1996-11-26 Planning Comm MinutesNOVEMEBER
The regular meeting of the Mendota Heights Planning Commission was held on Tuesday,
November 26, 1996, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve. The
meeting was called to order at 7:33 PM.
The following members were present: Dwyer, Koll, Lorberbaum, Tilsen, Duggan, Betlej,
and Friel. Also present were Public Works Director Jim Danielson, Planner Meg
McMonigal and Administrative Assistant Patrick C. Hollister.
Commissioner Tilsen moved to approve the October 22, 1996 Minutes with corrections.
Commissioner Betlej seconded the motion.
AYES: 7
NAYS: 0
PLANNING CASE 96-33: SBA, INC.
David Hagen, Tim Dean, Chester Colby, and Dale Runkle of SBA were present to discuss
their application before the City to install PCS communications antennae on the roof of
Henry Sibley High School.
Mr. Hagen began by passing out copies of three photographs of the site.
Commissioner Dwyer framed the issue for the viewing audience by saying that these
gentlemen were applying to place up to twelve antennae on the roof of Sibley High
School, beginning with four on the east wall and four on the west wall, and that they
would like to get permission in advance to put four antennae on the north wall at some
future date.
Mr. Hagen confirmed that SBA was only seeking to place eight antennae on the roof at
this time, and that they would place an additional 4 on the North Side eventually.
Commissioner Dwyer asked if SBA had already secured a deal with Sibley High School
for these antennae.
Mr. Hagen confirmed that this was the case.
Commissioner Dwyer asked if US West had already erected their cellular apparatus on the
roof of the High School.
Mr. Hagen said that yes, they had set up their system in May of 1996.
Commissioner Dwyer asked if Mr. Hagen had read Planner McMonigal's report on the
application and if he concurred with her recommendation.
Mr. Hagen said that yes, he had read it and accepted the conditions stipulated by Planner
McMonigal in her report.
Commissioner Dwyer then opened the discussion up for questions from other
Commissioners.
Commissioner Tilsen asked on how many other sites SBA wished to locate
communications apparatus in the City of Mendota Heights.
Mr. Hagen replied that the High School and the Water Tower were the only two sites
desired by SBA, and that the water tower equipment was already installed.
Commissioner Tilsen remarked that he was under the impression that Woodbury currently
had a moratorium on communications antennae.
Mr. Hagen said that many communities in the Metro Area currently have moratoria, and
that SBA's policy was to co -locate wherever possible, or at the very least build
independent structures on which co -location is possible.
Commissioner Duggan thanked SBA for referring to "meeting demand" in their
documentation rather than using terms like "essential service". Commissioner Duggan
said that he did not feel that cellular and PCS services met the criteria for an "essential
service" at this time. Commissioner Duggan then asked about page 3 of the proposed
Developer's Agreement, in which reference is made to interference with other
communications systems. Commissioner Duggan asked how the City or SBA could
determine the cause of interference if the City started receiving complaints of interference
several months after the installation of this new equipment.
Mr. Hagen said that if such problems arise, SBA will study the problem.
Commissioner Duggan asked if the language of the proposed Developer's agreement in
this case was exactly the same as in the previous Developer's Agreement for Sprint on the
Water Tower.
Mr. Hagen responded that the language is almost the same, with some minor changes, but
that he was under the impression that discussion of the Developer's Agreement was more
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of a Council matter than a Planning Commission matter and that he had not prepared to
discuss the Developer's Agreement with the Planning Commission.
Commissioner Dwyer said that the Planning Commission was also interested in the
Developer's Agreement.
Commissioner Duggan asked if the Intermodulation Study to determine if any interference
would occur within 1 mile had been finished.
Mr. Hagen said that he did not know the answer.
Commissioner Duggan asked if that study had been initiated.
Mr. Hagen responded that it had been initiated and will be completed.
Commissioner Duggan said that the neighbors would be concerned about potential
interference with television or messages from outer space.
Commissioner Duggan asked for clarification of the search ring map. Commissioner
Duggan asked if the Henry Sibley site was selected mainly due to height and sight lines.
Mr. Hagen responded that there were many considerations which went into the selection
of the Sibley site.
Commissioner Duggan asked why mention of a 250' guide tower was included in the
documentation submitted by SBA.
Mr. Hagen said that SBA has no intention of erecting such a tower in Mendota Heights,
and that such structures were predominately used in rural areas.
Commissioner Betlej asked what changes had been made to the Developer's Agreement
from the version approved for the water tower.
Mr. Hagen responded that the main change was the deletion of a clause that gave the
City's own communication priority in the case of interference over anyone else. Mr.
Hagen said that SBA did not feel that that was fair, and that instead they have merely
agreed to fix any problem that arises.
Commissioner Duggan pointed out some typographical errors in the proposed
Developer's Agreement, such as the word "property" which should read "properly" on
page 6. Commissioner Duggan remarked that there may be other errors in this document
and that it needed to be reviewed thoroughly.
Commissioner Betlej remarked that in the Developer's Agreement, it appears that the
burden of proof of interference and its cause would he with the City. Commissioner Betlej
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said that the Planning Commission had previously asked the Council for an ordinance on
Cellular/PCS antennae to provide a basis from which to review this and other antenna
applications. Commissioner Betlej asked if one of these locations had a communication
range of about 2 miles.
Mr. Hagen said that the range depends on usage.
Commissioner Betlej asked if people two miles north of the antenna would be unable to
use it to communicate.
Chester Colby responded that the range for a single site could vary from 7-8 miles to
mile depending on the amount of use at any moment. Mr. Colby continued that the entire
metropolitan system was designed as a whole, and that an automobile driver gets "handed
off' from one tower to another depending on circumstances.
Commissioner Betlej asked what the basis for varying ranges of antenna was.
Mr. Colby responded that the two variables involved were Power and Usage
Commissioner Betlej asked if increased use in the future could ever require another
antenna location in Mendota Heights.
Mr. Colby responded that that will not happen.
Commissioner Betlej remarked that the school may have to be renamed Sibley High
School and Antenna Tower. Commissioner Betlej predicted that the High School could
someday be wrapped in antennae, because there will be other companies who will wish to
locate there.
Mr. Hagen agreed that more companies will wish to locate at Sibley, but that attaching
antennae to the side of buildings looks much better than monopoles. Mr. Hagen continued
that the FCC requires cities to allow cellular antennae, and that the best answer to
proliferation was co -location.
Commissioner Friel said that in the American West monopoles were currently proliferating
rapidly.
Mr. Hagen said that this was true, but that out west SBA deliberately builds monopoles
with co -location in mind.
Commissioner Betlej asked about the photographs provided by SBA that evening.
Mr. Hagen replied that the photos reflect the existing situation at Sibley with US West's
apparatus on the roof.
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Commissioner Lorberbaum asked when the photos were taken.
Mr. Hagen responded that they were taken last week and during the summer.
Commissioner Lorberbaum remarked that it appeared that one of the photos showed more
antennae than the others.
Mr. Hagen said that that impression is created by the fact that the third picture was taken
at a different angle than the other two.
Commissioner Friel said that he shares Commissioner Betlej's concern about the lack of a
City ordinance on communications antennae. Commissioner Friel predicted that the City
will be bombarded with such applications in the future, and that the City was currently
considering these applications in an "ad-hoc" fashion through separate agreements.
Commissioner Friel also asked how the City could treat this application as an "essential
service", since the High School was in the R-1 zone.
Planner McMonigal confirmed that Sibley High School is in the R-1 zone.
Commissioner Friel asked Planner McMonigal where in the R-1 zone description would it
regard these antennae as an essential service. Commissioner Friel continued that the
description of "essential service structures" listed in the R-1 zone do not contain anything
resembling these antennae.
Planner McMonigal answered that no portion of the Zoning Ordinance specifically
addresses antennae of this type, and that even though it might not be a perfect fit, the City
had set a precedent of regarding these antennae as Conditional Uses.
Commissioner Duggan said that he had expressed concern about the lack of a cell tower
ordinance a year ago. Commissioner Duggan remarked that Section 3.2(40) of the Zoning
Ordinance appears to exempt buildings constructed for such antennae from the category of
"essential services." Commissioner Duggan said that he shares Commissioner Friel's
concern about the City's lack of an ordinance on this matter.
Commissioner Dwyer remarked that the Council does not appear to be concerned about
the lack of a specific Ordinance on these type of antennae.
Commissioner Friel said that someday a citizen may sue the City and say that our
Ordinances do not cover such antennae.
Commissioner Dwyer said that the Council has looked at the issue before and has not let a
lack of an specific Ordinance on this matter stop them from approving antennae.
Commissioner Koll asked what an Intermodulation Study was.
Mr. Colby responded that it is done to see if there is a possibility of interference with US
West. Mr. Colby continued that the study would be performed on the existing antennae
before the new antennae are turned on to predict whether or not there would be a
problem. Mr. Colby continued that there will be no interference with televisions or other
similar household appliances, because the frequency at which cellular operates is 1900
megahertz, which is' far beyond any frequency used by such appliances. Mr. Colby
continued that with Digital technology, it is impossible to hear someone else's
conversation on one's own telephone.
Commissioner Dwyer stated that SBA might not be considered an objective source for
such information.
Mr. Colby said that it is a near -universal practice that the last person to co -locate on a site
has to adjust if there is any interference. Mr. Colby added that such adjustments are not
difficult because one can always filter or modify.
Commissioner Duggan asked if US West could be invited to the test for interference.
Mr. Colby said that that would be fine.
Commissioner Duggan asked whether the information from the Intermodulation Study
would be available to the City in time for the Council meeting.
Mr. Colby responded that the Intermodulation Study is computer work and would take at
maximum a couple of days.
Commissioner Duggan said that the results of the study should be submitted to the City in
time for the next Council meeting.
Mr. Hagen said that SBA has committed to remedying any problems that occur, and that
SBA will not commit to completing the Intermodulation Study in time for the next
Council meeting. Mr. Colby said that the Intermodulation Study would be completed
after the Developer's Agreement had been signed.
Commissioner Duggan asked how long it will take for the study to be finished.
Mr. Colby said that it may have already been finished.
Commissioner Duggan said that the motion from the Planning Commission should contain
the caveat that the Intermodulation Study be finished before the next City Council
meeting.
Commissioner Koll asked what effect airplane noise and vibrations had on the functioning
of these antennae.
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Mr. Colby replied that they had no effect.
Commissioner Duggan asked if in an emergency SBA would be able to access the roof of
Sibley High School.
Mr. Hagen said that this depends upon the School District, but that in most such locations
SBA has been able to access the roof.
Commissioner Dwyer asked who wrote the PCS Site Standards in the Developer's
Agreement.
Mr. Hollister responded that those specifics were provided by Sprint for their water tower
application.
Mr. Dwyer said that SBA were the experts on this technology, and that there is no one at
the City who really understands how this equipment works. Commissioner Dwyer
continued that the Council should realize that if the City enters into the Developer's
Agreement it will be accepting the company's standard rather than its own, which may
harm the City. Commissioner Dwyer said that the Council had the choice of either
trusting these SBA "experts" or spending money on its own consultant.
Commissioner Friel said that these issues should be addressed in a cellular/PCS ordinance,
and that the City was a victim of a knowledge gap between City officials and cellular/PCS
companies.
Commissioner Dwyer said that the Council apparently disagrees with the Planning
Commission on the status of the City regarding these antennae. Commissioner Dwyer
asked if SBA planned any more antennae for Mendota Heights.
Mr. Hagen responded that they did not, but that there will be other companies after them
who will. Mr. Hagen added that SBA is not often required to sign Development and Site
Agreements with cities, and that Mendota Heights has already exercised more control than
most cities over these antennae.
Commissioner Dwyer said that the City has to strike a balance between accommodating
this technology and protecting the City's interests. Commissioner Dwyer then asked if
there was anyone in the audience who wished to speak about this application.
Mr. Tom Bushee of 576 High Ridge Circle said that he had received the letter of
notification on the Public Hearing and that he wished to ask SBA about these antennae.
Mr. Bushee said that he agreed that the City should draft an Ordinance on this subject,
because he felt that the City will soon be inundated with requests for cell tower and PCS
sites and that the City should be careful to set the proper precedent.
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Commissioner Dwyer said that unfortunately the Planning Commission seemed to be alone
on this issue.
Mr. Bushee said that what the private sector wants most from government is a level
playing field for fairness and predictability. Mr. Bushee also informed Commissioner
Duggan that residents of Mendota Heights don't typically receive messages from outer
space. Mr. Bushee asked SBA what would happen to him if he touched the antennae
while in operation.
Mr. Hagen said that it would be unwise to either touch it or stand in front of it, and that
SBA follows all FCC safety regulations.
Commissioner Duggan said that SBA should inform the school about these dangers.
Mr. Colby clarified that someone who touched the antenna while it is in operation would
not receive a "jolt", but would be exposed to an undue amount of RF Radiation and that
one should avoid prolonged exposure to such radiation. Mr. Colby continued that the
main power of the antennae is directed away from the roof, and thus someone up on the
roof would not necessarily be in danger.
Commissioner Tilsen asked if up to 3 companies could possibly co -locate on a single site.
1 Mr. Colby said that when SBA builds monopoles, they are built to accommodate up to 3
antennae through "spatial diversity". Mr. Colby said that three antennae, for example,
could be placed on the same pole but at 160', 140' and 120' above the ground. Mr. Colby
said that in addition to US West and Sprint on the top of Sibley High School, it would be
technically feasible to have two or three more carriers on the roof of the building and still
avoid interference if the City would allow it.
Brian Marshall of 623 Callahan asked whether the antennae would be on a monopole or
on the roof of the building.
Mr. Hagen said that the antenna would be on the roof.
Mr. Marshall asked how high the antenna would be.
Mr. Colby responded that they would be about four feet high.
Mr. Hagen said that some of the antennae would protrude above the roof and some would
not.
Commissioner Lorberbaum asked how soon the antennae would be up and running if they
were approved.
Mr. Hagen responded that SBA would like to have them up and running by mid-March.
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Seeing no other residents who wished to address the issue, Commissioner Dwyer asked
for a motion to close the public hearing.
Commissioner Betlej so moved.
Commissioner Duggan seconded the motion.
AYES: 7
NAYS: 0
Commissioner Dwyer asked for a motion on the application itself.
Commissioner Duggan said that the City appears to be bent on accommodating these
antennae, but that he would offer a motion recommending that the Council deny this
application until an Ordinance can be written and approved covering cellular/PCS
antennae. Commissioner Duggan warned that the high school may soon be bristling with
antennae.
Commissioner Friel offered to second Commissioner Duggan's motion with a friendly
amendment recommending that a moratorium on all new cellular/PCS antennae
applications be imposed until said Ordinance is written and adopted.
Commissioner Duggan accepted Commissioner Friel's second and amendment.
AYES: 5
NAYS: 2 (Dwyer and Lorberbaum)
Commissioner Dwyer told the SBA representatives that the Planning Commission was
merely an advisory body the Council, and that their application would now proceed to the
Council for their final decision. Commissioner Dwyer directed SBA to attend the Council
meeting next Tuesday, and said that the Council will be provided all the same materials
provided to the Planning Commission and will also have the benefit of the Minutes from
the proceedings this evening. Mr. Dwyer added that it is possible that the Council will
approve the application despite the Planning Commission's recommendation.
Commissioner Duggan clarified that he has nothing against Sprint or SBA, but that he is
interested in preventing the High School from resembling a porcupine, and feels that the
High School will soon be bristling with antennae if the City continues down its current
path.
Mr. Hagen expressed his disappointment with the Planning Commission's
recommendation. IW Hagen said that the City has already allowed one carrier on the
school, and that SBA is being penalized for being honest and having worked closely with
Staff.
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k1% Do IN I.T.VOEIIAT-1-
Commissioner Betlej said that he had to leave the meeting at this point, and thus
Commissioner Friel suggested that he at least have the benefit of the Verbal Review before
he left.
Public Works Director Danielson said that the Council had approved Acacia Cemetery's
bell tower and the City's own land reclamation project on Highway 110 and Dodd Road.
Mr. Danielson added that the Beckman application for a ham radio tower had been tabled
to gather more technical information, particularly in regards to safety.
Mr. Hollister added that the City had received a letter from Mr. Beckman and his attorney
consenting to a waiver of the 120 -day review period to provide more time for this
technical review.
Ken Scheel of Tharaldson Development introduced his application by saying that
Tharaldson and United Properties had worked closely together with Staff to make sure
this expansion would be high-quality. Mr. Scheel continued that his application should be
self-explanatory. Mr. Scheel added that the project involves straightening out the Eastern
Driveway and changing the retention pond to make it shallow.
Commissioner Dwyer provided some background information for the viewing audience,
saying that the application was in regards to Heritage Inn, which currently has four stories
and about 125 rooms. Commissioner Dwyer added that the hotel is currently exclusively
used by Northwest Airlines, with the exception of the restaurant within the Hotel, and that
this has been a good arrangement for Northwest Airlines.
Mr. Scheel verified Commissioner Dwyer's comments and added that Northwest is now
willing to commit to occupying 65 additional rooms, but that Tharaldson has decided to
double the size of the hotel because they anticipate that Northwest will actually use more,
and at any rate they can easily fill the rest of the hotel with guests of the Business Park.
Commissioner Dwyer added that the new wing appears to be almost a mirror image of the
existing hotel, and that Heritage Inn will receive a 10 year commitment from Northwest
for the new rooms.
Commissioner Koll asked why the new wing will be more expensive than the existing
wing.
Mr. Scheel responded that most of the increase in costs results from higher quality
building materials.
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j Commissioner Dwyer, referring to a Staff memorandum provided to the Commission that
evening, said that United Properties wishes both the existing roof and the new roof to be
Charcoal Gray, and wishes the new wing to be all brick exterior and the front facade of the
old wing to be converted to brick.
Mr. Scheel verified Commissioner Dwyer's statements and showed a color rendering
demonstrating these changes. Mr. Scheel added that United Properties and Tharaldson
may still need to discuss whether to place fake windows in the stair tower, since the Fire
Code may prohibit real windows.
Commissioner Dwyer opened the discussion up to comments from other Commissioners.
Commissioner Tilsen asked Mr. Danielson if the City Fire Marshall had reviewed these
plans, and whether there was enough room around the building for fire -fighting purposes.
Mr. Danielson said that the building would be required to meet fire codes.
Mr. Scheel added that the new drive will help fire access considerably.
Mr. Tilsen said that the second wing would reduce access to one side of the existing
building, and that he was concerned about a potential "chimney" effect or drafting effect.
Mr. Scheel said that this would not be a problem.
Commissioner Tilsen said that he was no expert, but that this might be a problem.
Mr. Scheel said that the proposed development actually takes precautions above and
beyond those required by the fire code. Mr. Scheel added that there has never been a fire
in a sprinkled building except by explosion.
Commissioner Tilsen said that the Fire Code is more stringent than it use to be.
Commissioner Tilsen asked Mr. Danielson if the City requires the NURP standard in
ponding.
Mr. Danielson said that this proposal is in an existing subdivision, and that the drainage in
the entire Business Park represents a pre-NURP storm drainage design. Mr. Danielson
continued that the City had hired an engineer for the whole Business Park, and each lot
has its own recommendation. Mr. Danielson added that Engineer Marc Mogan has looked
at the drainage and has made some small recommendations.
Commissioner Tilsen commented that the Tharaldson application contained a lot of
material, and that the applicant had done a good job at trying to be thorough.
Mr. Scheel wished to make a few minor corrections in Planner McMonigal's report on the
application. Mr. Scheel said that the requirement for a Parking Variance is not needed,
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because what Ms. McMonigal interpreted to be three parking spaces is really a sidewalk
36' long in front of the handicapped parking spaces.
Commissioner Dwyer said that this sidewalk encroaches on the landscaping.
Mr. Scheel also wished to make a clarification of page three in regards to Site Lighting.
Mr. Scheel said that the Tharaldson Hotel in Eden Prairie is experimenting with reducing
total wattage, and that if it works in Eden Prairie, it will be implemented in Mendota
Heights as well. Mr. Scheel said that he is willing to work with Staff to reduce the
amount of lighting, and that if successful the system in Eden Prairie would make for a
substantial reduction in light and much more even light.
Commissioner Lorberbaum asked where in Eden Prairie the Tharaldson Hotel was.
Mr. Scheel answered that the hotel is next to Viking Center, north of Highway 35. Mr.
Scheel added that the Hotel will be open in one month, and that the Superintendent of the
building would be happy to give anyone a tour.
Mr. Scheel said that they could not claim a hardship for the variance for the trash
enclosure, but that the Hotel would like to have it further from the building for aesthetic
reasons, and that he imagined that the City would feel the same way.
Mr. Danielson added that the Fire Marshall also prefers that the trash enclosure be further
away for fire safety reasons.
Mr. Scheel said that it was the intent of the Hotel to keep the dumpster area clean, and
that the Hotel's profitability would plummet rapidly if that area were allowed to fall into
disarray.
Commissioner Duggan complimented Mr. Scheel on a well -presented application, and
wondered if the Fire Marshall would have any concerns about ease of egress,
Mr. Scheel said that there will be more doors on the Hotel than before and that the fire
safety will be excellent in the expanded Hotel.
Commissioner Duggan asked what interior changes will have to be made in the existing
wing in order to make the link between the two wings.
Mr. Scheel said that the changes would be minor, such as removal of the spas and a
complete glass exterior on the north.
Commissioner Duggan asked if the hotel will have to meet ADA requirements.
Mr. Scheel answered that there will need to be six handicapped spaces for each wing for a
total of twelve spaces. Mr. Scheel added that there will be a handicapped ramp in the
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center. Mr. Scheel said that the Hotel intends to segregate Northwest customers from
non -Northwest customers by floors.
Commissioner Duggan asked if Northland Insurance will use any of the rooms.
Mr. Scheel said that yes, this was the case.
Commissioner Duggan asked for a clarification of Planner McMonigal's table on page
three of her report.
Ms. McMonigal explained the table.
Planner McMonigal pointed out that the building is wider at a certain portion which
causes the parking stalls at that point to be only eight feet from the building.
Mr. Scheel said that it would be possible to shorten the pool room.
Commissioner Duggan asked about borings and whether or not the soft soil should be
removed.
Mr. Scheel responded that the EPA says that this is a clean site.
Commissioner Duggan asked about drainage and doubling the size of the pond. Duggan
commented that the report says that no pond is needed.
Mr. Scheel responded that the soil is coarse and sandy, and that no storm has even caused
any problem.
Commissioner Lorberbaum recalled that at the time Tharaldson received permission to
construct the original Hotel, parking was a big issue. Commissioner Lorberbaum asked if
the addition to the restaurant will require any more parking spaces.
Mr. Scheel answered that the restaurant addition will require 48 more spaces, and that
these were already accounted for. Mr. Scheel added that 90% of traffic at the hotel is by
bus. Mr. Scheel added that the Hotel has provided proof -of -parking which is still in effect
and that these new pians have put in more parking than is required.
Commissioner Lorberbaum asked Staff what the level of police calls had been at the hotel.
Mr. Danielson responded that to his knowledge it had not been significant.
Mr. Scheel commented that the restaurant currently loses money and is being subsidized
by the hotel operation.
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Commissioner Lorberbaum asked if it would be possible for anyone to stay at the hotel
once it is expanded.
Mr. Scheel said that that would be possible.
Commissioner Dwyer asked if there had been any major police calls recently.
Mr. Scheel said that a few nights ago someone in a ski mask had committed robbery, but
that generally such things do not happen.
Commissioner Dwyer asked Staff if they knew of any other significant calls.
Mr. Danielson replied that Staff did not.
Commissioner Lorberbaum asked what type of liquor license the hotel currently had and
whether the hotel would be applying for a different type of license.
Mr. Scheel answered that the restaurant had a beer and wine license and that they would
not be asking for any other type of license. Mr. Scheel added that Northwest originally
insisted that the hotel not serve alcohol, but had later decided that it was better to allow
people to drink in the hotel than to have them leaving the hotel for such purposes.
j Commissioner Friel said that if the proposed expansion had more than enough parking, the
applicant should consider getting rid of some of the parking in order eliminate the need for
a variance.
Mr. Scheel said that this would be possible.
Commissioner Koll asked to see the brick samples that Mr. Scheel had brought.
Mr. Scheel showed the Commission the color renderings and brick samples.
Commissioner Koll said that this will be a nice addition to the hotel, and asked about the
cost of the indoor pool.
Mr. Scheel said that the indoor pool was actually not as expensive as one might think.
Mr. Scheel elaborated that the pool would cost about $75,0004100,000. Mr. Scheel
added that the general public will have access to the pool. Mr. Scheel added that the
Northwest crews preferred a basketball court and a pool to the existing spas.
Commissioner Dwyer asked if there were any members of the audience who wished to
speak on this application.
There were none.
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Commissioner Dwyer than proclaimed the public hearing to be closed.
Commissioner Dwyer asked for a motion to recommend approval of the variances for the
trash enclosure and the landscaping.
Commissioner Friel asked Mr. Scheel whether or not he now intended to eliminate the
excess parking in order to eliminate the need for the parking variance.
Mr. Scheel said that he would prefer to have a choice between shrinking the pool room
and eliminating the spaces.
Commissioner Duggan moved to recommend that the Council grant the requested
variance for the trash enclosure and correct the parking lighting and landscape
encroachment.
Mr. Scheel said that Tharaldson is held to strict conditions on the timeliness of landscaping
implementation by United Properties, and therefore the City had nothing to fear in this
regard. Nevertheless, Mr. Scheel said that he is perfectly willing to provide a landscape
bond to the City if the City prefers.
Commissioner Friel asked if Commissioner Duggan's motion would entail a variance for
parking.
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Commissioner Duggan said that it would.
Commissioner Tilsen asked if the trash enclosure was an accessory structure.
Commissioner Tilsen asked how big the trash enclosure was.
Commissioner Dwyer said that the trash enclosure was 10 feet by 20 feet.
Commissioner Koll seconded Commissioner Duggan's motion.
AYES: 6
NAYS: 0
Commissioner Koll asked Mr. Scheel about signage.
Mr. Scheel said that the Hotel has no intention of putting up signs at this time, but would
like to reserve the right to do so in the future. Mr. Scheel said that any sign put up in the
future would conform to the Zoning Ordinance.
Mr. Danielson said that any sign would require a Conditional Use Permit.
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Commissioner Dwyer instructed Mr. Scheel to attend the December 3, 1996 Council
meeting to discuss his application. Commissioner Dwyer said that the Planning
Commissioner takes it charge to protect the interests of the City seriously.
Mr. Scheel said that the Planning Commission's seriousness helps assure that there are no
loose ends, and that he agreed that both the City and the developers benefit from the
Planning Commission's diligence.
Commissioner Duggan moved to adjourn.
Commissioner Lorberbaum seconded the motion.
AYES: 6
NAYS: 0
The meeting adjourned at 9:20 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Patrick C. Hollister
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