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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission - 01/26/1998 APPROVED MINUTES CITY OF EDEN PRAIRIE PLANNING COMMISSION MONDAY,JANUARY 26, 1998 7:00 P.M. CITY CENTER Council Chambers 8080 Mitchell Road COMMISSION MEMBERS: Beverly Alexander, Kenneth E. Clinton, Randy Foote, Bill Habicht, Ismail Ismail, Douglas Sandstad,Mary Jane Wissner STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE: Kyle Halvorson (absent),Adam Hupp STAFF LIAISON: Michael D. Franzen, City Planner; Elinda Bahley,Recording Secretary MEMBERS ABSENT: None I. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE -ROLL CALL Chair Clinton called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Sandstad moved, seconded by Foote, to approve the agenda as published. Motion carried 7-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Wissner noted on page eight, on the second to the last paragraph, Highland Road should be changed to Howard Lane. MOTION: Alexander moved, seconded by Wissner, to approve the minutes of the January 12, 1998 Eden Prairie Planning Commission meeting as amended. Motion carried 7-0. IV. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. BORDERS BOOKS & CAFE by The Daly Group. Request for PUD Concept Amendment on 9 acres to the overall Hartford PUD, PUD District Review on 9 acres, Zoning District Amendment within the C-Reg-Ser District on 5.7 acres, Site Plan Review on 5.7 acres, and Preliminary Plat of 9 acres into 2 lots and 1 outlot. Location: Southwest corner of Prairie Center Drive and Rolling Hills Road. John Dietrich, engineer, presented background history of the site and reviewed the site plan noting they will meet each of the criteria. This is a delicate site which borders Planning Commission Minutes January 26, 1998 Page 2 commercial property to the north and abuts and borders the residential property to the south, Carriage Court and the Hartford Townhomes. The proposal is for a sit down restaurant and a Borders book store which would be complimentary uses. These uses have the opportunity to share parking, share common access drives, and also meet all the criteria that was established in the 1994 PUD zoning amendment. He reviewed the landscaping and grading plan and noted there is additional landscaping and screening that allows this whole site to function and be below the 1994 PUD criteria of square footage buildable area, parking, and traffic generation. The landscaping plan represents about 2.5 times the required amount of landscaping. In terms of landscaping, they are at approximately 470 caliper inches which is about 2.6 times the criteria of what is necessary for this site to move forward. There were two neighborhood meetings for people within 300 feet, and one for the southern border of the site and Carriage Court Townhomes. The discussions were good and they had the opportunity to find out what the residents wanted. They have reduced parking on the site which allows them to have a landscape berm and screening along the entire property line. The berm will be 10 feet high from the elevation of the parking lot area to the top of the berm and heavily landscaped. The height of the berm above the first floor elevation from the townhomes ranges from seven feet up to 10 feet. The landscaping proposed includes a series of trees, 8, 10, and 12 foot conifers per the PUD that was approved in 1994. This plan makes a good separation between the site and the residential areas. They pushed the restaurant as far north into the site as possible so it's over 300 feet away from any residential properties. The focus of the activity is to the north. The front doors of both Borders and the restaurant will face to the north towards Prairie Center Drive. Tony Casada, architect, representing Borders book store, explained all the major activity areas where there is light and a lot of pedestrian use faces Prairie Center Drive and away from the residential area. The front entrance faces the parking lot area and there is a covered walkway that shields the entrance. The loading dock area faces Rolling Hills Road and it has been completely enclosed and made part of the building shell. He reviewed the architecture of the building noting the building utilizes at least 75 percent or more facebrick and glass. There are various colors of brick that are used spanding around the entire building and the brick chosen will compliment the other retail facilities. One of the comments from staff was that the Borders' sign on the front elevation exceeds the height that is allowed by ordinance. They will work with staff to revise the location of the sign to make it work. Dietrich noted they have taken the site plan and worked within the criteria of the 1994 PUD and exceeded the minimum standards of setbacks, of landscaping, and of berming so they eliminate the adverse action of the access to the residential properties to the south. This site has been guided and zoned for commercial retail service. They can move the Planning Commission Minutes January 26, 1998 Page 3 building as far north as they can looking to provide a sense of enclosure for this type of activity, and allow the traffic transportation and functions all go to the north. It was their request that this site plan be looked at as a complimentary type use. They will fully comply with all the conditions identified in Alternative#1 listed in the staff report. Franzen reviewed the staff report and explained the legal status this property has which was determined back in 1978. He noted there was nothing specific in the original development plan that said this should be a book store or restaurant. All permitted land uses are required by City Code to minimize the adverse impacts on nearby dwellings. The City must determine if the proposed land uses are compatible with the approved plan and the surrounding area. A full service gas station, for example, would not be compatible because the lights, noise, and traffic impacts could not be mitigated since the homes are located close to this site. There are many other possibilities that could work on the property which are allowed uses but they have to mitigate the impacts on the surrounding areas. This is the primary reason why the staff report is optional. He explained the three alternatives listed in the staff report and noted staff was comfortable with option#1. The public hearing was opened. Linda Schaffer, 11538 Carriage Court, was concerned about what type of restaurant is proposed. She has heard maybe a Champs or a TGI Fridays and was concerned about a restaurant with a liquor license. Eden Prairie consists of young families raising small children. Her development has a lot of single women and she was against having a liquor serving establishment in her backyard. She was concerned about the loud noise that a Champs or Fridays would have during summer time. They have outdoor seating and they use loud speakers to announce tables. This is something that a berm is not going to take care of. She was also concerned about delivery trucks they would have coming into the area with that type of restaurant. These types of restaurants draw crowds that are there to party and have a good time. She has been to both restaurants. They are quality restaurants but it's not the kind of restaurant she wants in her backyard. She noted she wrote a letter to the mayor last week stating what she thought would be a better proposal in line with the Borders book store. She would rather see a Caribou Coffee or any of the bagel shops which are more appropriate and fits in with the book store. They would draw crowds that are for short periods of time. She also expressed concern about loosing the value in her home because nobody would want to move into that kind of neighborhood if she wanted to sell it. The berming sounds wonderful but it's not going to block out the noise. Gretchen Ebert, 11516 Carriage Court, commented she has no problem with Borders but a restaurant/bar just does not fit in with the neighborhood. They already have increased traffic and noise. A bar\restaurant would bring more noise at all hours from the parking lot and the proposed outdoor seating. She was concerned about cooking odors, lights shining in her bedroom windows, security of their homes, and resale value of the homes. Planning Commission Minutes January 26, 1998 Page 4 No amount of berming or landscaping could screen them from those impacts. It would be wiser to do it by the Pet Smart. Penny Hanson, 11043 Lexington Drive, noted her home is located at the end of the development on the other side of the berm. She is also across the street directly looking at where the proposed Cinema development will be. In her opinion she is in the most vulnerable spot of this development. She knew they would be developing some type of restaurant and retail establishment. She requested the Planning Commission and the City to consider having the developer increase the size of the berm throughout the whole way and placing a fence between Borders and her area. There is always going to be foot traffic and this would insure some type of safety between the people going into the retail establishment and the residents who want to sit on their patio in the evening. Sharon Ahl, 11594 Carriage Court, noted they are located in the backyard of the restaurant. The language used by the developer that it's a "delicate situation" is a very good word. No other site in Eden Prairie, to her knowledge, has a major restaurant so close or adjacent to a residential community. This would only create a precedent which would be detrimental to this residential community. She was concerned about the noise, the lights, and the smell when they want to enjoy their backyards on a summer night. There are more appropriate land uses for that land which would be complimentary to the area. This would be three restaurants within a half block because two restaurants have already been approved near the cinema on Rolling Hills. There would also be an increase in the generation of traffic from these three restaurants. The City is welcoming affordable housing on one hand but in effect destroying it and all the amenities as a result of this proposal. Andrea Poncius, 8486 Minute Men Alcove, commented she knew something would be developed when she purchased her home. The current proposal is not compatible for this area. This proposal would include a restaurant/bar within feet of her front door which is not appropriate. She didn't understand how a restaurant does not fit in within the same parameters as the criteria was for a gas station not being compatible on this site as stated in the staff report. She was concerned about the noise in her bedroom or downstairs as a result of the bar being open until 1:00 a.m. She also expressed concern about what happens in the parking lot late at night since she lives so close. She didn't believe this proposal was appropriate for this land use. The late hours of the restaurant, the noise, the lights, the smell of the food, are all concerns of her. She noted they currently smell food coming from the Asia Grill restaurant. She commented that the conifer trees are not tall enough where they will see any immediate impacts of the landscaping. She doesn't want to have to wait 10 to 15 years for the trees to grow. Richard Tesh, 8484 Minute Men Alcove, commented he shares the same concerns as his neighbors. There is no way to get away from the smell and the noise while sitting on their patio. He would rather have anything but a restaurant on this site, and something that is not open until 1:00 a.m. He didn't feel the berm was high enough at 10 feet tall. Planning Commission Minutes January 26, 1998 Page 5 They live on a dead end street and they have had one robbery in the last year on their street. He was concerned about the security of the homes because people could walk right over the berm and get to their homes. Richard Hocking, attorney, representing Borders, commented he understood the neighborhood reaction but they have to understand the landowner has a right to deal with the usage of that property consistent with the ordinances and the zoning that exists with the site. His client has spent a lot of time looking for potential users of this property and determined that the two uses that are proposed on this site right now are uses that are consistent with the market demand and are attractive uses to the site. Everyone has to look at where this site was in terms of its original density and it's original type of use, and look at it now in terms of the square footage that's being taken by these two proposed uses. Everyone has to recognize it's a significantly smaller impact than would have existed prior to the 1994 amendment taking place. This is a commercially zoned property and it has been zoned that way long before any residential dwellings were built that border this property. They are permitted uses but every effort has been made to minimize the impacts that would exist to these residential dwellings that came into place long after this property was zoned commercial. Any use on this commercial property will have impact to the residential dwellings. They believe the proposal is a quality proposal for this neighborhood and area and requested the Planning Commission to recommend Alternative#1. Bill Hoag, developer, commented they are a selected developer for the tri-state area in the midwest. They have looked at a number of sites in Eden Prairie and have selected this site from the standpoint that it meets their criteria. They believe Borders will be a very attractive addition to the community and will have some say themselves in conjunction with some of the concerns the residents have raised. Wissner asked if Borders will have a coffee area and how many people will it seat. Hoag said they will have a coffee bar and the seating area will be no more than 10 percent of the total area of the facility. He said there was mention by a resident of possibly a Caribou Coffee instead of the restaurant and this would be a conflicted use for Borders. Foote asked if they explored any other uses for the restaurant site. He also asked if the restaurant is designated to have a bar that will be open until 1:00 a.m. Hogan said right now they don't know. At this point they are dealing with both restaurant users that require a liquor license and also those that don't require a liquor license. Kelly Tesh, 8484 Minute Men Alcove, said at the last neighborhood meeting she asked Mr. Dietrich what was proposed there. Mr. Dietrich's answer was because of the price of the land being so expensive, the only feasible thing that could go in there, as far as a restaurant, was a restaurant with a liquor license. She noted this was the biggest concern of the neighborhood. Hogan commented it will probably go in the direction it is going for the reasons stated by Dietrich. Planning Commission Minutes January 26, 1998 Page 6 Alexander commented she would be more comfortable with a restaurant of this type being proposed up near the signal light at Prairie Lake Drive and Prairie Center Drive rather than so close to the residential area. Foote said he agreed with Alexander. He didn't think a restaurant of this size with a liquor license would necessarily fit in this location. He was comfortable with Borders book store at this location and had no problem with it at all. However, he was concerned about one housing unit right on the corner in Section HH. There is virtually no berm. They are going to be right next door to Borders and he would like to see the berm go all the way across to the street if possible. Wissner commented they are not mitigating the impacts to the residential area. She was not comfortable with the restaurant because it's very large and a berm is not going to stop the noise, the lights, or the smell from carrying over the wetlands to the residential property. She was also concerned about fencing keeping people from coming up to the residential property. She supported Borders book store. Sandstad supported the project although he was inclined to continue and allow the developer some time to improve the transitional buffer between the restaurant and the residential area. The transition could be improved in a couple of different ways. Prairie Center Drive is Eden Prairie's marketplace and it's a good location for this project if they protect the residents. Habicht disagreed with Sandstad and felt the developer did a wonderful job providing a transition and buffer. He also commended the neighbors on their receptiveness to the fact this is going to be a commercial development. He was not comfortable with a restaurant of this size abutting residential property. He supported the developer's rights and desire to develop a commercial site here. This is Eden Prairie's hub but he would be inclined to look for a different use. He supported a continuance but didn't what could done at this point to make him more comfortable with a restaurant since the restaurants are a better land use next to the traffic signal on the Regal site. Clinton supported Borders book store but shared the same concerns to mitigate the noise that comes from the restaurant. He said berming does not do it and referred to his own home. He said he can hear the auto races down in Bloomington River in Shakopee from his deck. He preferred to have it closer to a signal. Franzen said it seemed the Planning Commission was moving in the direction to split the project and asked, as part of the motion, they give direction as to the land use for the other parcel. Both of these projects kind of relied upon this common berming and landscaping and that's between the last unit on Minute Men Alcove and the restaurant. A berm and plant materials were required as a condition of the approval of the original 1994 PUD and wanted to make sure that it does not get lost as part of the project. He asked for clarification as to whether or not the Planning Commission wants to have all the berming Planning Commission Minutes January 26, 1998 Page 7 and landscaping installed with this project, or are they comfortable with what's needed to be done with Borders being installed now, and with whatever happens with the other part being installed later. MOTION 1: Habicht moved, seconded by Alexander, to close the public hearing. Motion carried 7-0. MOTION 2: Habicht moved, seconded by Foote, to recommend to the City Council approval of the request of The Daly Group for PUD Concept Amendment on 9 acres to the overall Hartford PUD, PUD District Review on 9 acres, Zoning District Amendment within the C-Reg-Ser District on 5.7 acres, Site Plan Review on 5.7 acres, and Preliminary Plat of 9 acres into 2 lots and 1 outlot based on plans dated January 9, 1998 and subject to the recommendations of the Staff Report dated January 23, 1998, and it is the finding of the Planning Commission to approve the Borders Bookstore and to deny the restaurant on the finding that the site plan was inconsistent with the 1978 approved plan, that the proposed plan did not mitigate the adverse impacts on the adjoining residential areas, that general retail or office was a more compatible land use, and that all proposed berming and landscaping adjacent to the residential areas on both sites be installed concurrent with the construction of the bookstore. Motion carried 7-0. B. REGAL CINEMA by Ryan Companies of Minnesota. Request for Planned Unit Development Amendment Review on 17.88 acres, Planned Unit Development District Review on 17.88 acres, Zoning District Amendment in the Commercial Regional Service Zoning District on 17.88 acres, Site Plan Review on 17.88 acres, and Preliminary Plat of 17.88 acres into 3 lots. Location east of Prairie Center Drive between Rolling Hills Road and Prairie Lakes Drive. Ron Krank, representing Centres Group, reviewed the site plan and indicated the request is for approval of a 20 screen Cinema and two restaurants. It's a self contained site across from the Eden Prairie shopping center. He reviewed the modifications made to minimize the impacts. They have single security lights and there is no need to light the back of the building. The theater does not need much service so they have the service area fully enclosed including trash pick up. There are 1281 parking stalls on site providing one car per four seats for the Cinema and appropriate parking for the restaurant. He reviewed the architecture of the theater noting the building will be fairly quiet and has similar colors and materials as next door. The entrance is also fairly subdued and quiet. The marquee will indicate what movie is playing and will be very small. There will be a band of neon lights on the marquee which provides nice soft lights. Sandstad was concerned that the shape of the neon sign will be visible for many of the homes on the south side and suggested making it more of a north facing triangle which could avoid any problems. Krank said it's only five feet above the roof but they will take a look at it. Planning Commission Minutes January 26, 1998 Page 8 Ismail was concerned about security because young kids come to the movies and the neighbors are so close. Krank said they tried to provide security by the design of the exterior by not having any areas where people can congregate outside. This cinema has a very unique design. There will be a coffee bar where people can sit down and gather before going into a movie. This is a concept that works very well. Ismail commented if they are only selling 80 percent of their parking spaces, he suggested removing theater seats so they would not need a parking waiver. He was also concerned about the lighting being too intense. Krank said they will meet and not exceed the ordinance. Clinton asked how people will find the theater. Krank said they will have two 20 foot monument pylon signs at the front and he also noted that the building is 30 to 32 feet high. Franzen reviewed the staff report and noted the six potential reasons why staff believes the plan minimizes the impacts to the residential and the reasons why Regal Cinemas believes they need a parking waiver. Staff does not have a good working example of a movie theater in Eden Prairie on a free standing site. Staff can not tell whether the City ordinance is adequate for parking because there are 4000 spots in the mall. The developer seems to be comfortable with either requirement, 1:3 or 1:4 parking. Staff experience at Centennial Lakes and Willow Creek during peak periods shows that on site parking is adequate and that overflow parking was not being used because it was too far away from the entrance. Staff supported the 1:4 parking. The public hearing was opened. Raymond Mohler, 10825 Leaping Deer Lane, noted he was a board member on the association of Westin Woods located just to the north of the planned development. His concern with the development is the size of the development and the amount of traffic to be drawn to this particular area, specifically to the times of operation of the business. A 20 theater movie house with about 800 parking spaces that are being proposed, and the amount of traffic going to be attracted to Prairie Center Drive to his particular development of Westin Woods, is the only exit and entrance to their homes. This project is going to cause undue stress on the neighborhood. It will be difficult to get to their homes when coming home after work. He was also concerned about the additional announcement of the 20 screens to be developed at Eden Prairie Center mall and was concerned about 40 movie screens in such close proximity. He believes this will draw people from Chaska, Chanhassen, and Minnetonka, and that is going to significantly increase traffic around his particular area, and the possibility that one or both of them will fail is quite a possibility. He commented he went to see Titanic on Christmas Day at Centennial Lakes and he assured everyone that all the parking was used. Planning Commission Minutes January 26, 1998 Page 9 Terry Pearson, 10827 Leaping Deer Lane, indicated the road behind her home is Prairie Lakes Drive and was concerned about the increase of traffic on that road. They will have traffic patterns that will affect not only getting to their home and leaving, but it will also be affecting them trying to stay home and relax since their patios are behind Prairie Lakes Drive. If there's a line of cars going into this establishment,people will find very creative ways of getting around the traffic and this will happen when they are at home trying to relax. She was concerned that the berm on the corner of Prairie Lakes Drive and Rolling Hills Road needs to be increased. She was also concerned whether this site is zoned appropriately or not. There may be something that is a better transition, something that would be more blendable with their community. Penny Hanson, 11043 Lexington Drive, was concerned about the additional traffic generated from this project. When she leaves to go to work in the morning she has to make a left at the intersection of Rolling Hills Road and it's a very dangerous location to make a left turn. The roads are very slippery when it snows and the additional traffic will only make it worse. She also said she will see the lights from the marquee. Krank said there was a traffic report done that indicated the traffic generation is substantially less than what was previously approved. They will do their best to create a very high berm and it will probably be 10 feet high with tall conifer trees. Mona Armel, Hartford Place, commented the developer keeps saying in 1994 this and that happened, but they are in 1998 and what was proposed for traffic then was fine, but this is 1998 and it's not okay. She was concerned she will be looking right at the theater and the lights will be on constantly. She was very concerned about the increased traffic. VK Bormann, 10917 Lexington Drive, said the developer has made some attempts to address the issues but it's not enough. They were just so greatful that it was not going to be a Home Depot, and the kinds of things they would be facing since it's to be a theater didn't really sink in at the first neighborhood meeting. She was concerned about the amount of traffic this project is going to bring to her area, and that they are only going to have one stop light at Prairie Center Drive and nothing at the other end which is Rolling Hills Road. Corey Berglund, Centres Group, explained the changes they made to the road system per direction from staff to make this project work. They gave up 250 parking spaces because they felt it was more important for the roads to be evacuated quickly. One of the benefits of a 20 screen movie theater is the staggering of times for the movies to be easy flowing. He noted they would not be opposed to help finance the stop light at the corner where the left turn is difficult to make. He noted they are looking for a restaurant with a liquor license and will bring that in for approval. They are platting the property in three different parcels and are looking at various layouts for the restaurant. Planning Commission Minutes January 26, 1998 Page 10 Paul Hanson, 11043 Lexington Drive, was concerned about an increase in police security due to the private road. He said the stop lights are a great idea but it's not going to solve the traffic problem. Alexander asked if it was possible to eliminate the exit from the theater and restaurant on to Rolling Hills Road so it's not to create more problems there, and just have the exit on to Prairie Center Drive and Prairie Lakes Drive. Brooklyn said they can, but they did it mainly because they have limited food delivery service to this site. They would be happy to meet with staff to discuss this. Habicht was concerned that the restaurant to the west can only be accessed through Prairie Lakes Drive and it's got to come all the way through the site. Brooklyn said they would look at the restrictions. If all parties concerned were in favor, they would eliminate that exit way. Beverly Sorenson, 10924 Leaping Deer Lane, said her main concern is the City of Eden Prairie has no concept of what the traffic problem is like on Prairie Center Drive. The critical area is off Prairie Lakes Drive and the cinema is going to cause bottlenecking. They are trapped in their homes because they have one exit. Habicht asked what the long term plan is for Prairie Center Drive and Rolling Hills Road. Franzen said the City takes a traffic count on all the roads and intersections. The signals have to meet the defined criteria established by the State of Minnesota. If Eden Prairie keeps growing in this manner, at some point in time the intersection around Prairie Center Drive would be expected to have a signal. At this point, based upon what people have said tonight, they could have the developer do a signal warrant analysis for the Rolling Hills intersection and find out at what point the signal would need to go in. Sandstad was not comfortable with the parking waiver. Foote was also concerned about the parking waiver from a safety standpoint. He was concerned that people would be running across the street in the evening because the parking lot was full. He said traffic is a problem. He was concerned about traffic in the area,but it was no worse than any other areas in the City. Wissner agreed with Foote about the parking waiver and suggested posting no parking signs so people will not park along Prairie Lakes Road and Rolling Hills Road. Ismail was concerned about the parking not being adequate and suggested more analysis by the developer as to whether or not they need more parking or not. Wissner suggested scaling back the project to possibly 10, 12, or 15 theaters to see if it works. Krank said that would be difficult to do structurally. He said they may be able to provide off site parking adjacent to the site at the office building for possibly one to three years as a test to see if it's necessary. Foote said it may address the parking issue but it does not address the safety issue. Planning Commission Minutes January 26, 1998 Page 11 Sandstad commented the developer's change could have been part of the package deal for staff and for the commissioners to evaluate in advance with written consent from the property owner,but that wasn't something he wanted to consider so late in the game here. He said he was prepared to continue because of the parking and allow the developer to study the parking issue a little more carefully. The traffic is okay but as soon as they get the signal in it will be a lot more comfortable. Habicht said he was reluctantly comfortable with the plan because it provides less traffic than the previously approved plan. Foote agreed with Habicht because they will have less traffic, according to the traffic study, than with the previously approved plan. Wissner was concerned about the parking but noted the one good thing is that it would be evening traffic. Sandstad asked if the developer was interested in making any changes if a continuance is granted to address the parking shortage on site. Berglund said he would bring some additional data to either staff or the Commission regarding this type of multiplex development and the parking issue. He would also bring the agreement he has with the owner of the office building across the street which gives them an additional 750 parking spaces. MOTION 1: Sandstad moved, seconded by Foote, to continue the public hearing for 30 days for the developer to submit additional substantiation for a parking waiver or reduce the building size. Motion carried 7-0. C. RIVER KNOLL OFFICE BUILDING by River Knoll, L.L.C. Request for Planned Unit Development Concept Amendment on 2.49 acres, Planned Unit Development District Review on 2.49 acres, Zoning District Amendment in the Office Zoning District on 2.49 acres and Site Plan review on 2.49 acres. Location: Rowland Road and Shady Oak Road. Dan Klecker, Opus Properties, reviewed the site plan and presented building elevations. The building will be a two-story office building with underground parking. The owner owns 75 percent of the building and it will be occupied by two different owners. Exterior parking shows 106 parking stalls and underground with 28 for a total of 134 parking stalls. He reviewed the landscaping plan noting the caliper inch requirement is for 85 inches and the tree replacement requirement is for 110 inches. Franzen said staff recommended approval according to the recommendations in the staff report. Ismail asked whether a neighborhood meeting was conducted with some of the neighbors on the southwest. Klecker said not with the neighbors,just with City staff. Planning Commission Minutes January 26, 1998 Page 12 The public hearing was opened. Charles Hersch, 6596 Cherokee Trail West, commented it's a beautiful building but there is only one entrance and exit and this causes major traffic problems. It is impossible to have any kind of traffic flow. There are 50 children that live on Cherokee Trail and he was concerned about their safety. He moved to Eden Prairie to get away from city noise and pollution, and to have a safer place for his family. He was very concerned about the congestion on Shady Oak Road. Corrine Lynch, 6565 Cherokee Trail West, commented she looks down directly on this new complex being built so this is the view she will see out her kitchen and family room. She expressed concern about the traffic and the aesthetics of the building. She said there is no buffer across the street and it goes from this office commercial area to residential. She also noted there does not seem to be any landscaping around the pond that she looks right into. Hersch commented he would like the retaining wall to be as attractive as possible because his property is right above the NURP pond there. He was also very concerned about the traffic patterns. Klecker noted by ordinance they show 134 cars but they only need a third of the parking. Habicht asked what the City has planned for Shady Oak Road. Franzen said it's 100 feet of right of way across the entire length of this property. It gives them enough room to put in four lanes and it's part of the City's transportation plan that was approved last year. It gives them enough room at the intersection if a signal is warranted at Rowland Road and still have the four lanes of traffic going on Shady Oak Road. Sandstad supported 50 percent proof of parking and some nice greenery to be selected by the neighbors. Franzen explained how the City determines whether proof of parking is necessary. Hersch said he would like to see all the pieces of the puzzle put together because he's didn't think the impacts are really registering. He didn't understand how the City could make Shady Oak Road into a four lane highway and asked if some of the traffic could exit out on Shady Oak Road. Franzen said the pavement is with two lanes and the County owns beyond that. He said you can't exit on Shady Oak Road because the County will not allow it. It has a certain space difference between the intersection of the road based on the speed of the road so the County is not going to allow another driveway access. MOTION 1: Wissner moved, seconded by Ismail, to close the public hearing. Motion carried 7-0. Planning Commission Minutes January 26, 1998 Page 13 MOTION 2: Wissner moved, seconded by Sandstad, to recommend to the City Council approval of the request of River Knoll, L.L.0 for Planned Unit Development Concept Amendment on 2.49 acres, Planned Unit Development District Review on 2.49 acres, Zoning District Amendment in the Office Zoning District on 2.49 acres and Site Plan review on 2.49 acres based on plans dated January 23, 1998 and subject to the recommendations of the Staff Report dated January 23, 1998, and the proof of parking not to exceed 50 percent. Motion carried 7-0. V. PUBLIC MEETING None. VI. MEMBERS' REPORTS None. VII. CONTINUING BUSINESS None. VIII. NEW BUSINESS None. IX. PLANNER'S REPORT Franzen reviewed the agenda for the next meeting. X. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Sandstad moved, seconded by Ismail, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 7-0. The meeting adjourned at 10:20 p.m.