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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015/05/20 - ADMIN - Agenda Packets - Planning Commission - RegularAGENDA PLANNING COMMISSION COUNCIL CHAMBERS 6:00 P.M. MAY 20, 2015 1. Call to order – Roll Call 2. Approval of Minutes of May 6, 2015 3. Hearings A. Conditional Use Permit for Off-Site Parking Location: 7400 and 7500 Excelsior Boulevard Applicant: Japs-Olson Company Case No.: 15-08-CUP B. Conditional Use Permit for Excavation and Fill Location: 5320 West 23rd Street Applicant: COB, LLC/Hillcrest Development Case No.: 15-16-CUP 4. Other Business 5. Communications 6. Adjournment STUDY SESSION 1. Bridgewater Development Concept Plan 2. Proposed Sign Code Amendment (no written report) 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 MAY 6, 2015 – 6:00 p.m. COUNCIL CHAMBERS MEMBERS PRESENT: Lynne Carper, Claudia Johnston-Madison, Robert Kramer, Lisa Peilen, Richard Person, Carl Robertson, Joe Tatalovich, Ethan Rickert (youth member) MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: Ryan Kelley, Sean Walther, Deb Heiser, Nancy Sells 1. Call to Order – Roll Call 2. Approval of Minutes of April 15, 2015 Commissioner Carper made a motion to approve the minutes of April 15, 2015. Commissioner Johnston-Madison seconded the motion, and the motion passed on a vote of 5-0-2 (Peilen and Person abstained). (note: Commissioner Robertson arrived at 6:05 p.m. Commissioner Kramer arrived at 6:08 p.m.) 3. Public Hearings A. Bridgewater - Comprehensive Plan Amendment Location: 4400 and 4424 Excelsior Boulevard and 3742 Monterey Drive Applicant: Dominium Development Case No.: 15-15-CP Ryan Kelley, Associate Planner, presented the staff report for the request to change the Comprehensive Plan Designation from COM – Commercial to MX – Mixed Use. He presented the applicant’s development concept plan. Mr. Kelley stated that three major concerns came forward from the April 21, 2015 neighborhood meeting. Those concerns were traffic and existing congestion at Park Commons Dr., overall development and intensification at this site and along Excelsior Blvd., and height. Mr. Kelley discussed the traffic study conducted by SRF Consulting. Commissioner Robertson said he wanted to stay focused on the Comprehensive Plan as there would be opportunity to analyze the proposed development later. He asked if this area was discussed as having an extension of Mixed Use the last time the city re-evaluated the Comprehensive Plan. Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission May 6, 2015 Page 2 Mr. Kelley responded the area has not been designated for Mixed Use. The C2 General Commercial zoning does allow for Mixed Use, and the Comprehensive Plan language also allows it to some level. The general proposal for what the development was as well as looking at Excelsior & Grand across Monterey, Mixed Use made more sense. Commissioner Johnston-Madison said she didn’t see anything in the plan which addresses long range vision and community goals that would cause the city to consider this change to the Comprehensive Plan. She said she was also concerned that the Planning Commission was not brought in to look at this in a study session like they have for other developments. She said that would have been beneficial to her in taking care of some of her questions. Commissioner Johnston-Madison said the current small businesses in the commercial strip providing good services to the community would be displaced. She spoke about Commissioner Kramer’s previously mentioned concern about the city losing mom and pop businesses. She said she questioned what the community goals are and what has been discussed. She said she didn’t think the Planning Commission had been involved in such discussions. She said she has a number of concerns about the traffic study. Commissioner Johnston-Madison stated that she is not confident that with the information provided the Commission can recommend the change at the meeting. She said the request needs a study session and she would recommend tabling the request and having the Commission meet with the City Council on it to understand what they are thinking about this particular area, the goals for Excelsior Blvd. and how many more apartments we want to put into this area. She commented that the road structure in the southeast corner of the city doesn’t accommodate the existing traffic. She asked the Commission to consider tabling the item. Mr. Kelley spoke about the long range vision and community goals generally outlined in the Comprehensive Plan. He said both changing to Mixed Use and the Comprehensive Plan language related to Mixed Use relates to urban design principles of creating a walkable environment, specifically a goal promoting high density residential development near commercial centers which Excelsior & Grand would be considered as well as the Excelsior Blvd. corridor. The Comprehensive Plan also includes a goal of locating high density residential development near transit service. Excelsior Blvd. is considered high frequency transit service. Mr. Kelley said there may be other goals or that may not be satisfactory for requesting the change. He said staff has spoken with the developer about an option to lease space to the existing businesses. He also spoke about economic development staff beginning to work on reaching out to businesses regarding relocation within the city. He commented that the loss of those businesses is not necessarily tied just to a land use change to MX. It is Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission May 6, 2015 Page 3 currently zoned C2 Commercial which does allow 6-story buildings. Someone could also combine the two parcels or build on one of the parcels, in which case the small businesses would need to relocate even without the land use change. Commissioner Johnston-Madison said a 6-story building would be an office building and currently no one is building office buildings so that wouldn’t be a concern. She said the city still needs to be asking if it wants to lose its current business owners which provide services to the neighborhood. She said when the developer was asked by a resident what kind of retail was anticipated, the answer was high end retail. Commissioner Carper discussed options for development under current Comprehensive Plan and Zoning designations. Commissioner Carper asked if the bank would have drive-thru banking. Mr. Kelley said drive-thru is not a part of Bridgewater Bank’s typical operating model and that a drive-thru could be prohibited through the PUD zoning if this development moved forward. Commissioner Kramer spoke about the recession and the Tower Light MX development difficulty with filling commercial spaces. He said he still sees commercial vacancies in that area. He asked if new spaces will be utilized any differently. Mr. Kelley said Dominium Development proposed the square footage for the commercial space under discussion. Commissioner Johnston-Madison said there are development guidelines on Excelsior Blvd. in reference to Park Commons redevelopment project which includes Excelsior & Grand. She said those guidelines reference 2 to 4 stories on properties built between Park Commons Blvd. and Excelsior Blvd. Mr. Kelley responded that Park Commons guidelines do not extend past Monterey Dr. Commissioner Johnston-Madison said the city doesn’t have established guidelines or even any long term vision or goals discussed with Planning Commission and City Council as to the future of the properties. She stated she thinks the Commission needs more time to consider the area. Ron Mehl, Dominium Development, said 10,000 sq. ft. will be Bridgewater Bank on the corner of Monterey and Excelsior. 7,000 sq. ft. remains for commercial. Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission May 6, 2015 Page 4 None of it is designed for restaurant use. He spoke about the housing component. Commissioner Tatalovich asked if the applicant would be applying for Tax Increment Financing. Mr. Mehl responded that Dominium may be exploring Tax Increment Financing. Chair Person opened the public hearing. Thomas Griffiths, 3944 Natchez Ave. S., said he is a 70-year resident and said he’s never seen the community grow as rapidly as it has in the last few years. He asked what is meant by 95 a.m. peak period trips in the traffic study. Deb Heiser, Engineering Director, explained that traffic studies look at the busiest times of day. The a.m. peak is between 7 and 9. She explained existing and proposed land uses are looked at. The Institute of Traffic Engineers Manual, containing thousands of studies, uses and models, is used in predicting directionality and how many trips are proposed. Mr. Griffiths asked what kind of traffic study has been done for residential going from 40th and Wooddale all the way down to Joppa. He said he is very concerned about cut-through traffic on 40th in late afternoon. Mr. Griffiths said the proposed developments will increase right hand turns on Excelsior and Wooddale to 40th going east all the way to Joppa. Ms. Heiser spoke about the 2001 Excelsior Blvd. Corridor Study, Met Council macro model, regional growth models, City Comprehensive Plan and development traffic studies which occur periodically. Steve May, 3901 Joppa Ave. asked if the traffic study considered the issue of parking that would occur in the south side of Excelsior Blvd. neighborhoods due to the development. He said he and other residents would like to see a joint traffic study for the Bally and Bridgewater developments. He said at one time four stories were appropriate and it is just a marketplace situation now to make it five stories. He said he would like the developer to find a different way. He asked for a city evaluation of development going east from Monterey to France on the north side of Excelsior. Courtney Nichols, Park Health and Rehabilitation Center, 4415 W. 36 ½ St. which shares a parking lot and backs up to the proposed area. She said her concerns regard the 1/3 parcel portion parking lot. She said a lot more parking will be needed. The proposed parking structure eliminates or greatly reduces the parking her staff will have. Emergency medical vehicles currently turnaround in Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission May 6, 2015 Page 5 the existing shared parking area. That area would be eliminated. The facility also has large delivery trucks which use that area for turnaround. Ms. Nichols said she needs to see what parking access her staff would have and what the proposed structure for emergency medical vehicles turnaround would be. Sara Bergen, 2939 Princeton, said her concern regards traffic at Park Commons and Monterey. She said given the way the city is moving, ultimately the Comp Plan change makes sense and would probably be what would end up from a more planful look at the north side of Exc. Blvd. She added that she agreed with Commissioner Johnston-Madison’s call for prudence and taking some time in doing that might give everyone more of a chance to see what St. Louis Park wants going forward for that side of Exc. Blvd. Ms. Bergen said having six story residential probably makes sense. She spoke about the difficulty of coming out of Trader Joe’s and taking a left. She said there are too many lanes for signage about not blocking the intersection to be beneficial. It needs to be safe. She said she doesn’t mind traffic backing up in the name of safety. Ms. Bergen said she asked that safety be kept in mind going forward on plans for the intersection. Rebecca Phelan, 3944 Joppa Ave. S., said she is very concerned about more congestion and safety issues at Excelsior and Monterey. She said she is also concerned about the displacement of businesses. She asked that the Council look carefully at this and work on developing a plan that will serve the people of St. Louis Park. Hemant Nartsumam, 4525 Park Commons Dr., said he lived in the Trader Joe’s building. He asked about the anticipated construction time. He asked about B and C access points. He spoke about the traffic study and asked if there was analysis done about the bottlenecks. He said B and C would likely be peak bottleneck areas. He said trips taken have been studied but how about time spent in the vehicle. Mr. Mehl said approximately 14 months is anticipated for construction. Ms. Heiser discussed average time is based on counts taken at an intersection. Average delay is 19 seconds for A.M. peak at Excelsior and Monterey, Level Service B. Average delay is 30 seconds for P.M. peak, Level Service C. Levels C, D, and E are considered acceptable in a metropolitan area. Ms. Heiser stated that the traffic study details all the existing and proposed. The study reports there is no change, which means no noticeable change in the average level of services at time delay. Mr. Nartsuman said he agreed with Commissioner Johnston-Madison that more time needs to be taken to understand the implications of the proposal. Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission May 6, 2015 Page 6 Steve Frank, 3940 Joppa Ave. S., said he wanted to make some comments that he’s heard from other members of the community. He said it is very exciting that the city is so attractive to many developers and he is not anti-development. He added that the city needs to be smart on how it approaches development. He said he finds it difficult to understand how traffic studies for the Bridgewater site and the Bally’s site, in close proximity, indicate there will not be any change in service of traffic. He said many community members are concerned about this. Mr. Frank said he is concerned about the proposed height, sight lines, aesthetics, and look and feel in the community. He said he is also concerned about displacement of businesses and high rent. He said he agreed with Commissioner Johnston-Madison that the city needs to be planful and take the appropriate time for these large decisions that will impact the community. Mr. Griffiths, 3944 Natchez Ave. S., asked about taxes from the development. Mr. Kelley responded he doesn’t know tax details for residential and commercial uses. Typically the tax base would increase. Chair Person remarked that information wouldn’t come to the Planning Commission. Commissioner Johnston-Madison asked about Tax Increment Financing and the proposal. Sean Walther, Senior Planner, said he doesn’t know the tax rate or the measures expected but if there is a TIF request the city will review the pro forma for the development. He said a minimum assessment is required as part of an agreement with TIF. The Chair acknowledged correspondence received from Rosanne Farrell, 4525 Park Commons Drive, who mentioned many of the concerns brought forward by citizens at the public hearing. Correspondence was also received from Meghan Phimister and Andrea and Samir Bouzrara who noted similar concerns. The Chair closed the public hearing as there was no one else present wishing to speak. Commissioner Robertson said the amendment makes sense for the site but changing the Comp Plan helps facilitate the development which facilitates more traffic. The city needs to look at spots like Excelsior and Monterey and other growth areas in terms of traffic tie-ups. He commented the developer knows it’s going to be an uphill battle for this size of a building. The addition of affordable units is admirable but a larger building is necessary to make it work. He said he isn’t as concerned about the traffic counts, as these numbers are small in the Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission May 6, 2015 Page 7 bigger picture, but cut through and parking are issues. He said there will be a lot of review on the proposal coming up through the process and he does support the Comprehensive Plan change. Commissioner Kramer acknowledged Commissioner Robertson’s remarks. He spoke about existing traffic problems at the intersection and encouraged the developer to make the situation better, not worse. He said he would like to encourage affordable mom and pop business spaces. He said it is difficult for local non-chain businesses to get into new development spaces on Excelsior Blvd. Commissioner Johnston-Madison spoke about not having guidelines or a vision for the north side of Excelsior Blvd. at that intersection. She asked if mixed use should go on that corner. She asked if mixed use should be all along the north side of Excelsior. The north side hasn’t had a study like the south side of Excelsior Blvd. The Planning Commission needs to ask staff and City Council in a study session how the city is going define goals and vision of Exc. Blvd. east of Excelsior and Monterey. She said she is not convinced it should be mixed use. Commissioner Johnston-Madison suggesting tabling the request for further study. Chair Person said he agreed with remarks made by Commissioners Robertson and Kramer. He said concerns have been heard regarding Excelsior Boulevard for the past 1-2 years. He said he recommends approval for the Comprehensive Plan amendment, noting further review of the proposal will occur through future applications required. Commissioner Johnston-Madison made a motion recommending that taking into account comments from the public hearing that the Planning Commission table the request and consider it very soon in a study session with City Council whether this parcel should be MX, as well as the future vision of the north side of Excelsior Blvd. The motion failed for lack of a second. Commissioner Robertson made a motion to recommend approval of the Comprehensive Plan amendment. Commissioner Kramer seconded the motion, and the motion passed on a vote of 6-1 (Johnston-Madison opposed). Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission May 6, 2015 Page 8 B. Preliminary and Final Plat; Preliminary and Final PUD – The Shoreham Location: 3907 & 3915 Hwy. 7; 3031 Glenhurst Avenue; 3914 & 3918 31st Street W. Applicant: Bader Development Case Nos.: 15-11-S and 15-12-PUD Ryan Kelley, Associate Planner, presented the staff report. Mr. Kelley discussed the France Ave. ROW which exists in both Minneapolis and St. Louis Park connecting between CSAH 25 and 31st St. He noted that the existing France Ave. doesn’t meet minimum city requirements or engineering standards. At the Comprehensive Plan amendment stage, staff indicated that some kind of reconstruction of France Ave. would have to occur. He spoke about the proposed connection of France Ave. to 31st St. He discussed neighborhood meetings where the France Ave. options were discussed. He said there is a mix of support and opposition to connecting France to 31st. The City of Minneapolis has notified staff that their property owner does not support the connection, and that the City of Minneapolis does not support connecting using their ROW. Mr. Kelley noted the option for France Ave. shown in the staff report is no longer an option for connecting using Minneapolis ROW. The PUD and plat are sited to allow France Ave. to have a number of options. Staff will be presenting a couple of options to the City Council on May 11. Mr. Kelley said two comments have been received which suggested that units along 31st St. be for-sale units. All other comments received related to France Ave. Commissioner Peilen stated she lives in the area on Glenhurst Ave. She said the history is that the city never used to allow parking on the north side of Minnetonka Blvd. between France and Glenhurst. In recent years as the need for parking increased parking has been allowed making it harder to see cars coming down Minnetonka Blvd. Commissioner Carper asked what is available for DORA. Mr. Kelley reviewed the proposed DORA elements which do meet code requirements. Robb Bader, Bader Development, provided background information on the proposal. Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission May 6, 2015 Page 9 Commissioner Robertson stated he appreciated the quality of the proposal. He asked if there is a tenant for medical office. Mr. Bader responded they do have a tenant for medical office. Chair Person opened the public hearing. Gloria Wolfe, 3911 W. 31st St., said she is concerned about traffic. She is concerned about the possibility of opening France Ave. to 31st St. and unwanted traffic. Ms. Wolfe said she is concerned about the availability of trails, bike paths, and pedestrian sidewalks. She said she would encourage the developer to consider for-sale units facing 31st St. Owners would be more invested in the neighborhood. Sara Bergen, 2939 Princeton Ave., said she has no issues with the request but she is always concerned about pedestrian safety. She highlighted the problems at the area for vehicles, pedestrians and bikers. She hoped Mpls., St. Louis Park and the County could team up and create something workable for everyone. She distributed a photograph from the proposed development area looking north which she felt illustrates the difficult pedestrian environment. Ms. Bergen said she would love to see France connected to 31st and even to Excelsior Boulevard. Kristin Wolfe, 3907 W. 31st St., said there is very little green space and to continue France would displace some wild life. Opening France would bring France right to her front door. She said it is already very congested there and lots of speeding vehicles. Parking on both sides of the street already causes issues for emergency vehicles. Signs are often removed. Ms. Wolfe said she hoped the developer would provide affordable parking spaces to its tenants, so those parking spaces will be used. She said she opposes the opening up of France Ave. Chair Person acknowledged correspondence distributed to the Commission. Two letters were received from Gloria Wolfe, 3911 W. 31st St., with comments addressed by her above during the public hearing. Jenny DeVore, an owner of Calhoun West Apts., Lakewood Isles Apts., Greenway Commons Apts., and rental houses on West 31st St., conveyed her strong disapproval to proposed changes to France Ave. at 30 ½ St. Commissioner Tatalovich stated the developer’s proposal looks good. France Ave. will be worked on through the process. He said he would be voting in favor of a motion to approve the requests. Chair Person said the request was discussed in a study session so the Commission has had a lot of discussion about it. Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission May 6, 2015 Page 10 Commissioner Peilen said that she is frequently at the intersection of France Ave. and Minnetonka Blvd. She said for all the apartments that are there currently there is surprisingly little traffic at that intersection. Commissioner Peilen made a motion recommending approval of the Preliminary and Final Plat with Subdivision Variance, subject to conditions recommended by staff and to recommend approval of the Shoreham Preliminary and Final Planned Unit Development, subject to conditions recommended by staff. Commissioner Robertson seconded the motion, and the motion passed on a vote of 7-0. 4. Other Business 5. Communications 6. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 8:05 p.m. Submitted by, Nancy Sells Administrative Secretary Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission May 6, 2015 Page 11 Planning Commission Meeting Date: May 20, 2015 Agenda Item 3A 3A. Japs-Olson Company – Conditional Use Permit Case No.: 15-08-CUP Location: 7400 Excelsior Blvd Applicant: Japs-Olson Company Robert Murphy, Chairman Recommended Action: Motion to recommend approval of the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) subject to conditions recommended by Staff. Description of Request: Requested is a Conditional Use Permit to construct an off-site parking lot, reduce the amount of required parking, and export more than 400 cubic yards of material. Location: Background: Comprehensive Plan: Industrial Zoning: General Industrial (IG) Neighborhood: Meadowbrook Japs-Olson is a direct mail and commercial printing facility located on the northwest corner of Excelsior Blvd and Meadowbrook Road. Japs-Olson has been in business for 107 years, and has operated at this location since the mid-1950s. They would like to expand their building; Japs Olson Agenda Item No. 3A. Conditional Use Permit – Japs Olson Page 2 Meeting Date: May 20, 2015 however, the proposed expansion requires the relocation of their parking lot. The property to the east of their printing facility (Appliancesmart) was purchased with the intent of removing the existing building and constructing a new parking lot that would provide almost all of the required parking for the printing facility. The expansion will be completed in two phases. First, the Applicant will remove the Appliancesmart building and construct the parking lot improvements. Then they will complete the expansion of the building. The CUP is required for the parking lot improvements. Additional approvals such as a plat and municipal boundary change are required for the second phase. Building Expansion (Phase 2): A site plan showing the proposed expansion is attached to this report. The existing building is 512,850 square feet in area. The addition is 192,000 square feet, and will result in a total building size of 704,850 square feet. The expansion will require the removal of a second building, currently located in the City of Hopkins. It is a 23,000 square foot building located at the northeast corner of Excelsior Blvd and Powell Road. The cities of St. Louis Park and Hopkins are working together to relocate the municipal boundary so this building will be located in St. Louis Park and other properties will go to Hopkins. The expansion will also displace approximately 500 parking spaces currently located on Powell Road on the west side of the Japs Olson building. Municipal Boundary Change: Agenda Item No. 3A. Conditional Use Permit – Japs Olson Page 3 Meeting Date: May 20, 2015 The exhibit above shows the existing and proposed municipal boundary change. After the cities finalize the proposal, the application to amend the municipal boundary will be submitted to the State for approval. After it is approved, the Applicant will submit a plat to combine all properties on the northeast corner of Excelsior Blvd and Powell Road. The plat application will come before the Planning Commission for review. Parking: As noted above, the expansion will displace approximately 500 parking places. The parking spaces will be replaced by a new parking lot proposed in the Phase 1 project, which is the subject of this CUP application and discussed below. Zoning Analysis: A Conditional Use Permit (CUP) is required for the following reasons: 1. Off-site parking is allowed by CUP. 2. City Code allows a reduction in the amount of required parking when processed in conjunction with a CUP. 3. A CUP is required to remove more than 400 cubic yards of material. Off-Site Parking: Exhibits showing the proposed parking lot improvements are attached for your review and reference. Section 36-361(h) of the zoning ordinance allows off-site parking with the following conditions: 1. Paved pedestrian access shall be provided and maintained between the off-site parking facility and the principle structure. This condition is met. There is an existing sidewalk along Excelsior Blvd, and the Applicant proposes to construct a new sidewalk along Meadowbrook Road. Pedestrian access from the parking lot to the Meadowbrook Road sidewalk will be provided. Additionally, a crosswalk will be installed to direct pedestrians across Meadowbrook road to the Japs Olson building and employee entrances. Sidewalk improvements will be made on the west side of Meadowbrook Road to safely direct pedestrians to the employee entrances. 2. The off-site parking facility shall be located no further than 300 feet from a residential structure and no further than 500 feet from a non-residential structure. Shuttle service may be provided as an alternative means of access for non-residential uses. This condition is met. The proposed parking lot is located 71 feet from the Japs Olson property line, and 124 feet from the employee entrances into the building. 3. Off-site parking facilities shall be protected by an irrevocable covenant recorded by the County. A certified copy of the recorded document shall be provided to the Zoning Administrator within 60 days after approval of the agreement by the City Council. This condition is met. It is also a condition of approval of the CUP. The CUP will be automatically revoked if the irrevocable covenants are not recorded. Agenda Item No. 3A. Conditional Use Permit – Japs Olson Page 4 Meeting Date: May 20, 2015 Parking Counts: The Applicant is currently operating with a parking variance that was granted in 1989 and reaffirmed in 1996 when an addition was constructed. The parking required for the existing building is 815 spaces. The variance approved in 1996 reduced the parking to 586 spaces, a reduction of 229 spaces. The primary reason for the variance is that the nature of the business requires large machinery that occupies most of the space, thereby reducing the capacity and need for employees. The proposed project will increase the required parking spaces by 305 spaces, from 815 spaces to 1,120 spaces. It will also increase the number of parking spaces provided from 586 spaces to 825 spaces. The requested reduction is 295 spaces, which compared to the existing variance, represents a reduction of an additional 66 spaces. (Note that staff is recommending that the existing variance be rescinded. The requested reduction of 295 spaces replaces the existing variance of 229 spaces; it is not in addition to it.) History has shown that the parking variance was justified. Japs Olson has been operating successfully for over 50 years without parking complaints or parking issues, and despite the parking variance, the parking lot is still consistently only half to two-thirds full. Therefore, staff supports the Applicants request for the parking reduction and reserving 237 of the required spaces as proof of parking. Both the reduction and the proof of parking will reduce the expense of constructing and maintaining parking spaces the Applicant is convinced won’t be required, (which is also supported by the history of successfully operating with the parking variance), and which is consistent with the City’s goal of reducing the size of parking lots when possible and practical. Bicycle Parking: City Code requires bicycle parking spaces equal to at least 10% of the required automobile parking spaces. As noted above, with the proposed reduction, 825 parking spaces are required. Therefore, 83 bicycle parking spaces are required. The plan shows 30 spaces. An additional 53 spaces must be provided, although the Applicant can show some of the spaces as proof of bicycle parking. Setbacks: The zoning ordinance requires a five foot minimum setback from property lines adjacent to streets. The proposal shows a five foot setback from the west property line, adjacent to Meadowbrook Road. It also shows a considerable setback ranging from 60 to 120 feet from Excelsior Blvd. The purpose of this setback is two-fold, to accommodate proof of parking, and to accommodate future right-of-way needs along Excelsior Blvd. Hennepin County has been improving Excelsior Blvd in phases over the past several years, and this section of Excelsior Blvd is anticipated to be completed within five years. Parking West side of Meadowbrook 58 spaces East side of Meadowbrook (constructed) 514 spaces East side of Meadowbrook (Proof of parking) 237 spaces On-street 16 spaces Total Provided: 825 spaces Required spaces: 1,244 spaces Less transit reduction: 124 spaces Total Required: 1,120 spaces Requested Reduction: 295 spaces Agenda Item No. 3A. Conditional Use Permit – Japs Olson Page 5 Meeting Date: May 20, 2015 Access: The access from Excelsior Blvd is an existing access that will be incorporated into the parking lot layout. Hennepin County has reviewed the plan, and accepted the access. The two driveways on Meadowbrook Road meet the distance requirement from Excelsior Blvd, and line up with the drive aisle in the parking lot. Landscaping: The landscaping ordinance requires one tree per 50 feet of site perimeter, which translates to 53 trees. The Applicant is proposing to install 56 trees. The landscaping plan shows these trees to be planted along Excelsior Blvd and Powell Road. Additional trees will be planted throughout the parking lot in the required landscaped islands. Additionally shrubs will be planted in required screening areas between the parking lot and the streets and within the landscaped islands. Stormwater: The stormwater treatment will be sized to treat runoff from the proposed parking lot (including the proof of parking), and to include the existing building on the west side of Meadowbrook Road. The runoff from the proposed building addition is not included because the Applicant has an agreement with the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) to divert this runoff to a treatment pond located in Hopkins. Most of the water generated by the parking lot will be pre-treated in three rain gardens located in the middle of the parking lot. The rain gardens will drain into the main treatment area located to the north and east of the parking lot. The proposed plan meets the City and MCWD requirements. The MCWD, however, is working with the Applicant to incorporate the stormwater pond into the existing wetland located to the east with the goal of providing the required stormwater treatment and enhancing the natural habitat. Therefore, the proposed plan, as shown, will be constructed only if the MCWD, in cooperation with the Applicant, does not complete the anticipated enhancements. A financial guarantee will be submitted to the City to guarantee the construction of the proposed stormwater improvements. Staff is recommending that the approved stormwater plan can be administratively replaced by a plan submitted to the City in partnership with the MCWD. Parking Reduction: City Code allows a reduction in the amount of required parking when processed in conjunction with a CUP. There are no conditions specific to this request. Consideration to a reduction is given to factors such as size of building, type of use, number of employees, expected volume and turnover of customer traffic, expected frequency and number of delivery or service vehicles, and reasonable factors pertaining to the use. As noted above, Japs Olson has successfully operated since 1989 with a large parking variance. Additionally given the nature of the operations and the size of the machinery in use, the parking reduction is reasonable. Attached are two letters from the Applicant that summarize the number of employees working at the site, and actual use of the parking lot during shift changes. The findings support the history and the requested reduction. Agenda Item No. 3A. Conditional Use Permit – Japs Olson Page 6 Meeting Date: May 20, 2015 Excavation: A CUP is required when more than 400 cubic yards of material are removed from a site. The construction of the parking lot will exceed this limit. The haul route to remove the material will include Excelsior Blvd to Hwy 169 or Hwy 100. No local streets will be utilized. Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the Conditional Use Permit for off-site parking with a parking reduction and excavation of over 400 cubic yards of material located at 7400 Excelsior Blvd, subject to the following conditions: 1. The off-site parking shall be protected by a permanent and recorded covenant approved reviewed and approved by the City Attorney. 2. The site shall be developed, used and maintained in conformance with the Official Exhibits. a. Exhibit A: Site Plan b. Exhibit B: Landscaping Plan c. Exhibit C: Lighting d. Exhibit D: Grading & Drainage Plan e. Exhibit D: Floor Plan 3. The number of required parking spaces is reduced to 825 spaces. 4. One crosswalk located mid-block on Meadowbrook Road is allowed. The crosswalk shall be installed and maintained by the property owner. 5. 83 bicycle parking spaces shall be provided. 6. The approved stormwater plan may be administratively amended by replacing the approved plan with a revised plan submitted in partnership with the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. 7. A financial guarantee shall be submitted to ensure the completion of the landscaping, sidewalk, and stormwater improvements. 8. All necessary permits must be obtained, including from the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD). 9. All trucks used for excavation and removal of materials shall utilize Excelsior Blvd. 10. The site shall meet all fire lane requirements. 11. The applicant shall comply with the following conditions during construction: a. The site shall be kept free of dust and debris that could blow onto neighboring properties. b. Public streets shall be maintained free of dirt and shall be cleaned as necessary. c. The Zoning Administrator may impose additional conditions if it becomes necessary in order to mitigate the impact of excavation on surrounding properties. Attachments: Aerial Photo Letter from Applicant Parking Lot Site Plans Building Site Plan Prepared by: Gary Morrison, Assistant Zoning Administrator Reviewed by: Sean Walther, Sr. Planner Agenda Item No. 3A. Conditional Use Permit – Japs Olson Page 7 Meeting Date: May 20, 2015 AERIAL PHOTO Planning Commission Meeting Date: May 20, 2015 Agenda Item 3B 3B. Westside Center - Conditional Use Permit for Excavation and Fill 5320 West 23rd Street. Case No.: 15-16-CUP Applicant: COB, LLC c/o Hillcrest Development, LLLP Recommended Action: Chair to close public hearing. Motion to recommend approval of the Conditional Use Permit to export approximately 9,000 cubic yards of material and import of an unknown of amount fill, subject to conditions. Comprehensive Plan: IP – Industrial Park Zoning: IP – Industrial Park Description of Request: A Conditional Use Permit (CUP) is requested for excavation and fill at Westside Center, located at 5320 West 23rd Street. The excavation and fill is required for the expansion of the existing facility for Lyman Lumber. It is estimated that 9,000 cubic yards will be excavated. Due to reuse of excavated materials, it is unknown the amount of fill that will have to be imported. Background: COB, LLC (Owner) is in the process of completing a major renovation of the former Nestle site into a multi-tenant office/industrial building. Currently, over 75% of the 250,000 square foot building has been leased to five tenants. At full occupancy, there is potential for up to twelve tenants to occupy the building. The excavation and fill is needed to expand the building, build a ring-road for better flow of traffic, provide an outdoor storage area for Lyman Lumber Materials, and provide stormwater management systems. Location: The property is bounded by West 23rd Street and Park Ridge Apartments to the South, ABRA Autobody & Glass and Utica Avenue to the east. The property is adjacent to existing wetlands to the west and the BNSF railroad and North Cedar Lake Regional Trail to the north. CUP and Zoning Analysis: The CUP would allow for excavation and fill on the on the southern portion of the site to create a stormwater ponds, a ring-road, parking, and an expansion for Lyman Lumber. The proposed uses are permitted under the Zoning Ordinance. The CUP requirements for excavation and fill include an analysis of the following criteria: • Hauling Duration & Hours of Operation • Hauling Route • Equipment to be Used • Materials Used • Erosion Control • Stormwater • Floodplain Agenda Item No. Westside Center – Conditional Use Permit for Excavation and Fill Page 2 Meeting Date: May 18th, 2015 Hauling Duration & Hours of Operation: • It is expected that the operation will be conducted the summer of 2015 and last approximately 2-4 weeks. • During this time, there will be an average of 5-10 trucks per day. It is estimated that there will be 100 total trucks to accomplish the project. The proposed hours of operation are 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays. Weekend work is not expected, but may occur due to unexpected weather delays throughout the project. Hours would be limited to 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM as a condition of approval on weekends and holidays. Hauling Route & Material Type: • A map of the haul routes are attached. • The exporting of excavated materials will travel east on W 23rd Street and turn right onto the ramp for I-394 East. Trucks will then travel on I-394 East to the dump site. • It is expected that some fill material may be required for the site. Both returing empty trucks and trucks carrying fill will travel on I-394 West and take Exit 5. Trucks will then turn right on W 24th St and proceed to turn right onto Utica Ave S which becomes W 23rd St. Equipment to be Used: Construction equipment will consist of backhoes, crusher, bulldozers, end- and belly dump trucks. Materials Used: It is required that 1,000 cubic yards of compensatory storage be provided for the floodplain that is filled in on-site. As the excavation occurs, Braun Intertec will be on-site to screen the excavated materials. The construction debris that is found will be placed into a crusher and used as the filler layer. In addition, sandy soils may be reused as well. However, it is unknown if on- site reuse will suffice for the proposed design. Therefore, an uundetermined amount of Class V materials will be imported to complete the project. Fill material for the stormwater features will also be imported which consist of clean sand, compose mixture, and iron fillings. Erosion Control: To mitigate the effects on the surrounding community, the developer plans to implement rock construction entrances, and catchbasin inserts downstream from the site. Also, construction sweeping and watering of the site will be implemented as needed. Soil stockpiles will be covered when not used for more than 48 hours or temporarily seeded to prevent windblown sediment from transporting off-site. Stormwater: The proposed changes will increase impervious surface on the site. To mitigate increased runoff flows, the proposed stormwater management system consists of three interconnected biofiltration basins. There will be two biofiltration basins which will capture initial stormwater flow and then flow to the large biofiltration basin. All stormwater will filter through this system prior to discharging into the city storm sewer. Agenda Item No. Westside Center – Conditional Use Permit for Excavation and Fill Page 3 Meeting Date: May 18th, 2015 Floodplain: The proposed project will impact 1002.47 cubic yards of floodplain. The developer proposed compensatory floodplain storage volume of 1020.67 cubic yards on the western portion of the site to mitigate the lost floodplain storage throughout the site. Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the Conditional Use Permit to export and import materials for the construction of an expansion for Lyman Lumber, a ring-road, parking lot, and improved stormwater management systems, subject to following conditions: 1. The contractors limit, to the best of their ability, hauling on the weekends. In addition, hauling occurs only between the hours of 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM on the weekdays. 2. Hours be limited to 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM as a condition of approval on weekends and holidays. 3. Provide a landscape management plan for the two ponds to ensure vegetation is maintained. 4. Provide a snow plow management plan for the site. 5. Provide a photometric plan 6. All required permits shall be obtained. Attachments: Site Location Map Haul Route Map Prepared by: Alex Boyce, Community Development Intern Reviewed by: Sean Walther, Senior Planner Agenda Item No. Westside Center – Conditional Use Permit for Excavation and Fill Page 4 Meeting Date: May 18th, 2015 Agenda Item No. Westside Center – Conditional Use Permit for Excavation and Fill Page 5 Meeting Date: May 18th, 2015 ST. LOUIS PARK, MNPIERCE PINI &ASSOCIATESDEFPOINTS XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX XX XXXX XXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXST. LOUIS PARK, MNPIERCE PINI &ASSOCIATESDEFPOINTS XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXST. LOUIS PARK, MNPIERCE PINI &ASSOCIATESDEFPOINTS XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX XX XX XXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXWW WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWXST. LOUIS PARK, MNPIERCE PINI &ASSOCIATESDEFPOINTSXXXX Planning Commission Meeting: Study Session Meeting Date: May 20, 2015 Discussion Item: 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TITLE: Bridgewater Development RECOMMENDED ACTION: No action required at this time. The purpose of this item is to provide an opportunity for the Planning Commission to have further discussion regarding the proposed Bridgewater development concept. POLICY CONSIDERATION: None at this time. SUMMARY: Bridgewater Bank has purchased property at 4424 and 4400 Excelsior Blvd, and is also pursuing the acquisition of 3743 Monterey Dr. from the Economic Development Authority. (A map is attached showing their locations.) Bridgewater has selected Dominium as the developer for this site. The development concept includes approximately 170 units, of which at least 10% are anticipated to be affordable, and approximately 50% of the units are two and three bedrooms. There is also 10,000 square feet for a Bridgewater Bank branch and approximately 7,000 square feet of retail. The building would be six stories in height at Excelsior Blvd, with the sixth story set back from the front façade. The building would maintain similar setbacks from Excelsior Boulevard as exists today and actually provides for a wider sidewalk and creation of a boulevard along Monterey Dr. The development concept also includes three levels of structured parking. A traffic study was completed and was previously provided to the Commissioners. A copy is attached to this report. The study recognizes the existing traffic conditions today, and the impacts from the proposed development. Overall, the intersection Level of Service (LOS) stays the same for the primary streets. Depending on how site access is designed, some side streets could see reduced LOS. Staff will continue to work with the developer on site plan and building design as well as storm water management and other development details. If the Council approves the Amendment request, the developer intends to apply for a plat and rezoning to a PUD. FINANCIAL OR BUDGET CONSIDERATION: The developer has indicated they would request City assistance. Details of that assistance will be worked out and presented to the Economic Development Authority at a future study session. VISION CONSIDERATION: St. Louis Park is committed to providing a well-maintained and diverse housing stock. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS: Aerial of Development Site and Surrounding Area Excerpt of Development Plans Traffic Study Prepared by: Ryan Kelley, Associate Planner Reviewed by: Sean Walther, Senior Planner Study Session Meeting of February 2, 2015 (Item No. 1.) Page 2 Title: 13th Lane and Texas Ave Redevelopment Proposals Aerial Excerpts – Unofficial Planning Commission Minutes City of St. Louis Park May 6, 2015 3. Public Hearings A. Bridgewater - Comprehensive Plan Amendment Location: 4400 and 4424 Excelsior Boulevard and 3742 Monterey Drive Applicant: Dominium Development Case No.: 15-15-CP Ryan Kelley, Associate Planner, presented the staff report for the request to change the Comprehensive Plan Designation from COM – Commercial to MX – Mixed Use. He presented the applicant’s development concept plan. Mr. Kelley stated that three major concerns came forward from the April 21, 2015 neighborhood meeting. Those concerns were traffic and existing congestion at Park Commons Dr., overall development and intensification at this site and along Excelsior Blvd., and height. Mr. Kelley discussed the traffic study conducted by SRF Consulting. Commissioner Robertson said he wanted to stay focused on the Comprehensive Plan as there would be opportunity to analyze the proposed development later. He asked if this area was discussed as having an extension of Mixed Use the last time the city re-evaluated the Comprehensive Plan. Mr. Kelley responded the area has not been designated for Mixed Use. The C2 General Commercial zoning does allow for Mixed Use, and the Comprehensive Plan language also allows it to some level. The general proposal for what the development was as well as looking at Excelsior & Grand across Monterey, Mixed Use made more sense. Commissioner Johnston-Madison said she didn’t see anything in the plan which addresses long range vision and community goals that would cause the city to consider this change to the Comprehensive Plan. She said she was also concerned that the Planning Commission was not brought in to look at this in a study session like they have for other developments. She said that would have been beneficial to her in taking care of some of her questions. Commissioner Johnston-Madison said the current small businesses in the commercial strip providing good services to the community would be displaced. She spoke about Commissioner Kramer’s previously mentioned concern about the city losing mom and pop businesses. She said she questioned what the community goals are and what has been discussed. She said she didn’t think the Planning Commission had been involved in such discussions. She said she has a number of concerns about the traffic study. Excerpts - Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission May 6, 2015 Page 2 Commissioner Johnston-Madison stated that she is not confident that with the information provided the Commission can recommend the change at the meeting. She said the request needs a study session and she would recommend tabling the request and having the Commission meet with the City Council on it to understand what they are thinking about this particular area, the goals for Excelsior Blvd. and how many more apartments we want to put into this area. She commented that the road structure in the southeast corner of the city doesn’t accommodate the existing traffic. She asked the Commission to consider tabling the item. Mr. Kelley spoke about the long range vision and community goals generally outlined in the Comprehensive Plan. He said both changing to Mixed Use and the Comprehensive Plan language related to Mixed Use relates to urban design principles of creating a walkable environment, specifically a goal promoting high density residential development near commercial centers which Excelsior & Grand would be considered as well as the Excelsior Blvd. corridor. The Comprehensive Plan also includes a goal of locating high density residential development near transit service. Excelsior Blvd. is considered high frequency transit service. Mr. Kelley said there may be other goals or that may not be satisfactory for requesting the change. He said staff has spoken with the developer about an option to lease space to the existing businesses. He also spoke about economic development staff beginning to work on reaching out to businesses regarding relocation within the city. He commented that the loss of those businesses is not necessarily tied just to a land use change to MX. It is currently zoned C2 Commercial which does allow 6-story buildings. Someone could also combine the two parcels or build on one of the parcels, in which case the small businesses would need to relocate even without the land use change. Commissioner Johnston-Madison said a 6-story building would be an office building and currently no one is building office buildings so that wouldn’t be a concern. She said the city still needs to be asking if it wants to lose its current business owners which provide services to the neighborhood. She said when the developer was asked by a resident what kind of retail was anticipated, the answer was high end retail. Commissioner Carper discussed options for development under current Comprehensive Plan and Zoning designations. Commissioner Carper asked if the bank would have drive-thru banking. Mr. Kelley said drive-thru is not a part of Bridgewater Bank’s typical operating model and that a drive-thru could be prohibited through the PUD zoning if this development moved forward. Excerpts - Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission May 6, 2015 Page 3 Commissioner Kramer spoke about the recession and the Tower Light MX development difficulty with filling commercial spaces. He said he still sees commercial vacancies in that area. He asked if new spaces will be utilized any differently. Mr. Kelley said Dominium Development proposed the square footage for the commercial space under discussion. Commissioner Johnston-Madison said there are development guidelines on Excelsior Blvd. in reference to Park Commons redevelopment project which includes Excelsior & Grand. She said those guidelines reference 2 to 4 stories on properties built between Park Commons Blvd. and Excelsior Blvd. Mr. Kelley responded that Park Commons guidelines do not extend past Monterey Dr. Commissioner Johnston-Madison said the city doesn’t have established guidelines or even any long term vision or goals discussed with Planning Commission and City Council as to the future of the properties. She stated she thinks the Commission needs more time to consider the area. Ron Mehl, Dominium Development, said 10,000 sq. ft. will be Bridgewater Bank on the corner of Monterey and Excelsior. 7,000 sq. ft. remains for commercial. None of it is designed for restaurant use. He spoke about the housing component. Commissioner Tatalovich asked if the applicant would be applying for Tax Increment Financing. Mr. Mehl responded that Dominium may be exploring Tax Increment Financing. Chair Person opened the public hearing. Thomas Griffiths, 3944 Natchez Ave. S., said he is a 70-year resident and said he’s never seen the community grow as rapidly as it has in the last few years. He asked what is meant by 95 a.m. peak period trips in the traffic study. Deb Heiser, Engineering Director, explained that traffic studies look at the busiest times of day. The a.m. peak is between 7 and 9. She explained existing and proposed land uses are looked at. The Institute of Traffic Engineers Manual, containing thousands of studies, uses and models, is used in predicting directionality and how many trips are proposed. Excerpts - Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission May 6, 2015 Page 4 Mr. Griffiths asked what kind of traffic study has been done for residential going from 40th and Wooddale all the way down to Joppa. He said he is very concerned about cut-through traffic on 40th in late afternoon. Mr. Griffiths said the proposed developments will increase right hand turns on Excelsior and Wooddale to 40th going east all the way to Joppa. Ms. Heiser spoke about the 2001 Excelsior Blvd. Corridor Study, Met Council macro model, regional growth models, City Comprehensive Plan and development traffic studies which occur periodically. Steve May, 3901 Joppa Ave. asked if the traffic study considered the issue of parking that would occur in the south side of Excelsior Blvd. neighborhoods due to the development. He said he and other residents would like to see a joint traffic study for the Bally and Bridgewater developments. He said at one time four stories were appropriate and it is just a marketplace situation now to make it five stories. He said he would like the developer to find a different way. He asked for a city evaluation of development going east from Monterey to France on the north side of Excelsior. Courtney Nichols, Park Health and Rehabilitation Center, 4415 W. 36 ½ St. which shares a parking lot and backs up to the proposed area. She said her concerns regard the 1/3 parcel portion parking lot. She said a lot more parking will be needed. The proposed parking structure eliminates or greatly reduces the parking her staff will have. Emergency medical vehicles currently turnaround in the existing shared parking area. That area would be eliminated. The facility also has large delivery trucks which use that area for turnaround. Ms. Nichols said she needs to see what parking access her staff would have and what the proposed structure for emergency medical vehicles turnaround would be. Sara Bergen, 2939 Princeton, said her concern regards traffic at Park Commons and Monterey. She said given the way the city is moving, ultimately the Comp Plan change makes sense and would probably be what would end up from a more planful look at the north side of Exc. Blvd. She added that she agreed with Commissioner Johnston-Madison’s call for prudence and taking some time in doing that might give everyone more of a chance to see what St. Louis Park wants going forward for that side of Exc. Blvd. Ms. Bergen said having six story residential probably makes sense. She spoke about the difficulty of coming out of Trader Joe’s and taking a left. She said there are too many lanes for signage about not blocking the intersection to be beneficial. It needs to be safe. She said she doesn’t mind traffic backing up in the name of safety. Ms. Bergen said she asked that safety be kept in mind going forward on plans for the intersection. Rebecca Phelan, 3944 Joppa Ave. S., said she is very concerned about more congestion and safety issues at Excelsior and Monterey. She said she is also Excerpts - Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission May 6, 2015 Page 5 concerned about the displacement of businesses. She asked that the Council look carefully at this and work on developing a plan that will serve the people of St. Louis Park. Hemant Nartsumam, 4525 Park Commons Dr., said he lived in the Trader Joe’s building. He asked about the anticipated construction time. He asked about B and C access points. He spoke about the traffic study and asked if there was analysis done about the bottlenecks. He said B and C would likely be peak bottleneck areas. He said trips taken have been studied but how about time spent in the vehicle. Mr. Mehl said approximately 14 months is anticipated for construction. Ms. Heiser discussed average time is based on counts taken at an intersection. Average delay is 19 seconds for A.M. peak at Excelsior and Monterey, Level Service B. Average delay is 30 seconds for P.M. peak, Level Service C. Levels C, D, and E are considered acceptable in a metropolitan area. Ms. Heiser stated that the traffic study details all the existing and proposed. The study reports there is no change, which means no noticeable change in the average level of services at time delay. Mr. Nartsuman said he agreed with Commissioner Johnston-Madison that more time needs to be taken to understand the implications of the proposal. Steve Frank, 3940 Joppa Ave. S., said he wanted to make some comments that he’s heard from other members of the community. He said it is very exciting that the city is so attractive to many developers and he is not anti-development. He added that the city needs to be smart on how it approaches development. He said he finds it difficult to understand how traffic studies for the Bridgewater site and the Bally’s site, in close proximity, indicate there will not be any change in service of traffic. He said many community members are concerned about this. Mr. Frank said he is concerned about the proposed height, sight lines, aesthetics, and look and feel in the community. He said he is also concerned about displacement of businesses and high rent. He said he agreed with Commissioner Johnston-Madison that the city needs to be planful and take the appropriate time for these large decisions that will impact the community. Mr. Griffiths, 3944 Natchez Ave. S., asked about taxes from the development. Mr. Kelley responded he doesn’t know tax details for residential and commercial uses. Typically the tax base would increase. Chair Person remarked that information wouldn’t come to the Planning Commission. Excerpts - Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission May 6, 2015 Page 6 Commissioner Johnston-Madison asked about Tax Increment Financing and the proposal. Sean Walther, Senior Planner, said he doesn’t know the tax rate or the measures expected but if there is a TIF request the city will review the pro forma for the development. He said a minimum assessment is required as part of an agreement with TIF. The Chair acknowledged correspondence received from Rosanne Farrell, 4525 Park Commons Drive, who mentioned many of the concerns brought forward by citizens at the public hearing. Correspondence was also received from Meghan Phimister and Andrea and Samir Bouzrara who noted similar concerns. The Chair closed the public hearing as there was no one else present wishing to speak. Commissioner Robertson said the amendment makes sense for the site but changing the Comp Plan helps facilitate the development which facilitates more traffic. The city needs to look at spots like Excelsior and Monterey and other growth areas in terms of traffic tie-ups. He commented the developer knows it’s going to be an uphill battle for this size of a building. The addition of affordable units is admirable but a larger building is necessary to make it work. He said he isn’t as concerned about the traffic counts, as these numbers are small in the bigger picture, but cut through and parking are issues. He said there will be a lot of review on the proposal coming up through the process and he does support the Comprehensive Plan change. Commissioner Kramer acknowledged Commissioner Robertson’s remarks. He spoke about existing traffic problems at the intersection and encouraged the developer to make the situation better, not worse. He said he would like to encourage affordable mom and pop business spaces. He said it is difficult for local non-chain businesses to get into new development spaces on Excelsior Blvd. Commissioner Johnston-Madison spoke about not having guidelines or a vision for the north side of Excelsior Blvd. at that intersection. She asked if mixed use should go on that corner. She asked if mixed use should be all along the north side of Excelsior. The north side hasn’t had a study like the south side of Excelsior Blvd. The Planning Commission needs to ask staff and City Council in a study session how the city is going define goals and vision of Exc. Blvd. east of Excelsior and Monterey. She said she is not convinced it should be mixed use. Commissioner Johnston-Madison suggesting tabling the request for further study. Excerpts - Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission May 6, 2015 Page 7 Chair Person said he agreed with remarks made by Commissioners Robertson and Kramer. He said concerns have been heard regarding Excelsior Boulevard for the past 1-2 years. He said he recommends approval for the Comprehensive Plan amendment, noting further review of the proposal will occur through future applications required. Commissioner Johnston-Madison made a motion recommending that taking into account comments from the public hearing that the Planning Commission table the request and consider it very soon in a study session with City Council whether this parcel should be MX, as well as the future vision of the north side of Excelsior Blvd. The motion failed for lack of a second. Commissioner Robertson made a motion to recommend approval of the Comprehensive Plan amendment. Commissioner Kramer seconded the motion, and the motion passed on a vote of 6-1 (Johnston-Madison opposed). EXCELSIOR AND MONTEREY DRIVENeighborhood Meeting 04/21/2015Perspective View - Excelsior & Monterey IntersectionExcelsior View - Looking West Monterey View - Residential EntryMonterey View - Looking North EXCELSIOR AND MONTEREY DRIVENeighborhood Meeting 04/21/2015Site Landscape Plan EXCELSIOR AND MONTEREY DRIVENeighborhood Meeting 04/21/2015Level 1 EXCELSIOR AND MONTEREY DRIVENeighborhood Meeting 04/21/2015Level 2 EXCELSIOR AND MONTEREY DRIVENeighborhood Meeting 04/21/2015South ElevationEast ElevationWest ElevationNorth Elevation Memorandum SRF No. 0158804 To: Ryan P. Kelley, CNU-A, Associate Planner City of St. Louis Park From: Matt Pacyna, PE, Senior Associate Jordan Schwarze, PE, Senior Engineer Date: May 1, 2015 Subject: 4400 Excelsior Boulevard Traffic Study Introduction SRF has completed a traffic study for the proposed 4400 Excelsior Boulevard development located in the City of St. Louis Park (see Figure 1: Project Location). The main objectives of this study are to review existing operations within the study area, evaluate the traffic impacts to the adjacent roadway network, and recommend any necessary improvements to accommodate the proposed development. The following sections provide the assumptions, analysis, and study conclusions/recommendations offered for consideration. Existing Conditions The existing conditions were reviewed to establish a baseline in order to identify any future impacts associated with the proposed development. The evaluation of existing conditions includes peak period intersection turning movement counts, field observations, and an intersection capacity analysis. Data Collection Peak period turning movement and pedestrian counts were collected by SRF during the week of March 23, 2015 at the following study intersections: • Excelsior Boulevard and Monterey Drive • Excelsior Boulevard and Kipling Avenue • Excelsior Boulevard and 36th-1/2 Street • Monterey Drive and Park Commons Drive • Monterey Drive and 36th-1/2 Street It should be noted that Minnetonka Boulevard over MN Highway 100 was closed at the time of these counts. However, traffic volumes within the study area did not appear to be impacted by the closure. Historical annual average daily traffic (AADT) volumes within the study area were provided by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). ONE CARLSON PARKWAY, SUITE 150 | MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55447 | 763.475.0010 | WWW.SRFCONSULTING.COM 0158804 May 2015 Project Location 4400 Excelsior Boulevard Traffic Study Saint Louis Park, MN Figure 1H:\Projects\8804\TS\Figures\Fig01_Project Location.cdr100 France AveExcel si o r Bl v d CSAH 2 5 Mo n t e r e y D r 36th St Belt Line BlvdProject LocationNORTHNorth Ryan P. Kelley, CNU-A May 1, 2015 City of St. Louis Park 4400 Excelsior Boulevard TS In addition to the intersection turning movement counts, observations were completed to identify roadway characteristics within the study area (i.e. roadway geometry, posted speed limits, and traffic controls). Currently, Excelsior Boulevard is a four-lane divided roadway with a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour (mph). Monterey Drive, north of Park Commons Drive, is a four-lane undivided roadway. South of Park Commons Drive, Monterey Drive is a two-lane divided roadway with turn lanes. The posted speed limit along Monterey Drive is 30 mph. Remaining study roadways are relatively low-speed, two-lane undivided local streets. The Excelsior Boulevard/Monterey Drive intersection is signalized and the other study intersections are side-street stop controlled. According to the St. Louis Park Comprehensive Plan, Excelsior Boulevard is functionally classified as a minor arterial (A Minor Augmentor). Monterey Drive is functionally classified as a major collector, while both 38th Street and Park Commons Drive are functionally classified as minor collectors. Other study roadways are functionally classified as local streets. Existing geometrics, traffic controls, and volumes within the study area are shown in Figure 2. Existing Intersection Capacity Analysis An existing intersection capacity analysis was completed to establish baseline conditions to which future traffic operations can be compared. The capacity analysis was completed for the a.m. and p.m. peak hours at the study intersections. The study intersections were analyzed using Synchro/SimTraffic software (V8.0). Capacity analysis results identify a Level of Service (LOS) which indicates how well an intersection is operating. Intersections are ranked from LOS A through LOS F. The LOS results are based on average delay per vehicle, which correspond to the delay threshold values shown in Table 1. LOS A indicates the best traffic operation, while LOS F indicates an intersection where demand exceeds capacity. Overall intersection LOS A though LOS D is generally considered acceptable in the Twin Cities area. Table 1. Level of Service Criteria for Signalized and Unsignalized Intersections LOS Designation Signalized Intersection Average Delay/Vehicle (seconds) Unsignalized Intersection Average Delay/Vehicle (seconds) A ≤ 10 ≤ 10 B > 10 - 20 > 10 - 15 C > 20 - 35 > 15 - 25 D > 35 - 55 > 25 - 35 E > 55 - 80 > 35 - 50 F > 80 > 50 Page 3 0158804 May 2015 Existing Conditions 4400 Excelsior Boulevard Traffic Study Saint Louis Park, MN Figure 2H:\Projects\8804\TS\Figures\Fig02_Existing Conditions.cdrExcel si o r Bl v dMo n t e r e y D r Kipling Ave36th-1/2 St Park C o m m o n s D rNORTHNorth XX (XX) - A.M. Peak Hour Volume - P.M. Peak Hour Volume - Pedestrian Peak Hour Volumes - Estimated Year 2015 Average Daily Traffic (ADT) Volumes - Side-Street Stop Control - Signalized Control LEGEND X,XXX Project Location K i p l i n g A v e 38th St4,200 36th- 1/ 2 St SLP Re c C e nt er Mo n t e r e y D r(8) 5(0) 0 (19) 3 180 ( 11 1)0 (0)6 ( 1 0) 3 ( 1 9 ) 3 6 3 ( 4 0 5 ) 2 ( 1 ) ( 8 2 ) 4 1 ( 7 3 6 ) 2 5 8 ( 1 ) 2 36th-1/2 St Excelsior Blvd(1,203) 469105 (73)697 (743)(18) 8 Excelsior Blvd4 (11)694 (708)4 (19)3 (23)(11) 3(43) 12(1,149) 449(8) 41 0 ( 1 1 ) 3 ( 1 ) 6 ( 2 ) (2 0 ) 7 (2 ) 3 (2 7 ) 1 3 Park C o m m o n s Dr Mon t e r e y D r (72) 6 7 (108) 4 0 3 0 1 ( 3 5 3 ) 2 6 ( 9 5 ) ( 6 0 7 ) 2 0 8 ( 1 5 8 ) 5 9 3 8 t h S t Excelsi or Bl v d 164 (195)548 (544)4 (6)0 (3)(38) 5(153) 49(827) 349 (43) 26 2 ( 5 ) 1 1 4 ( 1 0 0 ) 6 1 ( 5 4 ) ( 3 7 6 ) 1 1 7 ( 2 0 8 ) 6 4 ( 1 3 1 ) 6 7 Mo n t e r e y D r 19,2001 1 , 0 0 0 18,00 0 2,500 900X (X) 1 ( 0 )1 (7)3 ( 8 )0 (1)0 ( 1 )0 (5)0 ( 3 )0 (2)0 ( 0 )1 (10)0 ( 0 )4 (0) 0 ( 3 ) 0 (1) 2 ( 4 ) 0 (0) 1 (0)1 (4 ) Ryan P. Kelley, CNU-A May 1, 2015 City of St. Louis Park 4400 Excelsior Boulevard TS For side-street stop controlled intersections, special emphasis is given to providing an estimate for the level of service of the side-street approach. Traffic operations at an unsignalized intersection with side-street stop control can be described in two ways. First, consideration is given to the overall intersection level of service. This takes into account the total number of vehicles entering the intersection and the capability of the intersection to support these volumes. Second, it is important to consider the delay on the minor approach. Since the mainline does not have to stop, the majority of delay is attributed to the side-street approaches. It is typical of intersections with higher mainline traffic volumes to experience high levels of delay (i.e. poor levels of service) on the side-street approaches, but an acceptable overall intersection level of service during peak hour conditions. Results of the existing intersection capacity analysis shown in Table 2 indicate that all study intersections currently operate at an acceptable overall LOS C or better during the a.m. and p.m. peak hours. However, several queuing issues were observed in the field and traffic simulation. Southbound queues along Monterey Drive at Excelsior Boulevard were observed to extend through the adjacent Park Commons Drive intersection during the p.m. peak hour (i.e. approximately 10 to 15 percent of the p.m. peak hour). These queues impact motorists along Park Commons Drive as they attempt to access Monterey Drive, resulting in increased delay and queues. No other significant delay or queuing issues were observed in the field or traffic simulation at the study intersections. It should be noted that the queuing issues identified are existing issues and not related to the proposed development. Table 2. Existing Intersection Capacity Analysis Intersection A.M. Peak Hour P.M. Peak Hour LOS Delay LOS Delay Excelsior Boulevard and Monterey Drive B 19 sec. C 32 sec. Excelsior Boulevard and Kipling Avenue(1) A/B 10 sec. A/D 29 sec. Excelsior Boulevard and 36th-1/2 Street(1) A/A 4 sec. A/A 4 sec. Monterey Drive and Park Commons Drive(1) A/A 7 sec. A/D 32 sec. Monterey Drive and 36th-1/2 Street(1) A/A 7 sec. A/A 9 sec. (1) Indicates an unsignalized intersection with side-street stop control, where the overall LOS is shown followed by the worst approach LOS. The delay shown represents the worst side-street approach delay. Page 5 Ryan P. Kelley, CNU-A May 1, 2015 City of St. Louis Park 4400 Excelsior Boulevard TS Proposed Development The proposed development is located at 4400 Excelsior Boulevard in the City of St. Louis Park. The site is currently occupied by retail land uses, which are planned to be replaced. The proposed development (shown in Figure 3) consists of approximately 173 apartment units, 7,500 square feet of retail space, and a 10,000 square foot bank. Construction of the proposed development is expected to be complete by the end of the year 2016. It should be noted that onsite parking is currently proposed on three unconnected ramp levels served by different points of access. The base access scenario is proposed as follows: • Excelsior Boulevard: o Access A – A right-in/right-out access serving surface level parking (Level 1), located approximately 300 feet east of Monterey Drive  Access A is expected to replace an existing site access in the same location • Monterey Drive: o Access B – A full-access serving surface-level parking (Level 1), located approximately 270 feet north of Excelsior Boulevard o Access C – A full-access serving mid-level parking (Level P1), located approximately 410 feet north of Excelsior Boulevard  Access B and Access C are expected to replace an existing site access located along Monterey Drive approximately 185 feet north of Excelsior Boulevard • 36th-1/2 Street: o Access D – A full-access serving lower-level parking (Level P2), located approximately 190 feet west of Kipling Avenue  Access D is expected to utilize an existing cross access easement through the property immediately north of the proposed development An alternate access scenario was also reviewed. Further discussion regarding the alternate access scenario and general site access is documented later in this study. Year 2017 Conditions To help determine impacts associated with the proposed development, traffic forecasts were developed for year 2017 conditions (i.e. one year after expected completion). Year 2017 conditions take into account general area background growth and traffic generated by the proposed development. The evaluation of year 2017 conditions includes details on the traffic forecasts and an intersection capacity analysis. Page 6 0158804 May 2015 Site Plan 4400 Excelsior Boulevard Traffic Study Saint Louis Park, MN Figure 3H:\Projects\8804\TS\Figures\Fig03_Site Plan.cdrExcelsior BlvdMo n t e r e y D r Kipling Ave36th-1/2 StNORTHNorth Access A Access B Access C Access D Ryan P. Kelley, CNU-A May 1, 2015 City of St. Louis Park 4400 Excelsior Boulevard TS Year 2017 Traffic Forecasts To account for general background growth in the area, an annual growth rate of one-half percent was applied to the existing peak hour traffic volumes to develop year 2017 background traffic forecasts. This growth rate is consistent with historical growth in the study area (based on MnDOT AADT volumes). To account for traffic impacts associated with the proposed development, trip generation estimates for both the existing and proposed land uses were developed for the a.m. and p.m. peak hours and a daily basis. These estimates, shown in Table 3, were developed using a combination of the ITE Trip Generation Manual, Ninth Edition and peak period field observations. The existing trip generation estimates were developed to provide a comparison between existing and proposed land uses and to determine the approximate number of net new roadway system trips. Table 3. Trip Generation Estimates – Proposed Development Land Use Type ITE Code Size A.M. Peak Hour Trips P.M. Peak Hour Trips Daily Trips In Out In Out Existing Land Uses Retail(1) 820 – Shopping Center 9,000 Square Feet 5 3 16 17 384 890 – Furniture Store 9,000 Square Feet 1 0 2 2 46 Total Existing Site Trips (6) (3) (18) (19) (430) Proposed Land Uses Apartments 220 - Apartment 173 Dwelling Units 18 71 70 38 1,150 Retail 820 – Shopping Center 7,500 Square Feet 4 3 13 14 320 Bank 710 – Office Building 5,000 Square Feet 2 0 0 2 18 911 – Walk-In Bank 5,000 Square Feet 15 14 27 34 368 Subtotal 39 88 110 88 1,856 Modal Reduction (10%) (4) (9) (11) (9) (186) Total Site Trips 35 79 99 79 1,670 Pass-By Trip Reduction (Retail and Bank Only) (5) (5) (14) (14) (204) Existing Trip Reduction (6) (3) (18) (19) (430) Net New System Trips 24 71 67 46 1,036 (1) Trip generation estimates supported by a.m. and p.m. peak period field observations. Page 8 Ryan P. Kelley, CNU-A May 1, 2015 City of St. Louis Park 4400 Excelsior Boulevard TS It should be noted that a 10 percent modal reduction, based on the methodology described in the ITE Trip Generation Manual, Ninth Edition, was applied to account for available transit options in the vicinity of the proposed development (i.e. Metro Transit Routes 12, 114, and 615). Accounting for the modal reduction, the proposed development is expected to generate approximately 114 a.m. peak hour, 178 p.m. peak hour and 1,670 daily trips. Although a small number of apartment residents would be expected to visit the onsite retail and/or bank, no multi-use reduction factor was applied in order to provide a conservative trip generation estimate. Furthermore, no reductions for the future Southwest Light Rail Transit (SWLRT) Green Line Extension were included since it is not expected to be in operation until the year 2020. Further discussion regarding SWLRT is documented later in this study. The trips generated were distributed throughout the area based on the directional distribution shown in Figure 4, which was developed based on existing travel patterns and engineering judgment. The estimated development trips at each proposed site access location for the a.m. and p.m. peak hours are shown in Figure 5. It should be noted that a portion of the development trips are expected to be from vehicles already traveling along Excelsior Boulevard and Monterey Drive that will now divert their trips to the proposed development before continuing on to their destination (i.e. pass-by trips). To account for these trips, pass-by percentages for each land use from the ITE Trip Generation Manual, Ninth Edition were utilized. Taking into account these pass-by trips, as well as the existing site trips, the resultant net new traffic volume impact to the adjacent roadway system is approximately 95 a.m. peak hour, 113 p.m. peak hour, and 1,036 daily trips. The resultant year 2017 peak hour traffic forecasts, which include general area background growth and traffic generated by the proposed development, are shown in Figure 6. Year 2017 Intersection Capacity Analysis – Base Access Scenario To determine how the adjacent roadway network will accommodate year 2017 traffic forecasts, an intersection capacity analysis was completed using Synchro/SimTraffic software. Results of the year 2017 intersection capacity analysis shown in Table 4 indicate that all study intersections are expected to operate at an acceptable overall LOS C or better during the a.m. and p.m. peak hours with the existing geometric layout and traffic control. Southbound Monterey Drive queues at Excelsior Boulevard are expected to increase slightly during the p.m. peak hour (i.e. extending through the Park Commons Drive intersection approximately 15 to 20 percent of the p.m. peak hour). These queues will continue to impact access from Park Commons Drive, as well as Access B, to Monterey Drive during the p.m. peak hour. However, the side-street delays and queues along Park Commons Drive are relatively common during the p.m. peak hour and do not warrant mitigation, particularly given the spacing to the adjacent Excelsior Boulevard signalized intersection. Page 9 0158804 May 2015 Directional Distribution 4400 Excelsior Boulevard Traffic Study Saint Louis Park, MN Figure 4H:\Projects\8804\TS\Figures\Fig04_Directional Distribution.cdrExcel si o r Bl v dMo n t e r e y D r Kipling Ave36th-1/2 St Park C o m m o n s D rNORTHNorth 38th St 2 5% 40% 7.5%27.5% Excelsior BlvdMo n t e r e y D r Kipling Ave36th-1/2 St 0158804 May 2015 Development Trips - Base Access Scenario 4400 Excelsior Boulevard Traffic Study Saint Louis Park, MN Figure 5H:\Projects\8804\TS\Figures\Fig05_Development Trips - Base Access Scenario.cdrNORTHNorthMo n t e r e y D r 6 ( 2 3 ) ( 8 ) 2 XX (XX) - A.M. Peak Hour Volume - P.M. Peak Hour Volume - Site Access LEGENDMon t e r e y D r Acc es s C Acce s s B 8 ( 4)24 (13)4 ( 8 ) ( 9 ) 5 3 (9) 3 (1 0) A c c e s s A Excelsior Blvd10 (19)(2 6 ) 9 36th-1/2 St 6 (24)Access D(4) 8(13) 24(8) 2 0158804 May 2015 Year 2017 Conditions - Base Access Scenario 4400 Excelsior Boulevard Traffic Study Saint Louis Park, MN Figure 6H:\Projects\8804\TS\Figures\Fig06_Year 2017 Conditions - Base Access Scenario.cdrExcel si o r Bl v dMo n t e r e y D r Kipling Ave36th-1/2 St Park C o m m o n s D rNORTHNorth 38th St4,400(8) 5 (0) 0(19) 3190 (116) 0 ( 0) 6 ( 1 0) 3 ( 1 9 ) 3 7 9 ( 4 2 6 ) 2 ( 1 ) ( 9 1 ) 4 3 ( 7 6 1 ) 2 6 8 ( 1 ) 2 4 (11)705 (726)4 (19)3 (23)(18) 7(56) 15(1,171) 465(8) 41 0 ( 1 1) 4 ( 3 ) 7 ( 4 ) (2 5 ) 1 6 (3 ) 5 (3 4 ) 2 6 169 (208)568 (563)4 (8) 3 (1 0)(38) 5(175) 5 6 (848) 35 8 (43) 26 2 ( 5 ) 1 1 6 ( 1 0 4 ) 6 2 ( 5 5 ) ( 3 9 0 ) 1 2 8 ( 2 1 3 ) 6 8 ( 1 4 2 ) 8 1 19,7001 1 , 5 0 0 18,80 0 2,900 1,200(73) 6 8 (109) 4 0 3 1 1 ( 3 8 3 ) 2 6 ( 9 6 ) ( 6 2 6 ) 2 3 4 ( 1 6 0 ) 6 0 XX (XX) - A.M. Peak Hour Volume - P.M. Peak Hour Volume - Pedestrian Peak Hour Volumes - Estimated Year 2017 Average Daily Traffic (ADT) Volumes - Side-Street Stop Control - Signalized Control LEGEND X,XXX X (X) 3 8 t h S t Excelsi or Bl v dMo n t e r e y D r 1 ( 0 )1 (7)3 ( 8 )0 (1)K i p l i n g A v e Excelsior Blvd0 ( 1 )0 (5)0 ( 3 )0 (2)36th-1/2 St Excelsior Blvd0 ( 0 )1 (10)0 ( 0 ) 36th- 1/ 2 St SLP Re c C e nt er Mo n t e r e y D r4 (0) 0 ( 3 ) 0 (1) 2 ( 4 ) Park C o m m o n s Dr Mon t e r e y D r 0 (0) 1 (0)1 (4 )(1,230) 494108 (83)708 (761)(18) 8 Ryan P. Kelley, CNU-A May 1, 2015 City of St. Louis Park 4400 Excelsior Boulevard TS Table 4. Year 2017 Intersection Capacity Analysis – Base Access Scenario Intersection A.M. Peak Hour P.M. Peak Hour LOS Delay LOS Delay Excelsior Boulevard and Monterey Drive B 19 sec. C 34 sec. Excelsior Boulevard and Access A(1) A/A 5 sec. A/A 7 sec. Excelsior Boulevard and Kipling Avenue(1) A/B 13 sec. A/E 45 sec. Excelsior Boulevard and 36th-1/2 Street(1) A/A 4 sec. A/A 4 sec. Monterey Drive and Park Commons Drive/Access B(1) A/A 7 sec. A/E 48 sec. Monterey Drive and Access C(1) A/A 8 sec. A/C 15 sec. Monterey Drive and 36th-1/2 Street(1) A/A 7 sec. A/A 9 sec. 36th-1/2 Street and Access D(1) A/A 3 sec. A/A 3 sec. (1) Indicates an unsignalized intersection with side-street stop control, where the overall LOS is shown followed by the worst approach LOS. The delay shown represents the worst side-street approach delay. It should be noted that motorists along Park Commons Drive familiar with the area are likely to utilize alternate routes to the west versus accessing Monterey Drive via Park Commons Drive during the p.m. peak hour. Alternative routes in the area have sufficient capacity to accommodate any diversion. No other significant delay or queuing issues were observed in the field or traffic simulation at the study intersections. Therefore, given the minimal anticipated impact from the proposed development on study area traffic operations, no roadway improvements are required under year 2017 conditions from a traffic operations perspective. Alternate Access Scenario An alternate access scenario for the development has also been proposed that would route all residential trips through Access C and limit the number of trips through Access D and the adjacent property to the north. The alternate access scenario is proposed as follows: • Excelsior Boulevard: o Access A – No change • Monterey Drive: o Access B – No change o Access C – A full-access serving mid- and lower-level residential parking (Levels P1/P2)  It should be noted parking levels P1 and P2 would be connected under this alternate access scenario and that all residential traffic would be expected to utilize Access C • 36th-1/2 Street: o Access D – A full-access providing service/emergency access  Access D would still be expected to utilize an existing cross access easement through the property immediately north of the proposed development Page 13 Ryan P. Kelley, CNU-A May 1, 2015 City of St. Louis Park 4400 Excelsior Boulevard TS Considering the alternate access scenario, the estimated development trips were redistributed to the proposed site access locations and study intersections during the a.m. and p.m. peak hours as shown in Figure 7. The resultant year 2017 peak hour traffic forecasts under the alternate access scenario are shown in Figure 8. Year 2017 Conditions – Alternate Access Scenario Year 2017 Intersection Capacity Analysis – Alternate Access Scenario To determine how the adjacent roadway network will accommodate year 2017 traffic forecasts under the alternate access scenario, an intersection capacity analysis was completed using Synchro/ SimTraffic software. Results of the year 2017 intersection capacity analysis shown in Table 5 indicate that all study intersections are expected to operate at an acceptable overall LOS C or better during the a.m. and p.m. peak hours with the existing geometric layout and traffic control under the alternate access scenario. A slight increase in the 95th percentile queues (i.e. <10 feet) on the southbound approach of the Excelsior Boulevard/Monterey Drive intersection is expected under the alternate access scenario when compared to the base access scenario. This has an impact to motorists accessing Monterey Drive via Park Commons Drive/Access B. However, no mitigation is recommended as this is a similar situation to the base access scenario. Table 5. Year 2017 Intersection Capacity Analysis – Alternate Access Scenario Intersection A.M. Peak Hour P.M. Peak Hour LOS Delay LOS Delay Excelsior Boulevard and Monterey Drive C 20 sec. C 34 sec. Excelsior Boulevard and Access A(1) A/A 4 sec. A/A 9 sec. Excelsior Boulevard and Kipling Avenue(1) A/B 12 sec. A/D 27 sec. Excelsior Boulevard and 36th-1/2 Street(1) A/A 4 sec. A/A 4 sec. Monterey Drive and Park Commons Drive/Access B(1) A/A 7 sec. B/F 89 sec. Monterey Drive and Access C(1) A/A 9 sec. A/C 18 sec. Monterey Drive and 36th-1/2 Street(1) A/A 8 sec. A/B 11 sec. 36th-1/2 Street and Access D(2) N/A N/A N/A N/A (1) Indicates an unsignalized intersection with side-street stop control, where the overall LOS is shown followed by the worst approach LOS. The delay shown represents the worst side-street approach delay. (2) Access D is not expected to consistently generate development trips under the alternate access scenario. Page 14 Excelsior BlvdMo n t e r e y D r Kipling Ave36th-1/2 St 0158804 May 2015 Development Trips - Alternate Access Scenario 4400 Excelsior Boulevard Traffic Study Saint Louis Park, MN Figure 7H:\Projects\8804\TS\Figures\Fig07_Development Trips - Alternate Access Scenario.cdrNORTHNorthMo n t e r e y D r 1 2 ( 4 7 ) ( 1 6 ) 4 XX (XX) - A.M. Peak Hour Volume - P.M. Peak Hour Volume - Site Access LEGENDMon t e r e y D r Acc es s C Acce s s B 16 ( 9)48 (25)4 ( 8 ) ( 9 ) 5 3 (9) 3 (1 0) A c c e s s A Excelsior Blvd10 (19)(2 6 ) 9 36th-1/2 St *0 (0)Access D(0) 0*(0) 0*(0) 0* *Note: Access D is not expected to consistently generate development trips under the alternate access scenario. 0158804 May 2015 Year 2017 Conditions - Alternate Access Scenario 4400 Excelsior Boulevard Traffic Study Saint Louis Park, MN Figure 8H:\Projects\8804\TS\Figures\Fig08_Year 2017 Conditions - Alternate Access Scenario.cdrExcel si o r Bl v dMo n t e r e y D r Kipling Ave36th-1/2 St Park C o m m o n s D rNORTHNorth 38th St4,400(8) 5 (0) 0(19) 3182 (112) 0 ( 0) 6 ( 1 0) 3 ( 2 0 ) 3 8 7 ( 4 3 0 ) 2 ( 1 ) ( 8 3 ) 4 1 ( 7 6 9 ) 2 7 0 ( 1 ) 2 4 (11)708 (735)4 (19)3 (23)(18) 6(43) 12(1,176) 474(8) 41 0 ( 1 1) 3 ( 1 ) 7 ( 4 ) (2 0 ) 7 (2 ) 3 (2 7 ) 1 3 171 (217)555 (556)4 (7) 3 (11)(38) 5(187) 5 9 (835) 35 4 (43) 26 2 ( 5 ) 1 1 7 ( 1 0 7 ) 6 2 ( 5 5 ) ( 3 9 4 ) 1 3 7 ( 2 1 4 ) 7 0 ( 1 4 9 ) 9 4 19,7001 1 , 6 0 0 18,80 0 2,500 900(73) 6 8 (109) 4 0 3 1 7 ( 4 0 7 ) 2 6 ( 9 6 ) ( 6 3 8 ) 2 5 8 ( 1 6 0 ) 6 0 XX (XX) - A.M. Peak Hour Volume - P.M. Peak Hour Volume - Pedestrian Peak Hour Volumes - Estimated Year 2017 Average Daily Traffic (ADT) Volumes - Side-Street Stop Control - Signalized Control LEGEND X,XXX X (X) 3 8 t h S t Excelsi or Bl v dMo n t e r e y D r 1 ( 0 )1 (7)3 ( 8 )0 (1)K i p l i n g A v e Excelsior Blvd0 ( 1 )0 (5)0 ( 3 )0 (2)36th-1/2 St Excelsior Blvd0 ( 0 )1 (10)0 ( 0 ) 36th- 1/ 2 St SLP Re c C e nt er Mo n t e r e y D r4 (0) 0 ( 3 ) 0 (1) 2 ( 4 ) Park C o m m o n s Dr Mon t e r e y D r 0 (0) 1 (0)1 (4 )(1,230) 494106 (74)711 (770)(18) 8 Ryan P. Kelley, CNU-A May 1, 2015 City of St. Louis Park 4400 Excelsior Boulevard TS Southwest Light Rail Transit Green Line Extension The SWLRT Green Line Extension is expected to be operational between Minneapolis and Eden Prairie in the year 2020. The Beltline Station is expected to be constructed along the SWLRT route at Beltline Avenue approximately three-quarters of a mile north of the proposed development. While the SWLRT Beltline Station is expected to draw some site users to light rail, a significant increase in transit use to/from the proposed development is not anticipated. Rather, a slight redistribution of existing transit users to/from the proposed development is expected upon SWLRT opening. Site Plan/Access Review A review of the proposed site plan was completed to identify any issues and recommend potential improvements with regard to site access, traffic control, and circulation. Based on this review, the following issues were identified that should be discussed further and/or incorporated: 1) The proposed Access B does not align well with Park Commons Drive. a. Align Access B opposite Park Commons Drive to minimize vehicle conflicts and reduce driver confusion within the area. 2) Access B and Access C are proposed approximately 140 feet apart along Monterey Drive. According to MnDOT access spacing guidelines, the minimum recommended spacing along a collector roadway in an urban area is 330 feet. While the minimum recommended spacing guideline is not met, similar access spacing exists on other collector roadways in the City of St. Louis Park and the access can function adequately as currently shown. The following alternative access configurations could be considered based on discussion with project stakeholders, although not required to provide adequate operations: a. Consolidate Access B and Access C into one location if possible, directly across from Park Commons Drive to reduce potential conflicts. b. Restripe Monterey Drive to include a southbound left-turn lane at Access B and Access C, as well as construct a northbound right-turn lane into Access C to reduce potential conflicts. 3) Truck maneuverability should be reviewed to ensure that delivery/moving vehicles have adequate onsite accommodations. 4) Install “Do Not Block Intersection” signing at the Monterey Drive/Park Commons Drive intersection to minimize side-street queueing as southbound queues at the Excelsior Boulevard signalized intersection extend through Park Commons Drive. Page 17 Ryan P. Kelley, CNU-A May 1, 2015 City of St. Louis Park 4400 Excelsior Boulevard TS Adjacent Development An adjacent development at the site of a former Bally Total Fitness at 4900 Excelsior Boulevard is expected to be completed in approximately the same timeframe as the proposed development. The adjacent development is expected to consist of 189 apartment units and a 28,000 square foot grocery store. Trip generation estimates for both the existing and proposed land uses were developed for the a.m. and p.m. peak hours and a daily basis. These estimates, shown in Table 6, were developed using the ITE Trip Generation Manual, Ninth Edition. The existing trip generation estimates were developed to provide a comparison between existing and proposed land uses and to determine the approximate number of net new roadway system trips. Table 6. Trip Generation Estimates – Adjacent Development Land Use Type ITE Code Size A.M. Peak Hour Trips P.M. Peak Hour Trips Daily Trips In Out In Out Proposed Land Uses - 4900 Excelsior Boulevard Apartments 220 – Apartment 189 Dwelling Units 19 77 77 41 1,257 Grocery Store 850 – Supermarket 28,000 Square Feet 59 36 135 130 2,863 Subtotal 78 113 212 171 4,120 Multi-Use Reduction (10%) (8) (11) (21) (17) (412) Modal Reduction (10%) (8) (11) (21) (17) (412) Total Site Trips 62 91 170 137 3,296 Pass-By Trip Reduction (Grocery Store Only) (14) (14) (38) (38) (824) Existing Trip Reduction (Fitness Club) (14) (14) (40) (30) (658) Net New System Trips 34 63 92 69 1,814 The trip generation estimates for the adjacent development were not included in the year 2017 conditions analysis. However, the assumed background growth in the study area is expected to account for these adjacent development trips. It should be noted that the proposed grocery store is likely to serve a more immediate area and could potentially draw traffic away from the Trader Joes near the proposed development. The adjacent development at 4900 Excelsior Boulevard is expected to have minimal impact on traffic operations within the study area. Page 18 Ryan P. Kelley, CNU-A May 1, 2015 City of St. Louis Park 4400 Excelsior Boulevard TS Summary and Conclusions The following study conclusions and recommendations are offered for your consideration: • Results of the existing intersection capacity analysis indicate that all study intersections currently operate at an acceptable overall LOS C or better during the a.m. and p.m. peak hours. However, several queuing issues were observed in the field and traffic simulation: o Southbound queues along Monterey Drive at Excelsior Boulevard were observed to extend through the adjacent Park Commons Drive intersection during the p.m. peak hour (i.e. approximately 10-15 percent of the p.m. peak hour). These queues impact motorists along Park Commons Drive as they attempt to access Monterey Drive, resulting in increased delays and queues. o No other significant delay or queuing issues were observed in the field or traffic simulation at the study intersections. It should be noted that the queuing issues identified are existing issues and not related to the proposed development. • The proposed development is located at 4400 Excelsior Boulevard in the City of St. Louis Park. The site is currently occupied by retail land uses, which are planned to be replaced. The proposed development consists of approximately 173 apartment units, 7,500 square feet of retail space, and a 10,000 square foot bank. Construction of the proposed development is expected to be complete by the end of the year 2016. It should be noted that onsite parking is currently proposed on three unconnected ramp levels served by different points of access. Access to the development is proposed along Excelsior Boulevard, Monterey Drive, and 36th-1/2 Street. • To account for general background growth in the area, an annual growth rate of one-half percent was applied to the existing peak hour traffic volumes to develop year 2017 (i.e. one year after construction) background traffic forecasts. • The proposed development is expected to generate approximately 114 a.m. peak hour, 178 p.m. peak hour and 1,670 daily trips. This includes a 10 percent modal reduction to account for available transit options in the area. o Taking into account pass-by trips and trips generated by existing land uses which are already distributed to the adjacent roadway network, the resultant net new traffic volume impact is approximately 95 a.m. peak hour, 113 p.m. peak hour, and 1,036 daily trips. • Results of the year 2017 intersection capacity analysis (base access scenario) indicate that all study intersections are expected to operate at an acceptable overall LOS C or better during the a.m. and p.m. peak hours with the existing geometric layout and traffic control. o Southbound Monterey Drive queues at Excelsior Boulevard are expected to increase during the p.m. peak hour (i.e. extending through the Park Commons Drive intersection approximately 15 to 20 percent of the p.m. peak hour). These queues will continue to impact access from Park Commons Drive, as well as Access B, to Monterey Drive during the p.m. peak hour. However, the side-street delay and queues along Park Commons Drive are relatively common during the p.m. peak hour and do not warrant mitigation, particularly given the spacing to the adjacent Excelsior Boulevard signalized intersection. Page 19 Ryan P. Kelley, CNU-A May 1, 2015 City of St. Louis Park 4400 Excelsior Boulevard TS o It should be noted that motorists familiar with the area are likely to utilize alternate routes to the west versus accessing Monterey Drive via Park Commons Drive during the p.m. peak hour. Alternative routes in the area have sufficient capacity to accommodate any diversion. o No other significant delay or queuing issues were observed in the field or traffic simulation at the study intersections. Therefore, given the minimal anticipated impact from the proposed development on study area traffic operations, no roadway improvements are required under year 2017 conditions from a traffic operations perspective. • SWLRT operations, expected to begin in the year 2020, are likely to cause a slight redistribution of existing transit users to/from the proposed development. However, a significant increase in transit use to/from the proposed development is not anticipated as a result of SWLRT operations. • A review of the proposed site plan was completed to identify any issues and recommend potential improvements with regard to site access, traffic control, and circulation. Based on this review, the following issues were identified that should be discussed further and/or incorporated: o The proposed Access B does not align well with Park Commons Drive.  Align Access B opposite Park Commons Drive to minimize vehicle conflicts and reduce driver confusion within the area. o Access B and Access C are proposed approximately 140 feet apart along Monterey Drive. According to MnDOT access spacing guidelines, the minimum recommended spacing along a collector roadway in an urban area is 330 feet. While the minimum recommended spacing guideline is not met, similar access spacing exists on other collector roadways in the City of St. Louis Park and the access can function adequately as currently shown. The following alternative access configurations could be considered based on discussion with project stakeholders, although not required to provide adequate operations:  Consolidate Access B and Access C into one location if possible, directly across from Park Commons Drive to reduce potential conflicts.  Restripe Monterey Drive to include a southbound left-turn lane at Access B/Access C, as well as construct a northbound right-turn lane into Access C to reduce potential conflicts. o Truck maneuverability should be reviewed to ensure that delivery/moving vehicles have adequate onsite accommodations. o Install “Do Not Block Intersection” signing at the Monterey Drive/Park Commons Drive intersection to minimize side-street queueing as southbound queues at the Excelsior Boulevard signalized intersection extend through Park Commons Drive. • An adjacent development at 4900 Excelsior Boulevard is expected to consist of 189 apartment units and a 28,000 square foot grocery store. Trips for the adjacent development were not included in the year 2017 conditions analysis. However, the assumed background growth in the study area is expected to account for these adjacent development trips. The adjacent development is expected to have minimal impact on traffic operations within the study area. H:\Projects\8804\TS\Report\8804_4400ExcelsiorBlvdTrafficStudy_150501.docx Page 20