Loading...
05-03-11 CC-Park-Planning WSCITY OF SHOREWOOD 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD WORK SESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL COUNCIL CHAMBERS PARK COMMISSION & PLANNING COMMISSION 6:00 P.M. TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2011. MINUTES 1. CONVENE CITY COUNCIL, PARK COMMISSION AND PLANNING COMMISSION WORK SESSION Mayor Lizde called the meeting to order at 6:03 P.M. A. Roll Call Present: Mayor Lizde; Councilmembers Hotvet, Siakel, Woodruff and Zerby; Attorney Keane (6:10 P.M. arrival); City Administrator Heck (6:10 P.M. arrival); Planning Director Nielsen Park Commission Chair Quinlan; Park Commissioners Robb, Edmondson, Swaggert, Kjolhaug and Hartmann Planning Commissioners Charbonnet, Davis, Garelick, Hasek, and Hutchins Absent: Park Commissioner Trent, Planning Commissioner Chair Geng and Planning Commissioner Arnst B. Review Agenda Zerby moved, Siakel seconded, approving the agenda as presented. Motion passed 16/0. 2. Strategic Planning (This item was discussed after Item 43 on the agenda). Mayor Liz& indicated that Administrator Heck would review the strategic planning effort that is underway. Administrator Heck stated that Staff and Council met in two one -half day meetings with a facilitator, and talked about both internal and external forces that impact the services the city provides. The discussion included core values, key attributes, and broad goal categories. Council and Staff identified seven broad goal areas. These include: 1) Fostering greater community involvement — how to get our residents involved, and how we communicate with them. 2) Responding to service needs for changing demographics — what can we do to accommodate the needs of the community in the future that will include a larger number of retirees. Work Session of the Shorewood City Council Par]( Commission and Planning Commission May 3, 2011 Page 2 of 8 3) Providing safe and diverse transportation — this considers items such as creating a walkable community, and the best practices for roads. This also ties back to demographics. The city has a newly formed Trail committee which is discussing trails in the city. 4) Providing and expanding recreational activities — the Park Commission has established many park programs and activities focused at younger population; the city would like to look at incorporating more adult park and recreational activities. 5) Environmental issues — Lake Minnetonka was identified as one of our major resources. Improving and maintaining good lake quality, as well as other natural resources in the city, such as how to handle emerald ash borer and other tree diseases; zebra mussels in Lake Minnetonka and other lakes, and maintaining quality drinking water. 6) Identify economic development opportunities — the Smithtown Crossing and County Road 19 corridor fits into this area. Resources to promote development and economic redevelopment need to be identified. 7) Collaboration with other cities — opportunities to collaborate with other cities on city services are to be identified. For example, there could be opportunities for the Planning Commission to work with neighboring cities on programs, such as the County Road 19 redevelopment. There are other collaboration opportunities in providing city services and infrastructure services. Our services may change with a changing population. Heck indicated that Council and Staff will meet on Wednesday, May 11 to continue this discussion and wanted to share this information with the Park and Planning Commissions. Councilmember Siakel asked the Park or Planning Commissions their thoughts on this topic Commissioner Robb indicated he was pleased to see that many of the Park Commission's goals were identified. The Park Commission has a meeting planned with the City of Tonka Bay, and they also hope to meet with the City of Excelsior. He noted the collaboration between the three cities on the Arctic Fever event. The strategic planning broad goals identified seem to be in line with many of the Park Commission goals. Commission Hartmann asked if feedback would be sought from Shorewood residents on what they would like to see. Siakel stated the group talked about conducting a survey, and we need to determine what survey questions to ask. Discussed ensued on the many methods for conducting a survey. Lizee reviewed some of those identified, which included a mailing, through the city newsletter, a notice on the utility billing, an on -line computer survey with a service such as Zoomerang, and a telephone all -call system. Commissioner Edmondson agreed with the need for community involvement. He stated he is familiar with responses from the park surveys and they are bleek. He noted the need to create a Work Session of the Shorewood City Council Park Commission and Planning Commission May 3, 2011 Page 3 of 8 survey method that will achieve a good response factor. Heck noted that the City Council has also considered using a more scientific tool, which involves working with a survey firm that produces this type of survey. We also need to determine if it is best to conduct a large, all - encompassing survey, or break it into smaller category surveys, such as parks, planning, and other service areas as identified. Woodruff noted that the Lake Minnetonka Communications Commission recently made a presentation to the Council, and one of the findings was that there are a large percentage of people who do not use the internet, so we do need to be careful about what method we choose for conducting the survey. 3. Sustainability (This item was discussed before Item #f2 on the agenda) Planning Director Nielsen stated that the Planning Commission began to discuss the topic of sustainability last year. They determined to discuss this topic with the City Council, and the City Council invited the Park Commission to participate. Sustainability looks at every aspect of life, the resources needed, and if those resources will be available in the long term future. Nielsen noted it can be an overwhelming subject. He indicated that he provided many resources on the topic of sustainability to the Council and Commissions, and encouraged everyone to look at these materials. He attended a Clean Energy Resource Team (CERT) convergence Last year, and one of the resource items from the CERT meeting that was provided to the Council and Commissions was the GreenStep City Program. This program has a list of 28 best practices for achieving sustainability goals. It covers a wide range of activities. It is not expected that all of the practices will be achieved, but the goal is it achieve as many as possible. He noted that the Planning Commission is working on a resolution for the City Council to consider which will enroll the city in the GreenStep City Program. Nielsen indicated that the Planning Commission discussed using the Comprehensive Plan as a guide with the GreenStep Cities Program. The Comprehensive Plan includes four elements: environmental, land use, transportation and community facilities, along with policies and plans to guide the future development of the city. Each element of the Comprehensive Plan could be evaluated with the GreenStep City program by Looking at the resources being used today and those needed in the future. Councilmember Woodruff asked what is involved in being a member of the GreenStep Program and if there is any cost involved. Nielsen indicated it is a free program. The city needs to adopt a resolution joining the program. The city would provide a list of the practices already completed, and if a certain number of practices have been met, the city would be recognized. Cities can easily join and grow into the program. The program provides advice for achieving the practices. He indicated that some of the practices will cost money. He stated an example of one thing the city can do is conduct an energy audit and make changes that are identified from the audit. He indicated that cities that participate in the program have eventually saved money. Work Session of the Shorewood City Council Park Commission and Planning Commission May 3, 2011 Page 4 of 8 In response to a question from Councilmember Hotvet, Nielsen indicated that there should be grant money available for some of the items. L,izee stated she appreciates the work the Planning Commission has done and their initiative to prepare a resolution. She would like to break down the parts of the 28 best practices. Nielsen stated that out of the 28 items, the city has already completed 5 -6 items. Zerby asked Nielsen if he is the GreenStep Coordinator. Nielsen stated it seems to be a planning department effort, and he is willing to do it. He said it could also be done by a group, but it's probably better to have an individual be the coordinator. It was noted that it would be good to have a GreenStep Coordinator job description. Robb asked if there were any other benefits to the GreenStep Cities program, other than recognition. Nielsen indicated there are financial benefits. The projects need to make financial sense. He also indicated it's the right thing to do. Commissioner Hotvet asked if residents in community could participate. Nielsen indicated with the initial effort, the city would lead by example and identify programs that residents could participate in. Commissioner Davis noted that one item the city and residents are cooperating in is local food growth, noting we have our community gardens. 4. Smithtown Crossing Redevelopment Study Nielsen noted that the Planning Commission been working on a redevelopment study for County Road 19 and Smithtown Road. This has been identified as a prime area for redevelopment. Nielsen outlined the boundary of the area, which includes the north edge of Gideon Glen, which is a conservation open space. Gideon Glen would not be developed, as the Watershed District is working on restoring this area, which includes a pond, wetland, and a reforestation area. The focus of the study is the northwest quadrant of intersection. Internal circulation is a consideration. Access is an issue as there is limited access off of County Road 19; access would primarily be from Smithtown Road. Nielsen reviewed a couple of concept plans for the northwest quadrant drafted by Commissioner Hasek. On the phased plan, the project would occur in phases. This would require each area to address an independent parking and ponding area; on the cohesive plan, parking and ponding is shared for the entire area, and there would be a consistent building design. A similar plan could be developed for the south and east areas of the study. Nielsen indicated that last year, on May 4, the Planning Commission met with the City Council to discuss the Smithtown Crossing Redevelopment project. The report contains a vision Work Session of the Shorewood City Council Park Commission and Planning Commission May 3, 2011 Page 5 of S statement for the property, which is a description of what we have in mind for the property, recognizing that it may take many years to achieve, especially in the current economy. The Commission then met with landowners of the area to talk about the Smithtown Crossing Redevelopment Study, and about half of the people came to meeting. There was agreement that a unified, cohesive approach benefitted them best. Nielsen stated that a panel of developers met with the Commission and the developers made recommendations on what it would take to get the kind of development the city is looking for. They didn't think retail was the appropriate market for this area, but that service - commercial would be better. There was some skepticism about multiple - family housing; it was thought that perhaps senior housing would be more optimistic. The Planning Commission toured properties around the metro area to get a sense of various developments. One of the sites was Glen Lake in Minnetonka; this property included a five -story facility. This example gives a sense of how a taller building would fit into the area. The city's current ordinance has a building height restriction of three stories. Summerwood of Chanhassen was not as well liked as it had little landscaping or building character. Both of these sites contained commercial on the lower level with residential above. One site on the tour which was well -liked by the Commission was the Town Square site in Golden Valley; it had nice public spaces with outdoor table and chair seating, good bicycle - connections and pedestrian walkways, and landscaping. The Commons project in Golden Valley was also visited; this site also had nice public space and landscaping. Nielsen discussed a concept plan for the County Road 19 corridor project, which was adopted in 2003. This plan addresses streetscaping, pedestrian circulation and access. The Trail Committee met last night and talked about this area and access to the east to Excelsior and to the north on County Road 19 and linking to the LRT trail. With the Smithtown Crossing project, the hope is to extend pedestrian and bicycle circulation westward. Nielsen noted that one of the recommendations the Planning Commission has made is making sure the city's development regulations don't stand in the way of good development. The Commission has started working on a mixed use ordinance, discussing building height and possible higher density for the residential housing part of the project. A developer asked if the city would consider Tax Increment Financing as means of redevelopment. The Commission strongly recommends the city give serious thought to acquiring properties as they become available. They noted there is one property in the area that is for sale at this time. The next step for the Planning Commission is to bring this effort to the City Council for acceptance, and to then go to surrounding neighborhoods to see what they think. The plan will be adjusted with feedback from residents. Hotvet expressed we have a golden opportunity and we are strategically located. She indicated this is an exciting project and it would be nice to tie it in with our parks and natural resource. With the changing demographics, it will be important to listen to what the people in Shorewood want. Siakel stated we may want to ask residents for input through the survey. She also noted that the city has funds from the sale of the city owned liquor stores and perhaps those funds could be Work Session of the Shorewood City Council Park Commission and Planning Commission May 3, 2011 Page 6 of 8 used for property acquisition, or we could determine if those funds could be used on a project like this to support the community. Zerby indicated he agrees with obtaining input from the residents. He would like to see more alternatives which would include expansion of the green space. He acknowledged the American Legion wants to improve and expand its building to offer more services. Zerby feels this would be aimed toward an older demographic. He feels that creating more park /open space in this area is a better option than a big shopping center. In response to a question from Robb, Nielsen stated that Gideon Glen is a conservation open space. An interpretive trail exists in Gideon Glen; however, accessibility is an issue as there is no parking available for it. Nielsen noted that an outdoor seating area or housing could be situation to overlook Gideon Glen, taking advantage of the views of this open space. Lizde noted there is agreement that a cohesive approach to this project would be better than a phased plan. She asked if drawings of other options could be provided. She also noted that the City Council needs to consider purchasing properties as they become available. Edmondson stated he would like to see a corner marquee which would create a gathering space; he likes the concept of viewing both Gideon Glen and the Minnetonka Country Club to maintain the large open spaces. Hotvet indicated she would like to see more of a low tech approach; she doesn't favor a plan that includes commercial- service use. She envisions a plan that supports the needs of the residents who live in the area, the Legion, a trail system to bring people into the area, and perhaps senior or mixed housing use. Zerby stated he could see the space used as a temporary event space for community events such as art fair and a farmers market. He would like to see more green space, Less parking lot. He would like to see some pencil sketches of other development options. Hasek indicated there are a lot of visions for the property, noting the tricky part will be to coordinate the wants of the residents in the community with what can be marketed at that location. He noted a survey will tell us what community wants, and the developer will identify the needs. He noted a beautiful plan can be put together, but it may be difficult to find a developer to building it because it's wrong for the area. Nielsen stated that the next step would be to take this to the neighbors and the public by way of an informal open house in order to get feedback from the public. Lizee expressed that the Council should seriously look at the ownership of the property and discuss purchasing the property that is for sale. The Legion is a big landowner, and they are interested in being serious players in the plan. She favors getting concept plans, talking with neighbors, and discussing with the Park and Planning Commissions. Work Session of the Shorewood City Council Park Commission and Planning Commission May 3, 2011 Page 7 of 8 In response to a comment from Zerby, Davis indicated that the American Legion, which owns the gas station, has a demolition permit to tear down the gas station, and this work will likely be done soon. Siakel agreed with Lizee that the city needs to be serious about purchasing property for the project as it become available. She favors some commercial use in the plan, but does not want to see a five -story building. Nielsen asked if the City Council would like to see additional concept plans prior to a public open house. He noted that a problem with a conceptual design is that people get attached to it, but it may not be realistic. The Commission's thought was to get feedback from the residents on the design elements, without drawing a concept plan. Lizee agreed it would make sense to get feedback from the residents before creating more concept sketches. She thought the Smithtown Crossing document would be good to share with residents and landowners in the redevelopment area. Hasek referenced a document on redevelopment in the twin cities that was published in 2011, which reflects what is happening in development community. It includes many points about mixed use development and how important it is, and flexibility in city ordinances. Lizee requested that document be shared with everyone Commissioner Kohlhaug asked what constraints might exist on the money that the city has and how much was available. Lizee stated there is approximately $1.8 million, of which $800K was from the sale from liquor stores. She indicated that some money has been taken from that fund each year to help balance the budget. She noted that Council has talked about getting feedback from residents on how this money should be spent or invested. Woodruff stated the $1 million was taken from the sewer enterprise fund which had been overfunded. It was put into a fund, created for needed projects that the Council identified. He noted that each year, $40K of the liquor store funds had been used to fund the parks capital fund; and the interest from the $800K supported this; however, the interest in recent times has not fully funded the park projects, so some of the principal has been used to support the parks capital fund. Siakel asked if there were any plans for the rest of County Road 19, noting the Garden Patch site is for sale. Nielsen stated that about three years ago, there was a study completed on suggestions for that end of the corridor, but it was not well received by adjoining landowners. Many of the Timber Lane residents were concerned about the redevelopment plan. That plan was not adopted and it was agreed it would be revisited at a later time; this could be done this year. Work Session of the Shorewood City Council Park Commission and Planning Commission May 3, 2011 Page 8 of 8 In response to a question from Edmondson, Nielsen indicated the current owner of the Tonka Bay shopping center has made external improvements, and those improvements have revitalized that shopping center. It is currently full, so he is not aware of any other redevelopment plans at this time. Lizee thanked everyone for coming to the meeting this evening. Hotvet moved, Zerby seconded, adjourning the Work Session of the City Council, Park Commission and Planning Commission at 7:40 p.m. Motion passed 16/0. Respectfully submitted, Jean Panchyshyn, Recorder Christine Lizee, Mayor ATTEST: