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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010/04/19 - ADMIN - Agenda Packets - City Council - JointJoint Meeting St. Louis Park City Council and School Board AGENDA City Council Chambers 6:00 p.m. – 7:20 p.m. Monday, April 19, 2010 DINNER SERVED AT 5:45 p.m. Outcomes: • To continue to develop a high performing partnership • To exchange updates • To gain a mutual understanding from each elected body on future direction for Eliot and Cedar Manor 1. Making Connections 2. Eliot and Cedar Manor Sites a. Overview of Changes/Decisions Made (Update by school board) b. Current Status (Update by school board) c. Future ideas/goals for these properties (Dialogue by both school board and city council) i. What are the potential goals/ideas for these sites? ii. What public process would be appropriate? iii. Next Steps? 3. Brief Discussion on Turf 4. Adjournment at 7:20 PM Meeting Date: April 19, 2010 Agenda Item #: 2 Regular Meeting Public Hearing Action Item Consent Item Resolution Ordinance Presentation Other: EDA Meeting Action Item Resolution Other: Study Session Discussion Item Written Report Other: TITLE: School Property Use Parameters/Public Process. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff requests Council feedback on the information provided in this report. POLICY CONSIDERATION: What are the basic land use parameters the Council would like to consider for the two properties in question? Is the proposed public process outlined in this staff report in alignment with the Councils expectations? BACKGROUND: The City Council discussed the School District decision to close the Cedar Manor and Eliot buildings at its study session on March 8th. Basic background information on both sites was provided at that meeting. The direction from the City Council was that staff should explore potential parameters for appropriate uses for the sites, and outline a process for moving forward modeled on the process used to create design guidelines for the former Al’s Bar site at Excelsior and France Avenue. The purpose of this Study Session agenda item is to discuss two aspects of the city’s response to the school district’s decision to close Cedar Manor School and Eliot Community Center. One is to discuss City expectations and basic parameters for the reuse of the sites. The second is to discuss a possible process involving the School District, the neighborhoods, and other stakeholders to reach agreement on the future use/redevelopment for the Eliot and Cedar Manor sites. Land Use Parameters In the background information for each site provided in the March 8th study session report it was noted that both the Eliot and Cedar Manor sites are zoned for single family residential use. They are guided in the city’s Comprehensive Plan for “Civic” land use. The existing zoning provides a basic guide for what uses are currently allowed on these sites. The City Council directed staff to provide further recommendations for potential land use and redevelopment opportunities for the sites. Information on the sites and thoughts on potential use parameters for each site are provided below. These ideas are provided for discussion purposes while recognizing that discussions with the School District and the community planning process suggested would likely generate other ideas or potential guidance for the sites. Joint City Council and School Board Meeting of April 19, 2010 (Item No. 2) Page 2 Subject: School Property Use Parameters/Public Process Cedar Manor School Approximately 60% of the site is open space, mostly on the east side, which is the area of the Cedar Manor Park. The park is a neighborhood park that is operated and maintained by the City. The City’s Comprehensive Parks, Open Space and Natural Resources Plan states that if an opportunity to acquire this land becomes available, it should be considered and evaluated; the park is an important component of the park system, and should be retained and/or acquired with a development plan. Most of the open space/park area is in the floodplain and therefore undevelopable. New development would have to either reuse the existing building or use the school building site for new building. Access is good to the site, via Highway 169 and Cedar Lake Road. Access to the site does not need to use local residential streets. Cedar Manor School Range of potential uses for Reuse/Redevelopment Uses not appropriate for the site include industrial or commercial uses, as those uses are more appropriate in areas where they are grouped together in industrial parks and commercial areas. Many commercial services are available within one mile of this site. Office use is also not likely, as there are several designated and available office areas in office parks within the area. Residential would be the most appropriate use suited for this site. A range or mix of residential uses should be considered and evaluated when working with a committee to determine what would both fit into the area and be viable in the market place. There may also be the opportunity for a higher density residential use on this site, because of its freeway access and location, and because it has significant open space directly adjacent to it. It is also physically separated for access and by distance from the single family homes nearby. The site could be designed to address unmet needs in the housing market place. Institutional uses, such as a school, library, or religious institution could also be appropriate, depending on the specific characteristics of a proposed use. Joint City Council and School Board Meeting of April 19, 2010 (Item No. 2) Page 3 Subject: School Property Use Parameters/Public Process Eliot School The Eliot school site is relatively flat and has access from 3 sides. The building is in need of major repair, so reuse is questionable and further detailed evaluation would be necessary. Approximately ½ of the site on the north is open space. It is owned and maintained by the School District; it is not designated as a city park. There is also basketball court and playground equipment on the site, owned and maintained by the School District. The Parks, Open Space and Natural Resources Plan does not identify this site for a park, as Jersey Park is 1 ½ - 2 blocks to the north. It is a neighborhood park with basketball court, play structure, picnic tables, trail and horseshoes. Hampshire Park also serves this neighborhood. It is about 2 ½ blocks to north east, and is an open space park. Eliot School Range of potential uses for Reuse/Redevelopment Uses not appropriate for the site include industrial or commercial uses, as those uses are more appropriate in nearby areas where they are grouped together in industrial parks and commercial areas. Many local commercial services are available within ½ of a mile of this site at Louisiana Avenue; many regional services are available at Park Place Boulevard. Office use is not likely, as there are several designated and available office areas in office parks within the area. Residential would be the most appropriate use suited for this site. A range or mix of residential uses should be considered and evaluated when working with a committee to determine what would both fit into the area and be viable in the market place. There is the opportunity for innovation in site design with a site of this size with excellent access, and an opportunity to provide diversity in the types of housing units or to address unmet needs in the housing market place. Institutional uses, such as a school, library, or religious institution could also be appropriate, depending on the specific characteristics of a proposed use. Joint City Council and School Board Meeting of April 19, 2010 (Item No. 2) Page 4 Subject: School Property Use Parameters/Public Process Summary of Land Use Parameters Both Cedar Manor and Eliot schools are located in residential areas. They each provide a significant opportunity for redevelopment in the community, as development sites of this size are not common in a fully developed city. Industrial and commercial development is ill-suited to either of these sites, as they are located in residential areas. Office could be a viable use however, there are many designated areas for office development in the area, and a lone office building would be isolated, and not fit in with the overall development plan of the community. Each site could be reused for an institutional use; however the demand for institutional uses seems to be waning, with schools closing and the potential for some religious institutions to close. An appropriate institutional use could work on either site. Both sites have enough space to achieve a residential housing development that could add to the diversity of housing in the community. The size of the sites allow an opportunity for new types of residential uses, a mix with a variety of residential types, or possibly an innovative site plan than uniquely blends into the neighborhood. Community Process The changes pending for the Cedar Manor and Eliot school sites are significant changes for the community as a whole and the neighbors immediately surrounding the school sites. With the decision to sell these sites it is appropriate to undertake a more detailed review of the sites to prepare land use recommendations and guidelines for each site’s use and development. The city is responsible for land use planning and is ideally suited to work with the neighborhoods. A community based planning process would set the stage for any Comprehensive Plan land use and zoning changes necessary for redevelopment of the sites. Staff proposes the City take the lead in such a process, working with the school district, neighborhoods and other stakeholders to develop concept plans and land use design guidelines for the reuse of the sites. In this proposed process, the City and School District would work together in partnership toward planning for the reuse/redevelopment of these sites. This would entail the City facilitating a community planning process to establish Land Uses and Design Guidelines for each site. The process could be modeled on the process used for the Excelsior Blvd/France Avenue redevelopment site and other community planning processes we have conducted in the past and include these key elements: a. A committee representing the School District, the neighborhoods, Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission and would be formed to work with city staff and possibly consultants. It is anticipated that a separate committee would be established for each site with 7-9 members in each committee. The committees would be a working group that would make recommendations to the School District and City Council for consideration and endorsement. b. In addition to the advisory committee meetings, meetings would be held open to the full neighborhoods and anyone else interested at key steps in the planning process. The Joint City Council and School Board Meeting of April 19, 2010 (Item No. 2) Page 5 Subject: School Property Use Parameters/Public Process purpose of these meetings would be to keep everyone informed and give them a chance to ask questions and provide input to the committee. c. The goal of the process would be to establish reuse/development guidelines that address School District, neighborhood, and citywide objectives. These guidelines would help identify appropriate new uses for the sites. By doing so, new uses in substantial conformance with the guidelines would move much more easily through the land use approval process. d. Key steps in the process would include identifying stakeholder concerns and objectives, exploring concept plans and design guidelines for each site. Issues such as the types of use, density of development, site design, transportation/access, building character, buffering of surrounding land uses, etc. would be addressed. e. Once the guidelines were established the City, in partnership with the School District, would solicit development proposals for the sites. f. The guidelines would be used to evaluate any development proposals for the sites. FINANCIAL OR BUDGET CONSIDERATION: The cost of a community-based planning study and a funding source would need to be determined. VISION CONSIDERATION: St. Louis Park is committed to providing a well-maintained and diverse housing stock. Attachments: Site characteristic tables Aerial maps Prepared by: Meg J. McMonigal, Planning and Zoning Supervisor Kevin Locke, Community Development Director Approved by: Tom Harmening, City Manager Joint City Council and School Board Meeting of April 19, 2010 (Item No. 2) Page 6 Subject: School Property Use Parameters/Public Process SITE CHARACTERISTICS: Cedar Manor School Cedar Manor Characteristics Size of property 12.1 acres Building age Originally built in 1957; added on to in 1993. Building size 78,447 s.f. Comprehensive Plan designation Low Density Residential, 3-7 units/acres (primarily single family residential) Zoning R-1, Single Family Residential Location This site is located at the intersection of Highway 169 and Cedar Lake Road, and does not share access with any surrounding properties. Surrounding uses To the east there are single family homes, and to the south across Cedar Lake Road there are also single family homes. Highway 169 is directly west of the site; to the north are two city owned properties totaling about 14 acres, over 9 of which contains Cedar Manor Lake. Parks in area On the school property is Cedar Manor Park, which is operated and maintained by the City. Westwood Nature Center and Willow Park are both approximately 1 mile away. Open Space The City owns two parcels to the north of Cedar Manor school. One is 9.3 acres primarily covered by Cedar Manor Lake and the other is a 5.6 acres wooded parcel. The wooded site (5.6 acres) was a parcel reviewed in the Excess Land process. The City Council determined that a neighborhood planning process be initiated to determine the future use of the property. It was recognized that the lack of access restricts the building and park use for this site. The closing of Cedar Manor school potentially improves access to this site. It would be appropriate to consider the future use of the northerly wooded site in the planning for the school site. Minneapolis Golf Club is approximately 1 mile to the north. Neighborhood services Within 1 to 1 ½ miles are many services (grocery, restaurants, drug stores) at Louisiana Avenue and Hopkins Crossroads. Vehicle access The site is a visible site with excellent access to the Highway 169, giving it desirability for a number of uses. Pedestrian and bike access Sidewalk exists along the north side of Cedar Lake Road; Cedar Lake Road has a designated bike lane on it. Market/assessed/appraised The School District estimated the land value at $6,320,000 and the land and building value at $4,668,000. Joint City Council and School Board Meeting of April 19, 2010 (Item No. 2) Page 7 Subject: School Property Use Parameters/Public Process SITE CHARACTERISTICS: Eliot School Eliot School Characteristics Size 4.3 acres Building age The original portion of Eliot School was built in 1926, with the majority of it (85%) built in 1952. Building size 74,222 s.f. Comprehensive Plan designation Low Density Residential, 3-7 units/acres (primarily single family residential) Zoning R-2, Single Family Residential Current use It has not been used as a traditional school since 1971. Currently, nearly all of the building is occupied by 4 educational/academic users. Location The site is located on Cedar Lake Road, between Hampshire and Idaho Avenues Surrounding uses Primarily single family residential; Lutheran church across street. Parks in area Jersey Park is 1 ½ - 2 blocks north. It is a neighborhood park with basketball court, play structure, picnic tables, trail and horseshoes. Hampshire Park is about 2 ½ blocks to north east, and is an open space park. Neighborhood services Many services at Cedar Lake Road and Louisiana including: drug store, grocery store, dry cleaners. Regional commercial at Park Place Boulevard. Vehicle access Via Cedar Lake Road Pedestrian and bike access Sidewalk exists along the north side of Cedar Lake Road; Cedar Lake Road has a designated bike lane on it. Market/assessed/appraised In 2008, the city had an appraisal prepared for the Eliot School property and it showed the property to have a market value of $2,100,000. The School District previously estimated the land value at $2,232,000 and the land and building value at $3,250,000. Cedar Manor School City of Minnetonka Cedar Manor School Parcel size...........................Building size.........................Comp. Plan Designation...........Zoning Designation................. 12.1 acres78,447 square feetRL, Low Density ResidentialR-1, Single Family Residential Cedar Lake Road Hwy169 City-Owned Land: 14.8 acres Hannon Lake Minneapolis Golf Club Joint City Council and School Board Meeting of April 19, 2010 (Item No. 2)Page 8 Eliot School Eliot School Parcel size............................Building size.........................Comp. Plan Designation...........Zoning Designation................. 4.3 acres74,222 square feetRL, Low Density ResidentialR-2, Single Family ResidentialCedar Lake RoadHampshire Ave. S.Joint City Council and School Board Meeting of April 19, 2010 (Item No. 2)Page 9