City Council - 07/19/2016 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP & OPEN PODIUM
TUESDAY,JULY 19, 2016 CITY CENTER
5:00—6:25 PM, HERITAGE ROOMS
6:30—7:00 PM, COUNCIL CHAMBER
CITY COUNCIL: Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens, Council Members Brad Aho, Sherry Butcher
Wickstrom, Kathy Nelson, and Ron Case
CITY STAFF: City Manager Rick Getschow, Police Chief Rob Reynolds, Fire Chief George
Esbensen, Public Works Director Robert Ellis, Community Development Director Janet Jeremiah,
Parks and Recreation Director Jay Lotthammer, Communications Manager Joyce Lorenz, City
Attorney Ric Rosow, and Recorders Lorene McWaters and Jan Curielli
Council Member Case was absent.
I. DESIGN STANDARDS
City Planner Julie Klima introduced Tom Dobbs and Julia Mullin of Hay Dobbs, which is
assisting in the design standards update. The design guidelines will include both site and
building design for most building types with the exception of single family homes.
Landscaping, sustainability and public art will be addressed at a September workshop.
Staff feels that making development expectations clear upfront and early will help developers
avoid costly delays. Code language will be amended to reflect the new standards, and
guidelines will also be developed. Dobbs noted that the City Council has expressed the desire
to allow for flexibility, which will be addressed.
The design guidelines are intended to result in high quality, timeless and sustainable
development that is walkable, resilient, aesthetically pleasing, durable and cohesive. Dobbs
defined resilience as being adaptable and allowing for change. Resilient buildings will be
long-lived and will be good stewards of both property and the community. Nelson asked if
this includes sustainability. Dobbs said sustainability still needs to be defined within the
context of the design guidelines. Then enforcement and measurability will have to be
addressed before expectations and standards can be set. Klima said Great Plains is working
on the sustainability portion of the Comp Plan. They will work with Hay Dobbs on marrying
the two efforts.
The design guidelines will inform developers of expectations. Ordinance language will create
requirements. Current building code does not cover many of the areas that will be included in
the new design standards. Both the new guidelines and proposed code will include building
form(orientation, scale, articulation/texture and fenestration) and building materials (fagade,
doors/windows and roofs). Examples of these areas were displayed.
Proposed code changes include the following:
• Building Orientation
o Primary building entries shall be architecturally emphasized using design features
such as protruding and/or recessed entries, unique materials or architectural details
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July 19, 2016
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o Sides of buildings that face a public street or sidewalk shall have one or more
entrances
• Building Articulation
o Primary entries shall be architecturally emphasized using design features such as
protruding and/or recessed entries, unique materials or architectural details
o Sides of buildings that face a public street or sidewalk shall have one or more
entrances
o Building facades greater than 40 feet in length (80 feet in I Districts) shall include
recesses or projections in the fagade, material changes and/or other methods of
articulation that create visual interest
o In 3+ story buildings, the ground level must be visually distinct
• Varied rooflines
o In 1 or 2 story buildings with"flat" roofs, parapet heights should be varied by no less
than 1 foot on every fagade other than the single fagade of the primary service side of
the building (loading, trash, mechanical, etc.)
o Major building elements may be used to achieve the effect of a varied parapet
• Roofline type
o Gables and hipped roofs will be encouraged near residential or other similarly scaled
buildings or neighborhoods
• Fenestration
o In commercial districts, 50 percent of the ground floor fagade that is generally visible
by the public shall be designed to include transparent windows and/or doors to
minimize large expanses of blank walls
• Building materials
o Seventy percent of building exterior facades shall consist of at least 3 Class I
contrasting yet complementary materials. Fewer than three materials may be used to
create a similar effect to contrasting materials through varied texture,pattern or color
o Preferred Class I materials include brick, stone and glass. Other allowable Class I
materials include cast stone, cultured stone, architectural precast, architectural metal
panels, fiber cement products, precast concrete panels with sufficient texture and
articulation
o Vinyl or plastic shall only be used as trim or edging materials
Nelson asked if this much specificity will allow for architecturally interesting buildings.
Dobbs said the intent is to design beautiful buildings while precluding the bad stuff with
guidelines. Klima noted that the PUD process and waiver reviews allow for departures from
code.
Tyra-Lukens asked how to ensure buildings that are seen from different sides will have
equally pleasing exteriors. Dobbs said the requirements are based on whether they are visible
from a street or sidewalk. Butcher-Wickstrom said she would like trails to be added to that
requirement.
Nelson said she does not like flat-roof buildings with mechanical in the middle with flimsy
screening. Jeremiah said some communities have rules about these types of buildings in their
codes.
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July 19, 2016
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Nelson said she used to serve on the Planning Commission. She said they forced fast food
restaurants to build restaurants that were more aesthetically pleasing than their standard
buildings. She wants room for the City Council to require fast food places to come up to the
City's standards.
Aho asked how much of our current design-related code is being changed. Dobbs said the
current code is fairly silent on many of the proposed components, so it is largely an additive
process. Tyra-Lukens said the City is already pushing toward these guidelines even though
they are not in writing. Articulating them will result in cost savings for developers since they
will know the City's desires from the outset.
Tyra-Lukens asked how developers get the guidelines. Klima said the City currently has
formal guidelines only for the Town Center. Those guidelines are posted on the City's
website and available from staff. Dobbs said responsible architects seek out this information
when they start a project.
Tyra-Lukens said she would like care to be taken to include a variety architectural styles in
the guidelines' graphic representations so designers are not lead in one particular direction.
Next Steps
• Design guidelines will be finalized.
• A landscape, sustainability and public art workshop will be held in September.
• Zoning language changes will be finalized.
• Public review will be conducted and final guidelines and code changes will be adopted.
II. 2017 BUDGET
Getschow said 2017 is year two of the two-year budget cycle. This year's budget discussion
is more of an update, including some adjustments. Getschow said Eden Prairie is still near
the bottom tax-wise when compared to similar metro area cities.
Getschow noted that that the bi-annual Quality of Life Survey will be conducted again later
this year. Data from this survey will help inform the next two-year budget process. The 2017
budget includes funding for a 3 percent base wage increase,rather than the 2.5 percent
originally proposed. Getschow said the 3 percent raise would put Eden Prairie in line with
other similar communities. This change would not change the overall proposed budget.
The total proposed 2017 budget is $47,030,983, a 2.5 percent increase from 2016. The
proposed property tax levy is $34,049,740, a 2.9 percent increase.
Getschow noted that the CIP levy has remained at$100,000 per year for the past several
years. He said the City has been coming in over budget for development revenue, which has
allowed for sizable transfers into the CIP fund; however, it might be prudent to increase the
CIP levy for 2017. The increase would provide a cushion in the event of another economic
downturn and allow for continued investment in infrastructure. Getschow proposed raising
the CIP levy to $200,000, which would result in the levy increase going from 2.9 percent to
3.2 percent, and the budget increasing by 2.5 percent to 2.8 percent.
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July 19, 2016
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Nelson said she is in favor of a small increase in the CIP levy. Tyra-Lukens said she worries
about levy limits being imposed or another recession hitting. She said a small levy increase
now can help to avoid a larger increase in the future. She would also like the City to be able
to invest in public art, sustainability, maintaining our ability to remain an above average
community. She said she is OK with not staying at the bottom of the list in terms of levies.
Brad said he would like to see the increase come in at lower than 3 percent.
Next Steps
• Sept. 6 —City Council will adopt a preliminary levy
• Dec. 6 —Budget Public Meeting will be held and the City Council will adopt the final tax
levy and budget
II. OPEN PODIUM
A. Todd Anderson—Acorn Ride Retaining Wall
Todd Anderson said he is involved in a property line dispute with the City about a
retaining wall he built on his property at 17220 Acorn Ridge. He said when he
bought his home two years ago some of the land had eroded into a drainage ditch
below the property as a result of storm drainage. He put in a retaining wall,but
when the City came out to measure the property,portions of the wall were on City
property. He said he is now charged with a criminal offense, but did not receive
any communication from the City before the charge was filed. He said he was
willing to work with the City to donate some of his own property in exchange for
the portions that are on City property. Todd Montreuil, contractor, reviewed the
construction done on the property.
Tyra Lukens noted Council Members set policy for the City and are
uncomfortable judging property issues. There is a lot of reluctance to vary from
the guidelines for property. Getschow said there has been a 10-year program
dealing with encroachment issues and requests for alteration. City staff wants to
work with property owners if they need more time to work out issues.
Krista Anderson, 17220 Acorn Ridge, asked about the charges against her and her
husband. Rosow said the City Council does not have the authority to intervene in
such charges; however, staff can review the situation.
III. ADJOURNMENT