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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-17-18-WS'It -AVEN HILLS Approved: January 14, 2019 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION DECEMBER 17, 2018 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 5:00 p.m. Present: Mayor David Grant, Councilmembers Brenda Holden, Fran Holmes, Dave McClung and Steve Scott Absent: None Also present: City Administrator Dave Perrault, Public Works Director/City Engineer Sue Polka, City Planner Mike Mrosla, Bolton and Menk Planner Jane Kansier, Communications Coordinator Dawn Skelly, Deputy City Clerk Jolene Trauba, Wold Architects and Engineers Partners Paul Aplikowski and Douglas Kahl, Moundsview School District Assistant Superintendent John Ward and Summit Development Land Acquisition Partner Jamison Kohout 1. AGENDA ITEMS A. Concept Plan MVHS Bolton and Menk Planner Jane Kansier noted that Moundsview High School has recently purchased the site on the north side of Lake Valentine Road which was the First Student bus garage. Plans are to add a gymnasium addition and two classrooms, plus interior renovation. Parking will be removed due to the additions and the idea is to utilize the First Student lot for student parking. The property is currently zoned low density residential. The proposal would require a Comprehensive Plan Amendment for the First Student site to Public and Institutional, and a Planned Unit Development to allow the use on non-contiguous parcels as a single use. Wold Architects and Engineers Partner Paul Aplikowski began his presentation by saying that the Moundsview High School site is constrained and it is a challenge to add on to it. The site is currently deficient on parking and they are trying to address that as part of the additions. He noted that a parking lot currently used primarily for staff is being proposed to be made into bus parking and the front drive will be parent drop off parking only. A three story addition is proposed for the ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — DECEMBER 17, 2018 2 northeast corner that will contain classrooms and mechanical. A new field house with an elevated walking track is proposed and interior remodeling to correct classroom size. Mr. Aplikowski explained that the proposed bus loop will be single parked, no other vehicles would be allowed in the bus loop area, creating a safer environment. A significant piece of existing parking will be used for the bus loop, which is the reason for using the First Student lot for additional parking. Discussions have been ongoing regarding safety concerns that may be addressed by possibly narrowing the road, adding islands and flashing lights and crosswalks. Mr. Aplikowski mentioned they are proposing some field work be done to make up for loss from the new addition. They will not be lights on the new fields. He continued to review other drawings of the proposed additions. Councilmember Fran Holmes expressed concern about traffic congestion as students are crossing to the new parking lot. Mr. Aplikowski responded that in most cases the traffic load is about 15-20 minutes long and because of the concentrated load traffic doesn't warrant a signal light. Councilmember Holmes said she feels traffic is an issue for about an hour each morning. Planner Kansier said a traffic impact study has been requested to know how many cars are school driven. Mayor Grant asked for more information about how the buses will go in and out. Mr. Aplikowski demonstrated on a map provided that the buses will come in and park in their designated spot at an angle and leave again in order. Mayor Grant asked where the staff would be parking. Moundsview School District Assistant Superintendent John Ward said they would like adult staff to park across the street in the new parking lot. Councilmember Dave McClung wondered what is the current number of onsite parking spots, how many are they losing for the new bus loop and how many will be added across the street. Planner Kansier replied that there are approximately 500 parking spots on the current site, they would reduce that to about 210 and add 500 spaces in the new lot. So in total approximately 200 new parking spaces will be added. Mayor Grant asked if there would be a sidewalk to Janet Court. Public Works Director/City Engineer Sue Polka said she felt a sidewalk is necessary at that location. City Planner Mike Mrosla noted that staff did observe the afternoon release and there were a good number of students that cross the road onto Janet Court. Janet Court is marked for two hour parking. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — DECEMBER 17, 2018 3 Mayor Grant wondered if the architects had looked at a bridge over Lake Valentine Road or a tunnel under the road. Mr. Aplikowski said those options were discussed. A bridge is an expensive option and in other areas people don't use a bridge when they can just cross the road without one. There were safety issues that come from having a tunnel, and utilities that may be in the way of a tunnel. Councilmember Holden asked how this fits into the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Planner Kansier responded that technically we should wait until the 2040 Comprehensive Plan is approved and then submit for an amendment. City Planner Mrosla said the Comprehensive Plan, once given final approval by the Council, could be submitted for Met Council approval and then the City could ask for an amendment. Staff has discussed that idea with Met Council so they are aware. Mr. Aplikowski stated the plan is to bid in March and begin construction as soon as possible. Kraus Anderson's plan is to begin working on the additions right away to try to have some of it enclosed by winter. They also hope to submit plans to Rice Creek Watershed in January. Councilmember Holden expressed concern about tree removal in the Janet Court area. City Planner Mrosla said Staff has directed them to do a tree study and ensure adequate landscaping adjacent to residential properties. Councilmember Holmes again expressed concern about students crossing the street to the new parking lot. Public Works Director/City Engineer Polka felt the architects would need to provide solutions based on the traffic study. Councilmember McClung also stated concern for the safety of the students crossing back and forth but also the free flow of traffic on the street throughout the entire course of the day. Mayor Grant said he can support the plan but a sidewalk to Janet Court also needs to be part of the plan. Councilmember Steve Scott said he is generally in support of the plan but the overriding concern is the safety of the students getting to and from the parking lot. Mr. Aplikowski said Krauss Anderson will manage the construction and develop bid packages for other contractors that will do the work. Planner Kansier noted that this project will need to be highly coordinated with City staff and contractors as it is a tight schedule for approval and construction. City Planner Mrosla said they have also asked Moundsview School District for a construction phasing plan and employee construction parking plan. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — DECEMBER 17, 2018 4 Mr. Ward said Krauss Anderson has told them they won't be staging across the street but would like to park across the street. Mayor Grant reiterated the fields aren't a concern, the building design isn't a concern but they need more discussion regarding student safety, pedestrian traffic and a tree study. B. Concept Plan Summit Development City Planner Mrosla stated the applicant is requesting to develop the vacant lot along the south side of Parkshore Drive and is bringing a revised Concept Plan for review. They are proposing 120 units of senior living; independent living, assisted living and memory care. The plan would require a Preliminary Plat and Final Plat for subdivision, a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to change from Medium Density Residential to High Density Residential, rezoning from R-1 — Single - Family Residential District to R-4 — Multiple Dwelling District, a Conditional Use Permit for Nursing Home and Assisted Living, and a Planned Unit Development for the flexibility and density requested. The applicant is proposing to do a land swap, encroaching onto .13 acres of city property. In return they are proposing to dedicate .43 acres along the subject properties western property line to the City. Summit Development Land Acquisition Partner Jamison Kohout said the neighbors have seen the new proposal, a building with a roughly 35,000 square foot foundation. The former plan had the building at an angle following the drainage easement along the Winiecki property. This plan is for a more tradition L layout with 60-65 underground parking stalls for staff and residents, and a small surface lot for visitors. They are proposing a land swap to accommodate the length of the building and in exchange allow for a trail on the adjoining City property. He noted he would also like to see a few additional parking stalls close to the trail loop. Mr. Kohout felt the proposal utilized the site well, has lighter traffic impact than other multi -unit facilities, they will bring amenities that building residents as well as other community members could use. Discussion ensued around the traffic impact of residents and staff. Mr. Kohout said the initial response is that people would like to see more 2 bedroom apartments which would take away units from the 120 in this proposal. Generally parking space is calculated at .75 stalls per unit. Councilmember Holden stated her concern about the land swap and creating a precedent. Mr. Kohout said he felt it would benefit both parties to have the lot lines more square. Mayor Grant asked staff if squaring the property would make it easier to develop. City Planner Mrosla responded that it would make more room for a trail. Public Works Director/City Engineer Polka said she liked the idea of Summit providing the amenity of a trail in our park. If the original configuration remains in palce, the loop won't be as nice as is laid out in the proposal. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — DECEMBER 17, 2018 5 Councilmember Holmes said she doesn't have a problem with the land swap but wants to know what Mr. Winiecki thinks. Mayor Grant wondered what might happen if someone bought the Winiecki property years from now and wanted to redevelop it. The design being proposed makes the property rectangular in shape. City Planner Mrosla stated that approximately 12 people were in attendance at the informal neighborhood meeting held by Summit. Most of the comments were about the timing of the project, screening of the parking lot and other parking questions, setbacks, density and traffic access onto Old Highway 10. Most residents at the meeting were in general support of the plan. Another neighborhood meeting with more information will be held at a later date. Councilmember McClung noted that the land is oddly shaped, the swap would allow us to make improvements to the city owned park land and gain the asset of a trail segment, so he thought the Council would be setting a pretty high precedent that would have to be met by others that may want to land swap. He is leaning toward supporting the swap but would love the building to be closer to 100 units. And he wanted to be sure there would be enough landscape buffering. Mr. Kohout said buffering is a concern for them as well and that some berming and tree plantings will not be an issue. As a next step, they will figure out the unit combination so they can give a firm response to parking needs. Councilmember Holden asked if there was a category for the Comprehensive Plan that would allow 22 units per acre without making it generally high density, and what would that classification be? City Planner Mrosla responded that the current land us is 12 units per acre, they are asking for 22.5 units per acre. Memory care units are often looked at as .5 units so that would give flexibility to the number of units. Councilmember Holden said she was also interested in making sure a sidewalk was put in from Old Highway 10 to the cul-de-sac. City Planner Mrosla stated as part of the application Staff was going to require some kind of dedication or trail easement area so if the trail system ever gets built down Old Highway 10 that property easement on Parkshore Drive would be available. Councilmember Scott said that he doesn't feel as restrictive on the 120 units, but what sells this for him is the underground parking concept, as that minimizes the footprint of asphalt. Mr. Kohout gave an explanation of building heights and midpoint measurements. They are planning to build the facility as low as possible on the lot. From I-694 it may look like a three story structure with a half of a basement. He also explained what some of the interior features of the facility may look like. Mayor Grant said he was OK with the land swap and didn't feel the additional units would add that much to traffic in the area. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — DECEMBER 17, 2018 6 Councilmember McClung said his support for the land swap would be contingent on getting a trail constructed, not at City expense. Mr. Kohout stated that his plan is to come back with a layout of what they project to put in the facility and how many units they will have, investigate what it will cost to build the trail, work with Staff to determine a sidewalk to Old Highway 10, get elevation drawings, illustrate buffer landscaping and have another neighborhood meeting. He also suggested putting the sidewalk on the north side of Parkshore Drive versus the south side, due to residents of the townhomes having more access on that side of the road. Discussion ensued regarding roof height and pitch, while noting the Council is sensitive to height. C. TCAAP Survey Results Communications Coordinator Dawn Skelly presented a summary of the two surveys from the TCAAP Public Form. The City survey was two open ended questions, the second survey was multiple choice related to the Civic Site and put together by HGA. Surveys were handed out at the forum and online via the City website and Facebook page. Most responses came from the forum. There were 41 responses to the City survey and 34 responses to the Civic Site survey. Communications Coordinator Dawn Skelly reviewed the main themes from the responses as shown on the PowerPoint presentation, including the following: overall concerns with the TCAAP/Rice Creek Commons redevelopment proposal including concerns about density, traffic, impact to schools, and loss of small town feel. Attendees wanted a better understanding of costs/financing and the open space plan. They cautioned the City to avoid duplication of amenities with neighboring cities, chains/franchises, management and facilities, and the pace of building a civic facility. The majority wanted a civic site that included rinks for skating, walking track, fitness classes, gym, meeting spaces, banquet space, outdoor trails for cross-country skiing, a restaurant and underground parking. In light of Ramsey County announcing a pull-back in resources the week prior, many residents wanted more information and open discussion. Mayor Grant wondered how far the Council would like to take the Civic Site discussion with Ramsey County taking a hiatus in TCAAP discussions. Councilmember Holmes felt there needs to be numbers attached to the construction and maintenance in order to warrant more Civic Site Task Force meetings. Councilmember Holden suggested having HGA attend one more Task Force meeting, present the survey results and tying up the Task Force. Councilmember McClung said he felt the City has a basis to start should the next step present itself but there is no need for obtaining numbers until then. Councilmember Holden stated the purpose of the Task Force was to determine if we were interested in utilizing the land and what we might use it for, not discuss the costs. Councilmember McClung said he didn't want to spend a lot of money putting numbers together in case it doesn't go anywhere. Due diligence has been done but until there is more positive progress it is appropriate to put the Civic Site discussion on hold. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — DECEMBER 17, 2018 7 Mayor Grant suggested the Civic Site be built into the MDA instead of an MOU. Councilmember Holmes said Task Force could have a meeting in January with a presentation of the survey results and then temporarily suspend the Task Force until further notice. D. Council Request Tracker City Administrator Perrault reviewed the request tracker in detail with the Council. After discussion, Thom Drive Issues was removed from the tracker. 2. COUNCIL/STAFF COMMENTS Councilmember Holden wondered what the City Planner's priorities will be. City Planner Mrosla said he has been looking at infill development and developing a smoother process. They are looking at several property development plans, including the old fire department property. Councilmember Holden suggested the City not renew their membership with the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce. Three other Councilmembers agreed. Councilmember Scott said the Ramsey County League of Local Governments had their annual meeting and has new leadership, he will be the representative for Beyond the Yellow Ribbon. City Administrator Perrault asked if the Council would like a work session with Alatus and set a tentative date for January 16. City Administrator Perrault asked if they wanted to have a reception along with swearing in of Councilmembers. Consensus was no. ADJOURN Mayor Grant adjourned the City Council Work Session at 8:06 p.m. LJol e Traub(David Grant Deputy City Clerk Mayor