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03-28-83 PC Minutes � �� MINUTES OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION March 28, 1983 A regular meeting of the Planning Commission was held in the Council Chambers of the Civic Center, 7800 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley, Minnesota. Chairman Thompson called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. Those present were Commissioners Forster, Leppik, Prazak, Thompson and Tubman. Commissioners Polachek and Singer were absent. Also present was Alda Peikert, Assistant Planner. I . Approval of Minutes - March 14, 1983 It was moved by Commissioner Leppik, seconded by Commissioner Prazak and carried unanimously to approve the minutes of the March 14, 1983 Planning Commission meeting as recorded. II. Informal Public Hearing - Preliminary Plat APLICANT: Independent School District #270 (Hopkins) LOCATION: 5400 Glenwood Avenue REQUEST: Approval of Preliminary Plat of "Meadowbrook School Addition" Chairman Thompson introduced this agenda item. Dr. E. John Young, Director of Business Affairs for Hopkins Independent School District #270, was present to represent the proponent. Also present were two persons who identified them- selves as prospective buyers of the former administration building on Lot 1 of the proposed plat. Chairman Thompson reviewed the staff report and then asked Dr. Young whether he wished to provide the Planning Commission with any additional information. Dr. Young reported that the only information he wished to add was that the School District had submitted two petitions for waivers, one on each of the two lots in the proposed plat, to the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) and that he had con- tacted and received informal approval of the waivers from 12 of the 13 adjacent property owners. Dr. Young added that the Diabetes Association will have been in the former administration building five years as of the end of June. Dr. Young explained that the School District previously initiated the platting pro- cess in the belief that the Diabetes Association would be moving out of the building. However, the Diabetes Association decided not to move at that time. Dr. Young confirmed that the Diabetes Association has now notified the School District that it is moving and the School District has determined that the former administration building is surplus and should be sold and returned to the tax rolls. Planning Co�nission Minutes - March 28, 1983 -2- 1 �� Chairman Thompson asked Dr. Young why the School District could not redraw the lot lines of the former administration building parcel to meet the one acre minimum lot size requirement and eliminate a number of the variances required for the proposed plat. Dr. Young replied that the lot was drawn to be as large as possible within the constraints imposed by existing conditions on the site. Dr. Young listed those constraints beginning with the right of way required for Glenwood Avenue on the south. On the north the administration building parcel is constrained by a steep drop from the administration building level to the level of the school playground below and by the location of a garage which houses equipment for the elementary school . Dr. Young explained that the garage is used for storage of maintenance equipment with gasoline engines which the Fire Marshal prohibits from storage in the school building. On the west side the property line is drawn to include the former administration building parking area but to maximize distance from the school building. On the east placement of the lot line is constrained by the existing bus access drive to the school site and by desire to maintain a 100 foot width between lot lines. Dr. Young described drawing of the plat as a delicate balancing process given the site constraints. Commissioner Leppik asked whether the garage has a special drain due to the storage of gasoline engines and whether it would be movable. Dr. Young replied that the garage was originally a frame structure to which brick facing was added to comply with required conformance with surrounding development. Dr. Young questioned whether it could be moved without damaging the brick facing. Dr. Young said that the garage does not have a special drain. Dr. Young added that the school acreage is currently at desirable size and that loss of area to the former administration building parcel would restrict school adctivity. Commissioner Leppik asked whether the school children play on the hillside next to the former administration building and whether the School District has a policy on fencing of school playgrounds from adjacent uses. Dr. Young said that the children do play on the hillside, that fencing of the playgrounds depends on the adjacent uses and that the School District has no written policy on fencing playgrounds. Commissioner Tubman said that it was her understanding that use of Meadowbrook School was to be phased out. Dr. Young stated that Meadowbrook School is one of six elementary schools earmarked for continued use. Commissioner Prazak asked whether parking on the west side of the former admi- nistration building could be placed elsewhere on the lot in order to provide greater setback of parking and drive from the west property line. Dr. Young stated that parking on the west side is necessary unless the total number of parking speces could be reduced. Assistant Planner Alda Peikert confirmed that the 36 spaces shown on the parking plan are the exact number required by the Zoning Ordinance for an office building the size of the former administration building. Commissioner Thompson asked Dr. Young to explain the bus circulation pattern on the school site. Dr. Young stated that the buses load and unload students at 190 Planning Commission Minutes - March 28, 1983 -3- the north end of the school building and that the buses use the access drive off Glenwood Avenue twice a day. Dr. Young reported that while addition of a turn- around to permit closing of the Glenwood access had been discussed, the turning radius of the buses necessitates a prohibitive amount of turnaround space. Commissioner Prazak asked whether the number of parking spaces currently pro- vided for the former administration building is adequate for current building use. Dr. Young replied that there has never been a parking problem at the building under current use or previous school administrative offices use but that there is overflow parking along the access drive to the east. Dr. Young explained that provision of 36 spaces is proposed specifically to meet Ordinance requirements. Ms. Peikert reported that staff had discussed with Dr. Young the possibility of extending the former administration building parcel to the east boundary of the plat with the School District maintaining an access easement over the property. Commissioner Prazak expressed the feeling that the School District should main- tain ownership of the access drive used primarily by the school and other Planning Commissioners concurred with this opinion. Chairman Thompson expressed the feeling of the Planning Commission that the School District does not appear to have choices in drawing of the plat for the purpose of disposing of the former administration building. Chairman Thompson opened the informal public hearing for public input. There was no one present who wished to speak on this agenda item, and Chairman 7hompson closed the public hearing. Commissioner Tubman stated that Planning Commission action appeared limited to either recommendation of approval subject to BZA waivers or recommendation of denial . Commissioner Tubman stated that she favored approval and wished to make a motion. Ms. Peikert informed the Planning Commission that the City Engineering staff recommended addition of a condition requiring an easement along the South Fork of Bassett Creek. It was moved by Commissioner Tubman and seconded by Commissioner Prazak to recommend City Council approval of the preliminary plat for "Meadowbrook School Addition" subject to the following conditions: 1. Rezoning of Lot 1 , the former administration building parcel , from the Institutional (I-1) to the Business and Professional Offices Zoning District. 2. Review of the proposed preliminary plat by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT1 and compliance with any MnDOT recommendations. 3. Waivers from the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) for lot area and for building, parking and drive setbacks which do not meet requirements of the City Zoning Ordinance. Planning Commission Minutes - March 28, 1983 -4- 19� 4. Closing of the east access drive to the former administration building parking area. 5. Addition of a 50 foot easement from the centerline of the South Fork of Bassett Creek located in the northwest corner of the plat. Corr�nissioner Prazak asked staff to address the condition requiring compliance with recommendations of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) . Ms. Peikert explained that review and comment had not yet been received from MnDOT but is expected prior to City Council action on the preliminary plat. Ms. Peikert stated that the only State comment anticipated by staff relates to encroachment of the Glenwood access drive onto State right of way. A vote was taken and the motion carried unanimously. III. Informal Public Hearing - Rezoning APPLICANT: Independent School District #270 (Hopkins) LOCATION: 5400 Glenwood Avenue REQUEST: Change Zoning from Institutional (I-1) to Business and Professional Offices Chairman Thompson introduced this agenda item. Dr. E. John Young, Director of Business Affairs for Hopkins Independent School District #270, was present to represent the proponent, and Chairman Thompson asked him whether he had any information to add. Dr. Young stated that he wished to point out that the pro- posed rezoning would not change the use of the former administration building. Chairman Thompson opened the informal public hearing for public input. There was no one present who wished to speak on this agenda item, and Chairman Thompson closed the public hearing. Commissioner Tubman asked the prospective buyers of the former administration building whether a contract or conditional purchase agreement had been concluded. The prospective buyers replied that no contract had been signed. Dr. Young informed the Planning Commission that the School District has listed the property and that it has been shown to a number of interested parties but that no con- tract has been signed as yet. Chairman Thompson reviewed the conditions of approvai recommended in the staff report. Assistant Planner Alda Peikert noted that the approval conditions should be clarified to reflect that all conditions should be fulfilled prior to City Council approval of a rezoning and further noted that the condition con- cerning proof of space for the required number of parking spaces had already been met. ���� Planning Commission Minutes - March 28, 1983 -5- It was moved by Commissioner Leppik, seconded by Commissioner Prazak and carried unanimously to recommend City Council approval of the rezoning requested by Hopkins School District #270 of Lot 1 , Block 1 of the proposed "Meadowbrook School Addition" from the Institutional (I-1) to the Business and Professional Offices Zoning District based on no change in land use and based on com- patibility with surrounding land use and zoning. The recommendation for appro- val is subject to the following conditions which rr�st be met prior to final City Council approval of the rezoning: 1. Approval of "Meadowbrook School Addition". 2. Waivers from the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) for lot area, for front building setback and for setback of parking and drive from the west property line. Commissioner Tubman stated that she wished to make a comment on behalf of the Planning Commission by way of explanation to the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) that the Planning Commission seldom recommends approval of a proposal requiring the number of waivers required for the proposed "Meadowbrook School Addition" and rezoning, but that the Planning Commission feels the waivers are necessary in this case due to right of way requirements and existing constraints on the site. It was moved by Commissioner Leppik, seconded by Commissioner Prazak and carried unanimously to return to the second item on the agenda, the preliminary plat for "Meadowbrook School Addition", to take action on the request received from the Hopkins School District for waiver of the park dedication requirement. It was moved by Commissioner Tubman and seconded by Commissioner Leppik to recommend that the City Council waive the land donation or payment of cash in lieu thereof for park purposes required by Section 440:80 (2) of the City Subdivision Regulations based on no change in land use and based on maintenance of school playground and open space in school and community use. Chairman Thompson suggested that the park dedication requirement is suited more to a developing community than to a fully developed neighborhood with adequate existing open space. Commissioner Tubman added that the proposed plat does not affect community use of the school property, and Commissioner Leppik suggested that application of the requirement would be appropriate if the school use ever changes. A vote was taken and the motion carried unanimously. IV. Report on City Council Meeting - March 15, 1983 Commissioner Prazak provided the Planning Commission with a report on the March 15, 1983 City Council meeting. Planning Co�nission Minutes - March 28, 1983 -6- � 9� V. Report on Tax Exempt Financing Committee Meeting - March 28, 1983 Chairman Thompson provided the Planning Commission with a report on the March 28, 1983 meeting of the Tax Exempt Financing Committee. VI. Report on Valley Square Commission Meeting - March 24, 1983 Chairman Thompson provided the Planning Commission with a report on the March 24, 1983 Meeting of the Valley Square Commission. VII. Discussion of Planning Commission Guidelines for Public Input Chairman Thompson reported receiving a suggestion on the Planning Commission Guidelines for Public Input that Planning Commission procedure be changed to hear the proponent prior to receiving the staff report. Commissioner Prazak stated that he feels the current sequence makes more sense and that it would put the proponent at a disadvantage to delay the staff report. Commissioner Forster expressed agreement with Commissioner Prazak's opinion. Commissioner Leppik stated that she prefers to receive a report and clarifica- tion from staff prior to questioning the proponent, and Commissioner Tubman added that she also prefers the opportunity to question staff first. Chairman Thompson stated that he favors current Planning Commission procedure, and it was agreed that the Planning Commission Guidelines for Public Input should be forwarded to the City Council as approved at the last Planning Commission meeting. VIII. Report on Minnesota Planning Conference Chairman Thompson deferred the report on the Minnesota Planning Conference until the next Planning Commission meeting in order to allow for preparation of materials to be sent out ahead of time in the agenda packet and to wait for the return of Planning Commissioners absent from this meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 P.M. Respectfully submitted, ,, � ,_ � r ��� �� ' �.-���_��sc?�-1 .... DavidT ompson, ai rman argare�` eppi , ecr ' y