1978 11 15
REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING NOVEMBER 15, 1978
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Roman Roos called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. with the following
members present: Jerry Neher, Walter Thompson, Pat Swenson, Tim Stone,
and Mal MacAlpine. Dick Matthews came late. Craig Mertz, Bob Waibel,
Mark Koegler, and Bill Brezinsky were present.
MINUTES: Jerry Neher moved to approve the October 25, 1978, Planning
Commission minutes. Motion seconded by Walter Thompson. The following
voted in favor: Roman Roos, Jerry Neher, Walter Thompson, Pat Swenson,
and Tim Stone. Mal MacAlpine abstained. Motion carried.
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SKETCH PLAN REVIEW - CHRISTMAS LAKE WOODS: The Centurion Company is
requesting to subdivide approximately 11 acres on the southwest shore of
Christmas Lake into 21 residential lots. The property is located in
the northeast quadrant of the intersection of Pleasant View Road and
Powers Blvd,and is zoned R-l. Sanitary sewer and water are available
to the property. The City Engineer and Assistant City Planner walked
the property. They recommended Minnehaha Creek Watershed District
review the plans concerning the storm water run-off. A representative
of McCombs-Knutson was presentoto expl~in the proposal. The average
lot size is 20,800 square feet and the four lots that front on Christmas
Lake average 30,400 square feet. The property would be serviced by
two cul-de-sacs off of Pleasant View Road. One cul-de-sac will require
a variance in its length due to the topography of the area.
Bill Brezinsky - The topography of the site, we believe, would preclude
an entrance at, any other point than where the western
cul-de-sac is shown. This is about the only point
where you can enter the property and still maintain
the ordinance required grades. The two cul-de-sacs
could be connected but it would be a useless connection
because of the steepness of the grade. The run off
should he directed to the low'ponding area with an
overflow pipe to the lake. Some of the lots will
drain directly to the creek. We have had problems with
that creek before and I don't know what kind of
restrictions we can make on the development of these
lots so that there won't be that much more drainage
going into the creek or what improvements to the creek
bed itself should be required. A lot of these
drainage questions would be answered when we see the
final grading plan and also after the Minnehaha Creek
Watershed District has a chance to look at the plan
and which we would recommend.
Tim Stone - When they do come back I would like to see a little more
definitive information on exactly where the intersection
of Powers Blvd. and Pleasant View Road is. I would like
to emphasize your concern about the drainage. I would hope
that whatever information that we do get on the drainage
is fairly specific.
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Jim Meyer, area resident, was present to state his objections to the
density of the proposal.
Dick Matthews came at 8:00 p.m.
Planning Commission Meeting November 15, 1978
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SITE PLAN REVIEW - COUNTRY KITCHEN: Country Kitchen International
is proposing to construct a restaurant on property located east of .-
Dakota Avenue known as Outlot 2 Chanhassen Estates. The property is ..,
zoned C-2 and sewer and water are available. The proposed plan is
adequate to ordinance standards for the number of parking spaces,
however, the southeasterly most two spaces encroach within the setback
for parking areas as required by ordinance. The proposal does not meet
the threshold for watershed district review as it is 3/4 acre. The
property will be leased from the owners of Outlot 2. The sign for
the proposed development must be reviewed by the Sign Committee.
The Assistant City Planner further recommended that the westerly most
egress onto the property should be eliminated to give more stacking
room from the frontage road to Dakota Avenue.
Terry Savchek, representing Country Kitchen, Gene Reilley and Robert
Mason were present.
Terry Savchek - We had a short informal meeting last week and I talked
with Mr. Mason after ,the meeting and it is his
understanding that if they develop the property to
the east we will have cross easements rights with
Mr. ,Mason so we would like to leave the parking as
is. -Bob was~talking about closing off the western
curb cut. Initially we would like to request that
we could have this curb cut until the traffic became
severe from MTS'and then at the discretion of the
city we would elect to close it. At the moment we
dontt-feel it would be a stacking problem. We will ~
try to keep as much of the trees as we can. We have -
plans to put our own. I brought a picture of one of
our typical restaurants so you can see how the decor
will fit in. The trash area will be enclosed and
bricked so that it won't look unsightly.
Roman Roos - There is about 9.6 acres in Outlot 2 of which this is
approximately 3/4 of an acre. The thing that I am really
concerned about is the expanse of the parking area bein?
one solid blacktop area. _ I have to go along with staff s
feeling about some kind of a buffer in order to give us
some way of breaking whatever development we might find
east on that property. I think it is a very good use of
the land.
Pat Swenson - As I understand it, this would be facing Dakota so actually
the landscaping would be facing Dakota and the station
across the street, according to the map T see here what
would you propose between the building and Highway 5?
Are you planning any planting there?
Terry Savchek - We do have some small plantings,there. I believe there l
are some trees there now. If anything that is there
is salvageable we will keep it.
Pat Swenson - I think that would be rather important tome.. .We have
such a conglomeration of things facing Highway 5 and I ~
am a little concerned about it. ..,
Roman Roos - Last week we were talking about existing trees on that
location. I am talking about some of the older trees
a couple of them are dead but some of them are very very
sharp and they felt they could work around a couple of the
trees.
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has the
is no
This is,
Bob Waibel - There is no public hearing involved at all. It
proper zoning. No subdivision involved. There
conditional use permit as it is not in the CBD.
by our ordinance, a site plan review.
Tim Stone - There are some issues which I haven't heard addressed.
I see some light standards being shown. I don't have any
clear indication of what kind of shielding or baffling
devices are available on that.
Roman Roos - I think their use of the land, I would have to go along
with Country Kitchen, is a viable use of the land.
Tim Stone - No disagreement on that.
Roman Roos - I don't think &0 as long as I have got a chance from a
commission point of view to be sure that some of the points
that we have brought up would be in there. The intensity
of the light isa very valid point. This piece of property
is about 200 feet from the property line of the existing
dwellings to the south.
Bob, there is one other question we talked about before
you came down and that was the buffering on the eastern
border of the property. Eventually if you were to make
another development to the east you might tie that parking
lot together and that's something I definitely would not
want to see~
Bob Mason - Why?
Roman Roos - It would be too much blacktop for the amount of development,
actual building and green land area. I really don't know
what you are going to put over here. .
Bob Mason- We don't either.but we do know that if 'something goes in
they are going to need parking and it's 'a lot better to
gave cross easement parking for adequacy of parking than
for everybody to have their own little thing.
Gene Reilley - Certain type of retail use have different peak parking
periods.
Roman Roos - Let me recap the concerns. The first thing we are concerned
about would be the daletion of the .curbcut. Do it now.
The second item we wanted to talk about would be the
elimination of two parking spaces in the southeast corner.
Terry Savchek - This would not-be a problem to us.
Roman Roos - The intensity of the lighting in the parking area.
Terry Savchek - They do now have a subdued lighting system that they are
now using.
Bob Mason - Your main concern is that the lighting come pretty much
straight down. .
Roman Roos - Another item we brought up would be the saving of the
existing trees that we can on that property. Another
would be the enclosing or the continuity of the facing
of the northern property to enclose the trash area.
Sign review. Establish lease lines that would discourage
cross easement parking.
Gene Reilley - Wouldn't you be able to control that when we would come
in for the use on the other piece of property?
Bob Mason - The thing is though that in talking about the cross easement,
planning commission's change too and I hate to see us
eliminate something today that we might or might not want
and have another planning commission come along later after
we can't even make the change with Country Kitchen any
more and not get a cross easement if we so desire.
Roman Roos - One nice thing about taking each proposal as it comes in
an outlot development is you can control the landscaping
Planning Commission Meeting November 15, 1978
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on each and everyone. Anytime you put 'landscaping in
a parking lot you make it much more attractive to the
general public. If you have cross easement parking you
have no way of putting landscaping in whatsoever. It's
almost :impossible:toconsider this in total we have to
take a look at this one section. As an alternative,
possibly a couple of curb cuts there so that you have
access into the parking lot. That's a different ballgame.
We have to have some of break point.' I think something
like that could be covered under the next proposal that
might come in.
Tim Stone - I would likedto add one more. That the landscaping of the
project be consistent with the photograph submitted.
Tim Stone moved to recommend approval of the sketch plan as submitted
with the eight comments as setforth'above. Motion seconded by Mal
MacAlpine and unanimously approved.
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VARIANCE REQUEST- SUPERAMERICA.SERVICE STATION:' Superamerica has
submitted building plans to the city to add a 8 x'lZ'foot metal storage
shed to their building 'located at the lower Y. They want to store
existing equipment that is presently left outside at:night and subject
to vandalism and burglarly. A variance is requested to Ordinance 45.
Craig Mertz -
The issue of intensification, focus on the fact that the
zoning isC-3 and service stations are permitted in that
area. The non~conforming is the fact:that your Ordinance
45 says we don't want to issue a building permits in
unsewered areas so you are:intensifying a commercial use
in anunsewered area and not the fact that you are making
a service station any worse or better.
Mal MacAlpine moved to recommend the Council grant a variance to
Ordinance 45 to allow the erection of a metal storage shed at the
SuperAmerica Service Station. Motion seconded by Pat Swenson and
unanimously approved.
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Members felt it is not an intensification of the use. It is putting
under cover those things that they normally store outdoors and they
have experienced some vandalism and burglarly of 'these items.
AMEND CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT - HANUS FACILITY: Mr. Hanus was present
seeking approval of an amendment to his conditional use permit-to allow
Minnesota Roadways Company in his building on West 79th Street.as Eggan
Van is no longer in the building. Minnesota Roadways is a road sealer
operation with ten trucks and two small asphalt applicator trucks. No
asphalt material will be stored on the premises except in the liquid
asphalt distributor trucks. Members discussed parking of the trucks and
felt the best location would be in the northeast quadrant of the property.
Some of the equipment will be stored inside as well as repairs will be
done inside. The Assistant City Planner will prepare a proposed
amendment for Mr. Hanus and Planning Commission review prior to Council
review. '
LIAISON TO PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION: Pat Swenson was appointed ~'
Planning Commission liaison to the Park and Recreation Commission.
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BLOOMBERG PROPOSAL - SOUTH LOTUS LAKE: The Minnesota Environmental
Quality Board has received a petition with the required number of
signatures to petition for an environmental impact statement. A public
informational meeting will be held December 19, 1978, at 7:00 p.m. in
the Chanhassen Elementary School. Planning Commission members were urged
to attend.
ECOLOGICAL COMMITTEE: Members discussed whether the surface water
usage plan should be completed by the Ecological Committee, City Staff
or a consultant.
Mal MacAlpine moved that the Planning Commission recommends that
professional expertise is required to complete the surface water usage
plan. Motion seconded by Dick Matthews and unanimously approved.
208 WATER QUALITY: Lake Ann interceptor has been eliminated from the
program.
Jerry Neher moved to adjourn. Motion seconded by Walter Thompson and
unanimously approved. Meeting adjourned at lO:30 p.m.
Don Ashworth
City Manager