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04-14-08 PC Minutes Regular Meeting of the Golden Valley Planning Commission April 14, 2008 A regular meeting of the Planning Commission was held at the Golden Valley City Hall, Council Chambers, 7800 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley, Minnesota, on Monday, April 14, 2008. Chair Keysser called the meeting to order at 7 pm. Those present were Planning Commissioners Cera, Eck, Keysser, Kluchka, McCarty, Schmidgall and Waldhauser. Also present was Director of Planning and Development Mark Grimes, City Planner Joe Hogeboom and Administrative Assistant Lisa Wittman. 1. Approval of Minutes March 10, 2008 Regular Planning Commission Meeting Eck referred to page two and noted that the second sentence should read "Schmidgall stated that it means the color goes all the way 'through' a material". Eck referred to the fifth paragraph on page five and noted that the word "purpose" should be "propose". MOVED by Schmidgall, seconded by Kluchka and motion carried unanimously to approve the March 10,2008 minutes with the above noted corrections. 2. Informal Public Hearing - Preliminary Plan Review - Planned Unit Development - Xenia Ridge - PUD 105 Applicant: Opus Northwest, LLC Address: 700 and 800 Xenia Avenue South Purpose: To allow for the construction of approximately 279,000 square feet of office space and approximately 11,300 square feet of retail space Grimes stated that Opus is requesting a Planned Unit Development (PUD) to allow for the construction of a mixed use development on the northwest corner of Golden Hills Drive and Xenia Avenue South. He noted that the development will consist of approximately 279,000 square feet of office space, 11,300 square feet of retail/restaurant space and a fairly large parking ramp which will include 60 spaces for bicycle parking. Grimes referred to a location map and stated that that this property is the former Olympic printing site and it is the last large site in the Golden Hills Redevelopment district. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission April 14, 2008 Page 2 Grimes stated that the property is designated Mixed Use on the General Land Use Plan map and it is zoned Industrial but it will be rezoned to Mixed Use in the future. He added that he believes this proposal will be consistent with the proposed new Mixed Use Zoning District. Grimes referred to City Engineer Jeff Oliver's memo and noted that the proposed Traffic Management Plan will be also be reviewed by the City of St. Louis Park. He added that Mr. Oliver would also like to see the installation of a mechanism to count cars entering and leaving the ramp. He said that overall the proposed plans seem to work well but it depends on a number of improvements being made on Golden Hills Drive and Xenia Avenue in order to provide enough capacity in the future. He explained that the applicant will be assessed for the street improvements and they are also requesting tax increment financing to help with the improvements. Keysser asked Grimes to address the parking variance being requested. Grimes explained that the applicant originally had planned to meet the parking requirements but when the traffic plan was done they feel that the 90 less parking spaces they've proposed will be adequate based on national parking studies. He stated that generally, Golden Valley likes to see fewer parking spaces if possible and he feels confident that the proposed amount of parking will work. Kluchka asked Grimes if the proposed new Mixed Use Zoning District should be approved by the City Council before this PUD is approved. Grimes said no because this mixed use proposal is being handled through the PUD. Keysser asked if there is anything in this PUD proposal that would not fit in with the proposed new Mixed Use Zoning District. Grimes said he didn't think so. Waldhauser noted that the building materials would not conform to the proposed new Mixed Use Zoning District requirements. Grimes explained that the proposal has to be reViewed using the ordinances that are in effect now because it is difficult to start reviewing plans under one set of rules and finish reviewing them under a different set of rules. David Menke, Vice President of Development for Opus, stated that they have been working on this proposal for approximately six months and they've incorporated the input they've received from the neighborhood and city staff into their proposal. He referred to a site plan and explained that the 5.8 acre site includes office space, retail space and office condo space. He stated that the corner of Golden Hills Drive and Xenia Avenue will be viewed as the "front door" of the building and they are maximizing the green space on the site by having 1,092 parking spaces versus the 1,180 spaces required by the zoning code. He added that they are proposing to construct a LEED certified building and one of the qualifications is to have fewer parking spaces than required. He explained that the City's parking requirements calculate the number of parking spaces based on gross square footage, but that they are calculating the number of parking spaces based on rentable square footage. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission April 14, 2008 Page 3 Menke referred to drawings of the proposed site and buildings and discussed the layout of the buildings, the sidewalk connectivity and access to the site. He stated that the buildings will be constructed of architectural, pre-cast panels and glass curtains with a prominent top on the building to call attention to the front door. He noted that there will be balconies on the southeast and southwest corners of the office building and a patio on the north side. Waldhauser asked if they are proposing a covered entry way on the front side of the building. Menke said yes and referred to the drawings and pointed out the entrance and covered area. He discussed the parking for the retail space and noted that the retail building will help screen a large portion of the parking ramp. Keysser asked if the office condos were above the retail space or if they were going to be located in the main office building. Menke said the office condos will be located above the retail space. He discussed the LEED certification process and said that they are seeking the gold level of LEED certification (second highest level) which is tough to do with a multi-tenant building. He discussed solar orientation, storm water management, water use conservation, under-floor air ductwork, bicycle parking, locker rooms and state-of-the-art conference rooms. He referred to the traffic management plan and discussed trails, biking and walking in the area. Damon Farber, landscape architect for the project, referred to a drawing of the site and discussed the vision. He noted that the pond and green space on the corner will form a gateway and be a visual focus. He said that one very important element in the design of the site was to make the buildings part of the neighborhood and respecting the issues in the City. He discussed the series of sidewalks and trails and noted that the west side of the parking ramp will be a "green wall". He discussed the plaza area intended to invite the neighborhood in and create a true sense of place. Keysser referred to the top on the building and asked if that element will screen the mechanicals on the roof. Menke said it will provide some screening. Keysser referred to the building materials on the north wall and asked why it isn't going to be curtain glass like the other sides. Menke said that is a quieter side of the building so they wanted to make it less reflective and they wanted to call more attention to the front. Cera asked about the timeline of the project. Menke said they would like to begin construction as soon as possible. He added that it is a challenging market and they are working on pre-leasing the tenant space. Keysser asked what type of retail use they envision in this space. Menke said it will be service based retail. He said they received strong feedback from the neighborhood that they would like to see some food based businesses. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission April 14, 2008 Page 4 Keysser asked about the potential size of the individual office condos. Menke said they could be any size from as small as 1,500 square feet. Kluchka asked how the West End development in St. Louis Park is impacting this project. Menke said they are very confident about their retail space but that they would like to be first to construct their office space. Keysser asked if any thought had been given to building a small hotel on the site. Menke stated that their early discussions included a hotel but they believe the highest and best use for this site is retail and office. Waldhauser asked Menke if they had considered wrapping the retail space around the south end of the building. Menke said they had considered that option but it would take out some of the parking spaces and they felt the area being proposed for retail was the prime location. McCarty asked if the office condo users will be able to use the facilities in the other office building. Menke said yes. Kluchka referred to the proposed patio on the north side of the building and asked if that could be made into a more prominent entry. Menke said they wanted to have the strong entrance element in the front. He said they wanted something in the back to be a gathering area but not necessarily an entrance. He added that there are also security issues with having another entrance. Kluchka said he feels there is no entrance approach to the neighborhood on the north and he would like that area to feel more approachable. Menke said they could explore the idea of an entrance on the north but the feedback they got from the neighborhood was that they wanted a quieter feel on that side of the building. Grimes added that the applicant received clear direction from the City Council that they wanted the emphasis of the building to be at the Xenia Avenue/Golden Hills Drive corner. Waldhauser said she thinks the north side of the building is very attractive and even though the patio area is not an official entrance it works well and looks like the back of an apartment building and not just like the back of an office building. Keysser asked if the retail businesses would have evening and weekend hours and not just the same hours as the office tenants. Menke said the retail businesses will have evening and weekend hours and that they will be able to dictate their own hours. McCarty asked if this project has room for growth or expansion upwards. Menke said no. Keysser referred to the requirement in the proposed new Mixed Use zoning district regarding 20% of the front fagade being Kasota stone or another type of limestone and asked how that requirement would have affected this project. Menke said he thinks the plans would have been similar to what is being proposed. He added that natural stone has maintenance issues and that some of the pre-cast materials are Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission April 14, 2008 Page 5 indistinguishable from Kasota stone. Keysser said he thinks the proposed building is very attractive even though it is not "stone". Kluchka asked if there will be any screening on the east elevation of the parking ramp. Menke said yes. There will be an ornamental type of screening with cables and vines. Keysser opened the public hearing. Dr. Arnold Leonard, 5212 Colonial Drive, said he would like to address the traffic congestion in the area. He said with the recently completed apartment building at Turners Crossroad north of the fire station, Colonnade, Allianz and now Opus their neighborhood is boxed in. He said he would like to see access from the Glenwood Avenue intersection with TH 100 to 1-394. This would allow better access to downtown Minneapolis. He said there could be signs posted and the speed limits could be decreased but the City should take responsibility to change the access on Highway 100 going east so people in the area are satisfied. Keysser asked Grimes why.MnDOT won't open access to 1-394. Grimes said that MnDOT has stated that opening access to 1-394 is a safety issue. He stated that staff can ask MnDOT again about the issue, but he is not sure how they will respond. Dan Steinberg, 1033 Sumter Avenue South, said he likes the idea of looking at something other than plywood on this site but his concern is also the traffic. He suggested asking the County to widen Xenia to four lanes. Grimes explained that Xenia is a city street, not a county street and that the City recently reconstructed Xenia in an effort to control the traffic. Steinberg said he realized the street was just rebuilt but with the West End development in St. Louis Park everyone is going to try to get to Xenia and 1-394. Grimes explained that Golden Valley and St. Louis Park are working on a bicycle and pedestrian study in this area in order to make it as safe as possible. Seeing and hearing no one else wishing to comment, Keysser closed the public hearing. Kluchka asked Grimes to address the traffic issues. Grimes explained that this proposal is obviously going to create more trips and that is why the City is requiring a traffic management plan and improvements to the streets. He stated that traffic studies have been done with the previous proposals on this site and that staff feels with the improvements being proposed it will be adequate for the traffic in the area. He stated that the Golden Hills/Xenia intersection is the biggest concern because of the car, bus and pedestrian traffic and that during peak hours it will be congested but future development has been factored into all the City's plans. Cera referred to the proposed traffic management plan and questioned the difference in the trip generation numbers in this plan compared to previous Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission April 14, 2008 Page 6 proposals. Grimes stated that many of the trips are peak hour trips and even with the additional trips there still is the capacity to handle all of the additional traffic. Waldhauser asked if the goal of 7% for non-motorized and transit trips is a good goal. Grimes stated that Allianz has the same goal in their traffic management plan. Keysser said it is hard to have more pedestrian trips with a multi-tenant building. Grimes noted that Opus is proposing several things that he thinks will increase the number of pedestrian trips beyond their goal. Menke added that the LEED threshold is 5%. Kluchka said he is concerned about the amount of parking and he finds it interesting that LEED requirements want less parking. Menke said the requirement of 4 parking spaces per 1,000 rentable square feet of office space is a ratio that is pretty tried and true. Keysser asked if the office condos will have an association. Menke said yes. Eck said this seems to be a very well planned and thought out project. MOVED by Waldhauser, seconded by Eck and motion carried unanimously to recommend approval of the Preliminary Plans for Xenia Ridge PUD 105 with the following conditions: 1. The Xenia Ridge plan packet consisting of 24 sheets and prepared by Opus Northwest, L.L.C. shall become a part of this approval. These plans sheets are listed on Sheet Number CS and include the preliminary plat, site plan, grading plan, landscape plan and floor plans. 2. Lighting plans must meet the requirements of the City's lighting code. Prior to approval of building permits for the site, the proposed Photometric Site Plan will be further reviewed to ensure compliance with the plan. 3. The final landscape plan will be reviewed and approved by the Building Board of Review. 4. The findings and recommendations in the memo from City Engineer Jeff Oliver, PE, to Mark Grimes, Director of Planning and dated April 7,2008 shall become a part of this recommendation. This includes Opus signing an agreement with the City of Golden Valley that would agree to payment of special assessments for street and other public improvements. Opus would also waive their right to appeal special assessments as part of this agreement. 5. The findings and recommendations in the memo from Ed Anderson, Deputy Fire Marshal to Mark Grimes, Director of Planning and Zoning and dated April 7,2008 shall become a part of this recommendation. 6. The preliminary PUD plan for Xenia Ridge is consistent with the intent and purpose provision of the PUD chapter of the zoning code and other planning and development principles adhered to by the City. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission April 14, 2008 Page 7 3. Informal Public Hearing - Zoning Code Amendment - Adopting the Mixed Use Zoning District for the 1-394 Corridor area Applicant: City of Golden Valley Purpose: To adopt the 1-394 Corridor Mixed Use Zoning District Hogeboom reminded the Planning Commission that the General Land Use Plan map was amended in December of 2007 to re-designate the properties in the 1-394 Corridor study area to Mixed Use. He referred to the proposed new Mixed Use zoning district language and noted that he added a definition for sustainable development as directed and incorporated the changes the Commissioners suggested the last time they reviewed it. Keysser asked how non-conforming properties will be treated. Hogeboom explained that this public hearing is to adopt the zoning district language and that the properties themselves will be rezoned to Mixed Use in the future. Grimes explained that all non-conforming properties will be allowed to remain as is. Kluchka said he likes the proposed new definition for sustainable development. Cera said he didn't like the language about environmental degradation because it leaves a loophole. Hogeboom said it is difficult to come up with an objective definition for sustainable development. Cera said he would rather have no definition than the new one being proposed. Schmidgall said he likes the definition that was used in the comprehensive plan. McCarty said he thinks the people that will use this ordinance will know what sustainable means. The Commissioners agreed to use the definition used in the comprehensive plan as follows: Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Waldhauser referred to Subdivision 7(C)(2) regarding minimum density and suggested the language in the parentheses be struck. The Commissioners agreed. Cera referred to Subdivision 7(D) regarding maximum floor area ratio and asked what the 0.6 means. Grimes explained that properties with a floor area ratio over 0.6 means that they have to have a traffic management plan. McCarty referred to Subdivision 8(E)(2) regarding building materials and stated he doesn't think they need to require at least 20% of the fayade facing the primary street be faced with Kasota stone or other indigenous dolomitic limestone because he doesn't want to limit architectural freedom. Grimes noted that Subdivision 9 regarding alternative approaches to development standards allows for some flexibility. Schmidgall said he likes the stone requirement because it "sets the bar" a little higher. McCarty said he doesn't want every buildingto look the same. Keysser Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission April 14, 2008 Page 8 agreed with McCarty and said he does not want design limits or criteria. Kluchka said they can't assume that every developer is going to build something nice. He added that if the language regarding building materials is left in the ordinance then they can be sure there is a certain level of quality. Keysser stated that requiring 20% of the front fac;ade to be stone does not guarantee quality, it just guarantees a certain look. Waldhauser suggested the language say stone or an equivalent quality product. Grimes referred to Section 11.48, Subdivision (4)(A) regarding site plan application and pointed out that there is a site plan review process for building plans which do not involve a variance or conditional use. Keysser said he would like the Planning Commission to have a design review function for whatever materials a developer proposes. Waldhauser said she thought they were trying to avoid being a design board. Keysser said he thinks some of the requirements could be taken out of Subdivision 8(E). Grimes explained that the City also has a Building Board of Review that reviews site plans as well. Keysser said he would like to take out the building materials requirements and have the Planning Commission have the authority to review development standards. Kluchka said he wants to ensure quality, not necessarily design. McCarty asked who is going to define quality and aesthetics. He suggested not reviewing design standards at all. Grimes reiterated that there is a site plan review process in the proposed new ordinance. Keysser opened the public hearing. Steve Fichtel, 435 Idaho Avenue North, stated that there will be quite a few existing developments such as the Golden Hills Office Park that will become non- conforming. Grimes stated developments that are in a PUD will be considered conforming. Fichtel said he has a concern about this ordinance not encouraging re..use or re- adaptive use of buildings. McCarty noted that the language regarding sustainable development somewhat addresses that issue. Fichtel said that the more accommodations that are made for cars the more prevalent cars become and he doesn't think on-street parking is being encouraged. Grimes stated that the availability of on-street parking depends on the street. He noted that this proposed ordinance puts parking areas in the back of the buildings but that the City would encourage on-street parking where it is feasible. Fichtel referred to Subdivision 6(G) regarding maximum impervious coverage and noted that it says in this subdivision that the maximum impervious coverage is 65% but later in a different subdivision it says that 15% of the site has to be green. He questioned if those two amounts should total 1 00%. Waldhauser agreed that the gap in those numbers should be addressed. Grimes explained that the 15% requirement is required open space, not green space so it could .consist of a plaza, park, play area, trails, etc. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission April 14, 2008 Page 9 Seeing and hearing no one else wishing to comment, Keysser closed the public hearing. Kluchka referred to the parking requirements and said that it seems to say that the City really wants parking to be on the side or to the rear of buildings. He said he wants the City to allow and encourage on-street parking. Grimes stated that if a street is wide enough the City won't limit on-street parking. Cera suggested adding the words "off-street" to the first sentence in Subdivision 8(G). Kluchka asked if the Planning Commission could get the City Attorney's opinion on whether or not they have the ability to say no to a project based on design requirements. Grimes said he would have the City Attorney write an opinion. MOVED by McCarty, seconded by Cera and motion carried unanimously to recommend the Adoption the Mixed Use Zoning District for the 1-394 Corridor area 4. Reports on Meetings of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, City Council, Board of Zoning Appeals and other Meetings No other meetings were discussed. 5. Other Business Keysser reminded the Commissioners that they can sign up for the GTSland use workshops 6. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 10:05 pm. /ik Ii- clt L ster Eck, Secretary