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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-11-22 PACKET 07.City of Cottage Grove Planning Commission October 25, 2021 A meeting of the Planning Commission was held at Cottage Grove City Hall, 12800 Ravine Park- way South, Cottage Grove, Minnesota, on Monday, October 25, 2021, 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: Ken Brittain, Jessica Fisher, Evan Frazier, Tony Khambata, Eric Knable, Derek Rasmussen, Jerrett Wright Members Absent: None Staff Present: Christine Costello, Community Development Director; Mike Mrosla, Senior Planner; Emily Schmitz, Senior Planner; Ryan Burfeind, Public Works Director/City Engineer; Amanda Meyer, Assistant City Engineer; Steve Dennis, Council Member Approval of Agenda Frazier made a motion to approve the agenda. Wright seconded. The motion was approved unanimously (7-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 ca- pacity to the City Council, and that the City Council makes all final decisions. In addition, he ex- plained 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 Eightieth Street Crossing — Case PP2021-069 Cottage Grove Investment, LLC has applied for a preliminary plat to replat the property by subdividing the existing parcel at 6990 80th Street to create a new lot of record containing the Honest One building and the adjacent parking field. Planning Commission Minutes October 25, 2021 Page 2 of 8 Mrosla summarized the staff report and recommended approval subject to the conditions stip- ulated in the staff report. Rasmussen asked if there will be a shared access agreement between the two parcels. Mrosla responded yes. As part of the conditions of approval, the applicant is to submit a cross parking, cross access, and maintenance agreement, which will allow patrons of either parcel to park in the lot and that the accesses will be maintained mutually. Khambata opened the public hearing. No one spoke. Khambata closed the public hearing. Khambata asked in subdividing this lot, does this help promote further development or is it strictly for ease of owners' operation of the property. Mrosla responded that the owner of the multi -tenant building is proposing to sell Lot 2 to Honest One as they would be in charge of the maintenance and modifications of their property and not be part of the overall development. Frazier made a motion to approve preliminary plat subject to the conditions in the staff report. Fisher seconded. Motion passed unanimously (7-to-0 vote). 6.2 61 Marine & Sports Building Addition — Cases CUP2021-072 & SP2021-073 61 Marine & Sports has applied for a conditional use permit and site plan review for the expansion of a non -conforming use to allow for the construction of a 4,000 square foot building addition to be used for boat storage and assembly at 11730 Point Douglas Drive. Schmitz summarized the staff report and recommended approval subject to the conditions stip- ulated in the staff report. Frazier asked why landscaping is being added as a condition. Schmitz responded to ensure that the applicant is maintaining the existing landscaping on the site. Khambata opened the public hearing. No one spoke. Khambata closed the public hearing. Khambata is happy to see that the requirement from previous applications to combine all the parcels into one parcel is included in the conditions of approval. Brittain made a motion to approve the conditional use permit and site plan review sub- ject to the conditions in the staff report. Wright seconded. Motion passed unanimously (7-to-0 vote). 6.3 Glengrove Industrial Park 9th Addition — Case PP2021-055 The City of Cottage Grove has applied for a preliminary plat to be called Glengrove Indus- trial Park 9th Addition that will create one commercial/industrial lot for a future industrial development and one outlot for stormwater ponding located on the southwest corner of 95th Street and Jamaica Avenue. Planning Commission Minutes October 25, 2021 Page 3 of 8 Schmitz summarized the staff report and recommended approval subject to the conditions stip- ulated in the staff report. Frazier stated that typically dedications of outlots and ponding is done when there is an appli- cation for a development and asked if this is being done before to make the property more developable. Schmitz responded that the pond is existing and was put in with the first addition of Glengrove Industrial Park when the business park was first created and supports develop- ment in the area. Meyer explained that part of the reason this parcel is not shovel ready is that it is short on material, so as part of excavating the enlarged TG-P14 the extra sand being mined will be used to build up Lot 1 Block 1 to make it more developable. There was a concept site plan previously drawn up for this site, which is what the City is using as a baseline to create a developable parcel. Rasmussen asked who is paying for the excavation, is it a shared expense or will the City or the property owner pay. Burfeind responded that it is a shared cost. This pond is in the City's plan, and we collect stormwater area charges to pay for its expansion, which is consistent with our stormwater plan. Adding the fill to the site is a benefit because it is much cheaper to move it to the adjacent parcel instead of hauling it away. In terms of meeting stormwater requirements for that future property, that cost would be on that property at the time of development. It is consistent with how we've done the business park where those costs are recouped through the land sale process, so it is a shared responsibility. Knable asked if tree mitigation is also shared by the property owner and the City. Burfeind responded yes. Anything done to meet the regional needs of the area through our stormwater plan would be paid for through our stormwater fund. There will be a landscape plan for trees to be replanted around the pond. Anything above that would be paid into the tree mitigation fund. At the time the other parcel is developed, they would have to provide a landscape plan and tree inventory with their application and tree mitigation requirements would need to be followed. Khambata asked if this is basically putting in place the approvals for when there is a developer for this site. He also asked if the pond would be expanded now or upon final grading when developed. Burfeind stated that the pond is going to be built now because it serves a regional need and is in our regional stormwater plan. It is important to expand the pond to meet new rainfall rates and bigger storms and it serves the whole business park. Khambata asked about tree mitigation and if trees would be removed now or will it be development driven. Burfeind responded the trees that are in the ponding area and anywhere fill is placed would be removed when the pond is expanded. A tree inventory was completed by our engineer that identified all trees to be removed. Those trees would then be replanted or tree mitigation fees paid either by the stormwater fund or the future developer. Khambata opened the public hearing. No one spoke. Khambata closed the public hearing. Rasmussen made a motion to approve the preliminary plat for Glengrove Industrial Park 9th Addition subject to the conditions in the staff report. Knable seconded. Motion passed unanimously (7-to-0 vote). Planning Commission Minutes October 25, 2021 Page 4 of 8 6.4 Cottage Grove Logistics Park — Cases ZA2021-066, PP2021-067, SP2021-068 NP CG Logistics, LLC has applied for a site plan review of approximately 3.5 million square feet of warehouse, manufacturing, and office space; a preliminary plat to create nine indus- trial lots and one outlot; and a zoning amendment to rezone 252 acres of land located south of 100th Street from AG-1, Agricultural Preservation, and AG-2, Agricultural, to 1-2, General Industry, with a PUD, Planned Unit Development. Schmitz and Meyer summarized the staff report and recommended approval subject to the conditions stipulated in the staff report. Brent Miles, one of the owners and founders of North Point Development, Kansas City, pro- vided an overview of their company. He stated that they are long-term holders and explained that concerns from staff and the public are their also concerns, which include traffic, infrastruc- ture, lighting, and landscaping. Their tenants don't want to anger the neighbors as they will be there for decades. Brittain stated that the overall concept looks good. He asked about plans for the Jamaica Ave- nue and 100th Street intersection and if there would be a signal or roundabout there. Burfeind responded that we are laying groundwork for a potential signal. Whenever there is an intersec- tion improvement, whether it is a signal or roundabout, needs to justify that and work with MnDOT on what works the best in terms of that right-of-way. As this is outside the boundaries of the development, the City would need to work with 3M to get the additional right-of-way needed for a roundabout. Rasmussen noted that there is a lot of hard surfaces on the site, including roofs and parking areas and asked about the stormwater plans. Burfeind displayed the site plan, noting that it appears to meet the City's requirements. The applicant provided a stormwater management plan, and explained that they can infiltrate in that area, so the water goes back into the ground, which helps reduce the overall size of the ponds. Stormwater plans would be reviewed during each development phase to ensure they meet all state and watershed requirements. Rasmussen asked if the green islands between the buildings are the detention areas. Burfeind responded yes and pointed out the location of the ponds. Khambata asked if each parcel would have to meets its own criteria for stormwater ponding. Burfeind responded that was correct. He noted that they provided the plan for the whole area, but it will be reviewed project by project to ensure that it meets the current requirements at that time of construction. Khambata opened the public hearing. Rodger McBride, 8175 113th Street Court South, stated that he does not disapprove of the idea of dedicating this land to industrial and commercial use, but believes there is no vision to this plan. He stated that these are monolithic buildings. He does not see any adequate mitiga- tion of stormwater drainage and there is not enough greenery. If the long-range plan is for residential development to the south, there is no segue way into residential. He expressed concern about traffic, including numerous semi -trucks every day, and does not see any plan to get that traffic moving. He believes the developer needs to modify the plan so that it addresses future residential development to the south. Planning Commission Minutes October 25, 2021 Page 5 of 8 Karen Britton, 8236 113th Street South, expressed concern about emergency response as they are close to 3M and there is only one road going in and out of that area. She noted that 105th Street will be added, but there will be a lot of traffic on it, which would make it harder to evacuate the area. Kate Hoelscher, 7903 113th Street South, stated that she is disappointed that her neighbor- hood wasn't involved when this plan was proposed. They were notified after there was a con- tract for the sale of the properties and were never told that this was going to be an industrial park. Her biggest concern is traffic, particularly semi -truck traffic in the two roundabouts at Jamaica Avenue and Highway 61. She stated that Renewal by Andersen has created a lot of traffic on 100th Street so it is difficult to get out of the neighborhood. She noted that there is only one way in and out of that area, and with all the additional traffic, she does not see how this would work. She stated that a better traffic plan is needed. No one else spoke. Khambata closed the public hearing. Meyer provided a diagram showing the proposed roundabout at the end of 105th Street. The intent is that as residential is proposed west of this site, the developer will be required to build the missing segment of Hadley Avenue, which will provide a secondary access route in and out of the area. Land for that roundabout would need to be acquired from 3M. Meyer then responded to the comments about needing a better traffic plan and traffic concerns about the Jamaica roundabouts. She stated that there are morning and afternoon peak time traffic slow downs in those roundabouts, which the City is monitoring and will continue to do so as each phase is completed along with the traffic studies to understand the actual loading with each phase. As noted, this is a master site plan, so what would be included in the first phase is unknown at this time. Miles stated that the architectural plans will come through the Planning Commission for review during each phase. He understands that while the walls are mostly concrete, but in their com- pany's design standards they would be in the top two percent from an architectural standpoint. During each site plan review, they will provide to staff ideas on how to break the walls up more. They want the buildings and area to look Class A, so they will incorporate glass, brick, and fenestration to the concrete walls. He then noted that especially along 100th Street and Ideal Avenue they do not any docks facing the major streets and will try to contain the docks to the interior of the site as much as possible. Brittain asked for comments from staff on the long-term vision the City has for this property. Schmitz responded that this particular area was guided industrial development as part of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan and she explained the review process for that comp plan update, including the opportunities provided for public comment. Fisher noted that there were several concerns raised about traffic and is happy that Washington County is going to expedite the arterial road extension to Innovation Road. She agrees that the Jamaica roundabouts are unsafe and asked if they are going to scale the rate of development of this property until that full artery is finished. Miles responded that this is proposed as a four - phase buildout. They have master planned the site but are not going to build 3.4 million square feet in one year. They know that infrastructure is needed for 100th Street, Ideal Avenue, and the 105th Street extension, and that there will be an updated traffic study done with each phase. Their traffic study is being conducted with the City's consultant, and they are specifically looking Planning Commission Minutes October 25, 2021 Page 6 of 8 at the level of service around the roundabouts. He stated that staff is most interested in making sure that the transportation works. Khambata stated that the Planning Commission sees these types of applications often and can appreciate the depth and length of time that it takes to bring these applications to this forum and asked about their company's process for these developments. Miles responded that there are six properties under contract pending approvals with five different owners. They needed to reach agreements with all those property owners to assemble the project area, which took months. They did not know the total size of the development until those agreements were fi- nalized. They then held several neighborhood meetings; the first one occurred in August with approximately 50 people in attendance. They listened to feedback for the neighbors and made changes to the plans, including setbacks, buffering, landscaping, lighting, etc. The second neighborhood meeting was held a couple weeks ago with about 28 attendees. He explained that they exceeded the requirement for mailing the notices. Frazier asked whether the master site plan has been reviewed by Public Safety or will they just be reviewing each individual phase as it comes through. Schmitz responded that Public Safety and Public Works reviewed the master plan and will also be involved in the review of all the phased site plans. Knable asked if the proposal was looked at from Jamaica Avenue to Innovation Road for any other road improvements besides at the Miller Road/Innovation Road area. Burfeind explained that the focus is to get the 100th Street extension directly out to Highway 61, which is seen as the best mitigation and would provide that secondary route. He stated that Washington County expedited this project noting they had just completed the study and had thought that it would be about 10 years before the roadway was constructed, which would also mostly be County funded. In the interim, the City is looking at improvements to Miller Road and met with 3M to talk about this project. Rasmussen stated that most of the concerns are related to traffic. He is very interested in the 100th Street extension being finalized. He then asked how many parking spaces will be on the site. Schmitz responded that she does not remember the number of parking stalls being pro- posed, but that number does meet the minimum requirements in the zoning ordinance. She noted that as part of each phase, the site plan reviews will include specific information on park- ing for passenger cars, trucks, and trailers. Miles stated that 2,300 car parking stalls are pro- posed on the master site plan, and there could be 1,500 to 1,700 employees. He explained how they calculate the amount of parking needed on their sites. Wright noted that the staff report was very thorough and to answered many of the questions that came up. He encouraged the public to stay involved with the process. Khambata asked if the applicant would continue to have neighborhood outreach as each phase occurs. Miles responded yes, noting that there are two members from their team in attendance who implement their "good neighbor" policy. He stated that even during construction, they will interact with the city regarding road improvements and communicate with neighbors as con- struction occurs. Planning Commission Minutes October 25, 2021 Page 7 of 8 Fisher made a motion approve the minor subdivision of 80.26 acres of land into two 40.13-acre parcels, subject to conditions. Wright seconded. Motion passed unanimously (7-to-0 vote). Knable made a motion approve the zoning amendment to rezone 252 acres of land within the proposed assemblage from AG-1 and AG-2 to I-2, General Industrial, with a PUD, Planned Unit Development, subject to conditions. Brittain seconded. Motion passed unanimously (7-to-0 vote). Wright made a motion approve the Cottage Grove Logistics preliminary plat creating nine parcels and one outlot, subject to conditions. Fisher seconded. Motion passed unanimously (7-to-0 vote). Rasmussen made a motion approve the Julen preliminary plat creating two parcels, one outlot, and one right-of-way for the future 105th Street, subject to conditions. Brittain seconded. Motion passed unanimously (7-to-0 vote). Frazier made a motion approve the master site plan for the proposed construction of approximately 3.4 million square feet of warehouse, light manufacturing, distribution, and office space, subject to conditions. Wright seconded. Motion passed unanimously (7-to-0 vote). 6.5 MRCCA Ordinance Amendment — Case TA2021-019 Khambata stated that staff has asked that this hearing be continued to the next Planning Com- mission meeting on November 22, 2021. Wright made a motion to continue the public hearing on this ordinance amendment to the November 22, 2021, Planning Commission meeting. Fisher seconded. Motion passed unanimously (7-to-0 vote). Approval of Planning Commission Minutes of September 27, 2021 Frazier made a motion to approve the minutes of the September 27, 2021, Planning Com- mission meeting. Wright seconded. Motion passed unanimously (7-to-0 vote). Reports 8.1 Recap of October 2021 City Council Meetings Costello provided a summary of actions taken at the City Council meetings in October 2021. Dennis noted that there is an election on Tuesday, November 2, which includes a referendum for a community center in Cottage Grove and two school board referendums and requested that the community research the items on the ballot to cast an informed vote. 8.2 Response to Planning Commission Inquiries Planning Commission Minutes October 25, 2021 Page 8 of 8 8.3 Planning Commission Requests Khambata commended staff on the well -prepared staff reports and thanked the public for attending tonight's meeting. Adjournment Wright made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Knable seconded. Motion passed unani- mously (7-to-0 vote). The meeting was adjourned at 8:49 p.m.