Loading...
01-09-14 Bottineau LRT Planning Advisory Committee Minutes city of goZden val l e Y Bottineau LRT Planning Advisory Committee January 9, 2014 6:00 pm Golden Valley City Hall Council Conference Room Committee Members Present: Chair Rich Baker, Vice Chair Sean Fahey, Gillian Rosenquist, Dan Steinberg, Jim Stremel, Cathy Waldhauser, Andrea Wiley, Erv Heim City Council Present: Mayor Shep Harris, Council Member Larry Fonnest, Council Member Andy Snope City Staff Present: City Manager Tom Burt, Community Development Director Mark Grimes, City Engineer Jeff Oliver, City Planner Jason Zimmerman Also Present: Billy Binder, Ryan Bauman I. Approval of Meeting Minutes from December 5, 2013 Chair Rich Baker called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm. Introductions were made including new City Council Members Fonnest and Snope. Residents Billy Binder and Ryan Bauman were also in attendance. The minutes from the December 5, 2013, meeting were approved unanimously. II. Update from St. Margaret Mary Church Committee Member Erv Heim updated the group on St. Margaret Mary's process for weighing- in on the light rail line. He reported that the Church Council was scheduled to meet shortly and that he would be bringing the Committee's conversations to the Council for discussion. III. Update from Hennepin County/Project Consultants City Planner Zimmerman told the Committee that Hennepin County had selected a consultant team led by SRF to carry out the station area planning and that the final contract was being negotiated. The consultant team has been asked to attend the February PAC meeting. Chair Baker asked that they send out a timeline with relevant benchmarks so that the Committee can understand how they fit into the station area planning process. Member Steinberg asked about the timing of the release of the DEIS. Zimmerman reported that the latest word from Hennepin County was that it would be released in March or April and would be followed by a 45 day public comment period. IV. Discussion of City Council Resolution and Committee Tasks Chair Baker led the Committee through a brainstorming exercise to explore potential topics for investigation related to the ten tasks assigned to the group by the City Council in their resolution of August 7, 2013. The group was asked to think about what topics should be "In" for consideration and which should be "Out". 1. Identify all impacts of the Bottineau LRT on roads, sidewalks, and trails. IN: Three Rivers trails; capacities; safe access; connections to Minneapolis; Wirth Park plan; demands on Theo Wirth Parkway; Wirth Park events; connectivity to Golden Valley downtown; relationship to the Grand Rounds; visual, auditory, and aesthetic impacts; on-street parking OUT: Highway 55 2. Identify effects on the existing transit system in Golden Valley. IN: inadequacy; expansion; review of existing system; Met Council plan; relationship to future transit; future shuttle buses by private entities OUT: 3. Identify station parking issues, availability, and opportunities. IN: street parking; future parking ramps; park and rides; kiss and rides (drop-off facilities); prohibition on park property; Minneapolis park and ride ordinance; MPRB issues; aesthetics and design; need; relationship to ridership; use of city land for parking; potential sites for parking OUT: capacity studies 4. Meet with key property owners and other stakeholders near both proposed station locations to understand Iong-term plans for the area. IN: churches; fire station; Courage Center; MPRB; daycare center; neurology clinic; Hidden Lakes community; Regency Hospital; City of Minneapolis (roads); private utility infrastructure OUT: individual homeowners 5. Identify impacts to natural resources and plans for mitigation of the impacts. IN: Bassett Creek (including navigability); Grimes Pond; other surface waters; Wirth Park; Mary Hills Nature Area; deer migration routes; wildlife; aesthetics—lighting, noise; Wirth Park recreation/events; wetlands; drainage/storage; air quality OUT: 6. Establish Iong-term land use goals for areas adjacent to both of the proposed station locations. IN: Golden Valley Comprehensive Plan; zoning; development; Golden Valley Land Use Management Plan; connections to recreational trails; keeping areas undeveloped; aesthetics; how the line fits into Golden Valley; church plans; utilities OUT: Minneapolis plans 7. Work with Hennepin County to ensure that there is an adequate method of communication to Golden Valley property owners. IN: review consultant communication plans; help implement consultant plans; review Hennepin County communication plans; review Met Council communication plans OUT: other Bottineau issues 8. Meet with residents living near the Bottineau LRT corridor and identify issues and concerns. IN: open houses; neighborhood meetings; participate in open houses; door knock; elicit concerns (e.g., access) OUT: outreach to businesses; City of Minneapolis; Minneapolis residents 9. Review and offer comments on station area planning analysis, results, and recommendations. IN: what is the mechanism?; feedback on methodology; generate recommendations to City Council; communications with City Commissions; report back to committee from Commissions; advise consultants on outreach to other groups OUT: 10. Review and offer comments to land use plans for areas adjacent to the station locations. IN: compare recommendations to Golden Valley plans; request acknowledgment of our input; consider changes to Golden Valley plans or zoning OUT: V. Potential Thesis Topics for UMN/UTA Students Chair Baker remarked that the timing for working with students now was not good as they were in need of topics in January and the Committee was not far enough along in the process. Steinberg agreed and suggested the issue could be revisited once the DEIS was complete. VI. Questions for Minneapolis Park Board Chair Baker asked the Committee to generate questions for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board as they would be attending the February meeting. The group came up with the following questions and asked they be forwarded to the MPRB representative in advance of the next meeting: 1. A brief review of the Theodore Wirth Park Master Plan: what are the Park Board's plans for changes in the design, programming, and number of events in Theodore Wirth Park? how will the Park accommodate increased use? 2. What policy changes would need to be made to allow for the Bottineau LRT line and station(s)? How would these changes be made and how would Golden Valley be involved in the process? 3. How does the Park Board view the use of Park land for the station(s) and for parking? 4. Does the Park Board have a preference for a station location?What ideas do they have about station design, aesthetics, etc.? 5. What changes to the Parkway would be needed? How would the Park Board propose to deal with increased Parkway demand? How would funding and maintenance of Park roads be handled? 6. How does the Park Board view the following: access from the Parkway to the station(s)? access from the station(s) to the Park? potential changes to the Park near the proposed station(s)?the relationship/connection between the Park and the Mary Hills Nature Area? 7. Are there distinctions in the responsibilities, decisions, or jurisdictions regarding Theodore Wirth because it is a Regional Park? VII. Other Business Chair Baker reported that he attended a recent meeting regarding the Southwest LRT line to observe their process. VIII. Comments from Non-Members Resident Billy Binder spoke to the Committee and expressed curiosity with respect to the option of one station vs. two stations. He said he has spoken with Hennepin County Commissioner Higgins and she appeared open to two stations. He supported the effort to explore better connections to the Honeywell campus, as well as to the Courage Center, from the Golden Valley Road station. Finally, he reported that short term improvements were being planned for Golden Valley Road. Resident Ryan Bauman told the Committee that the Railvolution conference will be held in Minneapolis/St. Paul in September and encouraged members to attend. IX. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 7:40 pm.