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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-26-10-TCAAP WS .,�ARZENHILLS Approved: May 24, 2010 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL TCAAP WORK SESSION MEETING APRIL 26,2010 6:00 P.M. -ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER./ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor Pro-Tem Fran Holmes called to order the City Council TCAAP Work Session meeting at 6:02 p.m. Present: Mayor Pro-Tem Fran Holmes, David Grant, Brenda Holden, and Dave McClung. Absent: Mayor Stan Harpstead and Brenda Holden. Also present: Acting City Administrator/Finance Director, Susan Iverson; Community Development Director, James Lehnhoff; City Planner I, Meagan Beekman; and Susan Reece, Cunningham Group. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember McClung seconded a motion to approve the meeting agenda as presented. The motion carried unanimously(3-0). L COUNCIL COMMENTS AND REQUESTS Councilmember Grant asked if the City was watching the construction of the Safe Routes to School project. Community Development Director Lehnhoff noted staff visited the site and meetings were held with Kris Giga. Councilmember Grant requested staff report back on how frequent these meetings were held with City staff. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL TCAAP.WORK SESSION--APRIL 26, 2010 2 2. AGENDA ITEMS A. TCAAP Zoning Project Community Development Director Lehnhoff presented the City Council with the most recent information on the TCAAP zoning regulations. He explained that Susan Reece was present from The Cunningham Group to review the land use chart. Ms. Reece would be attending a Planning Commission meeting next week for the City. Mayor Pro-Tem Holmes explained Councilmember Holden had presented staff with her comments prior to the meeting. Susan Reece, The Cunningham Group introduced herself to the Council explaining her group submitted a proposal to the City to assist with the refinement of the TCAAP zoning. The Cunningham Group is an architectural, interior design and urban planning firm based in Minneapolis. Ms. Reece explained she was in the urban design area of the company. Community Development Director Lehnhoff noted staff is aware Council would like to use 1,500 housing units on TCAAP with 70% being non-multifamily (1,050 single family units), with 450 condominiums/apartments and cooperative units. Community Development Director Lehnhoff then reviewed the land use chart with the Council. He explained where the tax-exempt properties would be located and how the financial structure would operate. Staff was asked if the City could limit or not allow TIF on the site. Ms. Reece responded to this question by explaining zoning was not the appropriate tool to regulate ownership. Zoning laws and statutes allow governments to regulate land use and development, but does not regulate for-profit versus non-profit. State Statute defines which organizations or properties are non-profit and relief has to be given by the City for these organizations, such as schools, hospitals, churches, etc. Ms. Reece indicated the City could regulate the type of uses that would most likely be non-profits and those would be institutional uses. The land use chart tentatively shows a house of worship, school, or nursing home all as conditional uses. Community Development Director Lehnhoff explained there was federal legislation related to religious land uses. The property has to be treated as other institutional uses would be treated. Councilmember McClung asked how the City could keep these types of institutions from becoming a large draw on public services. Ms. Reece stated these could become conditional uses, so long as they were not required to be for-profit uses. She indicated the City could limit institutional uses from the zoning code and not allow boarding houses, houses of worship, nursing homes/assisted living, schools, general education, higher education, special education, and theaters. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL TCAAP WORK SESSION—APRIL 26.2010 3 2.A TCAAP Zoning Project(continued) Discussion ensued regarding the function and purpose of a theater. It was decided the City could keep a theater use within allowed uses for the time being. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated the developer may apply for public assistance and or sell a portion of the property to someone that may want to redevelop a portion into a TIF district. Councilmember Grant asked for clarification on the multiple use operation. Community Development Director Lehnhoff noted this was referring to multiple occupancy building and was defined in the code to a building containing two or more independent businesses with or without separate exterior entrances. He explained something similar to Shannon Square would be categorized as multiple use operation. Ms. Reece indicated the multiple use operation would allow for a multiple of uses so long as the use was already permitted in the district. Mayor Pro-Tem Holmes asked if staff was looking for direction on non-profit uses on TCAAP. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated he understands several members from Council were absent this evening but a general direction from Council would be appreciated. He explained that from past discussions the Council was in favor of a nursing home on the site. Councilmember McClung indicated the Council would need to discuss how big of a risk this would be to the development before making a final decision. Community Development Director Lehnhoff agreed stating this was a big issue and Council could continue to provide feedback to staff. Mayor Pro-Tem Holmes explained the main worry was churches or a hospital. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated there was a moratorium on hospitals state- wide. He directed the Council to the land use chart and asked for further questions from the Council. Mayor Pro-Tem Holmes asked how the City could control parking lots, car dealerships and trucking companies. Community Development Director Lehnhoff explained car dealerships were not allowed anywhere in the City. A trucking terminal wouldn't fit within the current business definitions for the TCAAP site but would fit around Round Lake Road. Mayor Pro-Tem Holmes questioned the reasoning behind the land use chart and how it differed from the prohibited use list. AR.DEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL TCAAP WORK SESSION—APRIL 26, 2010 4 2.A TCAAP Zoning Project(continued) Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated this is where the City decides what is and is not permitted on the TCAAP site. He explained the prohibited uses further clarified what was not allowed within the TCAAP development specifically. Councilmember McClung noted retail would be allowed within TCAAP but there are several types of retail that the City has decided were not permitted uses and were on the prohibited list. Councilmember Grant asked how the City would control indoor commercial recreational uses. Community Development Director Lehnhoff explained this item would need to be further addressed in the code. Additional language could be added for a stadium or large sports venue as well. He recommended the purpose statement speak of the City's willingness to be flexible and encourage creative design discussions. Councilmember Grant encouraged the Council to have a discussion centered on the stadium to keep the City's options open in this area. Councilmember McClung questioned if a stadium would fit into the current comprehensive plan. Community Development Director Lehnhoff explained it probably did not fit at this time. The stadium would require an adjustment to the mixed business boundaries. He stated the flexibility offered within the zoning regulation would allow and encourage the City to work with the developer to regionally benefit the area through the development. Councilmember McClung indicated he would prefer to leave some flexibility within the zoning code for a stadium or other possibilities. He explained that if the stadium meant altering the _ comprehensive plan, the zoning code could be altered at the same time. Mayor Pro-Tem Holmes wanted to be assured that the racetrack venue was not also considered a stadium within the new language. Community Development Director Lehnhoff explained this could be excluded as it was not supported within the comprehensive plan. The uses could be defined separately. Councilmember Grant encouraged the language to read that the city was interested in a regional significance with the development. Councilmember McClung indicated the statement of purpose at this time was on Pages 3 and 4 which is where the regional significant language could be added to allow greater flexibility. Community Development Director Lehnhoff agreed this would be location. He asked if the Council was in favor of limiting the office showroom. Councilmember Holden requested this be limited to 20%. Staff suggested this be limited to 24%. ARDEN HILLS_CITY COUNCIL TCAAP WORK SESSION—APRIL 26 2010 5 2.A TCAAP Zoning Project(continued) Councilmember McClung indicated he may be in favor of setting this limit even lower than 20%. Mayor Pro-Tem and Councilmember Grant were in agreement, stating 15% would be sufficient. Community Development Director Lehnhoff explained another area that needed additional comment from Council was the commercial building height. He asked if the Council was still in agreement with the 60 foot height limit and how staff should define the economic benefit. He added that a building over 60 feet would also need to meet three of the building design standards in the environmental sustainability section within the code. Mayor Pro-Tem Holmes questioned if the 60 foot height limit should be restricted to business/office buildings. Community Development Director Lehnhoff indicated this would apply to any user within a mixed business district if they wanted to go higher than 60 feet. He then asked if the Council had any additional comments on the TCAAP property entrance designs. When previously discussed, the Council was in favor of a gateway sign with enhanced landscaping with trees, flowers, plants, etc. Councilmember McClung stated he would like to encourage a higher quality building development along the main entrance corridors. Mayor Pro-Tem Holmes indicated she would be in favor of enhanced design standards as well and requested that"enhanced"be greater defined within the code. Community Development Director Lehnhoff asked if the Council was in favor of the Central Park having water land area. This could be a storm water pond, but did not want to see it greater than 50%of the area. Councilmember McClung indicated he would be concerned that some water remain, and that the area not a dried out pond. Community Development Director Lehnhoff explained the zoning code suggests that at least four parks of at least four acres would be developed on the site. Staff reduced this to two acres and would not reduce the overall park land within the development. Councilmember McClung was in favor with this change. Community Development Director Lehnhoff noted Councilmember Holden requested that language be included stating the developer will dedicate for the 150 foot wide corridor. The other issue was under environmental sustainability, having a minimum requirement of features for each building. He explained staff was addressing the subdivision component within the code with a flow chart or timeline, showing the process that would be followed for concept PUD to final PUD. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL TCAAP WORK SESSION—APRIL 26,2010 6 ADJOURN Mayor Pro-Tem Holmes adjourned the City Council TCAAP Work Session meeting at 6:58 p.m. W Susan K. Iverson Fran Holmes Acting City Administrator Mayor Pro-Tem