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PC-02-16-10 CITY OF SHOREWOOD COUNCIL CHAMBERS PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD TUESDAY, 16 FEBRUARY 2010 7:00 P.M. MINUTES CALL TO ORDER Chair Geng called the meeting to order at 7:01 P.M. ROLL CALL Present: Chair Geng; Commissioners Arnst, Hasek and Hutchins; Planning Director Nielsen; and Council Liaison Turgeon Absent: Commissioners Vilett, Gagne, and Ruoff APPROVAL OF MINUTES  January 19, 2010 Hutchins moved, Hasek seconded, Approving the Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of January 19, 2010 as presented. Motion passed 4/0. 1. RECAP – GTS TRAINING The City of Shorewood hosted a training seminar, presented by Government Training Services (GTS) on th January 30. Director Nielsen stated he thought the program was very successful, and attendance was excellent – there were not any no-shows. He said one matter of interest to him was that the presenter, John Shardlow, seemed to be somewhat down on Conditional Use Permits in that they tend to be misused, or abused. Nielsen said Shorewood processes quite a few C.U.P.s, and they have worked out well in resolving some of the frequent issues that land owners face. He said he also thought the discussion regarding Bylaws was important, and should be added to the Work Program. Commissioner Arnst said a topic that stood out to her which she would like to learn more about was the Developer’s Checklist. She said she was also curious to know about the other tools that can be used in place of variances, as suggested at the seminar. Nielsen responded that code amendments, in some cases C.U.P.s, and interim use permits, are all potential alternatives to variances. Council Liaison Turgeon said the topic of the Sixty-Day Rule should be further reviewed by the Planning Commission so that everyone has a clear understanding of its implications. She also apprised the Commission of the current Rule changes being considered by the MCWD, and asked Director Nielsen to keep the Commission up to date on this developing issue. Chair Geng noted that Director Nielsen has done a very good job of keeping the Commission informed and educated, and Shorewood is fortunate to have such a good Planner. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES 16 February 2010 Page 2 of 3 Commissioner Hasek said he thought the discussion about moratorium abuse was interesting. Nielsen agreed, saying it isn’t always a fair practice. He further stated that petition for an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) is another item subject to abuse. Either of these can stop a development in its tracks. 2. FINALIZE WORK PROGRAM Nielsen stated he added discussion of Bylaws to the March study time-line. He noted that the Work Program chart has been basically finalized and should keep the Commission busy for the rest of the year. The chart is listed in order of priority, which was recommended by the Planning Commission and approved by the City Council. Arnst suggested that Smithtown Crossing discussion may need more time allotted to it, and inquired if it actually will involve a public hearing. Nielsen said he anticipates a Comp Plan amendment, which would require a hearing. He said an informal public meeting would precede a hearing though, so he agreed more time is warranted. The Commission agreed to determine how much additional time should be committed, after Agenda Item No. 3 (Smithtown Crossing discussion). Arnst said she would also like to revisit the Deer Management issue in December of this year, just to stay on top of it. Nielsen said he will add that to the Work Program chart. 3. DISCUSSION – SMITHTOWN CROSSING REDEVELOPMENT Director Nielsen provided finalized maps of the area along with information regarding lot sizes, values and zoning. He pointed out that the boundary has been extended, and noted that there is a lot of frontage along Smithtown Road which could provide for multiple access points. Nielsen said what needs to be determined is how much commercial use versus housing (senior or otherwise) the area should have. Arnst said she wouldn’t want to see the whole area become senior housing. Geng said he thought areas along Highway 7 would be more appropriate for commercial development. Hutchins noted the type of housing will have an impact on the volume of traffic, as will the future use of the golf course site. The Commission discussed the means of pedestrian access and circulation in and around the project area. Commissioner Hasek provided conceptual sketches illustrating how the area might layout if the properties were developed individually versus in a consolidated manner. Nielsen said these could be an effective tool for demonstrating to the land owners why the area should be redeveloped as a unified approach. After some discussion the Commission decided to invite one or two developers to attend a meeting and share their thoughts about the area. Nielsen said he would contact Scott Schmitt and Todd Frostad. Nielsen said that drainage is one of the issues of redevelopment, and would be much more efficient if the area is redeveloped unified. Otherwise, each parcel will have to accommodate its own runoff volume individually. If a unified approach is used, an underground storm sewer could be built. The pond in Gideon Glen was not designed to take on increased volume. Nielsen said the City needs to be ready to offer incentives so that developers are willing to include the desired features in a project. He said Tax Increment Financing (TIF), mixed-use development, C.U.P. to reduce hardcover restrictions, joint-use parking, etc. are some incentives available. And, the City needs to PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES 16 February 2010 Page 3 of 3 be able to state what those features should be. He said architectural features should be parameters, rather than details, and it would be worth checking to see what other cities have done. Terms such as “residential character” need to be defined. Arnst suggested that landscaping requirements should include native plants. Hasek said that “natural” landscaping is known to survive better in urban settings, than “native” landscaping does. Turgeon reminded everyone that the focus needs to eventually include the southeast quadrant of the study area. After a brief discussion, it was decided to revise the Work Program dates to include public information meeting(s) beginning the first part of June and hold the Public Hearing in August. 4. MATTERS FROM THE FLOOR Hutchins noted that the LMCD is conducting a study about dock shade. He also said he thought the Public Works crew was doing an outstanding job of snowplowing. 5. DRAFT NEXT MEETING AGENDA nd The March 2 meeting will focus on Zoning Permits, Bylaws, and continued discussion regarding Smithtown Crossing. 6. REPORTS • Liaison to Council There was no City Council meeting to report on, the next Council meeting is February 22. • SLUC No report was given. • Other None. 7. ADJOURNMENT Arnst moved, Hasek seconded, Adjourning the Planning Commission Meeting of February 16, 2010 at 9:16 P.M. Motion passed 4/0. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, Patti Helgesen, Recorder