EC Agenda Packet 02-27-2017 AGENDA
GOLDEN VALLEY ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION
February 27, 2017, Monday @ 6:30pm
Councii Conference Room (across from Council Chambers)
Golden Valley City Hall, 7800 Golden Valley Rd
1. Call to Order
2. Approval of Regular Meeting Minutes of January 23, 2017 (5 min)
3. Approval of Joint Meeting Minutes of January 23, 2017 (5 min)
4. Review City Code & By-Laws of the Environmental Commission to include youth
member (5 min)
5. GreenStep Cities Inventory- Best Practices 12 and 22 (10 min)
(Action requestedJ
6. GreenStep Cities Progress Presentation (20 min)
7. 2017 Work Plan discussion (30 min)
8. Program/Project Updates (5 min)
9. Commission Member Council Reports (5 min)
10. Council Updates (5 min)
11. Other Business
12. Adjourn
°; This docum�nt is availa�le in alternate forrnats up4n a 72-1�aur requesf: Please call
' 7b3-593-SOQ6(TTY: 7b3-593-39G�) to make a request. Ex�niples�f alte�nate formats '
may incfude large print, electranic, Braille, audinc�ssette, etc.
GOLDEN VALLEY ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION
Regular Meeting, Minutes
January 23, 2017
Commissioners Present: Lynn Gitelis, Dawn Hill, Debra Yahle, Tonia Galonska, Tracy
Anderson, Jim Stremel, Larry Johnson, and Council Member
Larry Fonnest
Staff Present: Eric Eckman, Public Works Specialist and Hannah Garry, GreenCorps
Member
Call to Order
Lynn Gitelis called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm.
Approval of Reqular Meetinq Minutes November 28, 2016.
MOVED by Hill SECONDED BY Stremmel and the motion carried unanimously to
Approve the November 28, 2016 Minutes.
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Approval of Reqular Meetinq Minutes December 19, 2016.a�z-�,
MOVED by Hill SECONDED BY Stremmel and the mot[or�:cai�ried unanimously to
approve the AMENDED December 19, 2016 Minu#es. ,, ,
Resilience and Sustainabilitv Plan Update (Gr�at Plains Institute Presentation)
Great Plains Institute (GPI) presented a dr�ft risk and vulnerability assessment to the
Commission. Two representatives from �PI were present to share information, gather
input, and answer questions. The asses�rnent fic���ses on existing conditions in the City
and is on file. A brief summary of tf�e a$sessment follows:
• Natural Infrastructure Tr�es & Native Plants. It is recommended the City review
the tree replacement'poli�y as the tree replacement is well behind the tree
planting policy.
• Natural Infrastructure 1N�ter Quality & Supply. The City receives water from
Minneapolis which in tu'r�t receives its water from the Mississippi River; this is a
strength�,for the City.
• Built Infra�tructure: Areas in Floodplain. A large area of Golden Valley flows into
Bas����Creek and this should be the primary concern to the City.
� ,:. .
• Built Infirastructure: 5ewers, Water, Roads, and Bridges. The first item of concern
is the ag� of the built infrastructure. The City expects 100% of roads to be
reconstruc#�d to City standards by 2022 by means of the Pavement Management
Program. Same infrastructure rehabilitation will coincide with the reconstruction
of roads.:
• Vulnerable Populations: Extreme Weather & Flooding, Extreme Heat & Air
Quality, Vector-Borne Disease. Ticks and mosquitoes are a weakness; however
Golden Valley has a low incidence of these diseases. The Commission
questioned if the deer population is a part of this report and staff indicated the
City has a program for deer management.
• Economic Vulnerability: Community Wide and resident Level. The lack of access
to a vehicle is a vulnerability issue.
• Climate Mitigation: Electricity Consumption, Renewable Energy Opportunities.
The City has many renewable energy opportunities including potential solar
resource. Development and access to solar is required by Met Council in the
comprehensive plan and will be included in the final report.
G:\Environmental CommissionWgendas�201712-February\01-23-17 EC Minutes.doc
Minutes of the Environmental Commission
January 23, 2017
Page 2 of 2
Staff explained this presentation is a draft. The final assessment and the plan will have
better graphic design and color schemes will be uniform. Also, staff will review color
tones so that they are distinguishable for color blind residents. Staff will also review the
size of text throughout the document. This assessment will be brought before the
Commission again in March 2017 and will be included in the resilience and
sustainability plan or appendix of the plan.
Proqram/Proiect Updates
Beginning January 23, 2017 the City will be conducting a resident rvey on resilience
and sustainability. This information will be promoted via the City'��ebpage, social
media, newsletter, and Channel 12. This survey will be used t �ssis ���d determine the
,
community's resilience and sustainability related goals and vi�ll l���� rpora�,ed in the
final Resilience and Sustainability plan. �� ����� ��
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Garry is working with City employees on an Emplo ��„ ,�nergy Survey. Staff is in the
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process of analyzing data. This Energy Survey ,, be „ by o�her communities �
and/or Cities as a model for changing behavior % '%°�;
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Staff responded to a question about how pond drei�c���, '�ects are determined and
prioritized. ��� '�°��
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Commission Member Council ' or��� ���
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None at this time. '�,,, ,��;%
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Council Updates �''%%��
Council Member Fonnest reported on th�bike task force and legislative priorities. The
City Council will be�r��-king on a number of goals for 2017.
Other Business ,;,����
Commission requested s#aff to provide a Great Plains update at next meeting and
Council to list City Council goals.
Adiourn
MOYED by Hill, SECONDED by Anderson and the motion carried to adjourn the
meeting at 8:30 pm.
G:\Environmental CommissionWgendas�2017�2-February\01-23-17 EC Minutes.doc
Joint Meeting of the Golden Valley
Board of Zoning Appeals, Environmental Commission, Human Rights
Commission, Human Services Fund, Open Space and Recreation Commission,
and Planning Commission
January 23, 2017
A joint meeting of the Board of Zoning Appeals, Environmental Commission, Human
Rights Commission, Human Services Fund, Open Space and Recreation Commission,
and Planning Commission was held at the Golden Valley City Hall, Council Chambers,
7800 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley, Minnesota, on Monday, January 23, 2017. City
Manager Tim Cruikshank called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm.
Those present were Council Members Fonnest and Schmidgall, Board of Zoning
Appeals Members Maxwell and Orenstein, Environmental Commissioners Anderson,
Gitelis, Galonska, Hill, Johnson, Stremel, and Yahle, Human Rights Commissioner
Gloria Peck, Human Services Fund Member Elissa Heilicher, Open Space and
Recreation Commissioners Bergman, Bukowski, Carow-Schiebe, Cornelius, Sanberg,
and Speltz, Planning Commissioners Baker, Blenker, Johnson, Kluchka, Segelbaum,
and Waldhauser. Also present were City Manager Tim Cruikshank, Physical
Development Director Marc Nevinski, Director of Parks and Recreation Rick Birno,
Planning Manager Jason Zimmerman, Associate Planner/Grant Writer Emily Goellner,
and Public Works Specialist Eric Eckman.
Bill Morris, of Morris Leatherman, presented the results of the 2016 Community Survey
and answered questions from the audience regarding methodology and findings. Tim
Cruikshank, City Manager, presented on the City's Debt and Infrastructure and
answered questions on a variety of topics related to the City's plans for the future.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:50 pm.
Lisa Wittman
Administrative Assistant
§ 2.56
Section 2.56: Environmental Commission
Subdivision 1. Establishment and Composition
An Environmental Commission is hereby established, composed of s�e�e�-�3 eight
�members, seven 7 who shall serve three-year staggered terms and one (1)
youth, who shall serve a one (1) year term.
Subdivision 2. Duties and Responsibilities
It is the duty of the Environmental Commission to advise and make
recommendations to the Council in matters relating to and affecting the
environment. Specifically, it shall:
A. Develop and make recommendations to educate the public on environmental
regulations, policies, practices and tools;
B. Develop and make recommendations as an advisory review body for
amendments to or revisions of the city's Surface Water Management Plan
and provide advice as requested by the Council on other city programs and
initiatives;
C. Review and make recommendations regarding the city's existing
environmental ordinances, policies and guidelines;
D. Develop and make recommendations on management practices for the city's
nature areas, public and private ponding areas, and other such city-owned
properties as directed by the City Council;
E. Identify and advise the City Council on activities initiated by other public and
quasi-public agencies regarding environmental issues and participate as
directed by the Council; and
F. Advise and recommend such other functions or procedures as may be
assigned to them by the City Code or the Council.
Source: Ordinance No. 333, 2nd Series
Effective Date: 9-30-05
Golden Valley City Code Page 1 of 1
BYLAWS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION
CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY
Article I: Mission Statement
The Environmental Commission has been established to advise and make
recommendations to the City Council in matters relating to and affecting the
environment. Specifically, the Commission shall:
1. Develop and make recommendations to educate the public on environmental
regulations, policies, practices and tools;
2. Develop and make recommendations as an advisory review body for
amendments to or revisions of the city's Surface Water Management Plan and
provide advice as requested by the Council on other city programs and
initiatives;
3. Review and make recommendations regarding the city's existing environmental
ordinances, policies and guidelines;
4. Develop and make recommendations on management practices for the city's
nature areas, public and private ponding areas, and other such city-owned
properties as directed by the City Council;
5. Participate, as directed by the City Council, in local activities initiated by other
public and quasi-public agencies regarding environmental issues;
6. Advise and recommend such other functions or procedures as may be assigned
to them by the City Code or the Council.
Article II: Membership, Meetings, Attendance and Annual Report
1. Membership
a. The Environmental Commission membership shall consist of seven (7)
reqular members who shall serve three-year staggered terms and one 1
voting youth_mernber wha shall {ive or attend schoal_within Golden Valley
__ _ �� �_ .__�__� ._._._.��_
a,nd enrolled in school qrades nine �9) throuqh twelve �12�. The vouth
member shall serve a one (1) year term with an extension for another year if
thev are in good standinq. Emphasis in appointments will be based on
knowledge of environmental issues and their relationships to the natural
environment and quality of life in the City.
2. Meetinps
a. The Commission will hold monthly meetings on the fourth Monday of the
month at 7:00 p.m.
b. A quorum consisting of a majority of the appointed membership is
necessary to transact the business of the Commission.
c. The Commission may hold special meetings to complete or initiate
business at the call of the chairperson or at the request of three members.
d. Each member shall be notified at least 48 hours notice of a special
meeting regarding the time, place and purpose of the meeting.
e. All meetings will be open to the public.
3. Attendance
Attendance is required at all meetings. Absences in one year should not exceed
three consecutive meetings or more than 25 percent of the total meetings for the
year. A standardized letter of warning will be sent from the respective chair to
any member after two missed meetings. If a member exceeds the allowable
number of absences, the Mayor will send a standardized letter, stating that the
member must step down because of the importance of regular attendance. If
the Commission feels there are extenuating circumstances in a case of a
member who has not met the attendance requirements, the Commission may
send a letter to the Council explaining the situation and requesting an exception.
If a member is unable to attend a meeting, that member should contact the staff
liaison, who will inform the chair if a quorum cannot be attained and the meeting
will be cancelled.
4. Annual Reqort
On March 1 of each year, the Commission shall provide the City Council with a
written annual report outlining its activities over the past year and its proposed
activities for the upcoming year.
Article III: Appointment, Terms and Vacancies
1. Appointments
The Council shall make appointments to the Commission at its last meeting in
April, effective May 1. The members shall begin their term at the Commission's
first meeting in May.
2. Terms
Members will serve three-year staggered terms.
3. Vacancies
If a vacancy occurs before the end of the term, interim appointments may be
made by the Council.
2
Article IV: Officers, Elections and Duties
1. Officers
The Environmental Commission will have two officers: a chairperson and a vice
chairperson. Terms of office shall be for a maximum of two years and shall
rotate. The Chair and Vice-Chair shall not serve consecutive terms.
2. Election of Officers
The Commission will elect officers at the May meeting each year. Officers will
serve until the next election.
3. Duties of Officers
The Commission Chairperson will:
➢ Work with staff liaison to develop meeting agendas.
➢ Conduct and preside over monthly meetings in a productive, timely manner.
➢ Monitor and ensure the progress of the Commission.
➢ Report to the City Council.
➢ Assure that the Commission conducts its activities within its mission and
bylaws.
The Commission Vice Chairperson will:
➢ Preside over any meeting in the Chairperson's absence.
Article V: Amendments and Revisions
The Commission will review these bylaws every three years, at the March meeting.
Members will present recommendations for changes and amendments. These bylaws
can be altered or amended at any regular monthly Commission meeting, provided that
notice of the proposed changes and amendments is mailed to each member at least
ten business days before the meeting. The Council must review and approve any
changes to, and has final authority regarding, these bylaws.
Revised by the Env. Comm. 06/27/05;
Adopted by the Env. Comm. 07/24/00;
Adopted by the City Council 09/05/00.
Revised by the Env. Comm. 03/23/15
3
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�t`�. �..'� Physicai Development Department
763-593-8030/763-593-3988(fax)
Date: February 23, 2017
To: Environmental Commission
From: Eric Eckman, Public Works Specialist
Hannah Garry, MN GreenCorps Member
Subject: GreenStep Cities Inventory Update:
Best Practices 12 and 22
Golden Valley entered the GreenStep Cities program in April 2016 and will be recognized as a
"Step 2" city in June 2017. In order to become a "Step 3" city, Golden Valley must document the
completion of 16 best practices, 10 of which are required by the program. Each best practice
encompasses a variety of actions a city may take in order to complete it.
The attached 4 entries describe actions that the City has already completed or are ongoing and
serve as a way to benchmark the City for future progress in the GreenStep Cities program. After
being rated these entries should be sufficient for completion of Best Practices 12 and 22.
Please review these for the February Commission meeting. After brief discussion, staff requests
that the Commission consider making a motion to approve these for entry into the GreenStep
Cities website.
Best Practice 12—Mobility Options
Action# 1 Promote walking, biking and transit use
Action#4 Promote carpooling or ridesharing
Best Practice 22—Solid Waste Reduction
Action #2 Adopt and meet recycling goals for waste generated by City operations
Action #4 Publicize, promote and use recycling and re-use businesses/services
G:\Environmental Commission\Memos
BP12-Mobility Options
Action#1—Promote walking, biking and transit use by one or more of the following means:
a. Produce/distribute route maps, signage or a web site
b. Document increased bike facilities,such as racks, bike stations or showers
c. Add bus infrastructure,such as signage, benches, shelters, park and ride lots, and real-time
arrival data streaming
d. Increase the number of employers promoting multiple commuting options, including offering
qualified transportation fringe benefits instead of a tax-free parking fringe benefit
e. Be recognized as a Walk Friendly or Bicycle Friendly Community
• One star:A basic map that shows(by neighborhood if a larger city) key civic/commercial sites,
best bike and pedestrian routes,and transit routes and schedules; OR report increases in
walk/bike counts
• Two star: Installed infrastructure such as designed bike or pedestrian or transit facilities like
park and ride lots,OR document the increase in employer-offered transportation fringe
benefits,OR report a Walk Score of 70+or an increase in your city's Walk Score
• Three star: Be recognized as a Bicycle or Walk Friendly Community,OR require routine
installation of infrastructure, such as bike parking,for all new multifamily and non-residential
developments, OR allow property owners to substitute bike parking spaces for required car
parking spaces
Golden Vallev Entrv
Implementation Details:
Golden Valley has bicycle and pedestrian maps available on its website as well as an interactive bike and
pedestrian map where residents can input suggestions for trail changes to be used by the Bike and
Pedestrian Planning Task force when working on the City's 2040 Comprehensive Plan.Golden Valley has
a park and ride lot at General Mills Boulevard & Interstate 394 and at Highway 100& Duluth Street.
Metro Transit routes and ridesharing information are available in paper form at City Hall.
Taprooms and cocktail rooms are allowed to substitute 2 bicycle spaces for every 1 required car parking
space up to 15%of required parking spaces. Bicycle parking spaces are required for residents in
developments with more than 12 units as well as for employees and the public in all other
developments at a rate of 5%of the required vehicle parking(minimum of 4 spaces).
General Mills and Vocal Laboratories Inc.,two Golden Valley based businesses, are bronze business
recipients from the Bicycle Friendly ranking program.Golden Valley has a Walk Score of 29.
For more information contact:
Jason Zimmerman, Planning Manager
�jzirnrnerman@�olcienvalleymn.�ov
(763)-593-8099
Destriptive links:
http://www.goldenvalleymn.�av/plannin�/comprehensiveplanupdate/index.php
BP12—Mobility Options
Action#4—Promote carpooling or ridesharing among community members, city employees, businesses,
high schools and institutions of higher education
• One star: Develop and/or distribute education materials
• Two star: Develop a rideboard or partner with a ridesharing online service to create a
rideboard/carpool matching service
• Three star: Facilitate carpooling/ridesharing by creating a park and ride lot
Golden Vallev Entrv
Implementation Details:
Golden Valley has two park and ride lots at General Mills Boulevard & Interstate 394 and at Highway 100
& Duluth Street.These lots give access to bus routes and car-pool services.
For more information contact:
Jason Zimmerman, Planning Manager
jzimmerman@�oldenvallevmn.gov
(763)-593-8099
Partners:
Metro Transit
BP22—Solid Waste Reduction
Action#2—Adopt and meet recycling/composting goals for waste/toxics generated from internal city
operations.
• One star: Measure/audit waste generated,and/or adopt goals for diverting a percentage of
overall solid waste into recycling or compostables collection, or goals for specific waste streams
such as from parks
• Two star: Describe actions taken, such as collecting organic material and beverage containers
from parks and sending this material into organics and recycling collection
• Three star: Report measures that show goals were met by the increased amount of waste
diverted into recycling and compostables collection
Golden Vallev Entrv
Implementation Details:
The City recycles at our public facilities as well as at 5 parks throughout the City. In 2016 recycling was
added to 3 parks to accommodate the amount of plastic bottles and aluminum cans that were being
thrown away. The City has also taken steps to make recycling more convenient for visitors of the parks
by adding more signage, containers, and a large recycling container for easy dumping of material.
Additional recycling carts are available for special events such as the farmers' market,festivals,or other
City events.
Woody organic material and yard waste produced by the City is trucked to the Shakopee Mdewakanton
Sioux Community Recycling Facility that turns this waste into compost and compost blends for retail and
wholesale purchase.
Outcome measures/metrics:
In 2015 the Spring Brush program collected 2,800 cubic yards of brush during a 3 week period.
For more information contact:
Tom Hoffman,Water Resources Technician
thoffman�ugoldenvalleymn.�ov
(763)593-8044
BP22—Solid Waste Reduction
Action#4—Publicize, promote and use the varied businesses/services collecting and marketing used,
repaired and rental consumer goods in the city/county
• One star: Identify and list relevant businesses; promote events such as fix-it clinics
• Two star: Publicize and promote reuse/repair/rental businesses on your city website, in
newsletter articles;facilitate neighbor-to-neighbor reuse of large items before annual 'curbside
cleanups.'
• Three star: Document increased use of these businesses; organize volunteers(or support
others)to run at least one "fix-it" clinic for community members
Golden Vallev Entrv
Implementation Details:
The City annually hosts"Mighty Tidy Day"to provide residents with a monitored site to dispose of items
that cannot be donated such as old mattresses and sofas, broken bicycles, unwanted tires and outdated
electronics. Residents who bring furniture and household items in good condition can donate them to
Bridging, a non-profit organization that provides quality goods to people transitioning out of
homelessness and poverty.There are also several second-hand shops in the City, including Once Upon A
Child, Empty the Nest, and the PRISM thrift store, where residents can bring gently used goods.
Recycling information and links to Hennepin County materials, including the A-Z disposal guide, are
available on the City website and in the bimonthly newsletter.
Outcome measures/metrics:
In 2016,609 vehicles came to drop off materials at Mighty Tidy day.
For more information contact:
Tom Hoffman,Water Resources Technician
thoffman@goldenvallevmn.�ov
(763) 593-8044
Descriptive links:
http://www.�oldenvallevmn.�ov/recvclin�/mi�htytidvdav/
Ct��' 4f I�
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��. �.'� Physical Develapment Department
7fi3-593-8Q30/763-593-3988(fax)
Date: February 21, 2017
To: Environmental Commission
From: Eric Eckman, Public Works Specialist
Hannah Garry, MN GreenCorps Member
Subject: GreenStep Cities Progress Update
Golden Valley entered the GreenStep Cities program in April 2016. Between September 2016 and
January 2017 Golden Valley submitted 20 best practice action items to meet the minimum
requirements for 8 best practices as defined by the program. The City will receive recognition for
becoming a Step 2 City in June 2017.
At the February Environmental Commission meeting the City's Minnesota GreenCorps member
will present an overview of the City's progress through the GreenStep Cities program to date.
Strategies for incorporating GreenStep Cities into the Commission's 2017 work plan will be
discussed at the end of the presentation.
G:\Environmental Commission\Memos
PROGRAM/PROJECT UPDATES—February 2017
ENERGY
Employee Energy Use:The City's Minnesota GreenCorps member distributed an employee energy use
survey to all full-time Golden Valley employees in January.The results of the survey were recently
presented to the City's management team along with some recommendations for reducing energy use
in public buildings.The Minnesota GreenCorps member will be sending out emails to City employees
periodically over the next several months with energy-saving tips. Employees will be surveyed again in
early August 2017 to measure any behavior or attitude changes.
Solar:City staff will be attending a training on solar permitting and inspection best practices in March as
part of its participation in the Department of Energy's SolSmart program.The training will be conducted
by the City's SolSmart program advisor from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.The City's solar
energy systems code is currently being reviewed by the program's technical advisor to identify any
barriers that may deter the installation of solar energy systems.
NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PLAN
With the assistance of Hennepin County Sentencing to Service crews,the City is working in the Laurel
Avenue Greenbelt Nature Area to remove invasive species(primarily buckthorn)and volunteer trees
located near trails, pipes, and shoreline areas.
RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
After receiving feedback from the Environmental Commission at its January meeting,the City's
consultant,Great Plains Institute (GPI)continues to work on the final version of the risk and vulnerability
assessment for Golden Valley.This assessment will be included in the final plan.
Community engagement strategy-An online survey was made available to residents and was promoted
via the City's newsletter,website and Facebook page in January.The survey is now closed and GPI is
currently analyzing the results which will be shared with the Commission at a future meeting.A focus
group meeting is being held in early March with representatives of vulnerable populations to discuss the
impacts of extreme weather and climate-related events.A second focus group meeting is scheduled for
March 27 with the Environmental Commission.
PLANNING AND ZONING AND DEVELOPMENTS
See attached
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The PJar�nir�g Report is �t�blished tvv�c� � rrirar�th to ke�p City C�uncil Merr�b�rs an�
�omn�ission�rs �ppris�d ca�current �pplica��c�ns, to summarize actic�n taken, and to report on
items r�iated to the physical an� ecor�omic develc�pmer�t of Golden Valf�y.
��O LZy GV�.I
Planning Commission
Baard t�f Zoning Appeals em ersh�p—Amendment ta the text c�f the Zoning Cade to
accammodate the addition of a Youth member to th� Baard of Zoning Appeais. Scheduled for
the Febru�ry 27 meetin�,
Hei�ht and Average Grade—Staff wil! discuss pot�nti�l adjustments to the Zoning Code
}�aving to do with the measur�ment of buil�lin� height. Specif°rrally, the challerrges of
d�termining the aver�ge grade af an existin�structure, the neecl for additianal flexibility
when setting the average grade of a new structure, a �otential conflict in the exist:ng
re�ulations af fiat roof structures, ar�d concerns over inc(uciing height regulations vuithin the
Definition sectic�n af the Zoning Code. Discussian schedufed far the February 27 meetin�.
Board of Zoning Appeals
1509 Alp�ne Pass--Varianc� from th� maximurn irnp�rvinus surface percentag� allowed in
order to construct a home additian and associated clriveway expansion. The Zaning Cod�
iimits the impervit�us surface percenta�e to 50/a of the lot area; the applicant is requesting a
variance to go to 52.55°l. Scheduled for the February 28 me�ting.
Other Information
2Q40 Comprehensive Plan—T�re first Comp Plan Conversation wifl take place on March 13. A
mini Open House facusing on Land Use will be held fra�m 6--6:30 prn in the Cauncil Chambers.
�� 6:30 pm, staff will discuss topics in the propased Land Use chapter with the Planning
Commiss'son. Ofiher Commissioners and members caf the p�b[ic are welcc�me t€� at�end this
hour-long sessian.
Fcar a complete schedule of all of the Comp P1an Conversations planned in 2017, visit the Corr�munity
Engagement section af the 2Q4U Carrap Plan web site: bit.lV/GV2Cl4�CompPlan.
Additional information about current development projects may be found on the .
OTHER INFORMATION
METRO Blue Line Extension—It was announced on January 19 that the Blue Line Extension was
given approval by the FTA to begin the Engineering phase of work. This keeps the project on
schedule to commence with heavy construction in 2018 and to be open for passenger service in
2021.
60% Design Plans will be ready for City review in March. 90% Design Plans should be ready for
review in September. 100% Design Plans and Final Bid Documents should be complete by the
end of 2017. It is possible that an Early Construction Package which includes the replacement of
the Theodore Wirth Parkway Bridge could go out in the fall of 2017.
The Metropolitan Council has approved the name change for one of Golden Valley's stations. It
will be officially known as the Plymouth Avenue/Theodore Wirth Park station (the longest
station name in the system!).
Station design continues to be refined with input from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation
Board and the State Historic Preservation Office.