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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-13-08-R ~ ~~ HILLS Approved: November 1 0, 2008 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING OCTOBER 13,2008 7:00 P.M. - ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor Stan Harpstead called to order the regular City Council meeting at 7:03 p.m. Present: Mayor Stan Harpstead; Council Members David Grant, Brenda Holden, and Dave McClung and Fran Holmes. Absent: None. Also present: City Administrator Ronald Moorse; Assistant City Administrator Noah Simon; Public Works Director Gregory Hoag; City Planner Meagan Beekman; Finance Director Susan Iverson; Parks and Recreation Manager Michelle Olson; Community Development Director James Lehnhoff; Bill Weber representing McCombs Frank Ross Associates (MFRA); and Recording Secretary, Tina Borg. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Councilmember Holden requested approval of the purchase of a replacement for the current water tanker truck for an amount not to exceed $123,003.48 be added to the agenda as item 7C. MOTION: Councilmember Holden moved and Mayor Harpstead seconded a motion to approve the agenda as amended. The motion carried unanimously (5-0) 2. PUBLIC INQUIRIES/INFORMATIONAL ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13,2008 2 A. TCAAP Update City Administrator Ronald Moorse stated the attorneys for the City and RRLD met with the attorneys from the EP A and MPCA on October 8, 2008 to review the documents necessary for the transfer of the property. The meeting was productive and the EP A and MPCA attorneys provided new perspectives that will enable getting the transfer documents closer to final form. City 1\dministrator Moorse stated that the October conference call with the Army and GSA is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 14, 2008. ' City Administrator Moorse stated that a City and County coordination meeting regarding the interchange projects has been scheduled for October 22, 2008. This meeting will enable the City and County staff and consultants to review the status and timing of the two interchange projects and the Highway 10/County Road 96 project, and to ensure necessary coordination between the projects. Mayor Harpstead asked when the final transfer of the TCAAP, property was expected to take place and if the City was still on schedule for this. City Administrator Moorse stated that the final transfer is expected in the fall of 2009 and the City is still on schedule for this time frame. B. 911 Dispatch Center Update City Administrator Moorse stated the County Board approved an RFP for a consolidated dispatch system staffing study last month and that RFP is now on the street. Responses are due at the end of October. The consultant should be selected by the end of November and the study results are due by April. City Administrator Moorse stated Scott Williams, the County's Emergency Communications Director, followed up on the 911 call for which the caller received a recorded message indicating the caller would be connected to the 911 system. Mr. Williams indicated the 911 system does not have a recorded message and the 911 call recording was most likely from the phone system that serves the building where the call was made. Mr. Williams' staff is trying to track down someone from the building's telecommunications staffwho can confirm this. Councilmember Holden thanked City Administrator Moorse for keeping up on this matter and updating the Council. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13,2008 3 Public Mayor Harpstead opened the public inquiries/informational at 7:10 p.m. Mayor Harpstead closed the public inquiries/information at 7: 11 p.m. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. September 8tt 2008 City Council W orksession B. September 15tt 2008 City Council Worksession C. September 29tt 2008 City Council Rel!ular Meetinl! MOTION: Councilmember Holden moved and Mayor Harpstead seconded a motion to approve the September 8, 2008 City Council Worksession minutes, the September 15, 2008 City Council Worksession minutes, and the September 29, 2008 Regular City Council Meeting minutes as presented. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). 4. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Claims and Payroll B. A motion to Approve the City of Arden Hills Credit/Charge Card Policy C. A motion to Authorize Staff to enter into an i\greement \vith US Bank for the One Card Program, a Corporate Purchasing Card Program D. A motion to Approve a Transfer of $500,000 from the General Fund to the Equipment, Building and Replacement Fund E. Resolution 2008-048: Appointing Kristine Goodrich to the Communications Committee for a Three Year Term F. Motion to Accept the Resignation of Joani Werner from the Parks and Recreation Committee (PTRC) G. Motion to Accept the City of Arden Hills 3rd Quarter Financial Reports Councilmember Holden stated that she had requested a couple of changes be made by Finance Director Susan Iverson and she wanted to verify that these changes had been made to the documents being presented. Finance Director Susan Iverson stated that the changes have been made. She stated that item 4B - the Financial Policies- City Credit/Charge Card Policy, under Procedure, item 2 iii was changed to read: any single transaction in excess of $1,000 must have prior' authorization by the City Administrator and his/her designated representative. Item 2 iv was changed to read: credit limit on individual ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13,2008 4 cards is $3,000. Exceptions may be granted to appropriate personnel per the City of Arden Hills Purchasing Policy. Item 3 i, the second sentence, was changed to read: receipts shall be attached to the Finance department copy of the bill. Item 3 iii was changed to read: if a credit is due on a statement, such as for returned merchandise, it is the employee's responsibility to assure such a credit is recorded. Finance Director Iverson stated that on item 4D, the last sentence under background, the year was changed from 2009 to 2008. MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember McClung seconded a motion to approve the Consent Calendar as presented and to authorize execution of all necessary documents contained therein. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). 5. PULLED CONSENT ITEMS None. 6. PUBLIC HEARINGS None. 7. NEW BUSINESS A. Motion to Authorize Staff to Contract with Infratech to Complete a Manhole Rehabilitation Proiect in an Amount Not to Exceed $61 tl900 Public Works Director Gregory Hoag stated Staff solicited quotes for a manhole rehabilitation project as part. of the City's 2008 I&I work plan. Staff has been in contact with Infratech, the firm who provided the lower cost bid, regarding a schedule to complete the work this fall. Infratech is able to schedule this project for completion by December I, 2008. He also stated that as the work progresses there may be situations where there is work scheduled for a manhole and once inside there may be additional repairs identified. To cover these unanticipated repairs staff has added a ten percent contingency to the proposal price. The cost of $61 ,900 is beyond the planned cost of $45,000 and the additional cost can be credited to the 2009 MCES surcharge amount. It is recommended that the additional expenditures be incurred in 2008, rather than delaying the related repairs until 2009. Councilmember Holden asked why contingency amounts are being requested in the recent projects being presented to the Council for fund approval. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13, 2008 5 Public Works Director Hoag stated that in this particular project the amount is being requested in order to keep the project on schedule because any unanticipated repairs would be cheaper and easier to take care of when they are identified and the work crews are already present in the manhole. City Administrator Moorse stated that the bid was for specific repairs in each of the 65 manholes and there may be a situation where all the required repairs were not identified. This may require additional repair that is not planned for and Staff would like to have the flexibility to have these repairs made in order to keep the project on schedule. Mayor Harpstead asked if additional work orders would be presented for any additional repairs that may be discovered. Public Works Director Hoag stated that additional work orders would be written for each new repair that may be needed in order to account for the contingency amount. Mayor Harpstead stated that the level of contingency is within City Administrator Moorse's approval level. Once the amount is approved City Administrator Moorse could approve any additional work orders within the budgeted amount. Councilmember Grant asked for clarification on the amount that City Administrator Moorse could approve. Mayor Harpstead stated that City Administrator Moorse could only approve work orders up to the approved budgeted amount not the budgeted amount plus an additional contingency amount. Finance Director Iverson stated that because this project would be considered a capital expenditure the funds would need to be approved by the Council and any additional fund requests would also have to be approved by the Council. The contingency amount requested would be to allow Staff the ability to keep the rehabilitation project on schedule by being able to approve additional repairs immediately. Councilmember Grant stated that this bid is for specific repairs at specific manholes. He asked for clarification regarding what was being repaired in the manholes. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13,2008 6 Public Works Director Hoag stated that items such as chimney seals, grouting, and casting replacements are part of the repairs being made. The price ranges from $400 to $1 ,200 per manhole depending on the repairs being made at a particular manhole. Councilmember Grant asked if the project would be completed this year. Public Works Director Hoag stated that the project is expected to be completed by December I, 2008. Councilmember Grant asked how the requested amount of $61 ,900 lines up with the initial estimated costs for this project. Public Works Director Hoag stated that the initial cost planned for this project was $45,000, based on the amount remaining to satisfy the expenditure requirements of the I&I surcharge. The cost of $61 ,900 is $16,900 beyond the planned cost. Councilmember Grant stated that this project only covers 65 manholes and this is only a portion of the City's manholes that need to be repaired. He asked at this level of repair how many manholes there are left to repair in the City. Public Works Director Hoag stated that Council could expect to see a project about the same size to be presented in 2009 and this would cover a majority of the problem manholes within the City. Councilmember Grant asked how far along the smoke testing project was. Public Works Director Hoag stated that the area being smoke tested has been broken down into eleven zones and there have been three zones completed. Each zone takes a day to a day and a half to complete. Councilmember Holden asked if the manholes have the pick holes in them after the repairs are made or if the City is changing out manhole covers at the same time. Public Works Director Hoag stated that this contract is just for physical repairs to the manholes. Manhole seals or covers can be purchased separately. The repairs are an internal repair of the infrastructure of the manhole. Councilmember Holden stated that before winter comes the City should look into securing the manhole covers as well. It would be good to have these 65 manholes ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13,2008 7 completed so that Staff would not have to go back to them again in the near future to do additional repairs. Councilmember Grant asked if Infratech had indicated how long the repairs would last. Public Works Director Hoag stated that Infratech did not indicate how long the repairs were expected to last but he would find this information and forward it to the Council. MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Mayor Harpstead seconded a motion to Authorize Staff to Contract with Infratech to Complete a Manhole Rehabilitation Project in an Amount Not to Exceed $61,900. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). B. Motion to Accept the "Master Plan for the New Lake Johanna Boulevard" Community Development Director James Lehnhoff reviewed the process that was used to reach the development of the master plan. Mr. Bill Weber, representing McCombs Frank Ross Associates (MFRA), presented a PowerPoint presentation regarding the master plan and detailing specific points of the project and proposed improvements. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that on private property the plan would be market driven and the City is not going to remove any businesses. The plan is a concept for future development or if the current buildings plan improvements there would be specific design expectations for those improvements. He also stated that the design standards presented would not be copied directly into the zoning code and any zoning code changes would need to be brought to the Planning Commission and the Council for approval and a public hearing. Mayor Harpstead stated that this was an opportunity for the City to bring new life into this area of the City and that it is driven by the private sector. He also thanked the members of the B2 Steering Committee for their hard work in getting this plan put together. Councilmember Holden asked if Council would be accepting the plan and what that would mean. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13, 2008 8 Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that the City is being asked to accept the plan as a concept plan for the B2 area along with all the recommendations. Accepting this plan would allow the City to move forward with the first phase of the implementation which would be the design standards. The public improvements and other initiatives within the plan would require additional Council input and engineering review. Mayor Harpstead stated that accepting the plan allows Staff to proactively take steps to move forward with some of the items that require additional time and involvement. Councilmember Holmes clarified that the first step after accepting the plan is the design standards. She asked if the design standards that would be reviewed were the design standards listed in the draft. Community Development Director Lehnhoff clarified that the design standards in the draft document would be the standards reviewed. Councilmember Holmes clarified that the Planning Commission would review the wording in the document. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that it was not likely that all the wording would be adopted into a zoning code. He also stated that a reference in the zoning code to the master plan as a guide for the development of this area could be added. Councilmember Holmes asked for clarification if some of the standards would be in the zoning code and some of them would only be guidelines and how the difference would be known. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that some of the standards would be adopted into the City's zoning code and others would be guidelines. He also stated that the differences would be noted in the document. Councilmember Holmes asked what the timellne is for the reVIew of these standards. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that if the document is approved tonight then the design standards will be before the Planning Commission in November and then before the City Council at the end of November for approval. He stated that the moratorium is set to expire on December 5, 2008 and Staff would like to have these standards implemented before the moratorium expires. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13, 2008 9 Mayor Harpstead asked Community Development Director Lehnhoff to explain the PUD process and how properties would go through this. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that the Planned Unit Development (PUD) is a process that the City uses that allows the City to be more flexible with a particular piece of property. The City sets its standards and this puts the City in a better position for reviewing plans for development and expecting more out of developments, along with being able to negotiate with the developer. Mayor Harpstead clarified that even though some of the standards would be written pretty clearly they could still be varied upon during the PUD process. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that they could be negotiated with the idea that the City would benefit by having a better end product. He also stated that the PUD is brought before the Planning Commission and the City Council for approval. Councilmember Holden asked why the name was changed for the project from the "Vision Plan for the B2 Zone" to the "Master Plan for the New Lake Johanna Boulevard". She stated that the name should be changed back to the B2 Zone because the plan encompasses more than just the County Road E strip. She also asked to clarify that the proposal was not to change the name of County Road E but to give it an additional or supplementary name. Mayor Harpstead stated that it is important to note that County Road E would still be a valid address but the road would also have an alternate or second name that could be used. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that in terms of title for the plan the name could be changed back to the small area plan if that is what the Council is requesting. Councilmember Holden stated that it would be preferable to change the name to the B2 Small Area Plan because the plan does encompass more than just the strip on County Road E. Councilmember Grant stated that the plan should be referred to as a "Vision Plan" rather than a "Master Plan" because this would state more clearly that this is a vision of where the City would like to go with the B2 area. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13, 2008 10 Councilmember Holmes stated concerns that the plan implementations make this plan more than a vision. Councilmember Grant stated that the plan would need to be included in the City's Comprehensive Plan and there would need to be a certain amount of rezoning in the area to make this vision a possibility. The position of building and roads are visionary and mayor may not happen based on what the private sector, land owners and developers come to the City with. There are certain elements that the City does want to hold onto because they are important to the vision or the area. These elements could include things like the intersections and sidewalks, and the bicycle bridge. Mayor Harpstead stated that the name could be change to the "Guiding Plan for County Road E". Councilmember Grant stated that this area does need to be looked at. He also stated that there was a lot of work left to do in this area including funding for the improvements. He stated that he would like to see more owner occupied units in the plan and more market rate versus affordable rate units. He also stated that he would prefer to have more specific design standards than what was being provided in the current draft document. Mayor Harpstead stated that the design standards would have to go to the Planning Commission and then back to the Council for approval and that the final discussion on design standards would need to be done at a later date. Councilmember Holden asked Community Development Director Lehnhofr how situations would be handled if a business such as Corporate Express bought another piece of property in the area that was currently zoned B-2. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that they would be welcome to build or stay as long as the design of the redevelopment fit the design standards. Councilmember Holden stated that the whole plan hinges on a new intersection. She asked if the Council would be giving some private property owners an upper hand in negotiating based on this design. Mr. Weber stated that if a particular business that is along the proposed intersection was going to redevelop then the City could compel the business to be consistent with the design and improvements to the road way. He also stated that the City could move forward with the assistance of Ramsey County with the roadways without the involvement of the private sector. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13, 2008 11 Councilmember Holmes asked for clarification regarding Mr. Weber's comments. Mayor Harpstead stated that it was possible that the Guiding Plan could in that particular area change the foot print of the building on that particular parcel. Mr. Weber stated that whenever there is redevelopment occurring there would be a PUD brought before the Council that would allow the Council to negotiate where the driveways are. Councilmember Holmes asked for clarification on what Mr. Weber meant by negotiate. She also stated that it states that the road could be a private road or a public road. Mr. Weber stated that the City has the ability to negotiate where driveways and parking lots are during the PUD process. He also stated that the road Councilmember Holmes is referring to is a private road. Councilmember Holmes stated that in the plan it states that it could be either a private or public road. Mr. Weber stated that the road would be a private road. Councilmember Holmes asked if this ,vas private how the City could force the owner to put a road in. Mr. Weber stated that accomplishing the change at Arden Plaza would require the property owners of Arden Plaza and TCF Bank to be in cooperation with each other. He stated that if one of the owners did not want to cooperate, the improvements could still be made to County Road E including the median. These things could be done with or without the cooperation or coordination of the two land owners at this site. Mayor Harpstead stated that the recommendation was that the City makes the improvements in concert and in cooperation with the business owners. Councilmember Holden asked how the piece of land where the TCF Bank is currently would be utilized if the medians were rebuilt. She asked how they would be able to get in and out of their location. Mr. Weber stated that if the medians were rebuilt there would be a full access interchange. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13,2008 12 Councilmember Holden stated that the Holiday Inn currently has not decided what they are doing and they are located on the north side of this intersection. She stated that if the owners decided to refurbish the hotel then the intersection could be further complicated because there would be no access to the north of the intersecti on. Mr. Weber stated that this was correct but with the design as it is now they can make left and right turns in and out of the facility but if the medians were built then the left outs would be blocked and they would have two right in and right out driveways remaining. Councilmember Holden clarified that there would only be curb cuts to the currently existing businesses. Mr. Weber stated that the plan does emphasize ongoing communication with the City, residents and business owners. This will allow for the development of the road in time 'with the private redevelopment of the property. The City's improvements do not have to wait for the private sector improvements. Councilmember McClung clarified the City's improvements referred to the boulevards and medians not the traffic light. Mr= Weber stated that the medians could occur \x/ith or without the adjacent property improvements. Mayor Harpstead stated that the traffic light is not required initially. Mr. Weber stated that there would have to be enough traffic demand in order to put in a signalized light. Councilmember McClung stated that there would have to be an agreement with the various businesses to allow for access at the new location. He also stated that the plan is generally a good plan and there were good things in the plan for the future development of the area. He thanked the residents and businesses that were involved in the development of the plan. He also stated that there were enough items still up in the air regarding the access and traffic issues that there were concerns about the report in that it states that the moderate redevelopment of the Arden Plaza site is manageable with short term traffic impacts. The current traffic levels are bad and stating that the City is willing to let this get worse until the area is redeveloped is not acceptable. The Council needs to keep its options open ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13,2008 13 regarding the traffic and potential redevelopment until the City does find out what will happen with the TCF Bank site, the Arden Plaza site and the Holiday Inn site. Councilmember Grant clarified that the Arden Plaza site had two owners and the driveway is proposed to go right where the drive thru is for TCF and the restaurant on the north. He stated that the owners of these sites could come together with a plan and he would like to see the private sector drive the plan. Councilmember Holmes stated that the detailed breakdown of the funds involved does need to b~ reviewed because there were items that the Council may want to eliminate or add. She also stated that on page 4.3 under Northern Access it states to create a road either public or private for the access at the lights. She stated that there were no costs for a public road listed. She q.lso stated that the detailed report called for six bus shelters along this stretch of road and this number was too high for the area. She also stated concerns regarding the medians because there will be several access points that would be eliminated. On page 1.4 of the draft plan it states that there is a consensus of the committee members and the land owners that will be affected that some improvements can be done without any problems even though several of the problems will continue or be worse after the median is put in place. Mayor Harpstead stated that the Council would not commit to spending the funds without reviewing them in greater detail at a future Council meeting. The project as a whole would add value to the area. Councilmember Holmes asked the Mayor what his response would be to the consensus that the Council can add traffic and improvements to this area without any change in the traffic patterns. Councilmember Holden stated that this is in the short term. Mayor Harpstead stated that there had been no decision by the Council regarding traffic as an impossible issue. There had been a tremendous amount of concern [rom Arden Hills and Shoreview about the development of this area and traffic had been one of the main concerns identified. Councilmember Holmes stated that the concerns of the residents have not been addressed by the Council in the short term. Mayor Harpstead stated that the studies that were done show that in a retail environment the traffic levels are functioning at an acceptable level even though personal perceptions may say otherwise. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13,2008 14 Councilmember Grant stated that a left turn lane for some of the businesses would be necessary. He also stated that looking at the plan there were smaller design considerations that the Council would debate over. The plan should not be viewed as everything is specific and exact at this time. Council needs to take a look at the plan with the understanding that things may be changed. He stated that there is a function of timing and funding that need to be looked at as well and changes will not happen overnight. Councilmember Holden stated that the implementation IS three years to start working on the medians. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that there was no clear start time for the project. He also stated that accepting the plan was not accepting the budget and it does not set the stage for approval or denial of any improvements for any particular site. Mayor Harpstead stated that there may be other sources of funding that need to be researched once a plan is approved. Councilmember Holden stated that she would like the Council to discuss the changing of the zoning to include high density residents and how the traffic needs are balanced once there is an increase in the number of housing units in the area. Mr. Weber stated that housing would have less impact on the critical 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. time frame than office space would. He stated that Maxfield, the marketing analysis group used, stated that the area has about as much retail space as it could maintain. The market study is supportive of higher density housing. The market analysis also shows that the area is saturated with office space at this time. Mayor Harpstead stated that the same individual that performed this market analysis also performed the analysis for the TCAAP property. Councilmember Holden stated that a high level of senior housing in the B2 area would have an impact on the TCAAP property. Mayor Harpstead stated that there was an agreement that senior housing would have an impact but market rate and luxury rental property which is possible for the B2 area would be different and not impact TCAAP. Councilmember Holden asked how this would have an impact on the traffic. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13, 2008 15 Mr. Weber stated that there would be impact. There would be fewer trucks but an increase in other types of traffic in the area. He also stated that additional traffic studies would be performed as the area changes with each development and improvements. Councilmember Holden asked why there was no zonIng for middle density housing as well as high density housing. Councilmember Grant stated that middle density housing is addressed on page 5-5 under land uses it includes medium density housing. He also stated that this does not match the zoning map that was being presented. Medium and high densities have not been defined in the plan. Mayor Harpstead stated that these are defined in the City's zoning code. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that the numbers would have to be worked out once Staff takes a look at the zoning codes. Councilmember Grant asked if Staff was looking to change the numbers associated with its density levels. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that it would not be changing the number of units associated with density outside of the B2 zone. Councilmember Grant stated that in the document multiple family dwellings are considered medium to high density housing and this does not match the zoning map on page 5 and this needs to be fixed by possibly adding an m/h to the map. Councilmember Holden stated that at the last Steering Committee meeting there had been a comment regarding the parking at Arden Plaza referencing a deal that was in place. She asked what this was referring to. Mr. Weber stated that there is no agreement or deal in place that would affect the future improvements or changes at Arden Plaza. Councilmember Holden stated that the committee had wanted an access that would address the steep grade from Lexington Avenue to Arden Plaza. She asked if this was addressed in the plan. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that a reference could be added to the document that would address the need for this access. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13, 2008 16 Councilmember Holmes asked for clarification regarding the statement on the new road on page 4-3 where it says the new road would be public or private. She asked if the current recommendation was that it be either public or private. Mr. Weber stated that this statement should no longer be in the document as the idea of having a public road was dropped by the committee. The statement should read private driveway. Councilmember Holmes stated that she would like to have other options for public roads considered if this road could possibly be a public road. Mr. Weber stated that a public road west or south from Arden Plaza was not proposed because that is private property in both directions. Councilmember Holmes stated that the roads could have been considered because there are problems with the plan as it is because TCF has not agreed to it yet. The City should have considered other options. Mr . Weber stated that other options were looked at but they were rejected for being infeasible. Councilmember Holmes suggested that the plan be tabled until a consideration of these items is done. Councilmember Grant stated that the statement of public or private road is leaving the options open for the City depending on what developers propose. Councilmember Holmes stated that if the City is going to consider a public road at the light then they should also be able to consider public roads at other locations as well. Councilmember Grant stated that condemnation or eminent domain was not considered by the City. The City's goal is to work with developers. He also stated that the City would like to see the private sector drive this plan. Councilmember Holden stated on page I -4, the last bullet referencing the bicycle bridge should be consistent with how it is stated on pages 4-9 and 4- 10. Councilmember Holden stated that the issue on page 5 referencing buildings taller than four stories needed to be discussed by the Council. She stated that her concern would be buildings taller than 4 stories on the north side. She stated that buildings ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13, 2008 17 taller than four stories along Highway 51 would be acceptable. She asked if the plan could be more specific by stating the northwest comer rather than just north. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that this could be changed but also when the zoning code is amended it will probably be limited to four stories within the area. Councilmember Holden stated that Catholic Charities has a beautifully landscaped property and she would prefer not to block this area with trees. Mayor Harpstead stated that this would depend on the trees and the location of the trees because there are already trees along the side of the street where Catholic Charities is. Councilmember Holden asked about the role of the City on page 4-2 item 9. She stated that this statement needed to be all inclusive or taken out altogether. Mayor Harpstead stated that this item could be changed to reference the City's public financing policy. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that a period after the word redevelopment would leave this more open to the tools that are available now and in the future for the City. Councilmember Holden stated that the plan should be brought back before the Council before a vote is taken. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that the Planning Commission has already reviewed the plan itself and they were supportive of the plan. Councilmember McClung stated that if the plan was going to come back to the Council then the wording on page I -4 on the bottom of the page and page 1-5 on the top of the page should be changed. He stated concerns about the manageable short term traffic impacts and the plan putting the City in a position where they would not be able to respond. Councilmember Holmes asked if the plan was going to be coming back to the Council for review before a vote was taken. Councilmember Holden stated that there is no motion on the floor at this time to table the item. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13, 2008 18 Mayor Harpstead stated that this is a statement of fact in that the groups of people who have looked at it agree with it. Councilmember McClung stated that the Council should not accept the report without the wording being changed or reviewed because it could be viewed as the Council accepts the statements of those groups as fact regarding the traffic. Mayor Harpstead stated that "specific development proposals would be reviewed for traffic impacts" could be added to this section. Councilmember Holmes stated her disagreement because it states that the plan has set the stage for consensus on public and private improvements that will help achieve development potential of both Arden Plaza and the former Holiday Inn site. Mayor Harpstead stated that this was clarified in the next sentence "That is affected land owners, staff, and consultants have come to a consensus." He stated that an additional sentence could be added that states: However each individual development will be evaluated based upon its traffic impacts. Councilmember Holmes stated that the implication of the first sentence is that the consensus of the committee, land owners, etc. is being adopted by the Council. She added that the first sentence could be changed as well as adding those suggestions made by Mayor Harpstead. Mayor Harpstead stated that the words "long term" could be dropped. Councilmember Holmes stated that the whole point of this is the short term and the long term is referenced in the last sentence and this would make it inconsistent. Mr. Weber stated that he will work on the wording in the section to be sure there are no implications or promises on how the City will decide regarding future applications for development. Councilmember Holmes stated that the Council did not want any implications set for consensus. Mayor Harpstead stated that there had been no major objections at the public hearings that were held regarding the development of the B2 district. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that the phrase "on the Arden Plaza site" could be removed and this would remove being specific to anyone site ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13, 2008 19 development and add ~'subject to traffic review at the time of proposed development." Councilmember Grant stated that the plan may need to be edited to encompass the changes before Council voted on it. Mayor Harpstead stated that the Council does want to be sure to get something in place before the moratorium runs out. Councilmember Grant stated that a sizable development on the Arden Plaza site is going to need the new proposed entrance. Councilmember Holmes pointed out that the plan states a moderate amount of redevelopment on the Arden Plaza site is manageable in the short term with the current entrance configuration. Councilmember Grant stated that because of the size of the site any redevelopment to the Arden Plaza site would be considered larger than moderate and this would substantiate the need for a new entrance configuration. Mr. Weber stated that the whole paragraph could be stricken altogether because it is not shown anywhere else in the document. Councilmember Holden stated that the infrastructure underneath the roadway on County Road E does need to be addressed as well. She asked if the City would be able to get money from the County for the reconstruction of the road. Public Works Director Hoag stated that the water main break frequency is getting high. He stated that this project would be similar to those in TCAAP and depending on what the City would like done the County may provide some funding. Councilmember Holden clarified that the water mains would need to be worked on when this stretch of road is redone. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that Staff had gotten the preliminary numbers from City Engineer Deb Bloom regarding improvements to the water main system. He also stated that the numbers would be included in future budgets. Councilmember Holden stated that the water main repairs should be added under the implementations on page 1-5. She asked if the budget includes moving any of the large electrical boxes along County Road E. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13, 2008 20 Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that the plan does not cover the electrical boxes at this time because they have not been discussed. Mayor Harpstead asked if there was time in the schedule to defer the vote on the plan to the next Council meeting. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that it could be deferred to the October 27, 2008 Council meeting. This would put things into a tight time frame but it would be manageable. Councilmember Holden stated that hotels are a special use within the B2 zone. She asked if this would change in the new zoning. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that it was not changed and hotels would probably remain listed as a conditional use. Mayor Harpstead clarified that this would come before the Planning Commission and the Council before it was put in place. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that if the hotel/motel use were to be removed then that would constitute a change that would need to be brought before the Planning Commission and the Council for approval. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that the Council may need to be more specific in defining retail or more restrictive in the B2 zone in order to further restrict the types of businesses that are in this area. Councilmember Holden stated page 2- I 7 refers to Transit Routes and asked to clarify if these were circulars. She stated that the document should reflect that these are not regular buses that people can take to get to places such as downtown. Councilmember Holden stated that page 4-3 refers to the land use for Arden Plaza and states that the hardware store should be kept. She asked for clarification regarding this statement. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated that the statement was intended to reflect the City's desire to keep the hardware store in its location for as long as possible. Councilmember Holmes stated that there are several other businesses that the City would like to be sure are kept in their current locations. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13, 2008 21 Mayor Harpstead stated that the entire sentence could be stricken. Mr. Ted Brausen, Brausen Shell Station, B2 Steering Committee member, stated that the plan was designed to start moving the district in a direction. The committee felt that one way to handle the traffic at Arden Plaza would be to set up a right in and right out intersection. Councilmember Holmes asked what Mr. Brausen thought about the median providing only a right in and right out for his business. Mr. Brausen stated that this would need to be worked out because he would like to see some breaks in the median. He also stated that the plan was a guideline for the Council in order to get the process started. Ms. Christine Pistotnik, 1163 Benton Avenue, B2 Steering Committee member, stated that as a committee it was not up to them to decide everything. She stated that there were details that had been assumed would be worked out with the City. The plan being presented is more a concept plan than it is an exact plan for the City to follow. Ms. Liz Modesette, 3743 New Brighton Road, Arden Hills, B2 Steering Committee member, stated that flexibility needs to be embraced so that the best long term plan can evolve for the area~ Mr. Gregg Larson, 3377 North Snelling Avenue, B2 Steering Committee member, stated that the two projects that will come first in the development of the area are the Holiday Inn site and the Arden Plaza site and these projects will set the stage for what happens along the rest of the street. He stated that the Council needs to set expectations for developers to ensure that the developments are extraordinary. Councilmember Holden asked Mr. Larson if he would make any changes in the design guidelines. Mr. Larson stated that any project will result in negotiations with the City and developers. He also stated that he is satisfied with the plan. Councilmember Grant listed the changes that the Council had reached a consensus on.. The changes are: 1.) Change the name of the plan to "Guiding Plan for the B2 Small Area" 2.) Under design guidelines - make the zoning map match the medium/high density portion of the document ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13,2008 22 3.) On page 5- 7 - relating to the height of the buildings - insert the word north west of County Road E 4.) On page 4-2, item 9 - under the role of the City place a period and strike the rest of the sentence. The words to be stricken are: such as tax increment. 5.) On page 1-5 - drop the section entitled Former Holiday Inn site. 6.) On page 4-3 - under Land Use, delete the line that reads keep the hardware store in operation at it present location .while redeveloping the north area 7.) Adding additional restrictions and guidelines under the design standards for the actual zoning code review. Mayor Harpstead stated that additional changes were: 1.) On page 1-5 - include the underground infrastructure repair and the electrical box relocation 2.) Be sure that there is consistency regarding the pedestrian/bike bridge throughout the document Councilmember Holden stated that additional changes were: ] .) Including a path for pedestrians to access the Arden Plaza site 2.) Be sure to include medium density along with high density throughout the document Community Development Director Lehnhoff added an additional change as: 1.) Clarifying the circular bus Councilmember Holmes stated on page 4-3 it is very specific for the eastern access. She asked if there was something similar to this for the northern access. Mayor Harpstead stated that the northern access could be added. Mayor Harpstead asked if a budget range would be acceptable at this time versus and exact figure with full detail. Councilmember Holden stated that the detail should be included because people are going to want to know how the City arrived at a project amount of $2 Million. Councilmember Holmes stated that the Council has not reviewed the detail at this time and it is preliminary at this time. She stated that if the plan includes an estimated dollar amount then it should include documentation that backs up this figure that has been reviewed and agreed upon by the Council. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13, 2008 23 Councilmember McClung stated that the detailed breakdown should be distributed to the Council so that everyone has an opportunity to comment on the costs. Councilmember Holden stated that one additional change would be: 1.) On page 1-6 - clarify that the road name change is only a supplementary name change MOTION: Councilmember Holden moved and Councilmember Grant seconded a motion to table the "Guiding Plan" until the October 27, 2008 Regular City Council meeting. The motion carried unanimously ( 5 -0). C. Motion to Approve the Purchase of a Replacement Tanker Truck for an Amount Not to Exceed $123,003.48 Councilmember Holden stated that the replacement for the water tanker truck was voted down by the Council with a 1-4 vote. One of the issues raised at that meeting was the safety of the vehicle. She stated that after further discussions with the City workers utilizing the truck the safety issues were more severe than the Council may have believed at the time of the vote and the replacement of the truck should be reconsidered. MOTION: Councilmember Holden moved and Mayor Harpstead seconded a motion to approve the purchase of a new cab and chassis from Boyer Ford at a cost of $55,060.31 to include tax, trade in, and registration; and to also authorize staff to purchase the tank and accessories from Stepp Manufacturing at a cost of $67,943.48, for a total cost not to exceed $123,003.48. Councilmember Grant clarified that this would be a 2008 purchase. Councilmember Holden stated that this would be a 2008 purchase. Mayor Harpstead asked if the bids that were received previously were still good. City Administrator Moorse stated that all the bids were still current. Councilmember Grant asked how long the bids were good for. Public Works Director Hoag stated that the bid from Boyer Ford was good until January 30, 2009 and the bid from Stepp Manufacturing was good until January 1, 2009. He also stated that there may be a question of availability at this time. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13, 2008 24 Finance Director Iverson stated that the purchase would be considered a capital purchase and would not impact the 2008 operating budget. Councilmember Holden stated that the vehicle should be purchased this week. Councilmember McClung asked why the safety of the vehicle had not been stressed to the Council at the initial meeting. Mayor Harpstead stated that the safety of the vehicle was brought up at the initial meeting but the Council at that time did not feel it was compelling enough to warrant a new vehicle. The motion was called to a vote. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). 8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None. 9. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND REQUESTS Councilmember Grant asked if staff maintained a list of neighborhood watch groups. Mayor Harpstead stated that the City does not. Councilmember Grant stated that this would be something the City should have a copy of. City Administrator Moorse stated that the Sheriff s Office would have this and he would contact them for a copy. Councilmember Holmes stated that October 25,2008 was the Buckthorn Removal at Hazelnut Park through the PTRC. Parks and Recreation Manager Michelle Olson clarified that the times for the buckthorn removal were 8:30 a.m. to 1 :30 p.m. Councilmember Holmes stated that there had not been a date set for the Council retreat yet. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13,2008 25 City Administrator Moorse stated that the date would be either December 6, 2008 or December 13, 2008. Mayor Harpstead stated that the retreat has typically been scheduled for a Saturday morning. City Administrator Moorse stated that December 6, 2008 would be the first choice for the meeting. Councilmember McClung asked that the dates be e-mailed to the Council so that a decision could be made. Councilmember Holden stated that the Council and Staff should start planning a date for the Town Hall meeting in January. ' Councilmember Holden asked what was going on at the library since there have not been any updates recently. Councilmember Holmes stated that the library had passed their final report and there were no other updates at this time. Councilmember McClung stated that a second new member has been added to the Communications Committee. He also stated that at the last committee meeting the goals for 2009 were discussed. Councilmember Holden asked how the recent opening with the PTRC was being filled. Parks and Recreation Manager Olson stated that the two people who had not been selected previously were being contacted and also the position was being advertised. Councilmember Holden asked why it was being advertised if there were already candidates. Parks and Recreation Manager Olson stated that she had talked with one of the previous candidates and they were no longer interested in the position and that would leave only one candidate choice for the position. The committee would like to have additional candidate choices before making its final decision. Councilmember Grant stated that the parks and recreation employee had been extended [rom part-time to close to full-time starting in January. This change ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - October 13, 2008 26 would enable staff to look at and apply for additional grants in 2009. He requested that Parks and Recreation Manager Olson look into what grants were coming up and bring them before the Council. Parks and Recreation Manager Olson stated that there was one grant coming before the Council shortly that she will continue to searchfor additional grants that would benefit the City. ADJOURN MOTION: Councilmember McClung moved and Mayor Harpstead seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). r City Council Meet. ~~ ' Ronald J. oorse City Administrator