03-08-11 Special HRA Meeting Minutes SPECIAL HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
March 8, 2011
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a special meeting of the Housing and
Redevelopment Authority of the City of Golden Valley, Hennepin County, Minnesota, was
held at 7800 Golden Valley Road in said City on March 8, 2011 at 6:30 pm, in the Council
Conference Room.
The following members were present: Chair Paula Pentel and Commissioners Mike
Freiberg, Linda Loomis, DeDe Scanlon and Robert Shaffer. Also present were HRA
Director Thomas Burt, Assistant HRA Director Jeanne Andre, Finance Director Sue Virnig,
and City Planner Joe Hogeboom.
Housinq Task Force
Chair Pentel opened the meeting with a brief description of a plan to create a Short term
Housing Task Force. The Housing Task Force would involve citizens advising the HRA on
ways to meet the City's life-cycle housing needs as identified in the Comprehensive Plan.
Pentel presented the Commissioners with a handout listing some ideas about theTask
Force. Pentel indicated that a Housing Task Force could assist the Council when rezoning
to match the Comprehensive Plan, by identifying future housing needs. The Task Force
could present its findings to the HRA and Council and provide for input from a spectrum of
citizens.
Commissioner Loomis asked how the Housing Task Force would blend with the City
Council's request for a neighbarhoad discussion in those housing areas impacted by the
proposed rezoning.
Pentel stated there would still be a need for public outreach and a Public Hearing related to
the rezoning. She recommended that the Task Force give input to the HRA prior to the City
Council Public Hearings.
Freiberg asked if the purpose of the Task Force would be to consider whether or not areas
should be rezoned to match the Comprehensive Plan.
Loomis stated her concern is that the Task Force recommendations would not take into
account traffic studies the Council has directed staff to undertake prior to the rezoning
hearings.
HRA Director Thomas Burt stated staff had been directed to do a traffic study at the area
along Winnetka north of Harold and south of Highway 55, but staff had not been directed to
do any traffic studies of the other areas being considered for rezoning.
Freiberg asked if there was a deadline for the Zoning Code to be in compliance with the
Comprehensive Plan and Burt respanded that the process should be completed by early
falL
Shaffer stated that if a Housing Task Force is to be created, one of its goals should be to
suggest ways the City could meet the Metropolitan Council's density guidelines.
Housing and Redevelopment Authority Special Meeting
March 8, 2011
Page 2 of 2
Loamis stated her concern that a Housing Task Force might delay the direction the City
Council had already given to staff to have neighborhood discussions about the proposed
rezoning. She suggested that a moratorium be placed on some of the properties until after
neighborhood discussions. Burt stated the HRA could advise the City Council to consider
placing a moratorium on rezoning while studying the appropriate density. Pentel stated she
was opposed to a moratorium and doesn't want the consideration of the Housing Task
Force to be a deterrent to new development or business in the City.
Freiberg made a motion to direct staff to put the motion for creating a Housing Task Force
on the agenda for the April HRA meeting for further discussion, seconded by Shaffer and
motion carried.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:03 pm. � �
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Paula Pentel, Chair
ATTEST:
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Christine Columbus, Administrative Assistant