City Council - 03/09/2004 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES
EDEN PRAIRIE CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP/FORUM
TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2004 CITY CENTER
5:00—6:25 PM,HERITAGE ROOM II
6:30—7:00 PM, COUNCIL CHAMBER
CITY COUNCIL:
Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens, Councilmembers Sherry Butcher,Ron Case, Jan Mosman, and
Philip Young
CITY STAFF:
City Manager Scott Neal, Police Chief Dan Carlson,Fire Chief George Esbensen, Parks and
Recreation Director Bob Lambert, Communications Manager Jack Sheehan,Economic
Development Director David Lindahl, Assistant to the City Manager Michael Barone, City
Attorney Ric Rosow, and Recorder Lorene McWaters
Heritage Room H
I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER
II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
III. CITY PARCEL AT MITCHELL ROAD AND 312
Background
Lindahl reviewed the history of the City-owned parcel at 7900 Mitchell Road. The City
purchased the site around 1981. A police facility was constructed on the site in 1983.
The building was closed in 1993 after the department moved into the City Center Space.
In 1995, a City consultant recommended marketing the site with the building. The
building was shown to many prospective buyers; however, the cost of renovating the
building for another use proved prohibitive. In 2000, developer Dan Wright proposed
replatting the property into three lots: one for a Wingate Hotel on the 2.89 south site; one
for a restaurant on the 2.36 acre north site; and a small parcel to be retained by the City
for a well house. Wright agreed to buy the two lots for a total of$1.7 million.
The hotel project was approved by the City Council in June 2000, and Wright closed on
the hotel site in late 2000 for$1,071,000. Wright, however,was unable to close on the
north parcel due to a downturn in the economy, the death of his partner, and difficulty
finding an a suitable restaurant for the site. Mr. Wright passed away in 2002. Wright's
estate still controls the property, which has been listed with Cambridge Commercial
Realty since 2000. Over the past several years, City staff and Cambridge have discussed
alternative uses for the property; however, staff s position to date has been that the City
would prefer to see the approved hotel/restaurant plan built if possible. Staff believes the
hotel and restaurant parcels are co-dependent since they share the same access,parking,
and storm water retention pond.
Council Workshop Minutes
March 9,2004
Page 2
Some of the uses that have been proposed by prospective buyers,but have not come to
fruition, are:
• Office condos
• Bank/offices
• Drug store
• Furniture store
• Restaurants
• Strip retail
• Private school
• Health and fitness club
Lindahl noted that Eaton Corp. has indicated that a hotel in this location would be
desirable, and occupants of the ADC site would likely use the hotel as well.
Lindahl said staff continues to market the site,but they have been reluctant to encourage
certain uses, such as the proposed drug store or fast food restaurants, that they feel do not
fit with the needs of the area. Lindahl said he is looking for specific input from Council
on the direction to take with the site.
Discussion
Councilmember Young asked for an estimate of what the tax revenues would be on the
site. Lindahl noted that the site is currently being reappraised, and Lindahl expects the
results will show an increase in value of around$200,000. Lindahl said it would be
between$20,000 and$25,000 a year on the City's site, and double that for the other site.
Young said although it might be in the City's interest to hold onto the property, he
believes this is not part of what City's do. He is, however, interested in finding a good
use for the site.
Councilmember Butcher asked if the City has considered a development along the lines
of the Excelsior Lake area. Young agreed that would be a great use,but he asked how
long the City would be willing to wait for the market to support that type of development.
Mayor Tyra-Lukens said it is her impression that the site is probably too small for that
type of development.
Councilmember Case said he would like to see a prioritization of possible uses. He
suggested focusing on five uses and then aggressively going after those types of project.
Case said he personally would not mind seeing a hotel and a restaurant(particularly a
quality breakfast restaurant) on the property.
Tyra-Lukens said she supports Lindahl's approach in dealing with proposed restaurants.
She would be disappointed to see the site used for a fast food restaurant. She said she
would not necessarily object to offices,but is not sure a strip mall would be desirable.
Lindahl said he would get input from the appraisers and develop a matrix of possible uses
for review by the Council.
Council Workshop Minutes
March 9, 2004
Page 3
IV. 2004 WORK PLANS
Neal said staff has begun translating the objectives and strategies developed and
approved by Council last year into specific work plans. Barone and Kurt, along with
consultant Clare O'Connell,have been working with Directors and Division Managers on
drafting these work plans. Neal noted that Public Works worked with Kurt and Barone to
develop a"prototype"work plan that is being used as an example from which other
Departments can work. After all of the work plans are completed,Department Directors
and Division Managers will translate these work plans into goals for individual
employees. Staff expects to complete this process by the end of May. These goals will
then be used to set performance expectations. Kurt said after all of this work is done,HR
will be able to reestablish expectation of regular performance reviews. Goals will be
established and communicated early in the year, city-wide employee and manager
competencies will be developed, and the content of the performance reviews will be
revised. Neal said the intent is to measure performance,but not to create a bureaucracy
around the system. Councilmember Case pointed out that much of the work of the City is
service-oriented and not easily measured. Kurt agreed, and said performance reviews
will focus not only on what is done,but how it is done.
V. OTHER TOPICS
Tyra-Lukens suggested that the topic for the next workshop be educating the public about
the upcoming referendum.
Sheehan said the"Referendum Talking Points"would be posted on the City's web site
this week. An icon that takes the user directly to the referendum page is being developed.
The referendum page will include a tax impact table, artistic renderings, a sample ballot,
and a list of polling places. Staff is also working on an educational mailer which will be
mailed to Eden Prairie residents on or around March 26.
Tyra-Lukens asked if staff has come up with a catchy tagline. Sheehan said they have
considered several possibilities,but have not found one that does not cross the line to
advocacy. Mosman said she is concerned over what exactly she can say in support of the
referendum without violating any rules.
Council Chamber
VI. OPEN FORUM
Lulu Mosman, daughter of Councilmember Jan Mosman,briefed Council on her trip the
NLC Conference in Washington,DC, as a youth delegate. Lulu noted that she attended
all of the general sessions and she described one seminar she attended on immigrant
issues. She said she also met the Mayor of Beaverton, Oregon, and learned about his
City's 28-member youth commission.
VH. OPEN PODIUM
No one requested to speak at Open Podium.
VHL ADJOURNMENT