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2019 08-20-pcCHANHASSEN PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING AUGUST 20, 2019 Chairman Weick called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT: Steve Weick, Mark Undestad, Mark Randall, Michael McGonagill, Doug Reeder, and Laura Skistad MEMBERS ABSENT: John Tietz STAFF PRESENT: Bob Generous, Senior Planner; and George Bender, Assistant City Engineer PUBLIC HEARING: LIFE TIME FITNESS PARKING LOT ADDITION SITE PLAN REVIEW. Weick: Bob, if you want to take it away. Generous: Yes thank you Chairman, commissioners. As you stated we have a public hearing tonight is a Life Time Fitness parking lot, Planning Case number 2019-09. It’s site plan review for 184 space parking lot expansion. This site, the applicant is Life Time and LTF Real Estate Company is the property owner. As you stated this item is going to Planning Commission, or to City Council next Monday night so it’s a quick turnaround. The property is located at 2970 Water Tower Place. It’s Lot 1, Block 1, Arboretum Business Park 5th Addition. It’s just to the west of this is Highway 41. There’s about a 14 foot drop down from the right-of-way to this site. At some time in the future if 41 is ever lowered that roadway will connect and there’ll be a right- in/right-out at that location. Previously this site had been used for an outdoor exercise facility but now they’re coming in to provide additional parking for the Life Time campus. They own the 3 properties to the north of this as well as the office building to the east of it. The site plan approval for a 213 stall parking lot. They’re adding 184 parking stalls to the site. When the office building to the east of this was built they provided a row of parking that just intruded onto this site. There’s a drive aisle that goes down the middle of the two property lines. As part of the subdivision for the 5th Addition there is cross access and cross easement agreements that were recorded for the two sites. The property is guided for Office Industrial use. It’s zoned Planned Unit Development. It’s the Arboretum Business Park Planned Unit Development. Office and health club parking are permitted uses in the PUD. Not very exciting site plan. It’s a basic parking lot. They’re complying with all the requirements of our ordinance with it. They’re trying to come in as part of this we will put other improvements in. Lighting for the parking area. Landscaping and stormwater improvements. As part of the site plan they don’t show any signage for the property. However under the zoning they would be permitted to come in with a monument sign if they so desired. Grading plan. The site is fairly level right now. They’re just going to grade it out so it drains towards the northeast I believe it is. There will be catch basins Chanhassen Planning Commission – August 20, 2019 2 on that side to take the water to the infiltration system. They will be providing quite a bit of landscaping on this site. I was sort of excited of making this slide because I was able to add both the legend and the plan together so we can tell what those symbols mean. They provided overstory parking. The aisles that don’t have any overstory parking in it will have light poles ins them so we didn’t, we have understory trees that they work out a lot better for everyone. And landscaping does need to be irrigated so they’ll have to incorporate that. That conflicts with one of the conditions that engineering had about abandoning the water service so they’d have to resolve that. As you’ve seen in a lot of new developments the stormwater system is an underground infiltration system so they’ll have the water go through and be treated and then it will connect into the existing stormwater system that goes down the hill to Arboretum Business Park outlot which is an centralized stormwater pond. Staff is recommending approval of the site plan subject to the conditions in the staff report. I should note that condition number 3 of the planning conditions should be deleted. It inadvertently got copied from another report and so, but there’s no articulation in any architecture with this site plan so. And adoption of the Findings of Fact and Recommendation. With that I’d be happy to answer any questions. Weick: Anybody can jump in. Reeder: Mr. Chairman my question is why do they need so much extra parking that we don’t have now? Weick: Is that something better for the applicant? Generous: Yeah I believe the applicant will be able to address that one. Weick: Can we save that one? Reeder: Yeah. Weick: Perfect. McGonagill: So Bob how many, if you can tell me, how many parking spaces are there today and where are they proposing to go to? I’m trying to get a percentage of growth on it. Generous: On this specific site or overall? McGonagill: It looks like to me it’s a corporate site. They’re all… Generous: Yeah the applicant has those numbers I believe. And I believe business has been good for them and so that’s why they need those. Chanhassen Planning Commission – August 20, 2019 3 McGonagill: Well yeah it’s always busy there but outside of this, I mean refresh my memory. The last growth, the last plan that was approved there for the expansion was when? 2008? 2017? Generous: Yeah, for expansion? McGonagill: Well you know they made some building recently here. Generous: Yeah those were approved like 10 years ago. McGonagill: Okay. Generous: And then they built the health club and the first office building and then they started the second office building and finally are in for completing that project. McGonagill: And so that second office building was approved when? Generous: Oh about 10 years ago. It was a two phase development. McGonagill: Okay thanks. Generous: I think I had that in the history. McGonagill: 2004, thanks. Generous: So 15 years ago. Yeah August, 2004 it was approved. Weick: Any other questions for the City? Are you thinking Mr. McGonagill? McGonagill: Oh no I’m done. Weick: Okay I didn’t know if you were pondering something else or not. Okay. Yeah go ahead. Skistad: I had several things. I’m just wondering is that a second, are the office buildings just Life Time office buildings or are they going to be rented out to other businesses? Generous: I believe they’re all for the corporate operations. And they actually reduced the floor space for offices on the second office building to provide additional interior parking stalls so. They’ve got too many people driving. Weick: Okay, well it sounds like we have a few questions for the applicant but I will certainly allow you to make a presentation first if you want to add anything. Chanhassen Planning Commission – August 20, 2019 4 Justin Schmidt: So we’re just doing a quick, sorry. Weick: Oh that’s okay. Justin Schmidt: One sec. Weick: Yeah take your time. Well don’t take your time but take some time. Generous: I need to…for all this stuff. Reeder: Mr. Chairman when they got approval for the second office building they’re building on every corner which was parking approved with that? I mean I assume it was. I mean. Generous: Mr. Chairman yes. They meet our standards down below. It’s just their operation is such that they need a lot more. They need more. Reeder: I mean because parking lots don’t pay a lot of taxes. Generous: No. Weick: Yeah. McGonagill: I assume they’re still within the code for hard pan with this. Like the number of impervious surfaces percentage, I didn’t look at that. Generous: Yes they comply with the ordinance requirement. And also as part of it getting the stormwater improvements so they’re getting the pre-treatment of the water before it goes into our system. McGonagill: Okay thank you. Skistad: So does that save us money from a, a state standpoint if we treat it. If it’s treated first and then it goes into the stormwater. Generous: George I don’t know if we can answer this. Pre-treatment saves the City any money in our system? Bender: I don’t know 100 percent for sure but I don’t believe it does. Skistad: It seems like it should, doesn’t it? Bender: Like I said I couldn’t say for sure. Chanhassen Planning Commission – August 20, 2019 5 Generous: I would venture that we save because they are responsible for the maintenance of that system as opposed to the City having to do those so. Long term. Weick: Well welcome. Justin Schmidt: Thank you. Weick: Yeah you bet. Justin Schmidt: I’m Justin Schmidt, a manager for Life Time. We didn’t prepare any presentation but I came here of course to answer any questions and we were just doing some quick math on that existing parking versus the proposed. So existing parking for the campus, so that would be the 3 buildings that would be on let’s say the Life Time campus plus the Water Tower Place piece, that’s 1,221 stalls. Weick: Okay. Justin Schmidt: We’re adding about 24 percent more for a total of 1,519 because we’ll have some head in stalls on the Life Time lots we’ll call them on the north and the south side and then we’ll have the Water Tower Place addition, that’s the easiest way to sort of make sense. As far as additional parking, yeah to Bob’s point. We’ve grown. We’ve expanded staff wise in incredible amounts so that’s why we’re building Corp 2 and then just realizing that parking was not going to work as far as coinciding with how well the fitness piece has been doing. Weick: So that kind of answers why, I think why so much parking is needed. Reeder: Well I’m still not sure. Are we exceeding what we require for parking? Is that what I’m hearing? Justin Schmidt: Yeah. Yeah requirement baseline yes. Reeder: And what you’re saying is that you’re 200 spaces short from your daily requirement for parking? Justin Schmidt: We believe so. Yes. Reeder: Based on? Justin Schmidt: Well it’s talking with traffic engineers and just internal data. Reeder: Okay. Chanhassen Planning Commission – August 20, 2019 6 Justin Schmidt: In order to help relieve parking too we actually, Corp 2 was supposed to be 3 levels of office. The first level is actually still parking so we actually took out the congestion of one level of that building just to alleviate some of that parking. Because if Corp 2 was built out we’d need even more parking. Reeder: Corp 2 is the one? Justin Schmidt: Sorry that’s the building that’s under construction. Reeder: Under construction now. Justin Schmidt: Correct, yep. McGonagill: So is your plan to build it out and so will you be back here again doing this again? Justin Schmidt: Hopefully not. It’s just parking now. McGonagill: If you build out the Corp 2 to become offices or is it always going to be parking? Justin Schmidt: So the first level of Corp 2 is going to be parking forever. Indefinitely. You know to my knowledge and then the second and third levels will be occupied for office. So we’ll have a basement, underground parking in the basement. The first level will be at grade parking inside and then second level and third level will be occupied by office. McGonagill: So I guess the question I have, you have a 24 percent miss in parking spots. What busted? Justin Schmidt: Well the thing that put it over the edge was the construction of Corp 2 and the mobilization area that’s needed to construct that. You know we missed out on all that surface stalls that are currently being occupied by construction equipment. McGonagill: But that will be taken care when construction is done right? Justin Schmidt: Yes. And so then indefinitely when Corp 2 was built just we were going to have to find a parking solution. McGonagill: So is this a temporary parking solution since you’re taking up these corporate stalls with construction equipment? Once that’s done then those stalls re-up again. Justin Schmidt: We’ll still those. Chanhassen Planning Commission – August 20, 2019 7 McGonagill: So I’m not following you. The bust was you just said that it was due to the fact that you had construction equipment on existing parking lot and you took it out of service for a while. Justin Schmidt: Sorry, and in addition with Corp 2 being built that was just going to cause an additional parking constraint. McGonagill: But you didn’t put that in the original design for Corp 2? Justin Schmidt: I don’t think, I don’t think we anticipated how well the athletic piece parking wise was going to take up. Reeder: Mr. Chairman when we considered Corp 2 did we have a parking plan that said they gave us this much parking as they’re required to have? Generous: Yes under, Mr. Chairman under city code they did meet the requirements. Reeder: With or without their first floor parking? Generous: Without that first floor parking. They put an additional. Reeder: So that building stands on it’s own without this lot? Generous: Yes. From a zoning standpoint but from their operation standpoint it’s not meeting their needs. Skistad: And so that was 10 years ago. So 10-15 years ago, okay. Weick: And there was another question, I think Commissioner Skistad asked, and I think we know the answer but these are Life Time only uses for these buildings. Justin Schmidt: Correct. Weick: You’re not renting out space to other people. Justin Schmidt: No. McGonagill: But if you had to take the growth between the 24 percent, the 24 percent swag that you’re going to, how much is consumed, of that is really being consumed by users as opposed to your staff so you think? The growth. I’m just trying to get a feel for it. Justin Schmidt: I would attribute a majority to staff. I guess I couldn’t give you a percentage. I would say a majority. A high majority. Chanhassen Planning Commission – August 20, 2019 8 McGonagill: Where are they parking today since you don’t have it? Justin Schmidt: There’s a temporary parking lot in this alpha field right now. McGonagill: Oh in the. Justin Schmidt: Where we’re proposing to park. To put in an asphalt parking lot. Reeder: And how many cars fit in that? Justin Schmidt: I think, I mean it’s not striped. It was just a temporary lot to relieve congestion during construction. Reeder: Are we talking 200 or? Justin Schmidt: It’s probably 150. It’s not as big as what the buildout is proposed to be. Reeder: Okay. Okay, alright. That’s helpful. I mean it’s refreshing to have somebody provide as much parking as you actually need. Weick: I would agree with you. Reeder: You know they put a parking ramp up…on this huge parking lot too. Weick: Well they’re expensive. I won’t speak for you. Justin Schmidt: They are. Weick: Good. Kristie Elfering: And if I can just interject. Weick: Yes please. Kristie Elfering: My name is Kristie Elfering. I’m with Elfering and Associates. We assisted Life Time with the site civil work. Weick: Welcome. Kristie Elfering: And I’m going to throw a little wrinkle in there I guess that we weren’t aware of, that Bob was mentioning in his presentation is a requirement for irrigation. We actually had a meeting with the watershed this morning and they were pretty adamant that we not irrigate it and Chanhassen Planning Commission – August 20, 2019 9 that’s going to be part of their requirements so I guess we would look for a, I don’t know if that would be a variance then or. McGonagill: So does that affect the trees? Kristie Elfering: No. So all of the trees are planning on being there and then what we’re going to do is there will be a rock, I’m going to call a trench I guess beneath it that will connect into the storm sewer system so the roots will be able to go down into the ground and draw from our underground storm system and so that was why it was required to not be infiltrated. That we’re not adding additional water on the top. That we’re meeting kind of our requirements through that. Generous: And that type of system would meet the irrigation requirements. Weick: Okay. Kristie Elfering: So I guess yeah I just wanted to be clear that we weren’t going against our. Weick: Anything is written right? Okay. Kristie Elfering: Okay just wanted to be clear because I just talked to the watershed and I didn’t want to go back to them and be like oh now we’re irrigating. Weick: Thank you. That’s very good information. Well thank you very much. Appreciate it. At this time we will open the public hearing portion. Anyone wishing to come forward and speak an opinion. Seeing nobody come forward I will close the public hearing and open this item for commissioner discussion. I’ll start. I will say as a member of Life Time Chanhassen I have had to leave, I’ve driven in. I’ve driven around and I’ve had to leave because I could not find a parking. And I was like ah, I’m not going to circle around and wait right, so I just, I went back home. So it happens. It happens at this club. It happens at other clubs too as a matter of fact. I would say that’s a good problem to have probably. But I think any additional parking, whether it be for members or for employees is probably needed for sure and will help alleviate for them you know some headaches I would imagine. Other thoughts or comments? Undestad: Looks good to me. Growth is always good. Weick: Certainly entertain a motion if someone is so. Undestad: Well I’ll make a motion. That the Chanhassen Planning Commission recommends approval of the site plan for 184 space parking lot expansion subject to the conditions of approval and adopts the Findings of Fact and Recommendation. And Bob do we need to do anything with number 3 in there? Chanhassen Planning Commission – August 20, 2019 10 Generous: Oh yeah delete. Weick: Condition number 3. Undestad: Delete planning condition number 3. Weick: We have a valid motion. Do we have a second? Randall: Second. Weick: We have a valid motion and a second. Any comment regarding this item before we vote? Undestad moved, Randall seconded that the Chanhassen Planning Commission recommends approval of the site plan for a 184 space parking lot expansion for a off-site parking lot for the Life Time Fitness campus, subject to the following conditions and adoption of the Findings of Fact and Recommendation: Building 1. The addition of parking spaces requires additional accessible parking spaces be provided per the Minnesota Accessibility Code. The additional accessible spaces shall be distributed to locations at or near the accessible entrances of the four Life Time buildings noted on the plan. Engineering 1. On sheet C1.00: Under the governing specification notes, reference the City of Chanhassen’s Standard Specifications and Detail Plates. 2. On sheet C2.00: Existing utilities illustrated on Water Tower Place do not match city records, the developer should request appropriate shape files and as-builts from the city to accurately depict existing locations of utilities for clarity (e.g. the fire hydrant located on the east corner of the driveway approach to 2932 Water Tower Place is not illustrated, draintile in the area is not illustrated, etc.). 3. On sheet C3.00: Field locate the existing sanitary sewer service stub and have the plans updated to the exact location; electrical wiring is not illustrated between lights to be removed, show all electrical wiring and call-out removal; plans indicate the reuse and salvage of existing gravel, illustrate location of stockpiles either on sheet C3.00 and sheet C6.00. 4. On sheet C5.00: From the “Utilities Symbols” the existing and proposed storm manhole appear the same, adjust for clarity; from the “Utilities Symbols” there are multiple line Chanhassen Planning Commission – August 20, 2019 11 types/symbols that are unused in the plan sheets, remove any unused line types for clarity, also ad symbol for “light grey” pavement that is hatched within majority of work area; add ADA compliant ramps; storm structures (catch basins, storm manholes, etc.) that have inverts should be labeled with direction of invert (N, S, E, W) connection type (IN/OUT); illustrate locations of access pits for Stormtech system; RCP pipe from CB 6 to STMH 5 shall be 15” diameter; adjust symbol if storm infrastructure is called out as STMH as currently all STMH’s are symbolized as proposed catch basins; show connection to outlet control structure and reference detail and/or sheet the detail is located on for clarity (STMH 7); reference city detail #5207 for driveway entrance off Water Tower Place; correct name to Water Tower Place; connection to existing STMH on southeast corner of site references “verify existing invert,” applicant shall field verify and update plans accordingly; add note to abandon 6” PVC sanitary stub and to coordinate with Public Works @ 952-227-1300 48-hours prior to commencement of work. 5. On sheet C6.00: Call out for rock construction entrance should also illustrate the entrance on plans; remove silt fence where rock construction entrance is located for proper ingress/egress; relocate silt fence on far east side to the edge of the extents of proposed grading (approximately 40’ to the west), and not on existing impervious surface, adaptively manage with bio logs and other approved erosion control BMPs when tying in new and existing bituminous; show stockpile of salvaged gravel and methods for erosion and sediment control; remove call out for existing and proposed contour and add line types to symbols. 6. On sheet C8.00: The planting legend indicates areas where work would include “sod- disturbed areas”, however no areas are proposed or illustrated to be sodded, update accordingly. 7. On sheet C10.00: Add applicable city details per updates required from Conditions 1-6, which includes, but are not limited to, driveway details, erosion control details, and storm pipe bedding details. 8. On sheet C13.00: Provide MPCA issued Construction Stormwater General Permit; update SWPPP to include every requirement listed under Sections 5.2-5.26 of the NPDES general permit. 9. On sheet E0.1: Light pole base detail does not provide dimensions of concrete base, rebar spacing, depths, etc., update accordingly; electrical conduit/wire is difficult to read on plans, enlarge text for clarity; provide legend; provide north arrow; Key Note 3 shall replace the word “abandon” with “remove”; Key Note 4 indicates “conductors to be removed”, locate conductors on plan. 10. Provide an updated stormwater report that indicates the property owner and their contact information along with the consultant/engineer who produced the analysis and their contact information. Chanhassen Planning Commission – August 20, 2019 12 11. The stormwater report indicates that the underground system will utilize biofiltration. Provide an update to the report that clarifies how biofiltration will be achieved. Environmental Resources 1. All parking lot islands and peninsulas that contain a tree must have an inside width of 10 feet. Parking lot landscaped islands and peninsulas are required to have proper planting soil and irrigation. Planning 1. The applicant shall enter into a Site Plan Agreement and provide the security required by it prior to receiving a building permit. 2. A separate sign permit application, review and approval shall be required prior to site sign installation. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 6 to 0. Weick: Hearing none the motion passes 6 to 0. McGonagill: Not too often that happens. Weick: I had to do quick math there. Great we’ll move on to new business. NEW BUSINESS. Weick: Any new business? Mr. Generous. Generous: Yes on your next Planning Commission meeting you have 4 items. Moon Valley is back in for it’s Interim Use Permit. It expires in September and so they need to re-up it. Tequila Butcher is coming in for site plan approval. They are slightly expanding their space but they’re over what we can do administratively. They’re going to put two outside patios on but it adds too much square footage and I can’t do that at the staff level so you’ll see a public hearing. Plus there’s a variance. The want to increase the hard cover on the site. They’re at 70 percent. It looks like they’re going to increase that by 2 percent. We have a variance at 3713 South Cedar Drive. That’s a front yard setback and hard cover variance. And then we have a variance for 6641 Minnewashta Parkway. They’re proposing to replace their existing garage and expand it. Right now it’s under sized so I think it’s like 19 feet wide and they want to go to 24. And but it will go into their side yard setback so we need a variance for that. They are over on hard cover but they’re reducing their overage so we think it’s a plus for everyone so that’s what you’ll be seeing on September 3rd. Weick: Bring your coffee. Chanhassen Planning Commission – August 20, 2019 13 McGonagill: Bob on the Tequila and the Butcher. One of the things I would like to see or at least the discussion when you come in is the relationship between that parking lot and the CVS next door or a Walgreen’s, whatever it is Skistad: Walgreen’s. McGonagill: Walgreen’s. You know if they’re going to plan to use that? Are they not? Is there going to be ability to access that parking lot you know across right there? You know what I’m talking to. Generous: Yeah there’s, I can answer that right now but it also will be in the report. There are cross parking agreements between that whole development and they are allocated 24 of those stalls. McGonagill: Okay well I just, I just so you know. You know I’ll be looking for that and also hopefully there will be a drive thru so you don’t have to go back on the street and come back into the lot. You know make a loop. That’s what I’m looking to see. Just, I don’t know if that’s appropriate Mr. Chairman. Weick: Sure. It’s appropriate in my book. McGonagill: Okay that’s just, once again… Weick: …but that certainly is fine. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Commissioner Randall noted the verbatim and summary Minutes of the Planning Commission meeting dated July 16, 2019 as presented. COMMISSION PRESENTATIONS. None. ADMINISTRATIVE PRESENTATIONS. Weick: I think we heard, I might have jumped the gun a little bit. We heard some of the administrative presentations. Are there any City Council action updates? Generous: Yes, Lotus Woods was approved on July 22nd. That was a final plat for that two lot subdivision. However it’s tied up in some legal issues and so we’ll see where that goes. And the City accepted the public streets and utilities in Anthem on the Park. And then on August 12th the council approved Ordinance 644 which was the Fire Code amendments to city code. You covered the Chapter 18 revisions and Chapter 20. The conditional use permit for the Xcel meter tower was approved south of the high school. And they approved the final plat construction Chanhassen Planning Commission – August 20, 2019 14 plans and specifications for Park One so that’s the City got about almost 100 acres of open space. 50 acres of wetlands. Weick: Oh that one, yeah sure. Generous: Prince’s old property so. And previously they had approval to start the grading so that’s a lot of the trees are coming down as part of that and people are upset to see the change. Now we have, the City has that survey online about what people want to see in that so encouraging people to respond to that and let us know what they’re looking for as part of the buildout of that open space so. Weick: Yeah. Skistad: Do you know how many people have responded? Generous: I’ve heard that the response is good but I don’t know the numbers yet. I think they’re going to give an update at council on Monday so. Weick: And there’s something noted here about a Star Tribune article. Generous: It’s the County is booming with people coming to our community. Weick: Is that what it was? Generous: That’s what it was and people even who have left previously are now coming back for the great lifestyle that we have. You know we have the number one in health. Number one is wealth in the metro area so you know it’s a great place to be. Lots of amenities. Weick: And places for them to live now too. Generous: And the business community is just growing too. Weick: Sounds like planning. Bender: I heard they’re starting to sell lots. Weick: Are they really? Generous: In The Park, yeah. Bender: Yep. Weick: So they’ve got it kind of, they’ve got it all staked out and everything or? Chanhassen Planning Commission – August 20, 2019 15 Bender: I think it’s more mapped out. Weick: Mapped out yeah. Beautiful land. McGonagill: Bob you talk about the business, have you had many discussions with, because we get this question a lot about higher end restaurants, those sort of things coming in. Talking about that. I mean the Tequila and the Butcher’s coming. Are there any others that you’re, is there any action on that? Generous: Well not the new restaurants but we do have some people are looking at the Perkins site. McGonagill: Yes. Generous: To re-use that so. McGonagill: So there is some action on that? Generous: There’s action on that and then when Avienda comes forward as part of their Lifestyle Center they had restaurants included as part of that so. McGonagill: Okay thank you. Skistad: Do we have any idea when Avienda is going to move? Bender: Million dollar question. Answer is no. We’re waiting on them. Every time they come in with something we respond and then we wait. Weick: Great. Well great discussion this evening. I would entertain a motion to adjourn at this point. Commissioner Undestad moved to adjourn the meeting. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 6 to 0. The Planning Commission meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p.m. Submitted by Kate Aanenson Community Development Director Prepared by Nann Opheim