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ARDEN HILLS PLANNING COMMISSION MAY 8, 20132 <br /> <br />development review process, and to ensure that future development in the B-2 District is well <br />designed. <br /> <br />Discussion <br /> <br />Bicycle Parking <br /> <br />Community Development Intern Matthew Bachler stated Section P of the B-2 District design <br />standards addresses pedestrian and bicycle circulation improvements. Specifically, the section <br />states that projects which are required to meet the design standards must comply with the <br />quired near a public <br />However, no additional guidance is given regarding the design, dimensions, or location of <br />bicycle parking on the site. Further, a minimum number of bicycle parking spaces is not <br />specified. <br /> <br />Staff has drafted an amendment to the design standards to provide detailed specifications on <br />bicycle parking (Attachment A). These revisions address what qualifies as bicycle parking, where <br />bicycle parking should be located in relation to buildings and the overall site, dimension and <br />installation requirements, and the total number of bicycle parking spaces required. <br /> <br />Staff reviewed bicycle parking regulations used in other municipalities to inform the draft <br />revisions. Municipalities consulted included Roseville, St. Paul, and Minneapolis. Additionally, <br />information on dimension criteria for bicycle parking was obtained from the Minnesota <br />Department of Transportation Bikeway Facility Design Manual. <br /> <br />Building Materials <br /> <br />Community Development Intern Matthew Bachler commented Section D of the B-2 District <br />design standards specifies acceptable and undesirable exterior building materials. Staff has <br />revised this section to expand and refine the list of permitted and discouraged materials as well as <br />to build in more flexibility for Staff in the development review process. <br /> <br />Staff has conducted research on high-quality building materials that are not currently on the <br />acceptable materials list and which meet B-2 design guidelines. Many of these materials are also <br />permitted by municipalities in the metro that have established similar design standards for their <br />primary commercial centers or downtowns. Design guidelines for Roseville, Shoreview, <br />Burnsville, and Hopkins were reviewed. Staff has relied on industry standards and aesthetic <br />considerations in determining which materials are appropriate as principal building materials as <br />opposed to trim and accent materials. The draft revision to the building materials section <br />incorporates these new materials. <br /> <br />Community Development Intern Matthew Bachler stated the section on undesirable building <br />materials has been revised to include more stringent restrictions on the use of mirrored or <br />reflective glass in the B-2 District. Previously, the extensive use of mirrored glass on the first <br />floor of a building was listed as undesirable. Staff believes the City should discourage the use of <br />this material entirely in the district. Given the pace at which building material technology <br />evolves, Staff believes a provision should be included in the section that allows the Community <br />