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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission - 06/25/2001 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE COMMUNITY PLANNING BOARD WORKSHOP MONDAY,JUNE 25, 2001 6:00 P.M., CITY CENTER Heritage Room I 8080 Mitchell Road BOARD MEMBERS: Ken Brooks, Frantz Corneille, Randy Foote, Vicki Koenig, Kathy Nelson, Fred Seymour, Paul Sodt, Susan Stock, Ray Stoelting STAFF MEMBERS: Krista Flemming, Planner II Mike Franzen, City Planner Scott Kipp, Senior Planner Alan Gray, City Engineer I CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Chair Corneille called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m. Present: Sodt, Seymour, Stock, Stoelting, Corneille, Nelson, Foote. Koenig arrived at 6:20. Absent: Brooks II. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA Motion by Stoelting, second by Nelson to approve the agenda. Motion carried, 7-0. III. COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE PLAN A. CHAPTERS 1, 2,AND 3 Franzen stated the Comp Plan is the community's primary planning document from which all planning-related regulatory ordinances and programs are based. It consists of background information, agreed upon goals and policies, land use information and map, and a plan for implementation. There is always a land use that will come in that was not considered, such as senior living complexes. Guide plans can encourage better products through architecture, open space, building height, surrounding land use, etc. The Comp Plan's purpose is to consider all aspects of the community, establish policies that coincide with development opportunities, clearly represent the community's goals and serve as the framework for policy decisions, interconnect plans of adjoining communities by minimizing land use conflicts along boundaries, generate sustainable development, and address the amended Metropolitan Lad Planning Act of 1995 to ensure local Plans conform with the regional system, fiscal devices, and local ordinances. Community Planning Board Workshop Minutes June 25, 2001 Page 2 Goals for the Board's review of the Comprehensive Plan include reviewing statistical information, review of current goals and policies, recommendation of additional goals and policies if necessary, and review of future land uses for vacant parcels. The Board should generate a report for the Council listing findings and any recommended changes including overall recommendation for use of the remaining land. The Board may also present the report to the City Council. There are approximately 1900 acres remaining vacant. The Board should review the big picture of the vacant parcels rather than looking at each site, and consider whether it should develop consistent with the guide plan. Impacts on roads, sewer, water, and parks should be considered. Having a vision and executing a plan are two very important aspects of the Eden Prairie community. Stock asked whether the intent was reviewing the revised Comp Plan as a group and making recommendations. Franzen responded yes. Nelson asked whether there was land suitable for taller buildings. Franzen said there were areas along 494 and 212. Franzen stated the City has followed the comp plan 98% of the time in making decisions. The zoning ordinance is how the comprehensive plan is implemented. Franzen said the board should discuss the community and what they like, and what they would like to change. Nelson stated in general it was a very clean community and was a nice mix of smaller commercial and housing areas; local services were relatively close. There is decent transportation for the existing area. She is concerned that the southwest area is not mirroring the rest of the community; it lacks commercial and transportation. The golden triangle area was a concern as well; rush hour is a nightmare. There are no houses or commercial / industrial mix. Those two pieces are areas she would like to ensure the comp plan is applied to. Franzen stated in 1973 the City approved a plan to establish a "regional diversified center" in the golden triangle. This part is where there was to be the concentration of high density housing, employment, and commercial activities. The City wanted to leave the intensity in this area and have rural remain in other areas. What is left in southwest Eden Prairie is neighborhood-friendly commercial services. A problem with the 1978 plan was the goal of neighborhood commercial services but the land use plan did not show locations. It became a guide plan change when it was put into neighborhood areas. Because of the bluff and Riley creek, 20% less density in that area and 10% more open space. Following the Major Center Area Plan, the DNR released its Shoreland Ordinance, so the City is 1/2 of its expected density in that area. Community Planning Board Workshop Minutes June 25, 2001 Page 3 Sodt asked about northeast businesses and whether there was discontent with the area. Franzen stated only as it relates to traffic. There are only three entrances in and out. There is also more regional traffic on the highways. Koenig asked whether Chaska, Chanhassen, and Shakopee would develop higher density than planned. Franzen said they have not proposed major plan changes. Corneille stated the challenge would be with so little land left, not become tempted to put individual feelings into acres and legislating projects. It is more difficult with less land. The board needs to make sure they create a high level plan to prevent changes on a project-by-project basis. Franzen stated the whole community has expectations for remaining parcels. Staff is not proposing any wholesale changes. If 1900 acres were residential and they made it industrial that would create a problem. Corneille asked whether the Concept of urban was somewhere that was desirable. Franzen said the northeast has always been like a larger downtown. It has commercial, housing, employment, mass transit, and parks and open spaces. Parcels can be used interchangeably. Discussing the transportation plan, they would look at different land uses. Koenig asked about the Real Life cooperative. Franzen stated this was turning office/industrial into housing. Flemming said for the Market Center Plan, development has been spotty but the areas are becoming filled up. As those begin to fill in it will create a sense of downtown. They are carrying through some design features into the mall area to create a corridor. Franzen said what has been missing from the downtown is high density housing. Either the market was not ready or high-rise construction is very expensive. Height, dimension, and a larger mass of people living downtown was missing. Sodt stated they seem to be thinking what is available now. Some communities are already into redevelopment. He questioned whether the City should begin thinking about redevelopment and gain from other cities' experiences. Community Planning Board Workshop Minutes June 25, 2001 Page 4 Franzen stated there are very few buildings in a commercial area that would be appropriate to redevelop. Stoelting said what is unique about Eden Prairie is their downtown doesn't have a traditional downtown feel. Other cities have sidewalks, gazebos, older buildings but the planning was well done. It is as though the City did it backwards. Stock asked about a plan for the downtown. Flemming mentioned the market center plan. Gray noted the cities Stoelting mentioned were small towns. At the center of town was a small business area. Sodt noted Burnsville is successfully creating a smaller town look. Gray said Hutchinson and Owatonna are cities dealing with how to create new commercial in the existing community. The tendency is for larger commercial malls just outside of the core which creates competition. Sodt said they could allow the market to determine it. Franzen said the Eden Prairie Mall is a larger scale downtown for a larger community. Corneille said they should plan for long term redevelopment. If the City has that vision they can impact future development with what they do now. Koenig stated they should also look at high density areas. 20 years from now they do not know what the market will be like or the condition of units. Nelson said she would like to know buildings would be in good condition 20-40 years from now. She would like to keep high standards for building construction. Affordable housing will not do any good if it is not fit to live in. Sodt said he was intrigued by the concept of commercial and residential. Franzen said land prices are high. The Met Council guideline for affordable housing is $170,000 for a family of four. In 1995 it was $115,000. This is based on the median income in the metro area. Most new housing areas are toward southwest Eden Prairie. Nelson asked whether they had considered interior commuter buses and what is missing around the circulation routes. Community Planning Board Workshop Minutes June 25, 2001 Page 5 Franzen said as part of the discussion on the transportation planning, Southwest Metro will come and address transportation. Nelson stated it would be helpful to consider an interior circulating bus route and may be worth looking at mapping out circulated routes. Koenig said the transit hub was nice but they do not go enough places. Foote said the original intent was for Southwest Metro to be a downtown shuttle. There must be enough people riding. Franzen said Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Bloomington are employment sites. Koening asked when the golden triangle was planned, whether the City anticipated any assistance, such as from the state. Gray said he was not sure whether there would be assistance from the state on such things as widening accesses. Gray noted the freeway was a 1960 freeway built with a 20-year expectancy. Nelson inquired why there were one and two story buildings for industrial; it seems to be a gross waste of land. Sodt said it was probably too expensive to build a multi level. Nelson said it may be an advantage to encourage larger buildings. Franzen said there was an opportunity along 494 and 212 to build taller buildings. IV. ADJOURN Motion by Sodt, second by Stoelting to adjourn. Motion carried, 8-0. The meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.