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042109 pc mn CITY OF SHOREWOOD COUNCIL CHAMBERS PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD TUESDAY, 21 APRIL 2009 7:00 P.M. MINUTES CALL TO ORDER Chair Schmitt called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. ROLL CALL Present: Chair Schmitt; Commissioners Arnst, Geng, Gagne, Hutchins, and Vilett; Planning Director Nielsen; and Council Liaison Zerby Absent: Commissioner Ruoff APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. 7 April 2009 Hutchins moved, Gagne seconded, Approving the Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of 7 April 2009 as presented. Motion passed 6/0. S T U D Y S E S S I O N 1. ZONING ORDINANCE  Discuss Parking Requirements Director Nielsen explained this item is a housekeeping measure left over from when the City’s commercial zoning districts were reduced from four to two and new land uses being added to the districts. At that time it was the intent to review and update parking requirements associated with various land uses. Staff considered uses that did not have corresponding parking requirements as well as other requirements that are periodically reviewed and updated. The following sections of the Zoning Code were examined: Section 1201.03 Subd. 5. (off-street parking requirements) and Sections 1210 through 1223 (zoning districts). A Planning Advisory Service report put out by the American Planning Association (APA) was the primary resource used by Staff when making its recommendations. Staff also examined what a number of other cities with contemporary zoning codes have included in their regulations. Nielsen then explained that many uses fall into a retail/service category; therefore, one parking space per 200 square feet of net floor area ends up being a default requirement. This requirement appears to work if the use changes. Nielsen noted a public hearing for parking requirements has been scheduled for the 5 May 2009 Planning Commission meeting. The Planning Commission recommended that it discuss only those requirements Commissioners had questions about. CITY OF SHOREWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION MEETEING 21 April 2009 Page 2 of 5 In response to a question from Chair Schmitt, Director Nielsen explained net floor area equals the gross floor area minus 10 percent which accounts for stairways, janitor closets, restrooms, etc. In response to question from Chair Schmitt, Nielsen explained parking requirements for restaurants are different for the dining and bar areas then they are for the kitchen area. Nielsen stated one of the changes being recommended is for there to be a distinction between the requirements for restaurants with and without bar areas. The current requirement is too high for a strictly family restaurant. In response to a question from Commissioner Geng, Nielsen explained the current requirement for a bar/restaurant is one parking space per 40 square feet of dining and bar area plus one parking space per 80 square feet of kitchen area. The recommendation for a family restaurant is a minimum of five spaces plus one space for each two seats of seating capacity. Nielsen stated for the most part Staff attempted to not consider the maximum number of employees on any one shift when determining parking requirements because it’s difficult to monitor that. He noted there are a few instances where that criterion is used. Nielsen explained Staff recommends the parking requirements for elementary and junior high schools be increased to three spaces per classroom or one space per three seats of assembly area, whichever is greater. The current requirement of one space per 50 students is very inadequate. Staff also recommends the parking requirements for high schools be changed to two spaces per classroom, plus one space per five students or one space per three seats of auditorium area, whichever is greater. He noted it’s extremely difficult to require adequate parking for high schools because it’s difficult to predict how many students will drive to school. He stated parking at the Minnetonka High School is insufficient; the requirement of one space per 10 students is too low. In response to a question from Chair Schmitt, Director Nielsen explained under the current Code parking requirements for a strip mall are not based on the types of individual retailers that will be in the mall. He noted the City has a very high parking requirement for shopping centers (5.5 spaces per 1000 square feet). That requirement is higher than those in the APA report or in the other parking requirements Staff examined. Staff recommends the requirement be changed to five spaces per 1000 square feet of gross leasable space, and that restaurants and fitness centers be calculated separately. In response to another question from Schmitt, Nielsen explained the new uses identified for things such as beauty shops, bakeries, and coffee shops were for free-standing establishments. If the new uses are part of a shopping center they are part of the shopping center requirement. Schmitt recommended it be clarified that the new uses are for free-standing establishments. Nielsen stated he could add a provision for that. Chair Schmitt stated that in the industry he is seeing that the parking requirement of 5 spaces per 1000 square feet for retail is too high and that same requirement for office space is too low. Because office cubicles are being made smaller or because more employees are in the same space, the parking need is more like 6 – 6.5 spaces per 1000 square feet. For strip mall type retail centers, people tend to make quick trips to a retail establishment; they do not spend much time there. Director Nielsen stated the Shorewood Village Center parking lot is relatively full fairly often. He noted the Center does have some parking behind the stores that isn’t as usable as other parking there yet it fulfills some of the requirement. He doesn’t envision the parking lot at the Waterford Center ever being full unless a restaurant went into this Center. In response to a comment from Commissioner Gagne, Director Nielsen explained the City has a minimum size requirement for parking spaces of 9 feet by 20 feet and that is not very large when it comes CITY OF SHOREWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION MEETEING 21 April 2009 Page 3 of 5 to shoppers with grocery carts. A responsible retailer would rather have wider spots. In the situation of the Shorewood Village Center the City wanted there to a certain amount of parking spaces; therefore, CUB could not make the spaces wider. Commissioner Hutchins asked if the Zoning Code contained a definition for what a shopping center is. Director Nielsen explained it does and the definition is “an integrated grouping of commercial stores under single ownership or control”. The Planning Commissioners thought the definition could allow something to be called a shopping center when it was not. There was consensus to update the definition to include a minimum number of stores and possibly certain uses. Commissioner Hutchins stated the requirement for laundromats of one space per 200 square feet of net floor area seemed low. He asked what the basis was for the elementary school parking requirement. Was it similar to what other cities have? Nielsen stated it was, and that he would verify that this requirement is similar to the one that Minnewashta Elementary School has. Council Liaison Zerby suggested Director Nielsen verify that the new day spa parking requirement is similar to what was required at the health campus. Director Nielsen stated for the most part he didn’t think there were areas where the City had parking problems; either too much or too little. Chair Schmitt stated he is aware that there is an interest in building another convenience store with gas in the City. He commented builders try and count a “pump” area as a parking stall. Director Nielsen stated the City Code allows that, noting it requires that some parking would not be under the canopy. Commissioner Hutchins asked what the requirement is for yacht clubs. Director Nielsen thought it is one parking space per boat slip, and that requirement seams to be sufficient. With regard to the Shorewood Yacht Club, Nielsen stated he thought parking may have been recognized as an existing deficiency when the SYC was granted its conditional use permit, noting SYC renters do not park on the street. Council Liaison Zerby commented parking at the Howards Point Marina parking is tight. Nielsen explained Howards Point Road is posted no parking for some distance from the Marina, noting the City has not had any complaints about on-street parking recently even though it gets busy at the Marina. Zerby commented that people park all over the grass at the Marina. In response to a comment from Commissioner Hutchins, Commissioner Geng stated people park all over the grass at the Upper Minnetonka Yacht Club. Chair Schmitt asked if medical and office medical are differentiated with regard to parking requirements, to which Director Nielsen responded no. Nielsen also stated medical offices or dental offices are not differentiated from offices. Chair Schmitt commented people don’t want to be short on parking. Nielsen commented some cites have minimum and maximum parking requirements. Nielsen explained the City Code has impervious surface and landscaping requirements. He stated there is continuing discussion about alternative surfaces for parking lots, but to-date a solution that works in Minnesota’s climate has not been identified. Schmitt stated an economical solution has not been identified. Nielsen explained alternative surfaces have to be highly engineered and highly maintained. Commissioner Arnst commented the City of Shoreview is installing a public parking space using pervious materials, noting it’s a city project. Nielsen stated there is a demonstration project at the Landscape Arboretum where a 50-gallon container of water can be dumped on the surface and the water soaks in within 12 feet of the spot where it was dumped. Arnst stated the parking lot at the hardware store in the City of Mound is supposed to be made of pervious materials. CITY OF SHOREWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION MEETEING 21 April 2009 Page 4 of 5 Nielsen stated if pervious materials can be used for parking lots that would be great, but he did not think that should be used as a way to circumvent meeting hardcover requirements. 2. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN  Discuss Planning Districts Director Nielsen removed this item from the agenda as he had not gotten the information out to the Planning Commission. 3. MATTERS FROM THE FLOOR There were no matters from the floor presented this evening. 4. DRAFT NEXT MEETING AGENDA Director Nielsen stated there two public hearings slated for the 5 May 2009 Planning Commission meeting; one for the Comprehensive Plan and the other for parking requirements. There was discussion about the “neighborhood meetings” that will be scheduled to allow residents the opportunity to comment on the updated Comprehensive Plan and the Planning District Area Plans. Nielsen noted the schedule for these meetings will be presented during the public hearing on the Comprehensive Plan scheduled for 5 May 2009. 5. REPORTS • Liaison to Council Commissioner Geng reported on matters considered and actions taken at the 13 April 2009 Regular City Council meeting (as detailed in the minutes of that meeting). • SLUC No report was given. • Other Director Nielsen requested the Planning Commissioners select a Chair for the Planning Commission because this is Chair Schmitt’s last meeting as a member of the Commission. He stated he thought it would be better to appoint the Chair this evening because there are two public hearings scheduled for the 5 May 2009 Planning Commission meeting. Vilett moved, Gagne seconded, recommending the nomination of Thomas Geng to the position of Planning Commission Chair. Chair Schmitt asked Commissioner Geng if he would be willing to serve as Chair, to which Geng responded he would. Motion passed 6/0. CITY OF SHOREWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION MEETEING 21 April 2009 Page 5 of 5 6. ADJOURNMENT Gagne moved, Schmitt seconded, Adjourning the Planning Commission Meeting of 21 April 2009 at 7:39 P.M. Motion passed 6/0. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, Christine Freeman, Recorder