HomeMy WebLinkAbout2B, 2009 Community Development Year-End Review / I EN H LLS
Request for Council Action
Prepared By:
Community Development Department Council Meeting Date: March 8,2010
2009 Community Development Department Year-in-Review
Budgeted Amount: Actual Amount: Funding Source:
NA NA NA
Recommendation:
1. Informational only. No action required.
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Supporting Documents:
1. Memorandum dated March 8, 2010 from Community Development.
--,�ARDEN HILLS
MEMORANDUM
DATE: March 8, 2010
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Community Development Department
SUBJECT: 2009 Community Development Department Year-in-Review
2009 Year in Review Summary
• Processed 24 planning cases incorporating 36 land use requests;
• Reviewed six code amendments, including the liquor regulations, the nuisance ordinance,
and a new rental registration ordinance;
• Adopted the 2030 Comprehensive Plan thereby completing a multi-year planning
g
process;
• Demolished the former public works building;
• Completed the repairs on the City Hall building;
• Approved new 20 year franchise agreements with Xcel Energy for natural gas and
electrical services;
• Adopted a new code compliance policy;
• Processed 1,161 construction permits with a total valuation of$27,949,452.
• Reviewed 329 code enforcement cases and closed 311 cases.
City of Arden Hills
City Council Meeting for March 8, 2010
IlMetro-inet.uslardenhillslPlanninglDepartment Records l Quarterly&Year End Reports12009102-08-10-2009 Year in Review.doc
Page 1 of 8
Department Overview
The Community Development Department is responsible for a variety of services, including
planning and zoning, economic development, protective inspections, code enforcement, and
residential recycling services. Protective inspections and code enforcement provide inspection
services for all building, plumbing, water, sewer, heating, mechanical, electrical construction
permits as well as Code compliance complaints.
The department includes four full-time staff members:
• James Lehnhoff, Community Development Director;
• Dave Scherbel, Building Official;
• John Mennenga, Inspections/Code Enforcement, and
• Meagan Beekman, City Planner.
The CD Department also relies on the services provided by the City's administrative support
staff. Charles Roberts interned for the department in the first quarter of the prior rior to his
Y
transition to intern with the Administration Department.
Planning, Zoning, and Code Amendments
In 2009, the City processed 24 planning cases incorporating 36 different land use requests, with
five still pending at the end of the year. In 2008, the City processed 33 planning cases with 41
different land use requests, and in 2007 processed 33 planning cases. The following chart
displays the number of planning requests by type and outcome:
.......................................................
Type Approved Denied Pending Withdrawn Total
Conditional Use Permit 1 1
CUP Amendments 3 1 3 1 g
Preliminary Plat 1 1 2
Final Plat 1 1 2
Master PUD 1 1 2
Final PUD 1 1 2
Ordinance Amendment 4 1 2 6
Site Plan Review 2 1 3
Variance 4 1 5
Rezoning 1 1
Comp Plan Amendment 1 1
Other 3 3
Total 21 1 13 1 36
City of Arden Hills
City Council Meeting for March 8, 2010
IlMetro-inet.uslardenhillslPlanninglDepartment Records I Quarterly&Year End Reports 12009102-08-10-2009 Year in Review.doc
Page 2 of 8
Conditional Use Permits and Amendments
In 2009, the City approved one conditional use permit (CUP) and three CUP
amendments. Additionally, one CUP amendment was denied, one was withdrawn, and
three were still pending at the end of the year. The CUP that was granted was for Clear
Wireless to install communications antennas on the roof of the County Financial building
at 2 Pine Tree Drive. The CUP Amendments that were approved were for Bethel
University to extend the use of temporary classrooms, First Student to amend their
parking plan, and an addition to the Ramsey County Public Works Facility. Two CUP
Amendments were still pending for the communications tower at 1296 County Road F,
and one for Mounds View High School to construct a stand of bleachers. Clear Wireless
withdrew a CUP Amendment application to install antennas to the tower at 1296 County
Road F as well.
Preliminary/Final Plats and Master and Final Planned Unit Developments (PUDs)
There were two sets of preliminary/final plats and Master/Final PUDs reviewed by the
City in 2009. One was for the Arden Plaza redevelopment which was approved, and the
other was for the Arden Village apartment building which remains under review.
Code Amendments
The City approved six code additions/amendments in 2009:
1. Amended the Clear Vision Area regulation to more clearly state the intention
of providing a clear vision area at intersections within the City while allowing
for a reasonable amount of vegetation.
2. Amended the City Code to include Ash trees on the list of protected shade
trees. This broadens the City's ability to monitor and remove diseased Ash
trees.
3. Amended the City's antennas and towers regulations to provide a list of
priority locations for the placement of communications antennas, require
collocation on new towers, and clarify the requirements for antennas
applications.
4. Amended chapter five of the City Code regarding the City's liquor
regulations. This was a major revision to bring the regulations in line with
existing State Statutes regarding the sale of alcoholic beverages in the City.
5. Updated the Nuisance Ordinance to include a streamlined abatement review
for certain nuisances.
6. Adopted a rental registration ordinance for all residential structures with four
or fewer dwelling units.
City of Arden Hills
City Council Meeting for March 8, 2010
IlMetro-inet.uslardenhillsIPlanningIDepartment Records I Quarterly&Year End Reports12009102-08-10-2009 Year in Review.doc
Page 3 of 8
A review of the City's shoreland regulations was started in early 2009 and continued into
2010. There was also an application by a petitioner to amend the City's Zoning Code to
allow additional antennas on existing non-conforming communications towers and to
allow new antennas at a height in excess of 75 feet. This application is still pending.
Site Plan Reviews
There were a total of three site plan reviews during 2009, two were approved and one
was pending at the end of the year. One of the site plan reviews was for Phase II of
Northwestern College's Master Plan to construct a student life center and campus green.
Permits have been issued and that project is underway. The second site plan review was
to allow the businesses at Arden Plaza to place temporary signage along the driveway
entrance from County Road E. The businesses in Arden Plaza have since set up a
schedule for the use of that space. The third site plan review was still pending at the end
of 2009 and is for Mounds View High School to install a foul ball netting system as part
of their ball field project.
Variances
Of the five variances brought before the City in 2009, four were approved, and one was
still pending at the end of the year. Three of the approved variances were residential in _
nature. One dealt with an expansion of a non-conforming home that had burned down,
one was for the construction of a detached garage in the front yard of a shoreland lot, and
the third was for setback encroachments for the construction of an addition. The fourth
variance request that was approved was for a height variance at Northwestern College for
the new student commons building. A fifth variance request for encroachments to side
and rear setbacks on a lake shore lot for the construction of a new home were still
pending.
Rezoning and Comprehensive Plan Amendment
One rezoning request for the Arden Village workforce housing proposal was received by
the City in 2009 and continued into 2010. The applicant is requesting that the lot be re-
platted into two parcels; one of the parcels would remain within the I-1 industrial district,
while the other would be rezoned to R-4 to allow for multiple family housing. This
application also requires a comprehensive plan amendment to change the future land use
designation of the lot from Utility to Multiple Family.
City of Arden Hills
City Council Meeting for March 8, 2010 -
IlMetro-inet.uslardenhillslPlanninglDepartment Records I Quarterly&Year End Reports12009102-08-10-2009 Year in Review.doc
Page 4of8
Other
The City reviewed a concept plan for the Arden Plaza redevelopment prior to the
submission of the PUD Master Plan application. The City also approved a lease
agreement with TTM to place equipment adjacent to the City's water tower on Red Fox
Road. Finally, the City Council denied an appeal of the fence permit that was issued for
1777 Glenview Avenue. The Council found that the fence met the requirements of the
Code and staff had not erred in the decision.
Project Review
In addition to the daily planning and zoning activities, the City worked on the following
notable projects in 2009:
Comprehensive Plan
After two years of work and multiple community meetings, the City adopted the 2030
Comprehensive Plan in September. This long-range plan guides the City on land use,
transportation, utilities, and a variety of other topics. The complete Plan is available
online at www.ci.arden-hills.mn.us/compplan. State Statutes require cities in the
metropolitan area to update their Comprehensive Plans every ten years, and the next Plan
adoption will likely occur in 2019.
Rental Registration
The rental registration program for residential buildings with four or fewer dwelling units
was enacted in June. Through the end of 2009, 72 rental registrations were issued. Since
this was the year of the program, it is anticipated that additional properties will register as
more rental properties are identified.
Former Public Works Building Demolition
In November, the former public works building at 1450 West Highway was demolished.
The building was dilapidated and becoming a nuisance. The planning process to create a
reuse plan for the former City Hall/Public Works site was on hold for 2009, but the
removal of the building will likely aid the future reuse of the site.
City of Arden Hills
City Council Meeting for March 8, 2010
IlMetro-inet.uslardenhillslPlanninglDepartment Records l Quarterly&Year End Reports12009102-08-10-2009 Year in Review.doc
Page 5 of 8
City Hall Repairs
The remaining repairs to the City Hall building were completed in the summer of 2009.
This concluded a multi-year effort to resolve issues related to the construction of the
building.
Franchise Agreements
The City approved new 20 year franchise agreements with Xcel Energy for natural gas
and electric services in November. The franchise agreements regulate the use of the
right-of-way and public property for these utilities.
Code Compliance Policy
In May 2009, the City adopted a streamlined code compliance policy in an effort to
resolve code violations in a more expedited manner.
Residential Curbside Recycling Contract Renegotiation
In the first part of 2009, the market prices for recycling materials dramatically declined,
which eliminated revenue share for much of 2009. The recycling program is a self-
funding enterprise fund that relies on the revenue share, the SCORE grant from Ramsey
County, and an annual recycling fee from participating households to cover the full cost
of the program. The City's contract with Eureka Recycling includes a provision that
entitles the City to a portion of Eureka's revenue when there is a profit on the collected
materials. Eureka Recycling and the City also negotiated a contract amendment to
address a disagreement in the provisions related to revenue share and processing fees in
the first half of 2009.
Due to the changes in the revenue share, the potential shortfall in the recycling budget
et
was estimated to be between $10,000 and $20,000 last June. The shortfall would depend
on the results of the revenue share in the remaining part of 2009. While the audit for the
2009 budget was not complete in time for this report, the estimated recycling budget
shortfall for 2009 was approximately $9,600. The recycling fund balance is expected to
fully cover the shortfall. Due to continued weakness in the recycling market, the 2010
budget does not anticipate much revenue share. The annual fees were adjusted in 2010 to
help ensure a balanced budget.
City of Arden Hills
City Council Meeting for March 8, 2010
IlMetro-inet.uslardenhillslPlanninglDepartment Records l Quarterly&Year End Reports 12 009102-08-10-2009 Year in Review.doc
Page 6 of 8
Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant(TCAAP)
Although the developer for the TCAAP property withdrew in May, the City continued
discussions on the future of the TCAAP property. As 2009 came to a close, the City was
working with Ramsey County to secure a portion of the TCAAP property for trail
corridors. The City also started a review of the zoning regulations for the TCAAP
property. This project will continue past 2009.
Permits and Inspections-
There were 456 building permits along with 705 plumbing, water, sewer, mechanical, electrical,
fire, zoning, and sign permits for a total 1,161 permits issued in 2009. Four new homes were
constructed with a combined value of$1,677,000. The total value of all building permits was
$27,949,452. The total of all fees collected was $343,996.
A comparison from one year to the next is difficult because it is not uncommon for a fee to be
paid in on year but the bulk of the inspections to occur in the following year. For example, the
permit fees for the Student Life Commons at Northwestern College were paid in 2009 but the
project will not be finished until 2011. However, there were 1,224 permits issued in 2008 with a
total value of$11,1855000. In 2007, there were 1,361 permits with a total value of$40,964,131.
Notable Commercial Construction:
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... .........................................::.............................................................................:.................................................................................:.::................................................................:...:Pao:..�: . ........................................:..�::::::::::::::.�.:....:....... ............................................:.:::::::::.
3900 Bethel Drive : Bethel University General Remodels r
w....�....._..._w.. v.�x..................w_.._.._..,......_...-._...._... 1,3 73,118
4100 Hamllne Avenue Boston Scientific General Remodels
f.
$2,176,182
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4001 Lexington Land-O-Lakes General Remodels $42,000
......................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................... .
.......................................................................................................................`...f......................................................................................................
3003 Snelling Ave _ Northwestern College Addition $14,515,271
1411 Paul Kirkwold Dr Co.
. Ramsey Sheriffs Addition
: 1
> >
; 400000
.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
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2 Pine Tree Dr Country Insurance Remodel $.1...............706............---------
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t 26,
4354 Round Lake Rd Gahlil Medical
Remodel $137,500
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1120 Red Fox Rd Roberts Development Remodel $1 00
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97 5
............................................
2071 Gateway Blvd 1 Split Rock Studio _ Remodel r $375,000
4 Pine Tree Dr Hunter's Park Condo Repair/maintenance $6 8 5 5 5 8
Due to the decline in the construction industry, staff anticipated a decrease in revenues
for 2009; however, revenues exceeded the budget by an estimated $101,000; largely due
g Y
to the Northwestern College project.
City of Arden Hills
City Council Meeting for March 8, 2010
IlMetro-inet.uslardenhillslPlanninglDepartment Records I Quarterly&Year End Reports12009102-08-10-2009 Year in Review.doc
Page 7of8
As of January 1, they were 710 open construction permits (347 building, 128 electrical,
82 mechanical, 48 plumbing, 47 fire, 29 zoning, 11 sign, and four sewer). Of the open
permits, 647 were less than two years old and are considered active. Nine of the open
permits are greater than four years old and are also considered active projects. None of
the remaining open permits are classified as life or safety issues. It is difficult to compare
permits from year to year because the amount of work and timeframe for each permit can
vary. However, there were 741 open permits at the end of 2009, 583 of which were less
than two years old. At the end of 2007 there were 1,320 open permits.
Code Enforcement
There were a total of 329 code enforcement cases in 2009. Of that total, 311 cases were
completed and closed, leaving 18 pending cases. The majority of the pending cases were for
unpermitted work and situations that still require monitoring. A total of twelve citations were
issued by City Staff in 2009. In 2008, there were 491 code enforcement cases involving 509
issues.
With 95 complaints, the majority of complaints in 2009 were from sign in the right-of-way,
which represented nearly a third of complaints for the year. City staff received 66 complaints
regarding the parking of vehicles, and 28 complaints involving recreational parking. There were
25 complaints of plant growth in excess of eight inches (mowing of lawns), and two abatement
processes were initiated but were not needed because the property owner ultimately complied
with the ordinance. There were 15 complaints of work without a permit, 15 regarding the
accumulation of branches, and 13 complaints involving the placement of refuse containers.
There were 11 complaints regarding issues with dogs, seven complaints about the storage of
materials and equipment, and seven concerns of obstruction in the clear vision area at
intersections. There were six complaints regarding parking in snow, six zoning violations, and
five complaints of unlicensed peddlers. The remaining complaints cover a miscellaneous
number of uncommon code enforcement issues.
City of Arden Hills
City Council Meeting for March 8, 2010
IlMetro-inet.uslardenhillslPlanninglDepartment Records I Quarterly&Year End Reports 12009102-08-10-2009 Year in Review.doc
Page 8of8