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1988-11-22 Planning Comm MinutesCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA, NOVEMBER 22, 1988 1101 VICTORIA CURVE 7:30 P.M. NOTE: For any members interested, there will be a tour of the new City Hall facilities beginning at 7:00 P.M. Please feel free to join Jim Danielson for the tour. 1. Call to Order. 2. Roll Call. 3. Approval of October 25 Minutes. 4, Case No. 88-46, Hair, Lot Division. 5. New Business - Hearings: a. Case No. 88-42, United Properties, Conditional Use Permit for Planned Unit Development, Preliminary Plat, and Variances. 7:45 P.M. b. Case No. 88-40, Colon, Subdivision (Continued from October 25 meeting). 8:00 P.M. c. Case No, 88-47, Northwestern Bell, Conditional Use Permit., and Wetlands Permit. 8:15 P.M. 6. Appointment of Representatives to Park Study Committee. 7. Verbal Review. 8. Adjourn. Page 1 November 22, 1988 CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES The regular meeting of the Mendota Heights Planning Commission was held on Tuesday, November 22, 1988, in the new City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve. Chairman Morson called the meeting to order at 7:30 P.M. The following members were present: Morson, Anderson, Burke, Duggan, Dwyer, Krebsbach, and McMonigal. Also present were Planner Howard Dahlgren and Public Works Director Jim Danielson. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Ayes: 7 Nays: 0 CASE NO. 88-46, HAIR, LOT SPLIT Ayes: 7 Nays: 0 PARKS STUDY. COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS CASE NO. 88-42, UNITED PROPERTIES CUP/PUD, PRELIM- INARY PLAT, VARIANCES. HEARING Commissioner McMonigal moved approval of the October 25 minutes as submitted. Commissioner Duggan seconded the motion. Mr. Doug Hair, owner of Lot 18, Linden Addition, proposes to transfer the east 35 feet of his property to Mr. Paul Maczko, owner of Lot 19, Linden Addition. Mr. Maczko was present to explain that he would like this property for a future garage expansion. Commissioner Anderson moved to recommend waiving the public hearing requirement and to grant approval of the 35 foot lot split as proposed for Lot 18, Linden Addition. Commissioner Dwyer seconded the motion. Commissioners Sandra Krebsbach and Mike Dwyer volunteered to serve as the Planning Commission representatives for the Parks Study Committee. Chairman Morson called the meeting to order for the purpose of a public hearing to consider a request from United Properties for a conditional use permit for a planned unit development, preliminary plat and variance to allow construction of South- ridge Business Center Phases II and III. Mr. Dale Glowa was present to explain the proposal. Mr. Glowa noted that Phase II will be a mirror image of Phase I, with the same brick, glass, etc., and will be 50% office and 50% warehouse space. The tenant sign Ayes: 7 Nays: 0 Ayes: 7 Nays: 0 CASE NO. 88-40, COLON, SUB- DIVISION, HEARING Page 2 November 22, 1988 will be on the building in front of the tenant suites and United's request is no different from what they requested for Phase I. Commissioner Burke asked if it would be possible to save any of the pine trees on the property. Mr. Glowa said he would look into the possibility of transplanting them. He also noted that ground breaking will hopefully be accomplished by December 31, 1988. Chairman Morson asked for questions from the audience. There being no questions, Commissioner Duggan moved to close the public hearing at 8:04 o'clock P.M. Commissioner McMonigal seconded the motion. Commissioner Duggan moved to recommend approval of the following variances requested for Southridge Business Center 2nd Addition: 1. a 20 foot sign setback. 2. four cars per 1000 square feet of parking area. 3. an 8'6" parking stall width, as previously established with Phase I. In addition, as many trees as possible should be saved or transplanted. Chairman Morson offered a friendly amendment to include approval of the conditional use permit for a planned unit development and the preliminary plat as shown on the drawing dated October 27, 1988. Commissioner Burke seconded the motion, including the amendment. Chairman Morson called the meeting to order for the purpose of a continued public hearing on Mr. Colon's application for the subdivision of his property on TH 13. Mr. Page 3 November 22, 1988 Colon was present and noted that there were no changes in his plans since the October hearing, and that Public Works Director Danielson had covered all the necessary items in his staff report. Commissioner Anderson reiterated his concern with access to the site off TH 13. He felt this access was a very unsafe situation with site distance on TH 13 to the north, and again asked Mr. Colon if he would consider reversing his cul-de-sac in the plat. Mr. Colon said he would not consider this reversal. Commissioner Krebsbach stated she would like to see a walking easement between Lots 4 and 5 which would allow children to get into the area of Hiawatha and Miriam without having to use TH 13. Public Works Director Danielson indicated that the storm sewer will be connected on Miriam and that there could be a possibility of a walking path over the utility easement. Chairman Morson asked for questions or comments from the audience. Mr. Tom Sullivan, 641 Highway 13, noted that it is dangerous to walk or ride a bike on TH 13, since it is so narrow and he stated that you have to be really sharp to pull out onto TH 13. Mrs. Nancy Kane, 586 Highway 13 stated she has lived there for 30 years and she agreed with Commissioner Anderson that the traffic is awful and school buses pick up the children on TH 13 and it is very dangerous. Mrs. Victoria Neish, 572 Hiawatha said if someone has a problem with the traffic on TH 13, don't buy a lot there. She suggested that planning for problems should be done ahead of time. Mr. Wayne Schwanz, 591 Hiawatha, noted that he circulated the petitions against the connection of Miriam and Hiawatha. He stated that 21 of 22 persons signed the petition against Hiawatha connecting to TH 13 and 13 of 14 residents signed against Page 4 November 22, 1988 Miriam being connected to TH 13. He stated he feels Simard will be affected by the storm water drainage also. A gentlemen said he felt TH 13 should be widened in this area, which would solve many problems. He also said he would favor a bike/walking path along with the widening of the highway. Public Works Director Danielson indicated he had heard no talk of improvements to this stretch of Highway 13. Planner Dahlgren noted that the plan is to ultimately have a walkway all along TH 13. This is the State's long-range plan and when the Happy Hollow bridge was reconstructed, it was constructed wider than the original to accommodate the walkway. Mr. John Zoliak, 555 Hiawatha, stated he felt there was good site lines on TH 13 to Garden Lane and he wanted to hear the opinions of the other commissioners before he spoke on the proposal. It was pointed out that there was no history of accidents in this area of TH 13. Mr. William Neish, 572 Hiawatha, stated that the speed limit should only be 30 miles per hour here. Public Works Director Danielson stated that the State regulates the speed limit, the City has no control over it. Mr. Colon stated that he will accept the Commission's decision either with or without the Miriam/Hiawatha connection in the plan. Commissioner Duggan asked him why he wouldn't consider reversing the cul-de-sac in the plat. Public Works Director Danielson stated that staff prefers to have Miriam connect with Hiawatha and noted that the existing traffic pattern will not change if it is or is not connected. Mr. Colon indicated that he would have a Ayes: 7 Nays: 0 Page 5 November 22, 1988 problem with a walkway being placed between Lots 4 and 5, but if the residents of the area wanted it, it would be ok, otherwise it would not be ok with him. It was noted that the minimum size of the easement/walking path would be 10 feet in width and could be part of the subdivision. Mr. Neish thought a three way stop sign on TH 13 would help. Commissioner Krebsbach expressed her concern with guest parking on the cul-de- sac. She felt there would not be adequate parking space. There being no further questions or comments, Commissioner Duggan moved to close the public hearing at 9:25 P.M. Commissioner Burke seconded the motion Mr. William Trueter, 564 Hiawatha, asked where the sewer will hook up. Public Works Director Danielson stated it will hook up to the main in TH 13. Commissioner Anderson moved to recommend denial of the subdivision as proposed because he felt the cul-de-sac is facing the wrong direction, and that it should access through Miriam, not TH 13. There being no second to the motion, the motion failed. Commissioner Duggan moved to recommend approval of the subdivision as proposed with the Miriam/Hiawatha connection, and an easement for walking/biking/utilities be provided between Lots 4 and 5 through the adjoining area. Commissioner Burke seconded the motion. Ayes: 4 Nays: 3, Anderson, McMonigal and Dwyer The motion passed on a 4-3 vote. RECESS The Commission called for a recess at 9:35 and the meeting reconvened at 9:40 P.M. Page 6 November 22, 1988 CASE NO. 88-47, Chairman Morson called the meeting to NW BELL, CUP & order for the purpose of a public hearing WETLANDS to consider a request from Northwestern PERMIT Bell Telephone Company for a conditional use permit and wetlands permit to install a telephone equipment building on Outlot B, Kensington development. Ayes: 7 Nays: 0 VERBAL REVIEW ADJOURN Mr. Ken Dahlman, from NW Bell was present to explain the request. He noted that the building would be 18' by 32' and would be located on Mendota Heights Road. It will be a trial project for fiber optics transmissions and will serve about 100 units. It could eventually serve the Mary Anderson, Copperfield, Hampshire Estates, and Friendly Hills developments. There will be no noise generated from the site and NW Bell will maintain the building and land by contract. The system could eventually handle up to 6000 homes. Mr. Kevin Clark, with Centex Homes, was present and noted that the building will architecturally blend in with the manor homes proposed, as will the landscaping. Commissioner Krebsbach felt this building will have a negative impact for the area and it should not be placed in a residential area. Chairman Morson asked for questions from the audience. There being none, the public hearing was closed at 9:58 P.M. Commissioner Dwyer moved to recommend approval of a conditional use permit and wetlands permit as requested to allow construction of the telephone equipment building within 26 feet of a wetlands on Outlot B, Kensington PUD. Commissioner Duggan seconded the motion. Public Works Director Danielson gave a verbal review of cases that had been before the City Council. There being no further business to come before the Commission, Commissioner Duggan moved that the meeting be Ayes: 7 Nays: 0 Page 7 November 22, 1988 adjourned to the joint City Council/ Planning Commission workshop on Tuesday, November 29, to discuss the redevelopment of the Lexington/TH110 area. Commissioner Dwyer seconded the motion. TIME OF ADJOURNMENT: 10:02 P.M.