12-13-71 PC Minutes �
MINUTES OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY
PLANNING COMMISSION
December 13, 1971
A regular meeting of the Golden Valley Planning Commission was held at 7:�0 P.M.
on Tuesday, December 13, 1971 at the Civic Center, 7800 Golden Valley Road,
Golden Valley, Minnesota.
Chairman Lundsgaard presided and the following members were present: Vice
Chairman Franzen, Commissioners Anderson, Christiansen, Edstrom, Moran, Sampson,
Swanson, and Van Horn. Also present was Village Consultant Otto Schmid, Larry
Geisler from Midwest Planning and Research, Inc. , and Recording Secretary
Jon Westlake.
Members absent: none.
1 . APPROVAL OF MINUTES: MOVED by Franzen, seconded by Anderson, carried
unanimously, to approve the minutes, as amended, of the November 22, 1971
meeting. (i.e. , Page 2, Item 3 add the word "proposed" so that the sentence
reads "sketch plan on proposed land use". )
2. DISCt1SSI0N ON RESOLUTION ON I-394
Mr. Otto Schmid, Village Consultant, read a report on a discussion on I-394 from
the Minn, Chapter of Social Action Committee, which is a group of planners who
respond to specific problems. It was the feeling of this Comnittee that a
traffic corridor of some type should be constructed along Highway 12, and this
physical improvement could be accomplished through good design.
The Planning Corrnnnission asked questions about the Committee and its report, after
which Mr. Schmid explained that this report was from a group of planners who were
looking at I-394 from different parts of the community. They were not swayed by
emotion, but facts.
Warren Lundsgaard, Chairman of the Planning Corr�nission, asked Larry Geisler of
Midwest Planning and Research to review his report, dated December 10, 1971 ,
with the Planning Commission. His report is as follows:
"On Tuesday, November 30, 1971 , representatives f rom Midwest Planning and Research,
Inc. attended a meeting at the Village of Golden Valley where the Golden Valley
Citizens Steering Committee on I-394 gave a report on their activities in the past
months. The Committee presented to the Village Planning Commission and Council a
suggested resolution for their consideration and adoption. As a result of that
meeting, Midwest Planning and Research, Inc. was requested to critique the
suggested resolution and to review the document for any technical language change
which will aid in clarification.
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Planning Canmission
Deceinber 13, 1972 page 2
The suggested resolution is broken into two parts; Part A containing a recommend-
ation suggesting a change of planning respvnsibi]ity for the I-394 corridor, and
Part B, a list of planning criteria to be considered in the transportation
planning effort through Golden Valley.
What is suggested in A requires a statutory change in the authorization of the
Highway Department planning efforts in the Metropolitan Area. The Nighway
Department, at this time, cannot legaily relinquish that authority to another
agency or group (such changes in authorization would require action of the State
legislature). FUrther, the question also rises as to whether the Metropolitan
Council has the current capacity, work authority or budget allocation to assume
more than an advisory role to the I-394 planning process at this point in time.
It is therefore not conceivable that such a major re-organizational change could
occur during the course of the current planning efforts; I-394 study, the on-going
transit study, and ather on-going studies being conducted by related agencies.
The inability to change the organizational structure of the planning process,
however, does not preclude the opportunity of improving the cUrrent� working
structure, aoth in terms of visibility to the residents of Golden Valley as well
as providing a measure of responsiveness to the canmunity inputs. With this
objective in mind, it is suggested that Part A of the resolution be substituted
with the following staterr�nt: That the Council of the Village of Golden Valley
urges the Transportation Planning Program (TPP) to appoint a Project Management
Board to work in conjunction with standing organizations involved with trans-
portation systems planning for west Minneapolis and western suburbs. The Board
should include representation from the Metropolitan Council , the Minneso�a
Highway Department, the Metropolitan Transit Commission, and the essential
community components of the Citizens Advisory Canmittee for I-394. Tk�e
Metropolitan Coancil representative should direct the activities of the Board
and should be responsible for coordinating commanity input to the TPP."
After Mr. Geisler finished discussing his report with the Planning Conmission it
was decided the resolution would not go to the Transportation Planning Program
(TPP) , because of the following reasons:
1. The Uillage of Golden Valley is in a position of a lobbyist at this time,
and therefore, the resoiution shouid go to the Highway Department.
2. The Nighway Department being the only member of TPP with adequate funds and
power to solve transportation problems, it would be the logical group to
lobby.
3. The TPP has not been particularly effective in total transportation planning
up to this point.
4. The TPP is primarily a staff operating group, and they should not be making
policy decisions.
Mr. Curtis N. Green, representative from the Citizens Committee on I-394, was
present, and Dr. David Brown, alternate, was also present to discuss their
Committee's proposed resolution along with a reviemv of said resolution by Midwest
Planning and Research, Inc. The following is the proposed resolution, as amended:
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P1anning Canmission
December 13, 1971 page 3
BE IT RESOLVED:
"That the Council of the Village of Golden Valley recor�nends and urges the
Minnes ota Highway Departrr�nt to permit the Metro Council to state basic trans-
portation policies for planning and direction of the intermodal transportation
systems for serving west Minneapolis and the suburbs to the west. Further, the
Metropolitan Council should appoint a Project Management Board to work in con-
junction with standing organizations involved with transportation systems planning
for the areas noted above including the Minnesota Highway Department, the Metro
Transit Commission, and the Citizens Advisory Comnittee for I-394, The Board
should include representation of the essential community components of the
Citizens Advisory Canmittee on I-394. The Metro Council should accelerate the
study of the transportation systems plan for inclusion in the Phase II study
of the Consultant to the Highway Department.
Function of said Board should be to:
1. Redirect and expand the scope of the study of the Western transportation
system (I-394) to include greater consideration of all feasible and antic-
ipated transportation modes.
2. Develop comprehensive objectives including modal splits for the �estern
Transportation Corridors. (Modai splits: ratio of public to total ridership).
3. Implement in all planning of the Transportation Systems the Criteria for
Planning of New Transportation System Components - Combined Auto and Transit,
as outlined below:
1. Preserve and enhance the life style of our canmunity and successfully
deal with humanistic values. It should reflect the aspirations and
capabilities of our people.
2. Provide for ease of vehicular movement onto and from the major arteries
with safety and minimum disruption of comnunity traffic patterns.
3. Assist in the re-kindling of Village unity by providing vlsual , pedestrian,
and transportation ties that permit free movement between neighborhoods
without hazards of high speed devices or routes.
4. Abate noise, visual and biological effects of transportation vehicles.
5. Provide for absolute minimum disruption of our residential , comnercial ,
and industrial areas and strive to maintain the functional workability
of the School Districts, the parks system, and other comnunity fiacilities.
6: Provide for multi-modal transportation system components within existing
rights-of-way.
7. A1leviate any concept that our Village should suffer consequences for the
convenience of others. The transportation systems should provide an
improvement which is both a physical and socialogica1 asset to the
Village of Golden Ualley.
8. Provide simultaneous considerations and proposals. for utilizing all
existing routes for dispersion and minimize dependency on any single
route.
9. Upgrade North-South multi-mode transportation systems to relieve the
major East-West routes.
10. Coordinate all appropriate data and planning vrith planners preparing the
Qvera7l comprehensive plan for the Village.
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Planning Commission
December 13, 1971 page 4
11. Decrease dependency on automobile for trips to the Central Business
District by providing improved access, service, quality, and market-
ability of public transportation.
12. Provide mass and rapid transit designs utilizing exclusive right of way
for devices not limited to busses based on mid-point adequacy of trans-
portation facilities projected through 1995. A system to maintain
status quo at time of its installation should not be built.
13. Design transportation systems based on policy determinations of desired
modal splits in the various corridors, with an effort to acheive 50�
reliance on transit to handle peak hour overloads."
It was moved by Christiansen, seconded by Swanson, carried unanimously, to
recorr�nend that the Village Council adopt the resolution as amended.
The Chairman of the Planning Commission then thanked Mr. Green and Dr. Brown
from the Citizens Committee on I-394 for the work they had done.
3. SUBURBAN DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR PROGRAM
Larry Geisler informed the Pianning Corrmission that Ailen Anderson, State Nousing
Coordinator of the State Planning Agency, could not attend this Planning Commission
meeting. Mr. Geisler stated he would see if Mr. Anderson could be available for
the second meeting in January to talk to the Planning Commission.
4. MIOWEST PLANNI�IG AND RESEARCH, INC.
Mr. Geisler reviewed with the Planning Corrmission the sketch plan on proposed land
use. It was decided to use the areas, as they are now divided into the six voting
districts, for dividing the sketch plan into more specific areas for discussion.
The first area of discussion was Precinct #6�which is West of Winnetka Avenue to
the Village limits and North of Higfiway 55 to Medicine Lake Road. The Planning
Comnission noted Duluth Street should be extended to the east service drive of
County Road 18. Commissioners Moran and Sampson informed the Commission they
would talk to General Mills Inc. about their future plans for the parcel the
Research Center is located on and report their findings to the Planning Commission,
Mr. Geisler further discussed other areas on the sketch plan East to Highway 100.
Although some minor changes were made, the Planning Comnission will further study
these neighborhoods at the January 10, 1972 Planning Corrr�nnission meeting.
5. ADMINISTRATIVE
(a) Report fran P1 anni ng Cor►xni ssi on merr�ers of thei r meeti ngs wi th other
Golden Valley Commissions
Commissioners Glen Christiansen and Mary Anderson met with the Park and Recreation
�omnittee on Tuesday, December 7, 1971 to discuss with them the Community Facilities
Plan along with the planning program that the Planning Commission is under contract
with to Midwest Planning and Research, Inc. on the Master Plan. Mary Anderson
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P1 anni ng Corrrnnni ssi on
December 13, 1971 page 5
distributed to the Commission an outline of what the Park and Recreation Committee
was concerned about in the Community Facilities Plan. Because of the limited
funds in this area, Mr. Geisler asked the Commission if he should meet with the
Park and Recreation Canmittee to explain why the Community Facilities Plan is
not in detail and also, where we are with our planning program and what the Master
Plan will be when it is completed. Mary Anderson and Glen Christiansen felt that,
because of the concern the Park and Recreation Committee had, this was an
excellent idea.
Corranissioners John Sampson and Ronald Edstran met with the Environrr�ntal Committee
on Thursday, December 9, 1971 to inform the Canmittee of the Golden Valley Master
Plan and to explain currently what we have accomplished to date on the planning
program. Included in the discussion was the possibility of a trail system for
Golden Ualley, major thoroughfares, and proposed land use for the open areas
in the Village.
(b) December 27, 1971 Planning Comnission meeting
Because of the holiday, the Planning Commission was in agreement to hold the
next regularly scheduled meeting on January 10, 1972.
There being no further business to come before the meeting, it was on motion,
duly seconded, adjourned at 12:20 A.M.
Chairm an Lundsgaar Secretary Lowe Swanson
NO PLANNING CONBNISSION MEETING DECEMBER 27, 1971