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Planning Commission - 12/09/2019APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE PLANNING COMMISSION MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2019 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; Rod Rue, City Engineer; Matt Bourne, Parks and Natural Resources Manager; 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 members Higgins, Weber and Villarreal were absent. III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Kirk moved, seconded by Farr to approve the agenda. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. IV. MINUTES MOTION: Farr moved, seconded by DeSanctis to approve the minutes of November 18, 2019. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. V. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. CENTRAL MIDDLE SCHOOL (2019-22) Request for:  Planned Unit Development Concept Review on 57.4 acres  Planned Unit Development District Amendment with Waivers on 57.4 acres  Site Plan Review on 57.4 acres  Preliminary Plat to combine multiple parcels into one lot on 57.4 acres PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES December 9, 2019 Page 2 Jason Mutzenberger, Director of Services for Eden Prairie School District introduced architect Michael DeVetter with DeVetter Design Group and Jay Pomeroy with Anderson, Johnson & Associates, and displayed a PowerPoint to explain the application. The process began in 2016 with an academic plan that required facility adjustments. Multiple avenues of feedback were explored and synthesized into the Designing Pathways initiative which included this site improvement at a cost of 39.9 million dollars. DeVetter explained the improvements: additional classroom space, a performing arts center, and expanded cafeteria and gymnasium spaces. He displayed and explained the overall floor plan. The white canopy entrance would be removed and made more secure with a new public entrance. The performing arts center would be state-of-the-art 700-seat audio-visual space with a control booth and an orchestra pit. Classrooms would be relocated from the east side to the west side. The new gymnasium would combine the existing three to accommodate larger events. Locker rooms would be improved and one added for sixth graders. 26 classrooms would be added with a collaborative space design option along with traditional classrooms and labs. The cafeteria addition would be 6,000 square feet, linking the existing separate spaces with improved access to daylight. Long, unarticulated corridors would be opened up and made more pleasant and collaborative. Pomeroy explained the site plan with the bus corral and traffic circulation. More queuing lane and stacking was needed. The bus corral would be striped to prevent parking during events and school times. The northern drive linking the two parking lots would be made a more delineated connection to give parents two options for egress. The large parking lot to the east would be reconfigured to allow pedestrians to walk with the traffic and the pedestrian paths would be highlighted with colored concrete. The western parking lot would be repaved and given landscaped parking islands. A stormwater infiltration basin and rain garden would be added and another large infiltration basin would be used for biology classes. Pomeroy explained the locations of the sports facilities, many of which would not be moved. A traffic study was being conducted. Not included in this proposal but still in draft version was the connection between School Road and Scenic Heights Boulevard. The traffic report would address this. Phase I would be constructed this summer (bus corral and east half of the site); Phase II in 2020 with the east-west connection. All construction, with the possible exception of the arts center, would be complete by August, 2021. Devetter displayed and explained the existing eastern elevation. A darker, complementary brick, red brick at the entrance, silver panel would be used to match the district rebranding. He displayed the color palette and materials samples. The building articulation would follow the massing. He displayed mock-ups to illustrate the concept. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES December 9, 2019 Page 3 DeSanctis asked how the southeast security lighting would change. Pomeroy replied the lighting would be replaced with LED lighting. Devetter assured the security lighting would not illuminate the parking lot but supply a focused, low- level illumination. The football field would not be lit; the gymnasium and the theatre would. DeSanctis noted this had a long construction timeline, but Devetter noted it was not long considering the complexity of the project. DeSanctis asked the load limit on Scenic Heights Road. Devetter could not answer but Knutson Construction would be working with them to follow all load limits. Farr commended the design. He asked if the drop-off demand was a trend or due to the sixth grade class and if an incentive to take the bus would be effective. Mutzenberger replied it was an increase of about a third, and it was due to the addition of the sixth grade with the pattern remaining the same; no more students were being dropped off or taking the bus. He agreed bus usage could be encouraged but did not have a specific strategy. Bus and ride sharing were more frequent with elementary students, whereas sports and after school activities could increase parents driving middle students around. Farr asked is the cafeteria was being expanded and the lunchtime reduced without a kitchen expansion. Mutzenberger replied all food was prepared at the high school and delivered to this site, which was geared toward warming food and preparing side dishes. More students would be served after the redesign. Farr asked what target year this design was responding to (two years out, ten years out, et cetera). Mutzenberger replied this was the ten-year improvement plan. Education delivery would not change; the emphasis on personalized learning would continue with flexible furniture, facilitated conversations, and collaborative spaces. Kirk asked for demographic information related to students. Mutzenberger confirmed that 626-700 student enrollments were projected over the next ten years. He expected the student body’s number to remain stable. Farr asked about the visibility from Highway 212. Devetter stated no study was done from Highway 212 but the sound wall was quite tall and he expected the impact to be minimal; no logo was planned to go there. Farr asked if there was a two-story element, and Mutzenberger displayed and explained the clerestory between the classrooms meant to bring in light, especially to the interior classrooms that did not have windows. Farr noted the west would be a windy place and encouraged wind walls using strategic landscaping to cut down on breezes. Mutzenberger asked for and received clarification the wind would come from the northwest; he expected the performing arts center to block the winds. DeSanctis asked if there was a plan to recapture water near the new performing arts center. Pomeroy explained the landscaped islands with native plants were part of this plan, and the planned infiltration area to the north was more effective than putting one in right off the corner of the center. The outdoor performing arts area was terraced grass and would also help. The applicant was trying to minimize the amount of pavement, and the semi-circular concrete area outside the west PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES December 9, 2019 Page 4 entrance would be landscaped. DeSanctis asked what percent of the mature, large- caliper trees lining the sound wall would be removed. Pomeroy replied very few would be removed, only along the low north drive, and the applicant tried to minimize this impact. The trees would be replaced. DeSanctis noted the location of a peace garden at the west entrance and asked if it would be protected, and Mutzenberger assured him it would be preserved with no change. DeSanctis asked if the large caliper trees would be preserved on the embankments on the west side and the north side of the school pond. The bluff and the pond would remain untouched. DeSanctis commended the traffic flow plan at School Road and Scenic Heights Road and asked if a roundabout was possible and/or the intersection to the north could not be widened and leveled to allow for a left turning lane. Pomeroy replied this could be possible; this was a challenging intersection. The intent was to keep that route as straight as possible while accommodating trucks. The consultant was working on this and a roundabout was also possible. DeSanctis asked if metal detectors were being installed. Mutzenberger replied research was done and metal detectors were not an option for this school district; staffed secure entrances, corridor lockdown techniques and safety glass would be utilized instead. Those with an evil intent to enter could not be absolutely prevented but with a trained staff and the beneficial partnership with the City the district could provide a safe environment. Mette suggested pervious pavers in the center of the bus corral and a change to the northern road. Instead of looping around the entire site, she suggested it meet with the corral if possible being that the bus stalls were not continuously used. Pomeroy replied the slope might make pervious pavers ineffective and having a landscaped island would make the corral too tight. The north connection involved a great deal of discussion. During the morning the buses merely dropped off students but they parked there during the afternoon. The intent was not to bisect any of the buses and exit without impacting any bus staging, stacking or egress. Mutzenberger added the goal was to allow parents to flow through the site and exit as easily as possible. This road was presently a fire lane road and allowing parents to use it as a two-lane road would be a huge improvement. Farr emphasized the danger of trying to accommodate too many different parties and urged the district to incentivize parents to utilize district bussing instead of trying to make it as easy as possible for them to drive children to and from school when they had to negotiate a hairpin turn. Mette suggested incentivizing the kids to take the bus, considering they were now learning about sustainability and environmental concerns. Klima presented the staff report. The applicant was requesting approval to remodel and construct several additions at the Central Middle School at 8025 School Road behind the School District’s Administrative Services Center, which included the Administrative Services Center, the middle school, and outdoor PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES December 9, 2019 Page 5 athletic facilities. This included approximately 82,000 square feet of additions and 50,000 square feet of remodeling and included the following additions to the school: theater, gymnasium, cafeteria and classrooms. The property would be rezoned to public and a preliminary plat request to make it a single lot. The project would also expand and reconstruct the main entrance on the west side of the school and create a new secure entrance. Included were a number of site improvements and changes to the bus drop off area, the parking lot on the west side of the school and the area where parents drop off students. Waivers included building height, a front yard parking lot setback, which was an existing condition. A façade articulation waiver would allow the proposed gymnasium design and the district did provide 75 percent complementary Class One materials but offered only two, rather than three different materials, hence the waiver for this. A waiver for a higher fence around the running track reflected what one saw at other school facilities and City parks. The final waiver addressed the parking lot islands, which were usually included in commercial sites. This application included eight to ten sustainable features. The school district would have to go through the bidding process, which meant there could be bid alternates in the future. The design before the commission reflected the current information at this time and any pending approval would reflect what was intended through this review process. Staff recommended approval with the conditions, mostly detail items, included in the staff report. Kirk asked staff to address the traffic report process. Rue replied with the traffic study different options were being analyzed, with a stop sign at School Road being considered. Onsite improvements such as the longer drop off area and the improved interior circulation would relieve the short term traffic issue on Scenic Heights Road. The design resulting from the traffic study would be a future discussion and application. This intersection would be examined during the Capital Improvement Plan in 2020. Farr noted the shoreland setback combined some lots and asked how the percentages of pervious surface were tied to this. Klima stated in 2000 the school district went through a process to receive a variance to exceed 30 percent of impervious surface for the entire site, so all of these combined properties did not affect this. Farr asked if the bus radius could be widened and a landscaping element put in the additional yard space facing Wallace Road in lieu of parking lot islands. MOTION: Kirk moved, seconded by DeSanctis to close the public hearing. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. Mette commended the architecture and thanked the architects. DeSanctis commended the consideration of solar panels and the inclusion of natural light. MOTION: Kirk moved, seconded by Mette to recommend approval for a Planned Unit Development Concept Review on 57.4 acres; Planned Unit Development Amendment with waivers on 57.4 acres; Site Plan Review on 57.4 PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES December 9, 2019 Page 6 acres; and Preliminary Plat to combine multiple parcels into one lot on 57.4 acres based on Plans stamped dated November 27, 2019 and the staff report dated December 3, 2019. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. B. CODE AMENDMENT FOR R1-9.5 SIDE YARD SETBACKS (2019-25) Request to:  Amend City Code Chapter 11 relating to side yard setbacks in the R1-95 zoning district Klima explained this was the City’s smallest single family residential district. It was created in 1982 and lagged behind in creation time compared to other districts and recognized the need for some smaller lots. The setback requirement was cumbersome and open to interpretation, so staff requested this language update for clarity and consistency for equitable application. The proposed code amendment clarified City expectations, created no non-conformities on existing R1-9.5 properties, allowed flexibility, and was consistent with recent Planned Unit Development waiver requests. The goal was to clearly state the minimum side yard setbacks in R1-9.5 district and to be consistent with the chart display of side yard setbacks in the R1-44, R1-22 and R1-13.5 zoning districts chart, and to delete language in Section 11.03, Subdivision 2., A., 8 of which that could be interpretive in regard to minimum side yard setback. Farr asked the City’s allowance for backyard service and emergency vehicle access. Klima replied she was not aware of any concerns; the City had a “healthy” amount of such properties and there were no issues of access. Rue added most emergency situations involved easements and he was aware of certain obstacles to access such as fences, shrubs, trees, grade changes and retaining walls, but he could recall no problems of access in this case. MOTION: Mette moved, seconded by Kirk to close the public hearing. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. MOTION: DeSanctis moved, seconded by Farr to recommend approval to amend City Code Chapter 11 regarding side yard setbacks in the R1-9.5 zoning district based on information in the staff report dated December 4, 2019. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. VI. PLANNERS’ REPORT Klima announced the 2020 Work Plan distributed to the commission would take more of a proactive approach and had identified City-led initiatives such as a new commissioner training curriculum in the first quarter, and code amendments in the other quarters including zoning districts and changes to the zoning ordinance. Staff recommended approval of the work plan presented to the commission tonight and it would be presented to the City Council in February, 2020. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES December 9, 2019 Page 7 MOTION: Farr moved, seconded by Mette to approve the 2020 Work Plan. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. Klima announced the next meeting would be held January 13, 2020 and staff would bring the training curriculum at that time. VII. MEMBERS’ REPORTS Farr noted the performing arts center sign above the Central Middle School’s new center and suggested naming it after Principal Joe Epping. VIII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Kirk moved, seconded by DeSanctis to adjourn. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. The meeting was adjourned at 8:29 p.m.