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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-03-14-WS ---AI�EN�HILLS Approved: December 8, 2014 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION NOVEMBER 3, 2014 6:00 P.M. -ARDEN HILLS CITY HALL CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor Grant called to order the City Council work session at 6:02 p.m. Present: Mayor David Grant; Councilmembers Brenda Holden, Fran Holmes, Dave McClung, and Ed Werner Absent: None Also present: City Administrator Patrick Klaers; Public Works Director Terry Maurer; Community Development Director Jill Hutmacher; Associate Planner Matthew Bachler; City Planner Ryan Streff; and City Clerk Amy Dietl 1. AGENDA ITEMS A. TCAAP Community Development Director Hutmacher stated that Keith Ulstad and Rick McKelvey, United Properties, were in attendance to have a discussion on retail development with the City Council and to respond to Council questions regarding retail locations, market 'demand, desired amenities, and design criteria. She noted that as part of the Comprehensive Plan Amendment, the City will need to adopt a TCAAP Future Land Use Map which may or may not be consistent with the approved Master Plan Land Use Map. She explained that staff was seeking direction from the Council on the Future Land Use Map. Rick McKelvey, United Properties, introduced himself to the Council. Tricia Pitchford, Cushman & Wakefield, introduced herself to the Council noting that she worked for a sister company of United Properties. Keith Ulstad, United Properties, provided the Council with his comments and opinions on how to best configure the TCAAP retail sites. ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—NOVEMBER 3, 2014 2 Councilmember Holden expressed concern with the comments from United Properties representatives as they have a vested interest in the site. Mr. Ulstad understood this concern and stated he would try to provide objective and unbiased comments and encouraged the Council to invite other commercial developers in for discussions. Mayor Grant questioned how the site needs for the retail area would change without immediate development on the thumb. Mr. Ulstad commented that he has not considered this delay in development. He believed that the retail component would not be possible without the interchange improvements. He stated the size of the retail would be critical in order to attract traffic from Highway 10 and I-35W, while also meeting the needs of the local residents. It was his opinion that 20 contiguous acres would be needed to provide an anchor(grocer) and diversity in the retail area. Councilmember Holden reviewed the proposed locations for retail in TCAAP. Mr. Ulstad recommended that 20 acres of retail be located west of the spine road adjacent to the County Road H interchange. He believed that more convenience retail could be located along Highway 96 and east of the spine road. Mr. McKelvey explained that the 20 acres would be the first piece to draw customers off of the freeway with an attractive anchor and a secondary attraction with restaurants or entertainment. Councilmember Holden asked why this site would be attractive to passing traffic when compared to Roseville. Mr. McKelvey reported this site would be incredibly easy to access. Ms. Pitchford stated this was the reason a grocer was being recommended as the strongest and best use for the site. She reported that once the residential area became fully developed, the grocer would become more stable. Further discussion ensued regarding the potential anchor for the retail site. Mr. Ulstad commented that Target may have bigger ticket items, but requires fewer trips than a grocer. He indicated that grocery stores have been the best single driver for retail and get people in the habit of going to the same place. He further discussed how the retail should be phased from the west side to the east side of the spine road. He suggested that the Council begin with a grocer as this would lead to surrounding retail. Ms. Pitchford stated that smaller convenience would want to be in the field of vision of the grocer. She envisioned a very cohesive, well thought out and organized plan for the retail site. She explained this would assist with leasing the property. Councilmember Holden questioned if the developers had any comparative developments in mind for the TCAAP site. ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—NOVEMBER 3, 2014 3 Ms. Pitchford discussed several local projects that were 20 acres and had a Main Street look. She reported that access and visibility off of I-35W was critical. Mayor Grant wanted the development to be successful and appreciated the input. He wanted to see the proposed retail reach the critical mass. Councilmember Holden asked if retail along Highway 96 would survive. Ms. Pitchford anticipated a bank, daycare and other quick freestanding convenience users would work in this area. She believed that the Highway 96 corridor was greatly underserved, given the traffic volume. She stated a gas station may work in this area. Councilmember Holden questioned if the 20 acres for retail would have any civic area. Mr. Ulstad stated he did not anticipate having any civic area within the 20 acres of retail. Mayor Grant understood the proposed 20 acres would help guarantee a successful site. He inquired if this size should be increased by five acres. Mr. Ulstad commented that 25 acres may be better than 20 acres; however this may depend on the surrounding uses. He reported that the additional five acres would assist in creating a transitional space. Councilmember Holmes stated that she supported 20 acres of retail west of the spine road and asked if there were any thoughts of having retail on the main level with apartments above. She stated that she liked the retail development she recently saw in Mendota Heights. Mr. Ulstad explained this type of development would require structured parking and more expensive building design. He did not anticipate this would be proposed for the 20 acres of retail. He stated that typically, vertical mixed developments were driven by land constraints. He stated that Phase II of the retail may be better suited for vertical mixed uses. Ms. Pitchford indicated that after time, residents find it difficult to live above to retail. Councilmember Holden questioned how the Town Center area would develop with 20 acres of retail west of the spine road. Ms. Pitchford explained that a cohesive strong retail area near I-35W would be the starting point. From there the Town Center area could expand. Mr. Ulstad stated that the Town Center area could include small retail, mixed use, multi-family and office space, in addition to a civic area. He reported it would be difficult to fully plan this area until the needs of the market were closely evaluated. He commented that connectivity would be important. City Administrator Klaers advised that the location of the spine road may need to be shifted in order to accommodate the visibility needs for the proposed retail and office use. ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—NOVEMBER 3, 2014 4 Mayor Grant requested further comment on this topic. City Administrator Klaers indicated staff and consultants have discussed a slight relocation of the spine road to the east to accommodate a nice shaped parcel for the office space that was adjacent to the retail to the south. If this would happen, then land uses in the Town Center are impacted. Councilmember Holden expressed frustration with this suggestion. Councilmember Holmes stated this relocation would be possible because it would not interfere with the wetlands and for this reason, she believed it made sense to accommodate development on the west side of the road. Mayor Grant inquired how far to the east the spine road would be shifted. City Administrator Klaers was uncertain and noted Kimley Horn was redrafting a map to reflect this adjustment. Mayor Grant wanted to see the TCAAP development be multi-dimensional in order to draw people to the site. Councilmember Holden asked if the County was interested in shifting the spine road. Public Works Director Maurer reported the County wanted to see all development on TCAAP successful and was exploring this option. The County was funding the Kimley Horn redrafting of the map. Mr. Ulstad commented that the revisions were not being driven by the need for retail. Rather, the development should have as much land as far north on the west side of the spine road for visibility and access purposes. Councilmember McClung stated he was beginning to care less about the flex business and was more interested in two Class A business sites with retail. He believed that the more Class A office space the site had the better. Mr. Ulstad indicated that a better class of restaurants would be willing to locate in this area if there was an abundance of office space and daytime users. Councilmember Holmes inquired if staff needed any additional guidance from the Council. Community Development Director Hutmacher thanked the Council for their comments related to retail development. She summarized that it appeared that the Council was generally supportive of more retail on the west side of the spine road and the change in the spine road alignment. In order to maintain a large Class A office site, changes may be needed with respect to the alignment of the spine road. ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—NOVEMBER 3, 2014 5 Mayor Grant thanked the representatives for their input. He then turned the Council's conversation to the residential vision; the wants and needs for the Hill and the Creek. Councilmember Holmes liked the idea of starting with higher density near the Town Center then moving towards less density as the site approaches AHATS. She did not like the idea of the Creek neighborhood being more expensive than the Hill. She believed there should be two or three designs in the Creek and three or four in the Hill. Mayor Grant thought the Hill and the Creek would have four different housing types, with large and small lots. He anticipated that 15% would be cottage homes or manor homes within the Creek neighborhood. The remaining 85% would be larger single-family homes. Within the Creek, he saw the outer ring as nicer or larger homes and then within the site, a variety of homes could be built. In the Hill neighborhood he would have 20% cottage homes and 80% single family homes. He was in favor of the fanning out concept with housing variety. Councilmember Holden asked how much of the Creek and Hill neighborhoods were buildable land. Public Works Director Maurer anticipated that less than 15% of the land would be needed for roads and the remainder of the acreage would be used for houses. Mayor Grant recommended that the two neighborhoods (Creek and Hill) end up at about 430 units. Councilmember Holmes stated that she supported some small multifamily use in the Hill and Creek neighborhoods, and that the City needs to be flexible in laying out the residential developments. Councilmember McClung supported flexibility. He agreed with higher density in the west and lower density in the east in the Creek neighborhood. He supported some townhomes and small multifamily development in the Hill neighborhood. Councilmember Werner supported townhomes on the west side and single family lots on the east side in both neighborhoods. Councilmember Holden wanted to see all single family detached homes in the Creek neighborhood. She supported some high quality townhomes on the east side of the Hill neighborhood along with some nice town or twin homes, along the water feature. Community Development Director Hutmacher stated if the Council wanted to see a change in placement of land uses between the approved Master Plan Land Use Map and the Future Comprehensive Land Use Map, then Council input is needed. Councilmember Holden understood that the retail size would change and she believed the Council did not have enough information about the water feature in order to provide further comment on the residential areas. ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—NOVEMBER 3, 2014 6 Councilmember McClung agreed. Mayor Grant requested staff to put together some residential development options for the Hill and Creek neighborhoods. B. Building Official Vehicle Community Development Director Hutmacher stated the current inspections vehicles consist of a 2004 Chevrolet Blazer and a 2003 F250 obtained from our public works department. Both vehicles are 10 years old or more and are requiring more repairs each year. Staff is seeking to replace the F250 with a new vehicle. The total price with taxes and fees is $20,000. Previously approved in this year's budget was $20,000 for an inspections vehicle. Staff would continue to use the 2004 Chevy Blazer mainly for inspection and code enforcement use. The F250 would go back to our public works department. Staff requested the Council consider approval of$20,000 for the purchase of a used 2013 Ford Escape. Mayor Grant questioned what repairs the existing inspection vehicle needed. Public Works Director Maurer was uncertain, but noted with the limited value of the vehicle it could still be used during the summer months. Councilmember Werner asked how many miles would be put on this vehicle each year. Public Works Director Maurer anticipated that less than 5,000 miles per year would be put on the vehicle. Councilmember Holden commented that the Council budgeted $20,000 for this vehicle and for this reason, she would support the purchase. Councilmember McClung had no comment on the request. Mayor Grant recommended this item be placed on a future Consent Agenda. C. Update on County Road E Project City Administrator Klaers stated there are two public hearings scheduled for Monday, November 10, 2014, on the proposed improvements to County Road E. One is a project public hearing and one is an assessment public hearing. At this work session prior to the public hearings, staff would like to discuss with the Council what is being planned so far for the presentations, review some of the project cost estimates, and hear from the Council what they would like to have presented and explained at the hearings. City Administrator Klaers reported that in round numbers the total project cost was $2 million. He commented that the County would be covering $1.5 million of this expense and the City would have to assess or pay the remaining $500,000. ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—NOVEMBER 3, 2014 7 Public Works Director Maurer noted the sidewalk expense for Davidson was estimated to be $50,000. This expense would be paid up front by Davidson and would not be part of the assessment project. Further discussion ensued regarding the sidewalk and how the project would be assessed. Councilmember Holmes asked the amount that would be assessed to the B-2 property owners. Public Works Director Maurer explained that the assessment amount has been lowered to just under $200,000. He provided further comment on the items that were included within the proposed B-2 area-wide assessments. It was noted that the trees would be paid for by the City. He discussed the style and number of lights that would be installed along the corridor. Councilmember Holmes inquired if staff has received any complaints or knew of any property owners that would contest their assessment. Public Works Director Maurer stated staff has had three calls regarding the assessments, but has received no objections. 2. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND STAFF UPDATES Councilmember Holmes stated she received an email from the League of Minnesota Cities regarding City benefits. She explained she would be forwarding this email to City Administrator Klaers for distribution to the entire Council. She reported that the League of Minnesota Cities felt strongly that the City Council should not make any changes to the City's benefits packet for 2015. She recommended the Council review the letter prior to the next Council meeting. Councilmember Werner discussed the new blue lights on the Highway 96 signals and explained these were installed by law enforcement to assist with ticketing drivers that ran red lights. Councilmember Holden indicated she would like to receive a report from staff on the recent TCAAP Charrette. City Administrator Klaers commented he had a handout from Kimley Horn that would be distributed to the Council. ADJOURN Mayor Grant adjourned the City Council work session at 8:50 p.m. dw_AA=Q� L;H '41 V, - Amy Dietl David Grant City Clerk Mayor It..- ,-AIREN HILLS Request for Special City Council Work Session A special meeting may be called by the Mayor or by any two Councilmembers. Topics for meeting: A. Building Official Vehicle B. TCAAP C. Update on County Road E Project Requested Date: 11/03/14 Requested time: 6:00 pm Open meeting X Closed meeting Signature of person(s) making request: hm4i'&i 10/29/14 Mayor or Councilmember Date Councilmember Date -This section to be completed by City staff- Date received: 10 / .;1,9 / I q Date meeting to be held: 11/03/14 Time of meeting: 6:00 pm Location: City Hall All necessary posting and notices have been completed. to a Signature of City rk Date City of Arden Hills * 1245 West Highway 96 + Arden Hills,MN + 55112-5743 Phone 651-792-7800 * Fax 651-634-5137 * www.cityofardenhills.org