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12-28-15 PC Minutes Regular Meeting of the Golden Valley Planning Commission December 28, 2015 A regular meeting of the Planning Commission was held at the Golden Valley City Hall, Council Chambers, 7800 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley, Minnesota, on Monday, December 28, 2015. Chair Segelbaum called the meeting to order at 7 pm. Those present were Planning Commissioners Baker, Blum, Johnson, Segelbaum, and Waldhauser. Also present was Planning Manager Jason Zimmerman, and Administrative Assistant Lisa Wittman. Commissioners Cera and Kluchka were absent. 1. Approval of Minutes November 23, 2015, Regular Planning Commission Meeting Waldhauser referred to the eighth paragraph on page 10 and asked that the language regarding the CUP meeting the Zoning Code requirements be clarified to state that the CUP is meeting the setbacks, height and size requirements. MOVED by Blum, seconded by Johnson and motion carried unanimously to approve the November 23, 2015, minutes with the above noted clarification. 2. Informal Public Hearing — Conditional Use Permit— 9000 10t" Avenue North — Motors Management Corp. — CU-143 Applicant: Motors Management Corp. Addresses: 9000 10t" Avenue North Purpose: To allow for an auto repair use in the Industrial Zoning District. Zimmerman explained the applicant's request for a Conditional Use Permit to allow automobile repair in the Industrial Zoning District at 9000 10t" Avenue North (former Gopher News property). He stated that the applicant is also proposing to have a call center, their IT department, a conference center, and inventory storage, however those uses are permitted and do not require Planning Commission or City Council review. Zimmerman discussed the existing site conditions and stated that the building footprint is approximately 93,000 square feet in size and the applicant is estimating that the auto repair use will occupy approximately 20,000 square feet. He stated that there are 12 service bay doors on the west side of the building with 9 existing service bays and the potential to add 7 more service bays in the future. He noted that the applicant also owns the 4.25 acre vacant parcel to the west and added that the proposed auto repair/installation use is internal to the company only with no retail component and no customers visiting the site. Cars will be brought to this location for installation of equipment or reconditioning and then brought to their retail location for sale. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission December 28, 2015 Page 2 Zimmerman discussed parking on the site and stated that there are currently 70 parking spaces and the applicant is proposing to restripe the existing parking lot to add 90 additional parking spaces in order to meet the minimum requirement of 156 spaces for all of the proposed uses. Zimmerman stated that based on review of the application materials and evaluation of the factors of suitability, staff is recommending approval of the requested Conditional Use Permit with the conditions listed in the staff report and the following additional condition: An additional 7 service bays may be constructed, for a total of 16, as shown on the plans dated November 25, 2015. In the event these are added, 28 additional parking spaces must be made available for employees. Waldhauser asked if the vacant lot to the west is zoned the same as the subject property. Zimmerman said yes, they are both zoned Industrial. Baker asked if the existing service bays are designed for auto repair. Zimmerman said the applicant will need to do some additional work to the building to allow for auto repair. Baker asked about the previous use of the building. Zimmerman said the previous use was more shipping and distribution related. Baker asked if both internal and external inventory storage is allowed. Zimmerman said yes and explained that the internal storage of cars will require some building improvements and the outdoor storage will require screening and possibly storm water review depending on the applicant's proposal. Baker asked if there are and lighting or fencing plans. Zimmerman said there will be some lighting added for security and that the screening wilt be reviewed by staff before it is installed. Waldhauser asked if the site is currently close to the minimum number of required parking spaces. Zimmerman stated that if the applicant re-stripes the lot they will have an excess of four parking spaces. If they add more service bays they will use their internal parking spaces and will then need an additional 28 spaces. Baker asked if the parking requirements are based on the number of employees or if they are based on the size of the building. Zimmerman stated the parking requirements are based on the use and size of the building. Segelbaum questioned if additional parking spaces are needed if they would be normal sized stalls. Zimmerman said the indoor parking spaces could be smaller, but the outside spaces would be the required size. Segelbaum asked if the parking requirement for office space of 1 space per 250 square feet was modified as part of the recently amended parking language in the Zoning Code. Zimmerman said no. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission December 28, 2015 Page 3 Segelbaum asked if there are any concerns about internal circulation or with vehicles delivering cars to this site. Zimmerman stated that staff is comfortable with the internal circulation. He added that large trucks will deliver vehicles, but the individual vehicles will then be driven to the retail lot. Blum referred to the existing service bays on the west side of the building and said that is where deliveries would most likely occur and questioned if additional parking would be added to the north and east sides of the property. Zimmerman said generally the additional parking would be behind the building and more to the west. He said the applicant won't need to pave any additional areas, they would just need to re-stripe the existing lot. Waldhauser asked if the Police Department will be reviewing the proposed plans for adequate safety because there could be issues with the vehicles sitting outside. Zimmerman said he would review the plans with the Police Department before this item goes to the City Council for review. Segelbaum asked if the site will have to be brought into compliance with the lighting requirements or if the lighting is grandfathered in. Zimmerman said it depends on the proposed lighting plan and how much of the lighting is proposed to be changed. Johnson asked Zimmerman if he anticipates any new findings during the permitting process. Zimmerman said there won't be any new findings related to zoning. He added that the permitting process will address issues with the building and construction. Linda McGinty, Vice President of Real Estate, Luther Automotive, said they own Rudy Luther Toyota on I-394 which is a very busy site and is creating the need for expansion to another site. She stated that the proposed new site will work well with the multiple uses they need and at some point they will probably expand on the vacant property to the west. She referred to a raised dock area along the west side of the building and said they aren't ready to take that out yet, but there are trench drains they will have to re- work and they will be addressing the make-up air system and bringing it up to code. She discussed the exterior lighting for the site and said it is different than a retail property, but they will probably redo the exterior lights and upgrade them to more efficient lighting. Baker questioned if the area isn't lit, how they will deal with security. McGinty said their long range plan is to expand parking and storage to the west and that they will add fencing, a gate, and lighting at that time. Baker asked if this location will serve all of the Luther businesses or just the Rudy Luther Toyota business. McGinty said it will serve just the Rudy Luther Toyota location. Segelbaum asked if existing employees will be relocated to this location of if they will be hiring new employees. McGinty said there will be a combination of both existing and new employees. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission December 28, 2015 Page 4 Segelbaum asked for more details regarding the proposed conference center. McGinty said they have a training center at their St. Louis Park office and they are close to needing a larger conference center/training space. Segelbaum asked if the IT Department and call center are currently located in St. Louis Park. McGinty said yes. Blum asked how many new jobs will be created. McGinty said she doesn't know yet. She stated that they currently have eight marketing employees and they are expecting to have 15 to 20 and the call center currently employs 40 and they hope to expand that in the future as well. She added that they might also use the vacant parcel to the west to accommodate additional employee parking. Waldhauser asked if the rail line to the north could be used for deliveries. McGinty said no and stated that the manufacturer has very specific requirements for deliveries that they can't change. She stated that currently all the transport trucks come to the store and that they would now come to this proposed location. Segelbaum asked if any enhancements or amenities are being added. McGinty said the current building is predominately warehouse and they will be creating some Class A office space. She said they haven't decided on the landscaping plans yet but they are currently working with designers and architects on enhancements to the property. Johnson asked for more information regarding the service bay doors and the partition between the service area and the parking area. McGinty said there is a wall that separates the docks and the parking area and there won't be any cross traffic. She said they will also be segregating the separate areas. She explained that originally they were considering using the entire space for servicing vehicles but they have decided to leave the dock and service bay area for now, but replace the old service bay doors. Segelbaum asked about the typical truck traffic coming in and out of the site. McGinty said there isn't a typical day. Some days there are three transports dropping off vehicles and some days there are none. It is based on inventory and the manufacturer timing. Baker asked how the vehicles would be transported from this location to the store. McGinty said they would be driven individually by employees. Waldhauser asked McGinty if she would have any issues with an added condition stating that the site will only service the dealer's vehicles. McGinty stated that this site will not be used for retail and they are not setting it up for that type of environment. Segelbaum opened the public hearing. Steve Legatt, 9100 10th Avenue North, said he has no objections to the proposed use, but he is curious about the plans for the vacant lot to the west. Baker asked Legatt the nature of his business. Legatt said he owns a painting business and leases space to a granite business. He asked if there would be overflow parking on the vacant lot because he operates a paint booth so he is concerned about fumes or overspray and the impact that might have on cars parked nearby. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission December 28, 2015 Page 5 Seeing and hearing no one else wishing to comment, Segelbaum closed the public hearing. Baker said he would be interesting in knowing if there will be an impact on cars parked near paint and fumes. Segelbaum questioned if other industrial uses could occur on the vacant lot. Zimmerman said yes, there could be outdoor storage or anything else allowed in the Industrial Zoning District. McGinty said she doesn't think there will be any issues regarding the use of a paint booth at the business next door. Segelbaum referred to Zimmerman's proposed additional condition regarding parking and to Waldhauser's suggested condition regarding limiting service to a non-retail use and asked the Commissioners if they had any thoughts about them. Johnson referred to the second finding regarding the increase in jobs and the tax base and suggested that the information be quantified or removed. Blum stated that the applicant has suggested that the marketing and call center functions will be expanded so he thinks the finding regarding the increase in jobs and the tax base is appropriate. Zimmerman agreed that they are adding the opportunity for growth, even though they don't know the exact number of new jobs at this point. Segelbaum asked if there are MPCA air quality requirements. Zimmerman said the building permit process would address issues like that. Blum said he is in favor of the proposal and of the two additional conditions. He highlighted that the planned lighting, if expanded, will be more efficient and he thinks it is positive that there will be no additional impervious surFace and that the upgrading of their existing drainage infrastructure is also another positive aspect of this proposal. Segelbaum agreed. Waldhauser clarified that her suggested condition would be to add that approval is subject to only dealer-owned vehicles being serviced at this location. Segelbaum said he thought the concern was about generating retail sales traffic. Waldhauser agreed and said she views this proposal as a service center and not a retail service center. She noted that if a facility is for the general public there are concerns about getting people in and out safely, sidewalks, striping, etc. She asked the applicant to clarify their intent. McGinty said their intent is to not make this an environment that customers come to in order to purchase services. She said it may become an outlet where customer's vehicles are brought to this location to be serviced and then brought back to the store, so she would not like limitations regarding servicing only dealer-owned vehicles and she would like flexibility to be able to bring customer-owned vehicles to this location for service. Baker said he doesn't feel like this location needs to be restricted and that it is reasonable to process new vehicles or service customer vehicles as long as it is not a retail sales location. He added that if the use results in retail traffic then he thinks the Conditional Use Permit would need to be amended. Zimmerman agreed that if the plans regarding the use of the property change the applicant would have to come back to the City to amend their Conditional Use Permit. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission December 28, 2015 Page 6 MOVED by Baker, seconded by Blum and motion carried unanimously to recommend approval of a Conditional Use Permit at 9000 10th Avenue North to allow for an auto repair use in the Industrial Zoning District subject to the following findings and conditions: Findinqs: 1. Demonstrated Need for the Proposed Use: Moving the company's internal new vehicle prep and pre-owned vehicle reconditioning operations to this location would free up space at Luther's current facility. It would also eliminate the need for large transport vehicles to drop off at the main store. 2. Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan: The automobile repair use, in conjunction with the other uses being proposed, is consistent with the goal of locating redevelopment along major corridors and increasing the job and tax base within the community. The property is designated for Industrial use on the General Land Use Plan Map. 3. Effect on Property Values: Staff anticipates the new use would have no impact on the surrounding property values and is isolated from any residential neighborhoods. 4. Effect on Traffic: The number of trips associated with the proposed use is minimal, as the automobile repair being proposed is not a retail use but for internal company use only. Staff does not expect any negative traffic impacts to the surrounding areas. 5. Effect of Increases in Population and Density: The proposed uses may generate a minor increase in the number of employees at the location compared to the current uses, but will likely be fewer than the previous use of Gopher News operations. 6. Increase in Noise Levels: The proposed use is not anticipated to cause a significant increase in noise levels. Automobile repair will take place during normal work hours and on the west side of the building, which faces a vacant lot. 7. Impact of Dust, Odor, or Vibration: The proposed use is not anticipated to cause an increase in dust or odor. Minimal vibrations may be associated with the use but should not impact any adjacent uses. 8. Impact of Pests: The proposed use is not anticipated to attract pests. 9. Visual Impact: Five windows will be added to the building. Staff does not anticipate a change in the visual quality of the property from the automobile repair use. 10.Other Impacts to the City and Residents: Staff does not anticipate any other negative effects of the proposed use. The location is an industrial property with adequate parking. Conditions: 1. The plans by submitted by the applicant on November 25, 2015, shall become a part of this approval. 2. All vehicle deliveries shall take place on-site and shall not take place on the street. 3. Afl signage must meet the requirements of the City's Sign Code (Section 4.20). 4. This approval is subject to all other state, federal, and local ordinances, regulations, or laws with authority over this development. 5. An additional 7 service bays may be constructed, for a total of 16, as shown on the plans dated November 25, 2015. In the event these are added, 28 additional parking spaces must be made available for employees. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission December 28, 2015 Page 7 6. The approved use does not include a retail customer component. Retail servicing of vehicles may occur on-site, but all retail customer transactions—including drop- off and pick-up—shall occur off-site. --Short Recess-- 3. Reports on Meetings of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, City Council, Board of Zoning Appeals and other Meetings Zimmerman gave an update on the following projects: Liberty Crossing, Cornerstone Creek, hello. Apartments, Laurel Ponds, and the 3.9.4 Apartments. Waldhauser referred to the Douglas Drive reconstruction project and asked why there is still one property for sale. Zimmerman stated that there was only slight taking on that property so it could still be used for a single family residential home. Waldhauser stated that an issue that comes up repeatedly is having contiguous sidewalks in the I-394 Corridor since there are retail and restaurants in the area it should be walkable. Zimmerman stated that there is a sidewalk plan and a sidewalk committee and that there will be a group of students reviewing the City's sidewalk plan. Segelbaum asked about Comprehensive Plan training. Zimmerman stated that WSB will be attending a Planning Commission meeting in February to discuss the upcoming Comprehensive Plan amendment process. He added that the Open Space and Recreation Commission and the Environmental Commission will also be invited to attend. Baker stated that he sent staff information on a workshop regarding planning for climate change that someone should attend. Baker said he has heard complaints about a subdivision on Ardmore Drive and asked if there was a subdivision approved. Zimmerman explained that a home is being torn down and re-built and that there was no subdivision applied for or approved. 4. Other Business � Council Liaison Report No report was given. 5. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 8:22 pm. � '�d�" , � John Kluc ka, Secretary Lis Wittman, Administrative Assistant