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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016/01/06 - ADMIN - Agenda Packets - Planning Commission - RegularAGENDA PLANNING COMMISSION COUNCIL CHAMBERS 6:00 P.M. JANUARY 6, 2016 1. Call to order – Roll Call 2. Approval of Minutes of October 21, 2015 3. Hearings A. Japs Olson West Expansion Comprehensive Plan Amendment, Rezoning, Plat and Conditional Use Permit Location: 7500 and 7630 Excelsior Boulevard Applicant: Japs Olson Company Case Nos.: 15-46-CP, 15-47-Z, 15-48-CUP, 15-49-S 4. Other Business A. Election of Chair and Vice Chair B. Resolution of Recognition Robert Kramer 5. Communications 6. Adjournment If you cannot attend the meeting, please call the Community Development Office, 952/924-2575. Auxiliary aids for individuals with disabilities are available upon request. To make arrangements, please call 952/924-2575 at least 96 hours in advance of meeting. UNOFFICIAL MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA October 21, 2015 – 6:00 p.m. COUNCIL CHAMBERS MEMBERS PRESENT: Lynne Carper, Claudia Johnston-Madison, Lisa Peilen, Richard Person, Carl Robertson, Joe Tatalovich, Ethan Rickert (youth member) MEMBERS ABSENT: Robert Kramer STAFF PRESENT: Sean Walther, Greg Hunt, Nancy Sells 1. Call to Order – Roll Call 2. Approval of Minutes of September 16, 2015 Commissioner Tatalovich moved approval of the minutes. Commissioner Peilen seconded the motion, and the motion passed on a vote of 4-0. (Commissioner Robertson arrived at 6:05 p.m. Commissioner Johnston-Madison arrived at 6:14 p.m.) 3. Other Business A. Consideration of Resolution – 4900 Excelsior TIF District Conformance with Comprehensive Plan Greg Hunt, Economic Development Coordinator, presented the staff report. Commissioner Peilen asked if TIF would have been applied for if there had not been extraordinary land costs. Mr. Hunt said the developer wouldn’t have applied for TIF if there had not been such an extraordinary amount of site preparation cost. Commissioner Carper asked if the PUD had received approval from the City Council. Sean Walther, Planning and Zoning Supervisor, responded that preliminary plat and preliminary PUD have been approved by the City Council. Final plat and final PUD requests are tentatively scheduled for City Council on November 2. Commissioner Peilen recommended approval of Resolution No. 87 finding the Tax Increment Financing Plans for the proposed 4900 Excelsior Tax Increment Financing District to be in conformance with the Comprehensive Plan of the City Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission October 21, 2015 Page 2 of St. Louis Park. Commissioner Carper seconded the motion, and the motion passed on a vote of 5-0. 4. Hearings A. Comprehensive Plan amendment and Rezoning for Proposed Daycare Location: 2460 Highway 100 Applicant: Alise McGregor Case No.: 15-43-CP and 15-44-Z Chair Person stated the application has been withdrawn by the applicant. B. Westside Center – Preliminary and Final Plat; Conditional Use Permit to Import Fill Location: 5320 W. 23rd St. Applicant: COB, LLC c/o Hillcrest Development, LLLP Case Nos.: 15-40-CUP and 15-41-S Sean Walther, Planning and Zoning Supervisor, presented the staff report. Commissioner Carper noted the square footage of the area is about 50,000 sq. ft. and that the new pond area is just short of 30,000 sq. ft. surface area. He also noted the plan indicates 2,485 cubic yards of fill and 2,498 cubic yards of flood storage capacity. He asked if the City had estimates of volumes of flooding in the past, such as a 10-year or 100-year event. Mr. Walther indicated the modeling done for the City considered a 100-year flood event, which is a 1% chance in any given year of flooding to reach a certain elevation. Commissioner Carper asked about drainage flow area. Mr. Walther said in general the site previously drained directly to the south and south west to the City’s land, and then east to a catch basin. The broader sub- regional drainage includes a larger area to the west of the site that slowly drains to the east overland and in stormwater pipes to Twin Lakes. He said after the development the broader area drainage patterns won’t change. However, the site drainage will now be directed to the new stormwater pond which will hold 100- year rain event and release the water at a slower rate to a broader stormwater system. Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission October 21, 2015 Page 3 Commissioner Carper asked if the areas of floodplain and storage pond will be fenced in. Mr. Walther responded that no fencing is proposed. Commissioner Carper asked if the new pond will be a standing body of water on a continuous basis or if it will be dry. Mr. Walther said in general it is a dry pond. Commissioner Carper asked for a review of the larger area, and a description of the south part of the property, land use, foliage and the location of homes on 25 ½ St. Mr. Walther showed an illustration and gave a review of the larger area. Commissioner Carper mentioned comments received regarding 25 ½ St. and flooding. He asked if the city has done anything to mitigate that in the existing area. Mr. Walther said there haven’t been any capital improvement projects to mitigate flooding. He noted in the past there was a larger study to explore options regarding potential flood storage to reduce flood risk to properties. Those options have not been pursued. Commissioner Carper asked about mitigation at Lamplighter Pond. Mr. Walther said that work was done before he was on staff. The city and church did expand the Lamplighter Pond and provided additional flood storage capacity as well as stormwater treatment. Commissioner Johnston-Madison spoke about the correspondence received from Charles Dahl, 5801 W. 25 ½ St., and asked if his concerns about flooding would be resolved by the new stormwater system. For the record Chair Person acknowledged correspondence received from Charles Dahl, 5801 W. 25 ½ St., regarding flood concern. Mr. Dahl suggested that instead of adding fill, creating additional storage capacity would be in order. Mr. Dahl also suggested a permeable surface parking lot. Mr. Walther said the letter was just received and he doesn’t know if the city engineer referred to in the letter was a current engineer or a previous engineer. Mr. Walther said if the area referred to in the letter is an area south of 25 ½ St. it may not be the same stormwater system currently being discussed. Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission October 21, 2015 Page 4 Commissioner Johnston-Madison asked if the city would investigate this with the homeowner. Mr. Walther said the neighborhood has asked for a meeting with the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD), which had the modeling completed for this project, as well as with the city engineer and himself. He said they have provided quite a bit of background material previously, as well as maps and explanations with our city engineer, but there has not been a sit down meeting for some time to review the details of the information provided. Scott Tankenoff, Managing Partner, Hillcrest Development, said since they have commenced redevelopment last September they have leases with 11 tenants at the property. 10-15% remains to be leased. He said they have hosted three neighborhood meetings and they have interacted with the neighborhood on an ongoing basis. They have provided additional real time site information for the community on a web page. Mr. Tankenoff spoke about the on-site parking need for Westside Center. He said Hillcrest has a policy of not pushing its parking loads into neighborhoods. He said the building has evolved into an employment center. Chair Person and Mr. Tankenoff spoke about the desire to open up the site to the existing bike trail. Chair Person opened the public hearing. Beth Chaplin, 5524 W. 25 ½ St., stated she believed she was speaking on behalf of several of the neighbors. She stated that neighbors were not at the May 20th public hearing for the first conditional use permit to fill in the floodplain. She said the work covered under the CUP involved removal of 500 trees, many of which are 100 ft. from their properties. The work added two acres of impervious surface onto the floodplain very near their properties known to have flooding concerns. The work involved the very large stormwater pond. Its southern border is less than 100 ft. from the Musolf property next door. Ms. Chaplin said the work has significantly affected their property values, quality of life and peace of mind. Ms. Chaplin stated residents weren’t at the May 20th hearing to raise these concerns because they didn’t know it was happening. She said a notice was sent out clearly stating that work was being done at the building, more than two blocks from their properties. The notice didn’t mention that the work would span an area of three acres and that it would stretch much further to the south. She said in early July huge trees began dropping behind their yards. She said to say they Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission October 21, 2015 Page 5 were shocked and alarmed is an understatement. She went on to say that of even greater concern the documents for City Council omitted their homes from the development property description. The map shows that there is a lengthy southern border but no mention of the dozen homes there. She said she has no idea why the address on the public notice was so misleading as to where the actual work would occur. Residents requested a meeting on July 21st and asked city staff if their properties had ever been considered in the preparation and discussions of the CUP by staff or Council members. The effects on their properties were never considered. She said there was another meeting in late July attended by about 20 residents and city staff. She said they expressed their concerns and left the meeting with what they thought was an agreement that staff would help residents by collaborating. She said there have been discussions, explanations and justifications, but as yet no real solutions offered by the city. Ms. Chaplin said the Hillcrest development staff has been engaged, active, communicative and empathetic to their concerns. She said Hillcrest has made some small changes since the work commenced. She asked given Hillcrest’s engagement since work began, had Hillcrest known, had residents known, had the Council known, about the potential negative effects on residential properties prior to approval of the first CUP, could Hillcrest have offered some greater solutions? She said the residents think so given the response they’ve received from Hillcrest but they’ll never know. Ms. Chaplin said every resident along 25 ½ St. will say a major reason they bought their homes was the forest, trees and habitat behind their properties. There was a beautiful, quiet buffer between them and the industrial area to the north. She said daily they now see and hear loud construction vehicles from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. She said even when construction activities end next year, because of the lumberyard and new ring road, they will continue to see and hear trucks and fork lifts pass just beyond their back yards 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., without the buffer that might have shielded their properties. She knows she couldn’t sell her house for the price it would have received in June. The map of the flood plain projected the flood zone stopped at the straight line of the southern property. The flood zone doesn’t stop there. Ms. Chaplin stated they have been asking for someone to take into account the full extent of the entire floodplain and drainage system. There is a very distinct slope to the west by the apartment building parking lot. She said she’s seen the water back up in the parking lot and the water fills in the ditch behind the houses and has come within 8-10 ft. of back doors. She said residents have received conflicting answers to many questions. She asked how three acres of impervious surface and stormwater pond will actually influence stormwater discharge to the south. Do we know for sure? She said the work on the current CUP isn’t scheduled to start until 2016. The neighbors ask to delay recommendation. Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission October 21, 2015 Page 6 Hillcrest is doing great work at the business development but the residents do mourn the loss of what they had and they worry about the potential flooding effects in the future. Ms. Chaplin stated they are asking to delay approval of the CUP until everyone is 100% certain that the activity covered in this CUP, along with June’s CUP, won’t exacerbate the flooding issues. They ask that the city fully commit to a more collaborative process to generate creative solutions to restore some of the property values; to hold collaborative discussions with residents to discern how to restore some of the quiet buffer between the properties and the ongoing noise and disruption from the new active commercial lumberyard. She said they do not want to battle with the city. They are asking for the city’s help. Nancy Gertner, 2837 Xenwood Ave. S., asked if the 531 caliper inches of trees would be tree plantings occurring in 2016 or if that is achieved from the trees growth in the future. Mr. Walther said 531 caliper inches are the total caliper inches of trees at the time they are planted and not when they are full grown. He showed the overall site plan and a variety of areas where plantings were preserved and where plantings will occur. Mr. Walther spoke about the tree replacement ordinance and he explained the formula. Lois Solomon, 5800 W. 25 ½ St., said she is concerned about the floodplain. She spoke about the former Sandoz parking lot proposal. She said she believes that was denied because the parking lot surface would have pushed water back to 25 ½ St. She asked about the depth of the new pond. She asked if there would be protection around the pond. Kristina Smitten, Hillcrest Development, said deciduous trees will be planted in the fall. The remainder of the plantings will occur in the spring. Regarding floodplain she stated that Hillcrest’s engineers focused on their site. She said Hillcrest does have permit approval from MCWD for the activities. The Army Corps of Engineers also reviewed the entire floodplain area. Commissioner Johnston-Madison asked if that approval process included testimony from residents. Ms. Smitten responded that those approvals include Hennepin County Conservation District and the Board of Water and Soil Resources, as well as MCWD’s own rules and regulations. That is the work they are required to do to for floodplain and impact. Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission October 21, 2015 Page 7 Mr. Walther said the MCWD sent notices to property owners within 600 ft. of the property. When MCWD did not receive any comments, questions or concerns within a certain time period they did not hold a public hearing. Bryan Ziegler, 2604 Webster, stated that he was disappointed to learn that the building expansion permit was approved without approval for adequate parking. Hillcrest is now removing a parking lot to expand a parking lot to take over wetland. He added that traffic for bikers is unbearable at times and dangerous. He spoke about the curving road and existing blind spots and the additional truck traffic to be created with the development. He recommended the developer make a public access for the trail head. Brian Skoog, 5500 W. 25 ½ St., asked about the length of the construction period. He noted that his wife is a private teacher in their home. He spoke about a full year of hardship for them due to constant noise and disruption. He asked if the upcoming CUP construction activities will be as significant as the previous CUP activities. Mr. Tankenoff responded that it is not expected to be as difficult and may last about seven weeks. Elizabeth Skoog, 5500 W. 25 ½ St., said their property would be the most affected if something happened in the floodplain. She pointed out the stormwater drainage next to her house. She said current construction activities and noise have come right along her house and it is like standing next to a highway. The loud noise and lights have been constant 24 hours a day. Ms. Skoog said this disruption has been very difficult as a piano teacher. She spoke about the loss of the tree buffer. She said she is also concerned about snow removal from the apartment building parking lot as snow gets moved right next to the stormwater pond. She hopes someone can speak to the apartment management so snow doesn’t get added to the pond. Mr. Tankenoff said Hillcrest wishes to begin construction activities soon as they need to complete leasing of the development. They can’t promise tenants parking if it doesn’t exist. He said they have retained professionals; they have worked with staff, communicated with neighbors. Through design and review they have taken into account surface, depth of storm pond and volume of storm pond. Delaying is not a good option. They have made changes where they can. They have taken into account what they can do practically and legally. He said he wasn’t sure what delaying does for the expansion of parking lot when it is provided for in the engineering, in the pond, and in the compensatory storage. The pond is nearly completed and the compensatory storage is built. These things are in place and exist on the property. Hillcrest has signed an agreement with Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission October 21, 2015 Page 8 MCWD whereby if these systems do not function as designed or are not maintained properly there is a bond. Delaying is not sensible. Ms. Smitten explained why using pavers on the project was not an option. Chair Person closed the public hearing as no one else was present wishing to speak. Commissioner Robertson said he was sympathetic with the neighbors’ worries and concerns. He stated he works with civil engineers and hydrologists on a daily basis. In an era of change in environment it’s always hard to say what is the 100-year flood, what is the 100-year cycle. He said based on the best modeling they can do he has a lot of trust that they have taken into account the situation. He said he didn’t think delaying would come up with any different answers. It has been engineered. The trees have already been removed and more trees are being planted. It will take a while before the trees grow. He said that property owner has a right to remove trees. That is the hard reality. Commissioner Robertson said he would vote for approval. Commissioner Johnston-Madison asked about the number of meetings held with neighbors and said she didn’t understand why there were still doubts about the engineering. We know nothing can be guaranteed 100%. Mr. Walther reviewed the meeting and communications schedule. He said he couldn’t speculate on the reasons for neighborhood’s remaining doubts regarding the engineering other than their past experiences with flood has been disruptive, concerning and serious. Commissioner Carper said he would be recommending approval of the plat. Commissioner Carper commented that the project will slightly increase by cubic yards the holding area. He said he was sympathetic and empathetic with the neighbors regarding trees. The property owner can remove trees. There is no control over that. The City has ordinances regarding tree replacement. Chair Person spoke about the recent Benilde athletic field expansion and stormwater management. He asked Mr. Walther to discuss it. Mr. Walther said he was not the lead staff person on the project and he was not prepared to explain how it was designed. He said similar design and engineering went into that project as Benilde was moving around both wooded areas and wet areas on their site to accommodate the proposed field. Unofficial Minutes Planning Commission October 21, 2015 Page 9 Commissioner Johnston-Madison summarized the Hillcrest design and stormwater calculations and suggested that residents may want a copy of the staff report and documents to review. Commissioner Robertson made a motion recommending approval of the Preliminary and Final Plat of Westside Center Izzie Addition, subject to conditions. Commissioner Carper seconded the motion, and the motion passed on a vote of 6-0. Commissioner Robertson made a motion recommending approval of the Conditional Use Permit to import approximately 2,785 cubic yards of fill material, including 1,229 cubic yards of fill in the floodplain district, subject to conditions. Commissioner Peilen seconded the motion, and the motion passed on a vote of 5-1 (Tatalovich opposed). 5. Communications A. Proposed City Commission Annual Meeting with Council Program Mr. Walther explained that commissioners are being asked to provide feedback regarding the City Council’s Annual Meeting with Commissions. B. Correspondence 6. Adjournment Respectfully submitted, Nancy Sells Senior Office Assistant Planning Commission Meeting Date: January 6, 2016 Agenda Item 3A 3A. Japs-Olson West Expansion Case No.: 15-46-CP, 15-47-Z, 15-48-CUP, 15-49-S Location: 7500 and 7630 Excelsior Blvd. Applicant: Japs-Olson Company Robert Murphy, Chairman Recommended Action: Close the public hearing. Motion to recommend approval of the application for a Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map Amendment as recommended by Staff. Motion to recommend approval of the application to amend the Zoning Map, as recommended by Staff. Motion to recommend approval of the preliminary and final plat of Japs Olson Addition, subject to conditions recommended by Staff. Motion to recommend approval of a major amendment to a Special Permit to approve a 192,000 square foot expansion, subject to conditions recommended by Staff. Motion to approve a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the export/import of more than 400 cubic yards of material, subject to conditions recommended by Staff. Requests: 1. Comprehensive Plan Amendment. The request is to amend the land use map to reflect the changes resulting from the recent municipal border adjustment between the City of St. Louis Park and the City of Hopkins. The land attached to St. Louis Park will be added to the map and guided Industrial, the land detached from St. Louis Park will be removed from the map. 2. Zoning Map Amendment. The request is to amend the zoning map to reflect the changes resulting from the recent border adjustment between the City of St. Louis Park and the City of Hopkins. The land attached to St. Louis Park will be added to the map and zoned General Industrial (IG), the land detached from St. Louis Park will be removed from the map. 3. Preliminary/Final Plat of Japs Olson Addition. The request is for approval of a preliminary and final plat that consolidates two unplatted properties into one platted lot. 4. Major Amendment to a Special Permit. The request is for a major amendment to an existing special permit to allow a 192,000 square foot addition. 5. Conditional Use Permit. The request is for a CUP to allow the export/import of more than 400 cubic yards of material. Comprehensive Plan (existing & proposed): Industrial Zoning (existing & proposed): General Industrial (IG) Neighborhood: Meadowbrook Agenda Item No. 3A. Japs-Olson Company Page 2 Meeting Date: January 6, 2016 Location: Background: The Japs-Olson business is operating under a Special Permit that was approved in 1987. A variance was granted in 1989 to reduce the amount of required parking spaces from 639 spaces to 586 spaces. The Special Permit was amended in 1994 to allow an addition to the building, and another variance was approved in 1996 to allow a further parking reduction from 815 spaces to 586 spaces. The applicant is proposing to expand its facility in the following two phases: Phase 1: Off-site parking lot. In June of 2015, a CUP was approved to allow the required parking to be met on a parcel located on the east side of Meadowbrook Rd. The CUP approval included a reduction in the required parking from 1,120 parking spaces to 825 parking spaces. The parking lot project was completed in the fall of 2015. Phase 2: Building expansion (current application). Construction of a 192,000 square foot addition. If approved, the expansion is planned to be completed in 2016. The expansion will be constructed on the west side of the building where the old parking lot is located, which necessitated the construction of the new parking lot in Phase 1. The proposed expansion also required the acquisition of a property located in the City of Hopkins, the relocation of the municipal boundary between the City of St. Louis Park and the City of Hopkins, and the combination of the properties into one lot. Agenda Item No. 3A. Japs-Olson Company Page 3 Meeting Date: January 6, 2016 The exhibit below illustrates the relocation of the municipal boundary. This was approved by both cities in October of 2015, and approved by the State of Minnesota in November of 2015. Municipal Boundary Change: 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. Before the building can be constructed, the property now in St. Louis Park has to be guided “Industrial” in the Comprehensive Plan land use map, zoned “General Industrial” in the Zoning Map, and combined into one platted lot. The existing Special Permit also has to be amended to reflect the expansion, and a CUP has to be approved to allow for the removal of 35,000 cubic yards of material. Each application is summarized below in the required order of approval. Agenda Item No. 3A. Japs-Olson Company Page 4 Meeting Date: January 6, 2016 Comprehensive Plan Amendment: The Comprehensive Plan land use map amendment is required to provide a land use designation for the land now in St. Louis Park, and to remove the properties from the land use map that are now located in the City of Hopkins as a result of the municipal boundary adjustment. Staff recommends an “Industrial” land use designation for the properties now in St. Louis Park as they are adjacent to properties guided “Industrial”, and the applicant intends to use the property in an industrial manner. See illustration below. Agenda Item No. 3A. Japs-Olson Company Page 5 Meeting Date: January 6, 2016 Zoning Map Amendment: The zoning map amendment is required to provide a zoning designation for the land now in St. Louis Park, and to remove the properties from the zoning map that are now located in the City of Hopkins as a result of the municipal boundary adjustment. Staff recommends a “General Industrial” zoning designation for the properties now in St. Louis Park as they are adjacent to properties zoned “General Industrial”, and the applicant intends to use the property in an industrial manner consistent with that zoning district. See illustration below. Agenda Item No. 3A. Japs-Olson Company Page 6 Meeting Date: January 6, 2016 Preliminary/Final Plat: The applicant owns two properties. The larger property, approximately 383,447 square feet is improved with the current Japs-Olson production facility. The other is approximately 84,310 square feet. Both properties are unplatted. The applicant is requesting to combine the properties into one lot. This requires approval of a combined preliminary/final plat, and the vacation of existing drainage and utility easements. Preliminary/Final Plat: The result of the plat will be one property, Lot 1, Block 1, Japs Olson Addition. The lot will be 22.2895 acres. A copy of the preliminary and final plat is attached for your review. The lot is surrounded on all sides by public streets. Ten foot wide drainage and utility easements will be dedicated around the perimeter of the lot. The utility companies and staff have reviewed the plat and are recommending approval. The Hennepin County review is still underway, and it is expected to provide comments by the date of the Planning Commission meeting. Drainage/Utility Easements: There are two easements located on the properties that will have to be vacated prior to construction of the addition. Both easements are illustrated below. The blue line identifies an easement for an existing public water main. The water main will be relocated to Powell Road, to accommodate the construction of the addition. The proposal is to vacate the easement with the condition that the water main is relocated. Once it is relocated, city staff will complete the vacation process by recording the ordinance. The red line represents a stormwater utility that will likewise be relocated and vacated prior to construction of the addition. The ordinance to vacate the easements requires a public hearing at the City Council meeting, so action is not required by the Planning Commission. The orange line represents a railroad spur easement that is shown on the preliminary plat. It was vacated in 1998, so no further action is needed. Agenda Item No. 3A. Japs-Olson Company Page 7 Meeting Date: January 6, 2016 Major Amendment to the Special Permit: The Special Permit was originally approved in 1987 to facilitate a building expansion. The Special Permit is now required to be amended for the same reason, to facilitate the proposed 192,000 square foot expansion. Parking Counts: The parking lot required for the expansion was already approved by the City in June of 2015, and the parking lot was completed in the fall. The approval included a reduction of 295 parking spaces from the amount of parking spaces required by the zoning ordinance. A breakdown of the approved parking is illustrated in the table to the right. The parking lot was completed with 823 parking spaces. Two spaces were lost when the stormwater pond was reshaped into a more aesthetically pleasing and natural shape. Therefore, two spaces will be added to a parking lot located on the Japs-Olson property on the west side of Meadowbrook Rd. This will preserve the 825 required parking spaces approved by the city in 2015. The off-site parking lot is protected by a covenant recorded at Hennepin County that binds this parking lot to the Japs-Olson facility located on the west side of Meadowbrook Rd. Therefore, the parking lot cannot be redeveloped leaving the Japs-Olson facility non-compliant to the parking requirements. 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. All bicycle parking spaces were installed with the parking lot improvement. Setbacks: The property is surrounded on all sides by public right-of-way. Therefore, staff was required to make a determination as to which lot line would be considered the front lot line, rear lot line, and side lot lines. The building is oriented toward Excelsior Blvd, and Excelsior Blvd is the higher classified street, “Minor Reliever”, compared to Meadowbrook Rd which is a “Minor Collector”, and Powell Rd which is a “Local Street”. Therefore, staff determined that the lot line adjacent to Excelsior Blvd should be considered the front lot line. By definition, this makes the north property line, along Powell Rd, the rear lot line, and the west and east property lines the side lot lines. The required, existing, and proposed setbacks, resulting from this determination, are illustrated in the table below. 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. Japs-Olson Company Page 8 Meeting Date: January 6, 2016 Access: The property currently has four driveway access points on Excelsior Blvd, and six driveway access points on Powell Road, one of which is 120 feet wide. The applicant is proposing to remove two of the access points from Excelsior Blvd. The remaining two will provide access for a reconstructed and expanded parking lot located in front of the building. This parking lot provides convenient parking for visitors and office staff. Four of the access points on Powell Rd, including the 120-foot wide access, are proposed to be removed. This leaves two driveways to provide access for the docks located on the northwest side of the building. Landscaping: The landscaping ordinance requires the greater of one tree per 50 feet of site perimeter (79 trees), or 1 tree per 1,000 square feet of building area (192 trees). At the time of this report, the applicant is revising the plan to show most of the trees planted on this site. Due to the volume of trees required, they are looking to plant some of the trees on the parking lot site east of Meadowbrook Rd. Staff agrees that planting some of the trees on the parking lot site located on the east side of Meadowbrook Rd will improve the landscaping and aesthetics of the large parking lot. Stormwater: The applicant and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) reached an agreement to direct most of the stormwater generated by this site to a regional pond located on a property owned by the MCWD in Hopkins. In 2015, the MCWD constructed the infrastructure required to accomplish this. The remaining stormwater that is not going to the MCWD site, will be directed to the new stormwater pond constructed on the parking lot site, east of Meadowbrook Rd. The infrastructure required to direct the stormwater to this pond was also constructed in 2015. The City Engineering Department has determined that as a result of the MCWD agreement, and the infrastructure improvements completed in 2015, stormwater storage is not required on this site. All stormwater treatment requirements will be met off-site. Architecture: The existing building consists of brick, stone, and glass and is therefore approximately 100% class 1 materials. The proposed addition is designed to blend with the existing building by utilizing concrete panels with matching brick inlays, glass panels, and acid etching. The brick and glass panels meet the class 1 criteria. The acid etching qualifies as a class 2 material. City Code requires at least 60% of the elevation along Excelsior Blvd to meet the class 1 materials. The combination of the existing and proposed elevation is 76% class 1, consisting of brick, stone, and glass. Required Setback Setback Proposed Addition Setback Existing Building Front 20 feet 20 feet 63 feet Rear 10 feet N/A 65 feet Side-West 15 feet 17 feet 257 feet Side-East 15 feet N/A 6 feet Agenda Item No. 3A. Japs-Olson Company Page 9 Meeting Date: January 6, 2016 City Code allows the building elevation along Powell Rd, to be reduced to 25% class 1 materials. The combination of the existing and proposed elevations is 62% class 1, consisting of brick and glass. The architectural standards section of the code also requires a visual deviation along long walls. The depth of the deviation is determined by the ratio of building height to length between the deviations. A 1:2 ratio requires the deviation to be two feet deep. A 1:3 ratio requires the depth to be increased to 3 feet, a 1:4 ratio requires the depth to be increased to 4 feet. This requirement is often met by installing pilasters. The applicant is requesting an appeal from this provision. They would like to install glass panels that do not meet the depth requirement, but are considerably wider than the pilasters would have been. The pilasters would have been approximately two feet wide, and they would not match any architectural element of the existing building. The glass panels will be eight feet wide, and match the existing windows on the south side of the building, thereby tying the architecture of the proposed building to the existing building. The glass panels are not windows, but spandrel glass, however the dark tinting of the spandrel glass will match the tinting of the windows on the existing building (see photo below). Windows cannot be used on the addition due to the impact sunlight has on the printing process. Conditional Use Permit Analysis - Excavation: A CUP is required when more than 400 cubic yards of material are removed from a site. The construction of the addition will require the removal and replacement of approximately 35,000 cubic yards of soil. This equates to about 2,000 truckloads. The haul route to remove the material will include Powell Rd to Excelsior Blvd to Hwy 100. A copy of the Haul Route is attached. Agenda Item No. 3A. Japs-Olson Company Page 10 Meeting Date: January 6, 2016 Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the amendments to the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map and the Zoning Map. Staff Recommends approval of the Preliminary and Final Plat of Japs Olson Addition, subject to the following conditions: 1. The site shall be developed, used and maintained in accordance with the City Council resolution, Official Exhibits, Development Agreement and City Code. 2. All utility service structures shall be buried. If any utility service structure cannot be buried (i.e. electric transformer), it shall be integrated into the building design and 100% screened from off-site. 3. A financial security in the form of a cash escrow or letter of credit in the amount of $1,000 shall be submitted to the City to insure that a signed Mylar copy of the final plat is provided to the City. 4. Prior to starting any land disturbing activities, the following conditions shall be met: a. Proof of recording the final plat shall be submitted to the City. b. Assent Form and Official Exhibits must be signed by the applicant and property owner(s). Staff Recommends approval of the major amendment to the Special Permit to allow for a 192,000 square foot addition, with the following conditions: 1. The off-site parking lot located at 7400 Excelsior Blvd shall be protected by a permanent and recorded covenant that preserves the parking spaces, and access to them for the facility at 7500 Excelsior Blvd. 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: Grading & Drainage Plan d. Exhibit D: Building and Floor Plan 3. Spandrel glass panels as illustrated in the approved building plans are approved as substitutes to the deviation requirements of the architectural section of the zoning ordinance. 4. The number of parking spaces required for the building as described in Exhibit A is reduced to 825 spaces. 5. One marked crosswalk located mid-block on Meadowbrook Road is allowed. The crosswalk shall be installed and maintained by the property owner consistent with City specifications. 6. Prior to starting any land disturbing activities, the following conditions shall be met: a. Proof of recording the final plat shall be submitted to the City. b. Assent Form and Official Exhibits must be signed by the applicant and property owner(s). c. Final construction plans for all public improvements shall be signed by a registered engineer and submitted to the City Engineer for review and approval. d. A preconstruction meeting shall be held with the appropriate development, construction, private utility, and City representatives. e. All necessary permits must be obtained. f. A performance guarantee in the form of cash escrow or irrevocable letter of credit shall be provided to the City of St. Louis Park for all public improvements (sidewalks, utilities, street lights, landscaping, irrigation, etc.) and private site landscaping. Agenda Item No. 3A. Japs-Olson Company Page 11 Meeting Date: January 6, 2016 7. All trucks used for excavation and removal of materials shall abide by the approved haul route. 8. The site shall meet all fire lane requirements. 9. 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. Staff Recommends approval of the Conditional Use Permit to allow the excavation of approximately 35,000 cubic yards of soil, with the following conditions: 1. All necessary permits must be obtained, including from the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD). 2. All trucks used for excavation and removal of materials shall abide by the approved haul route. 3. The site shall be kept free of dust and debris that could blow onto neighboring properties. 4. Public streets shall be maintained free of dirt and shall be cleaned as necessary. 5. A financial guarantee shall be submitted to ensure the streets are kept clear and to repair sidewalks, curbs, streets, and other public facilities that are damaged resulting from the grading and/or hauling activities. Attachments: Aerial Photo Preliminary and Final Plat Development Plans Haul Route Prepared by: Gary Morrison, Assistant Zoning Administrator Reviewed by: Sean Walther, Sr. Planner Agenda Item No. 3A. Japs-Olson Company Page 12 Meeting Date: January 6, 2016 AERIAL PHOTO RESOLUTION NO. 88 RESOLUTION OF THE ST. LOUIS PARK PLANNING COMMISSION In Recognition of Your Distinguished 11 Years of Service Toward Planning the Future of the City of St. Louis Park including Service as Chair and Vice-Chair of the Planning Commission The Planning Commission Hereby Provides This Resolution of Commendation and Appreciation To ROBERT KRAMER Adopted by the Planning Commission January 6, 2016 ___________________________ ____________________________ Lynne Carper Richard Person ___________________________ ____________________________ Claudia Johnston-Madison Carl Robertson ___________________________ ____________________________ Lisa Peilen Joe Tatalovich ATTEST: ___________________________ Sean Walther Planning and Zoning Supervisor