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PC_ Meeting Minutes - 07-08-2024 CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 8, 2024 – 6:30 p.m. | City Hall Council Chamber 7800 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 1. CALL TO ORDER AND LAND ACKNOWLEGMENT • Chair Ruby called the meeting to order at 6:32 p.m. & read the Land Acknowledgement a. Regular Members Present: Barnstorff, Brookins, Ruby, Sicotte, Van Oss b. Regular Members Absent: Cohen, Segelbaum c. Student Member, Status: Vacant d. Staff Members Present: Kendra Lindahl, City Planning Consultant e. Council Liaison Absent: Councilmember Sophia Ginis 2. CONSENT AGENDA: Brookins moved to approve. Motioned seconded, carried 4-0. 3. INFORMAL PUBLIC HEARINGS: PUD AMENDEMENT • Applicant: Lisa R. and Mark Leutem Investment LLC • Location: Bassett Creek Medical Buildings at 5851 Duluth St Staff Presents: The applicant of the Bassett Creek Medical Buildings at 5851 Duluth St. requests an amendment to the PUD to add Assisted Living as a permitted use in the PUD for the property at 5851 Duluth St and remodel of 3,184 square feet office space into a new Assisted Living space. Under the terms of the city code the application is considered a Major PUD. The zoning district is (O) Office/PUD1-A, to the north are offices, to the south are natural areas, and to the west are single family residential buildings. The M zoning used in 1972 was eliminated and the zone became Office. The request adds nine units immediately; a future expansion option is presented in the packet. The code does not define assisted living, so staff are using six standards to be met to grant request of Major PUD Amendment. Brookins asked if there will be changes to the outside. Lindahl stated no exterior changes are proposed. Chair Ruby asks with added housing units what would remain as office space. Lindahl answers 25 percent would be for assisted living. Brookins asked the reason only 25 percent of the building is being used for this new purpose. Lindahl clarified this amount was requested by applicant and that those are the parameters in which staff analyzed the request. Barnstorff asked what zoning assisted living is for the City of Golden Valley. Lindahl mentions assisted living is not explicitly mentioned in code, and when not explicitly in the code it is not permitted unless brought to the city for amendment. Brookins asks if all other uses would remain and if this is just an addition. Lindahl clarifies it is an additional use. Staff recommends either: 1. If the commission finds that the standards in the ordinance have been met, they should recommend approval of the PUD amendment based on the findings in the staff report. 2. If the commission finds that the standards in the ordinance have not been met, they should recommend denial of the PUD amendment based on the findings in the staff report. Applicant is invited to Speak: Mark Leutem: 4645 Vinewood Lane Leutem states they intend to keep the medical use of the building, and the rest of the buildings use are all medical as well. They will have the tenant be certified by the state, as of now inspection and sewer have been done on the building. Sicotte asks about emergency vehicle access to the building; applicant explains they would have access at any time and there is adequate access to the interior of the building. CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 8, 2024 – 6:30 p.m. | City Hall Council Chamber 7800 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 Public Hearing Opened Brian Sibo: 1860 Adair Avenue North Opposes changes because of the function and operation of the building having previously been Monday through Friday. Has concerns that during the winter cars going into the parking lot would be cause lights to frequently shine into his property. Karrie West berg: 1880 Adair Avenue North Has concerns that the building is not adequate for people to live on the property due to electronic devices used in the facility for medical purposes. Believes that dual use could become something else not specified in this change in the future and would best be a single use building. The applicant comes up to respond to concerns. He mentions that this is not the first time being done by the tenants and that the medical equipment is limited and not harmful. The state certifies fitness of property for assisted living. Due to the type of occupants, there will be limited activity outside, limited traffic of cars of the occupants living on the property. Edd Westberg :1880 Adar Avenue Has questions on the structure of the building and ability to house tenants in the building. Lindahl answers that if the PUD is approved, they must go through normal city approval steps, such as sprinklers before they can apply for a building permit which comes after the state looks into the qualifications. Public Hearing Closed Discussion Van Oss understands there could be more traffic and the possibility of working on screening. Barnstorff asks about PUD staying in place for the site. Lindahl mentions this PUD is for the location and others, but this case would not make sense to rezone. Lindahl mentions that there is vegetation and there is screening that offers separation and addressing where specifically light is impacting residents and can be discussed. Van Oss asks why this site is not re-guided. Lindahl answers that the bulk of the building is still office use and that the use is closer to medical/hospital use rather than residential. Brookins comments that they need to look at the space as an assisted living not at the individual people who will occupy it. Lindahl comments that since there is no definition of assisted living, they should use the given definition of the state which means they are high care and thus assume limited use of outdoor space. Chair Ruby comments on switching owners and what that means for the future possible uses of the building with this PUD. Lindahl comments it would be what is explicitly asked for and thus cannot be used for something else like an apartment. Lindahl mentions this lot is part of several locations being changed, however because of the different standards for each building they all have different PUD’s. Barnstorff asks who maintains the trail on the property and access trail to parking lot. Lindahl clarifies that the trail on the North South is owned and maintained by the city. Van Oss would like the city to best define what assisted living means to the city and the residents to best control use of areas and avoid future issues. Brookins mentions past desire from residents in the city to have such property in the area and the benefits it could bring such as having control of lights in the building. Sicotte thinks that the use would be beneficial and possible development on the site, questions access from that property to neighboring businesses. Chair Ruby asks if the applicant will be held to standards for living spaces, Lindahl mentions these types of facilities are looked at more carefully for safety concerns than other factors. Chair Ruby comments feeling favorable to the request and possibly looking at more defined meaning of ‘assisted living’. Brookins mentions ‘assisted living’ and ‘assisted living with dementia’ are defined and licensed differently by the state. Lindahl mentions there is a list of 15 items that do not CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 8, 2024 – 6:30 p.m. | City Hall Council Chamber 7800 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 qualify as assisted living which gives some parameters by the statutes. Barnstorff agrees with the comments and would like to have beneficial changes to the site. Chair Ruby moved to recommend APPROVAL of the PUD, with the following four conditions. 1. Provide pedestrian connections to the city trail from both the north and south sides of the building. 2. Add a pedestrian connection to Duluth Street and maintain the connection year-round. 3. Provide updated snow maintenance plan. 4. Address the building lighting to comply with code standards. Motion seconded by Brookins. Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend approval, per Ruby’s motion. 4. NEW BUSINESS: NONE 5. COUNCIL LIASION REPORT: NONE 6. TRAINING • THE GOLDEN MAP: Heather Hegi, GIS Specialist, walked through the City’s GIS resources. They have focus maps that are specific to certain items such as tennis courts and parks and nature areas that the city maintains. Platting and information of plots and properties as well as permits associated with each location. There are layers where the public can look for things such as trails throughout the city, it also allows to draw and print the maps. 7. STAFF COMMENTS • Lindahl comments on possibly looking for a student representative for the fall term. 8. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS 9. ADJOURNMENT: Chair Ruby adjourned the meeting at 7:48 p.m.