HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001/06/04 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Regular CITY OF OFFICIAL MINUTES
ST. LOUIS CITY COUNCIL MEETING
PARK ST. LOUIS PARK,MINNESOTA
June 4, 2001
1. Call to Order and Roll Call
Mayor Jacobs called the meeting to order at 7:25 p.m.
The following Councilmembers were present at roll call: Jim Bnmeyer, Chris Nelson,
Susan Sanger, Sue Santa, Robert Young, Ron Latz, and Mayor Jeff Jacobs
Also present were the City Manager(Mr. Meyer), City Attorney (Mr. Scott); Director of
Community Development (Mr Harmening), Director of Finance (Ms. McGann); Director of
Parks &Recreation (Ms. Walsh), Director of Public Works (Mr. Rardin); Planning &
Zoning Supervisor(Ms. Jeremiah), City Engineer(Ms. Hagen); Supenntendent of
Engineering (Mr. Moore); Police Lieutenant (Mr Ortner) and City Clerk (Ms. Reichert).
2. Presentations
a. Recognition presentation for Jan Loftus - Resolution No. 01-046
Mayor Jacobs presented a resolution and plaque to Jan Loftus in recognition of her
dedicated service to the City of St Louis Park and Community Development Department
3. Approval of Minutes
a. Study Session Minutes of May 14, 2001
The minutes were approved as presented.
b. Special Meeting Minutes of May 21, 2001
The minutes were approved as presented.
c. City Council Minutes of May 21, 2001
The minutes were approved as presented with the following changes.
Councilmember Nelson• Page 16, item 7c the vote was missing from the minutes. The
Clerk offered to check the tape and make the correction.
(NOTE: The minutes of May 21st have been amended to read: "It was moved by
Councilmember Santa, seconded by Councilmember Latz, to approve Resolution
No. 01-045 allowing Sholom Community Alliance to issue up to $19,000,000 in
Private Activity Revenue Bonds and approve all documents in connection with the
bond issue Motion passed 7-0 ")
Council Meeting Minutes -2- June 4,2001
Councilmember Sanger: Page 14, item regarding sale of property to the JCC, the third line—
sentence incomplete. "she stated the land in question provided a good buffer",
Councilmember Sanger asked that the sentence continue to read, "...between the JCC and
the Cedar Lake bike and walking trail." On next page, 3`d paragraph, second line "to do as
little with the property that they can do other than using it for..." should be continued to
read"a small amount of parking plus a buffer strip."
4. Approval of Agenda and Consent Items
NOTE: Consent items are those items of business which are considered to be routine and/or
which need no discussion Consent items are acted upon by one motion. If discussion is
desired by either a Councilmember or a member of the audience, that item may be moved to
an appropriate section of the regular agenda for discussion.
4a. Agenda
It was moved by Councilmember Sanger, seconded by Councilmember Santa, to approve
the agenda. The motion passed 7-0
4b. Consent Agenda
It was moved by Councilmember Nelson, seconded by Councilmember Sanger, to approve
the following Consent Agenda Items. The motion passed 7-0.
1. To amend the financial terms of City Agreement No. 1897, between the City and
AT&T Wireless (AT&T) for space on the water tower at 2500 Nevada Avenue
for a communications antenna.
2. To adopt Resolution No. 01-048 granting the minor amendment to the existing
Special Permit for Park Glen Apartment at 4401 Park Glen Road to permit the
construction of a foyer addition, subject to the conditions in the resolution.
Case#01-23-SP
3. Accept the following report for filing:
a. Vendor Claims
5. Public Hearings
5a Public Hearing—Groves Academy Private Activity Revenue Bonds
Resolution No. 01-047
Jean McGann, Finance Director, informed Council that they would be asked to vote on the
resolution before them following the public hearing. She also pointed out revisions to the
resolution.
There being no one wishing to speak, the Mayor closed the public heanng.
John Utley, the City's Bond Counsel from Kennedy and Graven, clarified that the Council
could take final action to approve issuance of the bonds and noted that they did not need to
wait until a subsequent meeting to approve the resolution.
Council Meeting Minutes -3- June 4,2001
Councilmember Nelson asked about the revenue source and secunty for the bonds. Mr.
Utley responded that the source of secunty and payment for the obligations is through the
facility financed by the bonds and that the City has no obligation of any kind for repayment.
It was moved by Councilmember Sanger, seconded by Councilmember Santa, to approve
Resolution No. 01-047 authorizing issuance, sale, and delivery of the Educational Facility
Revenue Bonds (Groves Academy Project). The motion passed 7-0.
5b. Public Hearing and First Reading of an ordinance to vacate portions of
Natchez Avenue, Ottawa Avenue, 38th Street, Princeton Avenue, an alley and
an existing sidewalk easement in Park Commons East. Case No 01-08-VAC
Ms Jeremiah gave a staff report and overview of the proposed vacations. She indicated that
the Planning Commission had approved the changes. She stated that staff is recommending
approval of first reading and asked that second reading be set for June 18, 2001.
Mayor Jacobs opened the public hearing With no one wishing to speak, the public hearing
was closed
It was moved by Councilmember Nelson, seconded by Councilmember Latz, to close the
public heanng and approve First Reading of an ordinance to vacate portions of streets, an
alley, and a sidewalk easement in Park Commons East and set Second Reading for June 18,
2001 The motion passed 7-0
6. Requests and Communications from the Public - None
7. Resolutions, Ordinances, Motions
7a. TOLD Development Company is requesting approval of a Preliminary Plat
and Preliminary PUD with certain variances for Park Commons East
Case No. 01-06-S and 01-07-PUD and 01-19-Var Resolution No. 01-049
Ms Jeremiah presented an overview of the project and a descnption of the phases proposed
for development. The Planning C ommission had approved the project with conditions as
provided for in the resolution
Public comments were received at the Planning Commission meeting and one concern was
the potential effect of the project on fire response time. Ms. Jeremiah referenced a response
memo from the fire department and also a letter from a resident. Those memos were entered
into the public record of the meeting.
She explained variances requested by the developer and stated that staff recommended
granting the variances. She indicated that street names within the Park Commons project
were still under discussion Some public input has been received, but no consensus has
been reached.
Ms. Jeremiah also discussed changes to the plan that have been proposed since the
predevelopment plan was adopted. A principal change is to the parking layout. Both staff
and the Planning Commission concur that the changes proposed are beneficial to the project.
Council Meeting Minutes -4- June 4,2001
A number of traffic and parking recommendations have been made and those changes will
be incorporated into the plan at final reading. Pedestnan, bicycle and transit routes will also
be incorporated. A plan for off-street bicycle accommodation on Monterey will be shown in
the final plans.
Ms. Jeremiah indicated that the Parks and Recreation Department was not yet satisfied with
the configuration of the park edge road and revisions are being discussed to address
concerns relating to preservation of the upper flat plateau on the south edge of Wolfe Park.
Josh Gruber, 4608 West 39th Street, asked about the reconfiguration of parking and where
the entrances were proposed to be placed. Ms. Jeremiah pointed out the four entrances, two
of which are located on Excelsior Blvd and two on 38/39`h Street. Mr. Gruber expressed
concerns that from the time of the charrette process the vision had been markedly changed.
He was not satisfied with the changes proposed and felt that the developer rather than
community driven. He was in favor of redevelopment, but did not feel that the City was
being responsive to community needs. He was concerned about traffic movement across
the sidewalk interrupting pedestrian movement and density of the housing. He was
concerned that the developer was not being held accountable to the vision of the residents.
He stated that change is a necessary part of implementing a vision, but felt that the
developer's interests have superceded the vision
Ms Jeremiah responded that the visual appearance of the buildings and parking facades
would be reviewed as part of the final PUD She stated that the developer was already
responding to citizen comments that were made at the Planning Commission meetings of
May 2nd and 16`h to try to address concerns about levels of detail and the magnitude of the
buildings. Staff is working to ensure that materials used on the project are of the finest
quality and that the overall appearance of the development will be well accepted.
Cynthia Latham, 3944 Kipling Avenue, asked about the cost per square foot for retail and
office space and progress made by the developer in leasing office and retail space. She
asked the developer to identify whether the proposed fees would be classified as pnme and
if costs were affecting the developer's ability to lease the space.
Mr. Cunningham, the developer, explained that he had recently returned from the
International Association of Shopping Centers convention where he had had several
meetings with potential tenants for the retail space in the development. He stated that the
projects has been very well received and that a number of leases are in process. He felt that
the rents were definitely within the market range for developments of this type and are
considered to be Class A rents. The boutique office building will have rents set at
approximately $16 per square foot and up. Rents in the retail portion of the project will
range between $18 and $25 per square foot. He also said that prospective tenants are
comfortable with the rental rates and felt that they were in line with fair market prices in the
area
Fran Rutherford, 4820 West 39th Street#318, spoke about her concerns that valuable park
space was being taken from the community to build the Park Commons Development. She __
had viewed the stakes that have been placed in the park to indicate position of the park edge
road and felt that the development was too aggressive and would negatively impact the park.
Council Meeting Minutes -5- ; June 4,2001
Ms Jeremiah responded that staff is also dissatisfied with the current alignment of the road.
Community Development and Parks and Recreation staff agree that the current alignment of
the road negatively impact the amphitheater and the upper flat area of the park. The
developer has been asked to make revisions and those changes will be shared at a future
Council meeting.
Councilmember Nelson pointed out that the area was staked several weeks ago and the
existing stakes are not in the position currently shown on the plans.
Ms Rutherford said that she knew the stakes were not placed in accordance with new plans,
but still felt that too much green space was being taken for this project.
Councilmember Sanger asked Mr. Cunningham about the kind of tenants he had spoken
with at the convention. He responded that they would not be working exclusively with
national tenants and that discussions were continuing with local retailers. Councilmember
Sanger expressed her concern that the developer continue to seek out unique and one of a
kind retailers for the development.
Mr Cunningham assured the Council that he shared the same vision for the project and
would work toward that end.
Councilmember Brimeyer said that he shared some concerns expressed by Mr. Gruber in
regard to the parking ramp entrance He felt confident that a skilled architect could design
the parking ramp and entrance to blend into the project
Councilmember Latz asked about the courtyard access from the town green and if that
would still be included. Mr. Cuningham responded that it had at one point been in the plan,
but that the way phasing of the project had been designed, it necessitated removal of the
courtyard access.
Councilmember Nelson suggested that old road names used prior to 1935 be used in the area
to provide an historical context for the development. He informed the audience that
demolition work has begun in the project area. He stated that the property where the
boutique office is to be built will be cleared and will provide a clean appearance to traffic
traveling westbound on Excelsior Blvd He described project planning to date as a difficult
balancing act and felt the Council and the developer had done a good job of weighing
interests while maintaining financial responsibility
Councilmember Nelson also said that he had seen some newer drawings that showed
storefronts and how unique and individual they could appear. He was confident that the
final design would showcase unique and individual storefronts.
It was moved by Councilmember Nelson, seconded by Councilmember Brimeyer to approve
Resolution No. 01-049 approving the Preliminary Plat, Preliminary PUD and variances for Park
commons East subject to the conditions included in the resolution. The motion passed 7-0.
Mr Gruber returned to the podium and asked if there would be further opportunity for
citizen input on the parking and design configuration. Mayor Jacobs assured him that the
comments heard tonight were thoughtful and that they would be considered as Council
continues through the steps to finalize the PUD.
Council Meeting Minutes -6- June 4,2001
7b. 2001 Sojourner Contract
Lt. Mark Ortner was present to answer questions from the Council.
Councilmember Sanger pointed out that the St. Louis Park Contract dollar amount had
remained the same for several years, but that services had been increased by Sojourner. She
asked if in the future our contribution would increase to reflect the increased level of
service.
Lt. Ortner stated that Sojourner had secured additional financing from other sources and our
dollar amount will remain the same until such time as Sojourner requests an increase.
It was moved by Councilmember Sanger, seconded by Councilmember Santa, to authorize
the Mayor and City Manager to execute the contract with Sojourner Project, Inc. in the
amount of$39,159.00 for advocacy services for the penod of January 1 through December
31, 2001. The motion passed 7-0
7c. Wolfe Park Amphitheater
Ms. Walsh, Parks and Recreation Director, requested approval from the Council to form a
contact with Damon Farber Associates for the design of the Wolfe Park Amphitheater. She
explained how the funding for the project would work and indicated that the contract was
only for design of the amphitheater
It was moved by Councilmember Nelson, seconded by Councilmember Bnmeyer, to
approve the contract with Damon Farber Associates for the design of the Wolfe Park
Amphitheater in an amount not to exceed $40,825. The motion passed 7-0.
Councilmember Bnmeyer asked about what functions would be planned for the
amphitheater and suggested that the design follow the planned programming.
Councilmember Nelson reminded the Council that the spatial arrangement should be kept in
a reasonable scale for the size of the park.
7d. City Engineer's Report: Storm Water Flood Area No. 15 —Improvements at
Keystone, Roxbury and Lake Street Parks and Storm Sewer construction on
Dakota Avenue and W. 33rd Street. City Project No. 00-07
Mr. Meyer, City Manager, stated that the request before Council was to defer the project and
offered an explanation as to why. He said that a number of neighbors had been expecting
the Council to address the issue at this meeting, and that it was kept on the Council agenda
and recommended for deferral so that citizen concerns could be heard.
The project has been discussed at several meetings with neighbors regarding the impact of
the project on the parks. Staff had become concerned that the overall cost of this project and
others being worked on simultaneously would adversely affect the City's ability to fund the
project within the existing budget. Staff believes it necessary to look further at the budget
and this project prior to bringing it forward to the Council for approval. There will be
public notification made prior to future Council consideration.
Council Meeting Minutes -7- June 4,2001
Sandy Peterson, 3140 Alabama Avenue, said that she had been at a neighborhood meeting
last Apnl and was pleased with the revisions that had come out of that meeting. She has
continuing concerns with the elimination of the north-south walkway and felt it could
adversely affect the neighborhood's children. She also questioned placement of the park's
portable toilet and the drinking fountain which is too far from the playground. She was
pleased to hear that the neighborhood would continue to be involved in planning.
Councilmember Bnmeyer inquired about the budget for this project.
Mr. Moore stated that smaller projects had all come in as estimated, but the larger projects
were not coming in as estimated.
Councilmember Sanger questioned whether the future study session discussion would focus
on the budget, the design or both. Mr. Meyer responded that both would be considered at
the future meeting as well as options for phasing.
It was moved by Councilmember Latz, seconded by Councilmember Bnmeyer to defer
action for storm water and park improvements at Keystone, Roxbury, and Lake Street Parks
and Storm Sewer construction on Dakota Avenue and W. 33rd Street to alleviate flooding in
Area No 15 and reschedule for a future Study Session . The motion passed 7-0.
7e. City Engineer's Report: Alley Paving—2700 block between Brunswick
Avenue and the C.P. Railroad tracks
Resolution No. 01-050
Mr. Moore outlined the scope of the project and explained that this particular project was
unique because the entire east side is bordered by railroad tracks and therefore that portion
of the alley's cost will be picked up by the city's general obligation bond revenues.
It was moved by Councilmember Sanger, seconded by Councilmember Latz, to adopt
Resolution No. 01-050 that accepts this report, establishes Improvement, directs staff to
sponsor an informational meeting with abutting property owners, and sets a Public Heanng
and Assessment Heanng date of July 2, 2001
8. Boards and Committees - None
9. Communications
From the City Manager— none
From the Mayor—none
10. Adjournment -
Mayor Jacobs adjourned the meeting at 9:06,,Km-
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Ci Clerk 'ayo r -