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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.