Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024/10/28 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study SessionOfficial minutes City council study session St. Louis Park, Minnesota Oct. 28, 2024 The meeting convened at 6:01 p.m. Council members present: Paul Baudhuin, Tim Brausen, Sue Budd, Yolanda Farris, Lynette Dumalag, Margaret Rog, Mayor Nadia Mohamed Council members absent: none Staff present: City manager (Ms. Keller), community engagement coordinator, (Mr. Coleman), planning manager (Mr. Walther), housing supervisor (Ms. Olson), community development director (Ms. Barton) Guests: Mia Divecha, chair of the planning commission and board of zoning appeals (BOZA); Thom Miller, chair of the housing authority commission; Kyle Wermerskirchen, member of the fire civil service, Stuart Williams, president of the fire civil service Discussion items. 1. Statutory boards annual meeting preparation discussion. Mr. Coleman presented the staff report. The statutory boards and council members introduced themselves. Mia Divecha, Thom Miller and Kyle Wermerskirchen presented on behalf of their respective boards. Council Member Dumalag asked Ms. Divecha about the workplan and support of commissioners on the planning commission. Ms. Divecha stated commissioners support a stipend for themselves and commissioners hope to encourage engagement from residents by allowing not only in-person comments, but comments by voicemail and email as well. Commissioner Brausen asked if temporary use regulations relate to Airbnb and VRBO properties. Ms. Divecha stated those temporary use regulations were in part carried over from COVID-19 regulations. Mr. Walther stated the temporary use regulations were related to how long tents could be used at sites. Council Member Brausen asked whether the planning commission conducts meetings off-site from city hall. Ms. Divecha stated no, they did not, but would still like to at some point. Ms. Divecha added that usually, meeting attendance is quite low unless an item has received multiple comments. Though she is unsure how well-attended an offsite meeting would be, the commission would enjoy the opportunity to meet offsite from city hall. Council Member Rog asked for further information on three parking lot items. Mr. Walther stated those were not a priority and there has also been no specific council direction on those items. He added there was some overlap with other commissions as well, and staff keeps the planning commission up to date on related work. Docusign Envelope ID: 3BCCA193-06FD-4817-A5E9-58E0E1084D45 Study session minutes -2- Oct 28, 2024 Council Member Budd noted the parking lot items had overlapped with the environmental and sustainability commission as well as the housing authority commission. She asked if the planning commission had worked with any of the other commissions. Ms. Divecha stated that had not occurred in her time on the planning commission. The planning commission and BOZA had worked with a consultant, but interfacing with other commissions was not normal procedure. Council Member Budd asked if there is opportunity for working with other commissions. Ms. Divecha stated the planning commission would like to explore that. Mayor Mohamed asked if the planning commissioners were able to attend any of the training sessions related to racial equity. Ms. Divecha stated they had not done any formal training at this point. Mr. Walther stated the last time training in racial equity occurred was in 2021. Ms. Divecha shared her observation that generally, the demographic of planning commission meeting attendees are generally older, retired and have more availability. She stated the commissioners are quite diligent about reading all of their meeting materials. When an attendee speaks in front of the commission, it is a rare occurrence. Mayor Mohamed asked if the planning commission has worked on strategies to bring more people of diverse backgrounds to their meetings or public hearings. Ms. Divecha stated no, and that meetings are posted online. She stated the upcoming work on the city’s zoning ordinance should have more participation. More communications are going out to draw more people to meetings as well. Commissioner Rog asked that the planning commission make council aware in advance of the public hearings on zoning as she would like to also share it with constituents. Ms. Divecha stated yes, the planning commission would make council aware. Commissioner Rog asked if the work of the planning commission is leveraging their skill sets and utilizing the planning commission and BOZA members’ talents. Ms. Divecha stated yes. She added the planning commission is very engaged, everyone is present and prepared, and commissioners enjoy their work. For her personally, serving as chair has been a highlight of this past year in terms of running meetings and making sure there is participation from constituents. She added study sessions are extremely informative and engaging. Ms. Divecha stated commissioners are cognizant of the balance they are limited to and their work on the zoning code versus design of developments. Council Member Dumalag asked Mr. Miller whether their agency plan, public hearings and tenant advisory minutes are available to the council for review. Mr. Miller stated he is not sure if that information is part of city council agenda packets. Ms. Olson clarified that housing authority meeting minutes are included in the housing authority packets. The public hearing information is included, with comments, when the housing authority board is approving the plans. Mr. Coleman added all documented information is available for the council to review as needed. Docusign Envelope ID: 3BCCA193-06FD-4817-A5E9-58E0E1084D45 Study session minutes -3- Oct 28, 2024 Mr. Miller added one of the members of the commission is a resident of Hamilton House and has been a great addition to the board, providing much-needed information. Council Member Budd stated she is interested in the housing authority tenant advisory report but had not seen that information anywhere. She asked if this committee’s work is ongoing. Ms. Olson stated yes, adding the resident advisory committee meets annually and gathers input from residents on housing programs. Council Member Budd asked if the housing commission has a delegated seat for public housing residents, as with the resident currently serving. Ms. Olson stated the seat member does not have to live in public housing, but has to be a program participant of the housing authority, such as a voucher holder. Mr. Miller added one of the items the housing authority commission would like from the council is to act on commission appointments faster, noting this position was open from May through November. Council Member Brausen stated this time frame was when the council was studying boards and commissions, resulting in delayed appointments. He asked if the resident boards could review items before they come to the housing authority. Mr. Miller stated this issue has not been pushed forward by any other commissioner except himself. Council Member Rog asked about the mission of the workplan and stated she could not find a description of the purpose of the housing commission in the documents provided to the council. She stated she would like to see the most current housing commission mandate before moving forward on discussions about what the council would want from this body. Mr. Coleman stated that is a different conversation, but noted the most recent version is in the report that was given out last week. Council Member Rog asked if the workplan leverages the skills and talents of the those on the housing authority commission and maximizes their time and energy. Mr. Miller stated partially, and added there is a diverse group on the commission, including realtors, an attorney and a resident. He stated there is much interest in learning about public housing and everyone is engaged, but he noted there could be more engagement as well. Ms. Olson stated the HA Board would be working on the state Bring it Home rental assistance program which will be forthcoming. Council Member Dumalag asked about the fire civil service commission’s involvement in the hiring process for the position of fire chief. Mr. Wermerskirchen stated they reviewed the statute about the fire chief’s appointment and noted they also have input in the hiring process, but he is not sure how that looks yet. The city manager hires the fire chief with input from the fire civil service commission. Council Member Rog asked about the statute and Mr. Williams stated the three commissioners have duties prescribed by the statute and they adhere to those rules on their duties. Council Member Rog stated it sounds like it is working for all three commissions. She stated there is potentially more capacity with housing and the council is on track to discuss that more in early 2025. She stated there is an opportunity for those who want to be on the housing authority to learn exactly what the role is and to close the gaps. Docusign Envelope ID: 3BCCA193-06FD-4817-A5E9-58E0E1084D45 Study session minutes -4- Oct 28, 2024 Ms. Divecha added staff does a great job, but noted there is not a lot of direct communication with council. She stated while planning commission is a highly engaged board, they do not set their own agendas, and they do not have much influence on agenda items, and she would prefer to have more interaction and feedback with the council. Council Member Brausen stated the council has heard loud and clear that boards and commissions do not have enough interaction with the council, and the new plan is to get each board and commission before the council once a year. Future plans also include periodic council member attendance at commissions and boards meetings. Annually, council members also plan to meet with all of the boards and commissions members so they can share information and work together. He stated it is a work in progress and council will continue the work. He thanked the commission chairs for their hard work and engagement as members of their boards and commissions. Mr. Coleman stated staff will now assess the information provided during tonight’s discussion as it will be utilized in addition to information collected from the advisory boards/commission check in meeting on9/16. All information will be utilized as council members set priorities for boards and commissions in early 2025. 2. Disposition of public land. Mr. Walther presented the staff report on four sites within the city. Cedar Manor Park Council Member Brausen agreed with staff’s recommendations. Council Member Rog also agreed with the recommendations of staff. Council Member Dumalag agreed and noted the tree preservation is a nice buffer, and it all connects on Highway 169. Council Member Baudhuin stated it seems the land should be kept as it is. 40th Street and France Avenue Council Member Dumalag stated when Weber Park was being worked on, she received a great deal of feedback from residents about the loss of trees. She was sorry to see the tree loss taking place on land owned by Edina, which St. Louis Park could not address. This parcel was also identified as a potential dog park. She asked how much land could be developed there, adding there are many grade changes which might make development challenging. Ms. Barton agreed that it is a small piece of land. Mr. Walther stated he is not sure about the suitability of the site for a dog park and would defer to parks and recreation; a conversation to continue at a later time. Council Member Rog stated the city’s open spaces are beloved parts of the community. She stated the work on Weber Park was difficult even though it was not part of St. Louis Park. She stated 12% of the city is park and open space and 15-20% is the Urban Land Institute’s recommendation for healthy urban places and that feels right to her. She stated there has a been a loss of open space in St. Louis Park over the last 30 years and the land at 40th and France has a high concentration of dwellings. She stated she would like to preserve this open space or discuss it for dog park development in the future. Docusign Envelope ID: 3BCCA193-06FD-4817-A5E9-58E0E1084D45 Study session minutes -5- Oct 28, 2024 Council Member Brausen stated the city paid $600,000 to purchase the land from Minneapolis and stated he is open to development for affordable housing there. He agrees with the staff recommendations. Council Member Budd added she also supports the recommendations of staff and potentially splitting the land. Council Member Baudhuin stated he is for keeping the land as it is. He stated we could explore other where that amount of trees would not be taken down. He stated his preference is for protecting it as natural area and left as is. Mayor Mohamed stated the city is facing pressure for more housing, particularly the types of housing we are missing. She stated the city is looking for opportunities to develop areas like this for affordable housing such as single-family homes or duplexes. This area, while it is a nice open space, should be developed. She stated her agreement with staff recommendations. Council Member Rog stated the public should have an opportunity to give feedback on this topic. Ms. Barton reminded council that they are making no formal or binding decisions at tonight’s study session meeting; staff is asking the council for preliminary review of the area. Ms. Keller added the council direction will inform staff workload planning to determine whether and how to design an engagement process. Mr. Walther stated staff is seeking early council members’ insights because past council discussions when they acquired the site gave mixed messages to staff and there are changing circumstances. He added this discussion helps staff understand council members’ positions, interests and concerns and it influences how staff will approach the issue. Council Member Farris stated people might be upset if housing is further developed in this area, but added this conversation is about affordability of housing in the city. Council Member Rog stated this conversation is also about preserving wildlife habitat. Mayor Mohamed stated this can be discussed further by the council at another time. Council Member Dumalag stated there were six (6) acres taken over by Edina in this area. This was due to flooding issues in 100 homes in the Morningside neighborhood and it will take time for this area to grow back. It was hard to communicate to her neighbors about this, and there is some affordable housing in the area as well as some naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) across the street in Minneapolis. She stated the Minnekahda Vista neighborhood is higher income. Her question is what the city is getting in return for the rezoning, as she had heard from many constituents upset about losing so many trees there. Mayor Mohamed stated this is only a discussion with no formal decisions to be made at this meeting. Council Member Rog stated staff is asking for the council’s direction in this meeting, and the council is looking to either preserve this land or not. She stated if things get in motion, they Docusign Envelope ID: 3BCCA193-06FD-4817-A5E9-58E0E1084D45 Study session minutes -6- Oct 28, 2024 can be difficult to stop. She added she would like the council give some deference to the ward representative. Mr. Walther stated there have been clear but mixed opinions expressed and there is not a vote taking place this evening. He added staff will take the majority of council’s direction, but noted that council decisions for any future formal requests for developing any portion of the property would require a two-thirds majority of five affirmative votes because a comprehensive plan amendment would be needed. 28th Street and Toledo Avenue Council Member Rog stated as a representative of Ward 1, she does not believe the city should build on every inch of grass in this area. She noted this as a natural prairie grass area located right up against a freeway wall and it is a small parcel. She knows residents do not want to develop this area with so little open space left in the community. Council Member Brausen asked if the park and open space assessment includes schools as well. Mr. Walther stated that is under civic land use category in the comprehensive plan and was not included in the 12% figure. Council Member Brausen asked if the figure includes the Hennepin County Three Rivers Park district. Mr. Walther stated Three Rivers does not own property in the city and they lease the land for the regional trails from the railroad, so it is under the railroad authority's control. He stated the parks and open space land includes many wetlands, small lakes and Minnehaha Creek. Council Member Farris stated she is interested in hearing from the Jewish community about this area. Mayor Mohamed stated the Jewish community leaders did ask for more housing in this area as their community is growing but this parcel was not discussed. Council Member Baudhuin stated this area should remain a park of some kind, where people could actually gather, and he would not want any development here. He added this is an issue with the Jewish community and the city should address it and explore ways to meet their housing needs better. Council Member Brausen stated he is in favor of staff recommendations. Council Member Dumalag added she is also in favor of staff recommendations and the difference here is there is an opportunity to have housing within the neighborhood. She stated we have preserved Rock Island as park and she agrees it is a nice continuation for a park, but noted this is more developable than the area at 40th and France because the grade is different. Council Member Budd stated she would also like to preserve this parcel as open space as it is small and too close to the highway. Council Member Farris stated she agrees with staff recommendations. Council Member Baudhuin asked for confirmation that there are few parks in the Fern Hill neighborhood. Council Member Rog stated yes, the two parks in the area are Fern Hill and Rock Island Park. Docusign Envelope ID: 3BCCA193-06FD-4817-A5E9-58E0E1084D45 Study session minutes -7- Oct 28, 2024 Council Member Rog added that of any city residents, the residents of Fern Hill also have the greatest distance to travel to get to a park area. Quentin Avenue & Old Cedar Lake Road Council Member Brausen stated he is not interested in developing the northern triangle with the many trees and Highway 394 and 100 in this location. The area needs a buffer but he is open to the idea of developing the southern half and fulfill the desire to have more affordable housing. Council Member Rog stated she visited the site and noted a family was having a picnic there. She stated again there are so few precious open spaces in the city and she is not interested in developing every inch of green space within the community. She added her adamant support of affordable housing and creative housing. She stands with affordable housing and also stands with open space. Council Member Rog encouraged her fellow council members to think contextually about each open space and what those who live near these areas might want. She is supportive of preserving this entire parcel. Council Member Brausen added we are a built-up suburb, if the city were to redevelop existing development parcels, then they would actually have some control and leverage. Council Member Baudhuin added he does not want to develop this area, and added it is a very nice little spot. He stated however the council needs to revisit the goals and strategy on affordable housing. Council Member Dumalag stated she is in favor of the southern half being rezoned as Council Member Brausen mentioned. She stated there is a regional trail there and preserving the northern part of the triangle and getting some affordable townhomes there would be the best option. Mayor Mohamed stated she is hearing from the council there is concern about the open spaces and nature in the community. She noted the city is very concerned about climate action goals and works hard to preserve trees and also develop affordable housing. Mr. Walther stated there can be tension between city priorities and policy interests at times and city council must weigh and make those policy decisions. Staff is listening to the council as well as the boards and commissions and are trying to find the best path to move forward for these four parcels. Mayor Mohamed stated the city owns additional properties around the community that could be suitable for housing opportunities. Council Member Budd asked if there has been any inquiry in this area. Mr. Walther stated there has not, but it is included in the proposed zoning code update and zoning map change. A past planning commission had expressed interest in changing the zoning of this right-of-way land. Docusign Envelope ID: 3BCCA193-06FD-4817-A5E9-58E0E1084D45 Study session minutes -8- Oct 28, 2024 Council Member Budd asked for more information and more research about the percentage of park and open space in the city. She added that the Environmental Sustainability Commission (ESC) may be involved and the council could provide more guidance on that when they discuss the work plan. She stated she would like to preserve this area, and not develop it, while looking more broadly at the percentages of open spaces within the city and how we might impact that through these decisions. She added the council will need to think outside the box to get to the goals of affordable housing within the city. Council Member Brausen added he would also like feedback from the environment and sustainability commission (ESC), planning commission and parks and recreation advisory commission (PRAC) on this. Council Member Baudhuin added he would like this feedback also and it is a good way to utilize the boards and commissions on this. Ms. Barton reiterated this is just to get high-level feedback from council about whether to look into this or not, and input from boards and commissions can be rolled into later parts of the process. Council Member Rog agreed with thinking outside the box to expand housing options, but also to preserve precious open spaces in the community. She stated she is worried to hear there is not much land left and she would like to continue to study this, including splitting parcels. She added it would be good to have ESC and PRAC look into this. Mr. Walther stated staff’s recommendations were informed by past processes that have influenced the sites and by making a recommendation it would help focus the conversation, and this is an opportunity to have this council provide feedback and direction at these sites because these are policy level decisions. Ms. Barton added there have been questions about these properties and also about development. Council Member Farris stated there are a lot of people that are homeless and live in St. Louis Park and many do not want to live in apartments, stacked upon each other. She stated the city needs to think outside of the box. Written Reports 3. Add single-family and owner-occupied duplexes as eligible properties for 4d 4. Inclusionary housing policy updates 5. Single-family rentals update 6. Quarterly development update – 4th quarter 2024 7. 2025 Social Services request for proposal update Council Members Dumalag and Brausen stated they agree with the third written report. Council Member Farris agreed about the report as well. Council Member Rog stated she is not in support of the third written report and noted it could be a barrier to getting back into ownership. Ms. Keller stated the report stated this is a benefit Docusign Envelope ID: 3BCCA193-06FD-4817-A5E9-58E0E1084D45 Study session minutes -9- Oct 28, 2024 and program for all other rental and NOAH housing should be opened in these rental properties also. Council Member Rog asked whether the fourth written report will be on a future agenda for discussion. Ms. Keller stated the policy is written in a way that staff can move forward on it without additional conversation. Council Member Rog said she is supportive. Mayor Mohamed stated there are different needs being met here with the inclusionary housing policies. Council Member Rog asked if the social services request for proposal, as noted in the seventh written report, will go out this week. Ms. Keller confirmed that it would, and will be contingent on final budget approval in December 2024. Council Member Budd asked if the charts in the development report could be clarified to help with understanding the numbers and status of projects better. Ms. Keller stated she will pass this information on to staff. Communications/meeting check-in (verbal) The meeting adjourned at 8:22 p.m. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Melissa Kennedy, city clerk Nadia Mohamed, mayor Docusign Envelope ID: 3BCCA193-06FD-4817-A5E9-58E0E1084D45