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Home My WebLink About95-75 - ADMIN Resolution - City Council - 1995/06/05RESOLUTION NO. 95-75 A RESOLUTION OF FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF RYAN CONSTRUCTION CO. FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 1980 TO THE YEAR 2000 FOR THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS PARK UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTES 462.351 TO 462.364 TO CHANGE THE DESIGNATED LAND USE FROM IL LIGHT INDUSTRIAL TO C COMMERCIAL 1625 ZARTHAN AVENUE WHEREAS, the Comprehensive Plan 1980-2000 was adopted by the City Council on March 5, 1984 and amended on April 1, 1991, and provides the following: 1. An official statement serving as the basic guide in making land use, transportation and community facilities and service decisions affecting the City. 2. A framework for policies and actions leading to the improvement of the physical, financial, and social environment of the City, thereby providing a good place to live and work and a setting conducive for new development. 3. A promotion of the public interest in establishing a more functional, healthful, interesting, and efficient community by serving the interests of the community at large rather than the interests of individual or special groups within the community if their interests are at variance with the public interest. 4. An effective framework for direction and coordination of activities affecting the development and preservation of the community. 5. Treatment of the entire community as one ecosystem and to inject long range considerations into determinations affecting short-range action, and WHEREAS, the use of such Comprehensive Plan will insure a safer, more pleasant, and more economical environment for residential, commercial, industrial, and public activities and will promote the public health, safety, and general welfare, and WHEREAS, said Plan will prepare the community for anticipated desirable change, thereby bringing about significant savings in both private and public expenditures, and WHEREAS, the Comprehensive Plan has taken due cognizance of the planning activities of adjacent units of government, and WHEREAS, the Comprehensive Plan 1980-2000 is to be periodically reviewed by the Planning Commission of the City of St. Louis Park and amendments made, if justified according to procedures, rules, and laws, and provided such amendments would provide a positive result and are consistent with other provisions in the Comprehensive Plan, and WHEREAS, on January 18, 1995, Ryan Construction Company filed an application for an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan to change the designated land use from IL Light Industrial to C Commercial for property located at 1625 Zarthan Avenue, and WHEREAS, on April 5, 1995, the Planning Commission held a public hearing, heard testimony, reviewed the request and continued the hearing to April 19, 1995, and WHEREAS, on April 19, 1995, the Planning Commission reopened the public hearing, heard further testimony, further reviewed the request and recommended denial of the amendment on vote of 5-2 for the reasons listed below: a. The proposed land use is inconsistent with the goals and policies of the existing Comprehensive Plan. b. The proposed land use does not enhance the community. c. The proposed land use will increase traffic levels. d. The proposed land use provides an inadequate buffer between the existing residential area and the proposed development site. WHEREAS, on May 15, 1995, the City Council held a public hearing, received testimony from the public, discussed the application, closed the public hearing and directed City staff on a vote of 6-0 to prepare a resolution approving an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan to change the land use plan designation for the property located at 1625 Zarthan Avenue from Light Industrial to a designation which describes a mixed use/commercial land use that is consistent with the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan and Plan by Neighborhood Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan. The City Council further directed staff that the resolution should specifically provide that approval of the amendment to the Comprehensive Plan is not an approval of a site plan submitted by Ryan Construction or approval allowing a "big box" retail development. The City Council further directed staff to begin developing official controls that would regulate the size, layout and design features of the future land use and mitigate the impact on the neighborhood. Based on the testimony, evidence presented, and files and records the City Council makes the following findings: 1. Given the existing official controls of the City, the proposed commercial land use designation does not ensure that future commercial development of the property will comply with the following Comprehensive Plan policies for the Blackstone Neighborhood in which it is located: a. development of the area in mixed uses subject to a design scheme for the overall area which demonstrates compatibility of land uses and adherence to the development policies in this plan (p. 5-5); b. pursuit of additional amenities including pedestrian linkages and transit facilities to enhance the desirability of the area (p. 5-5); extension of trails and pedestrian facilities to interconnect the area and a potential interior transit facility (p.16-3); c. development accomplished on a planned basis while providing high quality design, efficiency, and compatibility to adjoining uses and properties (p. 16-3). 1 OR° Irtetntate Hwy 11111111 r• •'I Gamble a t i eta •1. n I:. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT PROPOSED PLAN REVISION Ryan Companies St. Louis Park, Minnesota .. d, , 41. 2. Given the existing official controls of the City, the proposed commercial land use designation of this property does not provide adequate control over the size and intensity of potential commercial development of the site, which will increase traffic levels compared to the existing Light Industrial land use designation. 3. Given the existing official controls of the City, the proposed commercial land use designation does not ensure that future development will provide appropriate use transitions to adjoining residential areas and will not adversely impact existing nearby uses. 4. Given the existing official controls of the City, the proposed commercial land use designation does not adequately address all of the unique characteristics and needs of this particular site and does not ensure protection of the surrounding area. 5. Amendments to the text of the Comprehensive Plan establishing commercial development policies for the Blackstone Neighborhood and amendments to the Zoning Ordinance are necessary to ensure that a Commercial land use designation of the property is consistent with the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan and the current Blackstone Neighborhood policies of the Plan By Neighborhood Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: 1. The recitals set forth above are incorporated herein; 2. The contents of Planning Case File No. 95 -16 -CP are hereby entered into and made part of the public hearing record and the record of decision for this case; 3. The City Council, contingent upon approval by the Metropolitan Council, approves the following amendments to the Comprehensive Plan based on the findings set forth above: Amend the text of the Plan by Neighborhood Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan to add the following language after the first paragraph of the Blackstone Neighborhood policies on page 16-3: Any commercial development within the area bounded by Zarthan Avenue, 16th Avenue, Park Place Boulevard (formerly Vernon Avenue), and Cedar Lake Road must be limited in size and intensity in order to control traffic impacts, minimize surface parking, retain usable open space and encourage uses that serve or enhance the Blackstone Neighborhood area. Mixed or multiple use development shall be included as part of an overall development plan, particularly to provide use transitions between commercial development and adjoining residential areas. Mixed or multiple use development shall mean a project which contains at least two of the following uses: residential, open space, recreation and commercial. The impacts of commercial development shall be mitigated by designing truck access and loading areas where they will have the least impact on adjacent residential uses, screening service areas and rooftop equipment from view, encouraging shared parking, and requiring substantial landscaping in bufferyards and parking areas. Commercial development shall utilize high quality architectural design and materials. Site design shall be sensitive to the entire neighborhood and promote good pedestrian and transit access to and within the development. 4. Amend the land use designation of 1625 Zarthan Avenue in the Comprehensive Plan to Commercial in accordance with the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan and the Blackstone Neighborhood policies of the Plan by Neighborhood Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan. 5. Approval of this Comprehensive Plan amendment is not an approval of a site plan submitted by Ryan Construction or approval allowing a "big box" retail development. Adopted by the City Council June 5, 1995, contingent upon approval by the Metropolitan Council. ATTEST: City Cler Reviewed by administration: 5820:RES8 Approved as to form and execution: Ci y Attorney