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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013/11/25 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Session IffSt. Louis Park OFFICIAL MINUTES MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA NOVEMBER 25,2013 The meeting convened at 6:30 p.m. Councilmembers present: Mayor Jeff Jacobs, Steve Hallfin, Anne Mavity, Julia Ross, Susan Sanger, Sue Santa, and Jake Spano. Councilmembers absent: None. Staff present: City Manager (Mr. Harmening), Director of Inspections (Mr. Hoffman), Director of Operations and Recreation (Ms. Walsh), Chief Information Officer (Mr. Pires), Director of Community Development (Mr. Locke), Planning/Zoning Supervisor (Ms. McMonigal), Senior Planner (Mr. Walther), Housing Supervisor (Ms. Schnitker), Housing Programs Coordinator (Ms. Olson), Associate Planner (Mr. Kelley), Economic Development Coordinator (Mr. Hunt), and Recording Secretary(Ms. Hughes). Guests: Kerri Pearce Ruch (Hennepin County), Matt Mullins (Maxfield Research), Chris Velasco, Elizabeth Bowling, and Naresh Pallegat(PLACE). Tour of Remodeled 1st Floor Mr. Hoffman conducted a tour of the first floor remodeling. Mr. Pires explained some of the technology available in the Community Room, including a smart board and an 80"monitor. Mr. Harmening stated that Council meetings can be broadcast from the Community Room, adding that the Community Room can also serve as a mini Emergency Operations Center. Mr. Hoffman advised that a charging station has been mounted on the outside wall with plug-ins for two vehicles to charge simultaneously at no cost. Mr. Harmening thanked Mr. Hoffman for his hard work as the lead on this project. He also thanked the employee committee for all their work on this project. Mayor Jacobs expressed the City Council's thanks to everyone involved in the remodeling and stated they all did a great job. 1. Future Study Session Agenda Planning—December 9, 2013 Mr. Harmening presented the proposed study session agenda for December 9th. Councilmember Sanger requested that the discussion regarding traffic studies also include a discussion regarding parking studies. Councilmember Mavity suggested that the Environment and Sustainability Commission be made aware of the discussion regarding organics recycling and the Health in the Park initiative. 2. Southwest Light Rail Train (SWLRT) Housing Inventory Study & St. Louis Park Housing Needs Analysis Presentation Study Session Minutes -2- November 25, 2013 Ms. Schnitker presented the staff report and explained that in 2012, the SWLRT Community Works Steering Committee approved a SWLRT Corridor Community Works Plan to recommend joint policy tools that will help achieve housing choices along the entire corridor and Maxfield Research was hired to conduct a corridor-wide housing inventory. She pointed out that the City decided to contract with Maxfield Research to include the entire geographic area of the City in this inventory and to conduct a more comprehensive study to provide a baseline housing study that included specific future housing demands, estimates, and how to meet the housing needs of the community in the future. She then introduced Kerri Pearce Ruch and Matt Mullins. Ms. Pearce Ruch stated the housing inventory is intended to provide a baseline understanding of existing housing along the corridor, including affordable housing, as well as housing needs. She also stated that a corridor housing strategy is important in order to maximize the benefit that will accrue to the corridor when light rail comes to the region and to make sure that planning work is coordinated and comprehensive. She indicated they recently adopted guiding principles include providing a full range of housing choices along the corridor and positioning the corridor as a place for all to live. She pointed out this is the first time that affordable housing has been included in a New Starts application and the housing strategy along with actions taken by communities to make housing affordable will count toward improving the New Starts application ranking. She advised they are in the process of reviewing responses to the RFP for the gap analysis to be completed that will include all of the light rail station locations and will look at development and redevelopment opportunities in and around each of the station areas. She indicated a set of housing maps was prepared showing all the rental units, including affordable housing, within 'h mile of the station areas and are overlaid with walking distances and she agreed to provide the maps to Mr. Harmening for distribution to Council. Councilmember Mavity requested further information about the criteria used to define a gap. Ms. Pearce Ruch explained that the RFP requests an analysis of the extensive data gathered then a review of who wants to live in this corridor, who currently lives in the corridor, and the preservation needs in the corridor. She stated they also want to know the types of housing needed compared to existing housing as well as what tools would help communities achieve the balance they want. Councilmember Sanger asked how it is being decided who wants to live along the corridor in St. Louis Park. She stated the people who were not asked to contribute to the study are the people who already live in the area and she felt that point of view ought to be reflected in the study. She stated she was leery of an outside person determining what gaps exist and telling the City what it should do to fill that gap. She also asked to what extent others would be influencing housing priorities for St. Louis Park, adding that the City has a lot of housing that meets the affordable housing standard. Ms. Pearce Ruch stated this information will come out of the market analysis and will draw on the expertise and market data of who lives and works in the area. She indicated the New Starts program measures the number of units of legally binding affordable housing and does not count Sec. 8 vouchers. She stated the narrative component of the New Starts application will talk about Meadowbrook and other naturally occurring affordable housing. Councilmember Santa expressed concern about the emphasis on rental units and stated there does not seem to be a naturally occurring balance of home ownership, adding that the City has Study Session Minutes -3- November 25, 2013 owner occupied homes that meet the affordability guidelines and she did not want to see that component lost in this process. Mr. Mullins presented the executive summary of the housing inventory and reviewed the '/2-mile demographics data for St. Louis Park that indicates a lot of growth among the 65-74 age group over the next five years with approximately 40% living alone and a 60/40 split between renters and owners. He stated the key takeaway from this data is that younger and older demographics are attracted to the southwest cities and the gap analysis will address what kind of housing these demographic cohorts desire and need to live in this corridor. He then reviewed St. Louis Park employment highlights noting there are 51,000 jobs in the City with a 4.4% unemployment rate, which is lower than the metro area and Minnesota, and the City has higher incomes overall compared to Hennepin County and the metro area. He stated the key takeaway from this data is that this is a job rich corridor and the gap analysis will address what kind of housing current and future workers will choose or need. He reviewed St. Louis Park education highlights that indicate St. Louis Park has the lowest enrollment of all districts in the corridor but that it had two schools within %2 mile of the stations. He stated the gap analysis will address whether there are opportunities to attract a new student population to the corridor. He also reviewed the St. Louis Park housing characteristics and stated the study inventoried all rental housing units and the data indicates there are 29,300 rental units and 401 total properties, 80% of the units are market rate, 11.7% are subsidized affordable, and 8.1% are senior, with St. Louis Park accounting for 20% of the corridor inventory. Councilmember Ross stated she has heard from a lot of seniors that there is not enough senior housing available and they are frustrated with the lack of available senior housing. Mr. Mullins stated the average price per square foot was $1.15 pnor to 2000 and has increased to $1.64 per square foot and the majority of units are one and two bedrooms. He advised they inventoried all senior housing in the community that shows very low vacancy rates and limited rental housing options within '/ mile of the proposed stations. He stated the gap analysis will address whether there are ways to improve connections to existing housing, the types of housing needed, and where to provide more choices in close proximity to the stations. He also discussed naturally occurring affordable housing and pointed out these older buildings are vulnerable to redevelopment due to their age, modest rents, and deferred maintenance. He stated the Beltline station has the most rental housing of all three of the City's station areas with 21 properties within 'h mile, six properties within a 10 minute walk, and five properties are subsidized or accept Sec. 8 vouchers with 170 units affordable to households at 30% AMI. He stated the Louisiana Avenue station has no product type within the '/ mile radius but there are three properties with a mix of naturally occurring affordable housing. He stated the key takeaway from this data is that there is a large supply of naturally occurring affordable housing but much of it tends to be older and the gap analysis will address how to preserve this housing. He stated that market rate apartments represent the majority of new product in St. Louis Park with four market rate luxury style projects completed between March and June 2013. He then reviewed the demand assumptions for St. Louis Park including senior housing demand by type between 2013 and 2018. Councilmember Spano stated it will be important for the City to understand what it wants the community to look like and what tools the City can utilize to realize that vision, adding this is ultimately the City Council's decision to make. He stated the data that jumped out at him was the very old housing stock across the board and the number of rentals built in the last few years, adding the City does not have a diverse housing stock or a lot of townhome properties. Study Session Minutes -4- November 25, 2013 Councilmember Mavity urged the City to consider more creative options for new housing products and to consider how it can attract more interesting housing options. Councilmember Sanger urged the City to consider how it can be more proactive in terms of shaping the housing opportunities in the City. She stated that the study focused on a 'h mile geographic area and felt the City should emphasize that the City has a lot of housing further away and to focus on some sort of shuttle system to get people to the stations without having to drive, adding this would expand housing choices for people. 3. PLACE Redevelopment Concept for McGarvey Site Ms. McMonigal presented the staff report and introduced Mr. Chns Velasco of PLACE. Mr. Velasco introduced Ms. Elizabeth Bowling and Naresh Pallegat, as well as Mr. Garth Rockcastle who was participating via telephone. He stated the mission of PLACE is to create places that foster a sustainable, just, and inspiring world and presented several photographs of their most recent project, WAV Community in Ventura, California, that includes 82 homes, a cultural tourism destination, retail, solar, penthouses, green buildings, a supportive housing public infrastructure, theater gallery, car sharing, and access to affordable health care; in addition, 15 of the 82 units were set aside for people coming out of chronic homelessness with rents that are adjusted on a sliding scale. He explained that PLACE is interested in creating a similar community on the McGarvey site and use it as a model for new technology that takes organic waste and converts it to energy to power the community through the use of an anaerobic digester. He explained that the first phase of the project would use the existing building with trucks entenng the building to deliver food waste/organics and exiting the other end of the building, adding that the entire process is designed to be clean with no odor and minimal sound. He showed how trucks would travel into the area and stated that the second phase of the project would include an e-generation facility next door and a mixed use community built next to it with access via Xenwood instead of Wooddale. Councilmember Hallfin indicated that Council previously received a proposal from someone about building on this site and asked if they have pulled out. Mr. Kelley replied in the affirmative. Mr. Velasco stated that PLACE has negotiated a master lease for the site and has an option to purchase the site. Councilmember Mavity expressed support for the concept. Councilmember Sanger felt the innovation and goals of the concept were exciting and she was interested in further discussing the concept before making any commitment to a project. She expressed concern about the traffic in this area especially if the demand for organics recycling increases the need for more trucks in this area, thus creating traffic problems in an area that already has a lot of traffic problems. She asked if PLACE has an anaerobic digester in use. Mr. Velasco replied they have an anaerobic digester in use, adding the technology has been around for a long time and they have a process patent for the digester. Study Session Minutes -5- November 25, 2013 Councilmember Sanger asked staff to further research the odors and noise associated with an anaerobic digester as well as what the experience has been for neighbors where a digester is in use. She stated she would also like to know whether the developer plans to ask the City to contribute financially to the project. She expressed concern about the size of this site and was having trouble visualizing greenhouses, apartments, etc. on a two acre site and questioned how they would make it fit. She added she was leery about consenting to the anaerobic digester without a firm commitment on the larger project. Councilmember Ross expressed support for the concept and stated she would support a community like this, particularly given Council's last discussion about housing. Councilmember Santa stated she would like to receive further information including a timeline, expectations of the City, and how PLACE plans to engage the neighbors. She also asked if they have operated in Minnesota weather. Mr. Velasco stated they are breaking ground on a building on Franklin and Portland that will be the first major community built in Minnesota that has no furnace, adding they have worked in a lot of different climates. It was the consensus of the City Council to direct staff to further pursue the PLACE project with the developer. 4. Update on SWLRT Station Area Form-Based Code Grant Contract Mr. Harmemng presented the staff report. Mr. Kelley explained that form-based codes came about in the 1980s in response to the sprawling nature of suburban development and fit well with transit oriented development. He stated the City received a grant from the Met Council to hire a consultant to create form-based codes in the three SWLRT station areas. He stated the proposed consultant has twelve years of experience and also has experience writing transit oriented development form-based codes and the consultant would lead the City through the development of the form-based codes including an extensive public process with an anticipated timeline for completion of approximately 14 months. Councilmember Sanger stated she was unclear how form-based codes work but was willing to consider it. She expressed concern that staff was asking Council to approve something that results in a wholesale rewriting of the Code and stated her preference would be to do this in stages rather than redoing the entire code. Councilmember Hallfin suggested this item be a topic for discussion at Council's retreat. Mr. Locke explained that the consultant will go through a process to figure out what the City wants these areas to look like and once that is figured out, it is ultimately the City Council's decision whether to adopt the Code. He indicated that the first step is to hire the consultant to take the City through the process to come up with a form-based code for the station areas. He added the City has received a grant that covers the process with a$25,000 match by the City. Study Session Minutes -6- November 25, 2013 After further discussion, it was the consensus of the majonty of the City Council to continue to pursue the development of a form-based code for the three St. Louis Park SWLRT station areas and hire a consultant to lead the process. Communications/Meeting Check-In (Verbal) Mayor Jacobs advised the City has received a request to add an open forum to Council agendas. He indicated some communities have an open forum and asked if Council was interested in adding this to its agendas. Councilmember Ross stated her opposition to adding an open forum to Council agendas because staff and Council have no way of knowing what might be brought up during open forum and would not be prepared to respond, adding she was not sure how an open forum would benefit residents. Mr. Harmemng stated the City's charter does not require an open forum and Council procedures indicate if someone wants to talk to the City Council they should talk to staff first. Councilmember Sanger agreed with Councilmember Ross and stated she was not interested in Council having any additional discussion about adding an open forum to the agenda. Councilmember Mavity felt that more accessibility and more transparency were both good. She stated if Council chooses to explore the open forum concept further, she would like to know what the experience has been in other communities. Councilmember Spano asked how many times the City has been asked to add an open forum. Mr. Harmening replied this issue has come up very infrequently. Councilmember Spano stated he did not see any need for adding an open forum. Councilmember Hallfin felt that the City and the City Council were not lacking in transparency, adding that when someone calls or emails him, he responds to them and if City staff can handle the issue, he forwards it to staff and if it is a Council issue,he brings it to Council for discussion. It was the consensus of the majonty of the City Council to not add an open forum segment on Council agendas. The meeting adjourned at 9:33 p.m. Wntten Reports provided and documented for recording purposes only: 5. October 2013 Monthly Financial Report Nancy Stroth, ity Clerk Jeff Jaco;(, yo