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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-01-27 PACKET 07. City of Cottage Grove Planning Commission December 16, 2019 A meeting of the Planning Commission was held at Cottage Grove City Hall, 12800 Ravine Park- way South, Cottage Grove, Minnesota, on Monday, December 15, 2019, in the Council Chamber and telecast on Local Government Cable Channel 16. Call to Order Chair Khambata called the Planning Commission meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Roll Call Members Present: Evan Frazier, Tony Khambata, Eric Knable, Derek Rasmussen, Jerritt Wright, Roger Zopfi Members Absent: Sarah Bigham Staff Present: Christine Costello, Acting Community & Economic Development Director John M. Burbank, Senior Planner Emily Schmitz, Senior Planner Ryan Burfeind, Public Works Director/City Engineer Steve Dennis, Council Member Approval of Agenda Frazier made a motion to approve the agenda. Knable seconded. The motion was approved unanimously (6-to-0 vote). Open Forum Khambata opened the open forum. Khambata asked if anyone wished to address the Planning Commission on any non-agenda item. No one addressed the Commission. Khambata closed the open forum. Chair’s Explanation of the Public Hearing Process Khambata explained the purpose of the Planning Commission, which serves in an advisory capacity to the City Council, and that the City Council makes all final decisions. In addition, he explained the process of conducting a public hearing and requested that any person wishing to speak should go to the microphone and state their full name and address for the public record. Public Hearings and Applications 6.1 Woodward Ponds – Cases ZA2019-050 & PP2019-051 Donnay Homes applied for a zoning amendment to rezone 28.85 acres of land generally located north of Military Road and a quarter mile west of CSAH 19 (Keats Avenue) from AG- 1, Agricultural Preservation, to R-5, Medium Density Residential, with a PUD, Planned Unit Planning Commission Minutes December 16, 2019 Page 2 of 6 Development. Donnay Homes also applied for a preliminary plat to be called Woodward Ponds that would create a residential subdivision consisting of 164 townhome units in 39 buildings and 4 outlots. Schmitz summarized the staff report and recommended approval subject to the conditions stip- ulated in the staff report. Paul Donnay, Donnay Homes, 9655 63rd Avenue North, Maple Grove, stated that he would answer any questions. Khambata asked how this proposed development compares to others that they have done and what is their approach to individual neighborhoods – is it tailored to the specific needs of each community or is there a specific line of products that they use everywhere. John Rask, M/I Homes, 5354 Parkdale Drive, St. Louis Park, stated that they are building similar communities in Victoria, Minnetrista, and North St. Paul. Historically townhome communities provide a vari- ety of products. He explained the demographics of the potential buyers. Khambata noted that there is a high demand for this product. Knable asked about development phasing. Rask responded that they will introduce all three townhome styles in the first phase, noting that the project will be phased from north to south. They plan to construct the improvements in two phases. In terms of development timing, he believes it would be a four to five-year build out. Rasmussen asked if they would be able to keep construction traffic from going through the neighborhood to the south. Rask stated that they should be able to keep it out of the neighbor- hood. Khambata asked if they will work out the traffic patterns with the City. Rask responded yes. Donnay pointed out that the construction entrance would be off Ravine Parkway, which is where all the heavy equipment would enter the development. Zopfi asked what was discussed at the neighborhood meeting. Schmitz explained that at neigh- borhood meetings, staff attends only to observe, which allows the developer to have the con- versations with residents. She stated that the biggest concerns heard were increased traffic due to the road connections to the neighboring development and the potential for increased speeds on those roads. Donnay stated that there were probably six or seven couples who attended the neighborhood meeting, and he talked to all of them personally. They were con- cerned about traffic through their neighborhood, and he explained to them that one of the rea- sons he waited to develop the parcel was because he wanted Ravine Parkway to be finished. He is contributing through special assessments about a quarter of a million dollars to that project, so the townhome community should be able to flow out to Ravine. In addition, when the parcel to the east develops, there will be access directly to Keats Avenue. Rasmussen noted in the southwest portion of the development where Jocelyn meets the new path area, two buildings, numbered 1, 2, and 3 and 32, 33, and 34 appear to be right off the setback line, but the landscape plan doesn’t show much landscaping around them. He asked if there is any way move those buildings a little further back from the property line so a berm or trees could be added. Donnay responded that they have proposed extensive landscaping, and they are maintaining all the trees in that area, so they should be able to do some berming and landscaping there to soften it. Planning Commission Minutes December 16, 2019 Page 3 of 6 Knable asked if Joliet was designed for the traffic flow that would increase with the number of homes proposed. Burfeind responded that Joliet was planned to handle traffic from future de- velopments. He explained that Joliet Avenue is a neighborhood connector. The City looks at roadway networks extensively, including through each level of the comprehensive plan. He explained that Joliet is a wider road than the other roads in the development as it was planned to be a neighborhood collector, and signs were put up to let residents know that the roads would be extended in the future. He then explained how traffic patterns through the develop- ments would work. Khambata asked what the roadway widths for the other roads are in that neighborhood. Burfeind responded 28 feet wide. Khambata opened the public hearing. Doug Ferlaak, 6795 Joliet Avenue South, stated that the residents are not opposed to the townhome development and are for growth in Cottage Grove. He expressed concern about damage to the roadway surface in the neighborhood from construction equipment and stated that all those vehicles need to go down Ravine Parkway. He then stated concerns regarding safety if Joliet Avenue is connected to the new development. He noted that there are about 500 children in Eastridge Woods, including 100 kids between the ages of 2 and 10 living along Joliet Avenue alone, where at least three kids were almost hit by cars. He stated that the resi- dents dealt with this issue through their HOA and not the police, but they won’t be able to communicate issues such as speeding with the townhome HOA. He then stated that to get the park, kids need to cross streets. Ferlaak believes that the new residents of the townhomes will be families and not the single or older demographics as the developer expects. He reiterated that safety issues are the most important concern. As an insurance agent, he explained that wider streets speed up traffic. The neighbors have asked the city to lower the speed limit and put in speed bumps but have been turned down. He stated that Cottage Grove has done a good job so far in this area with the developments so that there is only one way in and one way out so there is no unwanted pass-through traffic. Ferlaak also expressed concern about over- crowding in the schools due to new developments. He also reported that the residents in Eastridge Woods have experienced more crime than anybody thought would happen. Their HOA is talking about getting $25,000 system to scan every license plate and film every vehicle that comes into the development. Khambata stated that due to the concerns about crime in the area, Public Safety went back 18 months and found two reported incidents of theft. He recom- mended that the residents should contact Public Safety to address them. Ferlaak believes that there have been more incidents than on that report. Kyle Richardson, 9702 66th Street South, agrees with everything Ferlaak said. He asked if Joliet would maintain its width through the townhome development or would it be reduced to 28 feet. He then asked if those two streets were planned as through streets, why are there fire hydrants at the end of them. He stated that on 66th Street and Joliet there is only one stop signs and numerous times drivers have not paid attention to the stop sign. He believes there should be another stop sign at that intersection. His biggest concern is safety of the children in the area, noting that school buses also speed through the neighborhood. He believes town- homes would be a nice addition but with proper safety precautions connected into develop- ments. His other frustration is that when he purchased his property, he was told that the water- shed property was not going to be developed. Planning Commission Minutes December 16, 2019 Page 4 of 6 Jerome Knutson, 6520 Keats Avenue South, the owner of Arbor Hill Tree Farm, stated his biggest concern is safety from an urban area meeting an agricultural area. He explained that he has 17 acres that they intend to continue operating as a tree farm. He stated that he asked Donnay about putting in some type of fencing on the west side of his property. Khambata clar- ified that Knutson wants a more defined barrier between the properties. Knutson stated that was correct as he is concerned about safety due to the equipment and operations of the tree farm. Khambata stated that Knutson should work with staff and the developer to follow up on this. Richardson stated that he used to live in a townhome development, which had ample overflow parking, but the property map only shows three parking areas for 162 units. It appears to him that there is not adequate overflow parking, and he asked where visitors would park. Schmitz stated that the City’s zoning ordinance requires one guest parking space per 10 dwell- ing units, so this development requires 24 guest parking spaces; the developer is proposing 26 spaces, which meets ordinance requirements. She stated that one of the conditions of approval is a requirement for fencing between the townhome development and the Knutson property, and the developer has accepted that condition. Burfeind stated that the City does not allow construction traffic to go through an existing devel- opment unless it is the only way. He noted that the development will go from north to south, so they will utilize Ravine Parkway; there is also the option to use Military Road until it is removed. Construction traffic will be addressed through the grading permit and throughout the construc- tion process. The City will also work through the Building Division to ensure during home con- struction that contractors use Ravine Parkway to get into the development. Burfeind stated that one way in/one way out from the development was brought up, explaining that the City always plans for several ways in and out of a development, particularly because of fire access. Cur- rently Public Safety has the option of coming off Military Road if needed, but that will be go away when the trail is put in. He explained where the access points are for the subdivisions to the west of Eastridge Woods. Joliet Avenue has been planned as a neighborhood collector, similar to what is in all the other developments. Neighborhood collectors are built wider at 36 feet, which also accommodates parking and snow storage. He stated that the street width of Joliet Avenue through the townhome development will also be 36 feet. Burfeind explained that where the two fire hydrants are currently located are water main stubs. Those hydrants are needed to flush out the dead ends and to get the air out of the lines. The current locations are not where the permanent hydrant will be located as there is specific spacing required for hy- drants. He noted that the developer paid to put those hydrants in, and they will pay to remove and relocate them. Joliet Avenue and 66th Street currently functions as a three-way intersec- tion but will become an all-way intersection with a side stop sign on both sides. Burfeind pointed out on the map where the watershed area will never develop. The land that is part of this de- velopment was additional land that the Watershed District acquired but it has been planned for development as part of the City’s 2030 comprehensive plan, which was done in 2008. No one else spoke. Wright made a motion to close the public hearing. Frazier seconded. Motion passed unanimously, and Khambata closed the public hearing. Khambata explained that the Planning Commission is tasked with specific findings of fact when considering applications. The Planning Commission must ensure that the project is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, and that it does not detrimentally impact surrounding properties. Planning Commission Minutes December 16, 2019 Page 5 of 6 He stated that he did have several questions regarding this application. The first is does this conform with the 2030 and 2040 comprehensive plans as it pertains to land use and zoning. The answer is yes, which is important as it is guides how the Commission can act on this application. His next question is if this application conforms with the East Ravine Master Plan, which it does. Another question is are we staying consistent with what the City told the public we were going to do with this land. Additionally, with the concerns regarding the safety and use Jocelyn and Joliet Avenues, were they constructed with the intent to be connected to this pro- posed development. As staff has indicated, that was the intent all along. He noted that there are some legitimate concerns regarding speed and safety on Joliet Avenue, but that doesn’t rise to the level of stopping somebody else’s proper use and development of their land. He believes Public Safety needs to be more involved with that community. Ferlaak asked if Public Safety puts in speed bumps, speed limits, stop lights, and roundabouts, noting that it is difficult to get onto 70th Street. Khambata stated that this is a topic for next month’s Planning Commission meeting during Open Forum. City staff and Public Safety should be able to address those issues. Costello stated that staff will reach out to Public Safety and have them get in contact with you to talk about extra patrols and other solutions. Wright thanked the residents for attending the meeting and providing perspectives. He would be angry if one of his children almost got hit by a vehicle. He noted that this is just one step of the process. He stated that the members of the Planning Commission are also members of the community and are just as concerned. He encouraged the residents to not only attend meetings but to reach out to city staff, who are very helpful and willing to answer questions. Frazier made a motion to approve the zoning amendment and preliminary plat for Wood- ward Ponds subject to the conditions in the staff report. Wright seconded. Motion passed unanimously (6-to-0 vote). Approval of Planning Commission Minutes of November 25, 2019 Frazier made a motion to approve the minutes of the November 25, 2019, Planning Com- mission meeting. Knable seconded. Motion passed unanimously (6-to-0 vote). Reports 8.1 Recap of December 2019 City Council Meetings Costello provided a summary of actions taken at the City Council meeting on December 4, 2019. Dennis stated that at the City Council meeting on December 18 he will be presenting the year- end review on the City’s accomplishments during 2019. He thanked the Planning Commission for their work during this year. 8.2 Response to Planning Commission Inquiries None Planning Commission Minutes December 16, 2019 Page 6 of 6 8.3 Planning Commission Requests None Adjournment Wright made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Knable seconded. Motion passed unani- mously (6-to-0 vote). The meeting was adjourned at 8:04 p.m.