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2025-07-14 MIN PC Regular MeetingCITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 14, 2025 – 6:30 p.m. | City Hall Council Chamber 7800 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 1. CALL TO ORDER AND LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT • Vice Chair Cohen called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. and read the Land Acknowledgement • Regular Members Present: Amy Barnstorff, David Hill, Gary Cohen, Chuck Segelbaum, Martin Sicotte, Eric Van Oss • Regular Members Absent: Mike Ruby • Student Member, Status: Vacant • Staff Members Present: Jacquelyn Kramer, Senior Planner Steven Okey, Associate Planner Sam Berens, Planning Intern • Council Member Present: Sophia Ginis 2. CONSENT AGENDA: 2.A. Approval of Agenda 2.B. Approval of May 28, 2025, meeting minutes 2.C. Approval of June 23, 2025, meeting minutes • Cohen asked if any Commissioners had items on the consent agenda that they wished to speak on. • Segelbaum asked that the meeting minutes from May 28, 2025, on page 8, where it stated that he asked if the HOPE Program is specific to a certain race, have some context added that said in the presentation of the HOPE Program that was given earlier to the Commission, there was mention of it in the project. • Kramer asked that Segelbaum email her the exact wording, and it would be incorporated into the minutes. • Cohen noted that at the end of the discussion on the General Mills property, he had said that if the Council wanted to discuss buckthorn removal, they should hire goats, and he wanted to add context to this as to the reason he said this comment. He suggested goats because they are renowned in this area for being used to control and eat buckthorns. • Cohen asked for a motion to approve • Hill moved • Van Oss seconded • All voted in favor, and the motion passed. 3. PUBLIC HEARINGS: 3.A. Amendment to Conditional Use Permit No. 166 for 145 Jersey Avenue South • Cohen noted that the public hearing process would have a staff presentation about the proposal, then questions from the Commissioners of Staff, the Applicants are asked to come forward and present with questions to follow from Commissioners if they have them, and then the public hearing is opened to the audience with a three-minute time limit to speak. He opened up the presentation to Sam Berens, the Planning Intern. • Berens presented the proposal. • Cohen asked if there were any questions for the Staff. • Sicotte asked if they knew why there was a capacity put on this Applicant in 2019 when the Conditional Use Permit, CUP, was first created. • Berens stated that based on what he read in the original CUP, there was a concern about capacity, because they were at their peak enrollment of 335 at the time, but now this increase would not bring them back up to that peak enrollment. He added that this CUP would CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 14, 2025 – 6:30 p.m. | City Hall Council Chamber 7800 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 eliminate any capacity regulations because it is already governed by the building code and the Minnesota Department of Human Resources, which limits classroom size. • Hill asked how big the current room is, which holds 20 students, and how big the music band room is, which will allow for 60 students. • Good Shepherd Lutheran School Principal, Stephanie Evans, spoke. • Evans stated that the rooms they use now are big enough to be licensed for 20 students by DHS. She noted that they have two rooms right now, because they did not know the CUP requirements, but the music room is even bigger without bathrooms, and it will be used for the older preschool students. She added that they can only do 20 a day based on DHS, not what the fire code is, and based on the size of the room, they could have more students if they had more teachers, but they would cap at 20 per room. • Segelbaum asked if they need to look at and potentially approve a variance on the required parking. He noted that if they were to look at it from a technical standpoint, the number of required stalls would be 290, but there is a reference to the original CUP, citing allowance up to 50 percent reduction for a property, when you are talking about staggered demands. He added that unless this was written into the CUP, a variance would need to be granted in this case. • Berens stated the original CUP called for a leeway to allow up to a 50 percent reduction; right now, the church and school combined have 263 stalls and 16 bicycle parking spaces, the total number of required stalls, based on a capacity of 60 students, would be 290, but the 263 is well within the 50 percent leeway, and Staff is continuing the granting of that leeway. He added that parking won’t change with the increase in the number of students, so there are no new concerns. • Kramer added that there is a section in the parking code that allows this reduction administratively, which is why no formal variance is needed; it is just something that Staff determines and is allowed by code. • Segelbaum asked that if we remove the limit on the number of students, that doesn’t change any requirements that the City has, such as parking, so even with the 50 percent reduction, it doesn’t alleviate any requirements. • Berens stated that parking requirements still stand. • Segelbaum asked if there is a limit on the number of students in the school. He noted that he was on the Commission in 2019 when the first CUP was established, and he did not remember the reason behind some of it. • Berens stated that it is governed by the Department of Human Services and building code, and by amending the CUP, they are taking the City out of being a duplicative regulation. • Segelbaum stated that the CUP mentions a particular use, as well as the number of children under care, so he wondered if there would be any instances where they would be looking at limiting the number of students, such as if traffic would dictate it, or throughput. He added that he would hate to wipe it out completely for all areas when this is being considered, and would like it to be on record as to why it was done. • Kramer noted that because this is a CUP, if they were, for example, going to expand on the building or add a bunch of classrooms, they would take a look at anticipated traffic and parking. She added that in the future, if there were traffic or parking issues, they could come back on an administrative level and require a traffic management plan or require them to change their parking plan. She noted that if the use for the CUP amendment is changed significantly, then that would require a new CUP or another amendment to be done. • Segelbaum noted that he is concerned about the next application that comes up, such as adult care, which wants to increase from 20 to 50, and why it may be relevant to this situation, but not to the situation. CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 14, 2025 – 6:30 p.m. | City Hall Council Chamber 7800 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 • Kramer stated that he is talking about a different site or a different project. • Segelbaum noted that if it is a different project, it may not be ignored, but in this case, it is. He added that he understands that this is because the site supports it in this case. • Kramer noted that it is exactly the reason. • Cohen invited the Applicant to come forward and introduce herself, and present anything she would like, with questions to follow. • Good Shepherd Lutheran School Principal, Stephanie Evans, spoke. • Evans stated that she is happy to answer any questions they may have. She noted that there is a huge demand for the preschool; they receive calls daily, but they don’t want to become a huge program, but they are licensed to serve ages three and up with a ratio of one to ten. She added that to serve more, they would have to add more rooms, but they just finished a building renovation and are not looking to do that now. She stated that they cap classrooms in Kindergarten through 6th grade at 25 per classroom. They are under discernment if they will keep 6th grade or not, because Benilde St. Margaret’s is adding 6th grade, and they are a feeder school for them, so if they did get rid of 6th grade, it would decrease their capacity. She added that she has been asked about signage in the neighborhood, for it to be a school zone, which she is in favor of. She noted that their bell times are not the same as Hopkins Schools, which helps with the bussing, but they will not have bussing next year anyway. • Cohen asked if there were any questions for the Applicant. • Segelbaum asked if the Applicant knew of any instances where there had been queuing of cars onto Jersey. • Evans stated that they can’t clog Jersey; the police have had them funnel in from the back streets. She added that their drop time is from 8:10 to 8:30, and she said, except for the first day of school, that 12-15 cars are being unloaded at once, and it has not created a backlog. • Segelbaum asked if she knew of any queuing of cars onto the streets. • Evans stated that it queues for about five to ten minutes on a snowy day, and on some days, there is no queuing. She added that she has received emails from neighbors if parents are driving too fast, so she will email the community to slow down. She noted that they know they are in a neighborhood, so they try to be as peaceful as possible, but there will be traffic at pickup and drop-off, and it is limited because of the before-school and after-school care hours, which allow families to trickle in as well. She added that after school, they have about 125 students who are picked up in a two-hour window, and that before school from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., they have a drop-off time. • Hill noted that on the North side is where they do the exit and entrance for the preschool. • Evans stated that it is the West, for preschool, they come in and park, because by law, preschool parents have to park and walk their children. • Hill noted that increasing the number of students from 20 to 60 might make things more jumbled. • Evans noted that the majority are siblings, and they have enough parking available, so they can park. She added that those who do not have a preschooler just loop through. She noted that if they have a sibling, they can park, and then there is a new sidewalk that they can get out of the car and use. She added that it is about ten minutes of the day in the morning, but in the afternoon, there is no buildup because they walk their child to the cars and leave. She stated that they were willing to have the Police come and let them know if there was a better way, but she said that their car line is pretty fast. • Cohen asked if the parking lot was ever full, with all 260 spaces being used. • Evans noted that on Grandparents Day, when they invite families in to have a community building event, and then they reach out to Speak the Word Church, and they let them use their parking lot. She added that not during a normal school day is it full, because 60 is their cap for CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 14, 2025 – 6:30 p.m. | City Hall Council Chamber 7800 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 preschool, but many families are not there every day due to their preschool going on different days. • Cohen asked what the total student population in the school is at this time. • Evans stated that they have three grade levels that are full at 50 kids for the whole grade, all of the rest of the grades are under that, and they average 21 to 22 per class. She noted that the incoming Kindergarten is small, because many of the parents have chosen to hold their summer babies back, leading to another reason they want to increase preschool size, to accommodate these parents. She stated that for the first time in six years, they would be at 301 Kindergarten through 6th grade students. • Cohen asked if she stated that the 6th grade was moving to Benilde St. Margaret’s in the fall. • Evans stated that Benilde is opening 6th grade this coming fall, but Good Shepherd School kept their 6th grade open for this year, which is a big discernment piece, because the community wants them to open a 7th and 8th grade, but that would cause more construction and would be way down the road. She noted that naturally they would lose kids in 6th grade, but right now they are gaining students because they want to get into Benilde St. Margaret’s, which has been since the pandemic, and is very unique from historical data. • Barnstorff asked whether the school has encouraged walking or biking to school, given the concerns about traffic. • Evans stated that a lot of families carpool, and that bussing is the hardest thing because of being a non-public school. She noted that they will not have bussing for their school because of the bell times, which they would have to change, and they are willing to, but she thinks it would clog up even more because then all the elementary kids would all be picked up at the same time. She added that many of the families would not even be in the Hopkins bus zone anymore because they increased the distance, so they would have to walk. She noted that they do have some walkers and many carpool families as well. • Cohen opened up the public hearing. • Resident Dan Deaver, 125 Idaho Avenue, spoke. • Deaver stated that his road is directly parallel to Jersey, and that he does have an issue with the traffic plan and what had been mentioned about queuing. He noted that there is queuing that happens almost every day, and that it backs up, causing him to have trouble getting out of his driveway. He added that he has sent an email, because there have been parents going down Idaho very fast, and that makes him nervous with two young kids at home. He added that the edict of the drivers, with them texting and distracted, is very concerning. He noted that from the diagram, it is supposed to come in off Western and Jersey, which does not happen all the time, but many are coming to his street, Idaho, and then queuing 10 to 15 cards deep, which can be very frustrating. He added that he is concerned about the traffic, and that there are ways that it could be worked through, with speed bumps or someone there to enforce the flow that is supposed to happen. He noted that he was unaware of the way in which it was supposed to work until he saw the diagram this evening. • Cohen closed the public hearing and opened the item for discussion. • Barnstorff asked if the City does school zones, and if there is anything the City can do to mitigate the traffic concerns. • Kramer noted that the City can implement school zones to slow down speeds in areas, and it is going to be looked at this fall. She added that they have a traffic safety committee, which is made up of different departments of City Staff, engineering, fire, police, and public works. She stated that along with this process, they can also look at traffic calming measures and do additional studies, so she will take the concerns back to the city engineer. • Cohen noted that there was an email in the packet from a resident who had similar traffic concerns. CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 14, 2025 – 6:30 p.m. | City Hall Council Chamber 7800 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 • Segelbaum inquired about the process a resident would follow to obtain information on the status or outcome of a traffic study. • Kramer stated that she will talk to the City Engineer and see how that information is publicized; she is not sure at this time, but at the next Planning Commission meeting, August 11, she will include that information in the Staff Update section. • Cohen noted that the big concern was for traffic. He added that he had recently attended a meeting that Breck had, and the same problem with traffic was present there as well, with people cutting through neighborhoods and such, but finding a solution is hard to come by. He added that they had heard about concerns with bussing in prior meetings with regards to the HOPE Program and now having to walk to school in certain neighborhoods, so it is a good time to address the traffic concerns and to look at further. He stated that aside from the concerns from traffic, there is a need for childcare ever growing in the City, and when there are viable options like this, then it is good for the community. • Segelbaum noted that on the Good Shepherd drop-off and pick-up map, on Western, two arrows are coming towards each other before going into the entrance, he wondered if the Good Shepherd school would consider removing the arrow that is pointed down, which is West, and then would not be encouraging people to come in from that side, which is Idaho and another parallel street there as well. He added that it will still queue, but Western is a longer street and has more room potentially, because on the South side, there are not as many homes. • Cohen asked the Applicant to come back up to answer the question. • Evans noted she sees the concerns that traffic sits on Idaho, Hampshire, and Glenwood before they release the lines to go. She added that the Police have told them to have the families come down those streets, and not everyone on Western. She noted that it may help to have a traffic guard there, because the Police did not want everyone coming on Western because that would hurt the four-way stop. She added that as soon as it is released, it is five minutes and then they are in, but if they are out there early waiting to drop off, then they could idle on the streets. She added that she would be happy to work with the neighborhood streets, as a way to put someone out there, and she could encourage families to take Western as well. • Cohen asked if the childcare is during the summer or only during the school year. • Evans stated the school operates all 12 months but has reduced enrollment in the summer. Preschool is optional in the summer to service families who can be home with their kids in the summer, unlike some programs which require year-round enrollment. This summer, however, enrollment is only about 10 kids for the daycare and next year may push up to 20. • Cohen stated that the next big traffic push would be in September when school starts. • Evans stated that the K-6 school carries more students, so it’s divided into two programs between the K-6 and the preschool. She added that all the Catholic schools are having to merge so it’s like two institutions in one now. • Segelbaum stated that he is hoping to move into the deliberations portion. He noted that looking over all the guidelines in the packet for the CUP, he agreed with them, but he thought there may be a neutralization of the increase because of the fact that 6th grade may not be offered, and the net difference is nothing. He added that he would like to cap it at 60 because that is what the Applicant has asked for, and he would hate to set a precedent of just leaving it open, and there is a cap in place in many other educational places. He stated he is in favor of it, and it is an asset to the community, and they want to keep this institution alive, as it is a part of the neighborhood. • Cohen asked if the best way to accommodate Commissioner Segelbaum’s concern would be, as they craft the motion for approval, to note specifically the limit of 60. • Kramer stated that if the Commissioners are all in support of keeping the cap, then they would CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 14, 2025 – 6:30 p.m. | City Hall Council Chamber 7800 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 make a motion to recommend approval of the CUP amendment with the added condition that the preschool size be limited to 60. She added that the Staff would add that in when it goes to the Council next month. • Barnstorff asked whether caps have been put in place for other childcare centers with CUP amendments, or if this is intended to be a DHS matter. • Kramer noted that there was another CUP amendment at Valley of Peace Childcare, where they removed the cap. She added that she is not sure why the cap was put in place in the first place, because it is not noted in the past meeting notes. She stated that the current Staff’s view is that between the building code and their state licensing, that is enough control over the size of the daycares, but she did not feel that putting a cap of 60 back on would be particularly onerous, and that is what the Applicant asked for. • Van Oss stated that there needs to be a zoning code overhaul for this and many other things, where there is onerous bureaucracy that is redundant at the state level that they should not be involved in, and should be left to state regulators. He added that it creates another level of difficulty for the applicants. He noted that he is not in favor of a cap, particularly since it has been lifted for others, and it seems arbitrary to just pick and choose, so he is fine with leaving it as is, with the caveat that they work with the neighborhood and police to determine traffic flow. • Kramer asked Commissioner Van Oss if he would like to see an actual condition of approval, stating that cooperation or just wants Staff to work on that. • Van Oss stated that he trusts the Staff to work on that, but if others would like it to be official, it would not hurt. • Sicotte stated that he feels there is a vagueness in saying work with the neighborhood. • Van Oss noted that there are no tangible outcomes that the commission would ask for, that there is a vagueness to what the school and the neighborhood would determine together. • Sicotte noted that he is more comfortable with the Staff working with the traffic concerns rather than just the school to work with the neighborhood on it. • Kramer stated that she is hearing either a formal condition of approval or direction to Staff to work with the school on exploring traffic calming measures and a possible school zone in the fall. • Cohen noted that he thinks they are comfortable with the Staff direction approach. • Sicotte stated that he is okay with removing the cap completely. • Hill stated that he agrees with removing the cap, because as a whole school, there is a cap limit already. • Van Oss stated that the school’s classes fluctuate, and that they should not have to come to the Commission every time they need to lift the cap, because it is already regulated and, in his opinion, not the Commission’s role. • Segelbaum stated that the Commission has many times overlooked adult daycares and caps on them, which has been a contentious issue due to how large, how many people, and how much traffic it generates. He added that it leaves open the possibility that someone will say you did not cap it elsewhere, you should not cap it for us. • Van Oss noted that they have approved daycares without a cap in the past. • Kramer stated that it is correct for daycares, but she is not sure the last time they had an adult daycare. • Segelbaum stated that he is familiar with several that they had in a row, and that he thinks they pulled the license on one because of overuse and being used for purposes other than adult daycare. • Van Oss noted that the State already regulates childcare and questioned whether it regulates adult daycare in the same way, for example, if an adult daycare is out of compliance with state CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 14, 2025 – 6:30 p.m. | City Hall Council Chamber 7800 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 standards, the State would shut it down. • Kramer stated that adult daycares are licensed by the state as well. She added that she understands Commissioner Segelbaum’s concern about precedent, but in her opinion, they would look at adult daycares and childcare daycares differently, because of different uses and different traffic patterns, and it would be something they would be mindful of moving forward. • Cohen asked if there were any further deliberations. He then asked for a motion. • Van Oss clarified that the motion is to direct Staff to work with the school on a traffic solution. • Kramer stated that the condition of approval could be, the school will work with the City Staff to explore traffic calming in a school zone this fall, or motion to approve with the added conditions of approval. • Cohen stated they needed a second for discussion. • Sicotte seconded. • Segelbaum stated he does not think there is anything tangible to say that the school discusses with Staff, but he is fine with it. • Van Oss stated that he is fine with not making that recommendation, but he felt that is what others wanted. • Cohen stated that the motion is that we recommend approval of the conditional use permit for 145 Jersey Avenue, subject to the conditions in the staff report and adding a condition that there be further discussion with the Applicant and the City regarding traffic patterns, with a possible school zone. He added that with that, they will bring it to a vote. • All voted in favor, and the motion passed. 3.B. Conditional Use Permit for 610 Ottawa Avenue North • Okey presented the proposal. • Cohen asked if there were questions for the Staff. He noted that this is being considered pet services; however, if a funeral home were to move into Golden Valley, he would assume that there is a different set of requirements for a human funeral versus a pet funeral home. • Okey confirmed that there are different requirements for humans versus pets in terms of a crematorium or a funeral home. He noted that the Aquamation type of cremation is offered for human remains as well. • Cohen stated that this process can be used for humans, but that is not something the Applicant is offering. • Okey noted that Commissioner Cohen is correct, it is strictly for animals. • Segelbaum asked whether bringing cremation services to the City would be considered a permitted use in Golden Valley. • Okey stated that he thinks it is a CUP in certain zones. • Kramer noted that it is similar to veterinary services. • Segelbaum stated that he could not find it in the listing of permitted uses, but he could be using the incorrect term. • Kramer stated that she is looking for it, and if she were to find it, she would jump in. • Segelbaum noted that he is inclined to think that it was removed. • Kramer added that if it is not explicitly in the code right now, it could fall under service uses, and so it would be permitted or restricted where those are currently allowed. • Segelbaum noted that this application does not fall under crematorium or mortuary services, and he was not going to question if it is veterinary services, but he asked if something does not fit in one category or the other, what does the code say they are supposed to do to determine what is the appropriate service. • Kramer stated that Staff at the administrative level try to decide where it best fits. She added CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 14, 2025 – 6:30 p.m. | City Hall Council Chamber 7800 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 that most uses are defined broadly to leave room for Staff to have the ability to determine at an administrative level what the use is, because with changes, they want to be able to do this. • Segelbaum noted that there is a provision that says when it is not clear, then the Staff will determine the use. • Kramer stated that it is correct. • Van Oss added that when something is not clear or needs to be made more explicit, the Staff can always propose a text amendment with the application. • Kramer stated that the other option was a zoning code text amendment to add the definition, which is what they did with the cannabis ordinance in the fall. • Cohen asked if there were any additional questions for the Staff; he invited the applicant to come forward to speak. • Co-owners of Aqua Bridge, Jennifer Ryan and Jill Goldstein, spoke. • Ryan stated that she grew up in Golden Valley, so she is very excited to bring a new business into the community. She added that Jill and she have been lifelong animal lovers, and that Jill has made this her life’s work. She noted that Jill has run an animal advocacy and rescue organization called Pause for Paws since 2011, and this is a tangible translation of the work that she has been leading. She added that they hope to open a community animal hospital as a nonprofit organization, as a phase two to the Aqua Bridge endeavor. She noted that they feel Aquamation is the next generation in end-of-life care for pets, as it is both gentle and sustainable for the environment, and that it is in the same category as cremation but it is the opposite of it except for the result being the same because there are no emissions to the environment and no combustion or burning of fossil fuels to do the process of Aquamation. She noted that it is simply a water and chemical interaction that happens over 18 hours, with the result of the remains of the pet that can be returned to the family. She stated that she is excited about continuing the discussion of using the affluent that is left from this process because it is so rich in nutrients, as fertilizer. She added that there are about 150 Aquamation facilities for both pets and humans across the country, and that people are starting to think about putting that water back into the Earth as opposed to just into the sanitary sewer. • Cohen asked if there were questions for the Applicants. • Segelbaum asked if other services, such as veterinarians, will bring animals for the Aquamation process to take place, or will the putting down of the animals take place on site. • Ryan stated that they are flexibly approaching this, they hope to partner with animals hospitals, vet clinics, etc., who have to euthanize on site and traditionally partner with cremation providers, so from those places they are hoping to get a least referrals to them given to the families so they know that at least it is an option, and they would be willing to pick up or drop off as need. She added that another part of their model will be to have family grief rooms, where the families can say their goodbyes before they give their pet over to them for Aquamation. • Segelbaum asked if there will be a need for a licensed veterinarian to be working at the facility or people working under the direction of one. • Ryan stated that because they are not providing live animal veterinarian services, the rules do not appear to require a veterinarian to be part of the leadership team. She added that they would like to shift to on-site euthanasia, but that would then need to be provided by a licensed veterinarian. • Van Oss asked whether the Applicant would need to return to the Commission if they expanded their services to include more traditional veterinary care. • Okey stated that they would have to come back for a CUP amendment to that. • Segelbaum questioned why they would have to come back, noting that they are considered veterinary services. CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 14, 2025 – 6:30 p.m. | City Hall Council Chamber 7800 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 • Okey stated that this CUP is more focused on the Aquamation part of the cremation services, and not for full veterinary services. • Segelbaum asked if they were approving euthanasia as part of what they are authorizing with this permit, which would require a veterinarian. • Okey stated that the Applicant is not proposing euthanasia to happen at the site. He added that they are going to partner with other veterinary clinics and animal hospitals to let them know they can bring the pets, or the owners can bring the pets after they have been to the veterinary clinic, so they are not providing euthanasia services on site. • Kramer noted that when the Staff had talked to the Applicant about how they had been long- term term possibly expanding into a veterinary hospital, they were talking about using another building near the site, which are the physical changes that trigger a CUP amendment. • Van Oss clarified that they were not approving an actual veterinary clinic. • Kramer stated they were not. • Cohen stated that had resolved one of the questions he was going to ask. He added an example for the last cat they had to euthanize; they had MN Pets come to their house, and then they take care of the cremation, and give the ashes back if that is what is requested. He noted that the Applicant is proposing that the cat could have been brought to the Applicant after she was euthanized by MN Pets, and then could receive the remains back from them. He added that the animal must already be deceased before they come to the Applicant, under what they are currently proposing, in the long run, if they have an animal hospital down the road, then they could just go from one to the other. • Goldstein stated that they will also offer to pick up from an owners home, because it is such a difficult time and try to ease the burden as much as they can. • Cohen asked if there were any additional questions for the Applicant. • Segelbaum asked if they did not want them to authorize the euthanasia at this point, because it seemed like it was part of their plan, with the family rooms and such, and that they would want that authorized. • Ryan stated that they did not start with that plan, because they are not vets, but the more they think about it and get the questions asked, it is some that eventually they would want to pursue, but she defers to the Staff if they would need to do a second application for that piece. • Okey noted that at this point, it would need to come back for a CUP amendment, because the services are being broadened beyond what was presented to Staff in the cover letter, the business plan, and all of the documents for the floor plans. He added that he is not exactly sure what other conditions would be required for a full veterinary clinic. • Ryan stated that she is starting to think about it like what MN Pets offers, they are a large practice of vets who do in-home euthanasia services, so they have been thinking about investigating what the requirements are to practice euthanasia in the home, and then translate to their setting. • Hill questioned the statement that the method uses 90 percent less energy than flame, asking how this claim is verified. • Ryan stated that there are several facilities around the country already doing Aquamation, and the company that manufactures the machine has already sold 150 of them. She added that Jill and she visited with a gentleman in Chicago who has been doing Aquamation for several years now, to participate in the process and understand how it works. She noted that the energy that is expended is the electrical energy that is used to heat up the water, so research shows this is significantly better than the flame-based cremation. • Cohen opened up the public hearing and noted that there wasn’t anyone from the public in attendance. He closed the public hearing and opened the item for discussion. CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 14, 2025 – 6:30 p.m. | City Hall Council Chamber 7800 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 • Segelbaum noted that he is in favor of this application, but he wishes there was a different way to classify this other than veterinary services. • Kramer stated that she was not able to find anything on cremation or funeral in the R1 zoning district, beyond it is not allowed to be done in a home. She added that if they did start seeing more of these uses, then they would need to consider a zoning code text amendment. • Van Oss noted that it could be done as a whole-scale code rewrite. • Cohen added that they get applications for things that the current zoning code never considered, which is not necessarily bad, but things change and need to be updated. • Kramer added that with this particular Applicant, because they are long-term thinking about veterinary services, it helped Staff to fit them into the existing veterinary use, the business model helps to define what the use is in the zoning code. • Segelbaum added that because it is veterinary services, he would feel better to authorize them the limited use of performing euthanasia. He noted that he fears other applicants in the future may have these same problems, but he sees that this was not part of their original application, so it may not make sense in this case. • Okey noted that it is something they could add as a condition. • Kramer stated that the commission would ultimately have to make changes to the conditions of approval, but any expansion to the business would trigger a CUP amendment, because of the traffic concerns or other conditions that may come up. • Cohen noted that condition three, any failure to comply with one or more conditions of approval, should be grounds for revocation of the CUP, covers if they were to suddenly say we are going to sneak in some veterinary stuff in this facility. • Segelbaum noted that there should be a condition in there that it is for the use of Aquamation services and things associated with it. He added that because it says veterinary services, he wants to clarify that they are not approving veterinary services. • Van Oss asked who regulates Aquamation and defines what it is. • Cohen stated that Aquamation is the process, and Aqua Bridge is the Applicant. • Kramer stated that this facility would be regulated by building code and fire code standards. She added that the Applicant has met with the fire deputy to go through the requirements. She noted that they did run it past the MET council and the NPCA to see if there were any additional permits that were required, and there were not. She added that the manufacturer also has specifications that the facility will be held to, as well as building code. She noted that one of the conditions of approval is that this facility and this business have to operate in the area shown on the building plans and by the site plans, which includes the building permit. She added that if they did want to change or expand their business in any way that would result in physical changes to the site, that would trigger a staff review and a possible CUP amendment. She added that this is a way of limiting them to their proposed use. • Van Oss stated that it may make sense at a later date to add euthanasia, because if you are cremating or using Aquamation, then most would assume that they are also euthanizing. He added that just defining the services better, because euthanasia is something that would go with cremation or Aquamation. • Segelbaum added that he would like to put in a condition or statement. • Van Oss noted that the definition could be added if more of this type of use is brought into the City. • Kramer noted that they could provide more clarification in the City Council Staff Report. • Segelbaum stated that he would like it to be stated in the motion that it is for the services that are described. • Cohen asked if there were any other questions or comments. He then asked for a motion and noted this is where they would add in any additional conditions or recommendations. CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 14, 2025 – 6:30 p.m. | City Hall Council Chamber 7800 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 • Segelbaum noted that condition number one, the Aquamation facility and offices will be operated in the area shown on the building plans and site plan on file with the City of Golden Valley, and will provide the services as described in the application. • Kramer stated that that is the amendment that they were thinking to add, she added that they can just add a clause which states: and the services described in the application. • Segelbaum moved that they recommend approval of the conditional use permit for an Aquamation, water-based pet cremation facility, at 610 Ottawa Avenue North, adopting the CUP findings of Staff as provided and the three conditions with the qualifiers that were discussed earlier. • Van Oss seconded the motion. • All voted in favor, and the motion passed. 4. NEW BUSINESS: NONE 5. COUNCIL LIAISON REPORT • Ginis stated that two of the councilmembers will not be running to seek reelection, so there will be two vacancies on the Council. She added that the filing will be later this summer, so if anyone is interested in potentially serving on the City Council, they can reach out to her for more information and with any questions. She noted that serving the City is a great way to give back, like they are doing on the Commission, and there is an open invitation to contact her. She added that the City has been working on its usual business, but is also working to advance larger plans. She noted that recent discussions include prosecution services and the budget associated with it, what she has taken away from these discussions is that there are four major highways in the City and a lot of DWIs, and this is unique to Golden Valley and driving the budget up, however, this is not something that they want to prosecute less, so it just needs to be considered in the overall budgetary picture. She added that there have been changes to where this money has been budgeted from, and overall, she has been pleased with the prosecutor that the City has. She thanked everyone for the patience with the water outage, which Staff got on right away and fixed the issue, and many are asking when they can stop boiling water, but the City is just exercising an abundance of caution right now. • Cohen noted that the complaints have been heard about the communications and their timeliness, and he is sure that Council and Staff will be addressing them. • Ginis stated that there is always room to improve the speed of communications, especially because it is a Joint Commission, in which the City gets its water from the City of Minneapolis, so there are rules with them, and there is communication across cities, so it was a good check to make sure communication is happening. She added that overall, the City has a very robust crisis communication plan, which was looked at earlier this year, and it is not missing pieces, but there is always a question of how to get messages out quickly. • Segelbaum asked if the Council has gone against or reversed any of the recommendations that the Commission has sent before them. • Ginis stated that she does not think that in this last year they have gone against anything, that they have gone with what the Planning Commission has recommended. She added that the Staff is doing a great job of getting the Commission all of the information that Council has, and that there are open lines of communication around the subjects and the discussions are being brought to the Council. 6. STAFF UPDATES: • Kramer stated that last month, the Commission recommended approval on a Planned Unit Development Major Amendment for 9000 Plymouth Avenue, which is on the consent agenda CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 14, 2025 – 6:30 p.m. | City Hall Council Chamber 7800 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 for the Council the following day. She added that July 22nd is a Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting, and it is Commissioner Sicotte’s turn, the staff reports will go out Tuesday or Wednesday, and there will be one variance application. • Cohen asked if there is no meeting on the fourth Monday in July. • Kramer stated that it is correct as there are no applications as of right now, which cancels the July 28th meeting, and the August 11th meeting will be a joint meeting with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission because they are doing a citywide equity audit on a lot of the city codes. She added that they will be looking at the zoning codes, and by getting the two commissions together then they can learn how to support the Planning Commission. • Cohen asked if there is an update on the safety training. • Kramer stated that there is no update at this time. 7. COMMISSIONER UPDATES: • Van Oss stated that the City Cemetery’s fence has collapsed. He added that Pastor’s Properties has bought the mall on 55 and Winnetka. • Cohen noted that they renovated TexaTonka. • Kramer added that the Staff is very excited for this project. She asked Commissioner Van Oss if the cemetery is the Lakewood Cemetery. • Van Oss stated it is the one by the Dairy Queen. ADJOURNMENT: Vice Chair Cohen adjourned the meeting at 8:02 p.m.