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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-04-15-WS 'It �- lQEN HILLS Approved: June 29, 2015 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MAY 4,2015 (CONTINUATION OF MAY 2,2015 SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION) 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 special City Council work session at 6:00 p.m. This meeting was continued from the special City Council work session held on May 2, 2015. Present: Mayor David Grant; Councilmembers Brenda Holden, Fran Holmes, Dave McClung(arrived at 6:08 p.m.), and Robert Woodburn Absent: None Also present: City Administrator Patrick Klaers; Director of Finance and Administrative Services Sue Iverson; Public Works Director Terry Maurer; Assistant City Engineer John Anderson; Community Development Director Jill Hutmacher; Associate Planner Matthew Bachler; and City Clerk Amy Dietl Mayor Grant asked the Council if they wanted to record the work session. It was the consensus of the Council to not record the work session. 1. AGENDA ITEMS A. Rice Creek Commons (TCAAP) Community Development Director Hutmacher presented a handout to the Council. She stated that the proposed land use plan shown in blue on the handout was derived from her understanding of the discussion that took place at the special City Council work session on Saturday, May 2, 2015. City Administrator Klaers noted that the discussion on May 2 centered on the number of housing units that would be built in the neighborhoods (the housing yield) and that from this total, a maximum density amount can be established. ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—MAY 4, 2015 2 Councilmember Holden asked what numbers were used when creating the proposed land use plan. City Administrator Klaers stated that the housing yield is approximately 92% of the maximum density. It was noted that except for apartments, the maximum density cannot be reached due to such land use issues as irregular shaped lots and street right-of-way locations. Community Development Director Hutmacher stated that once staff has a better understanding of the Council's vision, revisions will be made to the zoning definitions within the TCAAP Redevelopment Code (TRC). Mayor Grant questioned the definition of NB-3A and indicated that he would like to see single family detached homes. Councilmember Holden stated that she would like to get away from having all townhouses in the NB-3 zones. Community Development Director Hutmacher indicated that based on Council discussion, the definition of single family could remain unchanged, but that the TRC would redefine NB-3A (neighborhood high-density) to not include small multi-family. Conversely, there would be a new definition for NB-313 that would allow only small multi-family. She stated that NB-3A would allow single family including cottage homes, twin homes, and detached townhomes only. Councilmember Holden said that she would like to see smaller lots for single family homes and not so many townhomes. Councilmember Holmes understood that the Council did not want any multi-family in the Creek neighborhood. Councilmember Holden and Mayor Grant agreed with that statement. Councilmember McClung arrived at 6:08 p.m. Councilmember Holmes commented that the Hill neighborhood does allow multi-family. Councilmember Holden stated that the Council requested that the definition of NB-3A include lots of less than 50 feet in width. Councilmember Holmes stated that she wanted to see side or rear-loading garages. Community Development Director Hutmacher stated that page 66 of the TRC notes that a lot width minimum of 50 feet would accommodate a front or side-loading garage and that a lot that is less than 50-foot shall be an alley-loaded garage. She noted that Mattamy Homes is putting front- loaded garages at 44-feet. Mayor Grant questioned if the blue chart on the handout was based on the discussion the "d Council had on May 2 ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—MAY 4, 2015 3 Community Development Director Hutmacher stated that the orange chart on the handout was based on the discussion held on May 2°d Mayor Grant asked if the maximum density went down. Community Development Director Hutmacher stated that the numbers in the blue chart represent the land use plan that the Council could approve. The arrows on the handout and the orange chart indicate what the likely actual yield would be based on a 92% efficiency. Councilmember Holden stated that the Council knew that this density number would be higher. Mayor Grant asked if staff feels as though they understand what the Council is envisioning for the Creek and Hill neighborhoods. Community Development Director Hutmacher stated that if the handout that was provided tonight includes the numbers that the Council wants to see, then yes, staff has a good idea of what the Council wants. She noted that Code requires that the garage has to be behind the fagade of the house, unless there is a considerable porch structure on the front of the home. City Administrator Klaers questioned if the Council had additional comments or concerns regarding the 50-foot lot size. The consensus of the Council is that the definition as it currently reads is acceptable. Discussion continued regarding lot sizes and the fact that the numbers used are gross, not net, numbers. The numbers used are actual built units which include right-of-ways, but exclude park space. Councilmember Holden stated that she would like it to stay with what was in Fit Test 2 for the Creek neighborhood and for the open space layout in the Town Center. Mayor Grant asked the Council to discuss the Town Center. Councilmember Holmes stated that all the densities have gone up and she is not sure why. Public Works Director Maurer noted that the Fit Test is essentially a yield, which is more comparable to the numbers in the orange chart of the handout. The Council continued their conversation on the Hill neighborhood. Councilmember Holden stated that she liked the placement of the parks better in Fit Test Option 2 than in Fit Test Option 1. The Council discussed flexibility in where the parks are located. The Council discussed the density within the Town Center. Mayor Grant recessed the special City Council work session at 6:58 p.m. ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—MAY 4, 2015 4 Mayor Grant reconvened the special City Council work session at 8:15 p.m. Councilmember Woodburn shared a handout with the Council on warehousing. Councilmember Holden inquired about the warehousing definitions and how they fit with the TRC. Community Development Director Hutmacher stated that warehousing is not permitted. She noted that definitions only appear in the TRC if they are not already in the Arden Hills Zoning Code. She passed out a memo written by Matthew Bachler regarding regulations on warehousing uses within the TRC. Councilmember Holmes stated that she felt that the Code was unclear and asked that warehousing be removed from pages 33 and 35. Councilmember Holden suggested that language be added stating that warehousing is only allowed as an accessory use to manufacturing. Councilmember Holmes stated that table 5.2 indicates that buildings where manufacturing and processing are a principal or accessory use, a minimum of 30 percent of the gross building square footage must be in office use. She said that there is no way to interpret that differently. She suggested that warehousing be taken out as an industrial use on page 33 as well as removing it from page 35. Councilmember Holden questioned if warehousing had to be in the same building as manufacturing. She also questioned what temporary means. Further discussion ensued regarding whether or not the Council wanted a building that is 30 percent office and 70 percent warehouse. Council agreed that they did not want the definition to be ambiguous. Consensus was to have staff work with the City Attorney to establish the appropriate language within the Code. Councilmember Holmes suggested that the Council discuss the gateway overlay. She stated that the developers have said that people will not want to drive through industrial areas to get to their million dollar homes. She felt the gateway overlay was too vague in the TRC. Mayor Grant agreed and stated that he did not want the gateway overlay language to be vague. Councilmember Holmes noted that the Code simply states that "more landscaping" will be required and she questioned what that means. Community Development Director Hutmacher stated that the type and amount of landscaping is at the discretion of staff and the Joint Development Authority. She indicated that there will be more required than just enhanced landscaping. Councilmember Holden suggested that trees could be spaced differently than they are along the Spine Road and that the lighting could also be different. ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—MAY 4, 2015 5 Councilmember Holmes said that she is more concerned about it looking like an industrial area. She suggested that something like a fence or rocks would be needed to hide the industrial area. Community Development Director Hutmacher stated that the City would be requiring Class A finishes, and that there would not be a lot of parking in the front of the buildings. Parking would be to the side or back and loading docks would be screened from the right-of-way. Staff asked the Council for suggestions of nice-looking gateway areas in the metro area. Councilmember Holden stated that the list given to Council by staff of places to visit included a site in Plymouth. She thought that the Plymouth site looked good as it had trees, poles, banners, and a sign announcing the area. She stated that it was nothing fancy, but it looked good. She also noted the Phalen Boulevard area in St. Paul by the HealthPartners building. She indicated that it had a gateway area that was not completely finished at this time. Mayor Grant asked the Council to send suggestions to staff. ADJOURN Mayor Grant adjourned the special City Council work session at 9:00 p.m. Amy Dietl David Grant City Clerk Mayor