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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015/08/05 - ADMIN - Agenda Packets - Planning Commission - RegularAGENDA PLANNING COMMISSION COUNCIL CHAMBERS 6:00 P.M. AUGUST 5, 2015 1. Call to order – Roll Call 2. Approval of Minutes of July 15, 2015 3. Hearings A. Amendment to Comprehensive Plan – Business Park to Mixed Use Location: 4601 State Hwy. 7, 4725 State Hwy. 7, 3130 Monterey Ave. S. Applicant: City of St. Louis Park Case No.: 15-28-CP 4. Other Business 5. Communications 6. Adjournment If you cannot attend the meeting, please call the Community Development Office, 952/924-2575. Auxiliary aids for individuals with disabilities are available upon request. To make arrangements, please call 952/924-2575 at least 96 hours in advance of meeting. UNOFFICIAL MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA JULY 15, 2015 – 6:00 p.m. COUNCIL CHAMBERS MEMBERS PRESENT: Lynne Carper, Claudia Johnston-Madison, Robert Kramer, Lisa Peilen, Richard Person, Carl Robertson, Ethan Rickert (youth member) MEMBERS ABSENT: Joe Tatalovich STAFF PRESENT: Julie Grove, Ryan Kelley, Sean Walther 1. Call to Order – Roll Call 2. Approval of Minutes of June 3, 2015 Commissioner Carper moved approval of the minutes of June 3, 2015. Commissioner Johnston-Madison seconded the motion, and the motion passed on a vote of 4-1 (Kramer abstained; Robertson arrived 6:03 p.m.) 3. The Shoreham TIF District Plan – Conformity with Comprehensive Plan Resolution No. 86 Julie Grove, Economic Development Specialist, presented the staff report. Ms. Grove provided background on Bader Development’s proposed plans to construct a mixed-use redevelopment at the SW corner of CSAH 25 and France Ave. Commissioner Robertson stated that the request is very straightforward. He noted the Planning Commission is very familiar with the developer’s plans for the site. He made a motion to adopt Resolution No. 86 finding the Tax Increment Financing Plans for the proposed Shoreham Tax Increment Financing District to be in conformance with the Comprehensive Plan of the City of St. Louis Park. Commissioner Kramer seconded the motion, and the motion passed on a vote of 6-0. 4. Hearings A. Cityscape Apartments – Special (Conditional) Use Permit Major Amendment and Variance Location: 5707 Highway 7 Applicant: Bel Minneapolis Holdings LLC Case No.: 15-24-SP and 15-25-VAR Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission July 15, 2015 Page 2 Sean Walther, Planning and Zoning Supervisor, presented the staff report. He explained that in June 2014, MN DOT condemned in fee simple 1,066 square feet from the Cityscape Apartments parcel in connection with Highway 7 improvements. The applicant has requested a Special Use Permit Major Amendment and variances in order to ensure and document that the taking doesn’t harm the legal status of the property due to the resulting lot size reduction. Mr. Walther said there are no proposed changes to the site by the applicant. Mr. Walther stated that the site meets all of the conditions allowing multiple- family use in the R-4 District, including the conditions specific to the site. Mr. Walther reviewed the two variance requests relating to increase in density and increase in floor area ratio. He discussed the variance criteria and staff findings for the requests. He stated that staff finds the application meets the criteria for granting the variances from 30 to 36 units per acre residential density and from 0.7 to 1.0 floor area ratio. Jennifer Madden, Eaton Vance Management, applicant, thanked staff and Commission for their review of the request. The Chair opened the public hearing. As no one was present wishing to speak he closed the public hearing. Commissioner Kramer made a motion to recommend approval of the Major Amendment to the Special (Conditional) Use Permit and variances for 5707 Highway 7 subject to conditions recommended by staff. Commissioner Carper seconded the motion, and the motion passed on a vote of 6-0. 5. Other Business Mr. Walther noted a study session would follow the meeting. 6. Communications Chair Person remarked he had received correspondence from Source Water Solutions about an upcoming meeting on the city Wellhead Protection Plan Update, Municipal Service Center, Aug. 6, at 6 p.m. 7. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 6:18 p.m. Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission July 15, 2015 Page 3 Respectfully submitted, Nancy Sells Administrative Secretary A Study Session followed the regular meeting. Proposal for developments along Wayzata Blvd. at 13th Lane and also near Texas Ave. were discussed, as well as several other development updates. Planning Commission Meeting Date: August 5th, 2015 Agenda Item 3A 3A. Comprehensive Plan Amendment – 4601 Highway 7, 4725 Highway 7, and 3130 Monterey Ave Case No.: 15-28-CP Recommended Action: Chair to close public hearing. Motion to recommend approval of the Comprehensive Plan Amendment for 4601 Highway 7, 4725 Highway 7, and 3130 Monterey Ave from BP – Business Park to MX – Mixed Use. REQUEST: City Staff proposes a Comprehensive Plan Amendment for the properties located at 4601 Highway 7, 4725 Highway 7, and 3130 Monterey Ave from BP – Business Park to MX – Mixed Use. Staff is seeking a change to the land use designation in order to better reflect future planning for the site. A zoning change is not proposed at this time. Current Comprehensive Plan: BP – Business Park Proposed Comprehensive Plan: MX – Mixed Use Current Zoning: I-G – General Industrial Agenda Item No. 3A. – Comprehensive Plan Amendment Page 2 Meeting Date: August 5, 2015 Surrounding uses: Office/warehouse to the east; Industrial to the west; trail, rail, vacant land, and office to the south; school and residential across Highway 7/CSAH #25 to the north Background: City Staff has been working on background studies and information with the Southwest Project Office (SPO) over the past several years for the site that is the subject of this proposed Comprehensive Plan amendment. This site includes the Vision Bank site and the 4601 Highway 7 (and 3130 Monterey Ave) site to east that the City has purchased in the Beltline station area as shown in the attached maps. The Comprehensive Plan currently designates the area as “Business Park,” and the proposal is to change its land use designation to “Mixed Use” to reflect the future intent for the area. Over the past six or so years since the property was designated Business Park, work in the station area has pointed to more of a mixed use with residential uses, versus just office and industrial. Because Business Park does not include residential, the intent is to make the change to allow mixed use with residential as well as other uses. SWLRT Plans: The base SWLRT plans currently show a surface parking lot on the Vision Bank site with additional right-of-way owned by the city (see attached Municipal Consent plan for the Beltline Station). Ideally, this area would not be a surface parking lot in the long term, as it is a very visible site that could be more fully utilized to serve both park & ride and development. As a part of the planning for SWLRT, the City has been working with the Metropolitan Council on a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) program call “Joint Development.” Joint Development is a program that has the intent of integrating the transit project with commercial, residential or mixed-use (transit-oriented) development into the surrounding area to increase density and transit ridership, create and retain jobs, and enhance the vitality and overall economic health of the area. As we continue to pursue the idea of Joint Development and incorporating transit-oriented development (TOD) at the Beltline Station area, the FTA has indicated that the Comprehensive Plan land use designation should reflect this planning, and in this case, “Mixed Use” is the best category indicating that intent. The FTA needs this designation to continue to allow this area to be considered for its Joint Development program. Other Planning: Included with this overall planning, the city has applied for and received a federal grant that would help to construct a parking ramp in this location, thereby allowing more land use efficiencies and the opportunity for more transit-oriented development to occur. The parking ramp would ideally serve both park & ride and surrounding development. Staff also continues to work on the Form-Based Code (FBC) District for this area. “Mixed Use” as a category in the Comprehensive Plan is consistent with the FBC. In a little longer range picture we are pursuing a new Comprehensive Plan chapter for the LRT corridor, which would Agenda Item No. 3A. – Comprehensive Plan Amendment Page 3 Meeting Date: August 5, 2015 set the table for development, the form-based code, and other goals and policies we have pursued and/or adopted. This is expected to occur over approximately the next year. Analysis: Comprehensive Plan Goals: The proposed amendment for these parcels is consistent with the City’s “Vision for Land Use” and “Mixed Use” goals adopted into the Comprehensive Plan. These goals include: 15. Pursue redevelopment of future transitway station area as transit-oriented mixed-use centers. 16. Expand the development of mixed-use areas within St. Louis Park to create a more livable and connected community Mixed Use: In the Mixed Use land use category, the goal is to create pedestrian-scale mixed-use buildings, typically with a portion of retail, service or other commercial uses on the ground floor and residential or office uses on upper floors. Mixed use buildings typically have approximately 75 to 85 percent of the building for residential use and 20 to 25 percent for commercial or office uses. Taller buildings may be appropriate in some areas and net residential densities between 20 and 50 units per acre are allowed, or more with a Planned Unit Development. The proposed amendment suits the site by allowing a mix of uses, residential uses, higher densities and efficiency of land uses that are transit-oriented. The Mixed Use category best serves this area by promoting new development opportunities that work well with the adjacent SWLRT station. Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the attached amendment to the Comprehensive Plan for 4601 Highway 7, 4725 Highway 7, and 3130 Monterey Ave from BP – Business Park to MX – Mixed Use. Attachments: Map of amendment Municipal Consent Plan – Beltline Station area The complete Comprehensive Plan can be found at: http://www.stlouispark.org/comprehensive-plan.html Prepared by: Meg McMonigal, Principal Planner Reviewed by: Sean Walther, Planning and Zoning Supervisor Agenda Item No. 3A. – Comprehensive Plan Amendment Page 4 Meeting Date: August 5, 2015 Agenda Item No. 3A. – Comprehensive Plan Amendment Page 5 Meeting Date: August 5, 2015 Municipal Consent Plan – Beltline Station Area