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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011/05/02 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Regular ST St. Louis Park OFFICIAL MINUTES MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL MEETING ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA MAY 2, 2011 1. Call to Order Mayor Jacobs called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Councilmembers present: Mayor Jeff Jacobs, Phil Finkelstein, Anne Mavity, Paul Omodt, Susan Sanger, and Sue Santa. Councilmembers absent: Julia Ross. Staff present: City Manager (Mr. Harmening), City Attorney (Mr. Scott), City Clerk (Ms. Stroth), Community Development Director (Mr. Locke), Planning/Zoning Supervisor (Ms. McMonigal), Assistant Zoning Administrator (Mr. Morrison), Planner (Mr. Fulton), Public Works Director(Mr. Rardin), City Engineer(Mr. Brink), and Recording Secretary(Ms. Hughes). la. Pledge of Allegiance lb. Roll Call 2. Presentations 2a. 2011 National Public Works Week Proclamation Mayor Jacobs recited the National Public Works Week Proclamation and expressed the City Council's thanks to the Public Works staff for their dedicated efforts, particularly after this year's difficult winter. Mr. Rardin thanked the City Council for recognizing the Public Works staff. He stated that there will be a Community Open House on Wednesday, May 18th, at the Municipal Service Center. He stated there will also be a ribbon cutting on Monday, May 16t, to recognize the completion of the Highway 7 and Wooddale Avenue project. He added there will be a backyard composting workshop on Saturday, May 21st, at Wolfe Park. 3. Approval of Minutes 3a. Study Session Minutes April 11,2011 Councilmember Mavity requested that the third sentence of the ninth paragraph on page 3 be revised to state "She explained that Safety in the Park has sent out a communication stating that this is your chance to come and get your questions answered, therefore, the City needs to clarify that no responses are being provided during this listening session and responses will be posted on the City's website." The minutes were approved as amended. 4. Approval of Agenda and Items on Consent Calendar City Council Meeting -2- May 2, 2011 NOTE: The Consent Calendar lists 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. Designate Lindstrom Environmental as the next lowest responsible bidder, and authorize execution of a contract, for the Asbestos and Hazardous Materials Abatement at Fire Station No. 1 and Fire Station No. 2 (Project Nos. 2008-3001 and 2008-3002) in the amount of$54,748. • Designate Albers Mechanical as the next lowest responsible bidder, and authorize execution of a contract, for Work Scope 23 — Mechanical for Fire Station No. 2 (Project No. 2008-3002) in the amount of$619,000. • Designate Albers Mechanical as the next lowest responsible bidder, and authorize execution of a contract, for Work Scope 23 — Mechanical for Fire Station No. 1 (Project No. 2008-3001) in the amount of$1,021,000. • Authorize staff to execute a contract with the third lowest bidder for Work Scope 23 — Mechanical for Fire Station No. 1 only in the event that the second lowest bidder does not execute the contract for this work. 4b. Approve for filing Vendor Claims. it was moved by Councilmember Mavity, seconded by Councilmember Sanger, to approve the Agenda and items listed on the Consent Calendar; and to waive reading of all resolutions and ordinances. The motion passed 6-0 (Councilmember Ross absent) 5. Boards and Commissions—None 6. Public Hearings 6a. Public Hearing—On-Sale Intoxicating Liquor License—Mill Valley Kitchen Ms. Stroth presented the staff report and stated that Mill Valley Kitchen has made application for an on-sale intoxicating and Sunday liquor license to be located at 3906 Excelsior Boulevard in the Ellipse on Excelsior building. She indicated that the premises will occupy 4,830 square feet with seating for 164 inside and outdoor seating for 24. She added the restaurant plans to begin operations in the next few weeks and will offer a health conscious menu including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Mayor Jacobs opened the public hearing. No speakers were present. Mayor Jacobs closed the public hearing. Councilmember Mavity requested further information regarding the hours of operation. Mr. Craig Bentdahl, owner of Mill Valley Kitchen, appeared before the City Council and stated that the restaurant will be open at 7:00 a.m. for breakfast and close most evenings at 10:00 p.m. He added that the restaurant will be open until 11:00 p.m. on weekends. City Council Meeting -3- May 2, 2011 Ms. Stroth stated that the restaurant can be open until 2:00 a.m. but State law requires a separate license for the 2:00 a.m. close time, which the applicant has not requested. It was moved by Councilmember Mavity, seconded by Councilmember Omodt, to approve application from Mill Valley Corporation, dba Mill Valley Kitchen, for an on-sale intoxicating and Sunday liquor license to be located at 3906 Excelsior Boulevard with the license term through March 1, 2012. The motion passed 6-0 (Councilmember Ross absent). 6b. Public Hearing—First Reading of an Ordinance Vacating a Utility Easement Mr. Morrison presented the staff report and explained that Rottlund Company is asking for vacation of a utility easement at 3601 Wooddale Avenue and 5810 37th Street West, which is the site of the Wooddale Pointe Planned Unit Development. He indicated the current easement was retained by the City when it vacated an alley in 1989 and there are no utilities in the easement. He noted that the City received confirmation from the utility companies that there will not be a need for the easement in the future. He added that buildings are not permitted on easements and HUD is requiring removal of the easement. Mayor Jacobs opened the public hearing. No speakers were present. Mayor Jacobs closed the public hearing. It was moved by Councilmember Mavity, seconded by Councilmember Finkelstein, to adopt First Reading of an Ordinance, An Ordinance Vacating a Utility Easement, and to set the Second Reading for May 16, 2011. The motion passed 6-0 (Councilmember Ross absent). 7. Requests, Petitions, and Communications from the Public—None 8. Resolutions, Ordinances,Motions and Discussion Items 8a. Project Report: W. 44th Street Reconstruction (France Avenue to Brookside Avenue)—MSA Street Improvement Project—Project No. 2005-0500 Resolutions No. 11-052 and No. 11-053 Mr. Brink presented the staff report and stated that the majority of the reconstruction is located in the City of Edina, with only a tenth of a mile contained in the City. He indicated that the City of Edina has held the necessary public hearings, done the engineering design work, and all administration will be led by the City of Edina, as spelled out in the Joint Powers Agreement. He advised that the project includes removal and replacement of the existing asphalt, installation of concrete curb and gutter, replacement of driveway aprons as needed, removal and replacement of deteriorated sections of the existing sidewalk, and installation of new storm sewer and catch basins to address existing drainage issues. He stated that a significant part of the design has included efforts to preserve trees in the neighborhood and to mitigate impacts as much as possible. He indicated that because the roadway is designated a Municipal State Aid Street, the roadway must meet State Aid standards which requires minimum street widths. He advised that staff from both cities applied for and obtained a variance to City Council Meeting -4- May 2, 2011 reduce the road width to 30 feet in some segments of the roadway, including that portion within the City. He stated that this will require restricted parking on one side of the street, adding that throughout the public process, residents agreed to the parking restrictions. He discussed the Joint Powers Agreement which addresses project delivery, costs, facility ownership, routine maintenance and general maintenance responsibilities, noting that Edina will be responsible for snow removal on the street and sidewalks. He stated that the cost of the entire project is $2.75 million with the City's share estimated at $412,000. He added that construction is scheduled to begin in June and completed in October 2011 and the roadway will be open to local traffic during construction. Councilmember Sanger asked if the City will be responsible for any ongoing maintenance costs. Mr. Bnnk replied that the City will not be responsible for any additional maintenance costs. He added that the City will be responsible for sidewalk maintenance on its property but the City of Edina will be responsible for snow removal. Councilmember Mavity expressed concern that the intersection of W. 44th Street and Wooddale has a lot of fast moving traffic and there have been ongoing issues with cars not stopping completely. She asked how the proposed pavement markings will improve safety for pedestrians in the crosswalk. Mr. Brink stated that the pavement markings contain reflective epoxy imprinted into the pavement rather than laid on top and will not wear off as fast. He added that these pavement markings have been used by the City of Edina along 50`h Street and the markings have held up well. It was moved by Councilmember Mavity, seconded by Councilmember Omodt, to adopt Resolution No. 11-052, Accepting the Project Report, Establishing Improvement Project No. 2005-0500 Approving Plans and Specifications, Authorizing Advertisement for Bid, and Authorizing Entering into an Agreement with the City of Edina for W 44`h Street Reconstruction, Project No. 2005-0500. The motion passed 6-0 (Councilmember Ross absent). It was moved by Councilmember Mavity, seconded by Councilmember Omodt, to adopt Resolution No. 11-053, A Resolution for Parking Restrictions of West 44`h Street from Brookside Terrace to France Avenue (CSAH 17) for the City of St. Louis Park, Minnesota. The motion passed 6-0 (Councilmember Ross absent). 8b. Final Plat—Eldridge 1st Addition, 8849 Minnetonka Boulevard Resolution No. 11-054 Ms. McMonigal presented the staff report and complimented the City Planner, City Engineer, and Fire Marshal who worked to resolve the road width issues, as well as the developer who worked with the neighbors to achieve a larger buffer by providing them with additional property to the east of the proposed street. City Council Meeting -5- May 2, 2011 Mr. Fulton stated that the proposal includes a single lot subdivided into five lots and the addition of a new street on the east side, to be called "Cobblecrest Court." He advised that the developer has agreed to dedicate five feet of land to improve screening and increase the size of the backyards of the property owners at 3010 and 3020 Cavell Avenue South which will be deeded at no cost to those property owners and the fence will be maintained by those property owners. He discussed the cul-de-sac modifications and stated that an agreement was reached to reduce the width of the street to 24 feet with parking allowed on one side only. He stated that the storm water management plan has water flowing to the south over much of the site into a pond on the southwest corner before flowing into Minnehaha Creek via Cobblecrest Lake, which complies with the City's surface water management plan. He indicated that the proposal calls for removal of 18 significant trees, requiring the developer to replace 130 caliper inches. He noted that the developer will also remove the invasive buckthorn on the site. He then introduced Mr. Rob Eldridge, developer. Mr. Bill Streeter, 3010 Cavell Avenue South, appeared before the City Council and asked if the proposed fence will be six feet high. He also asked about the existing utility pole on his property. Mr. Eldridge replied that the fence will be six feet high. He stated that Mr. Streeter should contact Xcel Energy about the utility pole and agreed to provide him with contact information for Xcel Energy. Mr. Fulton stated that there is an existing drainage and utility easement on Mr. Streeter's property and that easement will remain in existence. He added that it is the responsibility of the property owner to work with Xcel Energy regarding the replacement and/or relocation of the utility pole. Mr. Streeter asked who will handle the legal description change on his property. Mr. Fulton replied that the developer would be responsible for filing for a lot combination with the County, in cooperation with the homeowners. Councilmember Santa stated that there may have been damage to the existing trees following the ice storm this winter and asked if those trees were accounted for when calculating tree replacement. She added that the neighbors had previously expressed concern about the wellbeing of the trees on their property during construction and asked abcut the developer's plans to protect those trees. Mr. Fulton stated that the developer met with the City's Environmental Coordinator to review the trees on site and the tree calculation was adjusted to account for any damage. He explained that the developer has submitted a plan for tree protection during construction and the developer will work to keep construction away from the neighborhood trees, especially along the western edge. He added that it will be important to look at all trees during construction in order to have a clear understanding of what is deemed significant and what is deemed invasive. He assured that the City will take extra steps to make sure there is a protection zone for the adjacent trees. Councilmember Santa requested information regarding construction timelines. • City Council Meeting -6- May 2, 2011 Mr. Eldridge stated that he will be closing on the property in mid-June and it is anticipated that building permits will be pulled and infrastructure work started in June. He advised that three of the five lots have been sold and house construction will begin in July. He added that he hopes to sell the remaining lots in the next couple of weeks. Councilmember Sanger questioned how two lanes of traffic and parking will be accommodated on the narrower street. Mr. Fulton stated that the 24' wide street will require parking restrictions on one side. He advised that the Fire Marshal determined that the 24' width is acceptable for a fire truck to maneuver down the street; in addition, the Fire Marshal has required the addition of sprinklering of homes in this development as an additional safety measure. Councilmember Mavity expressed concern about the ability of snowplow trucks to maneuver in this narrower roadway. Ms. McMonigal stated that street parking would happen on a very infrequent basis. Parking will be limited to the east side of the street and the City does not believe that the narrower width will cause issues for the snowplow operators. It was moved by Councilmember Santa, seconded by Councilmember Omodt, to adopt Resolution No. 11-054 Giving Approval for Final Plat of Eldridge 1 s`Addition. The motion passed 6-0 (Councilmember Ross absent). 9. Communications Mayor Jacobs expressed the City Council's thanks to staff for doing a great job with the two listening sessions held last week. Mayor Jacobs expressed the City Council's thanks to staff for putting together the ground breaking at Fire Station #1 this evening. He also thanked the Webelos Scouts for helping dig dirt at the ground breaking ceremony. Mayor Jacobs reminded residents of the Community Open House on Wednesday, May 18`h, at the Municipal Service Center from 6:00-8:00 p.m. He reminded residents of the Children First Ice Cream Social on Sunday, May 15th, from 2:00-5:00 p.m. at Wolfe Park. He also reminded residents of the Park and Run 5k Fun Run on Saturday, May 14th, at Wolfe Park. Mayor Jacobs stated that Parktacular will be held June 17-19`h this year; further information will be forthcoming. 10. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 8:17 p.m. Nancy Stro�y Clerk Jeff Ja(///1y