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Planning Commission Minutes 03-04-1997 . . . MINUTES REGULAR MEETING - MONTICELLO PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday, March 4, 1997 - 7 p.m. Members: Dick Frie, Richard Carlson, Jon Bogart, Dick Martie, Rod Dragsten Liaison: Clint Herbst absent Staff: Jeff O'Neill, Fred Patch, Steve Grittman, Wanda Kraemer 1. Call to order. CHAIRMAN FRIE CALLED MEETING TO ORDER AND NOTED PRESENCE OF MAYOR FAIR. 2. Approval of minuteR of the re~lar meeting held February 4. 1997. ROD DRAGSTEN MADE A MOTION, SECONDED BY DICK MARTIE, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. Voting in favor: Dick Frie, Richard Carlson, Dick Martie, Rod Dragsten. Abstained: Jon Bogart was absent 3. Consideration of adding items to the agenda. There were no added items. 4. Citizens comments. There were no citizens comments. 5. Public Hearing--Consideration of a preliminary plat request for phase VI, Cardinal Hills residential subdivision. Applicant. Value Plus Homes. Jeff O'Neill, Assistant Administrator, reported the preliminary plat of phase VI of the Cardinal Hills subdivision represents the final phase of the Cardinal Hills residential subdivision. The plat consists of 36 lots located on the easterly boundary of the property. There does not appear to be any unresolved land use or subdivision design issues associated with this preliminary plat; therefore, consideration of this matter is virtually a housekeeping matter. This plat also features double-fronting lots on Fenning Avenue and School Boulevard. Following the Klein Farms III precedent, a landscape plan should be developed for the back sides of double-fronting lots. Page 1 . Planning Commission Minutes - 3/4/97 With regard to the Klein Farms III precedent, at the City Council meeting on February 24, 1997, the City Council approved the Klein Farms III preliminary plat. One of the contingencies of the approval was a requirement to develop a coordinated developer/city landscaping plan for rear yards and boulevards of double-fronting lots. The coordinated landscaping plan would incorporate the tree requirement for the individual lots with a boulevard tree planting program administered by the Parks Commission. . Jeff O'Neill explained the pond boundaries are across the water from the home and the people that live across the pond are required to maintain the property. The residents must drive around the pond to get to their property to mow the grass. If the area is not mowed the City then sends blight letters to the property owners to maintain the area. Historically, the City has not taken pond area as city property, unless connected to a park area, because it can not be used for anything and requires the City to maintain it. However, this has become very time consuming and a public relations problem. The Planning Commission may wish to consider requiring special seeding of native grasses along the School Boulevard and Fenning Avenue side of the ponds developed with phase VI. Under this concept, low growing native grass and flower species would be planted in areas that are difficult to mow due to poor access and steel slopes. Chairman Frie opened the public hearing. Steve Holker and Matt Holker, developers, stated the trees along the boulevard will need to be the right type because of all the snow. They also inquired as to the maintenance of the native grasses. Would that be their responsibility to keep the area mowed or just to put the seed in? O'Neill responded the seeding is already a requirement but this will be a policy decision as to the maintenance of the area. Steve Holker stated that clover was best ground cover they had used. It only grew to about 16" and looked beautiful. Chairman Frie closed the public hearing. Jeff O'Neill, Assistant Administrator, this is not intended to be a big expense for the developers. Seeding has always been a requirement but we are looking for creative ways to keep the street side of ponds from being a nuisance. This will be a major intersection in the City because of the location . Page 2 . . . Planning Commission Minutes - 3/4/97 by the Monticello Middle School and along School Boulevard. Fred Patch, Chief Building Official, stated a landscape easement would be needed from the developer. A drainage easement can only be used ifit involves drainage issues. The Commissioners discussed a number of ways in which this area could be managed: 1. The developer plants the area in low growing grasses but the property owner still maintain it. 2. The developer plants the area in low growing grasses and the developer maintains it for three years before requiring the property owner to maintain it. 3. The developer plants the area but the City maintains it until it is established. 4. The City plants the area and maintains the area under a landscape easement. Mter the Commissioners discussed each option, the consensus was to use this area as a "pilot project" area. A landscape plan and seeding mixture could be coordinated with the Parks Commission. This would give the City the option to monitor the project expenses and time against the time spent on public nuisance complaints. If there is an interest this would be a project that could involve the students from the Middle School. ROD DRAGSTEN MADE A MOTION, SECONDED BY DICK MARTIE, TO APPROVE THE PRELIMINARY PLAT OF CARDINAL HILLS PHASE VI CONTINGENT ON DEVELOPMENT OF A COORDINATED LANDSCAPING PLAN AND TO WORK WITH THE PARKS COMMISSION TO DEVELOP A SPECIAL SEEDING PLAN AS A PILOT PROJECT FOR THE STREET SIDE OF THE PONDS. Motion passed unanimously. 6. Consideration to adopt a resolution finding a modification of Central Monticello Redevelopment Project No. 1/ the modification ofTIF District No. 1-17. and the establishment ofTIF District No. 1-22 conforms with the general plans for the development and redevelopment of the city. Page 3 . . . Planning Commission Minutes - 3/4/97 Jeff O'Neill, Assistant Administrator, reported the Planning Commission was requested to adopt resolutions for TIF No. 1-17 and TIF No. 1-22. O'N eill explained TIF District N 0.1-17 is an economic district and was approved in 1994 and certified in 1995 for Fay-Mar Tube & Metal Fabricators. Phase I included the construction of a 15,000 sq. ft, manufacturing/office facility at a minimum estimated market value (EMV) of $400,000. Project employment is 30 new jobs. In 1996 the company employed 35. Next O'Neill explained the TIF District No. 1-22 is a redevelopment district and is proposed for establishment to support the Downtown/Riverfront Revitalization Plan. It is being proposed to remove blighted buildings or improve marginal land to induce redevelopment. The life duration of a redevelopment district is 25 years. The development of the TIF plan is a direct result of problems and issues identified in the Comprehensive Plan update completed in 1996. JON BOGART MADE A MOTION, SECONDED BY DICK MARTIE, TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION FINDING THE MODIFICATION OF CENTRAL MONTICELLO REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT NO.1, THE MODIFICATION OF TIF DISTRICT NO. 1-17, AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TIF DISTRICT NO. 1-22 CONFORM TO THE GENERAL PLANS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY. Motion passed unanimously. 7. Consideration of calling a public hearing on radio and cell phone communication towers ordinance amendment. Fred Patch, Chief Building Official, stated he had revised the radio and cell phone communication ordinance amendment and combined the revisions with the work done by Steve Grittman, City Planner. He reviewed the changes with the Commissioners and requested the Planning Commission call for a public hearing for the April meeting. DICK MARTIE MADE A MOTION, SECONDED BY RICHARD CARLSON, TO CALL FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE RADIO AND CELL PHONE COMMUNICATION TOWER ORDINANCE AMENDMENT AT THE NEXT MEETING. Motion passed unanimously. Page 4 . . . Planning Commission Minutes - 3/4/97 8. Multi-family zoning. Steve Grittman, City Planner, reported the Monticello Community Partners, MCP, will have a formal report on the Riverfront/Downtown Development project after the March 12 city workshop meeting. The April meeting would be a better time to discuss multi-family zoning. The Commissioners agreed to wait until for a future meeting to discuss the Multi-family zoning because the MCP report would be completed. 9. Consideration of public hearin~ on ordinance amendments regulating pole buildings. Fred Patch, Building Official, reported one of the biggest problems in regulating pole buildings is developing a clear definition of a pole building. Jeff O'Neill, Assistant Administrator, added regulating pole buildings was reviewed a few years ago. The idea was stalled over the definition of a pole building. During the first review the Industrial Development Committee, IDC, was split on the subject. After a short discussion, the Commission directed staff to prepare a more detailed report that would include an ordinance amendment regulating pole buildings. 10. Quarter! y meeting Jeff O'Neill, Assistant Administrator, reported the list of projects the Planning Commission ranked is being complied with all of the other commission and staff projects. The Council will meet with staff on March 15 to start prioritizing the lists. There will be a meeting set with all of the Commissions in the near future for this project. 11. Consideration of discussing staff report format including provision of staff recommendations. The Commissioners discussed the section of the agenda item that staff recommends approval or denial of an application. The question was if the commissioners just agree, or rubber stamp, staffs suggestions. After discussion, the Commissioners agreed each member does state their own opinion and use staffs recommendation only as a guideline. Page 5 . . . Planning Commission Minutes - 3/4/97 12. Updates A. Vacate Locust Street. - J eff O'Neill, Assistant Administrator, reported the City Council, in conjunction with the variance request, suggested a vacation of Locust Street. This will be discussed at the next City Council meeting. B. Street widths - Commissioner Jon Bogart reported the street committee has completed their study and the next step would be to place this on the Council agenda. The request will be to change the minimum street to 28 ft. The width of the street will be determined by the volume of traffic in the area. There was also a landscape portion allowing trees withing 6 feet of the curb. C. National Guard Training Center - Jeff O'Neill, Assistant Administrator, reported a group is touring other training centers in the metro area on March 26, 1997. This tour will help to identify types of uses for the center. D. MCP Workshop - Jeff O'Neill, Assistant Administrator reported on March 12,1997, at 7 p.m., in the High School Board Room, the Monticello Community Partners will present the Downtown/Riverfront revitalization Plan. O'Neill added this has involved a great deal of community input and there will be a vote to determine if the community is in favor of going forward with the plan. If the plan is approved, it will be brought to the Planning Commission for public hearing before being adopted into the comp plan. E. Parking on Broadway - There has been no further information on the parking on Broadway. O'Neill will call Mr. Johnson, superintendent, and set up an appointment. 13. Adjourn. DICK MARTIE MADE A MOTION, SECONDED BY ROD DRAGSTEN, TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. Motion passed unanimously. L ~)Ct\1t,lc~ ~,{1a~"---- Wanda Kraemer Development Services Technician Page 6