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Home My WebLink About1997/12/08 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Session 4 CITY OF Minutes ST. LOUIS PARK City Council Study Session ,.� December 8, 1997 5:30 p.m. The meeting convened at 5 35 p m Present at the meeting were Councilmembers Chris Nelson, Ron Latz, Robert Young, Sue Sanger, Jeff Jacobs and Mayor Gail Dorfman Staff present City Manager(Mr Meyer), Deputy City Manager (Ms Kutzler), Director of Community Development (Mr Harmening), Planning Coordinator (Ms Jeremiah), Planning Coordinator (Ms Erickson), Economic Development Coordinator (Mr Anderson), Housing Coordinator (Ms Brownstein), Finance Director (Ms McBride), Director of Inspections (Mr Petersen), and City Clerk (Ms Larsen) 1. Park Commons Phase One Workshop Council and City staff met to participate in a workshop intended to update the Council regarding refinements to the Market Study recommendations for a Phase One use mix, to provide Council with some rough visual images of how the recommendations could be translated into a Phase One redevelopment project; and to obtain feedback from the Council regarding the development of a more detailed implementation plan for a Phase One redevelopment project Mayor Dorfman made welcoming comments stating that the workshop was an opportunity to reeducate and remind ourselves of what livable community principles are all about and that the market study should be looked at as a valuable tool to create a place the community can be proud of long into the future Following introductions, an informal and interactive discussion took place during which several presentations were made. Todd Zimmerman shared a slide presentation of old and new developments which illustrate successful and unsuccessful examples of livable community principles Council also discussed several recommendations he felt would work well for the Park Commons area Also part of the discussion were Michael Lander representing the developer's perspective, Bob Close, a Landscape Architect; and Fred Dock, a traffic management consultant Comments were also heard from several staff members and members of the Town Planning Collaborative Discussions focused on development of the first phase encompassing approx 200,000 sq ft of redevelopment area Councilmember Latz asked why 3 stories seemed to be the accepted height of buildings in the area and questioned by we did not consider taller structures In discussion that followed several factors to consider were pointed out, specifically, increased parking 1 requirements, accepted norms for the surrounding metro area and construction requirements for taller structures Several Councilmembers questioned how adequate parking in a limited space could be addressed It was suggested that in addition to on-street parking, ramp parking and small lots also be included as part of the redevelopment plan The concept of placing underground ramp parking beneath the Town Green was discussed at length, and several points for and against were made The size and configuration of the Town Green area was also discussed at length It was determined that the original plan of a 200 ft wide area was not appropriate due to the possible loss of connection between business and residents on either side It was felt that with proper design the green could be narrower and still provide a focal point leading in to the redevelopment area Traffic flow, street light configuration and pedestrian crossings were also discussed Councilmember Sanger asked if a pedestnan overpass across Excelsior Blvd had been considered Mr Dock responded that to meet ADA requirements, the structures required to provide an adequate grade would be large, unsightly and take up valuable redevelopment area He felt that pedestnan crossings could be adequately addressed through signalized intersections on either side of the green It was also generally agreed upon that the configuration of the Town Green area should remain adaptable to meet the needs of users now and in the future Also discussed was the issue of phasing and the need for and location of civic space in the area Following the discussions, Ms Jeremiah asked Council for their direction in moving forward Council requested that staff move ahead with Phase One of the Park Commons Project including II acquisition and development and that staff keep Council apprised as more detailed plans are prepared 2. Taxi Licensing Council considered a request from a group of government agencies in applying for a grant to study ways to improve taxicab licensing and regulation in the metropolitan area Councilmember Sanger asked what the benefits to St. Louis Park would be if we were to participate in the study Mr Petersen responded that the ultimate goal would be to ensure that taxis are regulated consistently throughout the metro area and that the public would be sure they are safe Councilmember Bnmeyer pointed out that uniform regulations could improve rates and affordability Councilmember Nelson cautioned against increasing regulations in an already overregulated industry Councilmember Young stated that he did not want to invest City money in another study Council discussed the benefits of a regional license, perhaps administered by the Metropolitan Council Following discussion Council directed staff to agree to participate in the study and to bring the findings of that study back to Council following its completion 3. Zoning Ordinance Amendment- Livable Communities 2 Council reviewed proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance intended to incorporate Livable Communities principles Items discussed were setbacks in the Cl and C2 districts and how those setbacks would affect commercial property owners in terms of parking, additions or changes to existing developments in the districts and new development plans Staff presented examples illustrating how the new requirements would affect commercial properties Councilmember Sanger asked if there is a role the City can play in educating and encouraging the public to embrace Livable Communities principles without imposing undue hardships on business owners Mr Harmening and Ms Erickson agreed that several incentives could be built into the ordinance to encourage developers to want to comply The issue of building height and setbacks in general was discussed and staff agreed to bring back to a future study session proposed changes relating to building heights, accessory structures and setbacks to allow for adequate sunlight 4. 1998 Legislative Initiatives Staff asked for Council direction regarding legislative initiatives the Council would like to see advanced dunng the 1998 legislative session Items Council wished to see pursued included lead remediation, amphitheater construction, and bike trail initiatives Councilmember Nelson suggested that the City Attorney look at the issue of Mortgage tax on the Golden site as it relates to the Railroad/Hennepin County proposal for clean up at the site 5. EDA Budget Ms. McBride reported to Council that several changes had been made to the structure of the EDA budget Many of these changes relate to changes made in reporting requirements by the State Auditor's Office Council asked questions related to the amounts included within the General Allocation or General Administration program categories in several of the District Funds Staff offered to clarify these expenditures by major type before final presentation of the budget at the next regular City Council meeting Mr Meyer stated that he felt the changes made to the EDA budget were great improvements and that the redesigned budget would serve well as a tool for future planning. 6. Biodegradable Yard Waste Bags Council considered options regarding timing of the implementation of the City's biodegradable yard waste pilot program and after bnef discussion asked staff to proceed toward beginning the program in spring of 1998 7. Communications 3 Councilmember Sanger raised the issue of funding for clean up at the Golden site After brief discussion, Council was in agreement that a more formal approach to negotiations regarding the site clean-up should be put in place • Councilmember Latz informed the group that he has been in contact with Corey Gordon who has requested that the City consider allowing a synagogue to be located in one of the City's industrial districts Mayor Dorfman and Councilmember Nelson offered to contact Mr Gordon to discuss the issue The meeting adjourned at 9 40 p m ail Dorfman, Mayor R-cording Secretary 4