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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010/09/27 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Session f/fSt. Louis Park OFFICIAL MINUTES MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA SEPTEMBER 27, 2010 The meeting convened at 6:40 p.m. Councilmembers present: Mayor Jeff Jacobs, Phil Finkelstein,Anne Mavity, and Susan Sanger. Councilmembers absent: Paul Omodt,Julia Ross, and Sue Santa. Staff present: City Manager (Mr. Harmening), City Attorney (Mr. Scott), Director of Parks & Recreation (Ms. Walsh), Community Development Director (Mr. Locke), Director of Public Works (Mr. Rardin), Planning/Zoning Supervisor (Ms. McMonigal), Assistant Zoning Administrator (Mr. Morrison), Planner (Mr. Fulton), Operations Superintendent (Mr. Hanson), Director of Inspections (Mr. Hoffman), Environmental Coordinator (Mr. Vaughan), Utilities Superintendent (Mr. Anderson), Public Works Coordinator (Mr. Merkley), Communications Coordinator (Mr. Zwilling), and Recording Secretary (Ms. Hughes). Guests: Jim McComb, McComb Group, Ltd.; Planning Commissioners Rick Person, Lynne Carper, Carl Robertson, and Claudia Johnson-Madison; Eric Evenson, Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Administrator; Becky Houdek, Assistant Planner, Minnehaha Creek Watershed District; Pamela Blixt, Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Board Member; Richard Miller, Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Board Member; Brian Shekleton, Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Board Member;Jeff Casale, Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Board Member. 1. Future Study Session Agenda Planning— October 4 and 11, 2010 Mayor Jacobs thanked staff for the tour of the recently renovated Municipal Service Center. He stated the improvements to the building will provide the City with increased capabilities to continue to deliver public services. Mr. Harmening presented the proposed special study session agenda for October 4th and the proposed study session agenda for October 11 d'. He stated that at the October 4th special study session, staff will provide an update regarding the proposed Convention and Visitors Bureau, including a review of the formal documents necessary to create a Convention and Visitors Bureau. Councilmember Finkelstein requested that the October 4th study session discussion include a sample budget and possible uses of the money. 2. Joint Meeting with Planning Commission Mayor Jacobs thanked the Planning Commission members for attending. Commercial Corridor Market Study Mr. Harmening presented the staff report and introduced Jim McComb from McComb Group, Ltd. Study Session Minutes -2- September 27, 2010 Ms. McMonigal stated that the commercial market corridor study was an outcome of updating the City's Comprehensive Plan. Conducted by McComb Group, the study represents the first step in looking at the City's commercial areas, to help in evaluating the viability of these areas, and creating a long term vision for these areas. Mr. McComb presented an overview of ten commercial corridors analyzed as part of his study and stated that one of the major findings of this report is that the City has a surplus of retail space but a shortage of the kind of space retailers are looking for. He indicated that the focus of the study was intended to provide the City with guidelines for bringing its retail space back into balance and eliminating some of the less desirable buildings and replacing them with some other use. He presented a comparison of the City's commercial corridors and competitive shopping areas tenant mix as of March 2010 and indicated that the vacancy rate in the commercial corridors is 11.3% compared to 6.7% in the competitive shopping areas. He specifically discussed the Lake Street and Walker Street commercial corridor, noting that this area has suffered the most serious damage as growth has occurred elsewhere in the City and this area presents a number of opportunities for changing the land use and the light rail stations may have an impact on that. Mr. McComb discussed ways in which the City can nurture small businesses, and he reviewed four areas that appear to be suitable for new entrepreneurs, including Excelsior Boulevard East, Minnetonka and County Road 25, Texa-Tonka, and Excelsior Boulevard West. He stated that the City can work with small businesses by encouraging a good location, providing loans and/or grants for store front improvements and interior build out, providing access to business expertise, and considering a retail incubator with flexible occupancy cost. Councilmember Finkelstein stated that the City is interested in nurturing small businesses, but questioned how much of the City's time, effort, and money should be spent on a particular project if it is determined this might not be the best use of the City's resources. The Council and Planning Commission discussed the Excelsior and Grand area and the City's desire to draw additional businesses in to this area. Discussion also took place regarding Texa-Tonka. Councilmember Mavity asked what tools and incentives are available to the City to nurture business as well as the associated costs to encourage businesses to locate in the City. Mr. McComb stated that the Excelsior and Grand area includes a lot of small stores that are too small to create a viable business, and the format of retail condos does not work because the flexibility on how to size the spaces and accommodate tenants is lost because buildings may be owned individually. He suggested that this area would be a good location for a retail incubator project. He also discussed the Lake Street and Walker Street area and stated that it may be prudent to conduct a case study in this area. Mr. Locke stated that through the Comprehensive Plan planning process, staff felt it was important to have an understanding of market conditions and to undertake a more strategic kind of planning for these key areas. He added that Lake Street and Walker was identified by the Council as a Study Session Minutes -3- September 27, 2010 priority in the context of market conditions, how to make this area stronger, and its economic role in the community. Mayor Jacobs questioned whether the City should look at re-guiding and/or rezoning certain areas of the City based upon the findings contained in the study. McMonigal explained that this was the first step in studying these areas and re-guiding and/or rezoning may be an eventual outcome. Supreme Court Case on Variance Standards Mr. Scott stated that the June 2010 State Supreme Court ruling will impact a city's ability to grant variances. He pointed out that the City does not receive a large number of variance requests on an annual basis. He discussed the Supreme Court decision and presented a handout prepared by the League of Minnesota Cities explaining variances and the statutory authority for granting variances. He added that the legislature may address the decision during its next session; the legislature has authority to amend the language in the statute to give flexibility back to cities in granting variances. Councilmember Sanger asked if the City has the ability to amend its ordinances in some way so that a variance would not be required in the first place. Mr. Scott stated that the City could use the Conditional Use Permit procedure if it met certain criteria. Ms. McMonigal stated that modifications could also be made to the Planned Unit Development ordinance. She stated that staff would like to review the City's previous variance requests and keep track of any inquiries received by the City, and then determine if changes to the ordinance are required. Business Park Zoning Mr. Fulton presented an overview of the proposed new land use category, "Business Park," and stated this land use designation is intended to be focused primarily around the Beltline' industrial/light rail station and around the Louisiana Avenue industrial/light rail station areas. He indicated that this designation will provide an opportunity for business owners to expand their businesses or change their businesses to respond to market conditions. He stated that staff intends to present the proposed Business Park use and design standards to the Planning Commission in October, followed by a study session discussion with the County in early 2011. He added that staff will also be working dosely with the business owners in drafting the zoning district language. It was the consensus of the City Council to direct staff to continue to draft the Business Park zoning district ordinance. Councilmember Mavity requested that staff include resident input in the public process for the Business Park zoning district ordinance. 3. Minnehaha Creek Discussion— Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Study Session Minutes -4- September 27, 2010 Mr. Harmening presented the staff report and introduced Becky Houdek, Assistant Planner for Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. Ms. Houdek presented background information regarding Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) and discussed MCWD's proposed re-meander project to the west of Louisiana Avenue. She stated that this area of the creek is in a highly urbanized area and the creek is seeing a lot more runoff and stormwater volume. She advised that the goals of the re-meander project include restoring the natural meanders where possible, reducing streambank erosion, enhancing the creek buffer, incorporating stormwater management practices, improving habitat, and increasing public awareness and appreciation of the resource. She discussed the expected benefits of the project, including water quality and water quantity improvement by reducing sediment and nutrient inputs to the creek, reducing volumes and rates of runoff, improved upland and instream habitat, improved vegetative diversity, and increased potential for recreational uses by providing greater access to the creek. She added that these goals relate well to Goal 8 of the City's Parks and Open Space Chapter which recognizes Minnehaha Creek as a shared community asset, as well as the City's goals contained in the 2009 Surface Water Management Plan. Mr. Evenson stated that MCWD is working to design the re-meander with an understanding that at some time in the future, there may be a trail along this portion of the creek. Councilmember Sanger encouraged MCWD to not only design the area for trails, but to also design the creek so that it can be used for canoeing. It was the consensus of the City Council to support the efforts of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District to continue the re-meander process for Minnehaha Creek to the west of Louisiana Avenue. Councilmember Mavity stated that this project represents a great opportunity for the City to showcase its environmental stewardship. She asked the City to give consideration to providing more education for residents that goes beyond the Nature Center education programs and that brings this into the neighborhoods, particularly along the creek, regarding water quality and invasive species. Councilmember Sanger requested information regarding the work of MCWD to remedy the stink at Twin Lakes. Mr. Evenson stated that this year, there has been significantly more vegetation growing in the lakes, either due to the rainfall or warmer temperatures. He explained that pond scum is a tiny plant that is actually a good plant for the environment, and the pond is keeping the lake clean. He stated that MCWD checks the lakes and ponds routinely and noted that Twin Lakes may be due for a cleanout in the near future. Councilmember Mavity stated that the Diamond Lake neighborhood recently received a grant to clean up the lake in that area. She asked if there are opportunities available for other neighborhoods to access some type of grant for a similar project. Study Session Minutes -5- September 27, 2010 Mr. Evenson explained that the grant to the Diamond Lake Improvement Association came through the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR); the Association is partnering with Hedberg Landscaping to put in stormwater best management features on private properties and the residents are doing all of the work. He encouraged residents to work together on these types of issues and added that MCWD is always willing to meet with residents and provide help to get them started. 4. Communications/Meeting Check-in (Verbal) Mr. Harmening suggested holding a joint meeting with the School Board on Monday, November 29th; one possible topic for that meeting is the freight rail work currently being conducted. Mr. Harmening stated that staff will contact the Councilmembers regarding scheduling a Council workshop during the first quarter of 2011. Mr. Harmening advised that he will be holding a workshop with Department Directors and Supervisory Staff on Thursday and Friday this week to discuss various issues associated with the City. Mr. Harmening reported that he received an email from Jamie LaPray, on behalf of Safety in the Park, requesting an appearance before the City Council at its second meeting in October; Ms. LaPray has indicated she would like to share residents' perspective with the Council regarding the MNS Study. Councilmember Sanger stated it was her understanding that Safety in the Park representatives want to present information to the Council both about the scope of the petition they have going around as well as their observations about the PMT process. Councilmember Mavity stated she felt the Council should have an agenda item on this, but was not sure that having this on the agenda prior to the completion of the PMT's work was appropriate and the Council should not inject itself into this process. Councilmember Sanger indicated the PMT process could continue for several months. She stated she was concerned that if residents have a lot of concerns, she would rather learn about those concerns sooner rather than later so that mid-course corrections can be made. Mr. Harmening stated there are three ongoing studies, the MNS study, the Kenilworth study, and the third study is a revisit of the 2009 study. He stated it is likely that the Kenilworth study and the revisit of the 2009 study will be done sooner than the MNS study, probably in a month or two. Councilmember Sanger stated that the bigger issue appears to be the process by which information is being discussed or not discussed and the way information is being disseminated. Mr. Harmening advised that staff will be attending a meeting this Wednesday with Safety in the Park and the County to talk about the process and to understand more specifically what the flaws may be. Study Session Minutes -6- September 27, 2010 Mayor Jacobs stated he would prefer to see what happens at the meeting on Wednesday and then make a decision regarding Safety in the Park's request; he would also like to have full Council weigh- in on this matter. He indicated he wants to have an understanding of the specific purpose for the meeting with Safety in the Park as well as what it is they want to share with the Council, how long it will take, and what they expect to come out of the meeting with Council. He added he was okay with them coming to a study session meeting rather than a formal Council meeting. Councilmember Finkelstein stated he did not object to meeting with them, but did not want this issue to get caught up in the election. He suggested holding the meeting with Safety in the Park sometime after the elections and to invite them to a study session meeting. The Council discussed the ongoing freight rail studies and staffs time commitments to various requests for information. Councilmember Mavity stated she wants to get a better feel for what the requested meeting is about and to make certain that the meeting is tied to the processes in place. She added she does not want to feel manipulated as part of the process. Councilmember Sanger noted that the goals of Safety in the Park are consistent with the two resolutions passed by Council. It was the consensus of the City Council to defer action on Ms. LaPray's request for a meeting with the City Council pending staff's meeting with Safety in the Park representatives and others on Wednesday, September 29th, and to defer action on the meeting request pending full Council input. The City Council conducted its meeting check-in. The meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m. Written Reports provided and documented for recording purposes only: 5. August 2010 Monthly Financial Report 6. Update on Convention and Visitors Bureau 7. Project Report—W. 44th Street Reconstruction — Project 2005-0500 8. Update on Freight Rail Topics 9. Update on Hoigaard Village Project TIF Notes and Redevelopment Contract with Union Land II LLC 10. Redevelopment Project & EDA Contract Status Report: 2nd & 3rd Quarter 2010 11. West End Apartments Parkland and Trail Dedication �'1 e /1 Nancy Stroth, Clerk Jeff Jacobs, Mayor /