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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-01-25 PACKET 07. City of Cottage Grove Planning Commission November 23, 2020 A meeting of the Planning Commission was held virtually at Cottage Grove City Hall, 12800 Ravine Parkway South, Cottage Grove, Minnesota, on Monday, November 23, 2020, 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 Boike called the roll: Bigham – Present; Brittain – Present; Fisher – Present; Frazier – Present; Khambata – Present; Knable – Present; Rasmussen – Present Also present were: Ben Boike, Community Development Director; Emily Schmitz, Senior Planner; Steve Dennis, Council Member Approval of Agenda Brittain made a motion to approve the agenda. Fisher seconded. Boike called the roll: Bigham – Aye; Brittain – Aye; Fisher – Aye; Frazier – Aye; Khambata – Aye; Knable – Aye; Rasmussen – Aye. Motion carried: 7-to-0. 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 provided information on how any person wishing to speak could participate in the virtual meeting. Public Hearings and Applications 6.1 Renewal by Andersen Monument Signs – Case V2020-052 Jones Signs, on behalf of Renewal by Andersen, has applied for a variance for a compre- hensive sign package at Renewal by Andersen, 8100 100th Street South. Schmitz summarized the staff report and recommended approval based on the findings of fact and subject to the conditions stipulated in the staff report. Planning Commission Minutes November 23, 2020 Page 2 of 3 Michael Waich, Jones Sign, stated that they want to have the signs installed by February 1. David Ripley, Renewal by Andersen, stated that he would answer any questions. Khambata opened the public hearing. Khambata stated that there was a question from a resident regarding sign setbacks. Waich stated that the signs will be setback about 10 feet from the sidewalk. Khambata asked how that compares to the signage at the other campus. Waich responded that he believes that these signs will be setback further than those existing signs. Rasmussen asked what the required setbacks are for that property. Schmitz responded that the City Code does not denote a specific setback for monument signs, but the City does require that all signage be placed completely within the property boundaries and not within the right-of-way. Engineering staff reviews all monument sign permits to ensure that sight lines are maintained and that signs do not interfere with traffic. Khambata stated that the resident wanted clarification as to how these proposed signs conform to other uses in the business park as far as sight visibility, size, and proximity to the road or if it will be unique to Renewal by Andersen. Schmitz stated that monument signs are typically placed in similar locations. Khambata asked if this variance request is just for the number of signs and not their proximity to the road. Schmitz stated that is correct. Khambata asked if everything else regarding these proposed signs meets code requirements except for the number of signs. Schmitz stated that is correct. No one else spoke. Khambata closed the public hearing. Bigham made a motion to approve the variance based on the findings of fact and subject to the conditions in the staff report. Knable seconded. Boike called the roll: Bigham – Aye; Brittain – Aye; Fisher – Aye; Frazier – Aye; Khambata – Aye; Knable – Aye; Rasmussen - Aye. Motion carried: 7-to-0. Approval of Planning Commission Minutes of October 26, 2020 Frazier made a motion to approve the minutes of the October 26, 2020, Planning Com- mission meeting. Rasmussen seconded. Boike called the roll: Bigham – Aye; Brittain – Aye; Fisher – Aye; Frazier – Aye; Khambata – Aye; Knable – Aye; Rasmussen – Aye. Motion carried: 7-to-0. Reports 8.1 Recap of November 2020 City Council Meetings Boike provided a summary of actions taken at the City Council meetings on November 4 and November 18, 2020. Dennis wished the Planning Commission a safe and happy Thanksgiving and asked if anyone had any questions. Planning Commission Minutes November 23, 2020 Page 3 of 3 Khambata asked how City and volunteer organizations are moving forward with the Holiday Train and other seasonal events due to Covid. Dennis responded that many of those groups are holding virtual events, including opportunities for the public to make donations. He then reported that City Hall will be closed to the public at the close of business on November 25, but City staff will still be providing services remotely. 8.2 Response to Planning Commission Inquiries None 8.3 Planning Commission Requests None Adjournment Brittain made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Bigham seconded. Boike called the roll: Bigham – Aye; Brittain – Aye; Fisher – Aye; Frazier – Aye; Khambata – Aye; Knable – Aye; Rasmussen – Aye. Motion carried: 7-to-0. The meeting was adjourned at 7:25 p.m.