HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014/04/21 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Session I/I St. Louis Park OFFICIAL MINUTES
MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL STUDY SESSION
ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA
APRIL 21, 2014
The meeting convened at 6:00 p.m.
Councilmembers present: Mayor Jeff Jacobs, Tim Brausen, Steve Hallfin, Gregg Lindberg,
Anne Mavity(arrived at 6:05 p.m.), Susan Sanger, and Jake Spam (arrived at 7:06 p.m.).
Councilmembers absent: None.
Staff present: City Manager(Mr. Harmening), Director of Engineering (Ms. Heiser), Director of
Community Development (Mr. Locke), Planning and Zoning Supervisor (Ms. McMonigal),
Housing Coordinator (Ms. Schnitker), Housing Programs Coordinator (Ms. Olson), Marketing
and Communications & Marketing Coordinator (Mr. Zwilling), and Recording Secretary (Ms.
Hughes).
1. Southwest LRT Update
Mr. Locke presented the staff report and the Preliminary Design Plans prepared by the SPO. He
advised that the City is required to hold a public heanng on the Preliminary Design Plans and
suggested that the public hearing be scheduled for May 19th with an open house pnor to the
public hearing where representatives from the SPO will be in attendance to answer questions and
provide a brief presentation of the Preliminary Design Plans. He noted that the Preliminary
Design Plans related to St. Louis Park are available on the City's website and the entire set of
plans is available on the Met Council website. He discussed the Preliminary Design Plans and
stated that new bridges are proposed near the Louisiana Avenue station, which is situated along
Oxford rather than the Methodist Hospital switching wye location proposed by the City. He
stated that the SPO proposes to acquire parcels on the north side of Oxford for a park and ride,
adding that the SPO is showing all park and rides in the City at grade. He explained that in order
to make it relatively easy to go from the trail to the Louisiana Avenue station, the SPO has
proposed a pedestrian underpass underneath the freight rail/LRT/trail corridor. He indicated that
the storage yard for Construction Materials' operation is located in this area and the City has
asked if the SPO plans to acquire the property on the south side of Oxford where it's building as
well. If that happens, that would provide an opportunity to create a more direct pedestrian
connection to Methodist Hospital from the station platform. This is one of the items in the City's
station area plans for Louisiana Avenue. He advised that the only part of the switching wye
being removed as part of the SWLRT project is the northern tip of the north leg of the wye. The
SWLRT plan includes construction of a connection to the MN&S going south from the Bass
Lake spur. The connection south bridges over the light rail tracks dust east of the Louisiana
Station platform. The connection south is elevated above Oxford and a retaining wall is shown
along the elevated section. He explained that the plans include a signal bungalow near the
Wooddale station to contain the controls for a switch that makes it possible for the light rail
trains to shift between the pair of LRT tracks.
Councilmember Mavity asked if the City has any flexibility as to the location of the signal
bungalows, particularly since the proposed location near the Wooddale station is close to single
family homes.
Mr. Locke replied that the City has raised that question with the SPO and will remain sensitive to
the location of the signal bungalow, adding that an ideal location for the signal bungalow would
be in an industrial area rather than near a residential area. He explained that the Wooddale
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Avenue station does not include a park and ride and the plans show the regional trail crossing of
Wooddale Avenue as an at grade crossing, adding that the City has indicated an at grade crossing
will not be acceptable at this location and further discussion needs to take place with the SPO.
He stated the plans include a kiss-and-ride drop-off at Yosemite as well as on the frontage road
on the north side of the LRT. The City has expressed concerns about the frontage road kiss-and-
ride location due to traffic and access issues.
Councilmember Mavity stated it was her understanding the proposal with PLACE included
moving the frontage road to provide a complete development site and asked how that impacts
these plans.
Mr. Locke stated the City will need to further discuss this with the SPO once the PLACE
proposal is further developed, including the best way to get people in and out of this area. He
then descnbed the light rail alignment moving to the east past Cityscape Apartments and the old
McGarvey site and stated the plans show new bridges for the trail, light rail, and freight rail
crossing over Highway 100 as well as a potential traction power substation east of Highway 100.
He stated the plans include an at grade crossing of Beltline Boulevard with the station to the east
of Beltline and a surface park and ride in the southeast quadrant of Beltline and CSAH 25. He
advised that the City has been working with the SPO on a point development project for this
quadrant that could include a mixed use transit oriented development integrating the parking
either on site or in a parking structure over the station. He stated the plans include a traffic signal
at Lynn to control access in and out of the parking facility with Lynn connecting into the
frontage road along CSAH 25. Staff will continue to work with the SPO on the Joint
Development of this site, as well as the location of the kiss-and-ride and bus access.
Councilmember Hallfin asked who owns the section of vacant land south of the tracks.
Mr. Locke replied that the Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority owns this parcel and their
intent is to sell the parcel for transit oriented development and noted that the City purchased its
site for redevelopment purposes with the thought of integrating the parcel with the County's
parcel.
Councilmember Sanger requested that staff provide Council with a drawing that shows the
access points in this area and how traffic is going to get in and out from all directions.
Councilmember Mavity expressed significant concern about the Preliminary Design Plans and
stated the City has been working for many years with the neighborhoods about transit oriented
development as well as access issues around Beltline and was disappointed that the plans show a
mass of surface parking lots. She stated the City needs to present the SPO with an overlay that
clearly shows what this is going to look like to make it work, adding that the plans do not address
any of the circulation issues previously discussed by the City, including the circulation issues at
Nordic Ware.
Councilmember Sanger stated she met with Jim Brimeyer this morning and he provided her with
a letter he presented to the Met Council and asked that copies be provided to Council and to
Safety in the Park representatives. She stated that Council should have a discussion in the near
future about the process for adding contingencies to the municipal consent resolution.
Mr. Locke advised that staff has asked the SPO to provide the City with more specific
information about what should and can be included in the City's municipal consent resolutions as
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well as how the SPO envisions the City dealing with the joint development issue; in addition,
staff has asked the City Attorney to comment on municipal consent in the context of State law.
Councilmember Sanger advised that Mr. Brimeyer mentioned that he expected many of the
communities would be attaching contingencies in their municipal consent resolutions and he
stated he did not have a problem with that conceptually.
Councilmember Brausen stated the City needs to focus on joint development funds related to the
Beltline station and felt it would be key to include some affordable housing. He also felt that
Park Nicollet should be brought into the conversation quickly in order to voice their opinion
regarding the station location and to see if they are willing to make a financial commitment.
It was the consensus of the City Council to set and publish notice for the public hearing with
open house on May 19, 2014.
2. Review of City's Housing Goals
Mr. Harmening presented the staff report.
Ms. Schnitker presented the draft housing goals that were revised based on Council's
conversation at its retreat and are intended to reflect where Council wants to focus its efforts and
meet the needs of the community going forward. She also presented a report prepared by
Maxfield Research that includes a comparison of the number of subsidized units to surrounding
communities and includes demographic characteristics as background.
Councilmember Sanger felt that the first bullet point under affordable housing (promote and
facilitate a mix of housing types, prices, and rents suitable for households of all income levels
including affordable housing for low and moderate income households) did not belong under the
title of Affordable Housing because that statement encompasses all of the City's housing and the
statement should be placed at the beginning of the policy or integrated into the first sentence of
the policy.
Councilmember Mavity suggested including a statement that states the City is committed to
providing affordable housing throughout the community.
Councilmember Brausen noted that the first bullet point under Affordable Housing references
housing types, prices, and rents for households of all income levels.
Ms. Schnitker stated the City's intent is that affordable housing should be disbursed throughout
the City and not concentrated in any one area.
Councilmember Sanger indicated the policy previously stated that mixed income units should be
disbursed throughout the City and not concentrated in any one area or project and felt that
statement needs to be placed back in the revised policy so that the City does not end up with
projects that are all low income.
Councilmember Mavity strongly disagreed and stated that it is often easier to do a building that
is all affordable housing, which does not mean they are all one level of income and that does not
represent concentration if you have sixty affordable units within a five block area of 1,000 units,
adding that is how the financing for these projects works.
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Councilmember Sanger stated the problem is that Council has approved too many high end
apartment buildings and she did not want to go back to where there is a building with all low
income and the building is not kept up, adding it has worked well in the past to have low income
scattered in other buildings.
Councilmember Mavity disagreed and felt this interpretation was too narrow. She stated that
property management issues should be kept separate, adding that the majority of affordable
housing providers are not projects that are run down.
Councilmember Brausen agreed with Councilmember Mavity.
Mr. Locke stated the draft policy is intended to focus on an area or sub-district as having a mix
of housing and not all one type of housing, e.g., areas where there are 1,000 units of various
buildings and types and perhaps 30-50 units that are some type of affordable housing.
Councilmember Hallfin felt Council could all agree that it does not want affordable housing
concentrated in any one area.
Councilmember Mavity felt that the City's role was to create healthy balanced neighborhoods
and not to be involved at a level that gets into the private financing of a project, adding she felt
that level of involvement was overreaching and would not accomplish what the City is trying to
do in having a strong and balanced community without concentrations of poverty.
Councilmember Hallfin stated that Excelsior and Grand has scattered affordable housing and
represents a model for what he would like to see the City do more of, adding that he felt the
statement in the draft policy was sufficient.
Mr. Harmening noted that if a proposed development includes an affordability component, the
City will have a say in that and/or will need to support it in some way so Council retains the
ability to review these types of projects on a case by case basis.
Councilmember Hallfin noted that Council agreed at its retreat that City staff would have a
conversation up front about affordable housing whenever a developer presents a project.
Councilmember Sanger stated she was not sure that the fourth bullet point should state that the
City promotes the inclusion of affordable housing, adding that having a conversation about the
feasibility of including affordable housing was different than promoting it.
Councilmember Brausen proposed including language in the policy to require affordable housing
and felt if the policy does not contain this language, the market is not going to have to respond
by including affordable housing in any project. He stated if affordable housing is required,
developers will find a way to include it, otherwise, it is not going to happen and that is why the
City is hundreds of units behind in meeting its Livable Communities goals.
Councilmember Sanger indicated the City is doing a better job of including affordable housing
than other communities and did not feel the City needed to be aggressive by requiring it. She
questioned whether it was the City's job to require more affordable housing when peer
communities are not doing their share.
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Councilmember Brausen referenced the cost burdens contained in the Maxfield report that about
30% of households are spending more than 30% of their income on housing and 40.8%of renters
are spending more than 30% of their income on housing. He noted that 8.8% of households are
below the poverty line, which is a reflection of the affordability of available rentals and felt that
the City needed to set aggressive goals and demand that developers include affordable housing.
Councilmember Mavity stated the City is already seeing the market respond to the anticipation of
light rail based on the increase in the number of high end luxury units and if the City puts
nothing in place, that is all the City will get and if the City does nothing, all the development
proposals will be market rate.
Mr. Hannening asked if it made sense to address housing development near the City's light rail
stations where developers request some help from the City, adding that even if a developer
wanted to do only market rate apartments, the City would have leverage to require them to
include affordable housing or make a payment in lieu thereof.
Councilmember Hallfin agreed that the housing policy should require affordable housing and
include a process whereby the City retains the flexibility to approve a project without an
affordable housing component.
Councilmember Spano stated he was surprised that the City has more affordable housing units
than its peer cities and questioned what Hennepin County is doing to push other cities to catch
up. He stated he did not want to mandate more affordable housing units in the City, adding that
he feared that some developer would offer the City significant cash to tear down Meadowbrook
and build something else there and could not envision a scenario where he would support that,
adding he supported the idea of developing targeted strategic decisions for affordable housing
around the light rail stations and making sure people do not get pushed out of their
neighborhoods.
Councilmember Hallfin indicated the City has more affordable housing units because it has two
areas of naturally occurring affordable housing, adding he would not object to someone replacing
Meadowbrook with a percentage of affordable housing instead of being concentrated in one area.
Councilmember Lindberg reminded Council that the City has done a good job of providing
affordable housing. He stated he was not in favor of requiring developers to include affordable
housing and supported including language that states the City promotes the inclusion of
affordable housing,particularly around the light rail station areas.
Mayor Jacobs expressed support for quality housing throughout the City and agreed that the City
should require affordable housing around transit nodes, adding that he was not a huge fan of
mandating but unless affordable housing is mandated in these areas, it will not happen.
It was the consensus of the majority of the City Council to direct staff to draft language for
Council consideration that speaks more specifically to focusing affordable housing opportunities
around the light rail stations.
The meeting adjourned at 7:29 p.m. i (
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Nancy Stro Clerk Jeff Jacobs, ayor