Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-21-15-WS lt �- " HILLS Approved: October 12, 2015 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS,MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MEETING SEPTEMBER 21,2015 5:00 P.M. -ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor Grant called to order the City Council work session meeting at 5:01 p.m. Present: Mayor David Grant; Councilmembers Brenda Holden, Fran Holmes, and Dave McClung Absent: Councilmember Robert Woodburn Also present: Director of Finance and Administrative Services Sue Iverson; Public Works Director Terry Maurer; Community Development Director Jill Hutmacher; City Planner Ryan Streff; Associate Planner Matthew Bachler; and Deputy Clerk Julie Hanson 1. AGENDA ITEMS A. Outdoor Display and Sales Zoning Regulations Associate Planner Bachler stated that at the City Council Work Session on July 20, 2015, staff presented an inventory of properties in the B-2 and B-3 Zoning Districts with outdoor sales or exterior storage. Staff also reviewed the current regulations in the Zoning Code regarding outdoor sales and exterior storage uses in these two districts. The City Council directed staff to complete research on how other cities in the metro area regulate these types of activities in commercial districts and to report back at a future City Council Work Session. Associate Planner Bachler reported that staff reviewed Zoning Ordinances from the cities of Brooklyn Park, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Edina, Lakeville, Maple Grove, and Roseville for provisions that regulate outdoor display and sales by businesses. Regulations on exterior storage uses were not evaluated at this time. Outdoor display and sales uses are permitted in all seven cities but are restricted in terms of the zoning districts where they are allowed. These activities are regulated through required City approvals, the types of products that can be displayed, and dimension and location standards. Associate Planner Bachler stated that generally, the cities that were researched allow outdoor display and sales in most commercial zoning districts. Brooklyn Park allows these uses in their ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION— SEPTEMBER 21, 2015 2 General Business District and Vehicle Sales and Showroom District, but prohibits them in the Neighborhood Retail District, except for vending machines, ice machines, and propane exchanges. Several cities do not permit outdoor display and sales on industrially zoned properties. Associate Planner Bachler commented that the cities of Eagan, Eden Prairie, Edina, and Maple Grove classify outdoor display and sales as a permitted accessory use that does not require any additional City approvals. In Lakeville and Roseville, the use is listed as a permitted accessory use but businesses must obtain an administrative permit. Brooklyn Park classifies outdoor display and sales, with the exception of vending machines, ice machines, and propane exchanges, as a conditional use that requires a Conditional Use Permit and approval by the City Council. Associate Planner Bachler explained that the cities of Eagan and Roseville specifically state that outdoor display items must consist of merchandise that is incidental to the primary use on the property. Maple Grove limits this activity to items that require an outdoor location (plants and fuel) and items that because of large volume or weight are more easily housed outdoors (vending machines, salt, and fertilizer). As discussed previously, Brooklyn Park limits outdoor display and sales to vending machines, ice machines, and propane exchanges in certain commercial districts. Associate Planner Bachler indicated that most of the cities reviewed place restrictions on where outdoor display and sales areas can be located on a property. Some examples of these requirements include being adjacent to customer entrances and within five feet of a building wall. It is also common for these uses to be prohibited from obstructing pedestrian access, occupying on-site parking spaces, and encroaching into required structure setbacks. Associate Planner Bachler stated that if the City Council chooses to create regulations for outdoor display and sales activities, staff has drafted a list of initial recommendations as outlined below. Staff requested that the City Council review the following recommendations and provide further direction. • Add a definition to the Zoning Code for Outdoor Display and Sales land use classification. • Restrict use to the B-2, B-3, B-4, and Gateway Business Zoning Districts. Complete additional research on which Zoning Districts on the TCAAP site should allow this use. • Permit outdoor display and sales as an accessory use to Retail Sales and Services and Service Station uses only. Require an Administrative Permit and Site Plan for each business proposing to have an outdoor display and sales area. • Limit types of products displayed or sold to merchandise incidental to the primary use on the property. • Require display areas to be adjacent to the principal building and on side of building with main entrance. • Prohibit display areas from obstructing pedestrian access and utilizing required on-site parking. • Limit display areas to a footprint of no more than 200 square feet. • Establish a maximum height of 6 feet for display areas, or as determined by the Community Development Department. • Require that merchandise be stacked and arranged neatly at all times and be located on a hard surface. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—SEPTEMBER 21, 2015 3 Associate Planner Bachler stated that based on the feedback provided by the City Council, staff will work on scheduling this item for a Planning Commission Work Session to discuss this issue further. Before bringing this item to the Planning Commission, staff will notify local businesses that currently have outdoor display and sales uses about the regulations under consideration. Councilmember McClung questioned what staff was hoping to gain from the proposed outdoor display and sales zoning regulations. Community Development Director Hutmacher explained that the City does not want outdoor storage to become messy looking and indicated staff does speak directly to the business owner if it becomes an issue. She commented that staff s concern in drafting this language was meeting the needs of all commercial uses in the City while not being overly restrictive or allowing too much outdoor storage. Councilmember McClung wondered if the new regulations would open a can-of-worms and for that reason, did not want this item to proceed. Mayor Grant was in favor of the City taking some action in order to address the outdoor storage concerns in the community. He provided further comment on how the City managed its zoning concerns and encouraged staff to be more proactive in addressing zoning issues within the business community. Councilmember Holmes believed it would benefit staff to have a clear and definitive rule regarding outdoor storage and display. Further discussion ensued regarding the proper percentage of outdoor storage that should be allowed in the City of Arden Hills. Councilmember McClung indicated that he was talking himself out of this ordinance amendment. He supported the City's current code language. Mayor Grant requested that staff bring the code language back to the Council at an upcoming work session meeting that includes some sort of cap or a percentage not to exceed a specified amount with no storage allowed on service station islands. B. Lake Johanna Fire Station No. 1 Reuse Discussion Community Development Director Hutmacher explained that at the City Council work session on August 17, 2015, Councilmember McClung asked that the Council discuss the potential closure of Fire Station No. 1. Lake Johanna Fire Chief Tim Boehlke and Assistant Fire Chief Eric Nordeen discussed the history, staffing, and the new operating model for the Lake Johanna Fire Department (LJFD). Fire Chief Boehlke explained how the 24-hour duty crew and the effective coverage of the three (3) other stations has made Fire Station No. 1 no longer necessary and recommended that the station be closed. The Council was generally supportive of the closure of Fire Station No. 1. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION— SEPTEMBER 21, 2015 4 Community Development Director Hutmacher reviewed the site information for the fire station and stated given that the Council has expressed preliminary support for the closure of Lake Johanna Fire Station No. 1, staff is requesting further direction on the potential reuse of the site. 1) What is the Council's preferred use of the Fire Station site? 2) Does the Council envision that the existing building would be part of the reuse or would the site be fully redeveloped and the existing building demolished? 3) If residential use is preferred, would the Council support smaller lot sizes or higher density than what is allowed in the R2 Zoning District? Councilmember McClung indicated that he discussed with the Fire Board comments made by the City Council at a previous worksession. He reported the Fire Board understands Fire Station No. 1 is in Arden Hills and the City has interest in how the site will be used. The Fire Chief was directed to work with City staff on creating a plan to decommission the building/site by 2016/2017 and to report back to the Board and City Council. Councilmember Holmes discussed the Ramsey County library site and noted the building was demolished. She was in favor of keeping the Fire Station site zoned R-2. Councilmember McClung agreed that the site should be zoned residential as this would be the best fit for the surrounding neighborhood. Mayor Grant agreed. C. Old City Hall Site Community Development Director Hutmacher explained that in 2011, the City Council considered disposition of the Old City Hall site and decided to wait to until the real estate market had improved and TCAAP was closer to development. The Council recently asked that this topic be brought forward for discussion. Community Development Director Hutmacher stated that the site located at 1450 Highway 96 West is the former location of City Hall and the Public Works Facility. In 2006, an office condominium use was proposed. The adjacent townhome association opposed the redevelopment proposal, and the City Council considered several conditions for development to mitigate community concerns. Ultimately, the proposal did not move forward. In 2009, the building was demolished and the site has remained vacant. Community Development Director Hutmacher reported that the site is zoned and guided NB Neighborhood Business. The townhome development to the south is zoned R-3 Townhouse & Low Density Multiple Dwelling District. The Neighborhood Business district allows the following as permitted uses: Clinics and medical offices, daycare facilities, financial institutions, offices, state-licensed residential facilities (1-6), and retail. The following are allowed as conditional uses: dry cleaning, multiple family residential, two-family residential, live-work units, houses of worship, multiple occupancy buildings, personal services, public uses, research and development facilities, state-licensed residential facilities (7-16), restaurants, and studios. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION— SEPTEMBER 21, 2015 5 Community Development Director Hutmacher discussed the site opportunities and challenges and provided comment on the market feedback. She requested comment from the Council on the following questions. I. Does the City Council want to move forward with marketing the site? If so, what is the Council consensus on land use and access? 2. In order to position the site for sale, does the Council want to rezone the site or investigate/mitigate any environmental issues? 3. Once TCAAP develops, additional space for Public Works equipment storage will be necessary. Does the Council want to retain any part of the site for that purpose, or should a more suitable site be secured? 4. What type of community outreach or public participation process is appropriate and when should that occur? 5. Would the City Council consider hiring a real estate broker for the Old City Hall site? Public Works Director Maurer discussed access to this site and stated a right-in/right-out may be the safest option for this property. He explained the traffic pattern for this site would remain unknown until a user was determined. Councilmember Holmes asked if townhomes or other residential use would be a good option for this site. Community Development Director Hutmacher could not say what use was the best fit without additional market information and Council input. She discussed the benefits and challenges of waiting to develop this site until TCAAP begins to develop as this would increase the value of the property for office uses, but would provide more competition for residential uses. Councilmember Holden questioned if the property was mitigated and ready to build on. Community Development Director Hutmacher reported that the underground fuel tank was removed and mitigated. She commented there may be road sweepings or road construction materials that may still need to be removed. Councilmember Holden discussed the 2006 development proposal and believed that the property was clear and ready for land sale at that time. She was in favor of staff investigating this matter further. Councilmember McClung was in favor of marketing the property for residential use at some point in the future. Councilmember Holden suggested that this wait until the Council could speak to several real estate experts. Mayor Grant stated that the Council was interested in rezoning the site. Councilmember Holmes questioned if any Public Works items are being stored on the site at this time. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION— SEPTEMBER 21, 2015 6 Public Works Director Maurer commented that the City will run out of storage space and will need additional space for seasonal storage of Public Works maintenance items after TCAAP develops. He suggested that the City market the site to see if there are any takers. If not, the Council could consider using this site for Public Works storage in the future. Councilmember Holden was interested in learning if the ingress and egress to the site could be changed to Highway 96. D. State of the City Update Community Development Director Hutmacher explained that the draft State of the City presentation with speaker notes was distributed to the City Council on Monday, September 14. The City Council was asked to provide any comments or edits. The Arden Hills Foundation notified staff that Arlene Mitchell and Andy Holewa would be available for the State of the City events. She discussed the audio/visual arrangements that would be in place for the event. Mayor Grant discussed how the program would have to be shifted due to the fact that Councilmember Woodburn would not be available. He reported that he would address TCAAP at the State of the City. Councilmember McClung was willing to speak to Councilmember Woodburn's items. Councilmember Holden indicated that she was now able to attend both events. She was interested in providing an update on Park and Recreation events that have taken place in the City the past year. Mayor Grant requested that all references to TCAAP be changed to Rice Creek Commons with TCAAP in parentheses. Councilmember McClung was in favor of maintaining the TCAAP name. Councilmember Holden agreed. Councilmember Holmes suggested that the Council acknowledge that the name was no longer TCAAP and was being marketed as Rice Creek Commons. The Council then reviewed the agenda and items that would be discussed at the State of the City meetings. Councilmember McClung questioned how the City video would be shown at the State of the City. Associate Planner Bachler commented that staff would create a link to the video within the presentation. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—SEPTEMBER 21, 2015 7 Community Development Director Hutmacher thanked the Council for their input and reported staff would make adjustments to the presentation and provide this information to the Council prior to the State of the City events. E. Public Works Director/City Engineer Position Director of Finance and Administrative Services Iverson commented that on September 14, 2015, the Council accepted Terry Maurer's retirement as the City's Public Works Director/City Engineer. His last day will be October 2, 2015. She requested the Council have a discussion on next steps in this process and how they would like to handle this. Terry Maurer is the appointed City Engineer per Resolution 2015-002, Section 9. She requested the Council appoint someone to this position as Acting Public Works Director/City Engineer until the Council decides how they want to handle this process or appoint someone to this position. Councilmember Holden asked if an Interim Public Works Director/City Engineer also had to be appointed. Mayor Grant stated that this was not the case. He recommended that John Anderson be named the Acting Public Works Director/City Engineer. He then discussed the history of this position and recommended that a new Public Works Director/City Engineer not be hired until after the City Administrator was appointed. Councilmember McClung agreed with this recommendation. Mayor Grant questioned if the Council was in favor of appointing John Anderson as the Acting Public Works Director/City Engineer and offering him 10% more in pay. The entire Council supported this suggestion. Councilmember Holden believed that if John Anderson was serving well as the Acting Public Works Director/City Engineer,the permanent position should be offered to him. Councilmember Holmes was in favor of making this decision after the Council hired a City Administrator. Councilmember McClung and Mayor Grant agreed. Councilmember Holmes questioned who would serve as the Acting City Administrator. Mayor Grant understood that Director of Finance and Administrative Services Iverson would serve as the Acting City Administrator and would receive a 10% increase in pay. 2. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND STAFF UPDATES Mayor Grant asked if staff had an update on the City Administrator position. Director of Finance and Administrative Services Iverson explained that 23 applicants have applied for the position as of Friday. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION— SEPTEMBER 21, 2015 8 Mayor Grant commented that today he met with the neighboring mayors and the group discussed their upcoming tax levies. He briefly reviewed the levy levels for each community in comparison to Arden Hills. He reported that Rosedale would be remodeled and would be receiving a new anchor. He then provided an update on the recent Cable Commission meeting. Councilmember Holmes requested an update on Councilmember Woodburn. Mayor Grant explained that he received a call from Jeff Woodburn, Councilmember Woodburn's son. It was his understanding that Councilmember Woodburn was involved in a car accident near Mankato with a larger vehicle. He was taken to the Mayo Clinic from the accident scene. He anticipated that Councilmember Woodburn would not be able to serve on the City Council for several months. He indicated the City would send a plant to Councilmember Woodburn. Councilmember Holmes asked if the City's various commissions and committees were contacted and invited to attend the City event on Monday. Director of Finance and Administrative Services Iverson reported that this item was posted on the City's website and all City consultants were invited as well. Councilmember McClung requested that all committee members be invited as well. Councilmember Holmes questioned if City staff would be attending the Ramsey County meeting the following day with the Met Council. Community Development Director Hutmacher reported that the City was not invited to the meeting. She explained that the City had heard about this meeting, but was not officially notified or invited to attend. She understood that the meeting would be an office visit and was not a public meeting. Councilmember Holden questioned why the City should be present at this meeting. Councilmember Holmes believed that representation would benefit the City to ensure proper information was being passed along to the Met Council. Councilmember Holmes suggested that the City honor Sue Schraeder for her efforts on the Arden Hills Notes. She stated that an existing bench could be selected and a plaque could be displayed in her honor. Mayor Grant questioned why this recognition had not come before the City prior to now. Councilmember Holmes explained that she had discussed the matter with Councilmember Holden and Councilmember McClung separately and both had agreed that it was a worthwhile item to bring before the Council. She also wanted Ms. Schraeder to receive the recognition in a timely manner as she was elderly and in ill health. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION— SEPTEMBER 21, 2015 9 Mayor Grant supported this recommendation and requested Councilmember Holmes speak with Ms. Schraeder to see what area of the City should be selected for a park bench and when she would be available to attend a City Council meeting. Councilmember Holden discussed the pork chop at 1201 County Road E West and expressed concern with the look and design of the final product. Public Works Director Maurer reported that the design was presented to the City by the consultant and was then implemented. He understood that the pork chop was not six inches in height as was previously discussed. Councilmember Holden was in favor of looking at the B-2 design standards. She believed that the buildings were too close to the roadway, when compared to Shoreview. She did not like looking at the backsides of buildings along County Road E. ADJOURN Mayor Grant adjourned the City Council work session meeting at 7:23 p.m. J ie Hanson David Grant eputy Clerk Mayor