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03-14-16 PC Minutes Regular Meeting of the Golden Valley Planning Commission March 14, 2016 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, March 14, 2016. Chair Segelbaum called the meeting to order at 7 pm. Those present were Planning Commissioners Baker, Blum, Johnson, Kluchka, Segelbaum, and Waldhauser. Also present was Planning Manager Jason Zimmerman, Associate Planner/Grant Writer Emily Goellner, and Administrative Assistant Lisa Wittman. Commissioner Cera was absent. 1. Approval of Minutes February 22, 2016, Regular Planning Commission Meeting Kluchka referred to the second paragraph on page 5 and stated that the last sentence should be amended to read that the "Metropolitan Council is good at providing estimates, but he is not sure they are accurate at the end of the day." MOVED by Blum, seconded by Baker and motion carried unanimously to approve the February 22, 2016, minutes with the above noted change. 2. Informal Public Hearing — Conditional Use Permit— 5905 Golden Valley Road —Jewish Family & Children's Service of Minneapolis — CU-144 Applicant: Jewish Family & Children's Service of Minneapolis Address: 5905 Golden Valley Road Purpose: To allow for accessory retail sales incidental to permitted uses in a Light Industrial zoning district. Goellner explained the applicant's request to allow accessory retail sales consisting of a thrift store and food shelf at 5905 Golden Valley Road incidental to office and warehouse uses in the same building. She stated that the property is zoned and designated Light Industrial and that accessory retail sales conducted in an area less than 10% of the building's gross floor area are allowed with a Conditional Use Permit. She noted that the building is 59,966 square feet in size. The proposed thrift shop would be 3,301 square feet in size and the food shelf would be 1,863 square feet in size which equates to 8.6% of the gross floor area. Goellner stated that Jewish Family & Children's Services (JFCS) will have up to 125 employees and that they will be leasing space to PRISM for the food shelf which will have 12 employees and up to 12 volunteers. She stated there will be approximately 30 visitors per day to the food shelf and approximately 70 visitors per day to the thrift store. Several of the visits will include stops in both the food shelf and thrift store in the same trip. She Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission March 14, 2016 Page 2 added that the hours of operation for the food shelf will be Monday from 11 am to 7 pm, Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 am to 4 pm, Thursday from 9 am to 2 pm and they will be closed Friday through Sunday. The thrift store hours will be Monday from 9 am to 7 pm, Tuesday through Friday from 9 am to 4 pm and the first Saturday of the month from 10 am to 2 pm. Kluchka asked if JFCS and PRISM will be the only tenants in the building. Goellner said yes. Goellner referred to the parking requirements for the site and explained that 201 parking spaces and 11 bicycle parking spaces are required. There are 181 existing parking spaces and 199 proposed parking spaces. She stated the staff will review the parking plan again prior to the issuance of a building permit but she is confident the applicant will be able to provide the required parking spaces. Goellner stated that 7 people attended the neighborhood meeting which was held on March 7. Discussion at that meeting included traffic, speeding, parking, expected activity, and hours of operation, among other topics. Goellner noted that the Police Department is aware of the speeding issues and has been doing enforcement in the area. She noted that the City's Traffic Safety Committee will be discussing the issues and that speeding is an existing issue that was not caused by the introduction of this proposed use. Goellner discussed the traffic volume and explained that on average, approximately 100- 200 trips will be generated each day with this proposed use which comprises 5-10% of the daily average. Golden Valley Road averages 2,200 cars per day and has the capacity to carry approximately 5,000-10,000 cars per day. Kluchka asked if there are currently any traffic controls near this property. Zimmerman said there is not a signal or stop sign at Golden Valley Road and Zane Ave. Kluchka questioned who controls whether or not there are stop signs on Golden Valley Road. Goellner said the Traffic Safety Committee, the City Engineer, and the County consider stop sign requests. Goellner stated that staff also received comments from a resident regarding lighting. She said that staff will work with the applicant to make sure the lighting on the site is brought up to code if it is found to be non-compliant. Waldhauser asked if a Conditional Use Permit follows the property or if it ends when the approved use stops. Goellner said Conditional Use Permits follow the property but if a different use or configuration is proposed an amendment would be required. Johnson asked what would happen if one the proposed uses in this case were to leave. Goellner said a Conditional Use Permit can be rescinded. Johnson asked if the food shelf were to leave if JFCS could have a different retail use in the same space. Goellner said they could have a retail use with the same amount of square footage, hours of operation, etc. but that staff would analyze any new proposal. Baker asked who would be affected if the parking is inadequate. Goellner said there is on- street parking allowed on Zane Ave. and there are other surFace lots nearby that are under-utilized. She added that more parking could also be added to this site if necessary. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission March 14, 2016 Page 3 Kluchka referred to the condition of approval in the staff report regarding the installation of signage to encourage the use of Zane Ave. and asked if the cost of adding signage would be applicant's responsibility. Goellner said yes. Segelbaum asked why the City wants to direct traffic to the Zane Ave. entrance. Goellner said directing the food shelf and thrift store traffic to the Zane Ave. entrance would reduce the impact to the residential properties on the east and north and would avoid the office traffic on Golden Valley Road. Kluchka asked about the current parking lot lighting. Goellner said that residents have said the parking lot lights are bright. Kluchka asked if a condition could be added regarding shielding of the parking lot lighting. Baker asked if the City can require the applicant to meet the City's lighting requirements. Goellner said a condition could be added which would require the applicant to meet the City's Lighting Code. Kluchka noted that there aren't any sidewalks leading to the main entrance on Zane Ave. and there are a lot of trucks using Zane Ave. which makes walking uncomfortable. He asked if sidewalks or striping could be added, or a sidewalk plan required. Goellner said that sounds reasonable and she would check on the status of sidewalks along Zane Ave. Kluchka added that the Luce Line Trail is a quarter of a mile away so this could be a great opportunity for additional sidewalks. Segelbaum asked about the current use of the building and if it is fully occupied. Goellner said she believes it is completely occupied by four different businesses. She added that there are approximately 100 employees on-site now with office and warehouse uses so the use will essentially remain the same with this current proposal. Segelbaum asked about the proximity to public transportation. Goellner said there are finro bus routes in this area and that some of the applicant's clients will use public transportation. Baker asked if there will be a designated route that people will use to get to the food shelf and thrift store portion of the building. Segelbaum noted there is an existing sidewalk on the north side of Golden Valley Road. Baker said that is far away from the retail portion of this building and asked if there will be a pull-out area for buses. Goellner said there will be a pull-out area on Douglas Dr. Johnson questioned why the staff report listed the square footage of the building as 43,764 square feet in one section, and 59,966 square feet in a different section. Goellner stated that the entire building is 59,966 square feet and the office space is 43,764 square feet. Baker referred to the issues regarding traffic speed and asked what ways the City has been addressing the issue. Goellner stated that the Police Department has made it a priority location for speed enforcement and will be using a speed trailer. Baker questioned if this might be an appropriate place for traffic calming measures. Blum referred to the traffic volume numbers and asked where the numbers come from. Goellner said they come from MnDOT and Hennepin County. She reiterated that Golden Valley Road has the capacity to carry 5,000 to 10,000 cars per day and this proposed use Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission March 14, 2016 Page 4 of the property would not put Golden Valley Road near its capacity. Waldhauser asked if the County and State also make decisions about installing stop signs. Goellner said yes. Segelbaum asked if the applicant will be removing green space to add parking stalls. Goellner said not thus far. She added that their plans show additional spaces compared to the existing parking lot. Judy Halper, Chief Executive Officer of Jewish Family & Children's Services of Minneapolis, explained that they established in 1910 and are a non-profit organization. They offer counseling, career services, case management, literacy programs, and family and children's programs. She said they have a number of contracts with Hennepin County and are funded by the United Way and by the Minneapolis Jewish Federation as well as their own fundraising. She discussed how they chose this proposed location and explained that about a year and a half ago their organization began to look at the issue of food insecurity, recognizing that they have not been in that program area before and considered building a food shelf. She said that PRISM was the most receptive to partnering with them and they realized there was a lot of synergistic work between the two organizations. She stated that the businesses currently in the building will stay through 2016 and JFCS and PRISM will be there starting in 2017. Kluchka asked Halper to discuss more about the services JFCS provides. Halper stated they are like Lutheran Social Services or Catholic Charities and serve people of all backgrounds. She said they offer counseling services, career services for people with barriers to getting employment, they help veterans and people who are 50+ find employment, they provide scholarships, literacy programs, and they also work with at risk families and people with disabilities. Baker asked if the counseling services are provided on-site. Halper stated that most of the work they do, including their program called CAFE which stands for Career Access for Everyone takes place in the community, at homes, places of employment, and schools. Waldhauser asked about the hours of operation for the counseling services. Halper stated that the CAFE program takes place from 8 to 9:30 am twice a month and other counseling services are offered during daytime hours and one evening a week which concludes by 7 or 8 pm. Baker asked for clarificatian about the number of employees. Halper explained that they have a small office in Minneapolis that has 12 employees, a day program in St. Louis Park and employees in St. Louis Park's schools so they employ 125 people. They won't all office out of this Golden Valley location, about 75 employees will. Baker questioned how people arriving by bus will get from the street to the thrift store and food shelf in the back corner of the building. Halper stated that the sidewalks and access are challenges they are working with an architect to resolve. Kluchka suggested they also look at the traffic and access on Zane Ave. Baker asked what JFCS would do with the retail use if the Conditional Use Permit isn't approved. Halper said they would use the proposed retail space for something else, but Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission March 14, 2016 Page 5 she hopes the Permit will be approved. She added that they are very proud of the smart and efficient co-location of services they are proposing. Segelbaum asked about the relationship befinreen JFCS and PRISM. Halper said PRISM will be a tenant of JFCS but they will be sharing space in the building and that the expectation is to be helpful and collaborative with one another. Blum asked Halper how many volunteers will come to the Golden Valley location and where they come from. Halper said there would only be a few volunteers that come mostly from Minneapolis and the western suburbs including Golden Valley and that the majority of the volunteers come together at specific times of the year or at specific events. Segelbaum opened the public hearing. Roxanne Sienko, 5800 Golden Valley Road, said she used to be the property manager of this building. She said she attended the neighborhood meeting and she has a lot of concerns about this proposal. She said she has seen a lot of changes in this neighborhood, not all good, over the past 31 years. In 1993 she asked for sidewalks on Golden Valley and was totd she would have to submit a petition so she did and they got sidewalks on Golden Valley Road. She said in 2007 the City decided there needed to be work done on the railroad trestle because semi-trucks were constantly hitting it and it was falling down. When the road was done it was widened to keep the traffic flowing. Her concern is that the amount of traffic on that road is flowing so fast that she can't pull into her driveway without being passed, or go to her mailbox without almost being run over. She said she was totd it wouldn't be a problem because all the cars would go down Zane Avenue or west of Zane Avenue underneath the railroad trestle and there wouldn't be any more problems. She said that was almost 10 years ago and she still can't go across the street to the mailbox, or turn into her driveway without being passed, or walk, weed her garden, or be in the street without fear of getting hit. She said the traffic has not been addressed in Golden Valley and she was stunned to hear that the City has a traffic committee because she has never been invited to a meeting, or known there were meetings. She said there is a sex offender house in the neighborhood and it is disturbing to be weeding her yard and have a police officer standing over her asking her if she has seen someone. She said she is concerned about a retail space staying with a building no matter who is in there because they could end up with a liquor store, a tattoo parlor, a massage parlor, or any number of things that would not enhance the neighborhood. She said she doesn't have a problem with the food shelf or thrift store, she has a problem with them in this neighborhood and the amount of increased traffic. She said at the neighborhood meeting she asked a very specific question about how many more cars are going to be on the road. They were told 500-600 a month, now she is hearing at this meeting there will be an additional 100-200 per day which is a dramatic difference. She said she would also like to point out that there used to be a bus route on Golden Valley Road. That route was taken out because it was one of the highest subsidized routes in the Metro Transit's history and they took it off the road. She questioned where the customers will walk and noted that parking is not allowed on Zane Avenue per an unwritten rute. She said stop signs on Golden Valley Road will never happen. In 2007 she asked for stop signs to be installed on Golden Valley Road and was told it is a State Aid Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission March 14, 2016 Page 6 road, it is a thoroughfare, and stop signs will not be installed because the traffic needs to flow. She added that neighbors are not even allowed to put "slow down" signs in their yards to keep the traffic from going so fast. She stated that last week a police speed trailer showed up but it is not functioning and that Police started patrolling the area in November, but they haven't been back since then. She said she was also told at the neighborhood meeting that the thrift store would be open one Saturday a month, but the staff report states that it will be open from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturdays. She said she feels there isn't going to be any limits on the hours that they can add and it will just get worse, not better. She said she is concerned her neighborhood is being systematically destroyed and she can't do anything about it. She asked if there will be any sex offender counseling done at this facility. Ann Bennion, 1125 Welcome Circle, said the previous speaker addressed many of the same concerns she has. She questioned how the amount of retail space allowed is determined. She said she is affected by the parking lot lighting and she hopes that issue will be addressed. She stated that the current property owner is paying $96,000 per year in taxes according to the tax records and questioned if this new ownership would change this property to a non-taxable property. Adam Brookins, 1355 Oak Grove Circle, said he has a concern about the retail sales portion of building being based on the footprint of the building versus the building square footage. He said he found out that the City passed an ordinance changing the way retail sales square footage is calculated on March 2"d and this proposal was miraculously submitted on March 5th after the change to the ordinance. He said the decision on this proposal should be pushed back because there are a lot of issues that need to be worked through. He referred to the floor plan of the building and said the food shelf is locked within warehouse and office space and he doesn't think anyone would agree that you'd pass through an office to get to a retail use. Additionally, the public restrooms are also considered office use on the plans and he thinks they are misclassified and that the applicant is making it look like it fits with the newly changed ordinance which is alarming to him. He showed the areas that he thinks should also fall within the space being used for retail and said the building square footage, if recalculated taking into consideration the reception area and the public restrooms, would add 11% to the retail use. He said under the previous ordinance language the retail use would have been 14% and it would not have met the requirements at all. He said this proposal does not fit with the existing industrial uses in the area and Zane Ave. does not allow parking, but he doesn't doubt that the applicant will ask to use Zane Ave. for parking. He stated that the church across the street to the north uses this parking lot for overflow parking on weekends and when funerals occur. He said the landscape plan has a number of flaws as well, and the parking requirements can't be met, and the building can't be used with how it was drawn. He said the service doors for the building have parking spots in front of them, the parallel spaces won't work. He said the applicant is going to need a crosswalk to get people to the proposed retail use and the costs for that and for bike lanes on Zane Ave. should be taken on by the applicant. He said he is concerned about outside storage and thinks what is collected, where it's collected, and how it's disposed of should be clearly defined. He added that he supports the mission, but this item should be tabled to consider these concerns. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission March 14, 2016 Page 7 DeDe Scanlon, 7315 Olympia Street, said she first became aware of PRISM when she was a City Council Member. She said PRISM serves a purpose that needs to be served. She said the clients are the nicest people and are very respectFul and polite and there is nothing to be fearful of. She stated that neighborhoods are changing more and more because Golden Valley is growing. She said she hopes the City can find a way to make this proposal work because PRISM has been in this community since 1970 and the need for their services is not going away. Seeing and hearing no one else wishing to comment, Segelbaum closed the public hearing. Kluchka asked if lighting is considered in the Conditional Use Permit process. Goellner explained that lighting is usually considered with an exterior remodel but she thinks that the applicant would be receptive in helping address any lighting issues. Baker asked if a condition could be added stating that the lighting has to be brought up to code. Zimmerman noted that the lighting already exists on the property so no requirements are being triggered by the proposed new use. Any conditions added to the Planning Commission's recommendation need to be tied to the proposed use. Segelbaum asked when the City's Traffic Safety Committee meets and if they meet regularly. Goellner said they meet as needed. Waldhauser stated that the estimated 100 to 200 trips per day is enough to accommodate the number of employees and visitors and is just slightly more than what is currently there. Goellner referred to the comment in the public hearing regarding 500 to 600 trips per month and clarified that the proposed retail use will serve 500 to 600 households per month, which translates to an additional 100- 200 trips per day for all proposed uses (office, warehouse and retail). Baker asked about the County's decisions regarding the installation of stop signs. Zimmerman explained that certain criteria need to be met when a stop sign request is made because if a stop sign is put in that is not warranted it could cause more problems. Baker said he is sympathetic to the issue of speeding and that the City needs to do a better job of addressing these concerns. Johnson expressed concern about people coming to the site by bus but not being able to get to the thrift store or food shelf with no sidewalk in place. He added that it doesn't seem reasonable to advocate for this use without sidewalks. Zimmerman noted that there is sidewalk on the north side of Golden Valley Road and there is a crosswalk on the east side of this property. Baker stated that there isn't a crosswalk on Zane Ave. so people won't be able cross Golden Valley and walk down Zane Ave. to get to the retail portion of the site. Blum suggested a "Y-shaped" driveway be installed at the Zane Ave. entrance to help control traffic. Baker asked if the City knew about the parking arrangement between this property and the church across the street. Zimmerman said he wasn't aware of it, but that the City encourages shared parking arrangements. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission March 14, 2016 Page 8 Segelbaum referred to the resident's comment about the applicant not being able to make the parking work. Goellner reiterated that the applicant will have to meet the parking requirements and she feels confident that the parking will work. Zimmerman added that there are also requirements regarding the size of parking stalls and drive aisle widths. Kluchka asked how retail space is defined. He added that he thinks it is a valid argument to say that the public restrooms will be used by the customers of the food shelf and thrift store and should be counted toward the square footage of those uses. Goellner said she disagrees that the reception area and public restrooms should be considered retail space because they are functions of the office use and board room use as well. Baker said he does not agree with the resident saying that the City changed its ordinance regarding accessory retail space because of this current proposal. He stated that whether or not the reception area and restrooms should be considered retail space would however affect the discussion. Goellner stated that the reception area and restroom spaces could change the square footage of the retail space, but it would not change the number of trips or the proposed use. Zimmerman said staff would talk to the City's Building Official about how to consider the reception and restroom areas. Kluchka asked if the food shelf and thrift store are big enough to require public restrooms. Goellner said the plans are not fully finished, but the applicant is asking for 5,164 square feet of retail space and that is what they will be held to. Kluchka asked if the retail use and hours would be assigned to this applicant. Zimmerman stated that the conditions are tied to this use and this plan. Segelbaum asked if the hours of operation could be expanded. Goellner stated that the condition regarding hours was kept simply to 9 am to 7 pm Monday through Friday and 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday so that the applicant wouldn't have to amend their Conditional Use Permit just to stay open one hour later. Segelbaum asked if the Conditional Use Permit would need to be amended if the applicant wanted to stay open later. Goellner said yes. Segelbaum asked if the proposed retail space could be changed in the future to a liquor store or a massage parlor and if the applicant would have to amend their Conditional Use Permit to allow that. Goellner stated that any retail use would have to be accessory to a permitted use. Segelbaum asked if there are requirements about where products can be stored. Zimmerman stated that items stored outdoors would have to be screened. Baker asked if a collection box could be located in a parking space. Zimmerman said yes, but there would then be one less parking space. Segelbaum asked how the property is taxed if owned by a non-profit. Goellner stated that staff considers the values of properties, but not how they are taxed. Baker stated that the City Council will have purview over taxes. Kluchka asked the applicants if they will offer sex offender counseling on-site. Lee Friedman, Chief Operating Officer, JFCS, said no. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission March 14, 2016 Page 9 Baker asked the applicants if they will have a donation collection box. Michelle Ness, Executive Director, PRISM, said no. Friedman referred to the discussion regarding the amount of traffic coming from buses. He clarified that a small number of people will come to the site by bus, but most will drive and carpool. He referred to the parking arrangement with the church across the street and said it is his understanding that there is an easement agreement in place to allow the church to use this parking lot. He added that they don't anticipate any issues with parking. Blum asked Friedman if he has any objections to making a "Y-shaped" driveway with forced right turns. Friedman said no. Waldhauser said the issues of traffic and site access sound similar to others they've heard in the past. She said she doesn't think this proposed facility will make the situation better or worse or has to do with this applicant. Baker agreed that the proposed Conditional Use Permit doesn't change traffic very much but he thinks the City Council should take action on the issues raised by the neighbors. Kluchka suggested that Segelbaum send a letter to the City Council as soon as possible asking them to address the traffic issues. Segelbaum said he agrees that pedestrian access, sidewalks and traffic on Golden Valley Road and on Zane Ave. should be studied. Baker said there needs to be a crosswalk at Golden Valley Road and Zane Ave. for the foot traffic. Johnson agreed that it doesn't make sense to walk around the building to get to the front of it. Segelbaum asked the Commissioners how they felt about the lighting on the property. Baker suggested adding a condition stating that the City encourages the applicant to bring their lighting up to code if it isn't already. Segelbaum stated that staff should determine if bringing the site up to code is required. Kluchka suggested adding a condition regarding the installation of bicycle racks. Zimmerman stated that bicycle racks are required so a condition does not need to be added. Baker said he would like the square footage of the retail space to be re-calculated if the public restrooms and reception area are included. Zimmerman stated that if those areas need to be added the numbers will be adjusted accordingly. Kluchka asked if the issue regarding sidewalks should be referred to the sidewalk committee or if that should be added as a condition. Waldhauser said that should be a part of the letter written to the City Council because the applicant for this proposal can't address or resolve the sidewalk issues. Waldhauser referred to finding #8 in the staff report which states that the proposed use is not anticipated to attract pests. She suggested that be worded differently because there will be fresh and packaged food in the food shelf area. Baker agreed. Segefbaum suggested the finding be softened to state that pests will be of an amount that is expected with this type of use. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission March 14, 2016 Page 10 Baker said he is generally in favor of the proposed request. It is not a major change in the impact to the neighborhood and it is a valuable service in Golden Valley. Blum agreed and added that they are bringing jobs to Golden Valley, serving many different needs, and there is support in the community for this use. MOVED by Waldhauser, seconded by Kluchka and motion carried unanimously to recommend approval of a Conditional Use Permit at 5905 Golden Valley Road to allow for accessory retail sales incidental to permitted uses in a Light Industrial zoning district subject to the following findings and conditions: Findinqs: 1. Demonstrated Need for the Proposed Use: PRISM is an existing business in Golden Valley that has shown that demand exists for the social services they provide. Based on their past experiences, they are able to accurately predict the expected amount of demand there will be for the food shelf and thrift shop. JFCS is a well-established organization that has been providing essential services to the local community since 1910. The organization would like to relocate offices from Minnetonka to Golden Valley. 2. Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan: An office and warehouse use with a retail component comprising less than 10% of the building's gross floor area is consistent with the Light Industrial designation of this property on the General Land Use Plan Map. 3. Effect on Property Values: Renovations to the building on the subject property may have a positive impact on its own estimated value, but staff does not anticipate that the new use would have a positive or negative impact on the surrounding property values. 4. Effect on Traffic: The number of trips generated by the proposed retail, office, and warehouse uses are minimal. The current uses in the building generate a very comparable amount of traffic to the site, which do not cause any negative impacts to the area. Staff does not expect any negative traffic impacts to the surrounding areas resulting in the introduction of the proposed retail. 5. Effect of Increases in Population and Density: The proposed use may generate a minimal increase in the number of employees at the location, but the number of employees will be limited based on the size of the building. The potential for a minimal increase in the number of employees on site does not threaten the health, safety, and welfare of the community. 6. Increase in Noise Levels: The proposed use is not anticipated to cause an increase in noise levels. The majority of activities associated with the proposed uses will occur within the interior of the building, thereby reducing the impact to the surroundings. 7. Impact of Dust, Odor, or Vibration: The proposed use is not anticipated to cause an increase in dust, odor, or vibrations. 8. Impact of Pests: The proposed use is not anticipated to attract any more pests than what is expected with this type of use. 9. Visual Impact: Because the proposed use would involve only interior modifications and only a slight increase in parking spaces on the existing pavement, staff does not anticipate a change in the visual quality of the property. The applicant must abide by Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission March 14, 2016 Page 11 all regulations regarding fencing, screening, outdoor lighting, and outdoor storage, as stated in the Golden Valley City Code. 10.Other Impacts to the City and Residents: Staff does not anticipate any other negative effects of the proposed use. Conditions: 1. The plans by submitted by Pope Architects on January 12, 2016, shall become a part of this approval. 2. Retail space is limited to 5,164 square feet of the gross floor area of the building. If more retail space is desired in the future, the Conditional Use Permit must be amended to reflect the increased size. 3. Hours of Operation for the PRISM food shelf and the thrift shop are limited to 9 am — 7 pm on Monday through Friday and 10 am —2 pm on Saturdays. Any extension to these hours requires an amendment to the Conditional Use Permit. 4. All parking regulations found in Section 11.70 of City Code (Off-Street Parking and Loading Regulations) shall be met prior to the issuance of a building permit or certificate of occupancy. 5. Food shelf and thrift shop customers shall be directed by PRISM to enter the property from Zane Avenue. Directional signs shall be provided. 6. In the event complaints to the City regarding parking are deemed by the City Manager or his/her designee to be significant, the City reserves the right to require signage be installed to highlight the parking near the entrance to the PRISM food shelf and thrift shop. The City reserves the right to require that these parking spaces be reserved for customer use. Other modifications to the days or hours of operation may be required to adequately address parking concerns. 7. All signage must meet the requirements of the City's Sign Code (Section 4.20). 8. The applicant shall explore options to provide pavement markings on the property that support the safety of pedestrians accessing the retail space. 9. This approval is subject to all other state, federal, and local ordinances, regulations, or laws with authority over this development. 3. Informal Public Hearing - General Land Use Plan Map Amendment— 2415 and 2445 Winnetka Ave. N. — CPAM-57 Applicant: Van Tran and Lawrence Johanns Addresses: 2415 and 2445 Winnetka Ave. N. Purpose: To change the designation on the General Land Use Plan Map from Low Density Residential to Commercial Retail/Service. 4. Informal Public Hearing — Property Rezoning — 2415 and 2445 Winnetka Ave. N. —Z019-07 Applicant: Van Tran and Lawrence Johanns Address: 2415 and 2445 Winnetka Ave. N. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission March 14, 2016 Page 12 Purpose: To rezone 2415 Winnetka Ave. N. from Single Family Residentiat (R-1) to Commercial and to rezone 2445 Winnetka Ave. N. from Business and Professional Offices to Commercial. The /nforma/Public Hearings and discussion for Items 3 and 4 were combined. Zimmerman explained the applicants' request to re-designate and rezone the properties located at 2415 and 2445 Winnetka Ave. N. to prepare them for future commercial redevelopment. He stated that the applicants held a neighborhood meeting on March 7 which five residents attended. Concerns at the meeting were related to the impacts of Commercial uses on the single family homes to the west including: hours of operation, noise, privacy, and loss of mature trees. Zimmerman discussed many of the permitted and conditional uses that would be allowed if the properties were re-designated and rezoned to Commercial. He also discussed the traffic impacts and stated that business and offices uses typically have the greatest amount of traffic in the AM and PM peak periods and commercial, depending on the specific use, usually sees the trips spread throughout the day and are more likely to involve evening and weekend activities. Zimmerman stated that staff supports the concept of re-designating and rezoning both properties to allow Business and Professional Office uses, but is recommending denial of re-designating and rezoning the properties to Commercial based on the tikely impacts to the adjacent single family neighborhood. Kluchka asked if this proposal would be considered "spot zoning." He also asked if the center turn lane on Winnetka Ave. would affect commercial uses on these properties. Zimmerman stated that the City's concern with changing these properties to Commercial is that many uses in the Commercial zoning district would be allowed by right and the City would lose some control over the impacts to the neighboring properties. He reiterated that the City supports redevelopment for these two properties but feels that Business and Professional O�ces zoning would be more appropriate. Segelbaum asked if the Liberty Crossing development across the street from these properties had to align their driveway access. Zimmerman said yes and added that in that case it had to do with the crest of the hill on Winnetka Ave. Segelbaum asked if it would be appropriate to consider re-designating and rezoning the properties to Business and Professionat Offices even if the applicant is asking that the properties be Commercial. Zimmerman stated that the City has to respond to the request that is being made, but the Planning Commission can pass on comments to the City Council, or consider this area during the Comprehensive Plan update process. Nick Naboka, The Caspian Group (formerly NAI Everest), representing the applicants, stated that they would like to re-designate and rezone the properties to accommodate future development. He stated that both properties are aged and outdated and are no longer capable of attracting new tenants. He stated that redeveloping this site will bring in much needed investment of a modern, more viable asset that wi�l serve the neighborhood. He Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission March 14, 2016 Page 13 said current plans could include a child care facility, an ATM station or a hair salon. He stated that this is a narrow site that is cut off from the neighborhood to the west and traffic volume will not increase because it will be just a small service location. He added that these properties won't work for office tenants because they want a bigger space with more amenities. He said it is also important to note that the recently approved Liberty Crossing project across the street will provide opportunity for a better product on this site. Redeveloping this site will be a benefit to this neighborhood and will generate income for the City and will provide a new look to this gateway location. He referred to the neighbors' concerns about noise and traffic and said that in looking at the history of the area it is highly unlikely that a business that has failed repeatedly will be put in at this location and because of the small size of the site it will be a small service type of business tailored to the neighborhood. He added that they have explored office use at this site but it would not be supported by investors. He reiterated that the site is not fit for any viable use unless it is rezoned to Commercial. Segelbaum asked Naboka if he is only interested in rezoning the properties to Commercial and nothing else. Naboka said yes, that is the market reality. Segelbaum asked if the proposed uses Naboka has in mind would be allowed in the Business and Professional Offices with a Conditionat Use Permit. Naboka said some are, but given the size of the site it would not be viable or competitive. Lawrence Johanns, Applicant, 2415 Winnetka Avenue North, stated that he no longer has much use for the office building and if both properties are rezoned together they can do a better development. Van Tran, Applicant, 2445 Winnetka Avenue North, said she hopes the development across the street will bring opportunity for this site. She said wants the timing of the redevelopment of this site tied to the timing of the Liberty Crossing project. She added that the trees on the site are getting old and new construction would improve the area. Waldhauser asked Johanns if it has been difficult to lease space in the office building. Johanns said the building needs a lot of upgrading. Tran added that the taxes on the property are also quite high so she can't compete with other office space in the area. Waldhauser asked the applicants if they had considered higher density housing on this site. Naboka said their intent is to have the least intrusive use as possible and that higher density housing would be more impactful to the residents. Segelbaum asked if the cemetery has impacted the marketability of the office space. Johanns said no and added that the interest they've had would be in both properties being rezoned together. Segelbaum opened the public hearing. Jerry Lefever, 7979 Jonellen Lane, urged the City not to rezone these properties to Commercial. He said the best thing would be residential and that commercial would be difficult with the intersection. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission March 14, 2016 Page 14 Chuck Griffith, 7979 Jonellen Lane, discussed the grade and the buffer of trees on the properties to the south and stated that a commercial use would be noisier and will impact the property values in the area. He added that there are two houses in the area that are not owner occupied and they could be pressured to rezone those properties to Commercial too. Waldhauser asked Lefever how he would feel about a 3-story apartment building. Lefever said twin homes would be more appropriate because an apartment building would not fit. Kirsten Hoffstedt Keefe, said she is speaking for her mother, Diane Hoffstedt, 2450 Valders Avenue North. She stated that the loss of the trees has increased the visibility to Walgreen's and the lighting from Walgreen's. She noted that if the site is used for a daycare that would be allowed if the property is zoned Business and Professional Offices. She said it is difficult to debate all of the different options without knowing a specific proposal. She said there are concerns about noise, height, lighting, and lack of control by the City and recommended that the property stay zoned Business and Professional Offices. Victoria Hopponen, 2400 Valders Avenue North, read a statement from her mother Lilliane Hopponen. She said they bought the property at 2415 Winnetka Ave. in 1959 because they were impressed with all the trees and the topography. Now the property is referred to as aged and outdated. She has no idea of its condition, but she does know of five different groups who have lived there. She questioned why the properties would have to change from residential to commercial use to accommodate redevelopment and she sees no comfort and convenience of local residents except for the two people involved and possibly the City. She stated that they built their house to the west so they could have a walk-out basement and they left as many of the natura� contours as possible. She asked that the Planning Commissioners be conservationists and have some concern for the living things that will be exterminated if all of the trees and plants between Valders and Winnetka are removed and asked why everything has to be flat and grassy. (Ms. Hopponen submitted a list of "inhabitants and visitors" she has seen in the area.) She asked who would like to have a child care facility or restaurant plus the parking 42 feet from their back door. She said she doesn't believe for a moment that the true reason for wanting to change these properties to commercial is only to give a beautifying facelift by replacing the aged, outdated and worn buildings to benefit the local residents. She implored the City to strongly consider keeping the properties zoned Residential because trees are one of the biggest assets of the area acting as a buffer from the noise and pollution from Winnetka Ave. Ms. Hopponen said she was speaking for herself at this point. She stated that their house has floor to ceiling windows and they are always looking down at these properties. They get all the noise from Winnetka and she doesn't want to live without being able to open windows. She said there are other amenities all around the area and the applicants want to rezone the properties so they can get a higher price for them. Chris Gunn, 8000 Wynnwood Road, said he drives by the building on Winnetka and it is an eyesore. He said he would much rather see a retail use on these properties and something aesthetically pleasing rather than a vacant building. He questioned who would want to live there if the properties were rezoned to residential and said no one would buy the properties if they are residential. Minutes of the Golden Valley Planning Commission March 14, 2016 Page 15 Seeing and hearing no one else wishing to comment, Segelbaum closed the public hearing. Segelbaum asked if all the trees could be removed. Zimmerman stated that a certain amount would have to be retained, but a number of them could be removed. Segelbaum noted that the height is limited to three stories in the Business and Professional Offices and Commercial zoning districts and asked about the height requirements in the higher density residential zoning districts. Zimmerman stated that the height requirement varies depending on the district. Blum stated that Winnetka Ave. is one of the only non-highway roads that completely bisects Golden Valley and it strikes him as an important thoroughfare in the City. Also, the Winnetka Ave. and Medicine Lake Rd. intersection is a major intersection. He said there is a large development going in across the street and he thinks the kinds of decisions made in the past point in the direction of higher density development in this location. Kluchka said he is not sure the applicants are aware of the soil conditions in this area and anything built here would take a significant investment and would need to be high density residential, but it doesn't need to copy what is located to the north. He said he would like to see the all the properties from Medicine Lake Rd. to 2325 Winnetka to the south, including the cemetery, bundled together and be redeveloped because this is a gateway location. He added that he is not in favor of changing the properties to Commercial. He would be interested in the Business and Professional Offices designation but only with a bigger group of properties. Johnson said it is a slippery slope when there is no barrier between two distinct types of zoning. He said the uses co-exist now, but changing that would dramatically change the area for no reat reason so he would support the lowest density residential zoning district. Baker asked how the discrepancy occurred between the Comprehensive Plan Map and the Zoning Map for the property at 2445 Winnetka Ave. Zimmerman explained that the property was rezoned to Business and Professional Offices, but the Comprehensive Plan Map was not amended. Baker said he would want the area to be residential, not commercial because it is a large area of residential and he questions why this one site should be commercial. Waldhauser stated that there is a lot of commercial uses in the area that haven't been successful and questioned what would make it successful on these properties. She said she is open to considering Business and Professional Offices, but she would like to study the options more in order to decide what these properties should be. Segelbaum stated that usually there is a specific design or use proposed so it is easier to review the impacts. He said he doesn't want to detract from the value of the surrounding properties and that he would be open to considering Business and Professional Offices. He said he thinks these properties do need to be redeveloped and encouraged the applicants to come back with a specific plan to help residents visualize what sort of development could occur and how it would fit in. Minutes of the Golcien Valley Planning Commission March 14, 2016 Page 16 MOVED by Waldhauser, seconded by Kluchka and motion carried unanimously to recommend denial of the request to change the designation on the General Land Use Plan Map from Low Density Residential to Commercial Retail/Service for the properties at 2415 and 2445 Winnetka Ave. N. Zimmerman stated that an application will come back in the future, or as part of the Comprehensive Plan Update, to bring the properties into compliance with the Land Use Map. MOVED by Waldhauser, seconded by Kluchka and motion carried unanimously to recommend denial of the request to rezone 2415 Winnetka Ave. N. from Single Family Residential (R-1) to Commercial and to rezone 2445 Winnetka Ave. N. from Business and Professional Offices to Commercial. --Short Recess-- 5. Reports on Meetings of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, City Council, Board of Zoning Appeals and other Meetings Kluchka reported on the March 8 Council/ Manager meeting where they discussed the new Brookview Community Center and the METRO Blue Line Golden Valley Road station design. He said he sent an email to the City Council regarding developing these two items together with a design language including sidewalks, fonts, etc. that ties the two together. Baker asked Kluchka if the goal is to have a Golden Valley look. Kluchka said the goal is to have a Golden Valley identity. Zimmerman stated that he has images of the latest park and ride designs that he would send to the Commissioners. 6. Other Business • Council Liaison Report No report was given. 7. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 10:34 pm. F / � � John Kluch , Secretary L' a Wittman, Administrative Assistant