City Council - 07/18/2006 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES
JOINT WORKSHOP OF THE CITY COUNCIL & PLANNING COMMISSION
& OPEN FORUM/OPEN PODIUM
TUESDAY,JULY 18, 2006 CITY CENTER
5:00—6:25 PM, HERITAGE ROOM II
6:30—7:00 PM, COUNCIL CHAMBER
CITY COUNCIL: Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens, Councilmembers Brad Aho, Sherry Butcher,
Ron Case, and Philip Young
PLANNING COMMISSION: Ray Stoelting —Chair, Fred Seymour—Vice Chair, Jon
Duckstad, John Kirk, Vicki Koenig, Jerry Pitzrick, Peter Rocheford, Jon Stoltz, Frank Powell
CITY STAFF: City Manager Scott Neal, Police Chief Dan Carlson, Fire Chief George
Esbensen, Public Works Director Eugene Dietz, Parks and Recreation Director Bob Lambert,
Community Development Director Janet Jeremiah, Communications Manager Pat Brink,
Assistant to the City Manager Michael Barone, City Attorney Ric Rosow, and Recorder Lorene
McWaters
Heritage Room H
Councilmember Phil Young and Planning Commission members Jon Stoltz and Peter Rocheford
were absent.
I. COMP PLAN UPDATE
Greg Ingraham of HKGI presented a PowerPoint on the Land Use element of the Guide
Plan update. The Land Use Plan has several roles and functions:
• Includes an inventory of land uses and surface water resources
• Guides for future land uses to accommodate population growth, economic
development and redevelopment
• Guides public and private sector investments
• Establishes the City's land use goals,policies and implementation strategies
Ingraham asked for confirmation that the City wants the Land Use Plan to focus on:
• Land redevelopment, particularly in the Major Center Area (MCA) and Golden
Triangle Area (GTA), economic development and housing
• Housing and transit relationships, especially in the Southwest LRT corridor
• Balancing land use and transportation
• Meeting Met Council update requirements
• Implementation strategies
MCA
Ingraham asked for input on wrapping the MCA Land Use Plan into the Comp Plan. He asked
whether Council wants the Land Use Plan amended to focus on a mixed-use walkable Town
Center only, or do they want to include the balance of the MCA in the land use amendments?
Ingraham said adopting new land designations for the external area around the Town Center
perimeter could be controversial because it puts more limits on development. He said it is
possible to adopt minimal density requirements inside the Town Center and maximum densities
outside the Town Center. Then the City would not be limiting opportunities for good
redevelopment proposals that do not fit exactly into the land use recommendation. There was
general agreement that the land use plan should be fairly prescriptive within the Town Center,
but less prescriptive in the perimeter. Ingraham said zoning will have to match the comp plan,
but it can be "flexible" zoning.
GTA
Ingraham said that the GTA study recommends a range of land uses. He asked Council to
confirm they want the Comp Plan to incorporate the hybrid land use/transit alternative, and that
planning and economic development priorities should focus on the MCA/Town Center area.
Southwest Eden Prairie Neighborhood Services
Focus groups, neighborhood meetings and the community survey scheduled for later this year
can be used to determine what types of services people living in southwest Eden Prairie want.
Potential locations and development feasibility will also be determined.
Other Potential Redevelopment Sites
Igraham identified the BFI land fill and Midwest Asphalt as possible redevelopment areas. He
asked whether or not the City wants to pursue land use changes for these sites. Ingraham said
any BFI site use would have to be fairly passive because of the nature of the site. The Comp Plan
update provides an opportunity to guide the Midwest Asphalt site to a higher use. The City could
choose to back down later if a reasonable alternative is proposed.
Council Chamber
II. OPEN FORUM
A. CINDY ELLIS
Ms. Ellis said she and her father, Leslie Ellis, will be traveling to Washington in
September for the Celebration on the Hill event sponsored by the American
Cancer Society. The purpose of the event is to encourage lawmakers to address
cancer issues.
B. SCOTT FREDRICKSON
Mr. Fredrickson spoke on behalf of a number of Bearpath residents about a
Sienna Corp. proposal on the edge of Chanhassen that calls for tree removal and
grading on an Eden Prairie outlot adjacent to the 15ffi hole of the Bearpath Golf
Course. The residents oppose the tree removal and grading and asked the Council
to support them. Mr. Vogelbacher of Sienna Corp. was also present and
commented briefly on the project. Councilmember Case invited both parties to
stay for discussion of the project during the Councilmember Reports portion of
the regular Council Meeting.
A. TOM BRIANT
Mr. Briant announced formation of an off-shoot of the Eden Prairie Taxpayers
Alliance called Eden Prairie Taxpayers for Change. He said the group intends to
become actively involved in the upcoming Council and Mayoral campaigns.
III. OPEN PODIUM
IV. ADJOURNMENT