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12-13-99 PC Minutes . e . e . Regular Meeting of the Golden Valley Planning Commission December 13, 1999 The regular meeting of the Planning Commission was held at the Golden Valley City Hall, Council Chamber, 7800 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley, MN. The meeting was called to order by Chair Pentel at 7:00pm. Those present were Chair Pentel, Commissioners Eck, Groger, Hoffman, McAleese, Shaffer, and Rasmussen. Also present was Mark Grimes, Director of Planning and Development and Recording Secretary, Heidi Reinke. I. Approval of minutes-- November 8, 1999 MOVED by Shaffer, seconded by Eck and motion carried unanimously to approve the November 8, 1999 minutes as submitted. II. Informal Public Hearing - Rezoning of Two Parcels of land Applicant: Breck School (123 Ottawa Avenue, Golden Valley) Capital City Investments - Owner of Property Address: Vacant land located east of the existing Golden Hills Shopping Center (Turners Crossroad and 1-394) and existing parking lot located to the north of the existing Golden Hills Shopping Center. Purpose: Rezone the vacant land from "Open Development" to "Commercial" and rezone the existing parking lot, located to the north of the shopping center from "Business and Professional Office" to "Commercial". The applicant would like to construct a single-sheet ice arena to be located to the east of the existing shopping center. I i Director of Planning and Development, Mark Grimes, explained Capital City Invest~ents' request to rezone the vacant land from "Open Development" to "Commercial" and r~zone the existing parking lot, located to the north of the shopping center from "Business and ~rofessional Office" to "Commercial". He reviewed several maps of the site to demonstrate where these particular areas are located in relationship to adjacent lots. The purpose for this rezoning request by Capital City Investments is due to Breck School's plan to build a 40,640 sq.ft. single- sheet ice arena on the vacant lot east of the existing Golden Hills Shopping Center. Breck School's existing ice arena is located at 5800 Wayzata Boulevard, in the Golden Hills Redevelopment Area. Breck School believes this site would be appropriate for satisfying the needs of its skating programs, as well as existing clientele presently using the existing ice arena. Grimes continued his review by noting that the Golden Hills Redevelopment Plan calls for "continued commercial use, including office or service facilities, with continued medium density residential use as an acceptable alternative for the existing apartment site; and provision of adequate buffering to protect the adjacent residential neighborhood to the north." He further. explained that the adjacent residential neighborhoods to the north consist of single family and Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission December 13, 1999 Page 2 multi-family housing. The Current Action Plan Components include "improvement or . redevelopment of the Golden Hills Shopping Center, incorporating the former Emergency Veterinary Clinic property and excess 1-394 right-of-way into a Planned Unit Development with office, hotel, restaurant, and/or retail uses served by an adequate and well-located public access and parking". In review of these Action Plan Components and Land Use Characteristics, staff believes that the rezoning of the subject parcels of land to commercial is consistent with the Golden Hills Redevelopment Plan for this area. Grimes said there are three different zoning categories associated with the proposal. The existing shopping center is currently zoned Commercial and is a permitted use in this district. The vacant land east of the shopping center has been zoned Open Development for many years. The request is to have this land rezoned from Open Development to Commercial. The existing parking lot located to the north of the shopping center is currently zoned Business and Professional Office (B&PO). It was believed at the time it was rezoned to B&PO that this area would be best suited for office use because it would be a transition or buffer area between e commercial to the south and residential (institutional, multiple-family, and single-family) to the north. Chair Pentel interjected that the current "Open Development" zoning is a good buffer for the adjacent neighborhoods to the north. Grimes agreed that a buffer zone along the north edge of the redevelopment area is necessary. Presently, a fence, in a sad state of repair, is located along the north property line of the proposal. This fence was originally intended as a buffer. There is presently no buffer on the west side of the lot. Grimes proposed that some sort of buffer be provided between the commercial and residential areas. Grimes proceeded to explain the theory behind buffering a residential zone from a commercial zone. He explained that residential proceeds from low to high density up to a commercial zone. Furthermore, the side and rear setbacks from commercial are 20 feet, 50 feet from single-family, and 30 feet from multi-family. . Commissioner McAleese suggested that the ice arena would provide a buffer for the multiple- family housing in the area. He added that because 1-394 and Hwy. 100 create much noise, the arena might block some of this noise. In addition, noise created by the arena would go unnoticed due to the ambient noise of the highways. e Chair Pentel opened the informal public hearing. Paul Dahlberg, ACC Architects, presented his design for the Breck School ice arena. Accompanying Paul Dahlberg were Wendy Engelman, Mack McMertreeand John Thiel from Breck School, Patrick Fisher - representing the property owners, and Dave Putnam, Project Engineer. Dahlberg addressed the issues regarding the need for rezoning of the vacant lot. He stated that Breck studied several potential sites for the proposed ice arena. This site was decided upon because it eliminated the need for students to cross Highway 55. The arena would have moderate use in comparison to the other types of uses that could be proposed for this property. The arena would have limited hours of operation, from 6:00a.m. to midnight. Dahlberg added that there are no intentions to change the hours of operation. He proposed that the 3D-foot high arena would be a visual buffer between the residential neighborhood and . . e . e . Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission December 13, 1999 Page 3 the freeways. Presently, ambient noise is an issue and the arena would provide a blocker from the sound, similar to walls along freeways. In addition, the arena would be compatible with the existing businesses. Don Taylor. 5120 Circle Down, expressed concern for the present amount of traffic generated by the Metropolitan Restaurant. There is difficulty entering and existing Circle Downs. Pentel closed the informal public hearing. Commissioner Groger said that he was concerned with the viability of accessibility for rezoning this area as Commercial. The area is difficult to access because Turner's Crossroad is blocked off, making this area remote. He noted that presently, the storefronts are empty. He is uncertain that it would be wise to rezone this area as Commercial. Pentel stated that she was concerned with rezoning this land from Open Development to Commercial due to environmental issues. She said that there are few open parcels of land in Golden Valley. By retaining the natural features of the area, the neighborhood would remain somewhat secluded. Pentel said the Open Development area is presently functioning ecologically, with wet land features. This area is a wildlife habitat, providing paths and corridors that function as the habitat system. She added that the area is used as a bird wildlife sanctuary, wetlands, and for other recreational uses. Pentel said she would vote against the rezonings. Groger asked staff if the only way the eastern half of the property could be developed is through a PUD. Grimes said that was correct, that the existing shopping center and any proposed development must come in under a Planned Unit Development. He added that the underlying zoning must correspond with the proposed use of the site. Groger asked if the parking lot to the north were rezoned to commercial could development occur on this site. Grimes said that at this time the shopping center is deficient in the number of parking spaces it needs for its site and the parking lot needs to be used as it is. Commissioner Rasmussen stated that she was in favor of rezoning this area to Commercial. She said it presently is not in good repair. She felt that it would be an ideal time to address issues such as a fence and buffer landscaping. Commissioner Shaffer commented that he was in favor of upgrading this vacant lot for commercial development. It would help to keep small retailers in the area. He said that he agreed with the ecological issues that were addressed, but suggested that they should be discussed separately. MOVED by Shaffer, seconded by Eck and motion carried 6-1 to recommend to the City Council approval of the rezonings of Business and Professional Office and Open Development to Commercial. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission December 13,1999 Page 4 III. Informal Public Hearing - Planning Unit Development (P.U.D.) No. 85 Applicant: Breck School (123 Ottawa Avenue, Golden Valley) Address: Golden Hills Shopping Center - 5320-5418 Wayzata Boulevard (Turner's Crossroad and 1-394) and the vacant land located east of the shopping center Request: To allow for the construction of a single-sheet ice arena on the vacant land located to the east of the Golden Hills Shopping Center. The Golden Hills Shopping Center is included in the Planned Unit Development. Director Grimes reviewed the proposed design plan for Golden Hills Shopping Center/Breck Ice Arena Planned Unit Development. Capital City Investments is the owner of the Golden Hills Shopping Center and has an agreement with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to purchase 4.6 acres which is located directly east of the shopping center building. Grimes showed the preliminary plan of the Golden Hills Addition as Lot 3, Block 2. Furthermore, he stated that Capital City entered into an agreement with Breck School to sell this 4.6 acres that they would be purchasing from MnDOT. Breck plans to construct a 40,000- sq. ft. single-sheet ice arena at this location. This new arena is the replacement for the existing Breck Ice Arena, located at 5800 Wayzata Boulevard. The Golden Valley HRA would purchase the current ice arena from Breck in order that the area may be redeveloped. Grimes explained that in order for the ice arena to be considered and be a permitted use on this site, the City of Golden Valley must issue a Planned Unit Development (PUD) permit. The PUD is necessary for several reasons. First, the west 4.6 acres of the property can be accessed only by a private driveway, through the existing Golden Hills Shopping Center. The only way that a lot can be created in Golden Valley without frontage on a public street is by the PUD process. Second, the City had to agree to the purchase of Lot 3, Block 2, by Capitol City from MnDOT. The City agreed to this sale only if Capitol City would include this MnDOT parcel with the existing shopping center property to create one PUD. The City feels strongly ab<l>ut this because of limited access issues. The City also agreed to this arrangement with the, condition that Capitol City would purchase the former Vet Clinic on Turner's Crossroad from th~ City and tear it down for additional parking. i Grimes said that in order for the PUD to go forward, the Planning Commission must approve the rezoning of the east area from Open Development to Commercial. Grimes continued by describing the 9.7 -acre existing site. The west 5 acres consists of the existing shopping center, the former vet clinic property and approximately 310 parking spaces on Lot 1, Block 1 and Lot 2, Block 2. The shopping center building consists of 42,000 sq.ft. of floor space. The west 27,500 sq.ft. of the space is leased to the Metropolitan and the vacant Cocolezonne restaurant. This includes about 4,000 sq.ft. of mezzanine office space for the Metropolitan. The east portion of the shopping center is about 14,400 sq.ft. in area and consists of smaller restaurants and shops, such as August Moon and Char-Mar Cleaners. . e . e . . - . e . Minutes ofthe Golden Valley Planning Commission December 13, 1999 Page 5 Grimes explained that the east 4.6 acres, currently owned by MnDOT, is partially used for parking. As part of the settlement agreement with Capital City over the acquisition of right-of- way for 1-394, MnDOT built a bituminous parking area over the west portion of this lot used by Capitol City. This lot amounts to about 150 spaces. The east portion of this lot. is vacant and partially wooded. MnDOT acquired this lot in the late 1980s to provide right-of-way for 1-394 and as a staging area for equipment during construction. Grimes reported on the land uses in the area. The land uses to the north are the most sensitive because they are residential. A nursing home and single family homes are built on the adjacent land, on Circle Downs. A deteriorating 6-foot wood fence is in place between the nursing home property and the shopping center parking lot. In addition, north of the proposed ice arena is the Mayfair Manor Apartments. Grimes said it is necessary to maintain the affordability of these apartments. Access to the apartments is only from Circle Downs. Grimes continued by saying that the only access to this PUD site is from Turner's Crossroad. MnDOT has agreed that the two lots that they own at the far east end of Circle Down would never be used as access to the property where the ice arena is planned. The east 4.6 acres cannot be developed on its own because there is not street access. Grimes said that the alley, shown on the site plan, has been in place for a number of years. The northern portion of the existing shopping center building is essentially the north driveway into the site from Turner's Crossroad. The city utilities are within this alley. Since the public no longer needs the alley, staff is considering the vacation of the alley. Pentel interjected that when the alley is vacated, the zoning to the north and south should be extended to meet in the middle and each would receive equal portions of the vacated alley. She added that in order for the commercial property owners to claim the alley as theirs, they would have to take further action. Grimes continued with the proposed development of the area. The arena is approximately 40,600 sq.ft. in area, with a seating capacity of 884. It would include locker rooms, meeting rooms, offices, and concession areas in addition to the ice sheet. The parking provi~ed on Lot 3, Block 2, for the ice arena would total 240 spaces. These spaces would all be dir~ctly west of the arena. The Zoning Code requires that ice arenas of this size have one space fo~ every six seats, which amounts to approximately 147 spaces. Both Breck and the City believ~ that 147 spaces would be too few to meet the demand for parking. Grimes said that the parking lot would be changed on the west side of the shopping center by the elimination of the vet clinic. The building would be removed and replaced with additional parking as indicated on the site plan. A driveway along the south end of the site, adjacent 1- 394, would be constructed to provide the primary access to the shopping center and ice arena. Parking would not be permitted on this south driveway to the ice arena. This 24-foot driveway would enhance shopping center parking along the south side by better defining the parking available to the businesses. It is hoped that the majority of the ice arena patrons would use the south driveway for ingress and egress rather than the north driveway. The fire department has reviewed the plan and decided that access to the front of the building is adequate. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission December 13,1999 Page 6 Grimes said that all the parking would be shared. Therefore, there are a total of 550 spaces shared by all the uses in the PUD. Presently, the existing shopping center does notmeet the current parking code of 600 parking spaces. This amount is due primarily to the restaurants on the site. Currently, there are about 300 spaces on the site within the parking lot west and north of the shopping center. The parking area on MnDOT property will hold about 150 cars. Grimes said these spaces would be feasible. He added that problems would only occur if two large events were planned for the same night with the arena and the Metropolitan. Breck School offered the suggestion of bussing people to the arena and providing parking elsewhere if this problem should occur. Grimes continued by commenting that since the Metropolitan has been in operation, and the closure of the Cocolezonne restaurant, the number of parking spaces, along with the overflow parking lot provided by MnDOT, has been adequate on the site. Even when the Metropolitan has a large event, there seems to be no on-street parking in the neighborhoods like happened during the Rupert's days. However, if Cocolezonne would open again (which they have every right to do), parking could get tighter on the shopping center site. Grimes added that the City hired SEH Engineering to look at parking and circulation on the site. Glen VanWormer of SEH believes that the parking and circulation would work if certain measures were taken. He stated that approximately 30 to 40 cars on average would be present at the arena. On average, 13 to 14 times a year, there are 150 to 200 spectators for Breck School events. An important issue was raised that Breck and the Metropolitan have a parking management plan for the site. This would require these two parties to coordinate their schedules to ensure that two large events do not occur at the same time. If this were to occur, the plan would have to indicate how parking would be handled without using the City streets. One suggestion may be that Breck require students not to drive to the game at such a time and be bussed over from the existing campus. Another solution may be to get agreements with surrounding businesses to use their parking lots. Grimes said working out such a parking management plan would be advisable. In response to questions by McAleese and Eck, Grimes said that the amount of parking would be reasonable. If the balance of uses holds, the parking would work with fewer spaces than the code requires. During the majority of the time, the parking for the PUD would be better than it is today. Breck has stated that the greatest attendance they see for a hockey game is about 500-600 persons. The hockey arena would mostly be used for practice or physical. education classes. Breck does rent out about 20% of the ice hours to non-Breck groups. Most of that ice time is for figure skating, broomball, or hockey practices. As part of the parking management plan, Breck could require to manage the types of users that rent out space to ensure that the parking lot is not overloaded. Commissioner Hoffman interjected a concern for safety due to excess traffic generated by the arena. Pentel also expressed a concern about the extra trips that the ice arena would generate. . - . e Grimes said that because the arena is in use during the non-peak-hours, it should not create a problem. The additional trips generated by the ice arena would not have a significant impact on any of the surrounding streets or intersections. The 370 vehicle trips from people coming to the event would be coming and leaving within a 15-minute period, though they don't go through the . neighborhood. . e . - . Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission December 13, 1999 Page 7 Commissioner McAleese brought up the issue of wait time for residents coming out of Circle Downs during the peak of event traffic. With extra traffic coming into and out of the parking lot, it would be extremely difficult to enter or exit Circle Downs. Shaffer stated that there are three options to consider: 1) parking management plan, 2) students bussed from campus, and 3) agreements with existing business to share the parking. McAleese suggested that if Breck School decided to sell the arena in 10 years, there might be a chance for parking and traffic problems. Rules need to be set to avoid problems in the future. Grimes said although this is a PUD, staff would like to maintain the setbacks that are stipulated in the Zoning District in which the proposal is made. In this case, the property is zoned Commercial. The existing shopping center did receive several variances from the BZA and City Council for existing setback variances due to 1-394 acquisitions. These variances have made the building and site legally non-conforming as it sits today. A variance for the number of parking spaces was not given because it was determined the building was legally non- conforming as to parking. Grimes said this proposal would not meet all the requirements of the Commercial zoning district as to setbacks. First, the new parking along old Turner's Crossroad, where the former vet clinic is now located, is proposed to have a setback of only 3 to 5 feet. This portion of Turner's Crossroad has been suggested for vacation because it serves the shopping center and the Colonnade building. If such a vacation occurs, this would become private property where only the sideyard setback of 10 feet to a parking area would apply. Grimes commented that the proposed ice arena building and parking area would not meet the commercial setback requirement along 1-394. The required setback is 35 feet from a street. In this case, the parking lot is setback 13 to 16 feet from 1-394. The building is proposed to be from 20 to 24 feet from 1-394. Grimes said that because this setback is adjacent to a depressed freeway with no direct access, it has been the City's policy to allow such setback variances as part of the PUD. Grimes added that along the north side of the ice arena site, the required building setback from the Multiple-Family zoning district is 30 feet. A parking area may come within 15 feet of this Multiple-Family zoning district. In this case, the parking area is no closer than 17 feet from the property line. However, the ice arena building will be 20 feet from the property line, 10 feet closer than permitted in the Commercial zoning district. Grimes said that staff is suggesting that the alley behind the ice arena be vacated. It is anticipated that half of the 18-footwide alley would go to the ice arena property and half to the apartments. With this vacation, the building would be 29 feet from the property line, or only 1-foot closer than required by the zoning code. If Breck could move the building 1-foot closer to 1-394, no variances would be required along the north property line. Grimes added that if the alley were vacated, the City would have to maintain certain utility easements that now exist. Grimes address the screening and landscaping issues. Breck School submitted a landscape plan, which indicates plantings on the Breck side of the site adjacent to the apartments, The Environmental Technician AI Lundstrom, has given the plan a very preliminary review. A more detailed review would be done as part of the General Plan. He did suggest that additional or alternate plant material should be considered to provide a good landscape screen to the north. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission December 13, 1999 Page 8 Lundstrom wrote that this could be accomplished by alternating types of trees along the north . end of the property. Grimes said that Breck School looked favorably on these suggestions. Grimes said that as Dahlberg noted, the arena would be 30 feet high. The building would be built at a first floor elevation of 878 feet. This would require fill be placed in the area where the arena would be built to bring it up to the 878 elevation. It appears 8 to 10 feet of fill would have to be brought in to meet the 878 elevation. The homes on Circle Downs are built at the 878- 880 foot elevation. As indicated on the preliminary building plans,.the material that would be used include brick, glass, and decorative precast panels. The north side of the building facing the apartment property and the rear of the homes on Circle Downs would have two emergency exits. There would be no windows. The materials on that side would be primarily decorative precast panels. Grimes stated that the plans indicate that the refrigeration unit would be located inside the building to reduce or greatly eliminate noise. Also, new technology has helped to reduce the noise of the refrigeration systems. e Grimes said that the hours of operation during winter months are from 6:00 a.m. to midnight on weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to midnight on weekends. From April to October, the hours are 8:00 a.m. to midnight. During the non-winter months, many of the late hours are not used due to the lack of demand. The early and late hours are used only by small groups and not used for games with spectators. Grimes noted that Breck would have to submit a lighting plan for the proposed parking lot that would be sensitive to the adjoining residential area. Lights should be kept at a low level and turned off or down during the hours the facility is not in use. . Grimes stated that City Engineer Jeff Oliver addressed issues such as drainage, utilities, access, grading and erosion control, and water quality in his memo. This proposal would be required to meet the City's water quality standards. A retention pond is planned for the far east end of the site. Grimes said that the Inspections Department has met with the architect, for the proRosed arena, to discuss public safety issues. Preliminary review indicates that the propos~d plan provides for adequate public safety access. Further review will be required. [ Grimes added that the arena could be built with the conditions stated. The parking ~Ian could work as they will accrue 500 parking spaces. It would also give the Metropolitan an bpportunity to have additional parking. Grimes added that the residents to the north have requested additional buffering to be done. - Grimes indicated that the preliminary conditions for the proposal if approved as a PUD would include: a parking plan, revised landscape plan, alley vacation, vet clinic purchase, and a fence. A lighting plan would need to be reviewed by the Chief of Fire and Inspections and go before the Board of Building Review. Pentel commented that the packet did not include two memos, one from SEH and one from Dahlberg. Grimes said that Dahlberg's memo consisted of parking issues. He added that Dahlberg and VanWormer had discussions about moving the building further east. . . - . - . Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission December 13,1999 Page 9 Chair Pentel asked the applicant to come forward. Paul Dahlberg, 8851 Zealand Avenue North, Brooklyn Park, representative for Breck School, presented the proposal for the arena. He said that a soil report was conducted on the site and with this knowledge, the plan for building on the east portion of the site would require pilings of 100 fee deep. He said that Turner's Crossroad would provide access from the west, and that presently, the setbacks from 1-394 and the frontage road are 17.5 feet. Dahlberg stated that Breck is intending to use this facility for the long term. Breck's plan includes use for their physical education program and maintenance of the ice programs for the school. With the new arena and new rezoning to commercial, there is the possibility of enticing retailers to move into the area. Dahlberg addressed the parking issue. He stated that the only events that would cause a conflict would be with the Metropolitan. The Breck/Blake game, Blake's biggest rivalry, usually attracts the largest crowd of approximately 450 spectators. The game is set for a Saturday afternoon in February, which should not be in conflict with events at the Metropolitan. Dahlberg stated that the single-ice sheet is 200 feet long. To accommodate code for this size, the seating capacity must be 884. Breck's programs would not demand the 884 seating capacity at present. On average, there will be 350 seats filled. The existing parking would be able to handle this size of crowd. Dahlberg stated the potential to push the setback further south towards the 1-394 frontage road. The surface water easement runs along the south line. The utility easement must be 20 feet, the existing distance. Therefore, there is little room for adjustment. Dahlberg next commented on the conditions recommended by Director Grimes as found in his report to the Planning Commission: 1. The site plan prepared by ACC Architects becomes part of this approval. 2. Parking: Breck is willing to work with other property owners for parking arrangement, though no formal discussions have happened at this stage. 3. The recommendations of City Engineer, Jeff Oliver, were taken into account and accepted as part of this approval. 4. The landscape plan has been submitted, illustrating the developments of the building on the west side of the site. It will be revised accordingly if necessary. The landscape plan includes tree preservation. There are two species, including the box elder and cottonwood. 5. Vacation of the alley: At this point, Dahlberg states that he does not see any benefit for the vacation of the alley. 6. The purchase of the vet clinic is important. 7. Maintaining a fence to provide a buffer zone is essential. 8. There are no problems with the restricted hours of the arena. 9. There are no problems with the approval of the lighting plans for the parking lot. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission December 13,1999 Page 10 Dahlberg stated that during the planning process, Breck School organized a public meeting with . neighbors in the adjacent area. This meeting was held prior to location the building to the east side of the vacant lot. He noted that only six residents attended the meeting. Dahlberg added that at that time, there were no major objections to the development of the ice arena. The only concerns voiced were of maintaining control of the parking lot during off-hours. Dahlberg noted that Breck School would be a private owner for this arena, thus they would have more control over the site. Dahlberg was asked by McAleese to discuss the elevations of the proposed arena. Dahlberg said the main entrance is on the west side and that the north wall faces the property owners. The north side of the building would contain two emergency exits, which would have % foot candle lights required by coding. These doors would remain closed and maintained with an alarm system. The east side of the building faces Hwy. 100. Dahlberg said the refrigeration system is located inside, though one is outside. He added, the condensing unit, located on the roof, is screened from the north side. He said the main building is 28 feet height and 30 feet .a with the top cap, and the southwest corner is the tallest portion of the building. .,. Dahlberg stated that the lighting in the parking lot would meet the code of 2-foot candles. The lights would be in downcast, shoebox type fixtures on 3D-foot high masts. The light would be evenly distributed across the parking lot to allow people to feel comfortable walking to their car after dark. On the rear of the building, the emergency doors will be lit by batterypack lighting. Grimes recommended that control of the lighting after hours would be a good idea. Dahlberg discussed acoustics of the arena. He said to maintain the climate within the arena, . the doors would need to be kept closed. He added, with the doors closed, little noise would escape the arena. Shaffer asked if there were plans to create pedestrian walks between the overflow parking and existing parking areas. Dahlberg stated that only during a major event would the whole lot be occupied. During regular operation, there are approximately 30 to 40 cars. He said~here is a a. possibility of creating boulevards between the rows, but that would eliminate space fpr creating .. a landscaping buffer. i i Dahlberg stated that the drainage pond in the easterly portion of the site would be m~intained as a drainage pond. i Patrick Fisher, Capital City Investments Property Manager, addressed concerns over the present state of the existing buildings. He said presently, there are several maintenance issues. He said that until Capital City Investments purchases the former vet clinic from the HRA, they are unable to do any improvements. He said he would be unwilling to spend lots of money until he knows the plan for building on the vacant lot to the east of the shopping center. Fisher discussed concerns of parking. As many parking spaces as possible are necessary for the existing businesses and the proposed arena. He said there are only a few big events throughout the year on the existing site, and on those nights, the existing parking fills up. Fisher said on average, only 30 parking spaces are occupied. Chair Pentel opened the informal public hearing. . . e . e . Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission December 13, 1999 Page 11 Dan Goldman, son of owner of the Mayfair Manor Apartments-5307-11Circle Down, said that he did not receive notification of the meeting with Breck School. He continued to say that he was familiar with the area, dealt with the Rupert's problems, and was assured by MnDOT that the fence was to be maintained. Goldman said that after 1-394 was built, the fence stopped being maintained. His main concern is that the Mayfair Apartments face the parking lot of the ice arena. He is worried that there will be issues dealing with noise from the parking lot and lights shining into the apartments. He added that with the fence in bad repair, people are likely to park in the apartment parking lot and walk over to the arena. He suggested building a berm or fence to deter people from parking in the apartment's lot. Shelley Maasch, 5011 Circle Down, is concerned with the lack of screening along the development. This project would eliminate part of the woodlands where the Peregrine falcon hunts. She is also concerned with the noise being produced by construction of the 100-foot pilings. Jane Gjerstad, 5420 Circle Down, is concerned with the traffic on Turner's Crossroads. She said she has difficulty getting in and out of her driveway and with all of the new traffic, it will become increasingly more difficult. She also stated concern about noise generated from the traffic. The lights in the parking lot will also affect the.houses along Circle Down. She suggested building something that would be a tax benefit to the city. John Theil, Director of Athletics at Breck School, described Breck School's athletic program. He said there are 18 home hockey games a year, 9 girls' and 9 boys' games. The games are held on Saturday afternoons and Tuesday evenings. The biggest game this year had 307 spectators, only 100 cars. Theil said on average there are 187 people and under 75 cars. The largest game is the Breck/Blake game drawing 400-450 people. Mr. Theil addressed Pentel'squestion regarding the large rink size. He said that besides Breck School events, the rink is used for women's programs, figure skating groups, youth programs, and broom ball. The arena would be used for small crowds, and that all large games (1500 or more spectators) would be held at other locations. I 'I Doug Velenchenko, 5011 Circle Down, expressed environmental concerns. He saidl that this area is a drain basin with black peat soil. He is concerned about the impact of filling lin this area on drainage, soil, water, and vegetation. He questioned the plan for re-Iandscaping this area. I I , Dahlberg responded to several questions that were addressed. He said that no ice resurfacing material would leave the building, all the ice melt would be recycled inside the building. He noted that it would take approximately one month to drive the piles for the building. He said vibrations could be felt approximately % mile away and be heard one mile away. Other options for the foundation have not yet been explored. Dave Putnam, Civil Engineer for Breck School ice arena, addressed the drainage and erosion control plan. He plans on raising the grade for the building. The drainage would be conveyed across to the pond on the east side, through a storm sewer system. The storm water would be treated and skimmed of floatables. The water that leaves the area would be cleaner than the water that goes into the creek. The pond would be left in its natural state. Putnam said the Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission December 13, 1999 Page 12 pond is on average 8 feet deep and during a rainfall, the water level would rise and fall as the . storm water was discharged. They have accounted for rainwater while designing the pond. The pond is capable of handling rainwater from 7 acres of land. Chair Pentel closed the informal public hearing. Eck voiced concern that the lighting in the parking lot might be problematic for surrounding residents. He said the 30-foot high lights would spread light across the parking lot, but would not simply restrict it to the parking lot area. Grimes stated new lighting technology helps to retain lighting with the parking lots. If the lights were turned down after hours, it would help to eliminate the problem of spill over from the site. He said the lighting situation would be further reviewed by stall. Eck addressed the problem of people parking at the apartment building and walking to the Metropolitan or the proposed ice arena. He would like to see a buffer, such as.a fence, included in the plan. e Grimes said that the fence is in disrepair. A solid fence would have to be considered to deter people from parking at the apartments. Dave Putnam stated that it would be impossible to build a 10-15 foot berm. It would take 70 to 100 feet to build that size of berm. Rasmussen agreed with several of the issues discussed. She would like to see a maintained fence added to the plan to provide buffering for the adjacent residential area. In addition, the lighting issue should be addressed to lessen the impact on the adjacent residences. . Pentel stated that with the new rezoning to Commercial, there is a possibility of attracting more people to the area. The owner of the existing strip mall is waiting to see what will happen with the proposed ice arena before making improvements to his building. She would like to make sure that the new commercial zoning would have the least effect on the adjoining residential neighborhood. Since this is an isolated area, there are concerns for density of the use, coverage of the property, and parking considerations. e McAleese stated his concern for the parking problem. He said there is no guarantee that Breck School and the Metropolitan would work out a parking contract. He is also concerned about the setbacks. He finds the setback to the rear of the property problematic, thus it would not be sensible to build so close to the setback. He noted that the north side setback would be resolved by vacating the alley. In addition, he is concerned about drainage. Shaffer stated his concern for the parking issue. A clear parking management plan would be essential to alleviate any problems. With the Athletic Director's parking statistics, it seems that on average the proposed amount of parking stalls would be sufficient. In regards to landscaping, he clarified that landscaping would serve the purpose of softening the edges of the building. He agreed with the suggestion to build a fence as a buffer. The fence would assist in minimizing headlights from shining into the adjacent residences. . . - . e . Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission December 13, 1999 Page 13 Hoffman proceeded to propose that construction of the single-sheet ice arena be allowed on this vacant lot, under the conditions of building a fence and maintenance by Breck School. Grimes added that the percentage of retail and restaurant usage for this commercial area should be stated. MOVED by Hoffman, seconded by Eck and motion was carried by a vote of 4 to 3 recommending approval to the City Council of allowing construction of a single-sheet ice arena on the vacant land located east of the Golden Hills Shopping Center as part of the Golden Hills Addition, PUD No. 85 with the following conditions: 1. The site plan prepared by ACC Architects and dated 12/3/99 becomes a part of this approval. 2. A parking management plan is developed prior to review of the General Plan of Development. The plans would provide ways to manage and control peak parking on the site. 3. The recommendations of City Engineer Jeff Oliver as found in his memo dated December 9, 1999 become a part of this approval. 4. A revised landscape and tree preservation plan is submitted as part of the General Plan of Development. 5. The City staff investigates the vacation of the alley throughout the site. 6. Capitol City Investment purchase the former vet clinic site from the City prior to approval of the General Plan of Development. 7. A 6-foot wood fence is maintained on the PUD property to screen the apartment buildings from the parking lot and maintained by Breck School. 8. The arena hours are limited to 6 AM to midnight. 9. The Director of Inspections shall approve lighting plans for the parking lot. Lighting should be reduced after 11 PM. IV. Reports on Meetings of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, City Council, Board of Zoning Appeals and other Meetings Eck said that the Winnetka Task Force met last Monday. They discussed traffic concerns of the residential area across the street from a commercial area. Also discussed was the interest in access to parks. He noted there was discusion of the difficulty to access parks in Golden Valley. The City has hired a facilitator to run the meetings. V. Other Business No other business was discussed. VI. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 10:50 p.m.