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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-06-06 PACKET 04.J.REQUEST OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION COUNCIL MEETING DATE 6/6/12 AGENDA ITEM # Community Development John McCool ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT STAFF ' IOR 4# COUNCIL ACTION REQUEST Consider approving a conditional use permit to allow a 34,500 square foot health and physical exercise club and a drive - through donation drop -off facility at 7210 East Point Douglas Road. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Adopt the resolution approving the conditional use permit allowing a health and physical exercise club and a drive - through donation drop -off facility at 7210 East Point Douglas Roads. BUDGET IMPLICATION $ NIA $ N/A N/A BUDGETED AMOUNT ACTUAL AMOUNT FUNDING SOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION ACTION DATE REVIEWED APPROVED DENIED ® PLANNING 5/21/12 ❑ ® ❑ ❑ PUBLIC SAFETY ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ PUBLIC WORKS ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ PARKS AND RECREATION ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ HUMAN SERVICES /RIGHTS ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ECONOMIC DEV. AUTHORITY ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ® MEMO /LETTER: Memo from John McCool dated 5/31/12 ® RESOLUTION: Draft ❑ ORDINANCE: ❑ ENGINEERING RECOMMENDATION: ❑ LEGAL RECOMMENDATION: ® OTHER: Excerpt from 5/21/12 unapproved Planning Commission minutes ADMINISTRATOR'S COMMENTS f City Administrator Date COUNCIL ACTION TAKEN: ❑ APPROVED ❑ DENIED ❑ OTHER ( 4k 7W CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE MINNESOTA TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council Ryan Schroeder, City Administrator FROM: John McCool, Senior Planner DATE: May 31, 2012 RE: Stonehenge USA — Conditional Use Permit Application Proposal Stonehenge USA has filed a conditional use permit application that proposes a 34,500 square foot LA Fitness center and a drive - through corridor for Goodwill's donation drop -off area at 7210 East Point Douglas Road. This project includes the construction of internal walls to create four tenant spaces, three storage spaces, and a drive - through corridor with a donation drop -off area, and converting the outdoor garden center to additional parking. The proposed project creates a 12,655 square foot Petco Store; 8,957 square feet of retail space; a 20,654 square foot Goodwill store; and approximately 34,500 square feet for the LA Fitness facility. There are three interior storage areas with 10,700 square feet of cumulative floor space. A location map is shown below. Location Map Advisory Commission Recommendations Planning Commission The Planning Commission reviewed Stonehenge's conditional use permit application at a public hearing on May 21, 2012. David Carland and Randy Rauwerdink, representing Stonehenge USA attended the meeting and made a short presentation, They responded to the Planning I 7350 7990 1 US Bank 7350 7998 IT /win 7620- ,°,� "' $ ¢ 7608 7786 7920 7900 7500 7663 7729 7791 w 72!IDP," 7460 7600 tURall 75 &/ 7606 7676 7702 ncnsn et St on e h_ ge Development Site 6010 7639 n s r wm �if eaoo algreensi 7135 / � ^ rove ! Bo o eote 69 r �814t Nag M 2f 603 V ank J/� 000 o m m Ln �' Bt ,00 7155 ��0�' N79�10 0 m s t1 `� 0 {I 1 uper Q B P O 911 e` g B p1 75 r b s Ralnbov: Foods 5 0 F� 1 1 .�5 2 69 2`� 9245 m 02 a B W 833 z9� 6 yz `� \ 064 BuIldiny G U 69 '9B Location Map Advisory Commission Recommendations Planning Commission The Planning Commission reviewed Stonehenge's conditional use permit application at a public hearing on May 21, 2012. David Carland and Randy Rauwerdink, representing Stonehenge USA attended the meeting and made a short presentation, They responded to the Planning Honorable Mayor Bailey, City Council Members and Ryan Schroeder Stonehenge USA Project — Conditional Use Permit Application May 31, 2012 Page 2 of 11 Commission's questions about the project. Two letters from Daniel Olson, 8186 Heath Avenue, were also distributed to the Planning Commission. Mr. Olson expressed concerns for exterior lighting, delivery truck noises, visual pollution during construction, vehicle traffic along the back of the building, headlights shining toward residential properties, and noise from the trash compactor. Therese Alverson, 8198 Heath Avenue South, also spoke at the public hearing. Ms. Alverson had concerns for traffic speeds and noise and requested that the dead trees be replaced. A photograph of the existing landscaping behind 8198 Health Avenue is shown below. Existing Landscaping Behind 8198 Health Avenue There is a fair amount of deciduous trees along and within this corridor between the rear lot line of the abutting residential properties and the privacy fence on the commercial parcel. Most conifers in this corridor have died. Directly behind the Alverson's property, there is a small area where the overhead tree canopy is not as dense, thus allowing a little more sunshine. Two dead evergreen trees exist at this location. There is no room on the north side of the privacy fence directly behind the residential property at 8198 Health Avenue to plant any landscaping because the south curb line at this location will be relocated within ten feet of the privacy fence. Three crabapple trees will be removed at this location. The reason the curbing is moving over is to provide additional space for semi - tractor /trailers to maneuver in and out of the westernmost loading delivery dock for this project. The recommendations approving this application address most of Mr. Olson's and Ms. Alverson's concerns. It will be inevitable that the rear wall of the building will be modified to construct new internal walls, loading docks, storage areas, trash compactor, and the exit drive for the donation drop -off for the Goodwill Store. This construction activity will likely be performed along the rear of the building and may not completely satisfy Mr. Olson's concerns. A copy of Mr. Olson's letters dated May 11 and 16 are attached. The Planning Commission discussed the trash compactor, loading /delivery docks, and security lighting along the rear area of the commercial building. The Planning Commission's recommendation to the City Council is to approve the conditional use permit for the proposed 34,500 square foot LA Fitness Center and a drive - through corridor for Goodwill's donation drop - off area at 7210 East Point Douglas Road. This recommendation passed by a 6 -to -0 vote. An excerpt from the Planning Commission's unapproved minutes is attached. Honorable Mayor Bailey, City Council Members and Ryan Schroeder Stonehenge USA Project — Conditional Use Permit Application May 31, 2012 Page 3of11 Planning Considerations Ordinance Criteria Zoning Ordinance regulations require a conditional use permit for the LA Fitness Center and drive - through donation drop -off facility. The proposed three retail spaces are permitted uses within the B -2, Retail Business District. Approximately 83 additional on -site parking spaces will be provided. The current development proposal meets all the zoning development standards. Comprehensive Plan The proposed use is consistent with the adopted Future Vision 2030 Comprehensive Plan. Development Proposal Stonehenge USA is proposing to redevelop /reuse the existing vacant Home Depot building. Their development plan is to reconfigure the existing 95,096 square foot retail building into a multi - tenant retail and service center. Their plans currently include new retail stores for Petco (12,655 square feet) and Goodwill Stores (20,654 square feet) and an LA Fitness Center (34,500 square feet). There is one retail space of approximately 8,957 square feet that does not yet have a tenant. There are three storage areas at the back of the vacant retail space and Goodwill Store that have a cumulative floor area of approximately 10,700 square feet. A trash compactor and dock are located behind the Goodwill Store and two docks are behind the vacant retail space and Petco store. Both dock areas are recessed under the existing roof structure of the building. The existing paved access drive along the rear of the building will not be modified. Turning and backing movements for large trucks are sufficient. The existing loading dock once used by Home Depot will be removed. A copy of the preliminary floor plan layout is shown below. Preliminary Floor Plan The proposed drive through donation drop -off corridor for the Goodwill Store is completely screened within the building footprint and is covered under the roof structure. The stacking area for vehicles traveling through the drive - through will accommodate approximately seven passen- ger vehicles. The entrance of this donation drop -off area is located between the main entrance/ exit for LA Fitness and Goodwill Store. The corridor is approximately 20 feet wide (wall to wall) and the drive aisle is approximately 14 feet wide (curb to curb). A wrought iron design gate is Honorable Mayor Bailey, City Council Members and Ryan Schroeder Stonehenge USA Project — Conditional Use Permit Application May 31, 2012 Page 4 of 11 proposed at this entrance, but City staff is recommending that a solid garage door be installed. The gated entrance and exits will be securely shut during non - business hours. Motorists exiting the Goodwill Store's donation drop -off area will drive toward the rear of the building and access the private access drive that exists behind all the businesses within the Grove Plaza Shopping Center. The proposed LA Fitness Center includes a dedicated floor space for traditional free weights, gymnasium, cardio, aerobics, circuit, spin, locker rooms, three -lane pool, sales /receptionist, spa, personal training, child care, and juice bar. The gross floor area for LA Fitness is approximately 34,500 square feet. The child care center is a designated area where members can enroll their children to participate in educational play while their parent(s) workout. The juice bar offers healthy snacks and custom - blended juices for members. A concept floor plan for the LA Fitness Center is shown below. The outdoor garden area and existing loading dock at the southeast corner of the building will be removed. Approximately 83 parking spaces will be constructed on the east side of the building. It is recommended that this new parking area be a minimum of one foot below LA Fitness' finished floor elevation. An aerial photograph of the property is shown below. LA Fitness Preliminary Floor- Layout Concept Honorable Mayor Bailey, City Council Members and Ryan Schroeder Stonehenge USA Project — Conditional Use Permit Application May 31, 2012 Page 5 of 11 80th Street r. i ... !�e * f ► Q s ucks _ d r ens A r'Cb 80 OF IL V� + ' '•\ ! 8038 rb T ik f �� r ♦ Q l w,, ♦ /ylr�< h. Alt bow Foods l4�� ♦ rte, �y� � j 1. � ►�"J�t .� Aerial Photograph Utilities The site is within the developed area of the community and all public and private utilities are available to the site. The proposed utility plan shows the location of existing and proposed utilities that will be constructed as part of this redevelopment project. The proposed utility plan was reviewed by the City Engineer and Fire Division. Their comments are incorporated in this staff report and in the conditions of approval. The number of sewer availability charges (SAC) assigned for the Home Depot project in 2002 was 34.88 SAC units. Credits of 31.84 SAC units were applied from the previous retail and theater uses. The Metropolitan Council Environmental Services Division will review the re -use of this site and the number of SAC units will be determined and applied to the building permit. Outdoor Lighting The security light fixtures along the rear wall of the building will be replaced with light fixtures that will direct light downward. The developer has provided the City with a photometric plan showing the illumination of the new outdoor lighting fixtures. Based on this plan, the foot - candles along the existing privacy fence that is 18 to 20 feet from the rear lot line of the residential properties will be zero. The City's ordinance regulations allow a maximum of 0.5 foot - candle as measured at the residential property line. A copy of the photometric plan is attached. Grading Plan The existing outdoor garden center and the existing loading dock once used by Home Depot will be removed. This area will be re- graded and hardsurfaced for additional parking. The site is rel- atively flat. The proposed impervious coverage is less than the existing impervious coverage by about 0.1 acres. Therefore the City's rate control, volume control, and water quality requirements Honorable Mayor Bailey, City Council Members and Ryan Schroeder Stonehenge USA Project — Conditional Use Permit Application May 31, 2012 Page 6 of 11 do not apply. The new parking area east of the building is required to be a minimum of one foot below LA Fitness' finished floor area. Landscaping Landscaping improvements are proposed within each of the curbed islands interior of the parking lot. Existing landscaping along the north and east sides of this parcel will not change. The landscaping along the rear lot will remain the same, except for the removal of three trees and a few shrubs in the southwest corner of the property. These plantings will be removed because the access drive will be widened at the southwest corner of the site so that semi - tractor /trailers can back into the loading and receiving dock at the west end of the building. Foundation planting beds are proposed along the front of the building and consist of a mix of ornamental grasses and varying daylily species. As a condition of approval, it is required that the proposed 16 parking spaces along the front of the building be replaced with landscaping. This will allow the sidewalk area to extend approximately 31 feet away from the building with a diversity of overstory trees, shrubs, and perennial plantings around the base of the trees and along the foundation of the building. The existing landscape islands interior to the parking areas will also be re- landscaped with a mix of shrubs, ornamental grasses, and perennials. There is an existing eight -foot high wood fence and windrow of upright arborvitaes paralleling the rear property line of this site. This fence and row of arborvitaes are 18 to 20 feet from the rear property line of the abutting residential properties. Trees and shrubs exist on both sides of this fence. The photographs below show the area behind the former Home Depot Building. Looking East Behind the Former Home Depot Building In the strictest interpretation of the landscape ordinance, the proposed landscape improvements substantially comply with the general intent of the ordinance. A copy of the landscaping plan for this site is shown below. Honorable Mayor Bailey, City Council Members and Ryan Schroeder Stonehenge USA Project — Conditional Use Permit Application May 31, 2012 Page 7 of 11 Replace parking spaces with landscaped islands. n � y 4 n 4 on. >. f Architecture The principal structure is a one -story building generally 28 feet in height. There is a tiered parapet above the main roof. The parapet height above the main entrance for LA Fitness will be ap- proximately 48 feet. The existing parapet height is 45 feet. The two raised parapets for the Goodwill Store and vacant retail space are 35 feet in height. The Petco parapet is 41 feet in height. The roof -top mechanical equipment is not depicted on the building elevations. The applicant is required to comply with the rooftop mechanical equipment regulations that require rooftop equipment to be screened by a raised parapet or comparable exterior building materials. The existing vestibule and canopies on the front of the building will be removed. The front fagade of the building will be redone to incorporate some architectural design features, materials, and color schemes of the existing multi- tenant retail center into this project. The building elevations for this project are shown below. PFEFINISHED METAL CAP FLASHING EIFS, PAINTEDCOLOR 2 SIGNAGEBVTENANT -2005F L1 - -- NEW PAINT COLOR 3 — NEW PAINT COLOR 2 — NEW PAINT COLOR I I Ll t__ I I NEW PAINTEDCMU 1 1 1 _ _ __. I .�.� r _ NEW PAINTED CMV \ - EXISTING REAR COLOR \ -- TO MATCH EXISTING TO MATCH EXISTING REAR PRECAST REAR PRECAST PAINTED COLOR 1 North Building Elevation Honorable Mayor Bailey, City Council Members and Ryan Schroeder Stonehenge USA Project — Conditional Use Permit Application May 31, 2012 Page 8 of 11 South Building Elevation SIGNAGE BYTENANT -1505F EIFS, PAINTEDCOLOR 3 NEWPAINTEDCMU NEWPAINTCOLOR3 L EXSRNG REAR COLOR TO MATCH EXISTING REAR PRECAST East Building Elevation West Building Elevation Pedestrian Access The existing pedestrian walkways connecting to the dead -ended public streets, Hearthside Road and Harkness Road, will continue to exist at their present locations. Transportation /Access The proposed redevelopment plan does not significantly change any of the internal traffic flow conditions. The designated truck entrance and exit access drive is located at the southwest cor- ner of the site. This truck delivery drive will be utilized by all the businesses within the Grove Plaza Shopping Center for delivery of their goods and merchandise. This truck access extends along the back of the shopping mall. Parking The general layout for the off - street parking areas appears to be an orderly design with land- scaped curbed islands at the end of each row. The additional 83 parking spaces along the east side of the building complies with the minimum 9 -foot by 20 foot parking stall with 24 -foot wide drive aisles. Concrete curbing and interior landscape islands are proposed. The 16 proposed parking spaces along the front of the building are required to be eliminated and landscaped plots be installed instead. This will allow the sidewalk along the front of these new store fronts to extend approximately 31 feet from the front of the store and add more landscaping across the front of the building. Handicap parking spaces will be placed in the main parking area closest to the store fronts. Signage The signage proposed for the redevelopment project is graphically illustrated on the building elevations plan. The LA Fitness wall sign above their main entrance is 400 square feet and the proposed wall sign on the east side of the building is 164 square feet. The other three stores each have 200 square feet of signage above their store entrance /exit. The City's Sign Ordinance allows a sign plan for multi- tenant buildings. Such a plan must be approved by the City Council. Given the size of the building and the multi- tenant store fronts for this part of the Grove Plaza Shopping Center, it is recommended that the sign plan shown on the building elevations be accepted. The existing free - standing pylon sign for the Grove Plaza Shopping Center was constructed in 1996 in conjunction to the remodeling of the former Kmart Store to Rainbow Foods. This pylon sign is 64 feet in height. The total sign area is approximately 20 feet by 26.5 feet for a total of 530 square feet. Two commercial tenants on the Rainbow site have the upper one -half of the display and two of the commercial tenants on the redevelopment site have the lower 15 feet of the Honorable Mayor Bailey, City Council Members and Ryan Schroeder Stonehenge USA Project — Conditional Use Permit Application May 31, 2012 Page 9 of 11 display. LA Fitness will have 135 square feet to display their sign on this pylon. An illustration of the existing pylon sign that is located west of Rainbow's parking lot is shown below. VII-.0 OM rKurrnir ur LOT 2 BLOCK 1 GROVE PLAZA 2ND ADD Fabr mlod cabinet with 4' euminum feWnefs, 8emed vAttt z x z tube steel, doubts faced W Panartex rnatertal w1h saotchC8I 4Vaday. Inte'rWY fuminated vAthilumetcetu lamps. tabinettobeblack, Pylon Sign The existing Gateway North monument sign on the southeast corner of East Point Douglas Road and 80th Street is located on property once occupied by Hollywood Video. This sign was constructed based on agreements between the property owner of the former Hollywood Video and Home Depot. Signage on the monument sign shown below is recommended for approval. Honorable Mayor Bailey, City Council Members and Ryan Schroeder Stonehenge USA Project — Conditional Use Permit Application May 31, 2012 Page 10 of 11 ta•o" I 2% V 2' G' 3'. 0.. Monument Sign The City has allowed total square footage of all signs in commercial zoning districts to be on a graduated scale, whereby larger parcels and buildings are allowed more sign area. Staff supports this general concept and recommends that the proposed signage shown on the building elevation plan, the pylon, and monument illustrations be accepted. Public Meeting Notices A public meeting notice was published in the South Washington County Bulletin and notices were mailed to 72 property owners who are within 500 feet of this site. These notices were mailed on May 9, 2012. The location map shows the 500 -foot buffer around the site. On May 14, the Planning Division received a letter from Daniel Olson, 8186 Heath Avenue. Mr. Olson generally supports the proposed redevelopment of the site, but expressed concerns for exterior lighting, delivery truck noises, visual pollution during construction, and trash compactor. The recommendations approving this application address most of Mr. Olson's concerns. It will be inevitable that the rear wall of the building will be modified to construct new internal walls, loading docks, storage areas, trash compactor, and the exit drive for the donation drop -off for Goodwill Store. This construction activity will likely be performed along the rear of the building and may not completely satisfy his concerns. A copy of Mr. Olson's letter dated May 11, 2012 is attached. On May 16, Daniel Olson's letter dated May 14, 2012 was received. This letter pertained to Mr. Olson's concerns related to the location of the loading docks, trash compactor, vehicle traffic along the back of the building, and headlights shining toward residential properties. A copy of Mr. Olson's May 14 letter is attached. LA FITNESS iv A i u Daum rxmu� R SIGN PANEL S PROPERTY OF LOT 2 BLOCK 1 6' 10' GROVE PLAZE 2ND ADD t0 0r 60 sf TENANT SIGN 4'x 10' LAFITNESS 40 sf s' x 1 60 Sf 19M NI 4'x 10' 0" 40 si 5 , , NOLLYWO00 VIDEO OAII G'• 0" X 1D'• 0' 50 $0. FT. C"Ale q 0'- 0• X 19'•0" 04.5 20. Ff. TOTAL 294-0 S0. M. 5' S , ✓ I� 2' G' 3'. 0.. Monument Sign The City has allowed total square footage of all signs in commercial zoning districts to be on a graduated scale, whereby larger parcels and buildings are allowed more sign area. Staff supports this general concept and recommends that the proposed signage shown on the building elevation plan, the pylon, and monument illustrations be accepted. Public Meeting Notices A public meeting notice was published in the South Washington County Bulletin and notices were mailed to 72 property owners who are within 500 feet of this site. These notices were mailed on May 9, 2012. The location map shows the 500 -foot buffer around the site. On May 14, the Planning Division received a letter from Daniel Olson, 8186 Heath Avenue. Mr. Olson generally supports the proposed redevelopment of the site, but expressed concerns for exterior lighting, delivery truck noises, visual pollution during construction, and trash compactor. The recommendations approving this application address most of Mr. Olson's concerns. It will be inevitable that the rear wall of the building will be modified to construct new internal walls, loading docks, storage areas, trash compactor, and the exit drive for the donation drop -off for Goodwill Store. This construction activity will likely be performed along the rear of the building and may not completely satisfy his concerns. A copy of Mr. Olson's letter dated May 11, 2012 is attached. On May 16, Daniel Olson's letter dated May 14, 2012 was received. This letter pertained to Mr. Olson's concerns related to the location of the loading docks, trash compactor, vehicle traffic along the back of the building, and headlights shining toward residential properties. A copy of Mr. Olson's May 14 letter is attached. Honorable Mayor Bailey, City Council Members and Ryan Schroeder Stonehenge USA Project — Conditional Use Permit Application May 31, 2012 Page 11 of 11 • t 1I - 1 ! - = That the City Council accepts the Planning Commission's recommendation and adopts a resolution approving the conditional use permit for the LA Fitness Center and a drive - through corridor for Goodwill's donation drop -off area at 7210 East Point Douglas Road. A draft resolution approving the conditional use permit with conditions recommended by the Planning Commission is attached for your consideration. Daniel Olson 8186 Heath Avenue South Cottage Grove, MN 55016 May 11, 2012 City of Cottage Grove Planning Commission 7516 80 x Street South Cottage Grove, MN 55016 M Re: City of Cottage Grove Planning Commission Notice of Public Hearing on Application for a Conditional Use Permit to Remodel a Vacant Commercial Structure at 7210 East Point Douglas Road South by Stonehenge USA Dear Planning Commission: I am writing to express my concerns about the proposed redevelopment of the former Home Depot building. I understand that the proposal is being considered to allow the currently vacant space to be remodeled into spaces for several new commercial tenants. I support the redevelopment in general since bringing new businesses to The City of Cottage Grove ( "City" or "The City ") is in the public interest. My concerns with the redevelopment fall within three categories: lighting, noise, and visual pollution. My property is adjacent to the former Home Depot building that is to be remodeled. My primary concern is that the building's exterior lighting must be addressed prior to approval of the conditional use permit or further development of the project. Part A of City code section 11 -6 -8 Glare' (Attachment A) states that "any lighting used to illuminate an off street parking area, sign, building, or yard shall be so arranged as to deflect light away from any adjoining residential zone or from the public streets and will be compatible with adjacent lighting in adjoining districts." Attachment B provides examples of Good and Bad Lighting Fixtures. In the current configuration the building uses large unshielded "Wall Pack" lighting fixtures ( "Unshielded Packs ") to illuminate the Building and Parking Setbacks. These Unshielded Packs produce "enormous glare and uplight that results in significant nuisance light trespass into my property. According to the International Dark -Sky Association Unshielded Packs "should never be used' 2 . SEE ATTACHMENT A: City of Cottage Grove City Code 11 -6 -8 - http• / /steriingcoditiers conVcodebook/iudex php* ?book id= 500 &section id= 528213 2 SEE ATTACHMENT B: International Dark -Sky Association — Information Sheet 122: Examples of Good and Bad Lighting Fixtures - htip•// www. darksky.org /assets/documents /is 122.pdf City of Cottage Grove Planning Commission May 11, 2012 Page 2 The setback between the building and the property line is roughly 90 feet; the distance from the property line to my house is about another 50 feet or so giving a total distance between the Unshielded Packs and my house of roughly 150 feet. At night the source of illumination is visible throughout my yard and the Unshielded Packs produce enough nuisance light trespass to illuminate my bedrooms and living room. While tree foliage reduces this very slightly during summer the nuisance is absolutely undeniable during winter when there is no natural shielding. This clearly indicates that the current lighting is a nuisance and does not "deflect light away from any adjoining residential zone" and is currently in violation of City code 11 -6 -8 Glare. I request that the City require a Light Distribution Plan to ensure compliance with City code. Upon City review of the Light Distribution Plan I specifically recommend the City make two findings if the Light Distribution Plan does not specifically and adequately address the concerns I have raised. First, that the City require removal of the existing Unshielded Packs currently installed across the entire rear of the former Home Depot building that is to be remodeled. Second, that the replacement lighting be a "Full- cutoff wall pack or equivalent fixture that prevents nuisance glare, uplight, and light trespass into the neighboring residential district. Noise is my second concern. I request that the City use its discretion to clearly require that remodeling and construction activity that produces significant noise be limited to specific hours of the day to limit its impact to the neighboring community. I also request that post remodeling (and during remodeling if possible) there be a "No Idling" requirement for trucks and delivery vehicles serving the tenants of the building. At the very least limits should be set on the time trucks may remain parked behind the building idling. The noise from idling trucks can be extremely bothersome as they remain parked for indefinite amounts of time waiting to be loaded or unloaded, waiting for a loading dock space to become available, or just parked taking a break. Preferably signage could be clearly posted along the rear of the building notifying drivers of the no idling / limited idling requirement. Visual pollution is the last concern I will address in this letter. I request that construction debris created during remodeling be moved and collected in locations away from the view of the neighboring residential community. Ideally construction debris would be stored and collected in front of the building during the remodel and not allowed to be stored and collected in the rear of the building where visible to the residential community. s SEE ATTACHMENT C: International Dark -Sky Association — Information Sheet 159: Shielding Floodlights - littp: / /www.darksky.org/assets %documents /isI59.pdf City of Cottage Grove Planning Commission May 11, 2012 Page 3 Next, I see that there are plans for a trash compacter to be installed at the future Goodwill location. I request the City ensure during its review that this trash compacter will not be an eyesore to the neighboring residents. I request that the compacter, (like garbage / trash cans) be fully shielded from public view A fully enclosed compacter will also limit the noise of it being operated from bothering the neighboring community. Thank you for the opportunity to provide my comments on the redevelopment of the former Home Depot property. I understand the need to illuminate their property to ensure security along with traffic and pedestrian safety but there is absolutely no need for my property and home to be illuminated by the buildings lights any longer. Now, as the building is to be remodeled, is the perfect time for the City to require the property owner to address these concerns. I wish the developers the best of luck during the remodeling and I hope that the City will do its part to ensure that construction noise, construction debris, ongoing future use and incidental noise from the building, its tenants, and suppliers is limited and goes largely unnoticed by the neighboring residential community. Please take my comments into consideration as you consider the conditional use permit and review further development of the former Home Depot building. Sincerely, Daniel Olson Enclosures 4 cc: Alan Dale, Owner and President (Stonehenge USA) cc: Ryan Schroeder, City Administrator (City of Cottage Grove, MN) cc: Bob LaBrosse, Chief Building Official (City of Cottage Grove, MN) cc: John McCool, Senior Planner (City of Cottage Grove, MN) 4 SEE ATTACHMENT D: City of Cottage Grove City Code 4 -2 -5 - bft :/isteriiiii-,codifiers.com/codebook/index.php!book id =500 &section id= 238292 & City of Cottage Grove City Code 11 -6 -3 - http•-/ sterlingcodifiers.com/codebook/index.php`. id =500 &section id= 528208 Daniel Olson 8186 Heath Avenue South Cottage Grove, MN 55016 May 14, 2012 RECEIVED City of Cottage Grove Planning Commission MAY 1 6 2012 7516 80TH Street South Cottage Grove, MN 55016 CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE Re: City of Cottage Grove Planning Commission Notice of Public Hearing on Application for a Conditional Use Permit to Remodel a Vacant Commercial Structure at 7210 East Point Douglas Road South by Stonehenge USA Dear Planning Commission: I previously submitted my first round of comments May 11, 2012. This letter is to further address my concerns related to the location of loading docks, trash compactors, and additional vehicle traffic resulting from the remodeled Home Depot site. The current plan indicates that a new loading dock will be built to serve Goodwill. This dock will have 2 stalls, one of which will always be taken by a trash compactor. The other used for pickup / delivery truck use. The dock positioning will result in an increase in vehicle and trash compactor noise that will impact the residential neighborhood. Along with noise, vehicle headlights will be pointed directly at our homes. A second new loading dock will be created to serve Petco and the remaining vacant space. This loading dock will have 2 stalls, one serving only Petco, the other serving only the vacant space. Again the positioning of this loading dock will result in an increase in vehicle noise that will impact the residential neighborhood. Again, along with the noise, vehicle headlights will be pointed directly at our homes. The drive -thru drop off, as planned, will direct additional vehicle traffic behind the building and will result in increased noise that will impact the residential neighborhood. Also, one last time, the headlights as the vehicles exit will be pointed directly at our homes. The positioning of the loading docks and the drive -thru facility are not thought out very well at all. There is a simple correction that I (and very likely the entire neighborhood) could easily support. City of Cottage Grove Planning Commission May 11, 2012 Page 2 Please refer to Attachment A. The ideal correction to these issues would be as follows: 1. Reduce the non - commercial vehicle traffic (traffic using the drive -thru drop off) behind our homes. a. Place Goodwill in the southernmost retail location. b. Direct traffic exiting the drive -thru drop off to immediately turn right and exit to East Point Douglas 2. Reduce noise from Goodwill trash compactor. a. Enclose the trash compactor within the building, near the exit of the drop - off lane b. Have the garage door point SW. 3. Reduce annoyance caused by the new loading docks. a. Reuse the existing loading dock located at the east most comer!! Please don't build new ones that point at our homes. i. There are 3 existing stalls. ii. Make it a shared loading dock that serves all the spaces iii. Just add a freight corridor that spans the length of the building and provides access to all the tenant spaces & storage areas. The developer should have been able to see these significant improvements to the plan provided them by their architect. The plan, as is, doesn't appear to show much concern that there are homes located right behind the building. Yes, we bought homes next to a commercial district, that's on us, but a little compassion would be nice. The changes I noted above would CONSIDERABLY reduce the impact to the residential neighborhood. The drop -off facility traffic would no longer pass behind our homes; the trash compactor would be enclosed and as far away from our homes as possible while still connected directly to the Goodwill space; the loading docks would no longer point directly at our homes and the existing loading dock could be reused. WHY wouldn't they do this? S ' Daniel Olson Enclosures 1 cc: Alan Dale, Owner and President (Stonehenge USA) cc: Ryan Schroeder, City Administrator (City of Cottage Grove, MN) cc: Bob LaBrosse, Chief Building Official (City of Cottage Grove, MN) cc: John McCool, Senior Planner (City of Cottage Grove, MN) ATTACHMENT A {$ ca F ma y= � � Cif'•; V., a L.: w O _ Ln V Qi u rz C7 0 U t7 u Ii ztl ul aE �: •. �^� `^ V} 1 \ g_ b 4, ti l l o u zs £ G° in 3 g ; €'1 5 3 C i i 3 x e fill W 9z i E; € t\ X� y . \ q o \ �\ , V n v `} f 0.` 4 C—1 O N co Q C ` 11H �E 1 1 1 f O OO Y- 1 1 1 Ii F o� II 3• 1 01- II 11. 8 1 O_ V} 1 \ g_ b 4, ti l l o u zs £ G° in 3 g ; €'1 5 3 C i i 3 x e fill W 9z i E; € t\ X� y . \ q o \ �\ , V n v `} f 0.` 4 C—1 O N co Q C ` M -i" ` 0 0�11111firill, 1 c 11 - 1 Y2 18 Q -1 1 911 1 1 1 WHEREAS, Stonehenge USA has applied for a conditional use permit to allow a 34,500 square foot health and physical exercise club and a drive - through donation drop -off facility. The property is legally described as: {Legal Description) Commonly known as 7210 East Point Douglas Road South, Cottage Grove, Washington County, State of Minnesota. WHEREAS, public hearing notices were mailed to property owners within 500 feet of the property and a public hearing notice was published in the South Washington County Bulletin; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission held a public hearing on May 21, 2012; and WHEREAS, a planning staff report, which detailed specific information on the property and the application request was prepared and presented; and WHEREAS, the public hearing was open for public testimony and testimony from the applicant and the public was received and entered into the public record; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission unanimously (6 -to -0 vote) recommended approval of the application, subject to certain conditions listed below. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the City Council of the City of Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota, hereby approves the conditional use permit to allow a 34,500 square foot health and physical exercise club and a drive - through donation drop -off facility, located on the property legally described above, subject to the following conditions: No other free - standing sign is erected on Lot 2, Block 1 of Grove Plaza 2nd Addition. 2. The wall, monument, and pylon signs shown on Stonehenge USA's development plans with the May 7, 2012 revision date are accepted. The landowner and future tenants must file a building permit application for all exterior wall, pylon, and monument signs. Building permits must be issued before any construction begins or before any sign is installed. 3. All applicable permits (i.e., building, electrical, signs, etc.) shall be applied for and issued by the City before beginning any work or construction. Detailed construc- Resolution No. 2012 -XXX Page 2 of 3 tion plans must be reviewed and approved by the Building Official and Fire Marshall. 4. Class I commercial vehicles (i.e. semi - trucks /trailers, tandem trucks, large delivery trucks, etc.) shall not park or be stored in the customer parking areas or along the designated truck entrance /exit drive that parallels the southeast boundary line of Lots 1 and 2, Block 1 of Grove Plaza 2nd Addition. Class I commercial vehicles are permitted to park in the designated dock areas for the period of time to load or unload. Unattended vehicles are prohibited from running. Lights on the vehicle must be shut off once the vehicle is parked at the dock. 5. Exterior lighting for security purposes and illuminating the parking lot must deflect light downward and away from adjoining residential properties and public streets. The existing exterior light fixtures along the rear wall of the building must either be replaced with downward directed lighting fixtures or mount shields to the existing fixtures to direct the light downward. 6. The exterior walls of all trash enclosures shall be constructed with the same exte- rior materials and color as the principal structure and contain an opaque gate. 7. A revised landscaping plan showing the additional landscaping along the front of the building must be submitted to the Planning Division. Installation of the addi- tional landscaping materials must be completed in a timely fashion. A letter of credit in the amount of 150 percent of the landscape estimate shall be submitted to the City as required by City ordinance (Title 11- 6- 6(f)). The financial guarantee shall be in effect for one year from the date of installation to ensure all plantings are healthy after one winter season. 8. Dead or unhealthy plant materials existing on the site must be replaced at the same time the new plantings are installed. 9. Roof -top mechanical units shall be screened as required in Title 11- 6- 4(B)(2) of the City's Zoning Ordinance. If panels are used for screening, the color must be complimentary to the exterior color scheme of the principal structure. 10. The existing eight -foot high wooden fence, trees, and shrubs abutting the residential neighborhood must be maintained in good condition and repaired /replaced in a timely manner. 11. Outdoor speaker systems (e.g. paging, intercom, etc.) are prohibited. 12. The developer agrees to dedicate to the City without cost to the City all drainage and utility easements that are necessary for any public utility that needs to con- structed on the site. Construction of any public utility must utilize the City's detail plates. 13. All storm sewer pipes must be reinforced concrete pipe. Resolution No. 2012 -XXX Page 3 of 3 14. The building's finished floor elevation must be a minimum of one foot above the proposed new parking area along the east side of the building. 15. Details must be provided to Building Inspections, Public Works, and City Engineer for any private utility that will be disconnected and abandoned. 16. The entrance for the Goodwill Store donation drop -off shall be a solid garage door painted a color that matches the adjoining exterior wall. 17. Bicycle racks must be installed on the west side of the Petco Store, between the Goodwill and current vacant retail space, and near the front entrance of the LA Fitness Center. The color of the bike racks must all be the same and designed as an inverted "U," saddleback, or triangular hitch and post. All other City bicycle parking guidelines must be complied with. Passed this 6th day of June 2012. Myron Bailey, Mayor Attest: Caron M. Stransky, City Clerk 6.2 Stonehenge USA Project — CUP12 -021 Stonehenge USA has applied for a conditional use permit to remodel the vacant com- mercial structure at 7210 East Point Douglas Road South for a health and physical exercise club that will occupy more than 34,500 square feet of gross floor area. A drive - through drop -off facility is proposed as part of a Goodwill store, which also requires a conditional use permit. The entire project proposes the re -use of the commercial struc- ture and property formerly owned by Home Depot. Several commercial tenant spaces will be created with this project. McCool summarized the staff report and recommended approval subject to the conditions stipulated in the staff report. Brittain asked what the exterior lighting footcandles at the property line are currently. McCool responded he does not know. Brittain asked if the shrubs by Hollywood Video drive towards the main road will be monitored for height issues. McCool responded that the City will con- tinue monitoring the site line at this access drive. Brittain suggested that a different plant be used to landscape the parking lot islands since the previous shrubs died. David Carland, Executive Vice President and Randy Rauwerdink, Director of Development Services for Stonehenge USA, 6007 Culligan Way, Minnetonka, were in attendance. Carland stated that they have been working on this project for nine months. He believes they have addressed the concerns raised in the letters from the neighbor. He explained that LA Fitness is the primary tenant and wants to be in the end unit due to parking needs, and Petco re- quires that they are a certain distance from any fitness facility because of parking conflicts. The location of these two businesses meets both of their criteria. Brittain asked about the noise levels when the trash compactor is operating, and if hours of operation would limit that impact. Rauwerdink responded that occurs when the business is open and Goodwill has fairly limited business hours. He noted that it is a fully enclosed com- pactor. He does not have any decibel levels but could provide that later. It was noted that Rainbow Foods has a trash compactor. Ventura asked about the timeline for the redevelopment. Carland responded that they will start construction this summer and should be finished by the end of the year or shortly thereafter. Rostad asked if there had been discussions on providing access to this development from farther east on 80th Street. Roland stated that had been preliminarily discussed, but the de- veloper has not requested that access at this time. Carland stated that they reviewed this additional access scenario in the conceptual design process, but concluded that it would not dramatically improve the prospects for business so they did not pursue it any further. Excerpt from Unapproved Planning Commission Minutes Stonehenge USA Project — Case CUP2012 -021 May 21, 2012 Page 2 of 4 Wehrle noted that there was concern expressed about delivery trucks and asked if that would happen mostly during business hours. Rauwerdink explained that there would be very limited truck activity compared to what historically has happened on the site. Goodwill does not have a receiving dock; the product in the store is customer generated through the drop - off lane. The single overhead door behind Goodwill is for a trailer that will be dropped once a week.When donations come into the store, the products go onto the sales floor, into the limited backroom space, or onto the empty trailer. Once a week a tractor will drop an empty trailer and remove the full trailer. The Petco operation receives deliveries from a corporate factory warehouse, not from individual vendors. Typical Petco stores of this size receive about two trucks per week from the corporate distribution center during business hours. Rostad opened the public hearing. Therese Alverson, 8198 Heath Avenue South, stated that her backyard overlooks the project. In general, they have no issues with the project or construction, but they are con- cerned about the noise from trucks. She explained that the majority of trees planted as the sound barrier have died because they were never watered. She requested that those trees be replanted to help mitigate the noise from the extra traffic. Carland stated that the truck court for this project will have very light use. LA Fitness will have no truck traffic, Goodwill has the trailer pick -up once a week, and Petco gets deliveries twice a week. He stated that the developer will work with the neighbors on any lighting and noise issues. No one else spoke. Rostad closed the public hearing. Brittain asked if replanting the trees between the neighborhood and the commercial site could be looked into. McCool stated yes, noting that some of the trees died due to too much shade from the mature trees in the area. Rostad noted that he drove through that area and many of the arborvitaes at the LA Fitness end seem to be in good condition but they get thinner further down. McCool pointed out the trees are bigger where there is sunlight and smaller where they are shaded, and planting more arborvitaes may not work because of the tree canopy, but staff would look to see if there is a better placement for more trees. Burbank stated that shade tolerant plantings could also be explored. Rediske stated she is concerned about people driving too fast around the rear of the building to the Goodwill donation area. She suggested installing speed bumps or speed limit signs. Rauwerdink responded that as vehicles exit the drop -off lane, they will be encouraged to make a left hand turn so they don't progress down the back side of the adjacent retail center. He explained that area is the truck court for the entire shopping center and is controlled by reciprocal easement agreements, so there is a limit on what can be physically modified. He stated that speed limit and directional signage would be installed. Carland suggested adding a condition that traffic behind the building would be monitored and dealt withif there were any problems. Wehrle expressed concern about people dropping off items and junk during non - business hours. Rauwerdink stated that Goodwill has a vendor that circulates all of the sites to police and pick up products. He noted that the drop off area is in front of the store so it is visible, Excerpt from Unapproved Planning Commission Minutes Stonehenge USA Project — Case CUP2012 -021 May 21, 2012 Page 3 of 4 and the stores are always staffed when it is open. There will also be an overhead door that encloses the entire drop off area when the store is closed. Brittain made a motion to approve the conditional use permit for a health and physical exercise club and drive - through drop -off facility at 7210 East Point Douglas Road, subject to the conditions listed below. Ventura seconded. 1. No other free - standing sign is erected on Lot 2, Block 1 of Grove Plaza 2nd Addition. 2. The wall, monument, and pylon signs shown on Stonehenge USA's development plans with the May 7, 2012 revision date are accepted. The landowner and future tenants must file a building permit application for all exterior wall, pylon, and monument signs. Building permits must be issued before any construction begins or before any sign is installed. 3. All applicable permits (i.e., building, electrical, signs, etc.) shall be applied for and issued by the City before beginning any work or construction. Detailed construc- tion plans must be reviewed and approved by the Building Official and Fire Marshall. 4. Class 1 commercial vehicles (i.e. semi - trucks /trailers, tandem trucks, large delivery trucks, etc.) shall not park or be stored in the customer parking areas or along the designated truck entrance%xit drive that parallels the southeast boundary line of Lots 1 and 2, Block 1 of Grove Plaza 2nd Addition. Class I commercial vehicles are permitted to park in the designated dock areas for the period of time to load or unload. Unattended vehicles are prohibited from running. Lights on the vehicle must be shut off once the vehicle is parked at the dock. 5. Exterior lighting for security purposes and illuminating the parking lot must deflect light downward and away from adjoining residential properties and public streets. The existing exterior light fixtures along the rear wall of the building must either be replaced with downward directed lighting fixtures or mount shields to the existing fixtures to direct the light downward. 6. The exterior walls of all trash enclosures shall be constructed with the same exte- rior materials and color as the principal structure and contain an opaque gate. 7. A revised landscaping plan showing the additional landscaping along the front of the building must be submitted to the Planning Division. Installation of the addi- tional landscaping materials must be completed in a timely fashion. A letter of credit in the amount of 150 percent of the landscape estimate shall be submitted to the City as required by City ordinance (Title 11- 6- 6(t)). The financial guarantee shall be in effect for one year from the date of installation to ensure all plantings are healthy after one winter season. Excerpt from Unapproved Planning Commission Minutes Stonehenge USA Project — Case CUP2012 -021 May 21, 2012 Page 4 of 4 8. Dead or unhealthy plant materials existing on the site must be replaced at the same time the new plantings are installed. 9. Roof -top mechanical units shall be screened as required in Title 11- 6- 4(B)(2) of the City's Zoning Ordinance. If panels are used for screening, the color must be com- plimentary to the exterior color scheme of the principal structure. 10. The existing eight -foot high wooden fence, trees, and shrubs abutting the residen- tial neighborhood must be maintained in good condition and repaired /replaced in a timely manner. 11. Outdoor speaker systems (e.g. paging, intercom, etc.) are prohibited. 12. The developer agrees to dedicate to the City without cost to the City all drainage and utility easements that are necessary for any public utility that needs to con- structed on the site. Construction of any public utility must utilize the City's detail plates. 13. All storm sewer pipes must be reinforced concrete pipe. 14. The building's finished floor elevation must be a minimum of one foot above the proposed new parking area along the east side of the building. 15. Details must be provided to Building Inspections, Public Works, and City Engineer for any private utility that will be disconnected and abandoned. 16. The entrance for the Goodwill Store donation drop -off shall be a solid garage door painted a color that matches the adjoining exterior wall. 17. Bicycle racks must be installed on the west side of the Petco Store, between the Goodwill and current vacant retail space, and near the front entrance of the LA Fitness Center. The color of the bike racks must all be the same and designed as an inverted "U," saddleback, or triangular hitch and post. All other City bicycle parking guidelines must be complied with. Motion passed unanimously (6 -to -0 vote).