11-09-09 - Joint PC-CC Minutes
Joint Meeting of the
Golden Valley Planning Commission and City Council
November 9,2009
A joint meeting of the Planning Commission and City Council was held at the Golden Valley
City Hall, Council Conference Room, 7800 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley, Minnesota,
on Monday, November 9,2009. Mayor Loomis called the meeting to order at 7:40 pm.
Those present were Mayor Loomis, City Council Members Freiberg, Scanlon and Shaffer,
Planning Commissioners Cera, Eck, Kluchka, McCarty, Schmidgall and Waldhauser, City
Manager Tom Burt, Director of Planning and Development Mark Grimes, Director of
Public Works Jeannine Clancy, City Planner Joe Hogeboom and Administrative Assistant
Lisa Wittman. Also present were Consultants Michael Schroeder from LHB and Jupe Hale
from WSB and Associates.
1. Presentation of Douglas Drive Corridor Study
Hogeboom introduced consultants Michael Schroeder and Jupe Hale. He stated that this
presentation is to review the final draft of the Douglas Drive Corridor study before it goes
forward in the public hearing process.
Schroeder referred to a PowerPoint presentation. He discussed the study area and the
purpose of the study which includes: studying current and future land uses, offering
options for roadway design and finding ways to accommodate existing users, especially
pedestrians and bicyclists.
Schroeder next discussed the principles of the study and the various ways the public and
stakeholders were included in the study process. He talked about the character of the
corridor, the potential for change and how to accommodate long term change. He also
discussed the limiting conditions and the priority issues in the corridor such as: narrow
right-of-way, unlinked transit facilities, little accommodation of modes other than vehicles,
discontinuous pedestrian ways, increasing traffic congestion and unsafe pedestrian
facilities.
Schroeder explained the potential land use evolution and discussed the various concepts
proposed throughout the corridor. The concepts include five zones: the North Gateway
Zone, the Central Mixed Zone, the Residential Core Zone, the Luce Line Zone and the
Highway 55 Zone.
Schroeder talked about the roadway evolution and explained that expected growth,
number of trips and consideration of the road's ability to accommodate new traffic were all
taken into consideration when considering a three-lane or four-lane roadway. He showed
several conceptual roadway drawings and discussed permanent improvements with
amenity zones for sidewalks and planting easements. He also showed several
intersection concepts including roundabouts and configurations with enhanced signals.
Minutes of the Joint Planning Commission and City Council Meeting
November 9, 2009
Page 2
Hogeboom discussed the next steps in the study process. He stated that within the next
couple of months the study will go to the Planning Commission for a public hearing to
recommend incorporation of the study into the Comprehensive Plan. After the Planning
Commission reviews the study it will go the City Council for formal adoption. He added
that the General Land Use Plan Map and Zoning Map are not being amended at this point
in the study process.
Waldhauser asked about the drawbacks of not amending the Land Use Plan Map and
Zoning Map. Hogeboom explained that adopting the study into the Comprehensive Plan
allows the City an opportunity to be better prepared without being bound to the Land Use
Plan Map and Zoning Map. He added that property designations will most likely be
amended when the area is better defined.
Scanlon asked about the communication efforts and suggested that a letter with a brief
explanation and more information might get a better response than a postcard.
Hogeboom explained that letters have been sent to property owners in the study area and
that the goal is to drive people to the City's website and/or have them call staff with any
questions because there is a great deal of information.
Loomis noted that the daily traffic figures discussed in the study are different than the
County's traffic figures. Hale stated the figures in the study include potential
redevelopment. Grimes suggested that language be put in the study explaining that the
traffic figures noted are a forecast.
Loomis noted that stormwater issues need to be addressed either in this study or through
city ordinances and it should be made clear that stormwater needs to be dealt with before
redevelopment occurs.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 pm.
~Jl9---
Lester Eck, Secretary