1988 02 03
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CHANHASSEN PLANNING COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
FEBRUARY 3, 1988
Vice Chairman Emmings called the meeting to order.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Tim Erhart, Steven Emmings, Annette ElIson, Brian
Batzli and David Headla
MEMBERS ABSENT: Ladd Conrad and James Wildermuth
STAFF PRESENT: Barbara Dacy, City Planner and Jo Ann Olsen, Asst. City
Planner
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO CONDUCT A COMPLETE CODIFICATION OF
ORDINANCE NO. 80, THE CHANHASSEN ZONING ORDINANCE, AS AMENDED, AND TO
CONSIDER REVISING CERTAIN SECTIONS OF SAID ORDINANCE NO. 80.
Emmings: We'll just go through these one at a time, I assume.
Headla: Do you have to have a public hearing on each one of these items
or how do you work that?
Dacy: How about if you just open the public hearing and ask if there
is any member present that would like to speak on any of the items l(a)
~ through l(h).
Ernmings: The publing hearing is open and we have one member of the
public who is just here to listen.
ElIson: From the press.
Emmings: I think what we should do is let's just go through them one by
one and we'll ask if there's any comments after each one if anybody else
shows up. Then we will close the public hearing at the end of all the
items.
Dacy: The first issue that staff would like to present is the
codification issue. Enclosed in your packet's list, this black book
that pulls together all of the City's ordinances. Your action tonight
is concentrating on Chapter 20 or the Zoning Ordinance. It is, in a
couple of ways, different than the newspaper version that was originally
published and approved in February of 1987. I have noted those changes
in the report. Tim, before the meeting just brought up an error on page
1174 and I found one on page 1270. Did the Commisison find any other of
those types of errors or organization or duplication?
Erhart: Barb, why don't you assume that there are probably hundreds of
errors in a document this large and that those will be cleaned up.
..
Emmings: Is there going to be another draft printed?
Dacy: Yes, after the Planning Commission public hearing and the
Council's final approval, there will be correction pages of certain
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February 3, 1988 - Page 2
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pages that had to be changed. You will receive a supplement probably
sometime at the end of March that you will have to remove your old pages
and insert the new ones.
Emmings: So if we have an opportunity, then we should all try to read
through for those kinds of errors and just phone them in to staff.
That's the best thing to do rather than take time in the meeting. I'd
rather do it that way.
Dacy: Maybe in the motion, we've suggested a motion there, maybe you
would want to add the phrase, something to the effect to correct any
oversights that may be detected prior to the Council meeting or
something to that effect so we don't have to go back.
Headla: What's your idea of an oversight?
Dacy: I would say those items that are either duplications,
misspellings, or typing errors or placement of sections in the wrong
place in the ordinance.
Headla: Okay, no rewording or anything like that?
Dacy: Right. So that's the first motion that's proposed.
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Emmings: There's no one here from the public to comment, so are there
any commissioners here that want to comment?
Erhart: Essentially in the past, everything was single, separate pieces
of paper? There was nothing tied together in sequence?
Dacy: That's correct. We had a series of ordinances from Ordinance No.
1 through Ordinance No. 80.
Erhart:
book.
made.
So this is the first time it's been pulled together in a single
The intention is to constantly update this book as changes are
Who will have copies of the book?
Dacy: These are your permanent copies and if there are any changes, you
will be sent corrected pages for you to insert.
Erhart: Can citizens purchase copies of the book? Is that what it is,
a purchasing?
Headla: The general public would have to purchase a copy?
Ellson: Would there be one for their review like at the library or
something?
tit
Dacy: Sure, they could always stop upstairs or that's a good idea, we
should probably keep one on file.
Batzli: I think you're going to have a heck of a time trying to keep
track of what pages are the current pages in the current format. Unless
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 3
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you start putting revising dates on it or something on the pages, I
don't know how you're going to be able to tell if you're looking at the
most recent page or not.
Dacy: From what I understand from the Municipal Code Corporation, when
they print the corrected page, sometimes they may have to do, for
example, l22lA, B or C and then they will correct the reference that's
on each page. You're right, it's going to be...
Batzli: What they normally do in a looseleaf book like this though is
to keep track of it by year and then the number of amendments that have
come out. For instance, the first amendment would be labeled right on
page 88.1 or something and I think unless you go to that kind of system,
you're going to have a heck of a time trying to decide if the book is
complete or not. That's not even really relevant to the Planning
Commission but I think it's something you might want to consider.
Emmings: He's absolutely right and we all deal with these in our
libraries, both Brian and I deal with looseleaf services all the time
and it's a constant struggle to know and be sure that you've got the
latest materials, the up-to-date materials. It's not even easy a lot of
times when the replacements come in to sort it out. It can be one of
the most confusing things known to man. But that's part of this anyway.
I feel like you did this just because I was finally getting used to
using the other set so you wanted, I didn't have to ask if things were
in the Code anymore or not.
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Dacy: I appreciate your input because we can relay that to our office
manager who is going to be in charge of working with this process.
Batzli moved, Erhart seconded that the Planning Commission recommends
approval of the proposed codification of the Zoning Ordinance as Chapter
20 in the proposed Chanhassen City Code subject to correction of
typographical errors, duplications and other corrections found by
Planning Commissioners. All voted in favor and motion carried.
REVISE ARTICLE V, SECTION 5(5) (3) AND ARTICLE V, SECTION 6(5) (3) TO
STATE 125 FEET.
Erhart: I thought this went to City Council already?
Dacy: It did for discussion purposes just to make sure that they agreed
with the Planning Commission.
Erhart: So we never actually recommended it?
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Emmings: This is to hold the public hearing. Again, for the record, we
have no one from the public to comment so we'll just ask if there are
any comments or questions of staff from the commissioners.
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 4
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Headla moved, Erhart seconded that the Planning Commission recommend
approval of the Zoning Ordinance Amendment to revise the lot depth
requirement for single family lots from 150 feet to 125 feet. [Article
V, Section 5(5) (3) and Article V, Section 6(5) (3) in Ordinance No. 80
and Article XII, Section 20-615(3) and Article XIII, Section 20-635(3)]
in the proposed ordinance. All voted in favor and motion carried.
REVISE ARTICLE VI, SECTION 5, ACCESSORY STRUCTURES TO PROVIDE FOR
SETBACKS FOR VARIOUS SIZES OF ACCESSORY BUILDINGS.
Emmings: It appears that the City Council had something of a different
idea than we had when we sent it up there. You might just hit that
quick for our new commissioners.
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Olsen: One of the councilmembers felt that if we're allowing larger
buildings, right now the ordinance allows accessory structures 5 feet
from the rear lot line and they felt that the larger accessory buildings
shouldn't be permitted to be only 5 feet away so they asked us to look
into a graduated setback. We called around and reviewed what the
different sized accessory structures there were and we found that they
were either the small accessory structure or the larger 3 car garage and
the pole barns. We felt that if we permitted the 5 foot setback for the
smaller buildings, that that would be adequate and then increase the
setback to 15 feet for the larger buildings. That would satisfy it. To
have setbacks for each different size of building would be real
confusing to enforce and we felt that this would still satisfy keeping
the larger buildings back from the rear lot line and would still be easy
to enforce.
Emmings: It seems to me that when we had it, before we sent it up to
the City Council, that we were concerned about height. Building height
on the accessory buildings. Am I remembering that right?
Erhart: We talked about it.
Emmings: Did the City Council, were they concerned?
Olsen: No, they didn't discuss it. I think there's a 40 foot limit to
the buildings.
Dacy: Right now the accessory structure limit is the same as the
principle structure and I think that was based on the fact that if you
did have a detached garage or something, the same style or manner that
the principle building was and I remember when we were going through,
that was the basis.
Erhart: You're saying that the accessory building can not be higher
than the principle structure?
It Dacy: Right.
Erhart: So is that in there?
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February 3, 1988 - Page 5
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Dacy: Yes. In each of the zoning districts, the accessory structure
height limit is the same as the principle structure.
Emmings: You can't build an accessory structure without the principle
structure being there.
Erhart: You can be higher. You can have a 20 foot high house and a 40
foot high accessory structure.
Dacy: Oh yes, okay.
Headla: ...the sheet metal barn on the north side of TH 7?
Erhart: You've got a 1,000 square foot limit here.
Headla: You can put a big truck in there. What's it for, A-2 buffering?
Erhart: It's 30 by 33, that's not as big as this room. That's not real
big. I think that fellow was talking about a much bigger building.
1,000 square feet would be approximately the size of this whole room
without that portion of it. Wouldn't you say Dave? I think a guy
should be able to build a 3 stall or 4 stall garage and that ought to be
the limit and isn't that about where we came up with this 1,000 square
_ feet?
Olsen: The 3 car garage was approximately 800.
Headla: That wasn't consistent with the existing...height? Is that why
they used the same height for like a 3 or 4 stall garage?
Dacy: You mean the height restrictions for the accessory buildings?
Headla: Yes.
Dacy: Yes, that's what I recall.
Erhart: What conceivably could be an accessory building 3 stories high
that you'd want in the RSF district?
Dacy: If we're limiting accessory buildings to 1,000 square feet, that
would pretty much exclude the pole barns. Usually they range from 12 to
14 feet. The only time I've seen second stories in a detached structure
is over in the Red Cedar Point area where they have proposed a little
storage space.
Erhart:
district?
Is the object here to prevent metal buildings in
Is that what they're trying to do?
the RSF
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Dacy: No, the object is to provide a sense of scale and separation
between an accessory structure and adjacent property. Most of those
Sears buildings are metal so to prohibit that, I'd feel real
uncomfortable saying they can't have metal.
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February 3, 1988 - Page 6
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Erhart: I wouldn't suggest that. It gets back to this think that we've
discussed many times and that's about architectural regulations and you
could say that buildings over 200 square feet, which gets bigger than
the Sears stuff, is it has to be architecturally similar to the
principle structure. Then the question is, do we want to get into
architectural regulations and for some reason in the past, we've always
said no. I don't know why.
Emmings: I just wonder if there's ever any reason to have accessory
structures, I wonder if there ought to be a limit that they could be 3
stories or not taller than the principle structure. If you're talking
about keeping things in proportion on a residential block.
Erhart: I think a minimum, that makes sense. At least to include a
sentence that says it can't be taller than the principle structure.
Batzli: Then you're going to start conflicting with a lot of other
stuff. We're going to have to go back in and clean it up. In each
Article, for different residential single family, R-4, they go through
maximum heights.
Erhart: That's not conflicting with that. All it is is adding another
restriction.
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Batzli: But it says, the maximum heights is as follows: for accessory
structures, 3 stories, 40 feet. Then you're going to say later on that
an accessory structure can't be higher than the house.
Erhart: That's not in conflict.
Batzli: I think you're just trying to put it in the wrong place.
There's a lot of redundancy in this new codification. It would probably
be a lot easier to actually define what an accessory structure is
because I don't know that I know what one is. They talk about accessory
uses throughout the code but I don't know that they ever define what an
accessory structure is, although that's what we're currently talking
about now.
Dacy: It should be defined.
Batzli: Is that first Article 1, in general, page l142?
Erhart: It combines them. Accessory use or structure means the use or
structures subordinate to and serving principle use or structure on the
same lot and clearly and customarily incidental thereto.
Batzli: Is structure and use mutually exclusive although they're
defined the same way?
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Erhart: The way this is written it is. I think what they've done is
combine two separate thoughts in the same sentence.
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 7
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Batzli: So you're not talking about, for instance, a 1,000 square foot
tennis court having a setback requirement but you are a structure?
Dacy: Correct. It says a detached accessory structure, except a dock,
it excludes that, as accessory uses in some of the districts, parking
lot, signs, home occupations, tennis courts, swimming pool, garages.
I'll have to take that back. They are mutually exclusive. A use of an
accessory structure as a garage. It can be the same thing but...
Erhart: That's a good point Brian. I don't see a reason why a guy
would have to put a tennis court 15 feet away from his property line, if
that's what you're suggesting. I don't see any reason for that. So you
could exclude that just like we did for docks here. Do we have a
current problem or do we anticipate a problem?
Emmings: We got talking about this because we were talking about
buildings right? That's what we're concerned about here is people
building garages, storage sheds and things of that nature. Maybe we're
not saying it the best way here. I see under definition of structure,
it even includes a hard surface parking area. How is that different
than a tennis court? I don't know. In fact it says, anything
constructed having a permanent location in the ground. That would
include a swimming pool or tennis court or anything else and I don't
think that's what we're talking about. I don't think that's what we
meant to talk about.
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Erhart: We're talking about the first sentence under structures, we're
talking the first term there.
Dacy: You're talking about storage buildings.
Emmings: I think we're talking about garages too though. If you look
under permitted accessory uses, just for example in the RSF, you've got
a list of things on page 1208. The first one is a garage. The second
one is a storage building. I think we are talking those two and then
way at the bottom is a private kennel. Maybe that involves a building.
Maybe we're talking about that one too but all the rest of them in the
middle, I don't think a home occupation is clearly just a use and does
not involve a structure. At least, according to our own definitions,
the rest could be structures.
Dacy: First of all we're just talking about the RSF district because I
just noticed the way (b) is written, you could interpret that to mean in
any district.
Emmings: We're only talking about amending the RSF section?
Dacy: That's what I'm asking for clarification. That's what we
interpretted as the commission's intent.
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Emmings: What this says we're doing is amending Section 20-904 in the
proposed ordinance which is not the RSF.
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 8
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Batzli: That's the general regulations section.
Olsen: We can clarify that it's just the RSF though.
Dacy: (a) and (c) currently say in any residential district but (b)
does not say that.
Ellson: So at the end of the first sentence just add, in residential
single family. Is that what you're saying?
Dacy: Right.
Batzli: I don't think you want to say that there. You don't want to
amend all of that paragraph do you?
Dacy: That's what we need to find out. If that's what the Commission
wants.
Batzli: I would think that you still want to maintain paragraph (b) for
all districts.
Dacy: The way that we have it proposed for the 200 and 1,000 in a
commercial or industrial district, that could be limiting especially in
the industrial district if they did want a 2,000 or 3,000 square foot
building in the back of their principle building. That's what I'm
saying. These 200's and 1,000's are based on our research.
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Erhart: It's only really the last sentence in that paragraph that you
want to limit to a district, isn't it? Isn't it only the last sentence,
the 1,000 square feet, you want to limit that to RSF?
Dacy: What I was thinking is adding that to before the second sentence.
In the single family residential district the detached accessory
structure, etc.. Maybe to really clarify it, we add (d) for the RSF
requirements and leave (b) as a detached accessory structure may occupy
not more than 30% area of the rear yard.
Emmings: I like
here. (a) would
sentence of (b).
would be of (b).
as it is and (d)
then pick up all
that better. Let's go through the proposed motion
stay the same. (b) would be just the present first
The present first sentence of (b), that's all there
Then (c) would speak of any residential district, just
would say in the single family residential district and
the rest of the language in (b).
Erhart: Yes, except why wouldn't you want to have setback graduations
apply to RR and A-2 as well? If a guy's got a 2 1/2 lot, he's got no
reason to put a 1,000 square foot building up 5 feet away from his lot
line. He has less reason than anybody.
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Emmings: It's tough to coordinate through all exceptions. Can you
think of something to do here Barb or do you think we ought to table
this?
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 9
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Dacy: Number one, the original intent came out of that David Obie
conditional use permit. You wanted to prohibit big buildings in the RSF
district. As far as in the RR and the A-2 area, in the current
regulations, someone could put an accessory building 5 feet from their
rear lot line. Do you want to limit not only the setback but the size
of an accessory building in the RR and the A-2 districts? This is
beyond the original purpose.
Erhart: Just change the last sentence in paragraph (b) to say, a
detached accessory structure shall not exceed 1,000 square feet in the
RSF district.
Dacy: So you want to keep the graduating setbacks for RSF, A-2 and RR.
Erhart: The other districts, in the multiple family and we don't want
to get into that because sometimes you have multiple garages for
apartment buildings.
Dacy: This is getting to a point where I think the Commission should
give us direction on what they want to do and then we'll come back.
We'll rework this.
Headla: Let me ask a question. Why did you say rear yard?
.
Dacy: I was saying, under current regulations you can't place a
structure 5 feet from the rear lot line.
Headla: If you go along Minnewashta Heights there are some beautiful
homes there and as far as I know, their living rooms are facing the lake
which means the front of the house. What's your definition of a rear
yard?
ElIson: The one facing the road is the front yard.
Headla: What happens in the...the property that you were going to
develop at Lawson's...and you've got lots on Minnewashta Parkway and on
the main road on the other side.
Dacy: A double frontage lot?
Headla: Yes. Is it clear in your minds what a rear yard is and a front
yard? I'm not sure I know.
Dacy: In a double frontage situation, technically you have two front
yards.
Headla: I look at Minnewashta and Minnewashta Parkway and people live
facing the lakes and that's the front yard. That's one thing I want to
make sure we...
.
Dacy: We can add that too. What it would be if it's a double frontage
lot. That's one item. The next item is, just for the RSF district, is
what (b) says there, is that what you want for the RSF? Just limit it
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 10
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to the RSF?
Emmings: That's what I recall us sending up. That's what I remember we
were in agreement on, at least at one time.
Batzli:
somebody
going to
equal to
You need to add, or equal to, in there somewhere because
is going to come in with a 200 square foot job and you're
know what to do with it. Your first, structure less than
200 square feet.
not
or
ElIson: The only other thing I noticed was if it's greater than 200
square feet, they will be located 15 feet. No closer than 15 feet.
Isn't that basically what we wanted? They can have the garage next to
the house if they wanted could they?
Erhart: What's the side yard setback in this case? 10 feet? Does that
make sense.
Dacy: Yes.
Erhart: So it's okay to put 1,000 square foot building 10 feet from the
sideyard?
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Dacy: You can put your house 10 feet away. So, then what do you want
to do on A-2 and RR districts?
ElIson: I don't think that there's a problem. Maybe you're thinking of
the future and maybe possible problems so I can understand that but...
Erhart: I think you have to allow bigger buildings in the A-2 district.
ElIson: Right. I don't think we should combine it all with this thing.
It sounds like what you wanted to do was accomplish this for the
residential single family. I think trying to combine it with the other
is just going to make it more confusing.
Erhart: My thinking was that the graduated setbacks though could have
some merits in the larger lots as well. You're proposing this to go
into the accessory structure, isn't that what you're proposing this goes
in? Into the definition of accessory structure? Your whole proposal is
based on this being wording for the accessory structure. So it can
apply to all districts.
Dacy: Right, and I wanted to get direction on what you want for
residential districts so then we can say that and also say what you
originally said for commercial and industrial.
Emmings: You still have us confused over uses and structures I think
too?
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Erhart: The question I'm getting to, in an apartment complex in the
high density area, an apartment complex where they have a garage of 47
garages in it, basically if we do this, we're saying that garage has to
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 11
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be 15 feet away from the lot line. Do we understand that?
ElIson: That will say that.
Erhart: Is that okay?
Dacy: That's up to you. It would be best, from an administration
standpoint, if we had one consistent set of rules for all rural
districts. That's why we weren't really happy about the graduated idea
because it just adds one more quirk into the scheme of things. You need
to decide. Does this apply to multiple areas?..
Erhart: If you're looking at me as to what I would recommend for the
rural, I think I like the graduated. If it's good for the RSF, I think
it's good for 2 1/2 acre lots too. The only thing is that I don't think
you can limit it to 1,000 square foot buildings. Dave, don't you agree?
There's a lot of 2 1/2 acre lots that have large buildings.
Headla: We were talking before, just in our area, and there's lot of
open land...
Erhart: I don't think you can limit the size of the accessory building
in the RR or A-2 area.
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Headla:
back.
People who have got 10, 15 to 20 acres and beaucoup land out
Erhart: I think we can limit them to not put these buildings 5 feet
from the property line and that's happened to me and it seems silly for
a guy with 2 1/2 acres, in fact we encourage that, to put his house 10
feet from the property line even though his lot was 200 feet wide.
Thank goodness today we're not doing that anymore.
Dacy: Then what we get from that, first of all you were saying you
don't want to limit the size in the RR and A-2 area but you do want to
impose a stricter setback?
Erhart: Yes.
Dacy: We've got direction on that and we can come back with revised
language because I think you're right, you're going to end up going t
back to each individual district.
Emmings: And clear up this accessory use business too. I think
basically what you have here is what we wanted and not all of a sudden
it's gotten broader. I suppose you might as well go and reword it all
at once.
Dacy: Do you want us to look at the height issue?
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Headla: I think that should be a consideration to look at.
you're comfortable with.
See what
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 12
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Ellson: what is a pole barn, or whatever you were saying, and the
height of those.
Erhart: The height thing, I was thinking of just the RSF district. I'm
thinking of third acre lots. I think that's where we're trying...
Emmings: There, couldn't we limit it?
Headla: How many places do we have, like around Lake Minnewashta where
you have 10-15-20 acres that are RSF? Is that just a unique thing?
Dacy: Primarily around in your area and some land of Mrs. Anderson and
the Carlson's lot.
Erhart: I think those are the areas we're trying to prevent someone
putting in a 5,000 square foot building because we anticipate in the
next five years, because if it's within the MUSA line and RSF, somebody
is going to subdivide this land and what you don't want is selling 5
year old, 5,000 square foot steel building right in the middle of this
now subdivision. So I think that's what we're trying to prevent. Even
though it may seem restrictive to Dave.
Headla: Could I put up a 5,000 square foot pole barn on my property?
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Dacy: He's zoned RSF now and whatever 30% of your rearyard is, is
acceptable. Again, that was the whole basis...
Headla: That shouldn't be right because alot of that land is going to
be developed and that would be an imposing structure for the whole
neighborhood. I don't think that's right.
Dacy: At the next meeting we're going to get a request for a 12,000
square foot building.
Erhart: Are you understanding that this is creating limitations on your
land, do you still agree with what we're talking about?
Headla: Our area is just a unique area. If it was general, I'd say we
should take a much better look at it but if it's just in our area, and I
think that's going to be developed very shortly, I just don't think it's
right that we should allow one building...like another barn like I've
got. Put up another one that size...
Emmings: First of all, we're talking RSF. Can someone on a 15,000
square foot lot come in with a pole barn?
Dacy: Our current ordinance says that he can build a detached accessory
structure up to the maximum area 30% of the rear yard. So they have to
meet that. If it's a pole barn and it meets that, then we have to issue
a permit.
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Erhart: The rear yard is half of 15,000 is 7,000 times 30, it could be
a 2,100 square foot building. I think this is pretty good here. I
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 13
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think it does what we wants it to do. The only other issue is if you
want to tie it in architecturally and I just can't imagine someone
building a house and putting an accessory structure of 200 to 1,000
square feet and not making it architecturally similar.
Headla: If we would say you couldn't build over 800 or 1,000 square
foot building, it can not be sheet metal pole barn construction. If we
knock that out, wouldn't that make it more compatible with, if somebody
is going to invest that kind of money, I can't imagine somebody giving
up an accessory structure...
Dacy: You have a point there, once they are building a building, you
would assume that they would probably put a garage and we would assume
that they would use the same materials or wood or brick or something.
It's a matter of desire on the community's standpoint as to how far do
you want to go to regulate what a private property owner can do and what
materials that you want to use for an out building. It's an option.
What I thought, in the past we have not regulated it because sometimes
development can have private covenants address that. So far Chanhassen
hasn't taken that extra step to go that far in regulating aesthetics on
accessory buildings. It's not unusual though for commercial and
industrial districts.
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Headla: How about if we say, anything around 1,000 square feet has to
be . . .
Erhart: I think we're all agreed that we want them up to 1,000 square
feet. There seems to be a hesitance to put an architectural limit on
this thing. What is the adverse effect of us to start dealing with
architectural controls?
Emmings: ...the public health, safety and welfare and aesthetics,
legally we can control things that effect the public health, safety and
welfare. I would say, if you said something like it has to be
architecturally, and I don't know what the language should be.
Architecturally consistent...
Erhart: I was thinking in an area from 200 feet up to 1,000, building
the structure so it's aesthetically or architecturally matches the
principle structure. Later on this evening we're talking about
controlling architecture in the industrial area aren't we?
Dacy: In the commercial and industrial.
Erhart: How is that any different?
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Dacy: It's different because cities have more say as far as design in
the industrial parks and commercial and industrial acreage. I think it
is important, the single family detached home, that's at the top of the
pyramid. That's the highest use and that's kind of like traditionally
accepted that your home is your castle. with commercial and industrial
uses, there are more impacts as far as water use, traffic and lights,
building separation and aesthetics comes in... To me there is a
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 14
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difference.
Emmings: I can see if you want to go higher. If you want a garage
separate from your house or a second story or something like that and
you've got a house. I don't see any reason to want to limit that.
Erhart: What's the highest conceivable? 20 feet?
Dacy:
that.
Again, the height issue, we can come back with some facts on
I hate to make a statment on that now.
Headla: Why don't you make a recommendation on that. What I'm
thinking about is, our in our area, if that gets developed, you've got
one building 40 feet high, that's going to stick up like a sore thumb so
why don't you take a look at that and give us something.
Erhart: Also look at your wording in paragraph 2.
Dacy: That's the way it's written now.
Erhart: I think it could be a little better if it was broken down into
two sentences.
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Erhart moved, ElIson seconded to table the item revising Article VI,
Section 5, Accessory Structures until staff can come back with
additional information and suggestions regarding the setbacks and
building sizes. All voted in favor and motion carried.
REVISE ARTICLE VI, SECTION 12, FENCES AND WALLS, TO PROVIDE FOR
REGULATIONS REGARDING THE USE OF BARBED WIRE FENCES.
Emmings: Again, there's no one here from the public. Are there any
questions or comments from the Commissioners?
Headla: The fences that are in now, that are barbed wire, they can stay
there right?
Olsen: Yes.
Headla: Can they repair them and update them?
01 sen: Yes.
Batzli: I guess I'd like to propose that we reword the proposed
sentence to make it consistent with the paragraph that it's going to be
JOlning. I would propose that rather than the way it's worded, I
propose that we say, fences utilizing barbed wire in all commercial and
industrial districts shall require a conditional use permit, to make it
consistent with the rest of the paragraph.
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Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 15
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Batzli moved, Headla seconded that the Planning Commission recommends
approval of the Zoning Ordinance Amendment to amend the Fences and Wall
section of the Supplementary Regulations of the Zoning Ordinance
(Article VI, Section 12 in Ordinance No. 80 and Article XXIII, Division
5 in the proposed ordinance) as follows:
Section 20-1024. Barbed Wire Fences:
Barbed wire fences are prohibited in all residential districts. Barbed
wire fences are permitted in the agricultural districts.
Add the following sentence at the end of the section (Section 20-1018)
regulating commercial and industrial fences:
Fences utilizing barbed wire in all commercial and industrial districts
shall require a conditional use permit.
All voted in favor and motion carried.
DELETE ARTICLE VI, SECTION 4, TEMPORARY STRUCTURES AND USES.
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Dacy: I don't have any comments other than what was presented.
However, we did receive an application last week for location of a
temporary use on the Natural Green property. So we accepted the
application and because this ordinance was not approved, we had to
accept application for it. So at the next meeting, you will see an
application for a temporary use.
Emmings: What is the temporary use they're proposing?
Dacy: They want to put a mobile home on the Natural Green site for
temporary office space.
Erhart: An office for what?
Dacy: For the Natural Green offices.
Erhart: I thought Natural Green was moving.
Dacy: Yes, they did find another site in Chaska but they are currently
using the existing home for office space and supposedly according to the
owner, it's very cramped in there and they wanted some extra space for
another year. In March of 1989, they will be completely out of
Chanhassen.
Headla: Did you have any restrictions on locations?
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Dacy: No. Again, we're in the process of writing the staff report and
it will be at your next meeting.
Emmings: Are there any comments on this proposal, to delete this
section?
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 16
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Batzli: I'm just curious as to what other cities do around Chanhassen.
Do they have this type of use permit?
Dacy: Not to my knowledge. For example, we have Eden Prairie's,
Minnetonka's and Plymouth's ordinances on file and I think this
temporary conditional uses did exist in our 1972 ordinance. It was just
a carryover into the new one. The City Attorney wrote that in but not
to my knowledge have I seen it in adjacent communities.
Batzli: But the Attorney's opinion didn't necessarily say it was
improper as it would be costly to fight it out in court, if I read that
right?
Dacy: Right. I think it's really way, in some cases, to circumvent the
ordinance. If you look at temporary conditional uses and under this
request then, you could propose almost any type of use in any zoning
district and then it becomes an enforcement problem and sometimes
temporary becomes permanent and maybe the property owner can claim
investment into the property and go after us on that. So I guess that's
where the counsel comes in.
Erhart: Why are you recommending this?
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Dacy:
We're recommending to delete this section.
Erhart: You're recommending to delete the entire section that allows...
You're saying that a guy can put a temporary..
ElIson: No, we're saying they can't do it.
Erhart: They just can't do it at all. Oh, okay.
Dacy: We're saying either the community looks at the use and includes
it as a conditional use or a permitted use. It's either permanent or
it's not.
Emmings: We don't want temporary uses. It's just like that book store.
I don't think anybody saw any benefits for retaining this section, as I
recall.
Batzli: The only benefit is flexibility but perhaps at the cost of
mucho denario for the City.
Erhart moved, Batzli seconded that the Planning Commission recommend
approval of the zoning Ordinance Amendment to delete the section
rgarding Temporary Structures and Uses (Article V, Section 4, in
Ordinance No. 80 and Article XXIII, Section 20-903 in the proposed
ordinance). All voted in favor and motion carried.
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Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 17
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ADD SECTION 26 TO ARTICLE VI, SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS TO REGULATE
CONSTRUCTION OF METAL BUILDINGS.
Dacy: The language that's proposed, I'm not particularly happy with, to
be honest with you and the City Attorney said that he was going to
suggest some alternative language. I talked to Jim Wildermuth today on
the phone and he alerted me to the fact that Eaton Companies are now
making wall materials whereby you could have a masonary facia, sheet
metal, insulation and sheet metal again so he's saying that there is a
form of construction out there that does use some type of sheet metal.
Then it is hung on steel frames and so on. That provides better
insulation qualities to the building. His opinion was, the City should
not go so far as to prohibit the use of metal or sheet metal in actual
construction but merely limit the facia or the exposed material. In my
comments I addressed that second alternative. The recommendation was
based on the first alternative prohibiting utilization of metal
construction completely but given Jim's comments today, it seems like
the state-of-the-art building, that may change so it may be best to go
with option 2 and just address what the building looks like.
Emmings: So now you're basically proposing to allow use of metal
construction without exposed metal. Is that correct?
e Dacy: Right.
Emmings: Do we have any buildings in the commercial or industrial area
that have exposed metal?
Dacy: No, not to my knowledge. We do have buildings that have metal
construction that different facia.
Headla: Exposed metals, you're talking like walls?
Dacy: Right. I'm sorry, the only one that we would have is Gary
Brown's mini-storage. This would, if Gary Brown walked in after this
was approved, he would not be able to build his metal buildings.
Headla: I thought of that and I didn't understand that. How would this
knock his off?
Dacy: It would knock out Gary Brown's proposal because he basically,
all his building's were, were pole barns.
Headla: But isn't he on the fringe area?
Dacy: Yes, but he's zoned business fringe. He is commercial.
Erhart: Isn't his approved already?
e Dacy: Yes. I'm just saying, as an example, if he never requested...
ElIson: They're saying if he wants additional, could do it because he
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 18
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already some either.
Dacy: Right. If he came in for expansion beyond what he has approved.
Head1a:
I like your intent but I tried to think of other wording too.
Batz1i: Again, just echoing that sentiment, I started thinking, what
about conceivably aluminum siding that really doesn't look like metal?
Or the metal around windows? Or metal fire door? Your wording doesn't
allow any exposed metal but you're going to have a lot of exposed metal
in things like that.
Emmings: You can think of somebody designing a building that's not just
an ordinary building where they want to have structural components
exposed or something like that where it would be consistent with the
design or whatever we want to allow.
Dacy: Which option?
ElIson: We like Option 2 I think. To allow metal but just so somehow,
with some exceptions, especially the face. I don't think we're going to
prohibit all metal construction, especially after what you said about
Eaton and things that are certainly being done in building.
e Dacy: With that direction, we could come back with a better sentence.
Erhart: There are a lot of buildings that are just glass and metal.
Beautiful office buildings.
Dacy: Maybe the sentence should read, there shall be no construction of
pole barns in the commercial or industrial area.
Erhart: That's it. How do you say that.
Dacy: That's the intent.
Emmings: Maybe that's the way you do it. Maybe you say something like,
the intent of this is to avoid pole barn type construction and not to
limit the use of things like aluminum siding that don't appear to be
metal.
Dacy: Right, so that will give us flexibility in interpretation.
Emmings: And I'd specifically put in pole barns. Just go right ahead
and say it. That's what we're talking about.
Head1a moved, E11son seconded to table action on Section 26 to Article
VI, Supplementary Regulations to regulate construction of metal
buildings. All voted in favor and motion carried.
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Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 19
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ADD SUBPARAGRAPH 20 TO ARTICLE IX, SECTION 2, GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR
SIGNS TO REQUIRE A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR CEMETERY SIGNS.
Emmings: There is still no one present from the public. Are there any
questions?
Batzli: I have a question. Are you holding cemetaries to a higher
standard than anyone else in the entire City by making them go through a
conditional use permit if their sign in fact complies with all the
requirements for the district in which they are located so they would
only need a permit?
Dacy: Actually, cemetery signage isn't provided for anywhere right now.
The location of the two cemetaries are in, one is in the A-2 district
and the other one is in the RSF district. Under the signage
regulations, the only thing that's permitted are development
identification signs and house numbers.
--
Emmings: I think it's quite the contrary. The cemetery down here came
in with a sign proposal and we all sat here and said gee, cemetaries
really are different and they really ought to be allowed more latitude
with their signs. Our whole focus has been to restrict the use of signs
everywhere and here it was a place where we felt like they ought to have
a little more latitude. We thought the only way we can keep our finger
on what they're doing is to require a conditional use permit. It really
was to give them more latitude, not less.
Batzli: That answers my question. I was curious if for instance, I
didn't know where they were located but if they were in a business
district. They're a sign and they comply with the rules for that area.
Emmings: They don't need directional signs.
Batzli: If all they had was a little 2 x 2 square foot sign that said
cemetery. I imagine that would be permissible in a business district to
have a sign advertising who you are. So if that's all they were going
to put up, they would still require a conditional use permit?
Dacy: Right, because most cemetaries have the entrance and the gates
and they're more extravagant.
Emmings: That's not really his question. His question is, if they
comply with the sign ordinance. If the sign ordinance applied and they
met the conditions of the sign ordinance, would they still have to come
in for a conditional use permit, is what he's saying.
Dacy: As written, if it was located anywhere, yes, they would have to
come in for a conditional use permit.
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Emmings:
But the fact is...
Ellson: We'd let them have a nice one like, I think I was reading the
Minutes, engrave it or rout it.
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 20
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Emmings: That isn't the problem that we face. The problem we face is
they wanted more than the sign ordinance would ever allow anybody else
to do and they aren't in the commercial area.
Dacy: I think they're only permitted as a permitted use in the A-2
district. That one next to St. Hubert's may be non-conforming. I think
that's the only place where we allow them as a permitted use.
Batzli: If that's not a problem, I guess I would just propose that we
again reword the proposed new section to read, signage for cemetaries,
in all districts, shall require a conditional use permit.
Emmings: Why don't you go ahead and make a motion. Does anybody else
have any other comments?
Batzli moved, Erhart seconded that the Planning Commission recommend
approval of the zoning Ordinaince Amendment to include Signage
Regulations for Cemeteries as follows (Section XXVI, Division 1 in the
proposed ordinance):
Section 20-1277, Cemetery Signage. Signage for cemeteries, in all
districts, shall require a conditional use permit. All voted in favor
and motion carried.
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ADD AN ARTICLE TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO REGULATE BURIAL OF DEMOLITION
DEBRIS.
Emmings: You've asked us to table this item. First of all, do you want
any comments from us at this point in time?
Olsen: Sure.
Emmings: Why don't you tell us a little bit more about what's going on
here because this thing has gotten bigger too.
Olsen: It began again, at the request of the City Council to look at
construction where there's an existing building or whatever and they
want to bury it on-sight. There's-no requirements or regulations for
that so they want the City to have some control on that. That list
that's on the back page of the report is the State's regulations and we
transferred the ones that are applicable that could also be used within
the City. Right now we still have to work with the other departments to
figure out who's going to enforce this. What the permits are going to
be. Definitions. Things like that so we still have some cleaning up to
do.
Erhart: Where do you think we're going with this? Right now anybody
tit can bury anything? Where do you think we're heading on this?
Olsen: To keep a little bit more control on it. To make them so they
have to receive a permit. So we will know what it is there.
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Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 21
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Erhart: Right now I can bury wood.
ElIson: Concrete, you name it. Somebody else could buy that property
and not really know what's under there.
Erhart: You're certainly not thinking about eliminating burying of
concrete and boulders?
Olsen: We don't want to eliminate it. We just want to tell them where
they can put it. Just so we know where.
Erhart: Have we had some trouble?
Olsen: Not too much that we know of.
Emmings: What about things like, I know when I built my house, they
took down some real big trees and everything, and had great big stumps
left. I think they buried, this talks a little about demolition. I
think that meant of existing buildings. Do you care about other stuff
that might be there that they buried?
Olsen: That's when we get into that definition and we'll look at that a
little bit closer.
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Dacy: What's exempt? Burying your pet dog? The key word here is
demolition.
Erhart moved, Headla seconded to table adding an Article to the Zoning
Oridnance regulating Burial of Demolition Debris. All voted in favor
and motion carried.
REVISE ARTICLE VI, SECTION 21, ANTENNAS AND SATELLITE DISHES TO LIMIT A
SINGLE FAMILY LOT TO ONE ANTENNA AND ONE SATELLITE DISH.
Olsen: Staff already has some changes to this. Mr. Headla pointed that
the way it reads, right now you could put a car antenna, radio antenna
on the house so what we actually meant there was the radio antenna
tower. That's what we meant to restrict to one per lot.
Emmings: So you want to insert the word "tower" after antenna.
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Olsen: Then satellite dish, that can remain the same. Also, a question
was the ground mount. You may recall the ground mounted vertical
antenna, the Roy Barke's proposal. It wasn't the large tower that the
antenna was placed on but it's just a pole that's stuck in the ground
that acts as just an antenna. I was speaking with somebody in the town
who has all these and he was saying, they're temporary. You just stick
them out there and they're usually no higher than 20-23 feet but I just
wanted to get the Planning Commission's feeling that they wanted that
also to be limited to one.
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 22
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Emmings: Has that been a problem here at all?
Olsen: The first time I ever saw them was when we visited ROy Barke's
site and he had one. Again, they're temporary. We have to come up with
a definition also.
Headla: I'd like to see you wait on that one. I'd like to see
reworded, forget radio antenna and just say antenna tower and put a
maximum square foot area of the antennas they can have.
Olsen: Yes, he requested that before and we tried to come up with some
numbers.
Headla: Who did you ask?
Olsen: I called all the different antenna places and people who use the
radio antennas because it depends on where you want your signal to go.
Your antenna could be a million different combinations.
Headla: But as you drive down, like Powers Blvd. and you consider the
antenna over there, I think the real intent is to control, put a maximum
square footage and how many antennas can you stick on this tower. Right
now it's unlimited. You could put up 15-20 square feet of antenna and I
don't think that's what we want.
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Olsen: The tower itself, if you limit it to one tower, there's only a
certain amount of antennas that you can put on.
Headla: Yes, you can put up 20-30-40 square feet on that one tower.
Olsen: I have not been able to come up with a good number.
Headla: Have you talked to any hams?
Olsen: I've talked to several and then I also talked to the companies
that manufacture them.
Headla: Those probably aren't the hams but I would think, how did they
respond?
Olsen: They agreed that you could limit it to the towers but that the
antenna would be very difficult to regulate because they're all
different. They're all different sizes.
Headla: The only one thing we're regulating is maximum cross section
area.
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Olsen: Again, I could not come with a definite number. It was a number
that we could pick and then next week we could get somebody who had 5
square feet more and they need that because they want to speak to
Russia. I can still look at it again.
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Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 23
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Headla: I think it's incomplete without putting a maximum cross section
area on the antenna.
Emmings: I think what Jo Ann is saying, any number she would come up
with would be arbitrary.
Ellson: Maybe you should say, in relation to the house it's on or
something like that. You don't want it to be huge and ugly is what
you're really concerned about, right?
Headla: To me, antennas aren't particularly bad. In consideration of
other people, on TH 101, remember there we had where he wanted to put
two. They were quite concerned there about how that would look, the
aesthetics of it. I just think that's a parameter that should be
controlled with a maximum. Maximum only.
Emmings: Part of the history here, and maybe it was in here and I just
don't remember right now but we keep getting these requests for towers
and then we're told every time that we can't deny it. Although we have a
conditional use process to go through, the area has been pre-empted by
FCC regulations and we don't really have any control over it at all.
This was an attempt to start to get some control on it. If we can't say
no to an antenna or tower, maybe at least we can say no to two. To
there being two towers on a lot. I think that's how this all kind of
came about. We're not sure that we can even do this. It's kind of a
gray area.
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Olsen: I think by giving them that one tower is giving them reasonable
use. I guess the question again is, do you also want to regulate those
ground mounted vertical?
Ellson: Just say the towers plus the ground mounted will just be one.
They use them basically the same way.
Olsen: Those are temporary and the satellite dish and antenna tower are
permanent. They have the concrete base.
Headla: Until we see it as a problem, why would we even want to get our
hands into it?
Batzli: It would be a way to circumvent the ordinance. Just put in
temporary ones and they can use temporary ones permanently.
Headla:
It becomes a problem with any control.
Batzli:
Then it's too late.
Emmings: Now these temporary ones, what do they do with them? Do they
go out and put them out for one day?
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Olsen: The people I was talking to, they were saying they put it up
during the winter because in the summer there's too much static and it's
just an additional antenna rather than having to mount an antenna tower.
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 24
~ It works as an antenna without having the tower.
Erhart: It's an antenna field. You can achieve the same goal as having
one long, high antenna. You can achieve the same goal by having the
multiple, small antennas as having a high tall one.
Emmings: Would we want to say something like if you have a tower, all
your antennas have to be located on the tower?
Olsen: It might be the same if they used the ground.
Ernmings: What do you want to do?
Olsen: I could look into them a little bit more and maybe we could say
two ground. Two antennas aren't that bad.
Ellson: I think you should say a number too so they don't go down and
someone has 5 in their yard. One probably isn't very obtrusive but...
Batzli: I'd rather limit it to one, whether it's temporary or permanent
myself.
Olsen: They can always go through the variance process if they want.
~
Emmings: So basically, you want to go ahead with what's proposed here.
Are there any other comments or discussion?
Batzli: I guess I'm under the impression that the word radio is deleted
and the word tower is inserted after antenna.
Olsen: I think that we should separate antenna towers and also specify
ground mounted antennas.
ElIson: That would allow them to have one on their house and then put
one on.
Emmings: I don't think so.
ElIson: You're saying you want one and let it be the house or the
ground?
Olsen: You want either one tower or the ground?
Batzli: That's right. That's what I'm proposing.
Ellson: I think you should let them. Especially if in the winter they
can get more Chicago stations or something like that. You do pick up a
lot more in the winter and they probably can just put it out there for
the winter and enjoy it a little bit more.
~
Batzli: We just got rid of our temporary use permit and here you're
trying to do temporary things again.
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 25
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ElIson: I'm saying they can have one of them.
them in their yard.
They can't have 5 of
Headla: Does this include TV antennas?
Olsen: That wouldn't include TV antennas.
Batzli: Do you want to reinsert the word radio?
differeniate from TV? It appears that's how the
deals with satellite dishes, television antennas
three separate entities.
Radio antenna tower to
section does it. It
and radio antennas as
Headla: Then you could put a facsimile tower and microwave tower?
Batzli: It sure looks like it according to this ordinance. Well, we
can exclude television antennas specifically. I would say antenna
tower, permanent or temporary and excluding television antennas, would
be a friendly amendment.
Erhart: I'll second that amendment.
Emmings: Any more discussion?
ElIson: Read it again.
I'd like to hear what it is again.
e Emmings: As I understand it, it will say there shall be no more than
one satellite dish and one antenna tower, permanent or temporary and
excluding television antennas, per lot in residential districts.
Batzli moved, Erhart seconded that the Planning Commission recommend
approval of the Zoning Ordinance amendment to revise the section
regarding antennas and satellite dishes (Article VI, Section 21 in
Ordinance No. 80 and Article XXIII, Section 20-915 in the proposed
ordinance) as follows:
Add the following and renumber the existing six paragraphs:
1. There shall be no more than one satellite dish and one antenna
tower, permanent or temporary, excluding television antennas, per lot in
residential districts.
All voted in favor except Headla who opposed and motion carried.
Headla: I think they should put a maximum number and/or sizes of
antennas on the tower.
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Erhart moved, Emmings seconded to close the public hearings on the
Zoning Ordinance Amendments. All voted in favor and motion carried.
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 26
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COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, TRANSPORTATION CHAPTER, MARK KOEGLER.
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Mark Koegler: We've got a few items to discuss tonight on the
transportation section of the Comp Plan. They are fairly brief. In the
memo I outlined essentially there's going to ten major components of the
transportation section, just to give you a little idea of what we're
working on now and what we're working towards. They are largely either
pulled together or information is coming together on literally everyone
of them. At our last meeting we talked about item 7, functional
classification. Tonight we're going to review items I through 3 and
then the next time the balance of the items will be incorporated in the
draft. Prior to going to talk about some of the new text that's been
generated for the Plan, Barb and I talked about it might be adviseable
to real quickly give you another chance to review the goals and policy
statements as they exist right now for transportation in the
transportation section of the plan. Being that this is the first
section of the plan, I know just a couple of you have gone through, I
don't know what chance you've had to look at the draft as it exists
today but there are goals and policies pertaining to each section of the
Plan. Land Use, Housing, Recreation and so forth. These are the ones,
obviously, for the transportation section. We thought we would simply
put those in the packet and give you a chance to look at those again to
see if there are any additional comments or modifications that you would
like to see. I don't think it's necessary for me to read through those
by any means. Perhaps any comments that anybody might have, this would
be an appropriate time to make those known. To be honest you, we looked
at these so long ago, I don't really recall what modifications the
Commission made initially, if any, to the transportation items. There
were changes that were made to some of the other goals and policy
statements pertaining to other sections of the Plan. Do you remember
Barb?
Dacy:
In my notes, I didn't note any particular ones.
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Mark Koegler: I suspect it may be possible that when we get into
talking about some of the plan sections tonight, and again next time,
that may spark interest you might have and if we missed something.
Particularly on this topical area ~hat you had interest in or if some
policy on some type of use of facility, that may really come to light in
further discussions so again, this like everything else, is not a dead
issue after tonight. Feel free at any time to make any comments you
want. Moving along, if we can then into the new text that's been
prepared for discussion this evening. The transportation chapter is
going to be completely reworked so you can literally take all of the old
pages and toss them aside and replace them now with material that you
get in a chronological sequence. The part that's before you tonight, as
I indicated earlier, is the first three sections dealing with just some
simple introductory text. Some straight forward descriptions of the
existing system. Then, laying what we think isa fairly important
component of the transportation plan and that is, an outline of some of
the system's deficiencies and major issues that are present. The intent
obviously being plan, through a variety of measures, both in text and
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988- - Page 27
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graphics, we'll address each of those points and be posing in the long
term and short term, various solutions that are appropriate. In terms
of introduction, the only comment that I think I want to impress upon
the Commission, so that you're aware of it, which is somewhat an
interesting point, is that again, this plan has to be prepared in
accordance with the overall framework that the Metrpolitan Council
establishes. That regional framework says that the goal is to maintain
the same level of accessibility that is present right now in the entire
transporation system. That's not to say that there aren't targeted
areas that are going to try and get through but I think it's important
to realize the congestion that exists now, to some degree, will be a
factor in the future as well as a part of the design of the system.
They've done that for a variety of reasons. First of all, I think I
referenced there isn't enough money you can throw at the problems to
solve it. ...in order to keep transit systems viable in the area for
those segments of the population that rely on that. They don't want to
make it too convenient for too many people to have easy private
accessibility without mass transit. For a variety of reasons, that is
part of the regional policy. It's clearly delineated in all of the
Metrpolitan Council's plans. That they plan to have congestion as a
part of the future system because they don't think it can be eliminated.
e
Emmings: I saw Commissioner Keefe spoke to some group, that was about
the light rail transit, and said the same thing. It was the same
message. Focus on everything inside the MUSA and I think is what he was
saying if I heard it right. I was wondering what it meant, when you've
got that overall policy that they're going to maintain approximately the
same level of regional accessibility and then you've got this data over
here. On T-9, that on TH 5 you've got 7,000 to 7,500 vehicles per day.
To justify a 4-lane facility, they aim for TH 5 at 20,000. Almost three
times that. I know they do plan to upgrade TH 5, but when they say you
have the same level of accessibility as you did when? Or as things
change from this year to 5 years from now?
Mark Koegler: That a real general, regionally oriented statement. It's
like any large parameter. You can't take it and focus it on TH 5. TH 5
is an example of that. There will be situations like TH 5 that will be
improved and hopefully we'll have better accessibility. I think if you
read in the text, without TH 212, TH 5 isn't going to be a lot better
off 10 years from now than it is right now. Despite the construction
that will hopefully obviously is going to occur. So I don't think it's
fair to focus on an individual little spot. Yes, there will be
improvements but overall, the regional perspective is that as a whole,
the system will be operating essentially the way it is now. When you
compare the Twin Cities to a lot of major metropolitan areas, it's
pretty favorable. You look at the maps of where the significant traffic
delays occurs, metroareawide, and how extensive those area and how much
they probably are, there might be 70 miles of congested roads, sounds
like a lot but when you compare it to other areas, it's not that severe.
e
Emmings: Under the description of existing systems, it starts out on
page 2 there, this may be trivial but that first sentence says that
Chanhassen's existing street system consistents of a series of local
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 28
~ streets, collectors, minor arterials. Is there a different between
intermediate arterial and major arterials?
Mark Koegler: The new verbage that's being used goes to minor and major
arterials.
Emmings: We've got intermediate.
Mark Koegler: Yes, we're going to update that language. We're in a
period of time right now when there is a draft, which was just prepared
which is not even fully circulated yet, of the Metropolitan Council's
Transportation Chapter of the Development Guide. So they are revising
their transportation section of their Comp Plan, if you will. That has
some different language in it than the 1985 draft, which is the most
recent one to date. The current now is prefacing major and minor
arterials and the highest category will either be a freeway or
expressway. What used to be principle is now either intermediate or
expressway and what used to be intermediate arterials is now major
arterials, essentially. Just some renaming.
Ernrnings:
TH 7 is the only major arterial?
Mark Koegler: Correct.
Emmings: And then I didn't understand at all, the comment on T-5 and
~ under issues and system deficiencies in the second paragraph. General
"'problems. You've got north/south access deficiencies and then the last
half of that I didn't understand. The last half of that paragraph.
what does it mean?
Mark Koegler: That's an example which comes from the previous plan.
That's language really that was modified slightly from the 1980 plan and
that's simply pointing out that when you look at the standards that the
Metropolitan Councilor anybody else puts out, say you've got a
collector route or if you have any minor arterial routes, ideally those
have design standards. They are spaced 1 mile in frequency, 1 1/2 mile
in frequency. You have controlled intersections. You have no private
driveways. The list goes on and on and on and it focus's on speed
limits and ADT numbers and so forth. What that's essentially saying is,
if you look at those kind of ideal situations, there are areas in
Chanhassen where that physically is not going to be possible. That's an
example. Normally you would have major facilities spaced roughly a mile
apart and here we've got a space that's 3 1/2 to 4 miles where literally
because of topography and because of the lakes, and because of existing
development patterns, that's as good as it's going to get. The area
that I guess would like as much comment on tonight as anything,
particularly if there are things that have been left out because as I
was pointed out in the text, as residents and as people who drive to and
from work each day or to and from events in other parts of the metro
area, you experience the road system. We've gone through and
essentially identified and kind of combined to a certain degree, some of
4It the deficiencies and issues that were presented in the last plan that
has really kind of surfaced since then and have categorized them with
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 29
4Itthree,major headings. Either intersections, access problems, road
capaclty or connection problems and jurisdictional continuity.
Starting on page 5 then, there's an outline of some of the really prime
examples of existing problems or existing deficiencies or existing areas
that fall under each of those three categories. Again, I don't know
that I need to go through all of them. I think you're familiar with
many of them. You're probably familiar with some of them in greater
detail as a result of the broaden study area report that was done a year
and a half ago. Particularly some of the intersections like TH 5 and
West 79th, TH 101, West 78th and Dakota and so forth. I guess as a
primary interest, are there other items that you're aware of that should
be included in some of those categories that have not been covered in
the text that's been put together right now. Or are there specific
problems there that you don't think have been identified enough.
Certain aspects of intersections or streets or whatever that aren't
covered there and if so, we would certainly like to include those.
Emmings: I don't know what criteria you used. To me one of the worse
things in Chanhassen is getting of TH 7 into the roads that I have to
use to get access to my house. It's dangerous and there's screeching
tires and collisions up there all the time and that's TH 7 going into
Minnewashta Heights and Lows and Shores and that whole stretch. Some of
that is actually in Shorewood I think. That's a real problem. That's a
problem that I experience everyday but I don't know if it rises to the
level of being a problem that needs to be identified in the
4Itcomprehensive Plan.
Mark Koegler: I think it does and I think that's an example of one
that, quite honestly, I overlooked. You're aware that the TH 7 corridor
study took place 2 years ago now, maybe plus a little bit, and that has
some definite recommendations on some intersection closures and some
things up in that area to help remedy that. It's our intent, I think
I had one of the items, the outline item 5, is actually talking about
some of what are the existing deficiencies. The text will move into a
section that's going to talk about some of the planned improvements and
that would be an example of the reference to the TH 7 corridor study.
I think that is a point that we need to identify in the deficiency
section. Right now it only identifies one or two intersections with TH
7 and it doesn't really focus on the corridor.
Emmings: I found out just recently, and I was tempted to get it, the
State does keep, you get a computer printout for an intersection and the
number and types of accidents that occur at the intersection. I didn't
know that until about 3 or 4 months ago but I was kind of curious, I was
thinking about getting one for our area up there just to see what the
record shows. I always feel, the pile of bodies has to be so high
before they do anything and I was wondering how high it is already.
Mark Koegler: We'll add some text on that. TH 7 corridor and
Minnewashta area. One of the things, again to give credit where credit
is due, the assembly process of putting some text together, the graphic
4Itthat's on page 10 that shows some of the growth along TH 5 corridor,
which I thought really laid out very nicely what has taken place over
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Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 30
~the last 6 year period in terms of the volumes that have increased and
for each of those segments, what kind of percentage increase has been
happening on an annual basis. It drives home the need for those
improvements. It is particularly important to reference that in terms
of the development as commercial and industrial expansion and
residential growth continues to happen in Chanhassen regardless of,
hopefully the TH 212 construction occurs, TH 5 soon will be a very
heavily used route and therefore it's importance in the City's role in
monitoring what Eden prairie is doing. I think it's extremely
important and there are jurisdictions probably to the west of here that
feel the same way about Chanhassen. TH 5 obviously is vital as you head
on out to Victoria and Waconia. Are there any other items that anybody
noted that were not addressed at all or not addressed thoroughly enough
in terms of problem identification?
Emmings: I'm just looking at this arrow, the black arrow that appears
on the map on T-6, it extends CR 17? Maybe I didn't connect that to the
text.
Mark Koegler: The intent of the graphics is simply to indicate that CR
17 has the potential to be extended to pioneer Trail and there is
specific reference in the text. That essentially is as far south as
reasonably that road is going to go. Therefore, if Chanhassen has
interest in making sure it has at least one north/south minor arterial
that has some hope of being functional, it is TH 101 rather than CR 17.
~What we're trying to stress TH 101 for a variety of reasons. One of
..,them is the interchange aspect with the proposed TH 212. Under
Metropolitan Council's criteria, interchanges occur with at least minor
arterials or better, in terms of their functional classification so
that's to some degree in support of that also.
Emmings: Does anybody else have any questions?
Mark Koegler: The only other item, and I don't know that it's really
necessary to go through it. I think all of you probably have had copies
or currently have copies of the broaden study area which did focus on
some detailed recommendations for intersections. Specifically, a
reworking of the interchange at TH 101 and West 79th and TH 5, I think
is probably the most major item and Dakota. Dakota is probably the
major one with 78th Street. There's TH 101 as a part of that also and
the new interchange west of TH 101 that will go into kind of a middle of
downtown area. Those will all be a part of this plan and that text is
being worked into this. I think you probably, at least most of you, had
a chance to go through that in the past. If you haven't you'll see that
in two forms. You'll see it in the plan of material that you get next
time, or you can read about it, perhaps in more detail, in the broaden
study area's report.
Emmings: What does that come under? For example, that interchange of
TH 101 and West 79th Street. Does that corne under recommended systems?
~ark Koegler: It would corne under two things. I think that's going to
be primarily opened ended to what's now considered planned improvements.
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 31
~Planned improvements is going to really look at the improvements that
have essentially been generally agreed upon or generally planned by a
variety of jurisdictions. The City, County and State. Certainly this
is one that the City now has had planned. Interestingly enough though,
the way that process worked, I don't believe that has gone to public
hearing yet. It will do that as a part of the Comprehensive Plan so I
don't know that the general public has had the chance to critique some
of these things to the degree that they will have when this document is
pulled together. It will be clearly identified in there that this is
what's being planned, in general, for that area.
Emmings: What is the status of that? Is that intersection, that weird
intersection with the railroad running through the middle of it.
Dacy: That will be part, as Mark mentioned, of the planned system
section on the transportation chapter and that will probably be the most
controversial part of your public hearing process to adopt the plan.
You will hear from Chanhassen Estates. You will hear from McDonalds.
You will hear from Ivan Sinclair. You will hear from the people in
Hidden Valley.
Emmings: And several Planning Commissioners.
Erhart: For or opposed?
~Dacy: McDonalds will be opposed. Staff is planning to conduct some
~eighborhood informational meetings prior to an official public hearing
on this matter but the first step is getting it considered by the
community as a planned improvement. You recall a year and a half ago we
had joint meetings with the Council and we looked at that year 2005
transportation plan. You really looked over that intersection quite
closely. We have had BRW look at that alignment and make some
refinements so that there isn't such a curve coming south on TH 101 so
we are getting to the point that we are refining the geometries of that
intersection and getting down to specific distances, right-of-ways,
widths, etc..
Emmings: One of the interesting things about that intersection is that
a railroad goes right through there.
Ellson: Do we have a picture of this somewhere in this packet?
Dacy: In your orientation packet, I put the year 2005 study in there.
It's figure 17.
Mark Koegler: There's a lof of detailed background material in there
also which I think will give you more of an overview to see what the
thinking was behind that. Quite honestly, the transportation element,
to be one of the focal points of the public hearing on the Comp Plan. I
don't think any of you were on the Commission back around 1980 but when
the Plan went to hearing in 1982, it was hard to muster anybody to have
A:iny interest in the thing and I suspect some of these kinds of things
~will generate a little more enthusiam this time around. Whether that be
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 32
~ood or bad, we'll see. That's all I had. We'll be back next time with
~he rest of the material.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: ElIson moved, Batzli seconded to approve the first
half of the Minutes of the Planning Commission meeting dated January 20,
1988 as amended by David Headla on pages 2 and 15. All voted in favor
and motion carried.
ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS - DISCUSSION.
Dacy: I wrote this primarily to try and keep track. Make sure that we
have everything and a couple of new things have come up from other
members of city staff. For example, regulations for fences in the front
yard and concerns about wood storage and outdoor storage.
A tape change occurred at this point in the meeting.
Emmings: PUD philosophy is on here. That's kind of big. I don't know
what it meant. You've got landfills and and hazardous waste disposal.
Treated wood, we've talked about that. Architectural exterior metal
buildings. We are talking about that. Radio antennas, cemetery signs,
temporary conditional uses, center islands in cul-de-sacs. The only
other one is acreage left in MUSA.
tlbacy: I did answer that at one meeting.
Emmings: Maybe I wasn't here.
Dacy: It was another Comp Plan meeting and the answer was 1,200 acres.
Erhart: How much do they allow you to have? What's the goal?
Dacy: We have 1,200 acres of vacant developable land left in the MUSA
area. Once we eat up the 1,200 acres, then the City can consider
petitioning Met Council.
Erhart: And they expect you to bring that down to zero?
Dacy: Correct.
Erhart: What happens if Dave Headla just doesn't want to subdivide his
land? We have to wait for the next 50 years until Dave dies.
Dacy: I think if it comes down to 95% or 98%, I'm sure they will
consider that but...
Erhart: That just seems unreasonable. At some point you have to say,
it's like unemployment. You can't get it down to zero. At some point
there's got to be a certain number of acreage that these people just
~ren't going to want to subdivide for any reason and you will start
~estricting, more and more restricting the growth of the City.
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 33
~mmings: This issue on fences in front yards.
about that tonight?
Do you want to talk
Dacy: If you want to.
to you.
If you'd rather wait until next time, that's up
Emmings: This came up either from the City Councilor by other city
staff it says.
Dacy: Yes, the fence one was initiated from a counci1member and
contacted Jim Chaffee about it and I received a memo from Jim Chaffee.
I agreed that I would bring it to the Commission's attention to see
whether or not they wanted to pursue it.
Headla: When people come up with stuff like that, it just seems like
they've got tunnel vision. The one area they're looking at, the whole
world is like that, and it's not. Take a look in our area, and Tim's
area. If you want to put a fence in your front yard. I don't know why
you can't. Sometimes I like to have flowers and sometimes I like to
keep my dog in my yard. I don't want a 2 1/2 foot fence that he'll step
over. I really think when they look at the stuff, and the next subject
too, don't look at just one small area of the City. It's a big city
with a lot of diverse things going on and there's a lot of different
interest in this city.
~acy: How about if I do this. Maybe I'll invite the councilmember that
was concerned about this issue, to come to a meeting to discuss it more
unless you have a strong feeling now that it's not appropriate.
Emmings: It seems to me when something like this comes up, it's good to
know why. What specific thing has gone haywire that brought it up. Do
you know what it is?
Dacy: I think it was just a general aesthetic issue that must have
occurred in his neighborhood because we just talked briefly about it.
It's just the aesthetics of having a 6 foot fence in the front yard
along the road.
Emmings: And you do see, I think of my neighborhood and I know my
neighbor has, the spot I live in is completely enclosed with a chain
linked because it was all in the hands of one person at one time. Now
we tore it down along the lake but it's still there up along Greenbriar,
and that looks real bad, in my opinion. Across the street, on the
corner, there's a woman that has a split rail fence in her front yard
and it looks just fine. It's just two rails and very unoffensive. It's
just a variety. Then you get into hedges and hedges being fences.
We've been in this before. It's a real complicated issue and not only
would I like to know what went wrong that brought it people's attention
but it might be a good idea just for people to drive around for a while
and look and see. There's a variety and I don't think we want to
eestrict people too much.
Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 34
~atzli: Currently, if someone was going to install a 6 foot fence in
~heir front yard, what would be their limitations on doing that? Is
there a setback from the road? A right-of-way that they couldn't put it
on or can they put it right up to the road?
Dacy: They would have to put it at the property line, at the
right-of-way line. They couldn't put it within the right-of-way.
Olsen: We also require a plan.
Dacy: Okay, we'll come back with specifics on this issue and maybe
pictures.
Emmings: Did we define that hedge as a fence, when we were doing that
stuff on the sliding lot line? We talked about it.
Dacy: A landscaped hedge? Shurbery?
Emmings: Yes.
Oacy: No, the ordinance is just fences or walls. I recall now that you
mention it that we talked about it, but the way it's written.
Ernmings: Alright, so that will corne back.
.acy: As well as these other 8 items. I would like to get most of the
rdinance amendment issues wrapped up soon. I'd like to have it as kind
of annual issue. Kind of a housekeeping process.
Headla: What about the wood storage?
Dacy: I just included that for informational purposes. I haven't had a
chance to sit down with them to really discuss the intent here because I
think we have some problems with the suggestion of number 2, from an
enforcement standpoint. It was just for informational purposes.
Headla: I'd like to know what costs are involved because once you do
that, you need an elmologist to go out and look at a woodpile and that's
going to require so much education and training and travel and what are
you going to get out of that? Where Steve lives and I live, are two
vastly different areas. What are we going to accomplish for it? If I
go on TH 5, TH 101, TH 7 and look at all the elms standings, there are
so many of them compared to what's going to be in a wood pile.
Emmings: I didn't know about the importance of removing oak bark.
I knew about it with elm.
Headla: That's becoming more serious all the time and I've got a lot of
good oaks there that boy, I want to save. A lot of nice oaks in my
area.
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Planning Commission Meeting
February 3, 1988 - Page 35
~hart moved, Headla seconded to adjourn the meeting. All voted in
~avor and motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 p.m..
Submitted by Barbara Dacy
City Planner
Prepared by Nann Opheim
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