HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-P&DB-1996-03-18 City 6"/X
PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
March 18, 1996
Regular Meeting, 7:30 p.m.,Common Council Chambers
MINUTES
Present:
Committee Members: Susan Blumenthal,Chair, Rick Gray; Tom Hanna; John Johnson;
Jane Marcham.
Non-Voting Committee Member: Mayor Alan J. Cohen.
Other Council Members: Pam Mackesey; Roey Thorpe.
Staff: H. Matthys Van Cort,Director of Planning and Development; Mariette
Geldenhuys,City Attorney;Rick Eckstrom,Building Commissioner, Leslie Chatterton,
Planning Department.
Others: Tim Allen;Lance Barr;Guy Gerard;Carol Reeves;Martin Shapiro; Cynthia
Yahn; and Lou Withiam,President;Marilyn Kroner,Director, Frank Liguori,from the
Senior Citizens Center.
• Public Comment on Any Planning Issues.
Lance Barr addressed the Committee regarding the proposed Cliff Street parking
lot.
L Exterior Property Maintenance Ordinance.
The Committee engaged in a long discussion of the proposed Exterior Property
Maintenance Ordinance. The items discussed included the following: compost,
public view,scavenging(recycling of furniture,etc.),planting of annuals and
perennials in the curb lawn,severability,the elimination of the words
"unattractive"and"neat"from the declaration of purpose in the ordinance,
landlord/tenant responsibilities,the definition of outside furniture, storage of
garbage bags on porches,the level of fines,the storage of trash cans on porches,
junk cars,construction and demolition debris,length of lawns and a sunset clause
in the ordinance.
The City Attorney will make a ruling on whether the changes introduced into the
legislation are substantive or not.
Planning and Economic Development Committee Minutes
March 18, 1996 Meeting 2
The items which remained unresolved at the end of this discussion were the
definition of public view,resolution of the question of informal scavenging and the
definition of outside furniture. These items would be discussed at the Committee
of the Whole on March 27.
IL Viewshed Overlay Zone.
Blumenthal explained the proposed amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to protect
the view from Buttermilk Falls Park. She mentioned that there was a strong
possibility that there would be a petition in opposition of such a zoning change if
the City passed it. This petition would require a super majority of eight votes to
amend the zoning. Blumenthal said she was opposed to the proposal for several
reasons, among them that the city should be working on items that will advance
the economic development of the city in positive directions and/or initiatives that
will bring people together,for example,through the economic development plan -
effort.
Mackesey said she was in favor of the proposal and asked that it be advanced for
action. Gray said he felt that discussing the proposal would resolve a lot of
unresolved issues which remain from the Wal-Mart controversy. Johnson asked
whether a viewshed zone was the best way to determine the future use of the
former Wal-Mart site. Hanna asked if there were any compelling reasons to take
such an action at this time.
Mayor Cohen said he wanted the City to compensate landowners if a viewshed
ordinance is passed He noted that there were gas tanks in the viewshed from the
park and that it was not visible from the park for much of the year. He noted that
there would probably be a petition. Attorney Geldenhuys said that the proposed
zone might be construed a taking by the courts and that it might be seen as spot
zoning.
Hanna suggested that if the City wanted to do a viewshed ordinance it should
consider all the important views in the City.
Gray moved that the viewshed ordinance be put on the agenda for action. Johnson
seconded. After further discussion,the vote was Gray in favor, Blumenthal,
Johnson, Hanna and Marcham opposed. Motion failed.
M. Planning Staff Reports.
Leslie Chatterton's report was postponed because of the lateness of the hour.
IV. Cliff Street Parking.
Van Cort explained that there were two different sites under consideration. One
was a lot at 701-705 Cliff Street; the other was a lot at 705-711 Cliff Street. The
Planning and Economic Development Committee Minutes
March 18, 1996 Meeting 3
705-711 lot would involve the filling of a small gorge lying between these two
properties.
Van Cort explained the history of the proposal to construct a parking lot on Cliff
Street which would also provide for a walking path between Cliff Street and Cass
Park. The proposal is contingent on using free fill from the Route 96 job. The
purchase of an adequate amount of fill for this site plan would cost between
$100,000 and$150,000.
Van Cort said that George Frantz would have been at the Committee meeting,but
his father died unexpectedly on Friday. The Committee directed that a condolence
card be sent to Mr. Frantz. The Mayor requested that he also sign it.
Mackesey said she has talked to many people on the street and that a majority of
the people she spoke to were in favor of the lot and the path. Most of them
wanted the lot to be bigger.
Lance Barr said the fill would be very large and visible. He suggested that the
Council members look at the Kolar Machine fill to get an idea of how the proposed
fill would look. Van Cort concurred saying that probably the best examples of
such fill are the fill for the Kolar Machine and for the former offices of the
orthopedic surgeons on Cliff Street.
Carol Reeves, speaking for the BPW,said that the BPW had the following
reservations. They are concerned about the use of public funds for what will
essentially be a lot used primarily for private residences on Cliff Street. She said
the Engineering Division had no time to devote to the project and that the lot and
path will entail some cost for maintenance.
Van Cort said he had spoke about maintenance with Superintendent Gray who
estimated that it would take approximately half an hour for two people to clear
snow from the sidewalk in front of the parking lot and the parking lot.
Guy Gerard asked how large the visible impact would be and how many trees
would be taken from the site.
Van Cort said he felt it would be advisable to stay with the original proposal at
701-705 Cliff Street because it seemed more feasible.
V. Parking Lot Control Equipment.
Carol Reeves read a letter from Bill Gray regarding the proposed new parking lot
control equipment. The project is being prepared for bid but is on hold because of
staffing problems in the Engineering Division.
ti
Planning and Economic Development Committee Minutes
March 18, 1996 Meeting 4
VL Zoning Amendment to add Public and Quasi-Public Social Service Agencies
to the List of Permitted Uses in B-1 Zones.
Frank Liguori spoke for the Senior Citizens Center. He said they were interested
in buying the former OB/GYN site as a new home for the Senior Citizens Center.
Liguori said that the City's Zoning Ordinance does not have a provision for public
and quasi-public social service agencies. Van Cort agreed that this was an
omission in the ordinance and said that an amendment to the ordinance would be
the best way to remedy this situation.
The following schedule was suggested. Proposed amendment and environmental
review prepared for the April Planning Committee meeting. Common Council
would act on calling a public hearing at its May meeting. At the June Common
Council meeting,there would be a public hearing and action on the amendment. It
was noted this was an optimum schedule. The Committee directed staff to prepare
the appropriate paperwork.
VII. Economic Development Plan.
Blumenthal said that the discussion on this item would be limited because of the
time spent on the viewshed overlay zone and the Exterior Property Maintenance
Ordinance. She gave a brief outline of the process and substance of a economic
development plan which would be undertaken by the Department of Planning and
Development later this year.
Blumenthal suggested that the Economic Development Plan should include an
assessment of the City's position today. She said it would not be a study
containing reams of statistics regarding the community but rather be similar to a
strategic planning model,identifying opportunities and items for action in the near
future. She said the plan would be community-based and participatory.
A brief discussion followed. Hanna suggested that standards be put in the report
which would allow the City to evaluate whether its recommendations have been
useful. Marcham said the City should not stop its economic development efforts
during the preparation of the plan. Blumenthal said the plan would contain
short-term, medium-term and long-term recommendations. Mayor Cohen said that
the plan should contain some form of bench marking.
VIII. Inlet Island/Cass Park Conversion.
Doug Foster explained that the environmental review for the conversion has been
completed. An LEAF has been prepared. Staff is recommending a negative
declaration for this action.
Johnson moved and Gray seconded that a negative declaration be prepared and
that this resolution be brought to the Committee of the Whole and the Common
Council at its April meeting.
Planning and Economic Development Committee Minutes
March 18, 1996 Meeting 5
IX. Executive Session.
The Committee moved into Executive Session.