HomeMy Public PortalAbout08/05/2009 Special CCM225
MEDINA CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF AUGUST 5, 2009
The City Council of Medina, Minnesota met in special session on August 5, 2009 at 6:05
p.m. in the Medina City Hall.
I. Call to Order
Members present: Weir, Crosby, Siitari, Smith
Members absent: Johnson
Also present: Police Chief Ed Belland, Finance Director Jeanne Day, and
City Planner Dusty Finke.
II. Urban Residential Zoning Ordinance Discussion
Crosby inquired what the expectation was in terms of processing this ordinance during
the special meeting, the discussion during the August 5 regular meeting, and future
meetings.
Finke responded that staff hoped to use the time during special meeting to present the
ordinance to the Council, answer any questions, and to have broad discussion about some
of the policy questions. This discussion could continue during the regular meeting, and
the Council could give staff direction on changes to return to the next meeting. The
ordinance could then be approved at that meeting or with one final review in a September
meeting.
Finke presented the regulations in the ordinance to the City Council, including feedback
from an Open House, the objectives of the 2010-2030 Comprehensive Plan relevant to
residential districts, allowed uses, and lot standards.
Crosby stated that it would be helpful to include Medina in the table attached to the staff
report which compared regulations in other communities.
Smith stated that there were some communities in the table were not good comparisons.
She recommended communities like Lino Lakes and Andover, which place more of an
importance on maintaining some rural areas while developing in logical areas.
Council members discussed educational and religious institutions and the consensus was
to allow these in R-3, R-4, and R-5 with a maximum floor area of 40,000 square feet.
The consensus was also to remove these uses from the list allowed in R-1 and R-2.
The Council discussed "granny flats" as a housing option. The Council requested
additional research from staff on how these may be counted toward the City's density and
how other communities regulate them.
Weir inquired if it had to be a requirement that garages were attached to homes.
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Finke responded that it is a common requirement in suburban ordinances, but removing it
certainly opens up additional design opportunities such as alleys and a more urban feel.
Council members stated that they would be open to allowing detached garages in single-
family and multi -family districts.
Finke inquired about the regulation that garage doors be limited to 50% of the front
favade of a home.
Crosby stated that there are homes throughout the community with a lot of garage doors
facing the street that utilize attractive materials and design.
Smith concurred, and suggested that Cherry Hill may be a good example. There a
number of homes in that neighborhood with three car garages where doors make up a lot
of the front view. However, it does not detract too much from the look of the houses.
Council members discussed the issue of garage doors and supported removing the 50%
limitation, but adding language which encourages design elements to reduce the impact
of garage doors.
Finke discussed the issue of building height, and its dual purpose of fire safety and
aesthetics. He stated that many developers and builders had brought up concerns
regarding the City's 30 foot maximum building height. Because of the way the City
calculates building height using the average grade, many buildings end up "playing
games" by utilizing series of retaining walls in order to increase the average grade. This
results in a lower building height without needing to change the design of the home.
Council members discussed the issue of fire safety and the fact that the history of the
building height regulation was based on what the ladders of the City's Fire Departments
could reach.
Smith said that the City would need to get a ladder truck sooner or later.
Finke stated that language was worked out during the Wild Meadows development which
allowed taller homes if setbacks were increased. He also noted that the home could be
built with a fire suppression system instead of increased setbacks.
Crosby stated that there were a number of people present, and that he would like to hear
from them before the end of the special meeting, since this issue likely would not be
discussed on the regular agenda until fairly late.
Dave Neumann (Bancor Group) stated that the increased setback for additional height
worked well in Wild Meadows. He stated that they had spoken with City staff about how
things like permeable pavers would be counted. While the current staff believes that
these should be considered pervious, he recommended that the City include a definition
of impervious surface which explicitly states that permeable pavers, porous concrete, and
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other things are excluded. He also directed the Council's attention to the requirement
that houses are set back at least 15 foot from buffer yards. Weir stated that the buffer
yard already takes a lot of footage from the lot, and an additional setback from the buffer
may be excessive. He stated that he understood a bit of a setback so that the vegetation is
away from the home, but 15 feet seems like too much.
Bill Coffiiian stated that bonus rooms are very marketable above attached garages, and
these could work very well with the granny flats that the City is discussing. He added
that there are things that can be done to add a lot of living space without a visual impact
on the neighborhood.
Mike Steadman recommended that the City look at Portico on the Green in Minnetonka
as an example for accessory dwellings. He stated that some are even set up for elevators
to improve accessibility.
Crosby suggested that the people who spoke provide the information they wish the City
to consider in writing to staff. He concluded that this subject would be discussed later in
the evening on the regular agenda as well.
III. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 6:59 p.m.
T.M. Crosby, Jr., Mayo
Attest:
Chad M. Adams, City Administrator -Clerk
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