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10-23-06 Special PC Minutes . . . Special Meeting of the Golden Valley Planning Commission October 23, 2006 A special meeting of the Planning Commission was held at the Golden Valley City Hall, Council Conference Room, 7800 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley, Minnesota, on Monday, October 23,2006. Chair Keysser called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm. Those present were Planning Commissioners Cera, Eck, Keysser, Kluchka and Waldhauser. Also present was Director of Planning and Development Mark Grimes, City Engineer Jeff Oliver, Environmental Coordinator AI Lundstrom and Administrative Assistant Lisa Wittman. Commissioners McCarty and Schmidgall were absent. I. Storm Water Management Discussion with City Engineer Jeff Oliver Keysser stated that the City Council has asked the Planning Commission to study the issues of infill and "tear down" development. He explained that one of the issues related to this type of development is stormwater drainage so he asked City Engineer Jeff Oliver to attend this meeting in order to give the Planning Commission some technical information about the stormwater drainage issues. Oliver gave the Commissioners copies of the City's stormwater base map. He explained that the thing that stands out the most throughout the City is the dramatic absence of rear yard storm sewer or catch basins in back yards. Lundstrom added that when the City was developed there was little thought given to rear yard drainage and what would happen in the future. Oliver referred to 2 year storms, 10 year storms and 100 year storms and explained that a 100 year storm has a 1 % chance of occurring in any given year, a 10 year storm has a 90% chance of occurring in any given year and a 2 year storm has a 98% chance of occurring in any given year. He stated that the design standard used several years ago was based on a two year storm which results in considerably smaller pipes. He added that today's design standards are designed for a higher intensity of storm events and are based on a 10 year storm which results in bigger pipes and more capacity. Waldhauser asked if the frequency or intensity of storm events have been getting worse. Oliver said he didn't know but there has been some discussion nationally about reviewing the frequency return curves. Oliver stated that most of the concerns the City hears about is water standing on somebody's lot. He said that until approximately 10 years ago there really wasn't a lot of attention paid to the grading of property for sheds, fences and landscaping and what those things do to the drainage patterns. He explained that the City's policy for dealing with rear yard drainage is that the City is responsible for storm water once it hits the streets or is intercepted by a pipe that it owns and maintains. When the problem is in back yards, the City will provide technical advice and help analyze the situation but it is the homeowner's responsibility. Waldhauser said that she thinks residents realize there is probably a technical solution, but they feel they are paying to drain the neighborhood. Oliver explained that the City will provide a public improvement project to extend storm sewer into a backyard if the affected property owners, or everybody that contributes to the drainage, pays for it. He stated that since he has worked in Golden Valley there has never . . . Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission October 23, 2006 Page 2 been that type of a public improvement project done. Waldhauser agreed that the homeowner's would probably not do a public improvement project voluntarily. Keysser asked if the City could do a special assessment district. Oliver said the City could, but they are very difficult to establish because they have to go through the public hearing process and the homeowner's that don't have a problem don't typically want to pay an assessment because they won't see as obvious of a benefit. Waldhauser stated the homeowner's are required to pay an assessment for the streets to be reconstructed. Oliver said that is a little different because streets are a service that everybody uses. Streets are much more visual and more hands on where storm water drainage is a little more "shadowy". For example, one homeowner might be having a drainage problem, but ten properties might be contributing to it. Oliver explained that most of Golden Valley's drainage problems can be solved with proper grading. He said that there are very few homes in this community that have surface water draining issues most of the issues are from ground water infiltration and the high water table. Grimes asked if the funds that property owners contribute to surface water management go to maintain the existing system. Oliver said that money goes into water quality types of projects such as nutrient and sediment removal, storm sewer cleaning, street sweeping, environmental manholes, etc. He added that most of the rate control and flooding issues in general are addressed by the watershed district and the City is responsible for enforcing those issues. Waldhauser said that most of the neighbors concerns seem to be about the run-off from new properties being developed and that the new home being built will make their water problems worse. She added that a lot of these properties already have a groundwater issue to begin with and asked if the additional surface water adds to these existing conditions. Oliver stated that the most common surface water issue is water standing in low spots in people's yards. Kluchka asked if the surface water contributes to basement flooding. Oliver said it could, but generally it takes a minimum of a 2% grade to get good surface water drainage over a turf area. Kluchka asked if there is a way to make this issue easier for people to understand. Oliver said the City's goal is to not make an existing situation worse. He handed out copies of the grading, drainage and erosion control plan application and explained all of the information that is required from applicants. Grimes added that the City is also starting to implement subdivision agreements that will help with the grading, drainage and erosion control issues. Cera stated that the grading, drainage and erosion control plans are submitted at the time the building permit process starts and questioned if the timing could be different so drainage plans are submitted earlier in the process. Oliver said it is difficult because often times lots are custom graded and designed after the property has been subdivided so staff doesn't know what type of house is going to be built. . . . Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission October 23, 2006 Page 3 Kluchka asked how the grading plans are enforced. Lundstrom explained that a Certificate of Occupancy is not issued until there is a final inspection of the grading to make sure that the property is graded properly. Keysser asked about the effectiveness rain gardens, environmental manholes, etc. Oliver said they are all tools in the tool box and in the right place they can be tremendously successful. Keysser asked how much maintenance is involved with rain gardens and how the City enforces the maintenance. Oliver explained that the City requires applicants to enter into maintenance agreements and they are supposed to do the routine maintenance and report back to the City annually. He added that the City does have the ability to do order that the maintenance work be done or the City can do the work and bill the property owner. Cera asked if the maintenance agreements are permanently on the home's deed. Oliver said yes. Waldhauser asked how onerous the maintenance on ponds and rain gardens. Oliver said most storm water ponds need to be dredged after approximately 20 years. He said that rain gardens haven't been around long enough to know about maintenance yet. Keysser asked if larger sized commercial sites require a higher level of storm water management. Oliver said that the City follows the Watershed District standards. Cera asked if the City periodically checks on ponds and rain gardens once they are built. Oliver reiterated that the applicants are supposed to submit annual reports. Lundstrom added that periodic inspections are done during the construction stage. He stated that staff has put together a list of maintenance items that are reasonable for a homeowner to do. Cera asked if there is a way to inspect rain gardens that would not be taxing on the staff. Lundstrom stated that most of the maintenance issues with rain gardens will be handled on a complaint basis. Keysser noted that in some subdivision requests the grading plan can make the existing drainage situation better. Cera said it comes back to how the City is going to enforce the grading plans. Oliver explained that there may be increase in run-off when a new house is built but to be able to visually quantify the total volume is very difficult. Cera asked if there is a fee for the maintenance agreement. Grimes said yes. Cera asked if the City ever does bonding. Oliver said that bonds are hard to collect on. Oliver reiterated that staff takes drainage issues very seriously and spend a lot of time making sure that proposed drainage plans will work. He said that if a proposal goes to the Planning Commission with a positive recommendation they can be confident that staff feels the proposed drainage plan will work. Grimes added that if the City Engineer is not confident about a proposed drainage plan the proposal most likely won't even go to the Planning Commission. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission October 23, 2006 Page 4 . II. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 6:50 pm. . .