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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026/01/07 - ADMIN - Minutes - Planning Commission - Regular Official Minutes Planning commission St. Louis Park, Minnesota January 7, 2026 1. Call to order – 6:00 p.m. Roll Call Members present: Jim Beneke, Mia Divecha (arrived at 6:01 p.m.), Matt Eckholm, John Flanagan, Sylvie Hyman, Tess Machalek, Sarah Strain Members absent: Tom Weber Guests: Joanna Griffith, Pope Design Group Nate Enger, Kraus-Anderson Pastor Andrew Peterson, Park Community Church Edgar Durand, North Central State Regional Council of Carpenters Staff present: Katelyn Champoux, Sean Walther 2. Approval of Minutes – Oct. 8, 2025; Oct. 15, 2025; Nov. 5, 2025 and Dec. 3, 2025. It was moved by Commissioner Beneke, seconded by Commissioner Hyman to approve the Oct. 8, 2025, Oct. 15, 2025, Nov. 5, 2025 and Dec. 3, 2025 minutes. The motion passed 6-0. 3. Hearing 3a. Title: Park Community Church conditional use permit Location: 6805 Minnetonka Blvd. Applicant: Park Community Church Case No: 25-08-CUP Ms. Champoux presented the conditional use permit application for Park Community Church, located at 6805 Minnetonka Boulevard. She explained that staff recommended opening the public hearing but tabling the item until the Jan. 21, 2026 meeting because of an error in the public hearing notice that was mailed to property owners, which listed the incorrect date. A new notice with the correct date was mailed on Jan. 6. Ms. Champoux provided details about the project, explaining that the church proposed to renovate the interior of the sanctuary and community spaces, expand the sanctuary by approximately 500 square feet on the south side of the building (on top of an existing mechanical roof), and remove existing pavement on the north and west sides of the building to replace it with green space. The purpose was to provide more space for the existing congregation and improve accessibility, comfort, and functionality without altering the building's character. She noted that the zoning code requires a conditional use permit for religious institutions in the N-2 zoning district. Although the church's establishment predated this requirement, the proposed site work required the church to come into compliance with city code. Docusign Envelope ID: 18CA0889-9A8D-4B9F-BF7D-4E78C1948203 Official minutes January 7, 2026 Planning commission Ms. Champoux discussed how the project would remove a significant portion of impervious surface, replacing it with green space and removing two access points onto Minnetonka Boulevard. The planned landscaping would bring the site into compliance with city code, adding 30 trees and 172 shrubs while preserving all existing trees. This would reduce impervious surface coverage from about 75% to 59%. Regarding parking, Ms. Champoux explained that the project would increase sanctuary capacity from approximately 215 to 344 seats, resulting in a parking requirement of 98 spaces (after applying a 15% transit reduction). The church proposed providing 60 off -street parking spaces with 12 potential additional spaces through "proof of parking," plus 13 street parking spaces adjacent to the property. The church requested a reduction of 13 parking spaces to its requirement, which would change the requirement from 98 to 85 spaces. Ms. Champoux noted that the project would also bring the site into compliance with the city's electric vehicle charging infrastructure ordinance and bike parking ordinance, providing 4 parking spaces with EV chargers, 28 spaces with conduit for future chargers, and 12 bike parking spaces (double the requirement). She reported that the project team held a neighborhood meeting on Dec. 3, 2025 with one resident attending who shared general concerns about street parking but did not oppose the project. Commissioner Divecha asked for clarification about the driveway access changes. Ms. Champoux explained that the property currently has five access points and the project would remove two access points on Minnetonka Boulevard and one on Hampshire Avenue South. Commissioner Hyman inquired about the existing shared parking agreement between the church and the community center. Ms. Champoux explained that the informal agreement did not meet city requirements because shared parking agreements need to be permanent and recorded against the property. Commissioner Hyman also asked about bicycle parking plans. Ms. Griffith from Pope Design Group responded that while the specific bike rack design had not been selected, they planned to install functional racks that would exceed the minimum requirement by providing 12 spots instead of the required six. Commissioner Beneke asked if removing parking spots was necessary for the new sanctuary. Mr. Enger from Kraus-Anderson explained that reducing impervious surface helped avoid the need for expensive underground stormwater storage, as there is no stormwater infrastructure currently in that section of Minnetonka Boulevard, which is slated for improvements next fiscal year. He added that the church also desired more green space. Mr. Peterson, Pastor at Park Community Church and St. Louis Park resident, expressed excitement about bringing the historic building up to current code and improving its function for the city and community. He noted that the church, established in 1945, ha d nearly closed Docusign Envelope ID: 18CA0889-9A8D-4B9F-BF7D-4E78C1948203 Official minutes January 7, 2026 Planning commission about a decade ago but had been revitalized with a growing congregation that includes many St. Louis Park residents who walk and bike from surrounding neighborhoods. Mr. Durand, a business agent with the North Central State Regional Council of Carpenters, expressed thanks to the Kraus-Anderson team for providing work opportunities for union members. It was moved by Commissioner Strain, seconded by Commissioner Eckholm, to table the Park Community Church CUP and continue the public hearing at the Jan. 21, 2026 meeting. The motion passed 6-0. 4. Other Business 4a. 2026 Work Plan Mr. Walther presented the 2026 work plan that the commission had crafted last year and presented to the city council in November 2025. He explained that the council had asked all boards and commissions to formally approve their recommended plans and council would also review and approve the plans. Mr. Walther outlined the key components of the work plan: • Reviewing planning applications and holding public hearings • Continuing work on phase 2 of the zoning code update, focusing on business district standards, the zoning map for commercial districts, and performance standards • Implementing approved plans for light rail stations and West Excelsior Boulevard • Beginning the 2050 comprehensive plan process, which would be a 2-3 year effort • Broadening participation in planning processes, including the recently implemented stipend for commissioners to reduce barriers to service Mr. Walther explained that if commissioners wanted to propose additions to the work plan during the year, they would need to submit a form to staff, which would then be brought to the commission for discussion and potentially forwarded to the city council for approval. Commissioner Divecha expressed interest in adding a study on parking to the work plan, following up on a discussion from the previous meeting. Mr. Walther agreed to send the form to commissioners. It was moved by Commissioner Divecha, seconded by Commissioner Eckholm to approve the 2026 work plan as proposed by staff. The motion passed 6-0. 5. Communications Future scheduled meeting/event dates: • January 21, 2026 – planning commission regular meeting • February 4, 2026 – planning commission regular meeting • February 25, 2026 – planning commission regular meeting* • March 4, 2026 – planning commission regular meeting *meeting held on Feb. 12, 2026 since Ash Wednesday is Feb. 18, 2026. Docusign Envelope ID: 18CA0889-9A8D-4B9F-BF7D-4E78C1948203 Official minutes January 7, 2026 Planning commission 6. Adjournment – 6:30 p.m. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Sean Walther, liaison John Flanagan, chair member These minutes were created with the assistance of a generative AI transcript service, then edited by a staff person. Docusign Envelope ID: 18CA0889-9A8D-4B9F-BF7D-4E78C1948203