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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016/04/20 - ADMIN - Minutes - Planning Commission - Regular OFFICIAL MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA APRIL 20, 2016 – 6:00 p.m. COUNCIL CHAMBERS MEMBERS PRESENT: Lynne Carper, Claudia Johnston-Madison, Torrey Kanne, Lisa Peilen, Richard Person, Carl Robertson, Joe Tatalovich, Ethan Rickert (youth member) MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: Gary Morrison, Sean Walther OTHERS PRESENT: Soren Mattick, Campbell Knutson Amy Schutt, Campbell Knutson 1. Call to Order – Roll Call 2. Approval of Minutes of March 16, 2016 Commissioner Robertson made a motion to recommend approval of the minutes of March 16, 2016. Commissioner Peilen seconded the motion, and the motion passed on a vote of 4-0-2 (Carper and Tatalovich abstained). Commissioner Person arrived at 6:03 p.m. 3. Public Hearings A. Conditional Use Permit – Marriott Minneapolis West Hotel Location: 9970 Wayzata Boulevard Applicant: GSH MPLS Full Service, LLC Case No.: 16-12-CUP Gary Morrison, Assistant Zoning Administrator, presented the staff report. He stated that the request for conditional use permit is made to construct a second hotel on the Marriott hotel site. He discussed the existing access points. He explained that the southernmost driveway will be closed as a result of the proposal, leaving one access on Shelard Parkway, and one on the frontage road. He said at the request of the city Engineering Department the applicant has agreed to relocate the existing northern driveway 40 feet north to line up with a driveway for the office building on the other side of Shelard Parkway. This will improve safety by creating a more conventional intersection. Mr. Morrison discussed parking, bicycle parking, landscaping, Designed Outdoor Recreation Area (DORA), exterior materials and stormwater. Official Minutes Planning Commission April 20, 2016 Page 2 Mr. Morrison spoke about the neighborhood meeting held on April 12, 2016. Topics included the generator, trees, trash and driveway relocation. He said residents of the Coach Homes development expressed concerns about visibility problems when leaving their driveway. Staff has conveyed this concern to the Engineering Dept. Mr. Morrison said residents expressed a desire to see some improvements in the park. Concern was also expressed about lights from cars entering the property from Shelard. He spoke about agreements made by the applicant to address park improvements and car lights. Commissioner Person asked about trends in parking stall width. He asked if any on-site stormwater management, such as pavers, was planned. He asked if some electric car charging stations will be installed. Mr. Morrison responded that the standard parking stall lot width is 8 ½ feet. Compact stall width is 8 feet. He said no impervious pavers are proposed for the project, but, as a result of the project the impervious surface will be decreased slightly. He added that the whole site drains to the pond in the park as part of the stormwater system. Commissioner Tatalovich asked for specifics regarding neighborhood desire for park improvements. Mr. Morrison responded that residents didn’t get into specifics. He said moving forward there will be a conversation with Operations and Recreation Dept. staff and residents to see what is desired. One conversation will be about a community garden. Commissioner Carper asked about proposed sidewalks and pathways for the site. Mr. Morrison said there is currently a trail along the east side of Shelard Parkway. A sidewalk and trail will be installed along the south property line. He illustrated connections from the frontage road and the park. Scott Peterson, Senior Director of Development, CSM, introduced the development team. Mark Kronbeck, Alliant Engineering, answered Chair Johnston-Madison’s question about bike stalls and showed the locations. Mr. Kronbeck said no electric charging stations are in the current plan. Most guests arrive using rental cars. Commissioner Carper asked about lighting. Official Minutes Planning Commission April 20, 2016 Page 3 Mr. Kronbeck said the current site lighting uses halogen bulbs and currently the plan is to maintain the existing lighting. Two poles will be relocated. They are considering LED lighting, but the decision hasn’t been made. The Chair opened the public hearing. Marcia Weber, 491 Shelard Parkway, #201, asked about the two entrances into the hotel currently. Will they be moved? Will the parking lot lighting affect residents living just opposite the parking lot driveway? Mr. Morrison said the southern driveway will be removed and the northern driveway will be located 40 feet to the north so it lines up with the driveway for the office building across the street. He spoke about the lighting plan. He said great care was taken to greatly reduce the spillover lighting to the property to the north. He said the code does allow a little bit of spillover but the proposed plan reduces spillover such that the light level should be 0 foot candle at the curb line. Jane Dewing, 491 Shelard Parkway, said her greatest concern is the visibility problem when exiting the driveways. She said visibility has been a long standing problem for residents. She said with more traffic in the area, including bar traffic, and one driveway being eliminated and the other moved closer to the condo driveway, the visibility situation will be even worse. She said the community is older or disabled. She suggested signage indicating blind driveways. She said she has spoken with the Engineering Dept. for a plan. Jia You, 462 Ford Road, #406, said she is very concerned about construction traffic and noise. She said truck traffic and truck deliveries are already very noisy and it wakes up her baby. Sean Walther, Planning and Zoning Supervisor, said hours are limited to 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekends and holidays. He added that in general the actual construction activity does not extend that late. Mr. Peterson, CSM, said they are managing a full service hotel directly adjacent to the proposed site so they do want to keep noise down. Excavation should be minimal as construction will be slab on grade on existing grade. As no one else was present wishing to speak the Chair closed the public hearing. Commissioner Person asked about trends in traffic counts in the area. He asked how many housing units are in the Shelard area. Official Minutes Planning Commission April 20, 2016 Page 4 Mr. Walther responded that there isn’t a traffic study for the area. Traffic counts are done approximately every three years. He said he doesn’t have housing numbers but it is a high density area of multifamily and office development. Commissioner Peilen thanked the residents for their remarks and attendance. She said the concerns raised at the neighborhood meeting are included in the staff report. She said those concerns are taken seriously and are addressed by staff. She said she couldn’t support the request unless the concerns were taken seriously and addressed. Commissioner Robertson made a motion recommending approval of the Conditional Use Permit subject to conditions recommended by staff. Commissioner Carper seconded the motion, and the motion passed on a vote of 7- 0. 4. Other Business Mr. Walther noted that a letter dated March 20, 2016, from Diane Mundt, 3709 Grand Way, #216, was included in the agenda packet. 5. Communications 6. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 p.m. A study session began at 6:45 p.m. City Attorney Soren Mattick presented a Planning Commissioner training. Topics discussed included the role and responsibility of Planning Commissioners, conditional use permits, variances, crafting effective findings for recommendations, and relevant sample case studies. The meeting adjourned at approximately 8 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Nancy Sells Recording Secretary