City Council - 12/02/2003 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES
EDEN PRAIRIE CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP/FORUM
TUESDAY,DECEM 3ER 2,2003 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, and Jan Mosman, and
Philip Young
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CITY STAFF:
City Manager Scott Neal, Police Chief Dan Carlson,Fire Chief George Esbensen,Public Works
Director Eugene Dietz,Director of Parks and Recreation Bob Lambert, City Assessor Steve Sinell,
Economic Development Manager David Lindahl,Assistant Fire Chief Scott Taylor, City Attorney
Ric Rosow, and Recorder Lorene McWaters
Heritage Room II
I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER
II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
III. STADIUM
Lindahl introduced Pat MulQueeny,President of the Eden Prairie Chamber of
Commerce, and David Welle, a consultant with CSL,the firm the City has retained to
assist with a stadium proposal. Lindahl reviewed talking points that will be incorporated
into a stadium proposal to the State. He said staff believes the Golden Triangle is an
optimal site for either a single stadium or adjoining stadiums. Lindahl noted the
following advantages of a Golden Triangle stadium site:
• Ample land for up to two stadiums, including parking and consolidated practice
facilities and corporate offices
• Proximity and highway access to and from the metro area
• Major highway improvements resulting in increased capacity planned and funded for
Highways 494, 312/212 and 169
• Light Rail Transit from Minneapolis to the Golden Triangle area is already underway
with resulting possibility of combining stadium and transit parking
• Good potential for supporting/adjacent restaurant,hotel,retail and convention
development and/or redevelopment
• More than 30,000 existing parking spaces within the Golden Triangle
• More than 100 restaurants and 15 hotels within three miles of the site
CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MINUTES
December 2,2003
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• Strong support from the business community
Lindahl acknowledged two challenges the City faces in attempting to win approval for a
stadium site in Eden Prairie:
• Stadium financing has not been identified by the State
• The deadline is too short for the City to obtain adequate local, county and state
financial support before the submittal due date
Lindahl said the City has been considering making a bid for a new Vikings stadium for
several months,but that the Vikings have been reluctant to commit to any one
community. The Twins play 81 games per year,but this would still not bring enough
revenue into the community to justify the City committing major funding. Lindahl said
the City might consider taking a hit on tax revenues since a stadium would probably be
tax-exempt. Lindahl said he is disappointed that the State's current approach is to focus
on sites first rather than exploring financing options first. He said this approach tends to
become parochial and is more political. Lindahl said he believes both Eden Prairie and
Blaine could accommodate two stadiums. He does not believe Minneapolis or St.Paul
could do so. He said parking typically generates significant revenue for professional
teams, and there is ample land area in the Triangle to accommodate stadium owned
parking
Lindahl said he does not believe the City should advocate for a particular site within the
Golden Triangle at this point. He said staff has requested that Best Buy endorse the
City's proposal,but he has not gotten a response yet. Lindahl said he initially did not
think the Twins would be willing to locate outside Minneapolis or St. Paul,but in a
meeting with Twins executives last week,they showed some interest in exploring an
Eden Prairie site. Lindahl said he believes Hennepin County will end up supporting the
Twins staying in Minneapolis. He said he thinks Hennepin County should be asked to
provide the same support to the Vikings that they offer to the Twins. Lindahl also met
with Senator David Hann and Representative Erik Paulsen, and they indicated they think
Eden Prairie is a good site for a stadium, but are not ready to discuss funding. Lindahl
pointed out that a half-cent tax referendum is a possibility. He said gaming will also
probably be discussed as a possible funding source. Lindahl said staff hopes to have a
proposal firmed up within the next 30 days. He said that Blaine seems to have gotten
good support from their business community. He said Eden Prairie also has the support
of the business community,but there has not been sufficient time to quantify it.
MulQueeny said the Chamber is planning to conduct an online survey of their members
to help measure the level of business community support. MulQueeny noted he has
received many supportive calls about the stadium,with no negative feedback thus far.
Mayor Tyra-Lukens said this is a very different process from most development
proposals, since it is the City and not a private parry proposing the project. She asked if
staff is truly confident that Eden Prairie can handle two stadiums. She said she would not
want to be coerced into building a casino or 15-story hotel that might not be in the best
interests of the City. Welle said proposals will not contain many specifics at this stage in
CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP M NUTES
December 2,2003
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the process. He said if the City wins the proposal, they are in essence winning the right
to start negotiating. He does not think the City is going too far out on a limb at this point.
Lindahl said the City is currently favoring construction of a first-class retractable dome.
Butcher said it does not seem as if the City has had a chance to take the pulse of the
community on the stadium. She said she has been hearing concerns about traffic in
relation to a stadium. Mosman agreed that she could see economic benefits from a
stadium,but could also see potential traffic problems. Welle pointed out that planned
improvements on Highways 494, 169 and 212 will help alleviate any potential traffic
problems. Councilmember Young said he has heard a lot of anecdotal feedback on a
stadium,most of it positive. He said his feeling that Eden Prairie residents in their late
30s want a water park and a stadium, and they also would not mind a hotel.
City Manager Neal asked Welle what kind of role city governments typically play in
stadium developments. Welle said there is a wide range of levels of involvement. He
said some city's take the lead on a project while others indicate support by providing a
site. He said about 22 percent of cities provide some direct financial contribution or
create a special taxing district. He said the public entity generally steps aside once the
facility is built.
IV. OTHER TOPICS
Council Chamber
V. OPEN FORUM(Scheduled participants, 6:30-7:00 p.m.)
Eden Prairie resident Vicky Miller addressed Council about Edenvale Villas development
in the area of Kara Drive. She said that at all of the hearings before construction of the
development began,residents expressed concerns about having an adequate tree buffer
left. Now that construction has begun,Miller said it appears that more trees have been
taken out than the developer initially indicated. She said she is disappointed and expects
the developer to fulfill the original agreement. Public Works Manager Gene Dietz and
City Planner Mike Franzen said they viewed the site earlier in the week and the work so
far appears to conform to the approved grading plan. Tyra-Lukens wondered if the
developer had not adequately communicated that the grading would eliminate a lot of
trees. Miller asked if the developer can be asked to replant some pines to build up the
tree buffer in this area. Franzen said that under the approved tree plan, trees can be
placed anywhere on the site. He does not see a problem with asking the developer to
place trees on this portion of the site, and he believes the developer will be agreeable to
this request. He said he will call Miller after the tree plan is finalized so she can review
it. Miller thanked Council and staff for their assistance.
VI. OPEN PODIUM (Unscheduled participants, 6:50-7:00 p.m.)
VH. ADJOURNMENT