to it.
Mancino: This comment that I have is, I would like to see a
neighborhood park in this development. With this high a density,
I think it would serve the people well that would live in it.
And I also have a concern for the property owners to the east
knowing that, I think they're very right that a lot of the people
will be, a lot of these people that live in this development will
be going there or using their property so I-would like to see
some sort of a park here. I would also want to make sure that
the wetlands aren't infringed on at all. In fact, if anything,
if they could be...especially wetland $15. The commercial area
of the outlot, to me I would like to see neighborhood commercial,
not highway commercial. I would like us to have it be so that it
does serve the neighborhood and not the community. When I see it
being maybe half the size of what it is right now. I think it's
too big. What else did Jeff say that I thought was very good?
The Block 1, in that lower, the southeast corner abuts single
family and I would not like to see, that is not in this
development. I would not like to see the high density abutting
single family to the east. So I'd like to see more of a medium
density put in that area and that would be Block i where units 8,
9, 10, 11 and 12 are around wetland 18. Or excuse me, wetland
13. I think that's it for now.
Conrad: Okay thanks Nancy. Brian.
Batzli: I agree. I think some sort of amenities need to be
provided. Whether that's totlot, play area, tennis courts. I
think neighborhood park probably has a unique connotation to the
Park and Rec Commission and I don't know that it's really what
we're asking for. A neighborhood park is I think pretty
substantial. Isn't it about 40 acres typically?
Hoffman: Less than that. Typically 10...
Batzli: Okay. But I think what we're looking for is amenities in
an area, you know totlot kind of stuff. Tennis courts. Those
type of things. Not necessarily a place where you can build a
Planning Commis~ion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 48
dozen ballfiels. I think in general, I agree with Jeff's
comments and I missed some of them but he sketched them out here
for me and I appreciate that and I agree with virtually all of
them as well as Nancy's. Some of her detailed comments. Just in
no particular order to highlight some of th.em. I agree, I don't
believe there should be drives as currently shown off of 86th
Street. I think there needs to be more consideration for the
land form to minimize the grading. I understand that's a problem
with some of these. There's going to be a mobility type homes put
in. Low mobility or handicap accessible, whatever. And I
understand that but maybe more care needs to be taken regarding
that location and the landforms that exist. Something struck me
and I need to comment on this. My gut feeling. Someone said that
Rottlund was the end user and I disagree with that. The residents
of Chanhassen, both current and future are the end users. Not
Rottlund and that notion needs to be disabused here. Sump pumps
only along city streets. I'll get you yet on that Dave. I think
homeowners association obviously is a requirement in this kind of
thing and that will happen. Drainage problems need to be taken
care of. The intensity of the development needs to be toned down
a little bit, especially in the southeast corner. I guess I
don't, I understand why this would be guided PUD but I don't
think that they're paying enough attention to some of the things
that we would normally look for in a PUD, especially those
concerns identified as numbers i thru 7 on pages 4 and 5 of the
staff report. Clearly our condition 13, recommendations of the
staff report include that and those are the types of things that
I'm going to be looking at and I hope the developer read that
condition 13 carefully because they didn't comment on it. But
yet if they submit a plan consistent with those recommendations
with numbers 1 thru 7, yeah. I'd go along with that then.
Mancino: How do you feel about the commercial size on the
outlot?
Batzli: I agree that it should probably be neighborhood
commercial. However, it's not entirely clear to me how large a
trunk highway 101 is going to be and if this is really a major
commercial intersection, I might be convinced that it's
appropriate to have a little bit larger commercial sector here.
Scott: I'll address my comments specifically to the commercial
outlot. I think it needs to be downsized. Restricted to
neighborhood commercial. I don't think we need, because of the
central business district that we have, about less than a mile
from the site, I don't think it's necessary to have anything but
local services or neighborhood services. And I won't belabor any
other point. I'm in full agreement with the other commissioners
so I really don't have anything extra to add.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 49
Harberts: I have a strong support for a lot of the previous
comments. A couple of, two additions I believe. They touched.a
little bit on, I hope this is global. On just the space. Maybe
it's the amenities. Maybe, you know you get your Joggers. You
get your walkers. Just taking that into account. Maybe we'll
see that. Some of the high points is certainly that transition
and reducing the density so maybe some of that will come out. I
would strongly urge that under the recommendations that because
of the intensity of the number of people, even the fact that some
of the target markets that the developer works in concert with
the public transit authority to ensure that this is transit
friendly. I'll also note that a park and ride lot is at the
interchange. It has been already mapped at the interchange of
101 and 212. So I suspect that we'll see a lot of transit riders,
both locally as well as commuters to Minneapolis. So I would
strongly recommend to see a condition that they work with the
public transit authority.
Batzli: When would something like that park and ride lot be
constructed though?
Harberts: MnDot's going to build it when they build 212.
Batzli: So maybe not for 10-20 years.
Harberts: But I think with the current density that's being
proposed and even working with them, that there will be
circulators and buses on 101 as soon as the development goes in.
So that will, you know we are talking about a park and ride lot
somewhere on TH 5 as well so traffic is going to be generated.
That's it.
Conrad: Okay, thanks Diane. I'll try to make mine quickly too.
I again, I am Just not sure about the commercial size of that
property. I Just, I don't want to limit it right now but it
seems large I guess and we somehow have to get our hands around
whether that is too big for a neighborhood type of use. I don't
want to close it out. I don't want to downsize it right now but
I certainly have my, I guess I need a better vision and I don't
have one right now. We haven't talked about 101 dedication and
maybe we're not, Paul.
Krauss: Well, if I could clear that up. A1 Klingelhutz has no
need to go to the Supreme Court, it's already been done. It's
interpretation, and maybe Elliott can possibly comment on that,
our City Attorney. Design...is probably correct. There may be a
different slant...if the city winds up owning TH 101...
Planning Commi~ion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 50
Conrad: It does seem reasonable. So if we make any kind of
motions tonight I think that one condition in the staff report
about dedication of TH 101, I don't know. Somebody should note
that that is probably not what should be done. I'm concerned
with internal parks. Like everybody else has said, I think there
should be some kind of parks or something, on a very small basis
in here. The transition to the east, the neighborhood who has
represented themselves here tonight, yeah. There's no doubt. I
don't like 15,000 square foot lots bordering that property. It's
not a transition. That's not what a PUD is all about. A PUD is
transition and in this case we haven't done it. Now I am
confused with what the rest of the Planning Commission has said.
You've really talked about the going to single family to the
southeast.
Mancino: Or medium density.
Conrad: And I really am not sure why. Why is that?
Batzli: It's guided low density to the east.
Conrad: So you're just trying to make a transition there. Even
though the wetland is there and that is a transition. I guess
that, I have a problem with that.
Batzli: I'm not sure of where the wetland goes based on this
map. All of it and I was assuming that there's going to be homes
here and there is no transition if in fact you develop single
family to the east of the property.
Conrad: Ah, okay.
Farmakes: My comments Ladd is that if 12 became, if they
increased that Block 2 between 8 and 1, came up to about 20,000
square feet. Block 3 remains somewhat as it is. Block 1, 11, 10
and 9, went down to single family 15 square feet, and 12 became a
larger lot. Wetlands again, that would create a barrier that
would have, 8 could be a duplex. 7 could remain as it is. 5
could remain as it is. I'd like to see 6 as a commons area or
some...I think that that would create something of a barrier
visually. Because I think not only looking at it this way but I
also think when you're physically on the site looking, building
to the east, you have homes to the east, visually what you see
too...
Conrad: Why don't we just play around with Lot 12 on Block 17
Why are the other 3 or 4 lots important?
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 51
Farmakes: I'm just throwing that out as a buffer and I'm
agreeable to listen to whatever ever anyone else is suggesting.
Conrad: Well what I'm trying to do for the developers here is
try to get, and they have, obviously those of you that are here,
this goes to City Council. City Council will have their cut at
this too so when we talk concepts, it's our concepts and then the
City council will have concepts so somehow the developer's...
Farmakes: ...throw this thing out, obviously the developer's
going to have a better feel for his market but as a buyer I can
give you my opinion. I would not want to buy Lots i of Block 2
or Block 3 because that'd be adjacent to high density across the
street. That's not a buffer for me. I would expect a larger lot
single family with a smaller lot single family, a duplex, a 4plex
to an 8 to a 12.
Krauss: There's another aspect of what happens in that southeast
corner. There is a large wetland, or there is a wetland there.
We have to double check MnDot's plans but I seem to recall MnDot
had intended to buy out that parcel and use it for drainage
purposes. So there may in fact be nothing ever in that corner
but we can double check that with MnDot. Of course they don't
own it yet.
Conrad: Now a lot of you did not really say anything about
transitions on the northeast side but that's-pretty consistent.
Aren't we concerned about that or am I putting words in our
mouth.
Harberts: I think you're putting words in the mouth. I thought
the general discussion was that there needed to be more
transition. That this wasn't going to do it and that I think
Jeff kind of coined it right away when he said to reduce the
number of lots on that whole Block 2.
Mancino: To 20,000 minimum.
Scott: Cut them in half.
Harberts: That's the way I understood him.
Conrad: Okay. Well you're supporting that? Okay.
Harberts: Yeah. That's what I was supporting.
Conrad: I think that is important. I don't think that if this
plan came back to us again, and we didn't see some transition, I
don't think it's going to pass if we don't see a better
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 52
transition to the property to the east. That seems to be
essential. Obviously you're hearing some concerns about the
transitions to the southeast so I think we've got to, I'm not
sure what our consensus is on that but I think there has to be
something, some attention paid to the southeast part. Generally I
like some of the, a lot of things I see here. For those of you
who, we have to take discredit for some of.this I guess as a
Planning Commission. We have said this is, should be some higher
density areas. We've said that in the past. We did that when we
did a comprehensive plan so we're not, we can't dodge the issue
by saying, hey this is just too, we never anticipated this. We
did. And now it's just seeing if we still believe that and see
how it fits and make it work with existing neighborhoods. The
only other things that we haven't really reacted to was the staff
comment on the EAW. Is there a feeling that we should request an
EAW on this or not? Anybody?
Harberts: What is the EAW going to give us? What can we expect
to learn from it?
Conrad: That we won't get¥ right.
Krauss: Well, my personal feeling is it doesn't give you much
that you couldn't get anyway. We have a specific request for
some traffic information. That's something that an EAW might
already give you. We have some requests for defining wetland
issues. We have the best wetland ordinance in the State. I mean
it really doesn't add that much to the process. I don't know. I
mean I can't honestly say that it would add that much to the
dialogue. I think it's a lot easier oftentimes to just
specifically state, I've got an interest in this particular
concern. It comes back to us with information on it. I think
we've pretty much done that.
Mancino: Paul...let's say 212 goes to the south. Comes in here.
Will it tell us how much berming we should have because of noise
levels that will be affected in the southern part of this
development.
Krauss: MnDot is right now, a few weeks ago they were supposed
to have a meeting and they were meeting on projected noise levels
with the highway. Where they were going to'build noise walls.
Where they're not. They only build noise walls for residential
development that's existing at the date of which they get what's
called...Permit and that's this September. Now we told them
about this development hopefully to get our foot in the door but
this development does include significant berming up against the
highway and the highway...That information's available. They
have noise...
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 53
Mike Mulligan: Can I speak to that please?
Conrad: Okay.
Mike Mulligan: The Environmental Impact Statement that was done
on 212 did address that issue but as of today, as of last week,
MnDot has no noise berming whatsoever in any part of Chanhassen.
I missed that meeting. I called Evan. He sent me the drawing
last week.
Krauss: Yeah, I don't know if, I mean Evan's clearly the person,
Evan Green of MnDot is clearly the person who's doing it. I
would...We do have some scattered other developments that I hope
would happen.., for neighbors with MnDot and get as much
protection as we possibly can.
Conrad: SO, are there any votes for here in terms of an EAW?
It's sounding like we're, with Paul's comments.
Harberts: We're covered.
Conrad: It's sounding like that. I guess if there's somebody in
the audience that feels that that is an essential part of this, I
guess I don't know that we're going to move that that happens
tonight but if you feel it is important, that maybe you bring it
up to the City Council when it gets there in a couple of weeks.
Traffic. Dave. Now how do we know. You've asked for some
traffic studies. We built that in but that traffic study is, how
do we tailor that to a commercial use which we don't know what it
is yet?
Hempel: That is a difficult question to answer. I guess the
traffic study would not be done until we get through preliminary
plat stage where it's a little more defined for the use of that
outlot. So we can give some direction to a consultant what to
anticipate for trip generation...At this stage it's pretty
unclear.
Conrad: But the way the developer is handling this, they don't
have to tell us what that outlot is going to be used for.
Hempel: Our projection that it would be a worst case scenario,
most intense use of that outlot.
Krauss: Keep in mind that under the PUD you have the ability,
whether or not, I won't say whether or not the property owner
wants to, but you have the ability to establish parameters for
what's going to happen there. We'd like to work cooperatively
with the developer and the owner to do some projections so that
Planning Commi~ion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 54
it makes sense for everybody. But yes, you can in a worst case
analysis...
Conrad: Paul, how do we get a handle? I don't want to drag this
up but how do we get a handle on the outlot?
Krauss: Well at this point I think you've made the concerns that
we have that have been...come back in when formal submittals are
developed that that be resolved, or at least brought to a stage
that you can intelligently talk about it. It's quite similar I
guess in a way to what happened with Opus/Steiner came in...You
basically laid down the guidelines or the project wasn't going
anywhere until we had some definitions...
Harberts: What about those special assessments? I'm uncomfortable
what to expect. What the city residents can expect. Will they
be subject to assessments or all the costs going to be picked up
by the, based on the development of this parcel. Is that still
up in the air?
Krauss: They do have service from city sewer. It's not an unusual
relationship to have water in pipes in the street but they're not
connected to them.
Batzli: They have wells.
Krauss: Right. And I honestly, I mean Dave do you know what
they've paid for?
Hempel: They did pay for the installation of their own lateral
lines in front of the property. Over the last feasibility study
that was conducted for bringing trunk water facilities into this
area to service, we've adopted a rate of...$1,275.00 per unit.
One unit being assessed for each one of those individual property
owners...until some future point when they decide to subdivide
further, additional units would be assessed in the process of a
connection of a hook-up charge.
Scott: Is that the same assessment for the x number of units
that are to be added in the development? Same kind of thing?
Hempel- Right
Krauss: It needs to be made clear though that that was a
feasibility study. That was approved by the Council...ordered
the project but it never was built. We're not in the process of
reassessing how that should be done. There are developments
coming in south of 212 on Lyman that will have an even, the
assessment, the feasibility study needs to be recomputed,
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 55
refigured. As far as the roadway goes, I guess I envision 86th
Street being built by the developer.
Harberts: Am I understanding that at this point that it's
possible that the existing homeowners in that Rice, whatever it
is. Sorry, that they probably will not be any assessments as a
result of this subdivision?
Krauss: Well, keep in mind the feasibility study that Dave is
quoting, this development was existing in nobody's imagination at
this time. This was rallying water on kind of a mini-regeional
basis for the city serving the whole south Rice Marsh Lake area
down to Lake Riley. And that was what that assessment was
developed under. Now we never built that. Now I think what
Dave's saying is probably reasonable to think that it may be
somewhat in the same ballpark but we don't know exactly what it's
going to be. I want to assure everybody though that it's a very
public process. There are usually many hearings on those kind of
things at the City Council.
Harberts: So it's opportunity for the residents to provide maybe
more additional information so they can be better prepared.
Krauss: Oh no question about it, yeah.
Conrad: Okay.
Harberts: One other question I have, and this was brought up. I
think it was a good point and I'm a little uncomfortable. As the
first gentleman said from Tandem, that this is a contingency and
my understanding that you have to have so much building here in
order to make it feasible. If we were to approve it in concept,
if they went out and bought the land and then because of our
discussion that it reduces the number and the cost there, is it
feasible for them to build this, they're the ones at risk?
Krauss: This is not an uncommon practice. Virtually all the
developments that are brought before you are a contingent
purchase deal. Now if the developer picks some arbitrary n,,mher
of units they expect to get, it's encumbant upon you to provide
it...
Scott: So it's preliminary plat approval.
Conrad: What we say tonight, I don't think the developer's going
to go out and sign anything based on what we're doing tonight.
Harberts: Well no, because as I understand it, if we approve it,
it's non-binding on both parties.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 56
Scott: Or if we don't like what we see, which it sounds like we
don't, we need to table or reschedule to get something back from
the direction that the applicant has received from us and do the
whole process over again.
Krauss: You're not, I mean the City's not bound to perform until
you have a project you actually preliminarily approve.
Scott: There you go.
Conrad: Anything else? I think you react not only to the staff
report, but also if you can give a summary of the key
considerations that you heard the Planning Commission. If you
think it represents the majority of the commissioners to include
in that motion. So the conceptual approval has 16 points and if
want to react to any of those 16 plus all the additional comments
that we've made.
Batzli: I move that the Planning Commission recommends conceptual
approval of PUD $93-4 shown on plans dated June 23, 1993 subject
to the following conditions. Conditions 1 thru 10 as set forth
in the staff report. Condition 11 which reads, the applicant
shall dedicate to the city with final platting reasonable right-
of-way for future Trunk Highway 101 and the necessary right-of-
way for 86th Street. Obviously that needs to be reviewed by City
Attorney for appropriate language, that condition. Conditions 12
as set forth in the staff report. Condition 13 would read.
Submittal of PUD plans consistent with the recommendations of the
staff report (including without limitation the concerns
identified as numbers 1 thru 7 set forth on pages 4 and 5 of the
staff report) in the engineer's memo. Conditions 14 and 15
remain as set forth in the staff report. Condition 16 to read,
incorporate conditions of the Park and Rec Commission and include
park type amenities such as open space, totlot and tennis courts.
Condition 17. Reduce the intensity of the development along the
neighboring properties to the east and southeast corner of the
development. Condition 18. Let me ask this before I talk about
condition 18. Where do we talk about coming back in the PUD
process with the neighborhood commercial? Have you talked about
that as conditions i thru 7 or did you actually include that as a
condition and I missed it here?
A1-Jaff: It's only in the body of the staff report...
Batzli: Okay. Then condition 18 would read, the applicant shall
provide detail on permitted uses of the outlot emphasizing
reduction of the size of the outlot and limiting the types of use
to neighborhood commercial. That's it.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 57
Conrad: Is there a second?
Farmakes: Second.
Conrad: Discussion.
Harberts: I'd like to offer a friendly amendment. Item number
19 that the applicant work with Southwest Metro Transit regarding
the public transit in this area.
Batzli: Does the applicant actually do that-or does the City do
that?
Harberts: Both.
Batzli: I accept that.
Harberts: Thank you.
Conrad: Any other discussion?
Mancino: My only question is, is the thing about the topography,
leaving the preservation of the existing topography?
Batzli: I thought that was set forth in those conditions 1-7.
Mancino: Yes, number 1. Okay.
Conrad: Any other discussion?
B&tsli moved, Ya~makes soconded that the Planning Commission
reoommend oonoeptual approv&l of DUD #93-4 &s shown on the p~sns
d&ted ~une 23, ~993, su]:)Jeot to the fol oving oondit~ons~
1. The applicant shall realign 86th Street to avoid impacting
the existing wetland. Individual driveway access from the
multiple dwellings will be prohibited onto 86th Street. The
plans should be revised to access the properties from the private
streets in lieu of 86th Street. A traffic study should be
prepared by the applicant to determine the necessary right-of-
way, traffic lanes and signal justification report. Staff
anticipates the proposed right-of-way is inadequate.
9.. Ail utility and street improvements (public and private)
shall be constructed in accordance with the City's latest edition
of Standard Specifications and Detail Plates. The applicant will
be required to supply detailed construction plans for all utility
and street improvements for the city to review and formally
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 58
approve. Street grades throughout the subdivision should be
between 0.75% and 7.0%.
3. The applicant shall be responsible for obtaining and
complying with all necessary permits such as the MWCC, Health
Department, Watershed Districts, PCA and MnDot. Due to the size
of the project, the applicant may also be required to prepare an
EAW.
4. Ail water quality treatment ponds shall include outlet
control structures to control discharge rate pursuant to NURP
standards. Most likely the City will be maintaining the
retention ponds and therefore the applicant shall dedicate the
appropriate easements on the final plat. Maintenance access to
the retention ponds should be at a minimum 20 foot wide drainage
and utility easements and should be dedicated on the final plat.
Erosion control and turf restoration on the site shall be in
accordance with the City's Best Management Practice Handbook.
5. Sanitary sewer service to the site shall be extended in
accorance to the City's sanitary sewer comprehensive plan. If
interim service is provided from the existing Lake Susan sanitary
sewer line, the appropriate utility and drainage shall be
acquired by the applicant. In addition, the City wil
authorize/perform a study to determine if there is excess
capacity in the Lake Susan Hills line to determine limits of
service. The applicant shall be responsible for all costs
associated with the study.
6. The proposed watermain in 86th Street shall be increased to a
12 inch water line. If the applicant installs the oversized (12
inch) watermain,the city shall credit the applicant by means of
reduction in their assessments for the oversizing costs. The
oversizing costs shall be the difference between an 8 inch
watermain and a 12 inch watermain. Placement of all fire
hydrants shall be in accordance with the Fire Marshal's
recommendations.
7. The applicant's engineer shall submit design calculations for
the storm sewers and retention ponds in conjunction with
preliminary platting. The storm sewers shall be designed for a 10
year storm event and retention ponds shall retain the difference
between the predeveloped and developed runoff rate for a 100 year
24 hour storm event. The outlet of the rention pond shall be
designed to restrict the discharge to the predeveloped runoff
rate. The pond shall also be construted to NURP standards to
improve water quality. Should the City's storm water management
plan provide alternative regional ponding on-site, the applicant
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 59
shall work with the city in implementing the best location for
said ponding.
8. The preliminary and final plat shall be contingent uponthe
City Council authorizing and awarding a public improvement
project for the extension of trunk sanitary sewer and water
facilities to service this site.
9. The applicant should provide a buffer area between the
development and proposed Trunk Highway 212 as well as Trunk
Highway 101. The buffer area should consist of both landscaping
materials and berming.
10. The applicant shall include a draintile system in all public
streets where the adjacent dwellings have no other acceptable
means of discharging such a pond, wetland or storm sewer.
11. The applicant shall dedicate to the City with final platting
reasonable right-of-way for future Trunk Highway 101 and the
nooossar~ right-of-way for 86th Street.
12. During construction of utilities and street improvements
along 86th Street, the applicant shall provide provisions for
maintaining ingress and egress for the existing homes on Tigua
Lane as well as emergency vehicles.
13. Submittal of PUD plans consistent with the recommendations
of the staff report (including without limitation the concerns
identified as numbers 1 thru 7 on pages 4 and 5 of the staff
report) and Engineer's memo.
14. The applicant shall provide density calculations for each
lot within Blocks i and 4. These figures shall exclude the
right-of-way and wetland areas.
15. The landscaping plan shall be revised to add more trees
along West 86th Street, along Highway 212 and Highway101 right-
of-ways and betweenthe area separating commercial and residential
lots.
16. Incorporate conditions of the Park and Recreation Commission
and inolude park type amenities suoh as open Spaoe, totlot and
tennis courts.
X?. Reduce the intensity of the development along the
neighboring properties to the east and southeast corner of the
development.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 60
18. The applicant shall provide a detail on permitted uses of
the outlet emphasizinq reduction of the size of the outlet and
limitinq the types of use to neighborhood commercial.
xg. The applicant shall work with Southwest Metro Transit
regarding public transit needs in the area.
All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously.
Conrad: We'll move on a little bit. Is anybody here tonight
interested in the John Pryzmus item on the agenda, because I
don't think we're going to get to that. And our preference is to
table it and talk another night. So if there's nobody here that
sat through 3 hours of fun conversation. I guess Planning
Commissioners, I think I'd like a motion to table action on item
number 5, item number 6, item number 10 Paul? 10, you need
reaction to 9 and 11 right?
Krauss: Right.
Conrad: Okay. 5, 6 and 10. I had it right.
Batzli moved, aancino seconded to table items 5, John Pryzmus
Interim Use Permit; item 6, Zoning Ordinance Amendment regarding
lot sizes; and item number 10, update on tho Highway 101
alignment study, duo to tho meeting curfew. All voted in favor
and the motion carried.
Ladd Conrad left the meeting at this point and turned chairing
the meeting over to Brian Batzli.
~ DEVELOPMENT FOR A ]~RELIMINARY PL%T TO SUBDIVIDE 6-~ ACRES
~NTO ~3 SINGL~ FAMILY LOTS ON PROPERTY ZONED ~SF, RESIDENTIAL
~INGL~ FAMILY ]~ND LOCATED SOUTH OF PLEASANT VIEW ROAD, WEST OF
T~OENDLE CIRCLE, EAST OF PEACEFUL LANE AND NORTH OF LAKE LUCY
ROAD, TOWER HEIGHTS.
Public Present:
Address
Shanon Graef
Frank & Marilyn Beddor
Timothy Foster
David Beddor
Mike Meuwissen
Larry Moloney
Pat Cunningham
855 Pleasant View
910 Pleasant View Road
6370 Pleasant View Cove
1050 Pleasant View Road
6500 Troendle Circle
150 Fifth St. Tower, S$3500, Mpls
865 Pleasant View Road
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 61
Name Address
J. & Karen Meyer 6225 Ridge Road
David & Valerie Rossbach 670 Pleasant View Road
Teri Frederick
Douglas Olsen
Kelly Bailey
Mary Sherba...
Rob & Teresa Drake
Holly Broden
Sandy Post
Samuel Erwin
Kathy Berdahl
660 Pleasant View Road
901 Vineland Court
6580 Pleasant View'Way
Burnsville
980 Lake Lucy Road
640 Pleasant View Road
489 Pleasant View Road
6400 Pleasant Park Drive
6411 Pleasant Park Drive
Conrad & Michelle Eggan 6500 Peaceful Lane
Gretchen Robideau 540 Pleasant View Road
Laury Martini 491 Indian Hill Road
Gordy & Patsy Whiteman 825 Pleasant View'
Tom Meier 6410 Fox Path
Tom Seifert 600 Pleasant View Road
Batzli: Is this a public hearing? Okay, so it was held open
from the last time?
Scott: Well I know we closed the public hearing the last time we
talked about it and sent comments to staff and the applicant and
this is their reaction. Correct? So do we need a public
hearing?
Harberts: Yep.
Scott: We do?
Krauss: I suppose officially you may have already held the
public hearing. I wasn't here. I don't know if you formally
closed it or what.
Harberts: I believe it was closed.
Batzli: We closed it actually 2 meetings ago before we tabled it
but I'm sure we had a public hearing last time but I wasn't here
either. So okay, well I'll run it as a public hearing then.
Sharmin Al-Jarl presented the staff report on this item.
Chairman Bat~li called the public hearing to order.
Jeff Schameter: I'll be very brief. My name is Jeff Schameter.
I'm with JMS Development. Last time I was here there were
several issues regarding the plat. Those issues were worked out
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 62
and have been reiterated and worked out again with city staff.
The issue of the trees we solved with a custom grading plan,
retaining walls and 89 foot frontage on Lot 13. Our engineer
Roger Anderson is here tonight. He'll address that briefly.
Essentially I understand it to be a scale issue of the current
plan and the final plat will show 90 feet in the surrounding
area. Actually like 89. something but the lot next to it shows
91. something so there will be two 90 foot lots there. Dennis
Troy, our attorney is here and he will address a couple of the
more interesting issues surroundng this plat. We feel the
development's an excellent addition to Chanhassen. It conforms
in every way and we have conserved vegetation on the site beyond
our last plan. We think we really have excellent tree
preservation. One of the benefits of moving the lot line between
Lot 12 and Lot 13 was that the major clump of trees, the cluster
if you would, that existed well onto Lot 13. Excuse me, well
into Lot 12 that would have been impacted by traditional home
construction on Lot 12 is now bisected by the lot between Lots 12
and 13. Therefore the very fact that there's a setback
requirement will in fact conserve those trees. We also are
planning, as previously mentioned, to custom grade those lots.
We have moved the setback, and I'm not sure this will be
addressed in the developer's agreement, in excess of the minimum
setback on Lot 13 to insure that the trees that will be located
in the future front yard of Lot 13, will also be easily
conserved...I'd just like to again confirm that this plat
conforms in every way and we feel that out of all the alternative
plans we've explored for this site, that this plat is by far the
most efficient and best use. And ironically resembles study
plats, study plans and concept plans that have been kicked around
on this site for many years. At this point I'll let Denny and
Roger expound on a couple of the particular issues that I've
asked them to address and I will be available for questions.
Thank you.
Roger Anderson: Chairman and Planning Commission members. My
name is Roger Anderson and I'm the engineer on the project.
Regarding the lot frontage issue that was...and is proposed to be
corrected and is easily correctable. I'm a little embarrassed.
That slipped by me to tell you the truth but the adjustment that
I put was easily accomplished and...was roughly dimensioned until
the final plat is done. Jeff has addressed the tree issues. We
did feel that after the last meeting some work needed to be done
there and we did some work at considerable length with staff to
provide the adjustments to the grading plan that they needed and
we did work well with them and they were very helpful for us and
we needed to come up with a grading plan we felt was acceptable.
I did have one issue on the grading plan. I think on the
retaining walls, Dave and I had discussed that briefly that due
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 63
to the proximity of some of the trees on Mr.. Owens, the nearest
house, it may help if we could put the retaining wall on the
right-of-way and apparently some agreement has to be worked out
to allow that to happen. That's one issue. The other things I
think have been addressed. If there are any questions regarding
engineering, I'd be glad to answer those. I think that staff has
fairly well looked at those issues and...
Dennis Troy: Good evening Mr. Chairman, Planning Commission
members. My name is Dennis Troy. I'm the attorney JMS
Development. I just want to keep my comments very brief as well
tonight. The staff report we think is a very favorable staff
report. They're in favor of it. We think staff has handled very
well the legal issue that is kind of looming over this project in.
terms of the condemnation and EAW. This body is not asked to
make decisions on EAW's. This body is not asked to make
decisions in terms of condemnation. The staff report indicates
that those are conditions of the final plat approval and of
construction. We think that makes sense. We're in favor of that
to move the planning process along subject to those conditions
and we think that staff has done a real good job in handling that
issue so it doesn't muddy up what your task is, which is
planning. Secondly, what is not at issue tonight are different
alternative site designs but some other developer or some other
owner might plan for this property. What is at issue here is the
plat that this owner has presented. If there are comments or
criticisms of that design, doesn't meet code, I think that's fair
game but I would hope that tonight we wouldn't see 15 different
alternative designs and waste a lot of our time. Third, what's
not at issue tonight is what might happen someday to Pleasant
View Road. This project does not require, does not anticipate,
does not contemplate any improvements on Pleasant View and I know
there's some citizens that are concerned about what might happen
in the future and it might be nice to assure them that if a
public improvement was ordered in that respect, there'd be a
separate public hearing at a different time, probably...with
respect to it. It's not the issue here tonight. And lastly,
even though I don't think the EAW condemnation issue is an issue
tonight, I do want to make an editorial comment on it. It
appears to me that to some degree an owner has attempted, a
neighboring owner has attempted to make an issue out of it by
planting trees and in effect creating the destruction of some
natural resources which otherwise wouldn't be necessary. And I
think we're confident and my guess is that the City Attorney is
confident that if and when that issue goes to court, the Judge is
going to see very clearly that the City isn"t the cause of that
destruction. This project isn't a cause of this destruction.
The planter of those trees is what caused the destruction, if
there were to be some destruction. So we would ask that you
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 64
approve that, the preliminary plat recommended to the City
Council tonight. I'm also available for any questions. Thank
you.
Batzli: Thank you. I'm going to open it up for public comment.
I ask that you keep it brief and limit yourself to several
minutes. We have a full house here. I don't know how many
people wish to speak. I'd like to have people try to limit their
comments to the issues that remained open from the last meeting,
if at all possible. I think the record's very clear on a lot of
the other items. So having said that, is there anyone that would
like to address the Commission?
Frank Beddor: Commissioners, staff, my name is Frank Beddor. I
live at 910 Pleasant View Road. I'm sorry that the time is so
late because we knew this was a continuation of a public hearing
a lot of us weren't able to be at the last one and we had,
earlier we had about 40 residents that did want to say something
about this proposal. I'll try to keep mine brief but I would
like to go through the notes that I made this evening...Tonight I
am one, and only one of 214 owners. Taxpayers or voters who live
on Nez Perce Drive and Pleasant View Road who were opposed to two
things. We're opposed to connecting the Nez Perce Drive and
Pleasant View Road. We're also against the proposed plat that
JMS has before you and we're against that for two reasons. First
it's the ingress and outgress of the 13 lots-because this is
going to necessitate making Art Owens driveway and making it a
wide city road and this in turn we feel is going to destroy
somewhere between 20 or 30 mature trees. And I'm talking about
trees that are 40, 50 and 60 years old. This is the proposed
area that they're proposing. This is the drive and it comes up
and the 214 people I'm speaking of are the homeowners who have
signed this petition against the connection of this road. This
is a photograph showing Art Owens driveway and the yellow lines
are roughly where the driveway would go and the white lines are
the outside area. Now we could not have the plat itself when we
did this but as you can see, there are beautiful trees that are
involved here. The...blocked out a lot of them but there are 33
trees in that immediate area and we are against that taking all
those trees down. Now, I Just received the staff report late
today, or I should say the developer's on the replacement plan'
and on that replacement plan they are showing that on the overall
development they're going to lose 33 trees. But right on their
own admission, they aren't saying that ingress and outgress, they
are going to lose 15 trees and those trees are 20 inches in
diameter. This is a diameter. 24 inches. 28 inches. 26 inches
and 36 inches. These are huge trees that are 50, 60 and 80 years
old and the reason we object to this is that.there is an
alternate solution of how to develop this property without going
Planning Commission Me,ting
August 18, 1993 - Page 65
through and taking all these trees down. We also object to the
grade. It's our understanding that that grade is 10.5% and
that's steeper than normally recommended by city staff. We also
object to the traffic that these 13 lots will generate-because
that will put traffic on Pleasant View, Peaceful Lane and
Pleasant View and that will suddenly add to the safety issues on
Pleasant View. Again, the 214 homeowners who signed this
petition feel that this ingress and outgress is unnecessary
because there is an alternate plan that you can access to Lake
Lucy and that has a lot that was dedicated by the city for that
purpose. On the connection between Nez Perce Drive and Pleasant
View. This is a safety issue and I would like to quote a staff
report prepared by Dave Hempel to Jo Ann Olsen in July of 1989,
and I quote. Pleasant View Road serves as the only east/west
connection between County Road 17 and Trunk Highway 101. The
existing roadway design is unsafe in several areas for local
resident traffic. Steep hills, sharp curves, hidden driveways,
and overgrown vegetation all combine to create hazardous
conditions. As the area continues to develop, traffic volumes
will increase and hazardous conditions along Pleasant View Road
will only intensify. Well we agree with that and that was 4
years ago and we don't think any additional traffic on that road,
either coming from the proposed ingress to outgress to this
development or connecting Nez Perce Drive to Pleasant View is
going to help this situation at all. Also, back in 1989 we were
at the only public hearing they did have, neither staff nor the
city had developed an indepth traffic study. Now we did make our
own traffic study just a short time ago. We went to Carver
County Sheriff's Department and from June of 1991 until July of
1993 there were, in this 2 year period, 10 car accidents on Nez
Perce Drive and Pleasant View Road. Three of them involved
personal injuries. There was only one car accident on Lake Lucy
with no personal injury. Now the Lake Lucy residents we do
sympathize with these people. There are 20 homes on that one
block stretch and we do feel something should be done to reduce
traffic, reduce the speed at stop lights. However, Lake Lucy is
only one block long. It's a new street and when you enter Lake
Lucy, you can see down the whole block and you can see any, any
homeowner or children there can see the cars coming. That's not
true on Pleasant View. That's 20 blocks long, Pleasant View Road
and as Dave Hempel so aptly points out in his report, Pleasant
View is very dangerous and certainly it hasn't improved over the
last 4 years and adding more traffic to it is not going to
improve it. On the meeting, the Council meeting I had in
September of 1989, that was when Vineland first submitted their
plat, they showed a plat that came in and cul-de-sac for 15
blocks and came out Pleasant View for 3 lots. Evidentally the
city staff took exception to that and they wanted to have this
connect through to Pleasant View Road so at that meeting they
Planning Commi~ion Me,ting
August 18, 1993 - Page 66
offered 4 proposals. One of those proposals, they were listed 1
thru 4, one of those was to make this a straight road right
through to Pleasant View. The other proposal, they had 3 other
ones and the other one was to come through cul-de-sac it at when
and if Troendle's was developed and then come through Peaceful
Lane. We, as the 214 homeowner were only shown these 4 options
and we certainly didn't want option number 4 because it
immediately put a connection and added traffic to Pleasant View.
We did agree but we did not accept plan 3 but we agreed to it
which was the lesser or two evils at that time. Plan 3 meant that
sometime at a later date when someone purchased and developed
Troendle's property and when somebody purchased and developed Art
Owens property, there was a possibility that Pleasant View Drive
would be extended to Peaceful Lane and Pleasant View, unless a
better solution was discovered. In September of '89, the same
time we had this meeting, Art Owens had a plat that was already
submitted to the city. It was okayed by the city and it showed 5
houses sitting right here. There was no connection to Nez Perce
at that time on that accepted plat. At this Council meeting on
September llth, we were not shown any plats that showed that you
could access onto Lake Lucy connection. In fact we were informed
that Lake Lucy, that outlot that was dedicated was too steep. In
a staff letter to Don Ashworth of September 8, 1989 it was noted
that Art Owens plat might expire in October and that a reasonable
connection could be made to Pleasant View, but in that report it
said the disadvantages of it was, and I'm going to quote, this
would still result in introducing traffic on Pleasant View, and
that's what we don't want is to introduce traffic on Pleasant
View or Nez Perce Drive. This letter goes on to say that one of
the advantages is that there's an undeveloped right-of-way to
Lake Lucy Road...grade was too steep. Now at that same meeting in
September of '89, Councilman Johnson asked Paul Krauss the
following question. He said Paul, that little stub coming off
Lake Lucy on the left side of the water tower, that wasn't
consider in any option. Paul Krauss. Technically yes but there
is some difficulty in the grade. Well see now the Staff is in a
bind we feel. We now know, by accident I went out and asked
somebody about a short time ago, to really measure that grade and
could we heard that 10% was too steep. And we found out that
that grade is only 5.3% steep. So we were never informed of this
and so no one ever looked at that option. That option going to
south to my knowledge was never presented in a Planning
Commission meeting. Was never presented at a Council meeting and
now that staff or someone at the city has allowed two houses to
be built along this platted future road with the minimum offset.
Now this is not the liability or the problem of the 214
homeowners that are on Pleasant View and Nez Perce. This is the
city's challenge and it's obvious that if this new road was
installed, that these homeowners would be compensated if there's
Planning Commission M~ting
August 18, 1993 - Page 67
some loss in value to their property. Back in t89, see that was
the only public hearing we had. The Vineland Forest residents had
to sign a restriction that they would not in anyway attempt to
restrict the extension of Nez Perce Drive. I hope Itm not reading'
too fast... When we purchased the Troendle property, this was a
year after this, the city did not require us to put this covenant
in our development agreement. In fact we knew nothing about this
covenant. We didn't that out until about 3 months ago. At the
last Council meeting, and I just got the report, Don Ashworth
stated at that Council meeting, when Mr. Beddor received his
approval, that would be on Troendle~s, specifically...on the
covenants placed on each of these lots that shows the connection
would be to Pleasant View. This is incorrect. These covenants
are not in the developer's agreement that we have a year later in
our developer's agreement. Now in the Vineland Forest, the
covenant does read. Each owner purchasing a lot in Vineland
Forest agrees not to object to the possible future roadway
extension. Some of the language does not appear in the
development agreement at that Troendle. In fact in contrast, this
upset me so at the last Council meeting because I was kind of put
in the spot of going back on my word, I retained the law firm.
They went through all of the Minutes for the last 5 years. All'of
the correspondence. All the city's reports and I quote what they
say in our development agreement. Outlot A may not be platted...
until the city receives a petition from the developer, which
would be myself, to extend Nez Perce back through the property to
the west of the preliminary plat as a direct or indirect
connection to Pleasant View. Now in the case of the Troendle
Addition, if the developer chose not to plat Outlot A, the road
would not be extended. Now this is far from the agreement, from
an agreement to extend the road. It confirms Mr. Beddor~s
position that he exceeded, based on the circumstances that
existed at the time, to reserve the right to extend the road.
However, the solution is really simple. You know going back,
what we want to do is, we want to extend Nez Perce Drive. We
just want to extend...to the north. We want to go back down to
the south. Come back through the property and this has a big
advantage because you don~t have to condemn this property. You
don~t have to deal with a public road and anyone that's going to
go iht Art Owens property or into Troendles is going to come down
Lake Lucy Road, immediately make a left and that property does
not go down the length of the road. The advantage of this would
be there~d be no connector road between Nez Perce and Pleasant
View and this would reduce the safety issues on both these roads.
There~d be no need to use taxpayers money to condemn private
property or build a road. This does not increase traffic on Lake
Lucy. The new owners in the Art Owens and Troendle Addition
would turn off of Lake Lucy Road and would not drive the full
length of Lake Lucy. And we would save 20 to 30 beautiful, mature
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 68
trees. Now the...seems to have been about 4 years ago. Now 4
years ago. Now 4 years ago at the public hearing, the Beddors
did not own the Troendle property and we did not own Art Owens
property. And at that time...Art Owens had his property platted
and it did not show an extension going through to Peaceful Lane.
At that same meeting 4 years ago we saw four options, none of
them showed an ingress and outgress on Lake Lucy as an option and
that was over land that had been dedicated for that purpose.
After 4 years we now find the grade is not too steep and we are
hoping that the Commission will keep an open mind on this
proposal which we call a solution. At the last Council meeting
on July 12th, 4 out of 5 Councilmen voted against this solution.
And their general attitude was that this was resolved 4 years
ago. They had very closed minds and they refused to explore any
new viable options. In our mind a lot of things changed in 4
years. We now have the option of going off Lake Lucy because the
bank is not too steep. We feel the environmental study will show
that taking out 20 or 30 trees will have a disastrous impact on
the environment. But the most important issue, who does this
connector road serve. This is the same plat. All of those lots
that are yellow lined are people who signed this petition. And a
lot of people that you might see in white there...but we hope to
have substantially more. It's my understanding that a connector
road or this type of road, whatever you want to call it, is to
serve the local neighborhood. That would be the residents of Nez
Perce Drive. That would be Vineland. That would be Troendle.
That'd be Lake Lucy and Art Owens and also the residents on
Pleasant View. Gentlemen, tonight we have, and I'll have a
packet here for you of over 214 homeowners, taxpayers and voters,
who live on these roads and these are the people that this road
is supposed to serve and the overwhelming majority of these
owners do not want this connection. We still believe in a
democratic system and we feel it's your responsibility as the
government officials, to serve the taxpayers and the overwhelming
majority we feel the taxpayers have spoken. I hope you'll abide
by their wishes. Thank you.
Batzli: Thank you. Is there anyone else who would like to
address the Commission? Excuse me. I'd like to hear from
everyone else who would like to address the Commission before I
let you rebutt, thank you.
David Donna: Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen. My name is
David Donna. I live at 881 Vineland Court. I heard some
discussions about residents on Nez Perce and Pleasant View. I
don't...street but I still have some concerns. I also apologize.
I was not at the last meeting. I don't know what was discussed
so I'm not sure what the guidelines are. I'm not familiar with
this process but I listen with interest to the issues that were
Planning Commis~ion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 69
raised by JMS and the attorney for JMS. It struck me that those
issues were the issues that JMS wanted considered. What I didn't
hear discussed by JSM, which was talked about by Mr. Beddor, was
the...sitting through the last several hours today, I heard talk
and concerns raised by the Commission about safety in different
developments. I think it's important that...I talked with
Councilman Senn, Councilman Wing and I've talked with Mr. Hempel
before Mr. Krauss left for out of town. We'were trading phone
calls back and forth for about a week to try and talk about some
of these things. What I understand is that with this connector
road going through, that there will in fact be...traffic north
and south. There will be increased traffic on Pleasant View and
there will be increased traffic on Lake Lucy. I'm not an
engineer. I'm not a planner but the increased traffic does not
go hand in hand with a safer development, which means a more
hazardous situation. I think that the real issue here is whether
something can be done so that this project can be developed by
JMS or whoever but the safety can still be'maintained all over.
And I've talked with Mr. Hempel about some things and since then
I've talked with Mr. Wing and he has asked me to make a Visitor
Presentation. I'm not prepared to do that. We've talked about
some alternatives which would disperse the traffic either by
having a third ingress and egress, if that's what you call it.
Or by having some multiple cul-de-sacs. I still think that there
are some things to talk about. Some issues to consider and I
noted that Ms. Harberts was concerned in the previous proceeding
about we don't want to take a vote here tonight and have some
developer rely on it and then rely on it to their detriment. I
think that these other alternatives should be considered before
any vote's taken and any developer or anyone else goes ahead and
makes big plans and spends a lot of money...Thank you.
Batzli: Thank you. Is there anyone else that would like to
address the Commission? Other than the applicant. They'll be
given a chance.
Terry Barke: I'll try to be very brief also. My name is Terry
Barke. I live at 9...Lake Lucy Road. I'd like to make three
basic points here. In kind of response to what Mr. 'Beddor was
saying. He started his presentation by talking about two points.
One that 214 residents were opposed to this connection between
Nez Perce and Pleasant View Road. It seems to me that that's
already a done issue. As part of the conditions of Mr. Beddor
being able to develop the Troendle Addition, you can see on the
second bullet there it's pretty clear that that connection being
made was one of the conditions and they agreed to that when they
developed the addition. But I see that as outside of the scope
of this meeting tonight. Second issue regarding concerns for the
trees. I'm concerned about the trees. People on my street are
Planning Commi~ion M~eting
August 18, 1993 - Page 70
concerned about trees. I think we're all concerned about trees.
I noticed that shortly after the City Council decided on the
connection of Nez Perce and Pleasant View, on Mr. Beddor's
property there seems to be a bunch of pine-trees that have been
planted right behind the barricade and the sign on the barricade
saying this street will be extended in the future. To me that
doesn't seem consistent with an argument about protecting trees
and I'm Just saying that it sounds to me like the developer has
done the best job he can to take care of the trees and I hope
these trees that have been just recently planted back there don't
become an issue later on. That seems kind...As a third point that
I'd like to make is that, I feel like I can speak for the people
on Lake Lucy Road. We are in agreement that we like the JMS
proposal. We think that equitably shares traffic in that area
between Lake Lucy Road and Pleasant View and we think it's a nice
plan. Thank you.
Batzli: Terry, could you show us on the map where you live on
Lake Lucy? You live on Lake Lucy Road right?
Terry Barke: Yeah, I live on Lake Lucy Road.
Batzli: Can you show us on this map or another map. Maybe
Sharmin has a little bit bigger one so people can see it. Where
do you live on Lake Lucy Road.
Terry Barke: I live right here.
Batzli: About halfway down?
Terry Barke: About halfway. On the north.
Batzli: Okay, thank you. Would anyone else like to address the
Commission?
Renelle Ulrich: Hi. My name's Renelle Ulrich and I live 6581
Nez Perce Drive. I am against the connection and I still see
viable alternatives and I would like the opportunity to work with
the Councilmembers. Work with the planners and everything to
come up with a solution that everyone can be happy with. I see
that if the connection goes through, I see Nez Perce becoming
very busy and it is very similar to Pleasant view in that it is a
windy, curving road. A lot of overgrowth in the vegetation and
that has to be taken into account. There are a lot of turns,
there are a lot of hills and having a connection there is going
to make it not a very safe street. There are other ways around
it and I think that as a resident of Vineland Forest, I've only
been there a year but I'm there. There are other people who have
not been there a long time but we are there and there have been
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 71
many changes in the last 4 years and we really deserve the right
to be heard. It's very frustrating when other alternatives are
presented when we're still in the planning Stages and people are
shaking their head and looking around and kind of relaying a real
sense of cynicism toward us and that's very frustrating to deal
with and I'm hearing some Council people saying, well you know
the system does work. Well I'd like to see the system work. I'd
like to see everyone happy with the solution. And that means
going back and looking at some of the alternatives and hopefully
you will allow us to do a presentation. Thank you.
Dan Rogers: My name is Dan Rogers. I live at 6500 Nez Perce
Drive. My concern with the proposal tonight is that it will lock
us into putting Nez Perce through to Pleasant View. My concerns
with that are, that it will increase access to the entire area.
I mean Pleasant View, Lake Lucy and Nez Perce. What I've noticed
at these council meetings is that the City Council is relying on
4 year old information, before Target was a...and we're going to
increase, by increasing access to the area, we're going to
increase traffic to the whole area, including Lake Lucy. Even
though it was never stated, I get the feeling that there's a
belief that by putting Nez Perce through to Pleasant View, it's
going to take a lot of traffic off of Lake Lucy and onto Nez
Perce. I don't think that's really going to happen. I think it's
going to increase traffic for all of us and I think what we all
want, since we're all neighbors, our kids all play together, and
basically the whole area is our neighborhood. We want an
equitable distribution of the traffic and for that reason I would
like to look at some other options other than the one we see,
looked at this evening...
Batzli: Thank you very much. Anyone else like to address the
Commission? I think somebody's passing the child. We'll let her
come up first.
Sharon Rogers: Sorry,I thought we'd be through earlier too so.
My name is Sharon Rogers. I live at 6500 Nez Perce Drive and I
guess I basically just want to repeat what these people said. I
do not think the road should go through. If this development is
done as it is proposed, it will go through and it will cause a
lot of problems...and also I just want to say that, Mr. Beddor
refers to the Vineland Forest residents signing the covenants.
That says we are not going to disapprove of any connections for
any extension. That's what it says. It doesn't say a
connection. When we moved in we were aware that there was going
to be a development behind us. That's how far I thought it was
going to be extended. It ended up not, and it's the same thing.
I did not accept that it was going to be extended to Pleasant
View and so I am fighting for that and I am willing to fight with
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 72
Mr. Beddor until and hopefully it will be, you will listen to the
citizens in Vineland Forest because we weren't there 4 years ago
and we really feel that we have been ignored and we really would
like to be listened to and there are a lot of safety issues
involved. Thank you.
Mary Stasson: My name is Mary Stasson. I live at 5400 Peaceful
Lane and perhaps Sharmin could point to where our home is. We're
directly affected by the traffic that will come swerving across
and headlights coming into our south windows and all that other
kind of great stuff. And I submitted a letter today that I asked
Sharmin to give to all of you...
Mancino: Are you the corner lot?
Mary Stasson: One of the corner lots.
Mancino: And you're very close.
Mary Stasson: We're very close to Peaceful Lane. About 35 feet
from that road so we're very concerned about the...of this road
and preserving the property that we have now. On that particular
corner where we're at, we've...last 3 years and we've also had...
Also we were never notified 4 years ago when all this was
happening and so by the time we came up here to say anything, it
was like it was already a done deal. Nobody was willing to
listen to us so...thank you.
Batzli: Okay, thank you very much. Yes sir.
Brad Johnson: My name is Brad Johnson. I live at 1...Lake Lucy
Road. The residents of Lake Lucy Road...traffic on our road is
going to decrease if this connection... Also there seems to be in
Mr. Beddor's presentation an assumption that all cars traveling
from Nez Perce and Peaceful Lane will turn right and go east on
Pleasant View to TH 101. I think the vast majority will turn left
and go...CR 17.
Batzli: Thank you.
Todd Novacheck: Hi, I'm Todd Novacheck. I live at 6371 Pleasant
View Cove. I'd like to just speak to the safety issues again.
We have, from our residence, we have to turn out onto Pleasant
View Road whether we're going east or west. And it is very
dangerous. Cars right now coming over the hill and it's a very
dangerous situation. In the wintertime a neighbor and I were
Just talking, even though we live there and we know it, sometimes
we've come down that road and you start applying your breaks and
we Just keep sliding and almost right down to Powers Blvd to CR
Planning Commi~ion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 73
17. And so now by taking more cars from the south and bringing
them onto Pleasant View Road, you're going to increase...problems
and as the gal just said, there's been several pretty severe
accidents right at that intersection in the last couple years,
that we've seen. I think you really have to take a look at it.
My daughter is 10 years old and got off a school bus just this
year with the stop sign out onthe school bus. Came around the
front and a car was coming over, going west on Pleasant View Road
and the bus driver said she just barely got missed. The car
literally had to swerve around because the speed coming down
Pleasant View Road, it's a blind intersection right there at
Peaceful Lane and Pleasant View Road. So you're going to dump
more cars in there. I think you're going to really increase a
problem. I think the solution brings people out of that area or
into that area and will take them right back out to CR 17 and if
they choose then to come around and use Pleasant View Road,
that's fine but the point is it takes them, the solution takes
them out. They would go west on Lake Lucy and hit CR 17. Then
they could go north or south. So from a safety standpoint,
somebody really needs to go out there and document what has
happened in the past and potentially what could happen. So
appreciate your time. Thank you.
Tim Foster: Good morning.
Batzli: It's going to get there.
Tim Foster: Tim Foster at 6370 Pleasant View Cove and I have to
agree with Todd's statement, and I'm Todd's neighbor. We use the
same cul-de-sac...it is a safety factor. I somewhat view this
connection that everyone to the south from Highway 5 can now have
somehow access to Pleasant View. I think that the solution and
based on the information that we have reviewed as a group, in the
form of a petition, I feel that if I had your job and I was doing
the stewards of the community, that I would view it as an impact
that this is a situation where you cannot make the right decision
on the wrong type of program. I think it's wrong and I think it
creates a safety issue...
Batzli: Okay, thank you. Did we already hear from you?
Dan Rogers: I'd like to address the safety issue.
Batzli: I'd like to hear from everybody before I get anyone a
second chance. Is there anyone else that'd like to address the
Commission?
Sandy Post: My name is Sandy Post. I live on 489 Pleasant View
and I live at the stop sign on the corner there and the safety
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 74
issue about a concern, we'd like you to look at the alternative.
We are always in danger of pulling out of our driveway because
they make the stop sign, make the corner and our driveway's right
there. I'm afraid to let my children get the mail because it's
bad. I just don't want to see anymore traffic come on.
Batzli: Thank you.
Valerie Rossbach: My name is Valerie Rossbach. I live at 670
Pleasant View Road. I've been living there for 10 years. This
issue on Pleasant View that's come up repeatedly. I attended
meetings when they were putting in the Near Mountain development.
At that time the Pleasant View Road safety issue was raised. They
were making efforts to prevent more traffic on that road. Since
then increase...development and I think it cannot support
another, that road cannot support another road into that.
Dave Beddor: Hi, I'm Dave Beddor. I live at 1050 Pleasant View.
In some ways it sounds like we in the room are opposed, I really
think everybody stands together. They stand together for a
principle and the principle that everybody's fighting for from
their own perspective, is safety. Lake Lucy doesn't want their
kids being run over. People on Pleasant View are concerned. We
hear that time and again. But we're all very emotionally
connected to our little piece and are very vested in, you know
I'm vested in Pleasant View Road and Nez Perce and Lake Lucy.
What I'm hoping is that you can look at it from a more macro
perspective and keep all those pieces in mind so it doesn't come
out where there's one road that's winning and one road that's
losing. Take a look from the perspective of on Pleasant View, how
many people are funneled in from Fox Chase and Near Mountain and
so forth. I can respect also...bias to the Pleasant View
standpoint. I can respect that people on Lake Lucy are concerned
that they have an extra 15 houses coming in. Maybe the fairest
way of looking at it is saying, how many people, how many cars
drive by my driveway you know every morning... Distributing it.
What's fair? How should we look at distributing new cars there
coming in. Everyone's going to say the same thing. Nobody wants
more and so maybe there should be time taken on that study to
take a look at how many cars are taking up. Where should it be
funneled to? I sort of sat here sort of watching and it feels
like, well you know I connect a road to that...old issue and I'm
sure we can find technical reasons for both ways and I guess I'm
just kind of hoping that you'll look at it from a little more
macro perspective than what we all are because we're all vested
in our own pieces and our own kids so thank you.
Batzli: Thank you.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 75
Conrad Eggan: Good evening. My name is Conrad Eggan. I live at
6500 Peaceful Lane which happens to be directly across from where
this connecter road would exit. Would connect with Peaceful Lane.
Now I don't, right now I probably will see the largest increase
percentage wise of anybody here in terms of traffic. I have the
Art Owens residence beyond me. No one else so I will see a huge
increase compared to what I have now. I don't have a problem
with 12 or 13 residences being built up'on that hill coming past
me. What I have a problem with is the connection itself and
bringing all the people up Nez Perce and those who might want to
come through on Pleasant View and access Nez Perce. I Just don't
think it's necessary. Simply not necessary. And if approving
this plat forces that connection, then I also must approve, must
oppose the approval of this plat. Thank you.
Batzli: Thank you. Is there anyone else that would like to
address the Commission for the first time?
Doug Olson: Hello. My name is Doug 01son. I live at 901
Vineland Court. I'm also opposed to this connection of Pleasant
View to, or Nez Perce to Pleasant View. My biggest concern is
that this road will be used a cut through from Pleasant View to
other areas via Nez Perce...There's really two major issues here
that I have a problem with and the first I mentioned is that it
generates heavier volumes of traffic through a residential area
that really shouldn't have to share that volume of cut through
traffic because if you look at who is this serving, is it serving
the residents of the area that live there or is it serving
commuters just traveling through our residential area? It also
creates a larger volume of traffic for Pleasant View and as you
know, I think widening or expanding Pleasant View would be
difficult at best and I don't think it would serve a public
interest to create traffic on such a convoluted street. I had a
lot of issues here but most of them have been discussed. A lot
of safety issues. I think that there are more viable alternatives
and that's what we should be looking at. Whether it's to bring
Nez Perce back to Lake Lucy or to look at cul-de-sacing Nez Perce
and Troendle. Maybe having Troendle come off Pleasant View. I
think there are some alternatives that haven't been looked at. I
think that the decisions maybe were made in the past based on
misinformation. Whether it was grading limits or wrong
calculations on slopes of roadway contours, I think that we've
got to go back and stop what we're doing here and look at some of
the decisions that were made in the past based on misinformation
and I think there are much better alternatives...there shouldn't
be a cost associated with the connection here. Who's going to
bear that cost. I think a lot of homeowners in the area would
agree that living on a road that's going to be used as a cut
through, could actually decrease property values and perhaps the
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 76
market values of the homes would drop and of course not only a
drop in that would also likely reduce the tax base for the city
of Chanhassen. Not to mention condemnation of property that this
connection would create. In conclusion I hope that the Planning
Commission would look at all pertinent issues of this decision
making process and reach the conclusion that more viable
alternatives exist that are more environmentally and fiscally
responsible and residentially sensitive to a better solution.
Thank you.
Batzli: Thank you.
Doug Olson: One other quick question. Who prepares an EAW?
Batzli: Paul, who prepares it?
Krauss: Well this is, it's not a mandatory connection. The City
Council received a petition signed by, I don't know, a n~mher of
individuals in the area. 25 have to sign it. They will receive
that on Monday evening. It's our recommendation that they go
ahead and do it. The City Council is the RGU. Is the Responsible
Governmental Unit. It's up to the City Council to figure out who
should do it. Right now we recommended that it be a different
engineering firm than did the feasibility study so there's a
checks and balance kind of arrangement. We asked Barton-Aschman
to do an EA...EA on Highway 5. They gave us an estimate on that.
That's what we're going to be bringing to the Council.
Batzli: Does approval of this have to be contingent on
successful EAW for Nez Perce?
Krauss: We added that condition. I mean at this point it's
unclear as to whether or not the City Council's going to order an
EAW. It's completely elective on their part. We've recommended
that they do one. It's really their call.
Harberts: Who pays?
Krauss: Taxpayers are going to pay. It's a city cost. There's
also a suit that's been brought in this case. The City Council
was served on Friday. So the Council is dealing with a lot but
right now, we delayed this item once before.. In June I believe
because at that point the City Council was asked to reconsider
their decision. We took this back to the City Council to tell us
what you're going to do. They said they wanted to go ahead with
the roadway at that point. I don't know what else to do at this
point. We asked that this be approved contingent upon the
Findings of the EAW.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 77
Mancino:
Krauss:
Batzli:
Krauss:
And the lawsuit?
The lawsuit's unclear.
I'm sorry, who filed the lawsuit?
I don't recall which names were on it.
It was I think
Harberts:
Batzli: Monday.
Batzli:
meeting.
Which is Monday?
Doug Olson: Do we know about what kind of a timeframe the EAW
would take? How long?
Krauss: I'm not sure. I'm guessing, I asked for an estimate...
on very short notice and I got a fax today that gave me the cost
but not the time. I'm assuming it's going to be probably a 6
week, give and take.
Batzli: Multiply that by 2. Maybe 4 yeah.
three families.
Batzli: Okay, proposing to block this subdivision?
Krauss: Well I guess, Elliott did you have a chance to read
through that?
Elliott Knetsch: No I haven't.
Krauss: There were a number of issues that were cited, similar
issues to those which were cited with the EAW.
Batzli: Okay.
Doug Olson: So am I correct in assuming that they're timing,
that the timing of completing this EAW with whether this
connection should be made. Is that up to City Council to decide?
Batzli: They would not be able to proceed until the EAW was
completed, if they determined to proceed with that.
Doug Olson: And that's up to the City Council to decide if they
want to do an EAW.
Yes, and that will be decided at the next Council
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 78
Doug 01son: I assume what the EAW is going to do is address most
of the issues that we raised here and your thinking is that an
engineering firm may be involved.
Krauss: Oh clearly, yeah. I mean there's enough questions that
have been raised. I take strong exception to the tossing about
of misinformation. I mean this has been a 4 year continuous
process with multiple public hearings and new information being
contributed ad infinitum. But at this point we're taking the
position that there's nothing more city staff can or should add
to this process. We've already had a feasibility study done by
one engineering firm. Let's bring in somebody fresh. Have them
take a run at it and let it come back with the information and
let the City Council decide.
Batzli: Okay, thank you.
Tom Meier: Good evening. I'm Tom Meier and I live at 6410 Fox
Path in Fox Chase and I'd like to address two issues. The first
one being safety. We live at the bottom of a big hill on
Pleasant View and most of the cars coming down there don't use
their brakes and they can easily obtain speeds of 45-50 mph. It's
extremely dangerous on Pleasant View to the point where you can't
even walk it. We've been near hit by many cars trying to walk
that and we're pretty well forced to use Ridge Road, which is a
private road. The residents right now are gracious'enough to let
us use it but they certainly have every right not to. We also
have a large deer population in the area and I think any
additional traffic is going to create some serious problems and
also I think Nez Perce has got a problem and if you create a
connecter, you're going to have a third problem. The other issue
is I had a chance to go through Art Owens property earlier this
year and I was shocked to find out that they were going to try
and take out as many of those old grove trees that are sitting
there in this day and age of environment, it's for me to believe
that anybody would consider that. Thank you.
Dave Rossbach: My name's Dave Rossbach and I live at 670
Pleasant View Road. And there's a lot of people here that think
this is a done deal and there's a lot of people that, over 200
people that don't think it should be a done deal. I just hope
you people can kick back and look at this and take a strong look
at the other alternative. And if there's a better possible way
of doing this, I think you should really consider it. It's kind
of like main street in Chanhassen. You know maybe there were
some mistakes made there with some particular corners. They
could have been done the right way. You could have kicked back
and checked it out one more time. Thanks.
Planning Commi~ion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 79
Jim Stasson: My name is Jim Stasson. I live at 6400 Peaceful
Lane. One thing that nobody's brought up about is who's going to
pay for all this. We've been informed that.the developer will
pay for connections and all this stuff. We hate to have our
property devalued and also be assessed for all this stuff. Thank
you.
Kelby Bailey: My name is Kelby Bailey. I live at 6580 Pleasant
View Lane. I've been a homeowner there for about 2 years. I've
seen the traffic on Pleasant View Road increase in that amount of
time. I want to first thank the city of Chanhassen for paving
the west portion of it. That was badly needed. Since then I
wake up at night to traffic squealing in the corners... What I
would encourage you to do is to re-evaluate some other
possibility that could save some tax dollars and use that tax
money to slow the traffic down on Pleasant View Road.
Batzli: Thank you. Would anyone else like to address the
Commission? Hold on one second. I think I've got a first taker
over here. Okay. Did you guys want to say something else?
Dennis Troy: Dennis Troy again with a couple brief questions and
a couple comments. Do you have a copy of the petition here?
Batzli: I've not seen it.
Dennis Troy: It's not been presented to the City?
Frank Beddor: It was all given to the Council.
Resident: It's being presented to the City Council.
Frank Beddor: I believe I mailed one to Jeff-but if not, I'll
send you one.
Dennis Troy: So really we don't know what it says here tonight.
If we could get a copy of it to see what it says. Whether it's-
Just against traffic or against this particular development.
Batzli: No, we don't know at this point.
Dennis Troy: So I guess I question whether it really poses this
particular development. It may say we're in favor of safety on
Pleasant View. Because the people that are here, the other 200
people that are claiming that petition, I guess I would like to
know what they signed up for. We don't know it tonight. My next
point, I'll go back is, so what? So what? So what? This is
what's at issue tonight. This. Staff recommends it subject to
conditions. Those conditions are not with in the purview of this
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 80
particular body. What's the legal basis to deny it? It conforms
with your ordinances. We'd like it approved.
Roger Anderson: Chairman and Planning Commission. Roger
Anderson. I feel I have to take issue with some of the misleading
information that was presented on the street'grades and the
things we've done to make this plat fit into that piece of
property. Mr. Beddor threw out some numbers here that were
obviously incorrect. I think the correct numbers should be
brought forth. Maybe Dave can help me. What's the allowable
stree grade in the city Dave?
Hempel: 7% street grade.
Roger Anderson: And do you know what street grade we're
proposing in our subdivision?
Hempel: I believe it's 6%.
Roger Anderson: 6%? That's less than the allowable and it's a
comfortable grade.
Hempel: That's correct. It meets the ordinance.
Roger Anderson: And Mr. Beddor had thrown out a number of over
10% which was totally inaccurate. Never has been shown on our
plans. Never has been presented by anything we've submitted to
the city. Another grade he threw out was the grade coming up to
Lake Lucy. That outlotted and made available apparently by some
platting in the past. The city has rejected that location for a
road because they recognize the grades are too steep. I've got a
plan here with the elevation of the street where that outlot
comes out and I'd be glad to give it to you. Confirmed from the
city from Dan in your engineering office in June. He gave me the
elevation of the manhole down there. I compute up to our street
and I come up with over 9% on a straight base. We'd need a large
landing area down there coming off the hill. Easily pushing us
up to 10% or 11%. We can have the exact numbers if we want to
but that's well over what the City could possibly approve
according to their requirements. And it will not work, in spite
of Mr. Beddor's presentation. I'd like to see his numbers to see
how that grade was computed. We haven't seen those. I put this
in the record tonight but we'll confirm it for the next meeting.
The other issue was the trees and again we have taken great pains
to minimize damage to the trees. Work with staff and work with us
and I think done a reasonably good job. Are some trees going to
come down? Absolutely. Did we do our best to minimize the
activity? You bet we did. Is the proposal Mr. Beddor has to
come up the corner of the property any better? Go out and look
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 81
at the trees behind Mr. Owens swimming pool, and behind his house
and then you come back and tell us. If there's any difference,
it's minimal and the tree impact is still going to be there. It's
not a black and white issue. There's still trees that are going
to have to come down. Thank you.
Jeff Schameter: It's not us and them. We're just trying to plat
a piece of land. There's no personal vendetta. No objective here
other than to plat 12 new homes. Safety is an issue. It will be
an issue for 12 new residents to this neighborhood. Over the
next 3 years only 12 new homes are going to be added to the city
of Chanhassen. That's 12 more taxpayers. 12 nice new homes. It's
a development that was reasonably anticipated 4 or 5 years ago.
The plan that we're proposing was contemplated by someone other
than myself long before I ever heard about this piece of
property. None of this is new news. We're only taking, I want
to clarify a couple issues. We're only removing 5 significant
trees in the area of the entrance to the development. Not 30 or
40, 5. The 5 brown dots shown between Lots i and 13 on this
plan. We've submitted a nice reforestation plan. We think we've
been very sensitive. It's in my best interest to create a
neighborhood that's going to have a good tone. A nice feel. We
don't plan to go in there and mass grade the site and take down
every tree. Not that those trees couldn't be harvested tomorrow
for firewood. Grades less than 7%. That's been reviewed. We're
sensitive to safety issues. We've reviewed all the other options.
I've had more options for this site put in front of me than any
other development I've been associated with, and I've been
associated in the last 8 years, various levels, with over 50
different subdivisions in 11 different communities. I think I
understand what makes a good plat. All I want to do is move
forward. We're doing the best we can. We realize there's a lot
of political issues with this plat. Thank you.
Batzli: Thank you. Okay, Mr. Beddor.
Frank Beddor: Well this is a planning commission meeting and I
hope you do some more planning. I think by all the questions
that have been brought up, you see there are some unanswered
questions. I'd be happy to get a copy of both petitions to you.
One that's been signed for the Nez Perce and the other one was
signed for the JMS development and I'll see that all of you get a
copy of that. The trees they talk about that I planted, my wife
and I on the lot, on property we own, those trees were moved in
and can be planted and they're pines. They are dogwood and
they're also dogwood hedges and they're also willows and some
other trees. They can be taken back out again. So I said I
didn't get a chance to read all the report. I got it late from
the Planning Commission tonight but I just read that there was 15
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 82
significant trees on what's called the right-of-way area. So
that is a very substantial amount. As we mentioned before...was
not done. The thing that's very discouraging is that there seems
to be such a closed mind. This is a Planning Commission meeting
and I hope the planners keep an open mind because staff seems,
well we've done everything we can. We can't do anymore. We
don't want to look at anything else and I think that's wrong. Now
we have undertaken ourselves at our own expense and we have two
firms that are working with and we're going to award a contract
to one, to do a traffic study because I think that's important to
look at this overall, to do a traffic study so that you know what
is proposed in this area. And in closing, you were talking about
this suit. I am one of the people, my wife and I who instigated
this suit the city just got. Our attorney's here and I'd like
him just to update you, the Planning Commission now on what's
involved in that suit, if I may.
Batzli: Okay. Do you have a 2 minute synopsis?
Attorney for Mr. Beddor: Yeah, I'm not planning on going into
detail. There was a question about the suit and I did want to
provide some information. We filed out suit on Friday, the 13th
on behalf of several residents. Mr. Beddor being one of them and
other residents of the Pleasant View Road area and Nez Perce Road
area. It's based on the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act. The
meat of the coconut of that suit basically is that you can't
destroy protected natural resources if there's a reasonable
alternative. You certainly heard tonight that we believe that
there is a reasonable alternative that doesn't involve damage to
the environment to the extent that the proposal before you does.
You should also know that with respect to the environmental
assessment worksheet issue, we were the ones that filed that.
That was I think on June 26th. There will be a decision made on
that. If the petition for an EAW is denied, then our lawsuit
would encompass that as an additional point. The third front
legally is the condemnation hearing. It's our view, and I think
it's agreed to by our, the attorneys on the other side. You
can't have a resolution of the condemnation hearing until these
environmental issues are resolved. There Was a condemnation
hearing scheduled for August 25th. It was continued. Delayed
almost immediately after we filed...because under the Minnesota
Supreme Court law, condemnation issues are inextribly related
with these environmental issues. The power of a city to condemn
is limited by the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act. I suppose
the bottom line is, I'm certainly not going to argue the merits
but I can tell you that on all of this is going to involve
expense, delay and it's also going to generate new information.
I think that's one point that really isn't legal but I'd like to
make. In listening to the people here tonight. This is really
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 83
sort of early in my history in this controversy, but person after
person has talked to you about the safety issues. Not just the
environmental issues and there is going to'be new information
generated. We are the ones that are talking to these traffic
consultants. We're going to hire a traffic consultant. There's
going to be traffic studies. There's maybe going to be an EAW.
So why in the world would the Planning Commission and the City
Council, when all this new and I think very important new
information is going to become available, want to make a decision
that will approve a plat. Perhaps give this developer a vested
right of some sort that you're then going to have to argue about
it if there's ever a reversal. Of the decision to go forward
with this project. Obviously the neighboring residents are
opposed to this in large measure and so I'm asking you both as an
attorney and as an interested party to reconsider this and not to
simply go forward because somebody else made a decision in the
past to, that this was a good idea. Thank you.
Batzli: Thank you. Okay. I'd like to close the public hearing if
I could. Is there a motion to close the public hearing?
Harberts moved, l~ano~no seconded to close the public he&r~ng.
&ll voted ~n f&vor and the motion o&rr~ed. The public he&r~ng
vas closed.
Batzli: The interesting thing here is we've heard a lot of
comment that we're the Planning Commission and that we should be
planning. I feel like I've been doing that for the last several
years on this issue. But on the other hand, there's a lot of
people that feel kind of like that old Dudley Riggs show. I hear
what you're saying but I really don't care, is the reaction
they're getting. I don't think that any of us feel that way. It
also reminds me, for those of you who read weird science fiction,
or watch Channel 2, of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy where
the prime character is having his house bulldozed down and
simultaneously the vogones are coming to destroy the earth and
they're told that, well the plans have been located at the
nearest star which is 5 light years away. Where've you been?
The person lying in front of the bulldozer is told that it's in
the City Hall, in the basement behind the third filing cabinet
but the light bulb's out. So you know, I don't think in this
case it was quite that obscure to find the information but yet I
don't want to appear calloused because obviously a lot of people
are fairly surprised by this whole process and I assure you that
the Planning Commission is taking seriously and we've taken it
seriously in the past and I hope you don't all leave with a
negative impression. We're all residents of Chanhassen. We face
these issues every day. In my neighborhood, they put through a
cul-de-sac that I was assured by the developer was a cul-de-sac.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 84
In fact it spills onto Pleasant View and it amazed us and it was
the process and it probably worked but I was bitter for years.
In fact that's what led me to join this commission. I also heard
a comment that the main concern is safety and I agree. And a
cynic would say that there's also an element, and forgive me for
saying this because I know the former Mayor of Minnetonka got in
big trouble for saying this but.
Harberts: You're not an elected official are you?
Batzli: Yeah. It's a nimby problem. Not in my back yard. And to
some extent that's true because obviously you want your yard to
be safe and you want your children to be safe and you want the
traffic on your street to be lessen because obviously the thought
is, it's safer. Less to worry about. Property values perhaps
are increased. And we take those issues seriously. When we first
started this process 4 or 5 years ago, the point was safety and
the point was that it was safer to connect streets and there
really wasn't a north/south connection between Pleasant View and
Lake Lucy Drive and the world would be safer if there was that
connection. And that's what started this whole process was
safety amazingly enough and perhaps ironically. And we looked at
these alternatives and we thought this was the best one. Perhaps
it's not in hindsight. I know that the City Council recently was
asked whether they wanted to look at it again and they said no.
As a Planning Commission person, oftentimes we try to take our
lead from the City Council as to whether we'll be wasting our
time and effort. If they say they're not going to look at it
again, it's difficult for us to direct staff to look at it again.
That's not to say that we can't request it but certainly we
recommend to the .City Council and they make the final decisions.
So as you all know, you're all familiar with this process. You
need to carry your issue up to the City Council because they will
be making the final decision regardless of how the Planning
Commission decides tonight. I do have two questions for city
staff before I ask for comments from the other commissioners.
One is, do either you Paul or you Dave feel that the traffic
study that's going to conducted by Mr. Beddor and his fellow
contributers to the study, whoever they are, and maybe it's Just
Mr. Beddor, will that shed any information that would be useful
for us to decide on whether we are creating a safety hazard here?
Krauss: That's a leading question. We've looked at this thing
inside and out. This is not a decision that was made on the spur
of the moment. This was a decision that was made after 6 months
of hearings 4 years ago. It was a decision that was reaffirmed on
at least 4 different occasions in public hearings. We still
think it makes good sense from a traffic standpoint. A specific
traffic study was never done. I just hear tonight Mr. Beddor's
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 85
going to commission a study. Part of doing an EAW is another
study so we're not doing the study. I wouldn't at all surprised
if they said the complete opposite of each other. That's what
consultants do.
Batzli: But does it makes sense for us to table in anticipation
of receiving some additional information from either one of those
studies?
Krauss: Well, I've got a couple things for that and maybe
Elliott would like to add something to that. We received a
request to act on a petition to subdivide property. In microcosm
that's what you're being asked to deal with. You're dealing with
it on the currently available information. Not made on 4 year
old decisions. Made on decisions that were made 6 weeks ago.
Made on decisions that were made specifically so that we could
come back to you and say, what did the City Council want you to
do. We delayed this thing several times already. I think we're
under some obligation to move it along. In terms of implications
that in so doing the die is cast, that's not true at all. I mean
there's a condition that blatantly says, that is not the case.
If the City Council does reverse itself and decide to come up
with another solution, the platting that's been done to date
isn't going anywhere. It's got to come back through the revised
plan. What the outcome of all this will be, I have no idea. I
wouldn't even hazard to guess. Is there going to be more
information available? Yeah. Will it tend to lead the
discussions one way or the other? I honestly don't know. I mean
I'm afraid that we have a situation here where you have a no win
situation. I wish there was a solution that made everybody
content. You almost think that the best thing to do here is to
step aside and let a mediator come up with some answer. I don't
know. Maybe...There's a lot of issues being raised on Pleasant
View Road. We're not looking at Pleasant View Road in macro
scale. I think Pleasant View Road is in itself and has been a
long standing issue. There are legitimate concerns. We always
know it's there. And I can tell you that nobody on city staff
relishes or even thinks about the idea of broaching anything like
a trail on Pleasant View Road or anything else. It's not
something staff is inclined to do unless we receive some kind of
an indication from the residents that that's what they want. The
addition of 12 lots or 14 lots or all 45 lots to Pleasant View
Road, it's going to be a minor little increment to what's going
on there. What's going on there has to do with the fact that
Pleasant View Road is the only road between Highway 7 and Highway
5. The fact that the Crosstown Highway is extended. The fact
that Chanhassen's developing. I mean those issues aren't going
to go away. Even if this never gets connected, I'm convinced
that Pleasant View Road issue is going to be back before the City
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 86
Council in a year or two because the safety issue is not going to
go away. Is that a long way of answering your question? I don't
know. There's going to be...
Mancino: I appreciate it because I think it's very unsafe. I
drive it all the time from Lake Lucy and Galpin.
Scott: Within the speed limit.
Mancino: Within the speed limit, it's hard.
Farmakes: I won't drive it. I'd Just as soon take CR 17 down to
78th and go down TH 101...
Batzli: Dave, what do you think? I heard Paul's answer. You're
not going to say anything different from Paul huh?
Hempel: I basically concur with Paul...Pleasant View Road is,
does have safety problems. There's no doubt. I was on record
with a staff report to Jo Ann. There are things that can be done
on that road to improve that safety aspects of it. But again
tonight we're not really dealing with that. We're dealing with
the plat before us. The traffic studies as part of the EAW or a
part of Mr. Beddor will give you some more information. Whether
it tells you, I don't think it's going to tell you the city needs
a stop light at that intersection obviously. I don't believe
it's going to tell you need a 3 way stop at that intersection
also at Pleasant View and Peaceful. But it will give you some
trip generations proposed through the neighborhood.
Batzli: Well assuming Paul, that we act on this one way or
another, positively or negatively, it's going to go to the
Council and they're going to have to, it's probably not going to
get on next Monday's obviously. Right?
Krauss: No.
Batzli: So they're going to be deciding the EAW on Monday and
then they will proceed with this, or they really can't proceed
with this assuming they go ahead with the EAW, until the EAW is
completed.
Krauss: Well I would appreciate the advice of counsel but yeah.
What I would understand it to be is if the City Council does
proceed with the EAW, everything's put on hold until that's
completed and a finding's returned. And then there's a public
hearing held at the City Council to determine whether or not it
was satisfactory.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 87
Harberts: So it comes back through this process again if they do
do an EAW? The findings come back here?
Hempel: Before the Council.
Harberts: Or does it just stay at the Council?
Hempel: The Council.
Harberts: It just stays at the Council level.
Krauss: The Council may ask you to review it.
Harberts: But they can just handle it at their level.
Krauss: I would think so.
Batzli: Okay. Diane, why don't you lead off.
Harberts: Let's talk about trees. Did staff have a chance to
review this? According to your staff report, you were going to
review it and are you comfortable with what's presented in here
then?
A1-Jaff: Yes we are.
Harberts: Okay. You know I heard a lot of comments with regard
to public safety and in my profession that certainly is one of
main priorities. The way I understand it, that the issue that's
before us, is having to deal with the four issues. I feel that
the developer has met the four issues, at least to my
satisfaction. With solutions that are outlined by staff. And as
I understand then with the EAW, that that's an issue for the
Council. That will address hopefully the safety issues. You
know that connection with Nez Perce, I see that really at the
level of the Council. What I see before me to deal with is the
four issues and I'm comfortable with that the developers have met
those issues. That's all I've got to say.
Scott: I was focusing in on the issues that we left the
developer with at our last meeting. They've been met
satisfactorily so I see no reason but to go forward with this
plat.
Mancino: I concur. My only question is, on recommendation
number 9. If we increase the street width right-of-way to 60
feet in width, will Lot 4 be of a smaller size than 15,0007
Right now Sharmin it's at 15,100. If we take 73 and added 10
feet, will we be below the minimum lot requirement?
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 88
Krauss: That can be fixed by kicking out the rear lot line. You
can pick it back up again.
Mancino: Okay. You pick up the rear.
Krauss: Just move it over. If you take the rear lot line and
move it around to the south a little bit, you can...
Mancino: Okay.
Krauss: Yeah, Lot 5 next to it is 26,000 square feet.
Mancino: I think that that's the only lot that might have a
problem with this 60 foot right-of-way so I'd like that added to
our recommendation. It would be increased that Lot 4 meets our
minimums. That's all.
Farmakes: I don't disagree with the comments that Diane made. I
think the issue that was supposed to be discussed here tonight.
The issues that are on...I'm not saying that we shouldn't talk
about this when people make the effort to come here. It seems to
me that there's been little talk here talking about the actual
plat development that's being proposed here. What we're talking
about here is a concern there is the street connection. By a
fluke of geography much of the work that was done on the plot and
so on is really not relevant to the argument that's going on
here. I think really, having lived here for a fair amount of
time, Pleasant View is a dangerous street and it's a separate
issue from this. To make the case that connecting that street
will mean a majority or a significant amount of traffic will...
rather than turn to the left, is going to be the result of
traffic studies and I haven't seen anything significant that says
the majority of the people who will be coming up that connection
will be turning to the right. I've heard opinions. But as I said
before, I wouldn't be one of those people. I would not be
connecting 101. The road, Pleasant View is an old road. It's
back from the 20's. There are cabins on that north side of Lotus
that are from the 20's at least. It wasn't meant for the amount
of traffic that it's getting, but in this case, being so close to
CR 17, the argument that's being made here, it seems to me, has a
lot of holes in it. But I believe that anytime that citizens
come in here and are concerned about their safety, I don't want
them to think that I'm not listening to what they're saying. I
think that any city staff, anybody on the Commission should
listen to that. It's a question of how many times and how many
studies do we do. The first time that we looked at this issue
overall, it was, it's almost 5 years now isn't it? Certainly the
city staff and the commissions have given this problem a long
consideration. And there are times when there won't be an
Planning Commi~ion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 89
agreement. But again it's how many times do we do this, and
unless the City Council directs us otherwise, I'm willing to pass
this up to them now. If they want to send this back and have us
look at this again, fine. But it seems to me based on the
information we've been provided, that I don't see any
justification for continuing this here at this point.
Batzli: Okay. I'guess the comment that I wouldn't agree with
that you made. I think you spoke well on your position but in
saying where Nez Perce is going to go, that dictated how this
development was going to be laid out. And so I think the issue
is related because it may affect the safety of Pleasant View and
if we have to realign Nez Perce, then this development may have
to be realigned and I guess that's how the issue's related.
Farmakes: I don't disagree with that. I was using that in the
connection between discussing the plot itself and a connection.
I believe the majority of people here are, and understandably so
are here talking about the connection, not the development to the
12 houses.
Batzli: I would agree. I would agree. My feeling and not having
been here at the last meeting, because I was on vacation. I
sound kind of that last thing that was on the agenda. But the
meeting that we had before that, I did raise the issue of, or at
least acknowledge the issue of safety turning left from Peaceful
Lane onto Pleasant View and I don't know if that was addressed
last meeting or not. It's going to be around the corner, up the
hill kind of a deal. And I think that interestingly enough as I
said, our original intent was to gain a north/south connection
for the purpose of safety. I don't recall~ to be quite candid,
when it became a sweeping connection that people might be tempted
to take to get onto County Road 17. I seem to remember at least
some plans that made it accessible from north to south but, and
that's kind of what I was thinking of as I was looking at the
alternative here proposed by Mr. Beddor when that was, was there
an alternative that kind of connected from cul-de-sacs but made
it very inconvenient to take as a thru street? And I don't
remember to be quite honest but it seems to me that that's kind
of the nut of the issue, at least as between the city staff and
perhaps, and maybe even the Council, I don't know. And a lot of
residents is that we are changing the traffic flow and perhaps
it's being, we've gone beyond our initial consideration on the
Planning Commission was to connect it to increase safety and for
purposes of emergency vehicles, etc. And that's what troubles me
about not really having a new traffic study is that I think
having looked at it and listened to everyone, I think we may
affect the traffic. It sounds to me like everybody wants to move
on and let the Council decide. So I don't think there's any
Planning Commission M~eting
August 18, 1993 - Page 90
support other than me to slow this baby down. I know Paul would
probably come up here and slug me if I suggested it so. Having
said that, I would entertain a motion.
Scott= I move that the Planning Commission recommend that City
Council adopt the following motion. The City Council approve
Subdivision $93-12 for Tower Heights Addition as shown on the
plans dated June 8, 1993 subject to the conditions as listed in
the staff report, i thru 18. And if there are other conditions
that would be added by other members of the Planning Commission,
I would entertain those at this time.
Mancino: I would like to add the condition that Lot 4 shall meet
the city's 15,000 square foot minimum.
Scott: Okay, that'd be condition 19. Any others?
Harberts: Does number 10 address the resolution of the Nez Perce
issue concerning EAW, staff?
Krauss: I think so. It might be useful to read it so those...
Harberts: To read what?
Krauss: Read the condition so that they understood what is being
placed on this plat.
Scott: Ail of just number 10.
Harberts: Yeah, it was number 10.
Scott: Number 10 is the preliminary and final plat approval
should be contingent upon the City upgrading Peaceful Lane and
extending Nez Perce Drive out to Pleasant View Road from the
Troendle Addition. The final plat may not be recorded nor site
construction proceed until the city has authorized a public
improvement project for the extension of Nez Perce Drive. Should
the City Council determine that the preparation of an EAW, which
is an Environment Assessment Worksheet, for the Nez Perce
extension is warranted, preliminary plat approval for Tower
Heights is contingent upon it's completion and resolution of
issues raised therein. So what does that mean?
Batzli: Why don't you finish making your motion and then let's
discuss that.
Scott: Okay. Would include the 18 conditions as listed in the
staff report and then add condition 19 that Lot 4 conform with
the city's minimum size of 15,000 square feet.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 91
Batzli:
Mancino:
Batzli:
mean?
Scott:
Batzli:
Is there a second?
Second.
Discussion.
Now ask your question. What does that
What does that mean? Nothing happens until the EAW is.
If.
Scott: If they decide they want to have it. That was a rhetorical
question.
Batzli: Okay. I thought you actually wanted us to discuss it.
Harberts: I have a comment or question. Earlier in the
discussion there was discussion about a retaining wall in the
right-of-way.
Scott: The vacated?
Harberts:
Yeah, in terms of where it went.
Mancino: On the east side of Tower Heights Drive. Wasn't it
Dave?
Hempel: That's correct. Yeah staff is comfortable with an effort
to preserve trees from existing...we would entertain placing of a
retaining wall within the city right-of-way with the
understanding the property owner or applicant enter into an
encroachment agreement for maintenance of that retaining wall in
the city right-of-way.
Harberts: Is that necessary as a condition?
Batzli: Don't they have to come in for a permit to build it?
Hempel: For construction, yes.
Batzli: But you need the easement for maintenance right now in
the conditions?
Hempel: We can get that when the party comes in for construction
of a retaining wall within the right-of-way.
Harberts: Does it need to be a condition?
Hempel: I think it would be helpful to clarify placement of it.
Planning Commis~ion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 92
Harberts: So is that a yes as a condition Dave?
Hempel: Yes it is. That's correct.
Harberts:
19 then.
I'd like to offer a friendly amendment. Item number
Scott: 20.
Harberts: 20, sorry. Long day. With terminology that the
applicant will work with staff to locate a retaining wall within
the city right-of-way and would be subject to city receiving an
encroachment easement.
Hempel: Agreement.
Harberts: Agreement from the applicant.
Hempel: Property owner.
Harberts: Property owner, thank you.
Batzli: Do you accept that?
Scott: I accept that.
Mancino: Second.
Batzli: Okay. Any other discussion? Paul.
Krauss: If I could raise an issue or concern about. The City
Council's going to be asked about whether or not the EAW...
recommendation to go ahead and do that. If there's a sense. I
mean clearly it's the City council's call but if there's a sense
the Planning Commission has as to which way they should go on it,
maybe it'd be useful for me to include that in your motion so we
could convey that to them. I mean do you think it would be
useful in the decision making process to tell us to forward your
recommendation.
Batzli: Okay. Diane, do you think it would be useful to the
Council to proceed with the EAW?
Harberts: Well I guess with the discussion with the traffic
studies proposed by the residents of that area, it sounds like if
the city wants to have a traffic study, I guess I would be in
support of an EAW. I'm not real happy that it's at the expense
of the entire city but I guess that's one of the impacts. I guess
I would also like to add, what I'm hearing from the safety issue,
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 93
that I think it is a Pleasant View Road issue rather than just 12
more houses being built. That's my personal opinion.
Resident: Excuse me, it's a Nez Perce issue and we've been
ignored and I'm sorry. I know I'm not supposed to blurt that out
but I can't stay quiet. It's Nez Perce. We are...but it's both.
Harberts: I appreciate your opinion.
said, that's where my views are.
I appreciate it and like I
Batzli: Okay. Joe, would you support an EAW?
Scott: Yeah, I think that's not the answer to the question. I
would say no. I would not recommend doing it. I think that if
we're going to commission a study to figure out what the beck to
do with Pleasant View, that's another issue. But I mean I look
at it, 12 houses. 24 cars. It's not in my back yard obviously
but if we're talking about 190 units, like we are with Mission,
that's definitely a major impact so I would say, personally I
would say no.
Batzli: Okay. Nancy.
Mancino: I support the new traffic study and I would like to,
excuse me. I would support it because of the traffic study.
Scott: Are those one in the same? A traffic study I would say
yes but is the EAW a traffic study?
Mancino: It's part of the EAW. It encompasses that. So current
new information.
Batzli: What do you think?
Farmakes: I would support it. Also outside of this, support
that the city take a look at Pleasant View as the issue itself.
And I'm not talking about the connection with Nez Perce and
Pleasant View that we're looking at here. I'm talking about
Pleasant View as it goes to the east, in particular once it wraps
around Lotus Lake, which has nothing to do with what we're
talking about here but I think that it is a major traffic hazard.
I do think that the people who organized for this particular
issue should not let that drop. I think that there's more to...
Frank Beddor: And believe me, we're not. However there's nothing
we can do except keep traffic down unless you want to widen the
road.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 94
Farmakes: No, I'm talking again that I would support the issue
that you're looking at from all points of view. I don't believe
that, unless the study shows otherwise, that this development and
that connection is going to generate that traffic that you
believe to be...I'm willing to be proved wrong on that.
Batzli: Well we may have several studies that tell us whether it
does or doesn't, and I would support the EAW as well. Is there
any other discussion?
8oott moved, Mancino seoonded that the Planning Commission
reoommend approval of Subdivision #93-12 for Tower Heights
Addition as shown on the plans dated June 8, 1993, subject to the
following oonditions:
1. Ail lots are required to have access from Tower Heights
Drive.
2. The developer shall dedicate eto the city the utilities
within the right-of-way for permanent ownership.
3. parks: Full park fees shall be accepted in lieu of land
dedication. These fees are to be paid at the time of building
permit application at the rate then in force. Current park fees
are $600.00 per lot.
a. A 20 ft easement for trail purposes shall be dedicated over
the vacated section of Peaceful Lane.
b. The applicant shall construct an 8 ft wide bituminous trail
in this easement per city specifications.
c. The applicant shall be granted full trail fee credit in
consideration for this construction. Documented expenses above
and beyond the $2,400.00 in trail fee credits to be paid by the
city.
4. Ail areas disturbed during site grading shall be immediately
restored with seed and disc-mulched or wood-fiber blanket within
two weeks of completing site grading unless the city's (BMPH)
planting dates dictate otherwise. All areas disturbed with
slopes of 3:1 or greater shall be restored with sod or seed and
wood fiber blanket.
5. The applicant shall work with the City in developing a
reforestation plan on the site. This plan shall include a list
of all trees proposed to be removed and their size. The
Planning Commi~ion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 95
vegetated areas which will not be affected by the development
will be protected by a conservation easement. The conservation
easement shall permit pruning, removal of dead or diseased
vegetation and underbrush. All healthy trees over 6" caliper at
4' height shall not be permitted to be removed. Staff shall
provide a plan which shows the location of the conservation
easement and the applicant shall provide the legal description.
Lot 12 shall be custom graded and shall provide a tree
preservation plan for staff approval prior to issuance of a
building permit. The same condition is applicable to Lot 13
should the applicant resolve the frontage and grading issues.
Staff shall have the right to require a change in house pad and
location if it will result in saving significant vegetation. A
snow fence shall be placed along the edge of the tree
preservation easement prior to grading. A retaining wall shall
be incorporated along the front property line of Lots 1, 12 and
13, in an effort to preserve trees immediately adjacent to the
right-of-way.
6. 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.
7. The applicant shall apply for and obtain permits from the
appropriate regulatory agencies, i.e. Watershed District, MWCC,
Health Department, and comply with their conditions of approval.
8. The applicant shall enter into a development contract with
the City and provide the necessary financial security to
guarantee compliance with the terms of the development contract.
9. Street right-of-way shall be increased to 60 feet in width.
10. The preliminary and final plat approval should be contingent
upon the City upgrading Peaceful Lane and extending Nez Perce
Drive out to Pleasant View Road from Troendle Addition. The
final plat may not be recorded nor site construction proceed
until the city has authorized a public improvement project for
the extension of Nez Perce Drive. Should the City Council
determine that preparation of an EAW for the Nez Perce extension
is warranted, preliminary plat approval for Tower Heights is
contingent upon it's completion and resolution of issues raised
therein.
11. The applicant shall be responsible for relocating the two
existing driveways (6500 and 6535 Peaceful Lane) to be
perpendicular with the new street and paved with a bituminous or
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 96
concrete surface between the existing driveway and the street.
12. The applicant shall be responsible for disconnecting and
reconnecting the sanitary sewer and water service to the existing
home on Lot i (Art Owens). An additional fire hydrant shall be
incorporated into the construction plans Just north of Lot 13
along Tower Heights Drive.
13. The grading plan shall be amended to provide drainage swales
along the common lot lines to convey drainage away from the house
sites along Lots 10, 11, 12 and 13. The applicant shall supply
detailed storms sewer calculations for a 10 year storm event and
provide ponding calculations for retention ponds in accordance
with City ordinance for the City Engineer to review and approve.
14. The applicant shall submit to the City soil boring
information and include a draintile System in accordance to City
standards with the construction plans.
15. The garage on Lot 12 shall be removed prior to approval of
the final plat and/or escrow if $5,000. shall be included in with
the financial securities to insure the removal of the garage.
16. The city shall sell a portion of the Water Tower land to the
developer for a price to be determined by the City Council.
17. The address for the existing home on Lot i (6535 Peaceful
Lane) shall be changed to an address on Tower Heights Drive.
18. The segment of Tower Height Drive between the extension of
Nez Perce Drive and the subdivision will be assessed back to the
developer as well as their fair share for the upgrade of Peaceful
Lane.
lg. Lot 4 shall meet the city,s 15,000 square foot minimum
requirement for lot size.
20. The applioant will work with oity staff to looate a
retaining wall within the oity right-of-way an4 wou14 be subJeot
to an enoroaohment agreement with the property owner.
All vote4 in favor, exoept Batzli who oppose4, an4 the motion
oarrie4 with a vote of 4 to 1.
Batzli: My reasons for opposing is to make the record perfectly
clear that there's a lot of people here that have safety
concerns. The city staff, regardless of whether they really want
to look at it one more time or not, needs to take a good look at
that. Thank you very much.
Planning Commission Me~ting
August 18, 1993 - Page 97
REVISED PLANS FOR THE HANUS SITE, FRED HOISINGTON.
Fred Hoisington: ...you'll remember the last time we all met on
a Wednesday morning, as I remember, we had presented an
alternative to you that suggested there may be some changes to
the Hanus building site plan. And I'd like to just kind of call
to your attention what changes have occurred since that time.
Sorry, I can't show one up in front. But if you look at the site
plans that we have here, Jeff you may have a little bit more
difficulty seeing it down there. We have negotiated or talked
with the two key occupants of this building, being Gary Brown and
the Toll Company and they are the two that have the long term
lease of about 25 years. So they have a very strong interest in
this building. The only changes we really had to make was to add
a couple of parking places here for Gary Brown with a rolled curb
in this area. The idea being that he can put higher value cars in
here and not have to park them in this area. And we did take out
one island here in the front because he does plow the snow here
and he felt that it would be a lot easier. He could accept this
one but he could not accept the one at the other end, and frankly
with the landscaping we're proposing here, it doesn't bother us a
great deal. So we're quite satisfied with that. One other
change that the Toll Company suggested was you may remember we
had this sort of a peculiar configuration so we could get some
berming in here. Their problem is that they need to manuever
trucks to back into this area and our concern, after listening to
them was that they would drive over that curb all the time. So we
decided to pull it back. Put a retaining wall in that would be
about 2'10" above the retaining wall that's there now and then
there will be large trees planted in this area, and I'll show you
that in a minute. So not substantial changes to what you've seen
already. This shows a little bit about the grading. A small
berm in this area. About 6 to 7 foot berm and the area behind.
Closing this off so really the only avenue into this is passing
on the public way into the parking lot. That's out of way but we
have made this entry 30 feet wide because semi's have to get in
here that are 55 feet long and we spent a long time at Toll this
morning who didn't believe we could make that maneuver and we
showed them how it could be done and made a slight modification
of this radius to make sure that it could be done if they ever
needed to actually manuever within this cul-de-sac. This is the
landscaping that's proposed and we kind of need some input from
you in that regard.
Batzli: More.
Fred Hoisington: More landscaping? Well, Brian there's a lot of
landscaping here. What we're going to be doing is irrigating
everything within this parameter.
Planning Commi~ion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 98
Batzli: He finds no humor at quarter to 1:00 in the morning.
Fred Hoisington: There is at this time there can be no humor. On
the top of this berm there will be a 4 foot coniferous varieties
of vegetation and then within this area, Austrian pine and they
will be 6 foot tall when they're planted.
Mancino: But they don't really screen. Austrian pine.
Fred Hoisington: Austrian pine tends to be thinner. They're
very tolerate however of the condition that exists here. Salt
tolerate trees. We can try Nancy a more dense tree here.
Mancino: Or ygur planting can be staggered.
Fred Hoisington: We don't have room to stagger. That's the
problem. There Just isn't a whole lot of space. If you're
looking from this direction, you simply won't see this building.
(There were a number of conversations going on at one time at
this point.)
Fred Hoisington: You know I have no problem with lower
vegetation here because I think a certain amount of this building
should show. What I don't want to see show are the fronts of the
cars essentially. I don't mind seeing the tops of the cars but I
don't really want to see the fronts of the cars.
Mancino: But I would like to do year round vegetation. So it
would be evergreens. You could use, or you could cut evergreens
at the top and use them as hedges.
Batzli: How about a red leaf dogwood?
Fred Hoisington: That's okay except we won't have any cover
really during the winter. A lot of twigs. We could use some
arborvitae. Arborvitae can be controlled as far as height is
concerned. If you're in agreement with something a little bit
lower in there, I think maybe we can do more investigation of
that and see what we can do because what we'd really, I don't
want to get into an argument over it with him and I'm really not
that concerned about the building showing. The building is going
to be very nice looking. It's going to be completely painted.
Scott: Yeah but the Rapid Oil Change, which is pretty obnoxious
but you know, it's nice looking for being obnoxious.
Fred Hoisington: At least it looks nice and clean there and so
forth and I think this building once it's done is also going to
Planning Commts~ion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 99
look nice and clean. That's why we're not trying to screen this
edge. We're going to paint it. And we probably won't paint it
until next year because of the signage that's there. When we
take that signage down, we have to grade and put the new signage
up and so we won't paint and put the roof on until next year.
The roof situation is the partial roof. Remember we talked
about...What we determined was that the mechanicals in there
would not, we have 12 stacks coming out of that full roof and
therefore we'll have a partial roof which is a little bit lower
and so forth but it will make a tremendous difference on this
building. The question will then be color, and of course we
talked about it. Jeff, I don't know if you have the slide of
color...
Farmakes: ...ask Sharmin. I gave her some slides. I have some
more if they don't have them. I still don't understand, if I
park my Mercedes there in that corner, he doesn't need to move
anything so I don't understand the reasoning for expanding the
parking lot.
Fred Hoisington: I think if you put it in there yourself, he
doesn't care and that's fine. If they have to move it around, he
would prefer not to take that risk and move it into a place where
it's not going to get bumped by even his own people. So I think
that's what he's, that's what he does now. He puts it in there
now. Now if you want tell him Gary, you can't do that. I don't
have any problem with that. We can put a full curb up to this
point which means we only have to leave this area open.
Farmakes: That's how I see all the drawings currently. I see
the original ones going like that and I see it like that. I know
that on occasions I have seen stuff parked up on that knoll up
there. You can see it from the highway. It doesn't look very
good. I'm Just wondering if there isn't an exemplary reason for
that, if it shouldn't be more like the plan showed there.
Fred Hoisington: I'd prefer to have it more like the plans
showing.
Batzli: What do you need from us tonight Fred? Do you need a
motion? Do you need something?
Krauss: It's not an official site plan. It doesn't require a
public hearing.
Batzli: We're going to see this though, or aren't we?
Krauss: No. It doesn't require any official action...
Planning Commi~ion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 100
Batzli: Is Council going to end up with the final say on what
hagpens here?
Krauss: The HRA.
Batzli: HRA? Okay. So if people want to see something, you
might as well, you could have a motion that this is what we want
the HRA to do with it.
Farmakes: I would just throw this out quickly. If it's possible
to expand that back to the arch of the curve like that and put in
a second tier so they can rise it up higher without affecting the
truck movement into those two bays over there. That would offer
you some more options.
Batzli: So that's one thing. What do people think about
landscaping on the west side there?
Harberts: I don't have any problem with it if it covers cars.
Batzli: We're not trying to cover the building.
Harberts: No.
Batzli: And what was the other thing you had?
Mancino: I'd like to make sure interior parking landscape is in
compliance with our new city ordinance. Are we going to have a
problem if the city is going in and developing something and
we're not even doing what we're asking others to do? Private
developers.
Krauss: First of all, we'll bring that ordinance back to the
Tree Board and one of the things that was pointed out to me by
Brad Johnson...was that when you have small parking lots like
this, it's really not possible typically to meet that standard
within the parking. Where it need it...
Scott: No, you don't want to be goofing around with a parking
lot that's that small.
Mancino: Okay. I just want to make sure one side knows what the
other one is doing.
Krauss: This is a remediation too Nancy. We're trying to fix a
problem that's 12 years old with limited land to do it. I'm
pretty confident that's the way to go.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 101
Farmakes: I would also make a motion not to expand that parking
lot as it's shown here. Yeah.
scott: What's this deal?
Harberts: It's a tree isn't it? A tree planter.
Fred Hoisington: That's a detail. So what they're going to show
is there will be no curb but it will be a little bit different
texture and I believe this is concrete and there will be a
tree...
(There were a number of conversations going on at one time at
this point.)
couh'~¥ ROaD ;~? ~'D ~(~WA¥ S.
Paul Krauss presented the staff report on this item.
Dave Leschak: Well to be very brief, my name is Dave Leschak.
I'm an architect with Hammel-Green-Abrahamson. I've been hired
by the School District for the plans for the new elementary
school. With me tonight is Bob Rothman from HGA as well as John
Gockel who is construction representative for the school
district. I would like, I realize that you all have a copy
containing the program information to date. 'One change I would
like to draw your attention to is the Chanhassen exterior
activities which is page 31. We have revised that which
originally had shown 6 ballfields and 6 soccer fields...and it's
represented on the conceptual site plan. Other than that.
Scott: Excuse me, 317
Dave Leschak: Yes, page 31. Well 31 in my...It's the Chanhassen
Exterior Activities.
Farmakes: 33.
Dave Leschak: 33. So we went from 6-, which I believe your
program information shows. We have revised that to 4. To be
brief, I would ask if you have any questions. I could review the
entire document if you want. But knowing that you people have
had this information, I would just ask if you have any questions
concerning the program or issues with the program. If not, I
would turn the presentation over to Bob Rothman who will take you
through that conceptual site plan.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 102
Farmakes: I have one quick question. How would you put 2 more
ballfields and soccer fields in that...
Dave Leechak: How would we have? Well initially we had hoped
that the site would have been capable to handle the additional
fields. The school district is looking at this land for this
facility as being prototype and for that reason we are looking to
keep this building as a single level rather than maybe being 2
levels which would reduce the size of the footprint. So as a
result this building significantly...2 stories as a result of
loss of potential...useage on this site as well as the different
boundaries between Highway 5 and where it will be in the future
as well as the widening of Galpin so when we were in the planning
phase, we were talking about another 20 acres that the park
district was going to develop. We maybe in there some
neighborhood but not quite the entire 20 acres..
Harberts: Will someone else address it but why is the school
district going to a single level rather than a tier?
Dave Leschak: Well the school district is looking at this
facility as becoming a prototype for them, which they would then
be able to put on other sites that they may have. Now it might
not include for instance a community program but the vast
majority of this building would be able to be replicated on
another site.
Farmakes: How would that serve the community?
Harberts: Well I don't know if they're that interested in
serving the community.
Farmakes: Well the community is making a contribution either
directly or indirectly.
John Dockel: My name is John Dockel and I'm the construction
representative for the District. Under normal, I shouldn't say
normal but I should say the most frequently used scenario, the
owner of a building does not own the design of the building. The
district in order to save costs negotiated with the architect in
such a way that the district will own the design of the building.
They own the drawing. They can replicate that building with an
agreement with the architect on other sites. The advantage to
taxpayers obviously is lower taxes.
Harberts: Because it's a lower cost building?
Farmakes: You're saying the district gets income from
replicating the building?
Planning Commi~ion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 103
John Dockel: No, they don't get income.
Harberts= They save architect costs. It's like using a stat over
and over and over.
John Dockel: What happened on this site, number one there's
topography that dictates what happens and as Mr. Leschak said,
when we initially looked at the site, we looked at a nominal 40
acres. Well we're still looking at a nominal 40 acres but then
all of a sudden when you lay the anticipated right-of-ways of
Highway 5, the access road to the south and Galpin, you don't
have 40 acres anymore.
Farmakes: Isn't that all the more reason to go to 2 stories?
Harberts: Well exactly. My understanding.when you build a, and
maybe I'm wrong here, that when you build out like that, it's
going to cost more. It's cheaper to build up than it is out.
Dave Leschak= Not necessarily.
John Dockel: Not necessarily. The other thing to keep in mind,
the school hasn't been designed yet. This is very early
schematics.
Bob Rothman: It's a concept plan. I think the second thing,
another thing to realize is what we've shown here is probably the
worst case, one story building. The building hasn't been
designed yet so there's a possibility it could go to 2 stories.
Secondly, if it did go to 2 story, I think what we found by doing
this exercise is that even if it did go to 2 story, I don't think
we would save enough room on the site to fit more fields on there
as it is.
Farmakes: Okay. That would be a major question for me...
inherent conflict of interest between the school district and the
community, although they're a partnership on this. Going back-to
the city relationship here behind us in relationship to the
receational community with the park...and cross use of that.
That was a major issue on the site development. That community
also would have some access when it was not being used to the
receational facilities. If there's a reason for going out rather
than up, and one way or another you couldn't get any additional
facilities there to utilize that property to the greatest extent
possible. That's certainly a question that Would come up and I
hope you have a good response for that.
John Dockel: Another thing, and this is a, Dave you can talk
about this. This is an elementary school for 1 thru 5. And yes
Planning Commi~ion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 104
you can do 2 story buildings in an elementary school but it's not
the most desireable.
Farmakes: And of course when you get city type recreation, you
get it all at the same time. In other words, you get slews of 5th.
graders and 3rd graders playing baseball or whatever. They're
all in the evening and they're all at the same time so by having
additional facilities available of course is a primary benefit to
the city. But perhaps not the school system.
Dave Leschak: Any other questions? Do you want me to review or
additional questions?
Batzli: We'll probably have a couple questions.
hear from Todd. What do you think about this?
I'd like to
Hoffman: Chairman Batzli and Commission members. Again it, I
think what you're being asked this evening and what the City
Council will be asked on Monday evening is to approve or disprove
the concept of entering into a cooperative agreement to enhance
both the school system, presence in the city of Chanhassen and
recreational presence in the city of Chanhassen. It is certainly
my interest and the interest of the Park Commission to maximize
the recreational facilities on this site. However~ the school
district certainly has a vested interest in half of the site so
what discretion we have over instructing or amending what they
do...I cannot answer that for you. The remaining 20 acres which
is under the auspices of the City of Chanhassen, we certainly
want to maximize what we have on that facility.
Scott: Can they draw us a line?
Hoffman: I think he can probably pencil one in there.
Bob Rothman: The site's been organized with the community fields
to the...
Scott: So that's the city stuff? How about city stuff, school
stuff?
Bob Rothman:
here.
Basically city stuff is oh somewhere right about
Scott: Okay. So that's the facility that can be cross used.
And then Todd you're basically going to be the guru. You're
going to have free, you and your people are going to have
control. I'll use that word, control over-the city stuff. The
school will have control over the school stuff and then you guys
will work together to trade and go back and forth so basically
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 105
you're going to be acting in the best interest of the city of
Chanhassen, like you do with all the other recreation programs
that you run.
Hoffman: But again it is my hope and desire that that line will
not be delineated...
Scott: Exactly. Because you're going to trade. That's up to you.
Hoffman: You could ask anybody where the line is out here and
they're not going to be able to tell you so. I have had
preliminary discussions with the school district on the Joint
powers agreement, we want to maximize to the benefit of the
community both the indoor facilities. Both recreational,
educational spaces for the school. In the schools program in the
community and the community program and then likewise outside...
share those facilities that we have to maximize the benefit both
during the day and at evening...As it is currently scheduled, the
city will have access to gymnasiums and...so one of the goals of
the Park Commission was to allow that use. We have a lot of
people who have...people have different schedules in today's
society and we want to be able to accommodate those.
Batzli: Okay. You've expressed an interest to maximize. That
wasn't quite my question. Are you happy with this?
Hoffman: Am I happy with this?
Batzli: Yeah.
Hoffman: Sure I'm happy with this. What more can you do?
Batzli: I don't know but that's my question. You're the expert.
You see these all the time. You've seen layouts. You know how
they're laid out. Does this look like a good plan? This is your
expertise. We're sitting here, I can see a bunch of streets lined
up but I've never looked at ballfields to see whether that's the
way you put them.
Hoffman: Okay, to answer your question. There's not much more
you can do there to maximize...actual use of physical space for
ballfield development. You also see that the soccer fields are
overlaying on the baseball fields. That's, when you're ask those
two user groups, they would like to see them separated because of
minor conflicts you see. My response would be, we'll get this
one done and we look to Bandimere Community Park, which is
another youth park...The park staff and the Park and Recreation
Commission has not identified what segments of the user groups
will be specifically slated for this location. Now that this
Planning Commi~ion M~ting
August 18, 1993 - Page 106
facility is starting to expand, we just split those up and which
groups are going to use...We're seeing a much higher rate of
youth activity in Lake Ann Park so I can tell you...
Farmakes= So the two that will be eliminated off of here, were
not supposed to be on here? Out of 6...there were only supposed
to be 4? There isn't another plan showing 6?
Hoffman: No. There's not another plan that I've seen showing 6.
Again the construction from the beginning was to maximize the use
of that space...
Dave Leschak: Initially what was done, if I may Todd. A menu
more or less was developed with some meetings between the
architects and school district and the city which developed a
menu of recreational activities. Whatever they may have been.
Whether they were fitness rooms, aerobic rooms, weight lifting
rooms, and from there we pared that menu down to what the city
felt they needed to have. At the time it was discussed that we
could get 6 fields on the site, the city would certainly see the
need that they could use those 6 fields. Now what you see here
with the conceptual site plan is you're taking another step. At
that point you really didn't we weren't even looking at the site.
We were discussing land'uses there...program sheet, that
indicates those 6 fields. When we went in and calculated the
acreage, at that time we felt as though 6 fields couldn't fit on
this site. Now we've gone back and taken it another step. We've
gotten a, developed a conceptual site plan and realized that 6
was probably an overly optimistic number...
Bob Rothman: 6 fields was purely a mathematical exercise with
the amount of land. When you look at contours, wetlands on the
site, the constraints of the enlarged, expanded Highway 5,
Galpin, that realistically that turned out to be 4.
Mancino: I have a question that I see a lot of...racquet ball
sports here. I don't see any track and field for an elementary
school which you usually see. They have track and field days and
you have your long jump and high jump areas, etc. Is there
anything like that?
Dave Leschak: Normally...I believe in your program information
was the, we have listed the school district program activities,
or exterior activities and those are activities that we would
normally program into an elementary school. That would be a
softball field, soccer field, hard surface, multi-purpose type
area that may have basketball hoops or an area where they could
play four square. And playground. We don't normally provide for
a track at an elementary school type of facility. Those you
Planning Commi=sion Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 107
would usually find at a higher, whether it be maybe a middle
school and certainly at a high school. And that is partially due
in part to the cost associated with doing a track.
Batzli: You said there's a lot of four square spots. Where's the
hard surface playground?
Bob Rothman: We've got two playgrounds. One would be associated
outside the cafeteria...another one.
Batzli: And your hockey rink is Just something that would be
flooded. You don't have permanent boards there?
Bob Rothman: Well we're talking about a few different ideas. One
suggestion was put out last week was possibly making that
actually concrete hard surface so in the summers they could play
roller hockey there.
Batzli: Any other questions? Okay. What do we need to do with
this Paul/Todd?
Krauss: Well again, this is not something that requries official
action. In the interest of getting your input. If you're
comfortable generally with the program, I'll past that word up to
the City Council on Monday. And again, you will be getting...
Batzli: Okay. I'm comfortable. I'm pleased with what it looks
like and the amenities that it will add to-the community. We
need multi purpose and the ballfields and stuff so I like it.
Did you have something you were going to add Todd?
Hoffman: To follow up on Nancy's question about the track and
field days. They do...there's a small aggregate track which is a
loop around the soccer field. That was talked about at a staff
level meeting with HGA and again...possible uses of this site are
going to be.
Harberts: I'll Just add that public transit has already
contacted...so we are on top of this.
Batzli: I think we generally like it and I don't know that we
had any specific...so we're in favor. Go for it. Thank you for
staying.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Chairman Batzli noted the Minutes of the
Planning Commission meeting dated August 4, 1993 amended by Jeff
Farmakes changing the word attractive to attractant on his
comments regarding the Target site.
Planning Commission Meeting
August 18, 1993 - Page 108
Scott moved, Mancino seconded to adjourn the meeting. Ail voted
in favor and the motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at
1:24 a.m.
Submitted by Paul Krauss
Planning Director
Prepared by Nann Opheim