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Planning Commission - 07/08/2019APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE PLANNING COMMISSION MONDAY, JULY 8, 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, Balu Iyer CITY STAFF: Julie Klima, City Planner; Rod Rue, City Engineer; 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 member Iyer and Villarreal were absent. III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Kirk moved, seconded by Mette to approve the agenda. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. IV. MINUTES MOTION: Weber moved, seconded by DeSanctis to approve the minutes of June 10, 2019. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. V. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. OAK POINT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SITE PLAN AND VARIANCE #2018-02 Request for:  Variance from Shoreland Code to allow impervious surface to exceed the City Code requirement of 30%  Site Plan Review on 23.05 acres Jay Pomeroy with Anderson Johnson Associates presented a PowerPoint and detailed the application. The school is located on a parcel with 23 acres, with an adjoining parcel of 8 acres to the west. The variance would increase the PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES July 8, 2019 Page 2 impervious surface from 36.36 percent to 38.74 percent on the 23 acre parcel. The parking lot would be expanded on the southwest corner of the property, just over the ball fields, for a total of 84 cars. The parking lot would ease congestion on the site. An 18-inch deep infiltration basin would be constructed to the west. The proposed project also included landscaping and screening. DeSanctis asked if the two ballfields southwest of school was utilized by Eden Prairie recreational leagues, and Pomeroy replied they were not; they were used exclusively by the school. DeSantis asked what the rational was for using impervious concrete instead of a more sustainable alternative. Pomeroy replied porous pavers and porous concrete were considered, but would require an infiltration below ground. The issue of maintenance during the winter months and cost drove the choice of materials. Also, the soil on site limited the choice according to Watershed District standards. Mette asked what drove this need for a larger parking lot. Pomeroy replied school design has changed over time, with fewer students traveling by bus and more dropped off by parents. The Spanish Immersion School changed some demographics and drove a change in traffic circulation, causing congestion of traffic from Staring Lake Road. Higgins noted in her experience on site the parallel parking could make it confusing to find a parking spot and to navigate with buses. She added it was also confusing to know where to park considering some areas were for staff and she welcomed an improvement. She asked for a timeline. Pomeroy estimated construction would begin in August with a completion date perhaps in October, 2019. Farr noted this would become the only elementary school in Eden Prairie without ballfields. Pomeroy replied there was no motivation to eliminate ballfields; it was a balance between parking and open space. The playground to the north would offer a youth-size softball field and there was open space to provide for t-ball and other activities. That playground was always busy, whereas the ballfields were not. Farr suggested reaching out to residents in the vicinity regarding the repurposing of the open space. Farr also asked for more detail on ingress and egress. Pomeroy replied the two outbound lanes shown in one of the plans had been eliminated after meeting with staff. Farr noted the exit would still be congested, and asked why not have the north entrance and exit as the only access to the parking lot for better circulation. Pomeroy replied this was considered, but staff asked for the second south entrance and exit. Since staff arrived first and left last, he did not see an issue with stacking. The southern access could be coned off as necessary. Farr noted the plan called for LED lighting and asked if the current lot was lit by LED lights and if not, if there was a conversion plan in place. Pomeroy replied the lot was not lit by LED, but the school district had a long-term plan to convert to LED lighting; that was, however, not a part of this project. DeSanctis asked for and received clarification that these plans were reviewed at the Riley-Purgatory Watershed Board Meeting of March, 2019 and were not PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES July 8, 2019 Page 3 scheduled for March, 2020. Pieper asked for and received clarification the south parking lot was for overflow parking. Klima presented the staff report. The variance was to exceed the impervious surface requirement in the shoreland district and a site plan approval for the entire site due to the addition of the parking lot. The variance did meet the three-part test, the parking lot did satisfy all City standards, and staff recommended approval of both requests. Mette asked if the additional seven-acre parcel would be rezoned. Klima replied this parcel was owned by the school district and zoned public, which would not change; only City-owned properties would be rezoned as part of the parks rezoning. Farr noted there was on the south side of the property there were two utility easements running parallel to each other: a water main and a gas pipeline without a pipe utility in it. He asked if the gas pipeline was vacated and/or would the storm sewer cross it and if so, if there would be any issues with this. Rue replied the applicant’s civil engineer looked at this. The gas main was an older one and could be fairly deep, perhaps deeper than normal, and it was potholed. Pomeroy replied the gas main would be potholed again before the start of construction. It was likely three to four feet deep, and the storm sewer would be laid beneath it. MOTION: Kirk moved, seconded by DeSanctis to close the public hearing. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. MOTION: Kirk moved, seconded by Higgins to approve Variance #2018-02 based on the staff report dated July 2, 2019 and plans stamp-dated June 28, 2019. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. MOTION: Kirk moved, seconded by DeSanctis to recommend approval of the site plan review on 23.05 acres staff report dated July 2, 2019 and plans stamp- dated June 28, 2019 and the findings and conditions in the final order number 2018-02. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. B. SOUTHWEST TRANSIT NORTH BUS ENTRY/OFFICE ADDITION Request for:  Planned Unit Development District Amendment on 10.05 acres  Site Plan Review on 10.05 acres Len Simich, CEO of Southwest Transit, introduced Gary Hay of Hay Dobbs Architects and briefly explained the need for the garage expansion. This was to become the new corporate office for Southwest Transit since the current one was being displaced with the building of the LRT line, and to clean up the circulation of the business in and out of the site. Hay Dobbs displayed a PowerPoint and PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES July 8, 2019 Page 4 detailed the application. The applicant would construct a 2,689 square foot building addition for a bus entry and offices on at the front of the building. The site would include an existing maintenance garage with warehouse and office space. The two-story building addition would include the bus entry on the first floor and offices on the second floor. The materials included face brick, glass and metal panels. The roof heights varied due to the screening elements, although the roof elevation remained at the same height. Hay displayed the elevation seen east to west on Highway 62 showing the varying roof heights and material choices. The second floor office would include a collaboration space. DeSanctis commended the thoughtful presentation and the aesthetics of the building. He asked if there was an opportunity to introduce solar energy as a supplemental source of energy. Hay replied when exploring this in other projects he found the cost to be prohibitive. There might be an opportunity in the future given the scale of this building. Klima presented the staff report. This was essentially a Phase II project and no waivers were proposed as the needed waivers were addressed previously. The landscape plan exceeded City requirements. Staff would continue to work with the applicant on the compliance of the Class II materials. Staff recommended approval. Pieper asked if this expansion had been brought forward at the previous public hearing for phase I in 2018, if staff would have had any concerns, and Klima replied there would have been no concerns from staff. MOTION: Farr moved, seconded by Weber to close the public hearing. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Mette commended the design and the choice of materials, particularly the zinc which was not inexpensive. Pieper concurred. Farr also commended the choice of the materials. MOTION: Farr moved, seconded by Kirk to recommend approval of Southwest Transit northwest entry office addition based on the staff report dated July 2, 2019 and the plans June 11, 2019. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. VI. PLANNERS’ REPORT VII. MEMBERS’ REPORTS VIII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Weber moved, seconded by DeSantis to adjourn. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. The meeting was adjourned at 7:46 p.m.