PC Minutes 8-7-07
CHANHASSEN PLANNING COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
AUGUST 7, 2007
Acting Chair Papke called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Kurt Papke, Mark Undestad, Debbie Larson and Kathleen Thomas
MEMBERS ABSENT: Jerry McDonald, Dan Keefe and Kevin Dillon
STAFF PRESENT: Bob Generous, Senior Planner; Alyson Fauske, Assistant City Engineer;
and Joe Shamla, Project Engineer
PUBLIC HEARING:
REQUEST FOR A WETLAND AL TERA TION PERMIT TO CONSTRUCT A STORM
WATER POND ON PROPERTY LOCATED AT 3300 TANADOONA DRIVE.
PLANNING CASE 07-17.
Public Present:
Name
Address
Gretchen Starks
3301 Tanadoona Drive
Alyson Fauske presented the staff report on this item.
Papke: Okay, we'll start with Commissioner Larson.
Larson: I want to know what an environmental manhole is.
Fauske: Certainly. An environmental manhole is a large storm sewer structure and what it does
it has, it essentially will swirl water in through the manhole and through that swirling action
some of the sediments will drop down.
Larson: So is it a covered thing or is it an open hole or?
Fauske: It's covered.
Larson: Okay.
Fauske: Completely covered underground.
Larson: So it's not something you would see driving down a road?
Fauske: You wouldn't even see it. It would just appear as a regular manhole cover. The whole
system is under ground. It's a large chamber.
Planning Commission Meeting - August 7,2007
Larson: Okay. Thank you.
Fauske: You're welcome.
Thomas: I do have a question on option 1. What is the impact? You said the feet on the option
2 I believe the impact. What's the impact on option 1?
Fauske: Option 1 is 6,000 square feet of impact.
Thomas: Thank you. No other questions.
Undestad: No. No questions.
Papke: So just to make sure I understand the visibility from the lake here with Option 2 with, I
think you mentioned it was about 60 so, 60 feet or so of tree coverage.
Fauske: 640.
Papke: Are we expecting this to be completely invisible from the lake so boaters going by won't
even know this is there?
Fauske: That's correct.
Papke: Okay. You also mentioned that there was some differential in the tree impact there. Any
trees of substance in the area? Are these you know scrub trees? Elm or are these big oaks and
maples. Qualitatively, should we be concerned about tree loss or anything of that sort?
Fauske: Qualitatively a lot of them have sustained some damage because of the seasonal
inundation. . . in looking through the report, I don't know that, I think she said that was mostly
sugar maples, basswood forest in the upland area. And there's not a lot of upland area within the
area we'd be ponding.
Papke: Yeah. I'd expect there to be box elder, you know things that would survive degradation.
Fauske: Correct, and ones that could not sustain the inundation have died.
Papke: Alright. Alright. Any differential in visibility to the surrounding properties? The home
to the south is reasonably close to this. From their perspective, would there be any qualitative
difference in the two proposals?
Fauske: Yes there will. There'll be some tree clearing along through here and we'll be talking to
the property owners and it's staffs recommendation to provide up to 6 trees that are appropriate
for one, the slope and two, the amount of water in the area to give him some screening. We
wanted to leave it open so that the property owner could work with staff so that we're not saying
we will be putting in these types of trees. We wanted to work with him. See what his screening
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Planning Commission Meeting - August 7,2007
requirements are. Does he want something more in line with what was in previously or would he
like to see maybe screening with an evergreen so we're remaining flexible with that, to work with
the property owner. And then to the north where the camp is, we've been having a lot of
conversations with the camp. You know there was a lot of, is this an attraction for campers to
head over there and there's actually quite a substantial wooded area from their beachlot for them
to travel and find the storm water basin. We feel that it's really quite well hidden.
Papke: Any other questions of staff?
Larson: One more. Can you point out on the map where the drainage manhole is?
Fauske: Certainly. The drainage manhole that we've already shown, and I apologize it's not a
really clear drawing. This would be the roadway. Through here. The manhole option would be
approximately at this location.
Papke: Okay. At this point I'd like to open up the public hearing for public comments. If there's
any members of the community that would like to get up and speak or ask questions on these,
please do so. If you'd step to the podium please and give your name and address for the public
record.
Gretchen Starks: Everybody knows me. Gretchen Starks, 3301 Tanadoona Drive. I just had a
question on the property, on the new construction, it's my understanding that it would put curb
and gutter up, is it going to be from my driveway all the way around or is it just halfway down
now?
Fauske: There's two different kinds of curb. Of curb and gutter style they're looking at. On the
north side is what we call high back. It's where it meets the 90 degree curb, and that's because of
the slopes on the camp property and to get good flow characteristics through that. On the south
side, near where your wetland complex is, it's called a ribbon gutter and that's essentially just a
concrete gutter to go and channel the flow and to keep the drainage characteristics.
Gretchen Starks: Probably going down to flow, and there will be a culvert going down over to
the new retaining pond, is that correct?
Fauske: There will be two culverts.
Gretchen Starks: From my, where mine is? Nothing has been changed so.
Papke: It might be helpful to point out where she lives.
Fauske: Certainly. Mrs. Starks lives at this location right there.
Papke: Oh, okay.
Fauske: What she's referring to Commissioner Papke is that there's a wetland complex right
through here. On the north side we're not putting storm sewer in the majority of Tanadoona
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Planning Commission Meeting - August 7,2007
Drive because of grades, so we're leaving that to the existing flow conditions which is going to
the south to the wetland complex through here, and what we're looking at, what Mrs. Starks
question is, as we've been working with her and her folks to come up with a plan for some...
running along here, her driveway location is right here. The wetland is coming in in this location
at the west side of the berm because we're unable to get this storm sewer to the pond that we're
proposing so this will carry a little bit of runoff. There's an existing culvert right here so we need
to put some storm sewer in through here and then of course further, keep it further to the west
we'll be replacing the culvert that existingly connects those two drainageways.
Gretchen Starks: So the berm should also keep some of that south and stuff from the road...?
Fauske: Correct.
Gretchen Starks: Storms in the.
Fauske: Yes. It will channel it to the west.
Gretchen Starks: Excellent. That's all I wanted.
Papke: Thank you. Any other members of the public like to comment or question? Okay.
Seeing none, bring it back to the commissioners. Any comments? Issues? Things you want to
discuss?
Larson: No, I'm good.
Papke: Alright, I'll entertain a motion.
Larson: The Planning Commission recommends that the City Council Wetland Alteration
Permit. Is this the correct one?
Papke: Yep.
Larson: 0-17 to permit 2,100 square feet of wetland alteration subj ect to the following
conditions, 1 through 4.
Papke: Okay. Is there a second?
Thomas: Second.
Larson moved, Thomas seconded that the Planning Commission recommends that the
Planning Commission approve Wetland Alteration Permit 07-17 to permit 2,100 square
feet of wetland alteration subject to the following conditions:
1. Erosion control blanket shall be installed on all slopes greater than or equal to 3: 1. All
exposed soil areas shall have temporary erosion protection or permanent cover year round,
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Planning Commission Meeting - August 7,2007
according to the following table of slopes and time frames:
Type of Slope
Steeper than 3: 1
1 0: 1 to 3: 1
Flatter than 10: 1
Time
7 days
14 days
21 days
(Maximum time an area can
remain open when the area
is not actively being worked.)
These areas include constructed stormwater management pond side slopes, and any exposed
soil areas with a positive slope to a stormwater conveyance system, such as a curb and gutter
system, storm sewer inlet, temporary or permanent drainage ditch or other natural or man
made systems that discharge to a surface water.
2. A minimum of six trees will be planted on site. Native species shall be used.
3. Tree protection fencing shall be installed at the edge of grading limits prior to any
construction activity.
4. Tree removal limits shall be inspected by the Environmental Resources Specialist prior to
any removals."
All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 4 to o.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Commissioner Undestad noted the summary and verbatim
minutes of the Planning Commission meeting dated June 19,2007 and the summary minutes of
the work session meeting dated July 17, 2007 as presented.
OPEN DISCUSSION:
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DISCUSSION: TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT.
Papke: So now we'll have our open discussion of the comprehensive plan. Members of the
public you're welcome to stick around to listen to this. It's not a public hearing. We won't be
voting on anything. This is, but if you'd like to hear a little bit about what's happening with
transportation, you're welcome to listen. Do we want to meet informally or should we stay up
here?
Generous: You can stay up there. I don't have anything to put up. Well I have this. Part of it,
we'll talk about some of the road projects. As everyone probably heard, the 212, or 312 project
is ahead of schedule and so we're looking at the opening up to 41 this year potentially instead of
just to Powers Boulevard so that's, will be nice for us. We won't have the end of the freeway
here and hopefully it will help with some of our local road issues. We're looking at working with
Victoria, Waconia, and Norwood-Young America on expanding the Highway 5 west from
Chanhassen. Right now it's 4 lanes up to the 41 and then it goes back to 2 lanes. Within both the
county, Chanhassen's comp plan and the County plan we know that it needs to be widened. The
County comp plan is looking at potentially having that 4 lanes west of Victoria by 2030 so. So
we're working on that. That's the assumption they're going on. We'll see if there's enough
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