Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-05-19 CITY OF LAKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES September 5, 2019 Chair Kaluza called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall. The pledge of allegiance to the flag was given. Members Present: Chair Pat Kaluza, Karl Drotning, Jeff Witte, Brooks Lillehei, Jason Swenson, Jenna Majorowicz, Ex-officio Mike Lamm Members Absent: Vice Chair Scott Einck Others Present: Daryl Morey, Planning Director; Penny Brevig, Recording Secretary 3. Approval of the Meeting Minutes The August 15, 2019 Planning Commission meeting minutes were approved as presented. 4. Announcements Mr. Morey stated that an e-mail from a resident who is in favor of keeping the storm shelter requirement in the Zoning Ordinance was distributed at tonight’s meeting. Mr. Morey reminded the Planning Commission of their work session immediately following tonight’s regular meeting. 5. City of Lakeville Chair Kaluza opened the public hearing to consider amendments to Title 11 (Zoning) of the Lakeville City Code concerning storm shelters. Planning Director Daryl Morey presented the planning report. Mr. Morey stated that the Planning Commission, at their July 18, 2019 meeting, unanimously recommended approval of amendments to the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances as Phase 1 of their annual review and update. The Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance amendments were approved at the August 5, 2019 City Council meeting with the exception of the recommended changes to Section 11-17-27 (storm shelters) of the Zoning Ordinance. th At their July 18 meeting, the Planning Commission recommended revised wording to Section 11-17-27 to provide more flexibility for homebuilders to meet the storm shelter requirement for slab on grade dwellings. Mr. Morey indicated that the City Council directed staff to draft an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance that eliminates the storm shelter requirement entirely. As such, a new public hearing notice and a recommendation from the Planning Commission is necessary. Mr. Morey stated that the redlined ordinance included in the packet material for tonight’s meeting reflects the direction of the City Council. Planning Commission Meeting Minutes, September 5, 2019 Page 2 Chair Kaluza opened the hearing to the public for comment. There were no comments from the audience. Motion was made by Drotning, seconded by Swenson to close the public hearing at 6:04 p.m. Voice vote was taken on the motion. Ayes - unanimous Chair Kaluza asked for comments from the Planning Commission. Discussion points included:  Commissioner Swenson commented on previous Planning Commission work session discussions on this subject and that Commission members agreed that storm shelters are an important safety item included in the Zoning Ordinance. He cited weather forecasting statistics and commented on how forecasting has gotten much better over the years but is still wrong 1 out of 4 times according to statistics from the National Weather Service.  Commissioner Witte stated that as a city, we have a duty to protect the safety and welfare of our citizens. This is an easy thing to do at the time of new home construction. There is peace of mind knowing that there is a safe place to go within your home during a severe storm, especially for kids or the elderly.  Chair Kaluza confirmed with Mr. Morey that there is a state statute that manufactured homes are required to have a storm shelter available to their residents, but the state statute does not apply to all slab on grade homes.  Commissioner Drotning asked Mr. Morey to provide some history on the storm shelter requirement. Mr. Morey stated that Betty Sindt was a City Councilmember from 1980-2000 and lived in the Country View mobile home park. Councilmember Sindt was a strong advocate for storm shelters after experiencing a severe storm while living in Country View. The storm shelter requirement was adopted into the Zoning Ordinance in 2000 following the 1998 Comprehensive Plan Update. The 2000 Zoning Ordinance required a storm shelter either internal to the unit or in a separate structure, built to FEMA standards. A subsequent amendment required the storm shelter be provided in a laundry room or bathroom built to FEMA standards; the option of a separate storm shelter structure was eliminated. The amendment recommended by the th Planning Commission on July 18 would provide more flexibility by allowing the storm shelter to be constructed in any internal room in the dwelling, including an attached garage, or as a separate storm shelter building not more than 500 feet from the slab on grade dwelling/s  Commissioner Majorowicz stated that it is incredibly important that storm shelters be provided to our residents. She remembered how she felt when she was driving home in the storm that hit Lakeville this past June, having the peace of mind knowing that she and her family would be safe in their home when they got there.  Chair Kaluza also remembered driving home in that same storm and knowing he would be safe when he arrived home was so important to him. He stated that residents not having a safe place to go in a storm is a concern for him. Repealing the storm shelter requirement would not be going in the right direction. He felt that the Zoning Ordinance amendment recommended by the Planning Commission Meeting Minutes, September 5, 2019 Page 3 Planning Commission would provide flexibility while keeping the storm shelter requirement.  Commissioner Swenson understands the affordability of housing issue raised by builders and that constructing a storm shelter increases the cost of a slab on grade home, but this is a safety issue, just like having smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in homes. Even with the storm shelter requirement, the City of Lakeville is still very competitive in the housing market and has been the leader in the number of residential permits in the Twin Cities for the past six years.  Commissioner Drotning asked Mr. Morey to explain the CDA workforce housing projects in relation to the storm shelter requirement. Mr. Morey stated that the Zoning Ordinance exempts certain performance standards for new affordable townhouse structures, such as exterior materials, garages, and landscaping, but the storm shelter requirement is not exempt. He stated the CDA indicated last year that it costs about $4,500 per unit to meet the City’s storm shelter requirement.  Commissioner Lillehei agreed that it’s very important for people, especially children, to know that they have a safe place to go during bad weather. He feels the Planning Commission has come up with a very meaningful compromise given the proposed ordinance changes recommended on July th 18.  Chair Kaluza wanted to make it clear that the Planning Commission makes their recommendation to City Council and that the City Council makes the final decision.  Commissioner Drotning commented that he has had two employees who lived in townhomes with storm shelters and they both appreciated having the storm shelter in their home. He stated that when the storm shelter requirement was first adopted, the City received feedback from builders that nobody would buy their townhomes because they were too expensive, when in fact, when buyers compared the townhomes in Lakeville with storm shelters to the townhomes in other surrounding communities, those buyers preferred the Lakeville townhomes. As a community, if Lakeville wants to provide the best possible product to our residents, it is easy to recommend that the City Council consider th the revised ordinance forwarded by the Planning Commission on July 18. He read the e-mail that was distributed at tonight’s meeting. Motion was made by Swenson, seconded by Witte to recommend to City Council approval of the Zoning Ordinance amendment concerning storm shelters as presented. Ayes: 0 Nays: Swenson, Majorowicz, Lillehei, Kaluza, Witte, Drotning There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:32 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Penny Brevig, Recording Secretary