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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-06-97 CITY OF LAKEVILLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES May 6, 1997 Members Present: Brandy, Detjen, Emond, Erickson, Krejci, Matasosky, Miller, Pogatchnik, and Tushie Members Absent: Vogel Also Present: Robert Erickson, City Administrator; Michael Sobota, Director of Community & Economic Development; Keith Nelson, City Engineer; Heidi Hamilton, Environmental Engineer; Nicole Bennett, Economic Development Specialist; Dwight Jelle, Westwood Professional Services; and Barry Wazner, SRF Consulting Group. 1. Call to Order. Vice Chair Matasosky called the meeting to order at 5:05 p.m. in the Administration Conference Room at City Hall. • 2. Approval of the March 25, 1997 Meeting Minutes. 97.09 MOTION: Comms. Emond/Pogatchnik moved to approve the March 25, 1997 meeting minutes as written. Motion carried unanimously. 3. Discussion of the "Town Square" Wetland Replacement and Stormwater Management Plan. Vice Chair Matasosky initiated introductions among the EDC Members, City Staff and the consultants in attendance. Mr. Sobota stated that reduced copies of the "Town Square" Wetland Replacement and Stormwater Management Plan were included with the packet materials. He noted that the discussion will cover the latitudes and limitations surrounding the wetlands regulatory process as well as the design of the stormwater ponding areas. Heidi Hamilton, Environmental Engineer, briefly reviewed the state and federal regulations that pertain to filling and excavating in wetlands. Ms. Hamilton stated that there are two laws that regulate wetlands, the Federal Clean Water Act and the Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act. She noted that the Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act is the more stringent of the two, and both laws regulate fill activities while the Clean Water Act also regulates excavation activities. Both laws require that wetland impacts be avoided and minimized as much as possible, and that any impacts be mitigated through the creation of new wetlands. Ms. Hamilton stated that the GP-17 Program was created by the Army Corps of Engineers • in an effort to streamline the regulatory process by allowing certain cities to administer ACOE permits in conjunction with WCA permitting; thereby avoiding the ACOE Economic Development Commission May 6, 1997 Meeting Minutes Page 2 • permitting process for projects that impact less than 3 acres. The City of Lakeville has been granted this authority. Ms. Hamilton also noted that the DNR has jurisdiction over DNR Protected Waters which include lakes in the city and the stream located in "Town Square". Mr. Sobota stated that this brief overview illustrates that it is not a simple process, and that there aze multiple agencies involved in any project that impacts wetlands. Dwight Jelle, Westwood Professional Services, provided an overview of the Wetland Replacement and Stormwater Management Plan which he developed for the land owners, developers and the city. Mr. Jelle stated that the parameters for this project included the incorporation of a regional Stormwater pond requiring 32 acre feet of water in a 100-year storm, and maximizing the land use for the area while also meeting the requirements of nine regulatory agencies, city staff, and the land owners. Vice Chair Matasosky inquired if city staff determined the necessity and location of the Stormwater pond. Mr. Nelson, City Engineer, replied that Barr Engineering determined the retention capacity needs as par[ of the city's Stormwater Management Plan. He added that city staff and Westwood then developed a concept plan which located the ponds within the "Town Squaze" azea as presented on this latest • configuration. This configuration was submitted to the DNR and Corps of Engineers for permitting review. He noted that excavation of the main channel should not occur until the developer has submitted a final grading plan for the site. The excavated material would be used as fill on the west side or hauled off-site. Hauling off-site would be a very expensive option. Comm. Emond inquired if the channel ponding is required prior to the development of the townhomes and the library. Mr. Nelson responded that the townhomes project and the library could move ahead by constructing their own ponding south of the library and by providing wetland mitigation to the north and east of the channel. The ponding and excavation within the channel would need to be completed simultaneously with development of the western portion of the site. Comm. Erickson inquired if any of the land has been sold to the developers. Mr. Bob Erickson replied that the land is still under the ownership of Lakeville Five, but they are currently working on a land survey and once the survey is complete, parcels will be sold to Wensmann Homes for the townhome project, to the City of Lakeville for the library, and to Cherokee Bank for its new facility. Vice Chair Matasosky noted that the phasing of the Stormwater plan is effective in that it allows for the eastern portion of the site to develop immediately and the channel ponding to be put in place as the site develops to the west. • Mr. Jelle noted that starting in the southern portion of the site is a N[JRP pond. He noted that the blue areas on the plan indicate open water areas, and the green indicates Economic Development Commission May 6, 1997 Meeting Minutes Page 3 • existing wetlands that would be submerged in high flows and covered with wetland vegetation such as cattails in low flows. Mr. Jelle stated that the spillway is the next component with a proposed four foot weir immediately north of the bridge. The plan then includes another four foot weir south of the bridge, and open water to the north. He noted that the area contains Type II to Type III wetlands with some open water and wetland vegetation. Comm. Brantly inquired if the two four-foot elevation changes could be accomplished with a single larger elevation change to increase the drop and effect. Mr. Jelle responded that there is a 9-10 foot drop across the entire site. Placing the entire elevation change at one location would require meeting dam safety regulations. Designing the elevation change at two locations was also determined to be best visually and economically. Comm. Tushie inquired if the lower elevation change could be enhanced to create more of a rapids or falls at that location. Mr. Jelle indicated that the two elevation changes could be adjusted to accommodate more of a drop at the upper location. Comm. Brantly inquired if the edge of the pond could be designed to be undulating. Mr. Jelle replied that an undulating edge could be incorporated into the final design. Mr. Erickson stated that to accent the falls feature, one option would be to pump or pipe in water from the "flowing well" located on the east side of Holyoke Avenue. He • noted that this option should be considered in the future as the increased aesthetics of constant flowing water would enhance the appeal of the project. Mr. Sobota inquired about the kinds of vegetation to be placed on the east and west sides of the sloped areas of the ponds, and the degree of maintenance that would be needed. Mr. Nelson replied that the vegetation must be wetland-type vegetation such as cattails and long grasses that would not require a large degree of maintenance. Comm. Brantly inquired if the wetland vegetation could be placed only on one side of the pond to allow for a walkway and landscaping on the other side. Mr. Nelson stated that this would be possible. Mr. Sobota noted that trails were part of the original design to connect the developments within the "Town Square" area to the high school. Mr. Erickson stated that Steve Michaud, Parks & Recreation Director, has discussed the trail issues with other staff and the possibility of raising the bridge deck slightly to accommodate a trail underneath the bridge. Mr. Nelson noted that raising the bridge deck too much will diminish the view of the water below. Mr. Warner noted that another option may be to provide a shelf under the west side of the bridge to allow enough elevation above any standing water to accommodate a trail. Mr. Warner noted that the ponds located at the General Mills corporate headquarters on I-394 are a good example of this design regarding shallow ponds that hold stormwater but look pleasing even in dry conditions. Mr. Erickson stated that it may be difficult to locate trails on the east side of the pond • area due to the eventual residential ownership. Mr. Warner noted that the original plan for "Town Square" was designed to balance the public and private areas of the Economic Development Commission May 6, 1997 Meeting Minutes Page 4 • development. He added that there is a need to ensure thorough site plan review that the commercial buildings don't "back" onto the trails and water feature. Public areas should not look into loading docks or trash receptacles located "behind" commercial buildings that would diminish the view. Comm. Tushie inquired if design standards for the project have been completed. Mr. Sobota noted that NAC has completed draft design standards and forwarded them to Kraus-Anderson. He noted that specific design guidelines will be discussed once the anchor and other tenants are ready. The city's expectation is to influence the final design and specific standards through the Planned Unit Development (PUD) process. Vice Chair Matasosky stated that Mr. Warner's comments regarding building orientation should be incorporated into the review process, and he inquired as to the flexibility of the wetlands and stormwater management plan if changes are necessary. Mr. Nelson responded that this is the base plan subject to some modifications based on individual tenant needs, but the changes cannot be made that will influence the permit approvals received. Mr. Sobota noted that the PUD process will require the review of specific uses, building pad elevations and orientation, parking, landscaping etc., as part of the preliminary design review and the development stage. He noted that stormwater management, grading plans, and other design issues are also reviewed as part of the preliminary site plan review process. • Comm. Brantly inquired as to who will be reviewing the design guidelines and standards. Mr. Sobota replied that the developer is currently reviewing the standards developed by NAC, and the Planning Commission and EDC will also be involved in the review process. Mr. Erickson stated that some interesting statistics from the recently completed Community Survey included information on shopping patterns of Lakeville residents. He noted that 57% of Lakeville residents currently shop in Apple Valley and 31% shop in Burnsville, which is a change from past years when Burnsville was a significant choice. He added that 32% stated that they would definitely shop at "Town Square" and 52% would most likely shop there. Mayor Zaun commented that this data needs to be provided to developers, and the City Council offers encouragement to the EDC for their efforts regarding "Town Square". Mayor Zaun noted that efforts are being made to move the project forward through meetings with the local grocer to keep them as involved as possible. Comm. Emond inquired if the development of "Town Square" will have an impact on surrounding infrastructure such as upgrading Dodd Blvd. Mr. Sobota noted that a worksession was held with Dave Everds, Dakota County Engineer, regarding transportation issues and the potential upgrade of C.R. 50 to a four-lane rather than a three-lane design. He noted that Dodd Blvd. is not currently in the County's 5-year • C]P. Economic Development Commission May 6,1997 Meeting Minutes Page 5 • Mayor Zaun stated that it is primarily a question of who will make the first commitment and when it will happen. He noted that the Wensmazm townhome project will soon be moving forward, and the librazy will be on track for 1998 construction. Mr. Sobota noted that Wensmann Homes moving forwazd is a major step, and the visual impact of projects getting started and dirt moving will influence the other projects. Vice Chair Matasosky and Comm. Emond inquired as to when the project can be expected to take off, and how the EDC plan should continue beyond that happening. Mr. Sobota noted that it is the city's responsibility to purchase and prepare the library site, and the development on the east side of the channel is coming together. Comm. Tushie commented that he approves of city involvement in this project to prevent it from becoming a generic development. He noted that the city must participate in the design and facilitate the process in order to bring the developers in as partners to do something unique with the project. The EDC agreed that it is important for the city to provide staff time and consultant assistance. Comm. Brantly inquired as to how long the city is committed to wait for a decision regarding the anchor. Mr. Erickson noted that within 45-50 days a response is anticipated and decisions regarding the size and timing of the anchor tenant will be made. . 4. Other Business. Ms. Bennett announced that the advisory committee workshop involving the EDC and other boards and commissions has been scheduled for Wednesday, May 28, 1997, at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall. She noted that the workshop will include a light dinner and speakers from the various committees, and will be held in lieu of the regular May EDC meeting. 5. Adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted: ATTEST TO: ~ _ h~ e'~- ~i-~tilri "f li-t~~,~ L~ L Nic e ennett, Recording Secretary Jcx n Krejci, Secretary c: \winwordledc11997mtgs10506mtg\~nn050697. doc •