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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission - 03/09/2020APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE PLANNING COMMISSION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2020 7:00 PM—CITY CENTER Council Chambers 8080 Mitchell Road COMMISSION MEMBERS: John Kirk, Charles Weber, Ann Higgins, Andrew Pieper, Ed Farr, Michael DeSanctis, Christopher Villarreal, Carole Mette CITY STAFF: Julie Klima, City Planner; Carter Schulze, Assistant City Engineer; Matt Bourne, Manager of Parks and Natural Resources; Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary I. CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER Chair Pieper called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – ROLL CALL Commission member DeSanctis was absent. III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Weber moved, seconded by Higgins to approve the agenda. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. IV. MINUTES MOTION: Kirk moved, seconded by Weber to approve the minutes of February 24, 2020, amended in Item I denoting Pieper as Chair and in Item V, on page two, paragraph three correcting Packer’s last name. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. V. PUBLIC HEARINGS VILLAS AT SMITH VILLAGE (2020-01) Request for:  Guide Plan Change from Medium High Density to Medium Density on one acre  Planned Unit Development Concept Review on one acre  Planned Unit Development District Review with waivers on one acre  Zoning District Change from RM-2.5 to R1-9.5 on one acre  Preliminary Plat of 3 lots into 7 lots on one acre PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES March 9, 2020 Page 2 Michael Halley, of Halley Land Corporation, presented a PowerPoint and explained the application. This would take the six connected townhomes approved as a part of the Smith Village project and make them into six individual units. Hanson Builders LLC will be the builder; they are a Green Path builder. The same parking design and essential footprint would be retained. What would be eliminated were the common walls between the units, but nothing from the Smith Village development. This offered more green space and more privacy. The primary clients for this development were the sons and daughters of residents moving into the Applewood Pointe project, meant for seniors. These young parents wanted their grandchildren to be close to their grandparents. These would be two-story homes. Halley displayed elevations and the floorplans of the six villas instead of the previously approved six attached townhouses, and detailed the superior cost efficiencies with this redesign. Mette asked if the back of the houses would be walkouts. Halley replied they would be full walkouts with the option to finish off the lower level. All the lots would be landscaped as part of an HOA and the developer was planning to plant more trees than required. Villarreal asked for examples, in the form of anecdotes, of who had approached Halley to inquire about the property. Halley replied his firm did not advertise, but with Applewood Pointe under construction the development had been well- received and was 85 percent sold. Somehow these clients found out through United Properties or the City of Eden Prairie about these six units and Halley personally received 12 sincerely interested calls to purchase. All interested parties mentioned their parents moving into Applewood Pointe. The grandchildren ranged from two years old to 12 years old. This proved to be a pleasant surprise to United Properties. Villarreal asked Halley to list additional sustainable features. Halley replied this was a Green Path development. Hanson strove for the highest HERS scores for energy efficiency in the state annually, and was rated 130 on a scale from 0 to 150. Villarreal asked if Halley knew where the panels would be located in the garages to make them EV-ready, and Halley did not have that information, but could find out. Villarreal asked if the units would be solar panel ready. Halley replied there was no plan for that for now, but the southeast-facing roofs could have solar panels installed. Villarreal asked if heat pumps had been investigated instead of high efficiency furnaces, and Halley replied Hanson had offered that before, but was not sure about the cost. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES March 9, 2020 Page 3 Higgins noted the sewer system there required some coordination and was uncertain how this would connect to sewer and water. Halley replied the arrangement with United Properties made United Properties responsible for water and sewer, and all infrastructure and connections. Hanson would handle the paving and the individual connections. Hanson was a participant in the maintenance of the stormwater ponds. Klima presented the staff report. She reiterated this was a component of the previously-approved Smith Village development, and the only change was to detach these six connected townhomes into six detached villas. Therefore it required a Comprehensive Plan amendment and a rezoning. City staff researched this for alternatives, and both staff and the City Attorney determined a straightforward approach of addressing this specific issue rather than opening up a potentially larger conversation with broader community impacts. Mette asked if this changed anything in the prior approvals of the PUD and the waivers. Klima replied many of the waivers were generally similar to the original waivers. There was some discussion in the staff report, provided to the commission members, as to level of differences. Some involved measurement changes. Lots without street frontage were a carryover from the previous design, as was the minimum lot size, et cetera. This design was very similar and consistent in nature with what was approved, Villarreal asked staff to remind him where the school bus stops were located. Klima replied in the previous approval process there was some general conversation about school bus stops, but at this point they were to be determined. United Properties would do outreach with the school district and its Transportation Department. MOTION: Villarreal moved, seconded by Farr to close the public hearing. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Kirk stated he found this a straightforward change with no fundamentals changed, and need to be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and zoning ordinance. Farr and Weber concurred. Mette stated she was happy to hear there would be families living in adjacent buildings to their parents and grandparents. MOTION: Kirk moved, seconded by Weber to recommend approval for a Guide Plan Change from Medium High Density to Medium Density on one acre; Planned Unit Development Concept Review on one acre; Planned Unit Development District Review with waivers on one acre; Zoning District Change from RM-2.5 to R1-9.5 on one acre; and Preliminary Plat of 3 lots into seven lots on one acre based on plans stamp dated March 3, 2020 and the staff report dated March 4, 2020. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES March 9, 2020 Page 4 VI. PLANNERS’ REPORT VII. MEMBERS’ REPORTS VIII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Weber moved, seconded by Higgins to adjourn. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. The meeting was adjourned at 7:21 p.m.