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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-19-16-WS 'It --A DIzEEN HILLS Approved: ()ctober 10. 2016 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION SEPTEMBER 19,2016 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 at 5:02 p.m. Present: Mayor David Grant; Councilmembers Brenda Holden, Fran Holmes, Dave McClung and Jonathan Wicklund Absent: None Also present: Interim City Administrator Sue Iverson; City Attorney Joel Jamnik; Interim Public Works Director/City Engineer Andy Brotzler; Stacie Kvilvang, Ehlers & Associates; Senior Planner Matthew Bachler; and Deputy Clerk Jolene Trauba L AGENDA ITEMS A. University of Northwestern— 1.265 Grey Fox Road Senior Planner Bachler stated the University of Northwestern has requested to meet with the City Council to discuss the property at 1265 Grey Fox Road. Smiths Medical previously occupied the site and it includes approximately 165,000 square feet of office and lab space. Northwestern plans to acquire the property and remodel the existing facilities for classrooms, labs, and administrative offices for their engineering, biology, and health services programs. Higher education schools are currently not a permitted use in the I-Flex District and a Zoning Code amendment would be required for Northwestern to proceed with their proposal. Al Cureton, President of University of Northwestern, thanked the Council for their time and for considering his presentation. He discussed the three major functions of a University, noting the focus should be teaching, research and community service. He explained Northwestern was working to advance the needs of the State and was proposing to purchase the property at 1265 Grey Fox Road in order to enhance the college and its engineering/technological programming. He commented on the number of baby boomers that would be retiring in the next five years and the growing need for highly trained individuals. He indicated Northwestern was interested in creating an incubator type environment that would attract and retain talent in the community. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION— SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 2 Jay Lindgren, Dorsey & Whitney, thanked the Council for their consideration. He discussed the project details and how Northwestern planned to utilize the Smiths Medical facility. He commented on the location of Smiths Medical, noting it was within the I-Flex District but was directly adjacent to the B-4 District. He explained this was a 14.5-acre site with 165,000 square feet available between two buildings with 583 parking spaces. He reviewed a two-phase approach that Northwestern has devised for this property, noting this site would be used for STEM purposes. He believed this was a compatible use with the neighboring uses. He encouraged the Council to consider allowing an Institutional Use as a Conditional Use in the I-Flex zoning district, or consider rezoning the property to B-4. Mayor Grant understood the City and Northwestern have participated in a restructuring of the campus. He also knew the focus of the college was evolving and changing over time. He thanked Northwestern for providing the Council with a better idea on where the University's focus was at this time. He stated the question before the Council was the I-Flex district and the proposed use. He asked the Councilmembers for comments on this matter. Councilmember Holden stated she has always been supportive of Northwestern. She indicated she would be supportive of the Northwestern's plan if the property was zoned B-4; however, the parcel was located in the I-Flex zoning district. She indicated the City does not allow education in the I-Flex for specific reasons. She did not believe the proposal from Northwestern worked given the fact they were proposing to locate in the I-Flex zoning district. Councilmember Wicklund explained he was new to this process and asked why education was not allowed in I-Flex. Councilmember Holden could not recall the specifics but stated this determination was made by the City Council within the Comprehensive Plan. Mayor Grant provided further comment on the Comprehensive Planning process. Councilmember Holmes stated the Smiths Medical property was in a transitional area and was zoned I-Flex due to the fact it abuts Heavy Industrial. She feared how students would be impacted by the amount of heavy truck traffic in the area. She agreed with Councilmember Holden and did not support changing the zoning of this property. Councilmember McClung discussed the zoning of the properties and access points surrounding Smiths Medical. He reported he had access, traffic and density concerns with Northwestern's proposal. For this reason, he was not comfortable in making a change to the zoning for Smiths Medical. Mayor Grant commented further on the intended purpose of the I-Flex zoning district. He appreciated the mission of Northwestern and understood that the technological/engineering fields were evolving. He encouraged Northwestern to consider expanding on their campus. He stated that he was not inclined to change the zoning for the Smiths Medical site at this time. Councilmember Wicklund questioned when the I-Flex zoning district was created. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 3 Senior Planner Baehler was uncertain when this zoning district was created. Mayor Grant stated this zoning district has been around for quite some time. Councilmember Wicklund believed that zoning districts were "lines in the sand". He was inclined to continue the discussion with Northwestern based on the fact the institutional usage would be similar to the previous user. Grover Sayre, University of Northwestern Chair, reported he grew up in Arden Hills. He commented on how the community has changed over the years. He believed that zoning and land use should also continue to evolve in order to meet the needs of the community. Councilmember Holden reported the Council revisits the zoning and land uses every ten years in order to update its Comprehensive Plan. She stated uses and zoning districts are reevaluated on a regular basis. Mayor Grant compared how the City planned for the future in the same manner as the University worked to meet the changing needs of its students. Mr. Sayre explained there was a huge need for nurses in the community. He stated the expanded space at Smiths Medical would greatly assist Northwestern in providing skilled laborers for the area. Mayor Grant did not doubt the mission of Northwestern and appreciated their vision toward the future. However, he was still not inclined to rezone the Smiths Medical property. Councilmember McClung recalled the Council had a major discussion regarding the Smiths Medical property in 2007. He believed the I-Flex zoning district has been vibrant and was completing the City's intended goal. The success within this district had him less inclined to make a zoning change. Mayor Grant commented on the Comprehensive Planning process that had to be followed by the City. Mr. Lindgren believed the Council could come to the reasonable conclusion that the conditional use of higher education as consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. The only question was if this was a zoning district the Council wanted to have. While he understood the concerns of the Council, he encouraged the Council to consider if higher education could be a positive use in a building that has been sitting vacant for the past year. It was his opinion the college would further the goals of economic development within the I-Flex zoning district for years to come. Mr. Sayre stated Northwestern wanted to advance both the agendas of the City and the college. He explained Northwestern was not trying to misdirect but rather wanted to come alongside the City in order to meet its goals and objectives, while also meeting the school's goals. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 4 Mayor Grant appreciated the open discussion. He encouraged Northwestern to reconsider the expansion of their current campus as the general read of the Council was not to support the rezoning of the I-Flex property. Mr. Sayre thanked the Council for their time and consideration. B. Bremer Bank Redevelopment Concept PUD Review—4061 Lexington Avenue Senior Planner Bachler explained Frauenshuh and Bremer Bank are requesting a concept review of a possible Planned Unit Development (PUD) at the southwest corner of Lexington Avenue and County Road F. The applicant is seeking feedback from the City Council on the concept. Senior Planner Bachler indicated the property at 4061 Lexington Avenue is comprised of 4.8 acres of land, 3 acres of which is forested and partially covered by wetlands. The existing Bremer Bank has a footprint of approximately 6,000 square feet and a gross floor area of approximately 18,000 square feet. The site includes a teller drive-up lane on the south side of the building and a drive-up ATM lane on the north side of the parking lot. There are two access points to the property: one on County Road F and the second on Lexington Avenue. Senior Planner Bachler reported Frauenshuh, a commercial real estate firm, is working with Bremer Bank on a possible redevelopment plan for the site. The existing building would be demolished and replaced with a new 2,750 square-foot facility that would better meet the bank's current and long-term needs. In addition, the concept plan includes an 11,500 square foot daycare facility and a 7,500 square foot multi-tenant commercial building. The multi-tenant building would likely include office, health care, restaurant, retail, and other commercial uses. A drive-up lane is proposed for the bank and the multi-tenant building. A total of 108 parking stalls would be provided between the three buildings. Senior Planner Bachler stated as part of the redevelopment proposal, the property would be subdivided to create individual parcels for each of the proposed buildings. However, since the site is being developed as a planned development it would function as a whole and have a reciprocal easement agreement between the parcels to govern access, parking, maintenance, and other items. A separate outlot would be created for stormwater management and drainage purposes. Bremer intends to complete the required project approvals in fall 2016 with construction on the bank building commencing in spring 2017. The daycare facility and multi-tenant building would be subsequent phases and would most likely be planned for 2017 and 2018. Senior Planner Bachler explained the concept plan for the property creates what could be a dynamic and visually attractive new commercial area in Arden Hills. The site is within walking distance of two of the City's largest employers, Land O'Lakes and Boston Scientific, and would provide an alternative for employees in the area that now rely on automobiles to find community services. Senior Planner Bachler indicated the property is located in the 1-1 - Limited Industrial District and guided for Light Industrial and Office in the City's Comprehensive Plan. Financial institution and services, daycare facilities, medical clinics, and office are all permitted uses in the I-1 District. Restaurants are an allowed use with a Conditional Use Permit, which could be applied for ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 5 concurrently with the Master PUD. Retail is only permitted as an accessory use in the I-1 District. In this case, the developer would need to request flexibility through the PUD process to allow retail as a principal use on the property. Senior Planner Bachler commented the I-1 District does not have architectural design standards like those adopted by the City for the B-2 and B-3 Districts. However, based on the preliminary renderings provided, the bank and multi-tenant buildings appear to be designed generally consistent with the standards for these other districts. Both buildings would have ample fagade transparency and architectural details to add visual interest. Senior Planner Bachler reported the proposed parking for the bank and multi-tenant buildings appear to meet the minimwn off-street parking requirements included in the Zoning Code. Financial institutions are required to provide one stall per 250 square feet of gross floor area. In this case, 11 spaces would be required and 14 spaces are shown on the Site Plan. Since the mix of businesses in the multi-tenant buildings has not been finalized, staff determined that a conservative calculation would be to assume that all 7,500 square feet would be occupied by retail uses, which requires one parking stall per 150 square feet of sales floor area. A total of 50 spaces would be required and 54 are provided. Daycare facilities are required to provide parking based on the number of employees and individuals receiving care, which has not been determined at this point. Staff has not analyzed the proposed structure and landscape coverage, setbacks, and other zoning requirements as part of the Concept PUD review. A detailed evaluation of the project would be part of a formal application and review for a Master PUD. A traffic study will also likely be required to look at the proposed traffic circulation on the site and the impacts of the development on the surrounding street network. Councilmember Holden stated she did not understand what the request was before the City Council. Senior Planner Bachler indicated the Concept PUD Review allowed the development team to present preliminary plans while providing a general overview of the request in order to gain feedback from the Council. Carla Lawrence, Bremer Bank, commented on how the banking industry was evolving. She reported Bremer Bank was in need of a new building that was substantially smaller. She believed that Arden Hills was a great community in which to expand their business. Dave Anderson, Frauenshuh, reviewed the Bremer Bank expansion in further detail with the Council. He noted the proposed site was just under five acres. He stated the existing building would be removed and a new multi-tenant building would be constructed. He expected the formal PUD process would assist with providing further information on how the properties would interrelate. He explained a drive-thru would be needed along with retail or food uses. He reviewed a proposed site plan with the Council. Councilmember Holmes asked how far into the wooded area the new concept plan would go. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION— SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 6 Mr. Anderson commented on the plans for the site and indicated a retaining wall would be needed on the southern portion of the site. He indicated he would have to cut into the site in order to make space for the new building. Senior Planner Bachler explained a tree survey would be required and noted the applicant would have to follow the City's tree preservation Ordinance. Councilmember Wicklund understood this was a very preliminary discussion. His initial response was to encourage the applicant to move forward. Councilmember Holden believed the landscaping for the site was very important. She thought the site had too much parking. She expressed concern with the flow of traffic on the site and anticipated the site would not be allowed to make a left hand turn out onto Lexington Avenue. Mayor Grant supported the PUD moving forward. He agreed traffic flow would be an issue for this site. He understood that banks were moving to smaller models and believed it would make sense to construct a new building. He believed Bremer Bank had a good plan moving forward. Ms. Lawrence thanked the Council for their time and feedback. C. TCAAP Master Development Team Update Stacie Kvilvang, Ehlers, stated on August 22, 2016, the City Council met in their second work session with the Master Development Team to overview: 1. Side-by-side color map outlining the requested land use changes 2. Chart outlining the housing type, number & density by single-family neighborhoods (including neighborhood transition area) and Town Center multi-family and difference in the number and type of units from the approved plan I Overall residential density 4. Building height increases within Town Center and the "Thumb" 5. Vertical mixed use and the Town Center development plans 6. Overview of parks plan and chart outlining the difference in park acreage per the Regulating Map and the proposed plan, along with their thoughts on the anticipated programing, development and maintenance responsibility 7. Possible locations for the water tower Ms. Kvilvang stated based upon feedback from the Council, the Master Development Team has prepared the following additional information for the City Council to review: ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 7 1. Overview of the Master Developer's housing market study completed by Maxfield for the site 2. Updated site plan and residential unit count to address previous concerns over number of units and density 3. Revisions/changes in the single-family neighborhoods due to 66' lots and 3-car garage concern 4. Change in Town Center zoning into three (3) districts to allow for different building heights 5. Overview of retail space within Town Center and public vs. private space use issues 6. Overview of updated park plan and comparison of park elements within each park in comparison to elements requested by the PTRC 7. Overview of office land use designation. change to retail and how office is still incorporated as a viable use within this designation Ms. Kvilvang reported the Master Developer Team has additional information on an updated Master Development Plan that the Council can be comfortable moving forward with (however, minor changes can be incorporated as requested). Based upon this, at the October 3, 2016, work session, staff will provide the Council with a redline draft of the TRC document that incorporates the required changes to achieve the updated Master Plan. After review of that document on October 3, the Council will have an opportunity to complete a final review of any additional changes/clarifications they requested on October 17, 2016. Ms. Kvilvang explained once this is completed, the TRC document, inclusive of the updated Master Plan, would be placed on the November 9, 2016 Planning Commission agenda for the required public hearing and then placed on the November 28, 2016 City Council meeting for formal approval. After this, the updated TRC and Regulating Plan would be submitted to the Metropolitan Council for an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan, which could take an additional 60 to 90 days for approval. Mayor Grant addressed the proposed approval schedule for the TRC. He understood the schedule was time sensitive but wanted to be assured the City was doing things right the first time. Bob Lux,Alatus, thanked the Council for the time they have taken to review his proposal. Tom Shaver, Inland Development Partners, reviewed the proposed changes to the TRC in further detail with the Council. He spoke to the four areas of changes that impacted the residential, town center, parks and trails, and commercial areas of the development. The final results of the Maxfield study was commented on. Todd Stutz, Robert Thomas Homes, commented on the wide variety of housing product types that would be used throughout this development. He reviewed photographs and described a ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION— SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 8 . development that was completed by Robert Thomas Homes in Lakeville that was similar to Rice Creek Commons. He discussed the changes he would make to improve the Rice Creek Commons neighborhoods. Councilmember Wicklund questioned who would be maintaining the parks within.TCAAP. Mr. Stutz reported the majority of the parks would be maintained by homeowner's associations, while one park in the Creek neighborhood would be maintained by the City. Mr. Lux explained he has driven through this neighborhood in Lakeville and he found it to be unique and well laid out. He believed there was an impressive attention to detail which has made the development highly successful. Councilmember McClung asked what percentage of the homes were completed by builders other than Robert Thomas Homes. Mr. Stutz estimated 20% of the homes were built by outside builders. Councilmember McClung inquired what percentage split Robert Thomas Homes as anticipating for the TCAAP site. Mr. Stutz believed there would be a 50150 split between Robert Thomas Homes and other builders for this development. He stated this would provide the neighborhoods with an ideal mix of housing. He explained the challenge would be to have builders follow the TRC and vision for the site. Mr. Shaver shifted the conversation to the Town Center portion of the development. Mr. Lux indicated Alatus was requesting the Council allow for 10 and 12 story buildings within the Town Center for apartments and condominiums. He recommended the condominium units be constructed with concrete in order to provide high quality units that minimize noise and attract higher end clientele. He provided further comment on the proposed density within Town Center. Councilmember Wicklund questioned if Alatus has been limiting the Town Center based on what may get approved or what would fit the site. Mr. Lux explained he was proposing buildings and density levels that were perfect for the site. He commented that buildings over 13 stories required different mechanical systems and he was not interested in pursuing this. Councilmember Holmes requested clarification on the Town Center plan. Mr. Lux reviewed the placement of each of the buildings within the Town Center and noted the theater had yet to be placed. Councilmember Holden noted TCAAP had the highest elevation in Ramsey County and requested the developer keep this in mind when developing the property. She reported that many ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 9 of her neighbors have expressed concern with the fact that tall buildings would be constructed on TCAAP. Further discussion ensued regarding the sight lines on.TCAAP from Highway 96 and Highway 10. Councilmember Wicklund supported the new plans as proposed by Alatus. Councilmember Holden expressed concern with the loss of parking in the civic block within the new plans. Mr. Lux believed that additional parking would be drawn back into the plan and described the location of all underground parking. He provided fiirther comment on his vision for the civic block. Mr. Shaver discussed several potential fits for the civic block noting a library and licensing center would nice elements to integrate into this area of the development. Mr. Lux added that a museum on the history of the site would be another great fit for the civic block. Councilmember Holden discussed the importance of public parks to Arden Hills and their residents. Mr. Lux stated he was working to make this project the best it could be and understood the concerns of the Council regarding parks. Councilmember Holden asked where the restaurants were located in the Town Center area. Mr. Shaver reviewed the location of the restaurants. Councilmember Holmes expressed concern that larger restaurants were not being proposed for the Town Center. Mr. Lux described his reasoning behind proposing locally sourced eateries and cafes rather than large scale restaurants. Councilmember McClung had hoped to see two clusters of retail on TCAAP in order to create vitality within the development that would draw Arden Hills' residents to the site. He requested the developer consider bringing back a large-scale restaurant. Mr. Lux appreciated this comment and then provided further information on the proposed design for the retail area. He suggested the Council consider how a pizzeria, wine bar, breakfast cafe and coffee shop would fit into this area. Councilmember Holden reiterated the fact that the whole reason for requesting more density was to be able to support the four restaurants. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION— SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 10 Councilmember McClung stated because of the high density in the Town Center, a number of walkable restaurant options would need to be available. Mr. Shaver explained Alatus has been working to create an amenity rich environment within Town Center. He appreciated the comments raised by the Council and stated he would consider the restaurant mix further. Councilmember McClung supported the level of vibrancy being created within the Town Center. He anticipated that if more restaurants were added to this area of the development, they would be supported given the level of density being requested. Mr. Lux stated he would rework the Town Center plan and would take into consideration the comments provided by the Council. Councilmember Holden commented she still had concerns with the 12 story buildings being proposed in Town Center. Mayor Grant asked where the Council had areas of agreement within the proposed plans. He requested the comments be focused on the Creek at this time. The Council had no concerns with the Creek neighborhood. Councilmember Holden asked where the water tower would be placed within the Hill neighborhood. Mr. Stutz reviewed the location being proposed for the water tower. Mr. Shaver turned the Council's attention to parks and trails within the development. Mr. Stutz clarified on the ownership of each of the parks. Councilmember McClung recommended the first park from the south side of the development be made a publicly owned space and not private. Mayor Grant agreed this park should allow for public access. Councilmember Holden questioned if the water feature would have prairie grasses surrounding the water. Mr. Stutz was open to this and anticipated the area would be landscaped. Councilmember Holmes believed that once the parks were set, it would be hard to make any changes. She questioned if a full sized adult soccer field was necessary. Mr. Shaver stated due to the grade changes on the property, the site did not have an area that would accommodate a full sized adult soccer field. Councilmember Holmes did not want to see the City or developer skimp on the parks. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION— SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 11 Ms. Kvilvang reviewed the Council's wants and needs regarding the parks within TCAAP. Councilmember Wicklund recommended that staff provide the Council with further infonnation on the funds that are available to assist with developing the TCAAP parks. Ms. Stutz commented on his plans for the park phasing. Councilmember Wicklund wanted the City to pursue the timeline provided by Ms. Kvilvang including the 12 story buildings, having further dialogue on the cost of the parks. Councilmember McClung reviewed the amenities that have not been provided through the current park plan stating the only items that have been removed were the basketball court and full sized soccer field. He did appreciate the addition of a splash pad. Councilmember Holden suggested the park buildings be further evaluated to see if several could be combined. Mayor Grant believed the architectural details of the park shelters would have to be discussed in the future, along with building materials and design. He requested further comment from the Council regarding the Hill neighborhood. Councilmember Wicklund and Councilmember Holmes supported the Hill neighborhood as presented. The consensus of the Council was to support the Hill neighborhood as presented. Mayor Grant requested additional feedback from the Council on Town Center. Mr. Lux asked that the Council allow for the proposed density within Town Center. He provided further comment on the condominium units noting there would be five units or less per story. He recommended the condominium building be 12 stories in height in order to be differentiated in height from the apartments. Councilmember McClung supported the density and building heights being proposed for Town Center. His only concerns were with the restaurants. Councilmember Holmes and Councilmember Wicklund agreed with these statements. Councilmember Holden did not support Town Center as presented. Mayor Grant stated he had an issue with the building height and proposed Civic area. Councilmember McClung supported the Civic area in theory and understood this topic would have to be further discussed by the Council. Mayor Grant reported approval of the Master Plan and TRC would take four affinnative votes from the Council. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION— SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 12 Ms. Kvilvang questioned what Councilmember Holden and Mayor Grant could support. Councilmember Holden explained she could support a building that was 10 stories in height. She believed that the added height did not add value through additional greenspace. Councilmember Wicklund saw value in the proposed building heights as being a design and architectural issue. Councilmember Holden stated she has spoken to many of her neighbors and all had concerns with buildings higher than 10 stories. Councilmember Wicklund encouraged the residents of Arden Hills to not have the "not in my backyard" syndrome as he believed that Alatus' vision for the TCAAP site was phenomenal. Councilmember Holden noted that this property also had the highest point in Ramsey County. Ms. Kvilvang reported if the building were only 10 stories, the penthouse units would be eliminated. Mr. Lux appreciated Councilmember Holden's concerns and asked where Mayor Grant stood on building height. Mayor Grant agreed residents were appalled by the thought of having 12 stories. He understood the value of concrete construction and appreciated all of the information Alatus has provided to the Council regarding this matter. He discussed his history with the project and indicated 10- and 12-story buildings had never been considered for this project. Mr. Lux stated he wanted to be respectful to the many years of work that have gone into this project. He stated he wanted to be responsive to the Council and their needs. Ms. Kvilvang commented on how building trends had changed over the past 10 years. Councilmember Holden feared that the 12-story building would look out of place. She noted the Council very recently approved the TRC. Councilmember Holmes stated she has been in communication with many residents and none had voiced concerns about the building heights. She believed the proposed building heights were the trend for the future and she wanted to see Arden Hills be a part of the future. She heard that residents did not want TCAAP to reflect the original portion of the City because it was 50 years old. Councilmember McClung provided further comment on the residents that he has spoken with. He heard from residents that both support and oppose the 10- and 12-story buildings. However, one common concern was that TCAAP be a high-class development with lots of restaurants. He stated he could support two 12-story buildings and two 10-story buildings. He believed that the proposed level of density would provide the City a great water feature and restaurants. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION— SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 13 Councilmember Wicklund did not want to see the City sacrifice 20 feet off the buildings when this was the critical element to the development. He recommended that the building height remain as proposed by the developer. Councilmember Holden did not understand how the additional two stories would affect the development and its restaurants. Mayor Grant requested the developer consider a connection from TCAAP to the opposite side of Highway 96. Councilmember Holmes did not believe a tunnel or bridge over Highway 96 was necessary. Mr. Lux asked if the Council would support the condominium towers being limited to 12,000 feet with a smaller floor plan. It was his opinion this would be necessary in order to differentiate between the condominium and apartment buildings. Councilmember Holmes did not like this idea. She supported the condominiums as previously presented by Alatus. Mayor Grant stated he talked with the Fire Chief and he has no problem with the 12 stories. Councilmember Holden indicated she would be willing to meet with Mr. Lux to discuss this further. Mr. Lux was available to meet with Councilmember.Holden on Wednesday afternoon. Mayor Grant requested Alatus provide the Council with information on the financial impact if the buildings were limited to ten and eight stories. Mr. Lux stated he would provide the Council with a price per foot for the top two floors of the condominium units. Mayor Grant encouraged the Council to work through the issues and concerns being voiced in order to reach a consensus. It was his hope that the Council could provide a 5-0 vote for the TRC and Master Plan amendments. Councilmember McClung agreed it would be important to have five supportive votes. Councilmember Wieklund understood he was late entering this entire process. However, he also knew that the composition of the City Council could change again come January. Ms. Kvilvang recommended the October 3 City Council worksession address plan refinement with the final reading of the document on October 17. Further discussion ensued regarding the corporate campus and office/retail space. Councilmember Holden noted that the thumb property could go as high as 15 stories. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION— SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 14 Councilmember Holmes supported this height within the thumb. Mayor Grant commented he would be available to meet with Mr. Lux on Tuesday afternoon in order to go over the projection numbers. Mr. Lux stated this worked for his schedule. He thanked the Council for their input. D. City Newsletter Councilmember Wicklund recommended this item be postponed to the October 3 meeting. E. Personnel Committee Update Interim City Administrator Iverson reported the receptionist would be starting on October 3 and the Public Works Supervisor would begin on October 10. She indicated background checks were being completed for the City Administrator candidates. 2. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND STAFF UPDATES Councilmember Holden asked if a letter was sent to Blake Huffman regarding the "Right Turn on Red" sign. Interim City Administrator Iverson stated Interim Public Works Director/City Engineer Brotzler wanted to meet with a staff member from the County prior to a letter being sent. Mayor Grant commented on the light pole that was knocked over on County Road E. He requested staff contact Xcel and have this light pole reinstalled. Councilmember Holden questioned if the Goodwill would be addressing the window issue. Senior Planner Bachler understood that Goodwill was waiting to address the windows until they received their final certificate of occupancy. He explained he would follow up on the status of the final certificate of occupancy. ADJOURN Mayor Grant adjourned the City Council Work Session at 9:17 p.m. 1 J 1 t IAJ k111 Jole e Trauba David Grant Deputy Clerk Mayor