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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission - 09/22/2025Approved Minutes Eden Prairie Planning Commission Meeting 7 p.m. Monday, September 22, 2025 City Center Council Chambers 8080 Mitchell Road Eden Prairie, MN 55344 ATTENDEES Commission Members: John Kirk, Frank Sherwood, Andrew Pieper, Ed Farr, Trisha Duncan, Robert Taylor, Dan Grote, Charles Weber; Phou Sivilay City Staff: Jeremy Barnhart, City Planner; Carter Shulze, City Engineer; Matt Bourne, Parks and Natural Resources Manager; Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary MEETING AGENDA I. Call the Meeting to Order II. Vice Chair Duncan called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Commission members Pieper, Farr, Weber and Taylor were absent. III. Pledge of Allegiance IV. Approval of Agenda MOTION: Sivilay moved, seconded by Kirk, to approve the agenda. Motion carried 5-0. V. Minutes A. Planning Commission meeting held Monday, July 28, 2025 MOTION: Grote moved, seconded by Kirk, to approve the minutes of the Planning Commission Tuesday, July 28, 2025. Motion carried 5-0. VI. Public Hearings A. Valley View Hotel Development (2025-07) • Guide Plan Change on 59.6 acres • Zone Change on 59.6 acres • Preliminary Plat on 59.6 acres • PUD Concept Review on 6.59 acres • PUD District Review w/ Waivers on 6.59 acres • Site Plan Review on 6.59 acres John Ferrier, Vice President of CSM Development, displayed a PowerPoint and PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES September 22, 2025 Page 2 detailed the application. He introduced staff from the design team, Scott Cross, current general manager of Residence Inn, and Terry Brunhagen, Principal at ESG Architects, and CSM Development Analyst John Carlen. Ferrier explained the current Residence Inn which the first-generation prototype is built in 1984. The Inn had a separate clubhouse with amenities and also 16 8 eight-unit separated guestroom buildings. Marriott had decided this Residence Inn concept was obsolete and need to be replaced. Rather than convert the existing site to a new prototype, the Inn would remain open during construction as this was a high performing hotel. Ferrier displayed aerial views of the site, showing nearby Bryant Lake and the surrounding context. The hotel and restaurant are proposed on 6.9 acres, a small part of the total parcel of 59.55 acres toward the south. Waivers requested were to increase the building height from 40 feet to 52 feet two inches; reduce the shoreline setback from 200 to 100 feet from Supervalu Pond; remove vegetation in the shore impact zone, and a parking setback reduction from 10 feet to 0 feet, because the hotel and restaurant shared parking. The parking generation study showed the hotel’s parking was underutilized even during sell-out days. A zoning change was requested. The current zoning was Rural, and the applicant proposed to rezone the restaurant and Residence Inn site Commercial-Regional Service. The northern undeveloped parcel would be Parks and Open Space. A land use change was also requested, changing from office, medium high density residential and parks and open space to commercial and parks and open space. The proposed undeveloped parks and open space was actually being increased. The office market was in sharp decline, approaching 25, and expected to reach 30 percent by 2028. There was a negative office absorption rate for 17 or 18 quarters. Ferrier displayed the site plan showing a five-story Residence Inn with 157 keys and a restaurant. No heritage trees would be removed. The traffic study showed no significant delays, impacts or queueing issues with the proposed development. The current right-in only entrance and exit would be increased to include a left-in, left-out. The applicant had conducted a neighborhood meeting and showed few impacts at a distance of 2,900 feet from Bryant Lake and 3,000 feet from Beach Road. There would be bluff screening and 50 acres of undeveloped land. The View Corridor studies showed the screened view across Bryant Lake and no visibility from points on the lake. He displayed elevations and stated the materials would consist of over 75 percent Class One materials, such as brick and cultured stone, and glass. The view from 494 showed only the top of the Inn. He added he had PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES September 22, 2025 Page 3 placed this development where it would have least impact. This was a popular hotel brand that would be kept in Eden Prairie. Sherwood asked for and received confirmation there would be meeting space open to residents. Barnhart presented the staff report. A similar waiver for building height had been approved in the past, providing feasible development while preserving slopes and adjacent water bodies. The setback waiver was in keeping with the neighboring public school building, preserving the existing features of the site, steep slopes and other natural features, and was in keeping with the overall goal of the Ordinance. The shoreline setback staff supported for same reason. The parking itself was not a waiver, as the number of stalls met the requirement, but Code required sharing, so this was a parking setback requirement, as the property line fell along a driveway. Staff recommended approval subject to the conditions in the staff report; there was still work to be done on small details before this came before the City Council. Eric Wessel, resident at 12762 Gordon Drive, asked if the Department of Fish and Wildlife had been contacted regarding the eagle’s nest he’s watched for a decade (as the DNR was not involved). He requested that a minimum foot requirement be determined to leave the nest protected. He also asked in a town of 60,000 people what the demand was for another hotel. He questioned the parking study’s conclusions and asked if the applicant had consulted with others in the hospitality industry. Joe Docter, resident at 7032 Willow Creek Road, asked two questions: the proposed lighting for the parking lot, building, and restaurant, and who would own the newly zoned parks and open space, how this would be taxed, the restrictions of further zoning, and how this development would open this property up for residents’ use. He added the elevation at the top of the proposed building was actually 947 feet 6 inches, higher than highest peak and would be more prominent than shown in the renderings. Barnhart replied the lighting plan requirements would not exceed 0.5-foot candles beyond the property line and this development met the Code Requirements regarding this and light pole height (25 feet above a three-foot base). The City is working toward acquisition of the rest of the parcel of land (Outlot A) for City use. The height of the building is measured at average grade around the property to the top of parapet, and the building would be embedded into the grade, lowering the top of the building compared to the surrounding area. The true height from the lowest grade to the top would be between 56-58 feet. The grading and elevation plans were available online, and the average grades would account for the 6-foot difference. PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES September 22, 2025 Page 4 Mark Kronbeck, of Alliant Engineering, replied the eagle’s nest was new information to the applicants, and wished to see it on a map. Scott Cross added the applicant was not adding a new hotel but replacing the hotel yet adding keys to market. The hotel had a 94 percent occupancy rate, so there was an absolute demand. The applicant was undecided what to do with existing hotel once the new one was built. Wessel stated there was vegetation on the trees for three months of the year, and Docter stated from his house he would see the hotel, especially with leaves off the trees, even above the mound. There were four or five houses that would see the hotel, especially during winter. MOTION: Kirk moved, seconded by Grote, to close the public hearing. Motion carried 5-0. Kirk stated he had taken notes of the public’s comments. He commended the mention of an eagle’s nest and asked the developer to gather information to minimize impact on this nest. The site was beautiful; minimizing the impact and maximizing the open space to be acquired by the City had great potential for access to another park/conservation area. Keeping an existing business in Eden Prairie was ideal and an upgrade was understandable. The sightlines he considered an issue; in his many years on the commission, he saw that answers were often a compromise and not perfect. Grote reiterated the proposed building would be built below grade and the height would not be as much as it would be if built on grade. Sherwood commended the applicant on its analysis of office demand; hospitality was rising and would continue to improve. Duncan commended the proposal for meeting a long list of conditions to be met, and stated staff had been diligent in approach. Duncan asked if an environmental analysis would this have caught the eagle’s nest. Barnhart replied one had been completed; a nest was not flagged, and staff and the applicant would work together to address this. He added the lighting plan would be part of the Exhibit B plans presented to the City Council. There was presently no restaurant tenant. Ferrier stated the applicant would start marketing to secure a restaurant tenant once the development was approved. Kirk stated one commission member who could not attend tonight would have closely looked at the waivers; he himself found the height not an extreme waiver, as the commission had allowed similar, the parking setback to be a nonissue, and the shoreline setback not extreme. In all, these were mainline waiver requests. He commended the fantastic discussion as a result of citizen input, stating this was the purpose of the commission—to provide advice to the City Council. Input was important, as the City Council would make the ultimate decision, and the Council Members listened to these meetings on video in order to hear the residents’ concerns. PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES September 22, 2025 Page 5 MOTION: Sherwood moved, seconded by Grote, to recommend approval of the Guide Plan Change on 59.6 acres; Zone Change on 59.6 acres; Preliminary Plat on 59.6 acres; PUD Concept Review on 6.59 acres; PUD District Review with Waivers on 6.59 acres; and Site Plan Review on 6.59 acres as recommended by the staff report dated September 22, 2025. Motion carried 4-0. B. Roers Eden Prairie Apartments (2025-06) • Guide Plan Change on 5.86 acres • Zone Change on 5.86 acres • PUD Concept Review on 5.86 acres • PUD District Review w/ Waivers on 5.86 acres • Site Plan Review on 5.86 acres Nick Asta, of Roers Companies, presented a PowerPoint and detailed the application. He stated he had held two neighborhood meetings, with zero attendance, and had undergone an extensive approval process with the condominium association, and the neighbors were in favor of the development. Justin Merkovich, of JLG Architects, stated this was a 195-dwelling unit development, and was currently zoned Industrial flex tech. The land use proposed was medium density residential, with a zoning change from Office to RM-2.5. This would consist of a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, with 117 surface parking stalls and landscaping. He showed the site, with industrial in the Golden Triangle to the west, and city station to the north. Waivers: the applicant proposed a waiver for a density of 33.26 instead of 17.4, as the development was adjacent to a highway and the Southwest Light Rail. Another waiver would decrease the front yard setback to 24 feet. The height waiver requested a height of 69 feet to accommodate a grade change. The parking waiver requested 207 stalls and 117 surface stalls. The landscaping met the Code requirements. The site analysis showed view sheds and an overview of the development. Merkovich also presented the historical context of the site (“The Old Farm”) over time. Materials would be Class One brick, cement fiber board, metal and glass. He displayed renderings of the proposed development giving more context and drawing upon the historical elements (especially with the curved main entry inspired by the grain silo). He also displayed residential amenities and a connection to the future light rail. Barnhart presented the staff report. He commended the design of this infill project and stated this would replace an office building dating from 1986. The building was required to meet the Sustainable Building standards and is proposing electric heating. The waivers were in keeping with the land use guidance and the surrounding area. Access was via City West Parkway, and Highway 212 ran in front of the site, making the setback a nonissue. The PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES September 22, 2025 Page 6 Comprehensive Plan established a range of density, and this was a candidate for higher density, being close to the LRT. The parking ratio proposed was 324 parking spaces for 195 units (1.66 spaces per unit) while this is in the lower range of ratios approved by the city, the developer feels confident the parking will meet their needs. Staff expect this development to be completed around the time the Southwest Light Rail station begins operation. The landscaping plan met the requirements for both landscaping and tree replacement. There would be additional landscaping south of the development to screen the development. The architecture and materials exceeded requirements. Staff recommended approval subject to the conditions of the staff report. Grote asked for a date of the southwest light rail opening, and Barnhart estimated it would be in 2027. MOTION: Grote moved, seconded by Kirk to close the public hearing. Motion carried 5-0. Sivilay commended the design. Kirk stated he found this was a positive development, and praised the historical perspective included. He took no issue with the waivers, though density and parking waivers could trouble him, yet any that have been approved have followed through with their promises. Duncan echoed Kirk’s appreciation of the historical element, as well as the developer’s work with the neighbors. She asked for clarification on the distance between this property and light rail, and any resulting safety concerns. Barnhart replied there was a current half-mile pathway on existing trails to reach the station; the City was also working on plans to create a direct trail north through the wooded area. He had no timeline, but the need was recognized and would be improved, though facilitated at present through existing trails. Duncan echoed the praise for the historical research and echoing of that in the design. She praised the applicant for conducting the neighborhood meetings. She asked for more information regarding the distance to the light rail and any safety concerns that might arise. Barnhart replied there was currently a half-mile pathway to the light rail via existing trails, and the City was already working on plans to construct a direct trail through the wooded area. Duncan asked for and received confirmation the applicant was providing easement to create a direct trail, and there was space for this between the property and Highway 212. MOTION: Kirk moved, seconded by Grote to recommend approval of the Guide Plan Change on 5.86 acres; Zone Change on 5.86 acres; PUD Concept Review on 5.86 acres; PUD District Review w/ Waivers on 5.86 acres; and Site Plan Review on 5.86 acres as recommended by the staff report dated September 22, 2025. Motion carried 5-0. PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES September 22, 2025 Page 7 VII. Reports A. Planners report B. Members’ reports VIII. Adjournment MOTION: Grote moved, seconded by Kirk, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 5-0. Vice Chair Duncan adjourned the meeting at 8:13 p.m.