CC Minutes 5-22-06
City Council Meeting - May 22, 2006
Mayor Furlong: I would encourage you to set up a time and meet with staff because it'd
probably be easier outside of a council meeting to have the back and forth questions.
Kate Aanenson: And for the record, I've had this complete conversation with your partner so I
don't know where the miscommunication is but he was in my office.
Perry Ryan: I just want it for the record.
Kate Aanenson: Yep, so.
Mayor Furlong: Okay. Very good, thank you.
ARBORETUM BUSINESS CENTER; 2970 WATER TOWER PLACE (LOT 1, BLOCK
1, ARBORETUM BUSINESS CENTER 5TH ADDITION); STEINER DEVELOPMENT,
PLANNING CASE 06-16: REQUEST FOR SITE PLAN REVIEW FOR A 25,300 SQ. FT.
OFFICE-SHOWROOM- WAREHOUSE BillLDING ON 2.69 ACRES OF LAND ZONED
PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT.
Kate Aanenson: Thank you Mayor, members of the council. Planning Commission held a
public hearing on this project on May 2nd and they voted 6-0 to approve the project. The project
is kind of filling up the last few lots on the Arboretum Business Park. This property actually has
access facing, or excuse me, faces 41 while it has access off of Water Tower Place. Eventually
that street will go when 41 gets lowered, will have access to that street itself but right now it has
to come internally. The site plan itself, I'm not going to put up the big one. Here's the material.
What we did have, and change to some of the entrance. If you look at the original one, this, can
you zoom in on that. A little bit more articulated on the views. The back of this building has
loading docks. It actually backs onto the other building so you've got back to back loading
docks, so there's just a few questions on the sidewalk. Then the other issue that the Planning
Commission did spend some time on was, the roof top screening. Because of the elevation they
decided that that probably was, that's something that we always make an evaluation on when
we're looking at projects is sometimes trying to screen something so that it doesn't need to be
actually, because it's more of a kind of a visual and kind of as opposed to just leaving it natural
so they decided to use the charcoal gray painted, low profile HV AC equipment and that should...
So with that, what they're asking for is site plan approval and the POO standards were put in
place here a number of years ago. So unless there's specific questions, I showed the materials.
The rock base block. It's pretty articulated. It's a nice looking building and the staff is
recommending approval with the conditions in the staff report, and I'd be happy to answer any
questions you have.
Mayor Furlong: Thank you. Questions for staff.
Councilwoman Tjornhom: Kate, this is not, this is not retail is it? This is just a showroom?
Kate Aanenson: Yeah, office showroom. It's similar to some of the other ones we have up
there. It's mostly warehousing space.
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City Council Meeting - May 22, 2006
Councilwoman Tjornhom: Okay.
Todd Gerhardt: Kate, wouldn't it be very similar to All About Lights building?
Kate Aanenson: Yep.
Todd Gerhardt: Just to the south.
Kate Aanenson: Yep.
Mayor Furlong: What about truck, as I recall when the building to the east, Vengra Designs was
put in there was concern about traffic flow between the two buildings. Where are, I'm looking at
that picture. Where are the loading docks? It looks like on the building to the east the docks are
angled. For truck flow.
Kate Aanenson: Yeah, right. And then this will also have loading docks on the back side.
That's always our goal to get loading docks so loading docks for that visual barrier. Engineering
did look at that and made some recommendations but I believe that the ultimate or circulation
pattern.
Mayor Furlong: So the circulation pattern would be from the street up inbetween the buildings
and then back out?
Kate Aanenson: Correct, and then ultimately when it gets developed when this access becomes
open. Right now it's a cul-de-sac but right now there's two access points. To review, this is a
truck traffic that will come through this way, reducing the conflict. The other issue was
providing additional sidewalk access points so people can walk.
Mayor Furlong: It looks like on the building to the east, on the.. .at least the one I'm looking at,
is that those docks are angled so that the trucks would back in.
Kate Aanenson: Correct.
Mayor Furlong: Are the docks angled on this building?
Kate Aanenson: No they're not.
Mayor Furlong: They're straight. Is that going to cause a conflict or.
Kate Aanenson: We've got 66 feet between the two. For the loading. Paul.
Todd Gerhardt: Depends on the size of the truck right?
Paul Oehme: Exactly. Yeah, you know the access would come off from the east. East access
point. But if you, tractor trucks would have to back up and they'd come in at a 90 degree angle
there but for a 66 foot wide street, if that's what it is, you know I think it would be, have enough
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City Council Meeting - May 22, 2006
clearance there to have them turn in, back in at a 90 degree angle and then come out the same
direction they came in at.
Mayor Furlong: Where's the 66? Is that to the property line? It's only 44 to the property line.
Kate Aanenson: Yeah, between buildings, and one of the conditions we had in there is a cross
access easement so they're both backing across each other's property.
Mayor Furlong: Alright. I'm just, I guess my questions is why aren't we looking at the angled
docks so that we have a natural flow and easier. . .
Kate Aanenson: And making them do the angle?
Mayor Furlong: Well we've got an angle on the east building and as I recall, one of the reasons
for that was because we didn't know what was going in to the west and for traffic flow. I guess
I'm just wondering why we wouldn't have the same angled docks here so that we, it's just a little
bit easier.
Paul Oehme: I think the access.
Kate Aanenson: Maybe the applicant can address that.
Mayor Furlong: Okay.
Kate Aanenson: Is that alright?
Mayor Furlong: Yep. No, that's fine. Why don't you come down. Let's keep it efficient.
Joe Smith: Hi, good evening council members. Joe Smith from Steiner Development.
Mayor Furlong: Good evening.
Joe Smith: We have tried to come up with some flexibility with the back of this building.
Ideally what we'd like to do is have those be drive in doors. This building is planned to be an
office showroom, office so actually you're not going to have over the road type trucks. They're
going to be a UPS type truck, or FedEx type truck. They're not going to be the 40, the 70 foot...
Mayor Furlong: Why don't you get some of that at Buck's Furniture or something? That all
doesn't come through a, some of that must come on a truck.
Joe Smith: I guess it is possible. We had planned on putting one or two docks in and we would
angle them. Similar to what we've got at Vengra.
Mayor Furlong: Okay.
Joe Smith: But we're still waiting to get the users. We don't know what the users are yet.
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City Council Meeting - May 22, 2006
Mayor Furlong: I guess from that standpoint, just looking at this, if we, if whatever docks go in
the back are angled so they line up with the other buildings. Once you've got driving doors, then
it's a non-issue.
Joe Smith: Right. Right. Up to this point we've just tried to keep some flexibility as to.
Mayor Furlong: That's fine.
Joe Smith: We've tried to plan this so.
Mayor Furlong: The elevations are such that you can have both drive?
Joe Smith: Yep. Yeah.
Mayor Furlong: Drive in and.
Joe Smith: More likely the drive in would be on the south end and the docks would be towards
the north end. We just tried to keep some flexibility because we don't know if it's going to be
end up being all office users or office showroom. Just the way the economics work for us.
Mayor Furlong: And that's fine and if we put in a dock and we angle it, I think that would be
something with the truck traffic and if there's no dock then a drive in would be fine. I'm sorry.
Kate Aanenson: Condition number...
Mayor Furlong: Is there a 19 already or did we just add it?
Kate Aanenson: We just added it.
Mayor Furlong: Okay, alright. At least I didn't miss it. Alright, that's great. There's a simple
answer, thank you. Any other questions for staff before we invite the applicant back out? No?
Anything else to add or comments on the building? I think those were mine. It looks like a very
nice design and it's nice to see this development being completed and be nice to get those
improvements to 41 as well, to line that up. So any thoughts or comments?
Councilman Lundquist: I think it's certainly within the standards. I don't disagree with the
angled docks and.. . development so I think I'm in full support of it.
Mayor Furlong: Great.
Councilwoman Tjomhom: .. . office, Kate I had just one question. ... the signage. When the
building does get built. I read it in the staff report that kind of ironed out all this. Right, yeah.
Kate Aanenson: They've shown on the site plan, depending on the tenants. The sign band and
logo?
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City Council Meeting - May 22, 2006
Councilwoman Tjomhom: Yes.
Kate Aanenson: Yes. So there's approved placement for it. Yeah. We've got a limited, we'll
take you through some code amendments so the Planning Commission at their next meeting, so
item D. One of the things we looked at now is voltage, color, intensity so.
Councilwoman Tjomhom: Okay...1 think it's a great asset for this development.
Mayor Furlong: I agree with the statements made and I appreciate your willingness on the
docks. I think it will just make it a lot easier with the neighbor and for all the users of the
property throughout the development so I'm ready to go forward. Is there a motion?
Councilman Lundquist: Motion to approve staff's recommendation with conditions 1 through
19. Published 18 with the addition of 19 on the angled docks.
Mayor Furlong: Very good. Is there a second?
Councilwoman Tjomhom: Second.
Mayor Furlong: Made and seconded. Is there any discussion on the motion?
Councilman Lundquist moved, Councilwoman Tjornhom seconded that the City Council
approve Site Plan #06-16 for a 25,300 square foot one story office-showroom-warehouse
building, plans prepared by Mohagen Hansen Architectural Group, dated March 30, 2006,
subject to the following conditions:
1. The applicant shall enter into a site plan agreement with the City and provide the necessary
security to guarantee erosion control, site restoration and landscaping.
2. A separate sign permit will be necessary for each sign.
3. The building is required to have an automatic fire extinguishing system.
4. The plans must be prepared and signed by design professionals licensed in the State of
Minnesota.
5. Air-test required on that portion of storm sewer within ten feet of building or water service.
Permits and inspections required through Chanhassen Building Inspections Division.
6. Detailed occupancy related requirements will be addressed when complete plans are
submitted.
7. The owner and/or their representative shall meet with the Inspections Division as soon as
possible to discuss plan review and permit procedures.
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City Council Meeting - May 22, 2006
8. The applicant shall obtain permission from the property owner to the north prior to silt
fence installation. If permission is not obtained, the plans shall be revised to accommodate
all sediment control measures on-site.
9. Street cleaning of soil tracked onto public streets shall include daily street scraping and
street sweeping as needed.
10. The owner/operator of the proposed development shall apply for and receive an NPDES
Phase II Construction permit prior to beginning construction activities.
11. The applicant shall apply for and obtain a permit from the Riley-Purgatory-Bluff Creek
Watershed District and comply with their conditions of approval.
12. The Black Hills spruce near the building shall be moved east to serve as screening for the
truck area. A narrower species of evergreen shall be considered for planting in this area.
13. A revised landscape plan shall be submitted before building permit approval.
14. All lighting fixtures must be shielded with a total cutoff angle equal to or less than 90
degrees.
15. A professional civil engineer registered in the State of Minnesota must sign all plans.
16. The applicant will be required to submit storm sewer sizing design data for a 10 year, 24
hour storm event with a full size drainage area map prior to building permit issuance.
17. The applicant must verify with the City Building Department if the site connecting to the
existing 8-inch watermain on the east side is adequately sized to handle the two lots
consumption.
18. As the eastern access will service the two lots, cross-access easements will need to be
obtained and recorded against the lots.
19. Any future loading docks will be angled.
All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 4 to O.
COUNCIL PRESENTATIONS: None.
ADMINISTRA TIVE PRESENT A TIONS: UPDATE ON FIELD ALLOCATION
POLICY.
Todd Gerhardt: At this point I'd like to have Todd Hoffman come up and just give you a short,
little update on field allocation policy.
Mayor Furlong: Okay, thank you.
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