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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-17-11 work sessionMeeting Notes Planning Commission Work Session Thursday, November 17, 2011 Marion Conference Room The Planning Commission work session commenced at 6:25 p.m. in the Marion Conference Room at City Hall. Commissioners Present: Chair Bart Davis, Vice Chair Brooks Lillehei, Bob Boerschel, Karl Drotning, Gerry Grenz, and ex- officio Shawn Fitzhenry. Staff Present: Planning Director Daryl Morey, and Associate Planners Frank Dempsey and Allyn Kuennen. Others Present: Randy Rauwerdink, Stonehenge USA. Chair Davis opened the work session. Goodwill Pvlon Sian Heiaht Variance Discussion Frank Dempsey presented an overview of the proposal from Stonehenge USA to allow a pylon sign taller than 30 feet in the Freeway Corridor District. The subject property is zoned C -3, General Commercial District and is located at 17625 Kenrick Avenue within the Freeway Corridor District. The pylon sign is located on the Goodwill site and will include co- location with Minnesota Tile as allowed by ordinance. The property lies adjacent to Interstate 35 where the roadbed is approximately 16 -18 feet above the grade on which the majority of the Goodwill property lies. Mr. Dempsey described three options to increase the pylon sign height as listed in his November 10, 2011 memorandum. The three options include amending the ordinance, increasing the grade the pylon sign is located on, or pursuing a variance. Mr. Rauwerdink described the site conditions that the property owner and Goodwill feel would justify a taller pylon sign, mainly the poor visibility of the pylon sign for both northbound and southbound freeway traffic due to the lower grade of the site in relation to the elevation of the freeway. Mr. Rauwerdink stated the Zoning Ordinance provision that allows restaurants, hotels and motor fuel facilities in the Freeway Corridor District to have taller freestanding signs if their businesses are located below the grade of the adjacent freeway should also apply to retail businesses due to their need for good sign visibility and freeway exposure. The Planning Commission concurred that a variance would not be justified in this situation because being lower than the grade of the freeway is not unique to this commercial property. The issues raised by Mr. Rauwerdink were discussed by the Planning Commission when the Zoning Ordinance was amended in 2010 to allow restaurants, hotels and motor fuel facilities in the Freeway Corridor District to have taller freestanding signs if their businesses are located below the grade of the adjacent freeway. The majority of Commissioners were not in favor of a further amendment to the Zoning Ordinance because opening up the current freestanding sign provisions allowed for businesses catering to transient motorists (restaurants, hotels and motor fuel facilities) to all commercial uses would have a Planning Commission Work Session November 17, 2011 detrimental impact on the aesthetics of the freeway corridor and the existing retail businesses in the Freeway Corridor District that have complied with the 30 foot maximum freestanding sign height. The Planning Commission directed staff to work with the property owner to identify options that would allow greater visibility of the Goodwill pylon sign to freeway motorists while working within existing Zoning Ordinance requirements. Potential Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance Amendments Staff went through the list of 32 possible Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance amendments listed in the revised planning memorandum dated November 9, 2011. The Planning Commission commented on the following proposed amendments: #1 — Agreed provided the number of administrative extensions for preliminary plats is limited. #2 — Agreed provided the City Council can refer the final plat to the Planning Commission if it is determined there are issues that need more extensive review and discussion. #3 — The submittal of building floor and elevation plans and a comprehensive sign plan should apply to commercial and industrial, not residential, plats. #6 — Specifically listing Quik Brik as a Grade A exterior building finish should be limited to larger sized commercial buildings, should be reviewed by the Economic Development Commission, and should be considered after the construction of WalMart is complete. #10 — Tie the driveway paving requirement to a minimum detached accessory building size and /or overhead garage door size (large enough to store or get a car in and out of). #13 — Input should be obtained from the owners of homes with buffer yard berming and landscaping, not just residential developers. Consider "saddle berms" as an option. #18 — Tie the animal feedlot regulations to the one horse per acre requirement. #22 — Input must be obtained from the Fire Marshal prior to amending the ordinance concerning propane tank exchanges. Not in favor of amending the ordinance to allow unattended clothing donation boxes. #25 — Concerns were raised about allowing doggie day care in multi- tenant commercial and industrial buildings. #28 — Not in favor of allow chickens on urban residential lots. Willing to host a work session to listen to the arguments of the urban chicken advocates. The issue should also be reviewed by the City Council at a work session. #29 — Supports that City staff continue working with Dakota County to gain allowance of the MN Logos trailblazer signs in County right -of -way. #30 — Any increase in freestanding and wall sign allowances in the O -R District should be tied to the size of the building and the use of the property. #31 — Supported allowing multiple wall signs for each tenant of a multi- tenant industrial building provided the total wall sign area is limited to 15% of the building facade for each tenant space, similar to previous wall sign regulations for commercial and industrial buildings. #32 — Consideration should be given to restricting the hours of operation for manufacturing uses, if they are going to be allowed back in the OP District, especially adjacent to residential uses. 2 Planning Commission Work Session November 17, 2011 Staff stated that a public hearing will be held for the most straightforward amendments on this list at the December 15, 2011 Planning Commission meeting with additional amendments to follow in January or February, 2012. Additional Planning Commission work sessions and open houses or focus group meetings will be scheduled as needed. The work session was adjourned at 9:40 p.m. Ily submitted, ryl Wrey, PlaonNg Director 3