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Planning Commission_ Meeting Minutes - 05-28-2024 (SIGNED) CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, May 28, 2024 – 6 p.m. | City Hall Council Chamber 7800 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 1. CALL TO ORDER • Vice-Chair Cohen called the meeting to order at 6:04 p.m. & read the Land Acknowledgement a. Regular Members Present: Barnstorff, Brookins, Cohen, Segelbaum, Van Oss b. Regular Members Absent: Ruby, Sicotte c. Student Member, Status: Benjamin Fricke, Absent d. Staff Members Present: Darren Groth, Assistant Community Development Director Kendra Lindahl, City Planning Consultant e. Council Liaison Present: Councilmember Denise La Mere-Anderson 2. CONSENT AGENDA: Brookins motioned to approve the consent agenda, with two minor changes to the May 13, 2024, meeting minutes. Barnstorff seconded. Commission voted 5-0 to approve. • Vice-Chair Cohen noted that new member Van Oss was not present at the last meeting to be sworn in as a commissioner. Groth swore in Commissioner Van Oss and Van Oss gave a brief introduction of himself. 3. PUBLIC HEARINGS: CULVER’S CUP a. Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to add a second drive-through lane to the existing Culver’s restaurant in the Commercial zoning district (Section 113-92) b. Applicant: Ben Sparks, Sweet Cream Properties Golden Valley, LLC c. Location: 8845 7th Avenue N At 6:09 p.m., Lindahl started the presentation to share the details and summarize the staff report of the request. She noted that the property is zoned Commercial (C) and would have changes in the northeast corner of the site to accommodate the proposed change of adding a second drive- through lane. Lindahl also shared two staff recommendations for conditions of approval. The first is that the sidewalk should be extended to connect the building to the trash enclosure with a pedestrian ramp for employees to safely access the trash enclosure. The second is that the applicant should be required to submit a plan detailing sign placements, designs, and specifications, ensuring they meet all city code requirements. Lindahl further stated that the CUP standards in the zoning ordinance have been met. Commissioner Segelbaum asked about the site parking figures, traffic flow, and why the staff requested a sign plan, but not any other types of plans such as a lighting plan. Lindahl noted that the applicant volunteered to keep the 58 parking stalls and the sign plan was requested because of the newly proposed sign for the drive through lane and no additional changes to the existing site plan, such as lighting was proposed. CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, May 28, 2024 – 6 p.m. | City Hall Council Chamber 7800 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 At 6:14 p.m., Ben Sparks, applicant, spoke in favor of the request and asked for the commission’s approval. Sparks introduced his agent working on the project, Rachel Vogl. Vogl responded to Commissioner Segelbaum’s questions by noting that the queuing and stacking issues at the site should be a wash because while they were losing four parking spaces, the additional drive through lane would add four more queuing spaces. Commissioner Segelbaum asked about continuing the two lanes for a longer distance south and Vogl responded that they did not want to lose any more parking. Commissioner Segelbaum asked if the 58 parking spaces was limiting to their business. Vogl stated that the 58 spaces were the City’s standard parking figure and Culver’s desired parking number. Commissioner Cohen mentioned that he ate at this restaurant often and while he thought he may need to recuse himself, he just wanted to ask about the lunch and weekend rush times and if the second lane was for peak hours. Sparks noted that the flow adds capacity and should work for all times and not just lunch. Sparks stated that the lunch and dinner orders are typically different types of orders, and each posed a unique challenge. Commissioner Segelbaum asked if Culver’s see a lot of Door Dash orders and Sparks responded that they do, but they also offer walk out service so people can avoid the drive through queue. Commissioner Barnstorff asked if the proposal considered the environmental impacts regarding additional cars idling, such as increased emissions and noise, and whether adding a lane solves the problem or induces demand. Sparks noted that the company wants people to dine in their restaurants because that is the best way to experience the freshness and cleanliness of Culver’s. He noted that they resisted Door Dash for years because of Culver’s model, but they were losing money due to long lines. Commissioner Barnstorff asked if the current use of iPads was helping. Sparks noted that anecdotally he has heard people say it helps, but his restaurant statistics do not show any difference. Commissioner Segelbaum asked if the queue is forming in front of parking spaces. Sparks noted that they do, and it is a problem now, but they feel that adding the second lane will allow them to utilize those spaces again. Commissioner Segelbaum asked how this change will impact vehicles visiting the site from Decatur Avenue. Vogl shared that the Decatur traffic has a choice and can make various decisions on how they use the parking lot and that most of the traffic comes from 7th Avenue. Commissioner Segelbaum asked if the sidewalk staff requested would also get blocked from the queue and Vogl stated that it should not. Commissioner Segelbaum indicated that he was confused by the configuration and asked how Culver’s currently handles the driving space at the southeast corner of the lot. Vogl noted that the south side parking will remain with the entry spot still a bypass. Commissioner Segelbaum asked then where the queue went. Sparks shared that the majority of traffic comes from 7th. Commissioner Segelbaum asked if they thought about signs for the 7th Avenue entrance to be enter only and Sparks responded that while they had not thought about that, they could if traffic becomes a problem. Commissioner Segelbaum asked for more information regarding the sidewalk and how it connects to the trash. Lindahl clarified that no issue has been raised about the street traffic and that the proposal eliminates two points of conflict. Commissioner Segelbaum asked if the proposal was for a sidewalk or crosswalk to avoid staff as pedestrians having to walk through the drive through lanes. Lindahl indicated either could work. Lindahl asked to respond to a previous question and claimed that the double drive lanes would mean less time idling. Vogl agreed. Sparks agreed by saying that while the times would not be changing much, this proposal is intended to move cars more quickly through the process of ordering and getting their food. Commissioner Segelbaum asked if a sidewalk were installed, would traffic from the north have to drive over the sidewalk. Lindahl clarified that the sidewalk is only requested to the curbline. Commissioner Segelbaum asked if she proposed the sidewalk to extend CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, May 28, 2024 – 6 p.m. | City Hall Council Chamber 7800 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 to the trash and Lindahl responded that is not proposed. Commissioner Brookins noted that the sidewalk as proposed by the applicant ends at a catch basin and Vogl noted that is their design. Commissioner Brookins asked hos staff currently takes out the trash. Sparks stated that they go in a straight line from the door to the trash and not typically down the sidewalk. Commissioner Van Oss asked if Culver’s has any issues with this way of taking out the trash. Sparks responded none. Commissioner Brookins asked if the drive through light is being relocated and Vogl noted how it is planned to stay on the island. At 6:44 p.m., Vice-Chair Cohen opened the public hearing. There were no audience members present to speak. At 6:44 p.m., Vice-Chair Cohen closed the public hearing. At 6:45 p.m., Commissioner Brookins made a motion to recommend approval of the request in accordance with the findings and conclusion in staff report submitted by Lindahl with the removal of the condition to extend the sidewalk. Commissioner Segelbaum seconded the motion. The Commission voted unanimously to approve the motion. 4. NO NEW BUSINESS 5. COUNCIL LIASION REPORT At 6:48 p.m., Councilmember La Mere-Anderson noted that she had a lot of updates and events to share. She shared the following updates: 1. New Commissioner Orientation was rescheduled to June 6, 2024, and commissioners needed to register by June 2. 2. The Golden Valley Pride Festival will be Saturday, June 8, 2024 at Brookview Park. 3. An upcoming discussion regarding Building & Retaining An Equitable City Workforce & Supplier Pool will be held on Thursday, June 13 from 6:30–8 p.m. at Brookview Golden Valley, Bassett Creek Room North. 4. Market in the Valley open this summer on June 16. 5. City Council passed a proclamation recognizing June as Pride Month. 6. May 19-25 was Public Works week. 7. The last City Council meeting included a public hearing for an application to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) for job creation by Baxter Health Care, which was a CUP previously heard by the commission. 8. The City’s Pavement Management Plan (PMP) is mostly complete and her neighborhood near Zane Avenue and Lindsey Street will begin construction soon. 9. Highway 55 West will be closed at Hwy 169 to Revere on May 28 and closed for two weeks with traffic detoured onto Hwy 169 S to I-394. 10. The City is working on water mains around Duluth Lane to replace hydrants and valves through August, but no road closures are anticipated. 6. STAFF COMMENTS Groth informed the commission that a joint meeting will be scheduled with City Council on June 11, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss User Experience Framework, which is commonly referred to as the Downtown Golden Valley Streetscape and Wayfinding. CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, May 28, 2024 – 6 p.m. | City Hall Council Chamber 7800 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 7. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS Commissioner Cohen mentioned that the next meeting is June 10 at 6:30 p.m. He also shared that Chair Ruby, Vice-Chair Cohen, and staff liaison Groth meet to discuss upcoming agendas. Commissioner Segelbaum asked about the July BZA meeting and Groth indicated that he will email commissioners a copy of the remaining 2024 schedule. 8. ADJOURNMENT: Vice-Chair Cohen adjourned the meeting at 6:54 p.m. Approved by: Atest By: Commission Secretary Darren Groth, AICP, CPM Community Development Asst. Director 2024.07.19