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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes i� ��tJV� �ri°t � y � ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ���� �ri e ar�d PC�� t MINUTES COTTAGE GROVE CITY COUNCIL July 18, 2018 COUNCIL CHAMBER 12800 RAVINE PARKWAY SOUTH REGULAR MEETING - 7:00 P.M. 1. CALL TO ORDER The City Council of the City of Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota, held a regular meeting on July 18, 2018, at Cottage Grove City Hall, 12800 Ravine Parkway. Mayor Bailey called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The audience, staff, Mayor, and City Council Members recited the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. ROLL CALL The following were present: Mayor Myron Bailey, Council Member Steve Dennis, Council Member Wayne Johnson, Council Member La Rae Mills, and Council Member Dave Thiede. Also present were: Charlene Stevens, City Administrator; Korine Land, City Attorney- LeVander, Gillen & Miller, PA; John Burbank, Senior Planner; Les Burshten, Public Works Director; Joe Fischbach/HR Manager/City Clerk; Jennifer Levitt, Community Development Director/City Engineer; John McCool, Senior Planner; Greg Rinzel, Deputy Director of Public Safety 4. OPEN FORUM Mayor Bailey opened the open forum and asked if anyone in the audience wished to address the Council on any item that was not on the agenda. As no one wished to address the Council, Mayor Bailey closed the open forum. 5. ADOPTION OF AGENDA Motion by Council Member Thiede to adopt the agenda; second by Council Member Dennis. Motion carried: 5-0. 6. PRESENTATIONS CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE • 12800 Ravine Parkway • Cottage Grove, Minnesota 55016 www.cottage-grove.org • 651-458-2800 • Fax 651-458-2897 • Equal Opportunity Employer City Council Meeting Minutes July 18, 2018 Page 2 A. 2018 Night to Unite in Cottage Grove - Presentation by Deputy Director of Public Safety Greg Rinzel Staff Recommendation: Proclaim Tuesday, August 7th, as 2018 Night to Unite in Cottage Grove Deputy Director of Public Safety Greg Rinzel stated the Night to Unite is designed to heighten crime and drug awareness; it does this by getting the community together in small groups where they live to send a message to potential criminals that everyone's going to be watching and showing a united front. He stated there will be two daytime events, at Presbyterian Homes and White Pine, for seniors in the community. The neighborhood block parties take place in the evening, beginning at 5:00 p.m. The Public Safety Board is conducting a "Fill the Backpack" campaign; they donate backpacks for each of the block parties, and the attendees of the parties are asked to bring donations for the backpacks. There will also be a paper product donation. Those items will be collected the next day by City staff, and all donations are given to our local Friends in Need Food Shelf. Parks and Recreation also sponsors a coloring contest; the winners get a free reservation for the Splash Pad at Highlands Park. Right now, there are over 30 parties planned; last year's record was over 40. More information is available on the City web site and applications are available on the web site and at City Hall until July 31. Police, Fire, and Council Members try to attend as many of the parties as possible. If you have questions, contact Officer Adam Pelton at the Police Department. Deputy Director Rinzel stated he's looking forward to seeing all of the citizens out and about on August 7 at the Night to Unite parties. Council Member Dennis stated he saw a video on Facebook by the Public Safety Department regarding what to do if you lose your pet, and it gave owners helpful things they can do to prevent that from happening. He thought that was a great idea and just wanted to piggyback on the Night to Unite and thank the Public Safety Department for performing that service. Council Member Johnson stated if people register, they will get a visit, but there might be other neighborhood get-togethers that are not officially registered. Deputy Director Rinzel agreed, but stated they like to have the registration just so they can keep track of the parties, get donations, and collect those the following day. He stated it's really about the community coming together as neighbors and friends and looking out for one another. Mayor Bailey read the 2018 Night to Unite proclamation. Motion by Council Member Mills to approve the proclamation; second by Council Member Thiede. Motion carried: 5-0. 7. CONSENT AGENDA City Council Meeting Minutes July 18, 2018 Page 3 A. Approve the June 20, 2018 City Council Special Meeting Minutes. B. Approve the June 20, 2018 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes. C. Accept and place on file the minutes from the Planning Commission meeting on June 25, 2018. D. Accept and place on file the minutes from the Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation meeting on May 8, 2018. E. Adopt Resolution 2018-088 appointing Election Judges for the August 14th Primary and November 6th General Elections. F. Adopt Resolution 2018-089 approving the placement of a permanent stop sign on 63rd Street at the intersection of 63rd Street and Ideal Avenue. G. Approve the second amendment to the Contract for Residential Development with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. H. Approve Change Order#3 in the amount of$1,101.67 for the Water Meter Replacement Project. I. Approve the Guaranteed Maximum Price Contract with RJM Construction, LLC, for the construction of the HERO Center. J. Adopt Resolution 2018-091 approving the site plan and conditional use permit applications to allow the construction of a 2.6-acre outdoor parking area for approximately 93 semi-trailers on property located west of Renewal by Andersen's current property at 9900 Jamaica Avenue South. K. Approve the Easement Encroachment Agreement for 6834 94th Cove South. L. Adopt Resolution 2018-090 authorizing the final payment for the 2016 Pavement Management Project to Hardrives, Inc. in the amount of $40,282.83. M. Approve the issuance of rental licenses to the properties listed in the attached table. N. Authorize issuance of a massage therapist license to Adelheid Kroll to work at Oasis Wellness Center, 7424 East Point Douglas Road South. O. Adopt Resolution 2018-094 accepting donations made to the City between April 1 and June 30, 2018. P. Authorize issuance of a single occasion gambling permit to Zion Lutheran Church to conduct a raffle on 9-29-2018 for their Fall Festival. Q. Adopt Resolution 2018-093 approving the variance to allow an accessory structure to be built closer to the front property line than the principal structure at 8003 River Acres Road South. Council Member Mills wished to pull Item O, Council Member Thiede wished to pull Item L, and Council Member Johnson wished to pull Item N for further comment and/or discussion. Council Member Johnson stated regarding Item N, he knew that a business had to be licensed as a massage therapist business; he wondered why we require an individual license for the therapists that work there. City Clerk Joe Fischbach stated that's done because there are specific criteria that every massage licensed therapist has to meet in City Council Meeting Minutes July 18, 2018 Page 4 order to be licensed in the City of Cottage Grove; there's certain educational and/or experience requirements that they need to have. Council Member Johnson asked why that isn't done for doctors or dentists. Clerk Fischbach stated the short answer is that dentists and doctors are regulated by the State of Minnesota, and massage therapists aren't. It's a way for the City to regulate those businesses. Council Member Johnson asked if something happened if both the business and the therapist be held liable, or if it would just be the therapist. Clerk Fischbach stated it would be both. Council Member Johnson asked if there was an easier way this process could be done, as approval of this license was dependent on the City Council's meeting schedule. Clerk Fischbach stated the City Attorney had researched this and Council approval has to occur before the person can do business, so staff can't administratively just issue a license. City Attorney Korine Land stated that this has to be looked at as kind of the cost of doing business. It is the business' obligation to research the City Ordinances and Codes and know what it is that they have to do in order to comply and begin operation of business. The burden is not on the City to allow them to do business; the burden is on them to make sure they have everything in order before they begin operation. The City has an obligation to protect our citizens, and that's what we're attempting to do. Council Member Thiede stated regarding Item L, final payment on the 2016 Pavement Management Project, he wanted to know before payment was made that we were extremely confident that everything was taken care of properly, as there have been issues in the past. City Engineer Jennifer Levitt stated regarding the final payment, the contractor returned last spring and summer to do restoration work, and this spring they returned again to finalize some of the additional restoration work. At this point, we have full restoration of the area, and all punch-list items have been corrected. Council Member Thiede asked if there were very many issues with Hardrives, Inc. this time; Engineer Levitt stated that no, the contractor performed very well, and adhered to the schedule and the milestones that were established in the contract. Council Member Mills stated regarding Item O, she wanted to recognize some of the donations received by the City from April 1 to June 30: • For the July 4th Fireworks: Tennis Sanitation, $2,500, Dennis Brothers Liquors, $250, and Hy-Vee, $5,000; • Memorials from Lisa DuBois for EMS equipment and training, $2,400; • Roger and Gail Mikkelsen donated a memorial bench and plaque, $1,200; • Zywiec's donated the holiday tree at City Hall, $600; • Willie Tennis donated services to move a tree, $600; � Cottage Grove Athletic Association donated 50% of the cost of the soccer goals, $1,750; • LSP made a donation towards Safety Camp, $1,000. Council Member Mills stated all of the donations were greatly appreciated and it helps the community in many different ways. She thanked all of the contributors for their donations. City Council Meeting Minutes July 18, 2018 Page 5 Motion by Council Member Dennis to approve the Consent Agenda; second by Council Member Johnson. Motion carried: 5-0. 8. APPROVE DISBURSEMENTS A. Approve payments for the period of 6/14/2018 through 7/19/2018 for $3,805,797.94. Motion by Council Member Mills to approve disbursements; second by Council Member Johnson. Motion carried: 5-0. 9. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. Hy-Vee Special Event Permit Staff Recommendation:Authorize issuance of a special event permit to Hy-Vee for their store's one-year anniversary event on 8-4-2018, contingent upon Community Development and Public Safety Department recommendations. Clerk Fischbach stated Hy-Vee had submitted an application to hold a special event on August 4, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., as it's their Cottage Grove site's one-year birthday celebration. They completed an application and it's been reviewed by Community Development and by Public Safety. Chief Building Official Bob LaBrosse indicated they didn't have any real concerns unless they started to put up a stage, large tents, etc. Public Safety said they'd meet with the applicant and work out any emergency planning and/or logistics related to the event. On July 2, a notice was sent out to all affected properties notifying them of tonight's public hearing. The applicant is present if there are any questions. Staff is recommending approval. Mayor Bailey opened the public hearing. As no one wished to address the Council on this item, Mayor Bailey closed the public hearing. Motion by Council Member Mills to authorize issuance of a special event permit to Hy- Vee; second by Council Member Council Member Thiede. Motion carried: 5-0. 10. BID AWARDS — None. 11. REGULAR AGENDA A. Menards Expansion - Variances, Conditional Use Permit, and Site Plan Review Applications Staff Recommendation: 1) Adopt Resolution 2018-092 denying the following applications for the proposed expansion at Menards, 9000 East Point Douglas Road South: 1. Variance to City Code Title 11-3-Section City Council Meeting Minutes July 18, 2018 Page 6 9(F); Required Off-Street Parking, and amended site plan to eliminate 40 additional customer parking spaces; 2. Variance to Title 11-6-13; Architecture, to reduce the required Class 1 exterior building materials to Class 4; 3. Site plan and conditional use permit for the proposed construction of a 43,808 square-foot storage building. Senior Planner John McCool stated Menards has made application for a variance as it pertains to minimum off-street parking requirements and exterior building materials. They're also proposing a site plan and conditional use permit approval for construction of the 43,808 square-foot storage building, to be constructed in the southeast corner of their property. There are also some other improvements on the outdoor lumber yard areas and storage area of their property. In order to create this buildable spot for the proposed storage building, they will need to reduce or eliminate 40 parking spaces on the property from 396 to 356. When the application had initially been submitted for the building structure, they did not comply with the 65% minimum exterior building materials for Class I materials; they've made modification to the building, but it still does not comply with the 65% minimum for Class I exterior materials. Planner McCool reviewed the proposed site change to the Menards property, with the 43,808 square-foot storage building located on the southeast corner, where their existing storm water basin is located. He reviewed the location of exterior storage of their existing facility; the garden center is located on the west side of the retail building. The purpose of the proposed outdoor storage rack is to provide for storage of lumber, landscape materials, and construction materials, which currently exists along the perimeter of the property. The perimeter of the outdoor storage area is surrounded by a 12-foot high privacy fence. The existing storm water retention pond is about 1.3 acres in size; by eliminating that, they'll be proposing to have underground storage of storm water runoff from their site. Neighboring properties include residential to the north and east sides. Menards is proposing to have a metal face material, Class IV, green in color, on the north side of the proposed storage facility. On the west side of the building, exposed to the parking lot area, would be an open-air type of storage; that will provide for pallet storage. On the east side of the property, which faces the residential area, and also on the south side of the building, they're proposing Class I brick material; it will have two textures and colors, and that will comply with the City Ordinance requirements. Planner McCool reviewed the proposed storage building; along the west side they're proposing wrought- iron fencing. There will be an elevated, landscaped retaining wall along the base of the wrought-iron fence; however, people from East Point Douglas Road and the parking lot will be able to see through the wrought-iron fence and into the open-air storage rack system and the storage building to the east of the property. If the structure were allowed, additional tree and shrubs would be planted along the east side of the City Council Meeting Minutes July 18, 2018 Page 7 proposed storage building, as well as replacement of trees on the south side of the building, closest to East Point Douglas Road. There were some concerns identified at the Planning Commission public hearing regarding the off-street parking, particularly the loss of the 40 parking spaces. They compared the Cottage Grove Menards store parking area to their stores in nearby Minnesota communities, as well as Wisconsin, and the Cottage Grove store fell in the middle. The Planning Commission recommended denial of the variance application for minimum off-street parking requirements and reduction of the 65% minimum for Class I materials on the property. Without approval of those variances, the City Council would not be able to approve the site plan or the conditional use permit. Planner McCool stated a Menards representative was present; Menards indicated a parking lot of the proposed size would be adequate for their needs. Council Member Thiede stated he wasn't too worried about the parking issue, but he had concerns about the appearance of the building. He felt it looked like there'd be a shed out in front of the store. He didn't want to say no without making some suggestions; one of those was to possibly relocate the storage facility to the other side of the retail building, on the triangular-shaped area. Another possibility was if they wanted to put their garden center in the storage building and remove that from the store, that might look better; the current garden center could then be converted into more of a storage area. He felt as it looked right now, he'd not be able to approve it. Council Member Dennis stated he didn't feel the parking was the overriding concern, as most retail centers have less parking. From his perspective, Highway 61 is a main artery through our community, and it's a chance for people to get a first impression of Cottage Grove. We've made an effort to raise the standard of how this area looks. Traveling southbound on Highway 61, because this addition won't be perpendicular to Menards but at an angle, motorists will have a full view of the contents of that building. He felt that would take us backwards in terms of what we've tried to achieve with design elements for that area. The Applicant, Rodney Wekkin, with Menard, Inc., 5501 Menard Drive, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, 54701, stated the reason for them upgrading the store was an overall company-wide initiative, and it's to provide better guest satisfaction when shopping at Menards. There will be the opportunity to order on Menards.com and have it shipped to the Cottage Grove location. All of their stores will have this accessory structure to allow customers to choose their construction items outside, rather than choosing it, loading it, and then carting it through the store to pay for it. Regarding the design of the warehouse, on the north side, it will be either steel or wood. As this warehouse is pushed forward, due to the site constraints of 14.9 acres, they tried to provide some material upgrades to the south and east sides facing the highway and the residential neighbors to the east. They tried to add as much landscaping as they could; all of the mature trees along East Point Douglas Road will be saved. Regarding parking, Mr. City Council Meeting Minutes July 18, 2018 Page 8 Wekkin stated he reviewed the transactions for the last year at the Cottage Grove store, and he thought the reduction in parking spaces would not be an issue. He stated he'd be happy to answer questions regarding the site plan. Council Member Johnson stated instead of a wrought-iron fence, he wondered if there was perhaps a way to just have a bigger wall with the structure so it looks like a continuation of the store instead of seeing what's behind that wall. Council Member Johnson stated regarding the parking if they wanted to create more space inside the store, it would be to bring in more customers. Mr. Wekkin stated it was to make it a better customer experience, and certainly they'd also like to increase sales with existing customers and by bringing in new customers. Without looking at the data, it's hard to see if the sales are increased on a per transaction basis or if it's new customers coming in. Council Member Johnson stated if they're going to be making this capital expenditure, they must have justified the cost based on their resulting increase in sales, either from existing customers or bringing in new customers. If you're looking for more customers and shrinking the parking spaces with that, he didn't think that was going to work. He didn't want the police to have to become parking cops, with people parking on East Point Douglas Road. Mr. Wekkin stated he didn't know that he could speak to the exact number of customers that they'd have, but a number of their stores have already experienced the remodel and have similar parking spaces as what's being proposed in Cottage Grove without having parking issues. Council Member Mills stated she was concerned about the proposed look and its location in the front. She asked what was going to happen to the lumber yard in the back, if that was going away; Mr. Wekkin stated the reasoning for the position of this accessory structure being in the front is typically they'd have 18-to-20 acres, and they simply don't have that here. From a Fire Code perspective, there's a distance that they need to maintain. Unfortunately, a warehouse could not be put behind the store because they need to maintain 60 feet from the back of the store to any new structure being built. Council Member Mills asked what they'd be doing with the current lumber yard; Mr. Wekkin stated there won't be any changes to that, and the changes will be to the store itself with the lumber yard addition coming out into the parking lot. Council Member Mills stated that they'd then be expanding the lumber yard, and Mr. Wekkin confirmed that. Council Member Mills stated she still had a concern with it being in the front. Mayor Bailey stated with the reduction in parking spaces, if it's a horrible winter and snow is being piled, it will obviously take up some parking spots; he wondered if they have a contingency plan for that. Mr. Wekkin stated he reached out to some of their other stores to see what they did; basically, December through March is their slow season, so they don't experience peak level traffic periods. They try to store snow in boulevards or landscaped areas to eliminate a reduction in parking. It would be pushed towards where the warehouse is, on the green space on the southeast corner. Mayor Bailey stated he understood Council Member Johnson's concerns about the parking and the desire to get new business, but with online orders most retailers are City Council Meeting Minutes July 18, 2018 Page 9 actually downsizing their stores and sales floors so parking needs are shifting. Mayor Bailey's concern is directly related to the location of the warehouse and being able to see into this building. He stated he liked what they did with trying to use the brick and the look and the wrought-iron fencing, etc., but you'd still be able to see into that piece of the building. Mayor Bailey stated he felt we were trying to squeeze too much into that particular area; the farade of the building is going to remain as it is, so it will look like we built something new out in front and then everything else is going to stay the same. He'd have concerns if the variances were approved because of what's being done on Highway 61 and the look they're trying to achieve with that gateway; if variances were allowed, that could set a precedent. Motion by Council Member Thiede to adopt Resolution 2018-092 denying the variance to City Code Title 11-3-Section 9(F), Required Off-Street Parking, and amended site plan to eliminate 40 additional customer parking spaces; and the Variance to Title 11-6- 13, Architecture, to reduce the required Class I exterior building materials to Class 4; and Site plan and conditional use permit for the proposed construction of a 43,808 square-foot storage building; second by Council Member Dennis. Motion carried: 5-0. 12. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND REQUESTS Council Member Mills stated tomorrow night there will be another of the summer concert series, this time at Hearthside Park. There will be Jazz in July, at All Saints Lutheran Church, on Sunday nights, July 22 and July 29; there will be pie and beverages, and those should be nice evenings out. Bring a chair and enjoy some jazz. Council Member Dennis stated questions are going to be asked of residents through a system called Polco; it's another outreach scenario that will be done on behalf of the community. Council Member Dennis asked for more information about this. Administrator Charlene Stevens stated it's a new product, free to test, and it's used by a number of cities in Wisconsin and also in the metro area. It's a product where individuals can subscribe to it; it will match up the respondents with voter data, and will confirm they are residents of Cottage Grove. The data received can be broken down by the area of the City. The intent is to use it to get some baseline data for our community on some questions, such as, "Do you feel safe in your community?" There are other questions regarding communication with our residents and how people are getting information from the City. We can use that to better align our services and to get feedback from residents on Council issues via an online method. Polco is being tested now, for the next few months, to see if it works for our residents and see if it helps us obtain good data. Administrator Stevens stated different questions will be asked, and it's an attempt to engage our community on some of the initiatives we're doing. Council Member Dennis stated it sounds like it's more a livability process, and Administrator Stevens confirmed. Council Member Thiede asked how long we could use this at no cost; Administrator Stevens said that we had about a six-month period to demo it, so that's the rest of 2017. Afterward, an annual subscription is about $6,000. Council Member Thiede asked if it had the capability to measure things so we would know if City Council Meeting Minutes July 18, 2018 Page 10 things were getting better; Administrator Stevens stated yes, we would then be able to ask similar questions each year and measure the responses. Responses can be broken down by area of the community, voting precincts, neighborhoods, etc. The key is to not push out too many questions, as that becomes unattractive for residents. It's another way for us to get feedback. Council Member Thiede stated tomorrow there will be a Burgers and Brews fundraiser for the Stone Soup Thrift Shop at River Oaks, so he encouraged everyone to attend. Council Member Johnson stated next weekend is the softball tournament; he wondered if we'd done anything, such as an app, to make it easier for attendees to find hotels, stores, and restaurants in Cottage Grove. For the USA Cup in Blaine, they had $30,000,000 in business over that one-week tournament. Administrator Stevens stated that the Chamber of Commerce took the lead on that; she didn't know that they'd actually developed an app as much as they worked with local businesses on how to develop some promotional materials, but she'd follow up on that. Council Member Johnson stated he needed to compliment Public Works as he had a person reach out to him via Facebook about a tree that was down in the street and who they should contact; he told them who to contact, and they advised, "Wow, were they fast! It was like freaky fast. In about 5-10 minutes, they were out there cutting the tree." So, they didn't know what to do, if it was a Public Works situation or if it was their own tree; they called, got an answer, and it got taken care of, so he wanted to give a shout out to Public Works for the nice job they do in serving the community. Mayor Bailey stated since this is the first Council Meeting since the Fourth of July fireworks; he was not in town, but his son videotaped it for him so he got to watch the show. For the amount of money the businesses donated for that, he thought it was fantastic. He acknowledged Werner Electric, Tennis Sanitation, Hy-Vee, 3M, Dennis Brothers Liquors, and the Lions Club for the amazing show. He's received a lot of positive feedback on the fireworks. Mayor Bailey stated when he approached the local businesses to ask if they'd be willing to help, to make sure this fireworks event would happen, all of them almost immediately stepped up, which was amazing. He wanted to encourage residents to thank these businesses by making a comment about it when dealing with them or any of their employees; make sure we support the businesses that support our community in this and many other ways. Mayor Bailey stated on Saturday, August 25, there will be Lemonade Day in Cottage Grove. The founder of a restaurant chain, Cane's, put this program together. It deals with teaching kids to be entrepreneurs and how to manage a business. They're looking for families with kids, specifically to run lemonade stands and learn about how to run a business, manage expenses, etc. Chris Carey and his wife, of Modern Automotive, a local business, are taking the lead on this; he'll be at our next Council Meeting to share a bigger picture of what this is all about. He encouraged anyone who's interested to get your kids involved in this to learn about what it takes to run a business. It's neat that City Council Meeting Minutes July 18, 2018 Page 11 we'd be the first community in the State of Minnesota to do this, so there will most likely be publicity to announce that Cottage Grove will be the first community to do that. The goal is to have 100 lemonade stands that day; some communities have had upwards of 1,000 lemonade stands. There will be information on the both the City's and Mayor Bailey's Facebook pages, and there will be a link where you can sign up and learn about it. Mayor Bailey stated there will be an event on August 18 where you can canoe the backwaters of the Mississippi, towards Grey Cloud Island. That will take place in the morning at Hazel P. Moore's Park and will be near the island, etc. You need to preregister on the City's website or the Park and Recreation website or the Facebook page; there is no cost, but they need to know how many people will be there so they can have enough lifejackets, canoes, etc. If you want to experience the backwaters of the Mississippi, down near Grey Cloud, and see the eagles' nests, etc. this would be a great opportunity to do so. 13. WORKSHOPS — OPEN TO PUBLIC — CONFERENCE ROOM A. Comprehensive Plan -Workshop Community Development Director/City Engineer Jennifer Levitt stated they'd be keying in on three specific areas of the Comprehensive Plan; some sketches had been requested at the last meeting for some layouts. They'd begin with Area 3, which is the area of 70th Street and Keats Avenue. Council Member Dennis excused himself as his business is located in that area. As this issue may somehow affect him, he felt the ethical thing for him to do was abstain from any discussion. When this comes before the Council for a vote, he's asked Administrator Stevens to structure this in such a way that would allow him to not vote on this particular topic but still be involved with the rest of the program. Council Member Dennis then left the room. Engineer Levitt stated the renderings are on a much-bigger scale than the PowerPoint slides. She wanted to point out that on Dale Road, in Woodbury, they'd been showing a small commercial node. She learned today they'd removed that commercial node from their 2040 Comprehensive Plan and wondered why; Woodbury advised they felt that sometimes when a commercial node went in, there were not enough rooftops to support it. If something happens in the future, they can always do a Comprehensive Plan amendment at that time. Mayor Bailey asked her if Woodbury knew of our plan for some type of commercial development above and beyond what's currently present in this area; she stated all they knew was from our original 2030 Comprehensive Plan. Engineer Levitt stated that the heart of the traffic is going to be generated on 70th Street and County Road 19, with the commercial node with the mixed use, and the hatched area within 300 feet would require that commercial is on the first floor, at a minimum, City Council Meeting Minutes July 18, 2018 Page 12 before any housing could actually take place. There were two options outlined; 1/4-mile spacing and 1/8-mile spacing (660 feet), more of a community commercial. She stated Phil Carlson, of Stantec, would go through the sketches. Mr. Carlson stated 70th Street and Keats are both arterials coming through, and they're both County roads. Roundabouts are considered full movement, and that's key to development because commercial development needs access and visibility. Mr. Carlson stated they looked at 1/4-mile spacing. Mayor Bailey felt access was important; Engineer Levitt stated 1/8- mile would be a right in, right out situation. Mr. Carlson stated because this is at the intersection of two County highways, we need to look at what the access condition allows. It's possible to fit big box retail comfortably, with smaller stores in front, in this development; Council Member Thiede commented that area also could possibly draw in Woodbury residents. Council Member Johnson asked why we were discussing big box retail, as he felt we were done with that; Council Member Thiede felt they might need another grocery store in that area due to all of the development in that area. Much discussion ensued about walking distances to commercial areas from residential. Council Member Johnson felt it was important that Council Member Dennis be present for this discussion, as he's an experienced businessman and is a member of the Economic Development Authority, and Council Member Johnson stated he personally is not. Mayor Bailey stated Council Member Dennis personally felt it was a conflict of interest so he opted to leave the room. Council Member Mills felt that there was too much commercial being proposed for that area, especially extending past Jordon. Mr. Carlson stated they should ignore the big box retail, as it may be something much smaller. Everything in red on the sketch includes mixed use, high-density residential. The market will dictate what it will become. Engineer Levitt reviewed the proposed traffic counts of 70th Street and County Road 19, and traffic required by various retailers; they also want to have end caps, a drive- thru, signage, etc. Daytime population numbers hurt Cottage Grove, as many of our residents work outside of the City. Visibility and access can help businesses to succeed. Woodbury residents will be close to our border so that should help businesses. Mayor Bailey felt he would like to see housing up to Jordon Avenue and would like housing to be across from housing, medium or high density would be fine in that area. Council Member Johnson confirmed with Mayor Bailey that he was opting for the 1/8- mile spacing. Mayor Bailey asked Council Member Thiede for his thoughts on that; he asked about single-family housing in that area, which could be done with a Comprehensive Plan Amendment. Council Member Johnson asked if we could choose medium density (townhomes and quads) or high density (apartments) below Jordon; he opted for medium density. Mayor Bailey stated he'd be okay with medium density. Mr. Carlson confirmed that south of Jordon Avenue is medium density, north of Jordon is commercial, and everything else stays as is. City Council Meeting Minutes July 18, 2018 Page 13 Council Member Dennis rejoined the discussion. Area 1 is at 65th and Hinton Avenue, 35 acres; Council wanted to look at the sketches. The roadways at 67th and Hedgecroft aren't exactly on the 1/4 mile. There's an existing pond they'd need to work around. Mr. Carlson reviewed all of the options for that area. Engineer Levitt stated they pulled the traffic counts for that area; for 70th Street, the future count is estimated at 10,500. Hinton and 65th could be a future traffic signal location, but she's concerned traffic volumes might not meet businesses' criteria, which she reviewed. Council Member Johnson stated with the schools opening, there will be a significantly increased traffic count. He stated he liked the idea of townhomes and/or duplexes in that area. He'd like to leave the mixed use area on there, as he'd like to have someone think commercial development first. A Comprehensive Plan Amendment could always be done in the future. Area 12 is the area near the tank farm, next to St. Paul Park at 85th and Geneva. Discussion ensued regarding the various acreage parcels and who owned those; there are also safety concerns with the tank farm regarding containment. The possibility of rezoning parcels, the concern for any expansion of the tank farm, easements located on the Nesvig property were all discussed. It was agreed that the Kremer and Berthiaume properties would be rezoned from rural residential to low-density residential, with appropriate letters sent to the owners of the properties. Regarding the Mississippi Dunes golf course land, Engineer Levitt stated we need to be cautious because if we zone it as low density and it's not what you want, you're now playing a weaker hand with developers; by doing transitional, you have a stronger hand and leverage with the developer to ensure it's exactly what you want. Mayor Bailey was curious if other communities had specific zoning related to rivers or lakes, which is very specific about a percentage that needs to be open space or water access; he assumed they were doing some overlay to help guide those areas. Mr. Carlson said the DNR Shoreline Rules would apply within 1,000 feet so there's language there to guide us. Administrator Stevens stated we could look at different language that might give greater opportunities to preserve open space and guide that development. Regarding Council Member Thiede's interest in the Military Trail, Mr. Carlson stated nothing's been specifically incorporated yet but it would be relatively easy and appropriate to put a line on the map; Planner Burbank said there were two different trails for which they had photos. Council Member Thiede stated he'd like to see how it would fit into that area; if it went into Old Cottage Grove, you'd be connecting the historical nature, too, as people traveled that trail. Mr. Carlson stated that's part of the refinement of the Comprehensive Plan in that area. Engineer Levitt stated if the Council Members were okay with the revisions and modifications to the historical section, they'd bring these back to the Council next month. City Council Meeting Minutes July 18, 2018 Page 14 B. Ravine Parkway Signage —Workshop Engineer Levitt stated that they wanted to make a lasting statement with the unique Ravine Parkway and they want to delineate it. They reviewed current signage in the City with limestone patterns, with wheat vegetation and flowers incorporated. They looked at other cities' signage to give ideas; there are many possibilities with metal cutouts, vertically and horizontally. She reviewed the proposed monument at a cost of $123,000. There were vertical and horizontal signs available, all including a wave design, horizontal or vertical, which could be used as trail markers; the cost range for those is about $3,000 to $5,000. Color schemes used were blue, brown, and yellow, but they could try others and/or use some stainless steel. The different logos and themes can be modified and enhanced. Price ranges vary by elements, and additions can be made at any time, now or years from now. The monument could be moved from its current location, and it could be vertical and horizontal, and different colors of inetal could be used. The decision is on the schedule for the Arts Commission on August 14; she'd like to hear which ones they don't like at all and don't want to show the Arts Commission, or which ones they love and want brought to the Arts Commission. If you'd like to choose just one, that's okay, too. Council Member Thiede stated he felt the initial design was overkill. Council Member Johnson stated he didn't like the metal and wasn't sure how it would weather and how it would last; he liked the idea of engraving into the stone somehow so it would be permanent with a color background. Maintenance concerns were discussed; if you're engraving, you're going to be repainting the rock. Council Member Thiede asked how many of these signs would be posted along the Ravine Parkway; Engineer Levitt stated if you're looking at stones, you could put one at Jamaica and Ravine Parkway, Keats and Ravine Parkway. Council Member Thiede asked how much the large stones would cost; Engineer Levitt stated the limestone rocks are already in the bid. Mayor Bailey asked why the monument at 65th and Hinton is set back from the roadway versus closer to the roadway. Engineer Levitt stated one of the challenges we have with any intersection improvement is we have to acquire an additional right of way or outlot; when this section was built it wasn't built to have a median in it, that's where the catch basins are with the curb line. To move those curbs out further to enable a median to be constructed would be extremely expensive. Council Member Dennis stated he liked the taller designs and the metal work and design would be what he'd like to see. He didn't like the wall at all. Council Member Thiede asked if there was any way to make it so Public Works could actually make those signs; Engineer Levitt stated that no, most of these were custom signs. Administrator Stevens stated Public Works wouldn't have the correct equipment to do the specific metal work they needed done. City Council Meeting Minutes July 18, 2018 Page 15 Engineer Levitt asked which of the colors or images they liked; Mayor Bailey asked Council Member Mills if the Arts Commission could up with some ideas. Administrator Stevens stated their intent was to have the Council narrow this down a bit so they could present some concepts to the Arts Commission. Planner Burbank asked about the existing logo that they already have out here and asked if people had opposition to that; Engineer Levitt stated they need to try to create the logo. Council Member Thiede felt the Cottage Grove slogan where pride and prosperity meet could be incorporated. Engineer Levitt asked if they liked the metalwork design and they did. Mayor Bailey stated the Ravine Parkway will also have trails so they should pick a logo and have it displayed throughout on trail markers, etc. Council Member Thiede thought it would be nice to have a diagram where all of the chosen logos/designs would be displayed so they could see the full effect. Engineer Levitt stated anything is possible, it's just the cost factor involved. Engineer Levitt stated if the Arts Commission can give us feedback and we'd be able to develop it, we could come back and show you how it could be incorporated and give you some renderings. Council Member Dennis asked if we were going to give the public a chance to vote on the designs, as some people were upset with the River Oaks Golf Course logo because they weren't given a chance to give input. He felt perhaps it could be put on the City's Facebook page. Council Member Dennis felt there was no rush on this and it would be nice to take our time and make sure we like the choices. Council Member Johnson concurred. Council Member Thiede stated this isn't a shopping center or a restaurant area where everyone will see it; it's just one road in the City, which will no doubt be beautiful, but it's not the actual park. People in other parts of the City will note all of the attention and/or money being spent on this area and he's concerned that we're segmenting it as this big, fancy thing and alienating other parts of the community. Administrator Stevens stated they had some direction, and they'll take the concept of the monument to the Arts Commission to get some feedback. 14. WORKSHOPS — CLOSED TO PUBLIC — None. 15. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Council Member Thiede, second by Council Member Dennis, to adjourn the meeting at 10:11 p.m. Motion carried: 5-0. Minutes prepared by Judy Graf and reviewed by Joe Fischbach, HR Manager/City Clerk.