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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission - 07/13/1998 APPROVED MINUTES CITY OF EDEN PRAIRIE PLANNING COMMISSION MONDAY,JULY 13, 1998 7:00 PM, CITY CENTER Council Chambers 8080 Mitchell Road COMMISSION MEMBERS: Beverly Alexander, Kenneth E. Clinton, Laurence Dorn, Jr., Randy Foote, Bill Habicht, Rebecca Lewis, Douglas Sandstad STAFF LIAISON: Mike Franzen, City Planner, and Barbara Anderson, City Recorder MEMBERS ABSENT: Rebecca Lewis I. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE-ROLL CALL Chair Foote called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Alexander moved, seconded by Clinton, to approve the Agenda as published. Motion carried 6-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Dorn commented that since the student representatives were through for the year they should be removed from the Minutes and Agendas. MOTION: Dorn moved, seconded by Alexander to approve the Minutes of June 22, 1998 as corrected. Motion carried 5-0-1. Clinton abstained. IV. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. VALLEY VIEW BUSINESS CENTRE by CSM Corporation. Request for Comprehensive Guide Plan Change from medium Density Residential and Regional Commercial to Office on 7.26 acres, from medium Density Residential to Public Open space on 7 acres, and from medium Density Residential to Regional Commercial on 2.0 acres, Planned Unit Development concept Review on 27.2 acres, Planned Unit Development District Review on 27.2 acres,Rezoning from rural to I-2 Industrial on 7.26 acres and from rural to commercial Regional service on 12.96 acres, site Plan Review on 27.2 acres, and Preliminary Plat of 27.2 acres into 2 lots and one outlot. Location: Valley View and Prairie Center Drive. David Carland, CSM Corporation, introduced Todd Moser with Home Depot and Gary Tushie, Tushie, Montgomery Architects. Carland reviewed the history of CSM Corporation and their developments throughout the metropolitan area. He described the process they used to find the best development for the site. He reviewed the plans they PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES July 13, 1998 Page 2 are proposing. They will create 7 acres of permanent open space with this plan, which will be dedicated to the City of Eden Prairie. Mike Furland,Real Estate Manager for Home Depot reviewed the history of Home Depot and commented they find Eden Prairie an area they would like to serve. He stated they would hire between 175-200 people and most of these positions are full time jobs. He described their benefits for their employees which in turn benefit the community as a whole. They have tried to maintain buffers between the subject property and the adjacent residential properties. He discussed how deliveries to the store would be handled and their efforts to minimize traffic impacts. They have tried to minimize lighting impacts also. Habicht inquired when deliveries would be made and Furland responded their heaviest delivery days are Wednesdays and Thursdays to allow them to be well-stocked for the weekends. Gary Tushie, Tushie Montgomery Architects, reviewed the landscape plan and the site plan. He located the entrances to the site and described the traffic flow pattern on the site. The open space will be maintained much as it appears today and they have added some evergreen trees to screen the loading dock area and parking and building areas from the adjacent properties. He showed elevations for the Home Depot building and described the exterior building materials they propose to use. He showed perspective elevations from adjacent properties and illustrated how the site will be screened. Clinton commented he felt there was good screening for the building itself but he was concerned about the signage. Tushie responded they don't have any property adjacent to I-494 and the signage will be on the building itself. Sandstad asked if they had tried to bring the trucking into the site so it was not so close to the residential property and Tushie responded they felt this was the best way to bring trucks into the site with the least amount of disruption to the neighborhood. If the trucks have to turn around they will make much more noise than simply backing in and driving out. Sandstad asked about the height of the decorate fence that is proposed and Tushie responded it will be 6 feet in height. Carland stated the fence was requested by staff in response to concerns expressed at the neighborhood meeting. Franzen stated it was needed to separate public and private property in addition to increasing the screening between the townhomes and the development. Habicht asked when the garden center would be busy and Furland responded this garden center will be enclosed and will operate year round, though it's busiest time would be in the spring. Foote commented parking seems to be at a premium in Eden Prairie and he asked how the parking for this site compared to other stores in the metro area. Furland responded they have over 635 parking spaces compared to about 530 spaces at their other stores. Their business is spread throughout the day with the busiest times being in the evenings and on weekends. Franzen gave the staff report and noted staff recommended approval of Alternative #1 in the Staff Report. He noted the proponents have made the changes recommended by staff in their proposed plans. Dorn asked what the property was guided prior to 1991 and Franzen reviewed the guiding for the area. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES July 13, 1998 Page 3 The Public Hearing was opened. Kevin Bloom, 7465 Scott Terrace, was concerned about the open space and if the City would take it over. Franzen responded it will be deeded to the City. Bloom asked Tushie to explain the grading adjacent to his property. Tushie noted there will be a retaining wall with a fence on top of it. There will be 14 foot trees planted along the property line. Franzen noted a landscape bond is required by the City for one full growing season to ensure survival of the plant materials. Bloom was concerned about the noise from the loading dock area and how that would be mitigated. Franzen commented that the proposed plan would generate less noise than the approved plan. This site plan has more buffering and greater setbacks than the approved plan. Bloom stated he would rather see the trees planted on the outside of the fence than the inside. Carland stated they will put the trees on both sides of the fence. Franzen stated that before the City will take possession of the area an assessment would be done by Engineers indicating how the area would be stabilized and reseeded to control future erosion. Irene Jopek, 13396 Zenith Lane, asked why the trucks were coming into the site in the area that is proposed. She would appreciate any way they could move it to another location. Carland noted they could bring the trucks into the buffer area and create a turnaround but that would significantly impact that area. Furland noted the trucks turning around make more noise than trucks just backing in would make. Louise Lupoc, 631 Highland Drive, St. Clair, Michigan, Owner of the Salon being built across the street, asked about the colors of metal and brick that will be used on the proposed building. She looked at the boards and Furland noted that the orange has been significantly reduced on this building. Louise discussed the guiding for the area on both the north and south sides of Valley View Road. Franzen reviewed the guiding for the area and described how it could be developed. Todd Mosher, Home Depot, stated the store will be more a medium brown tone rather than orange. Jim Ferra, 7335 Scott Terrace, asked if the traffic lights put up on Valley View Road in response to the Highway 5 construction would be permanent or temporary, and Franzen responded they will be temporary. A Minnetonka resident representing from Fellowship Church was concerned about the noise on Sunday mornings during their worship services, and whether there would be any loudspeakers outside the building. Furland responded there will not be any loudspeakers, but they use an intercom system within the building which does not impact surrounding areas. Nancy Bergland, 7435 Scott Terrace, was concerned regarding plans for the top of the hill. Foote stated it will be left to go wild and will not be maintained in any formal way by the City. Bergland inquired if the parkland could be sold off if the City decides it has too much park land. Franzen stated he had discussed the proposed dedication with Bob Lambert who informed him the City plans to leave it in it's natural state. Bergland was also concerned about runoff from the parking lots and pollution of the natural area. Franzen noted runoff would be channeled through the NURP ponds on the site and significantly filtered before it was released into the natural areas. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES July 13, 1998 Page 4 Renee Dahlberg, 690 Big Horn Drive, Chanhassen, asked if the City would limit business hours or if this would be a 24-hour store. Furland stated this is not an area which would support a 24-hour store, and it will not be open 24 hours. David Ekblad, 7255 Girard Drive, was concerned about signage, lighting, and traffic from the development. Franzen stated that no signs will be located on the north, west, or east sides of the building, but all signs will be on the front of the building. Lighting will be restricted to twenty feet in height with a two foot candle radiance and low-wattage fixtures to reduce light spillover onto adjacent properties. Ekblad discussed ingress and egress to the site and the signals on Valley view Road. Franzen noted all signals are synchronized to allow traffic to move through the intersections from both directions. Sandstad commented he liked the project and felt the preservation and buffering were excellent. He felt this was the best use for the site and supported the project. Dorn commented he had not heard anyone say they did not want this project in this location, and he felt it was a good project and would support it. Alexander concurred, and noted she particularly liked the open space. Habicht felt this was the best plan and an improvement over the approved plan. He believed the proponent had done a nice job in demonstrating why this plan was better, and he supported the project. Foote stated he felt the plan was a good one and the amount of open space in the project was excellent. He believed Eden Prairie was large enough to support both Menards and Home Depot. MOTION: Clinton moved, seconded by Habicht, to close the Public Hearing. Motion carried 6-0. MOTION: Clinton moved, seconded by Habicht to recommend to the City Council approval of the request of Valley View Business Centre for Comprehensive Guide Plan Change from Medium Density Residential and Regional Commercial to Office on 7.26 acres, from Medium Density Residential to Public Open space on 7 acres, and from Medium Density Residential to Regional Commercial on 2.0 acres, Planned Unit Development Concept Review on 27.2 acres, Rezoning from Rural to I-2 Industrial on 7.26 acres and from Rural to Commercial Regional Service on 12.96 acres, Site Plan Review on 27.2 acres, and Preliminary Plat of 27.2 acres into 2 lots and one outlot based on plans dated July 10, 1998 and subject to the recommendations of the Staff Report dated July 10, 1998. Motion carried 6-0. V. PUBLIC MEETING VI. MEMBERS' REPORTS VII. CONTINUING BUSINESS VIII. NEW BUSINESS Dorn asked about the student representatives who sit on the Planning Commission and he thought they appeared very bored at times. Foote commented perhaps they could be encouraged to participate more and ask questions during the meetings. Sandstad thought PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES July 13, 1998 Page 5 that they might be induced to get more involved if they were asked questions about their thoughts during the discussion. IX. PLANNERS' REPORTS Franzen noted there were no items scheduled for the July 27th Agenda and there would not be a Planning Commission meeting held on that date. The next meeting will be on August 10, 1998. X. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Alexander moved, seconded by Habicht to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 6-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.