HomeMy Public PortalAbout05-12-2020 Planning Commission Packet POSTED AT CITY HALL May 8, 2020
PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA
TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020
7:00 P.M.
Meeting to be held telephonically/electronically
pursuant to Minn. Stat. Sec. 13D.021
Call-in Information: 612-517-3122 (Conference ID 308 376 140#)
Electronic access (via Microsoft Teams): link available at https://medinamn.us/pc
1. Call to Order
2. Public Comments on items not on the agenda
3. Update from City Council proceedings
4. Planning Department Report
5. Estate of Robert Roehl – 1735 Medina Rd – Preliminary plat for 2-lot
subdivision
6. Ordinance Amendment – Chapter 8 of the City Code related to setback
and other requirements for residential accessory structures
7. Approval of April 14, 2020 Planning Commission Minutes
8. Council Meeting Schedule
9. Adjourn
Planning Department Update Page 1 of 2 May 5, 2020
City Council Meeting
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Martin and Members of the City Council
FROM: Dusty Finke, Planning Director; through City Administrator Scott Johnson
DATE: April 30, 2020
SUBJ: Planning Department Updates – May 5, 2020 City Council Meeting
Land Use Application Review
A) Stetler Barn CUP – 1832 Medina Road – Chris and Jim Stetler have requested a
Conditional Use Permit for construction of a 12,300 square foot barn and riding arena. The
Planning Commission held a public hearing at the April 14 meeting and recommended
approval. Staff intends to present to the City Council on May 5.
B) Roehl Preliminary Plat – 1735 Medina Road – The Estate of Robert Roehl has requested a
preliminary plat to subdivide 28 acres into two lots. A public hearing is scheduled for the
May 12 Planning Commission meeting.
C) Cates Ranch Comp Plan Amendment and Rezoning – 2575 and 2590 Cates Ranch Drive – Robert
Atkinson has requested a change of the future land use from Future Development Area to Business,
a staging plan amendment to 2020, and a rezoning to Business Park. The application is incomplete
for review, and the City has requested additional materials.
D) Meadow View Townhomes– north of Highway 55, west of CR116 – Lennar has requested
review of a Planned Unit Development (PUD) concept plan for development of 138
townhomes south of the Fields of Medina. The Planning Commission held a public hearing
at the April 14 meeting and the City Council reviewed on April 21. The feedback from the
Council was generally not supportive of the PUD. The applicant has indicated that they will
likely proceed with a development under the R3 standards and incorporating as many
comments received during concept review that they can.
E) Charlie’s Restaurant– 172 Hamel Road – Steve and Richard Andres have requested
approval of a Site Plan Review and Conditional Use Permit for Charlie’s Restaurant. The
applicants have withdrawn the application after further consideration of site development
costs. The project will now be closed.
F) Mark of Excellence Comp Plan Amendment, PUD Concept Plan – east of Mohawk Drive,
north of Highway 55 – Mark Smith (Mark of Excellence Homes) has requested a Comp
Plan Amendment and PUD Concept Plan for development of 76 twinhomes, 41 single-
family, and 32 townhomes on the Roy and Cavanaugh properties. The Council adopted a
resolution granting conditional approval and authorizing submission to the Met Council.
Staff is preparing the submission.
G) Adam’s Pest Control Site Plan Review, Pre Plat, Rezoning – Jan-Har, LLP (dba Adam’s
Pest Control) has requested various approvals for development of a 35,000 s.f. office
building, restaurant, and 13,000 s.f. warehouse/repair shop north of Highway 55, west of
Willow Drive (PIDs 04-118-23-21-0001 and 04-118-23-24-0001). The Planning
Commission held a public hearing at the November 12 and March 10 meetings and
recommended approval. The City Council adopted approval documents on March 17.
H) OSI Expansion – Arrowhead Drive, north of Highway 55 – Arrowhead Holdings (real estate
company for OSI) has requested approval of a site plan review and preliminary plat to construct an
expansion to the existing building and parking lot at 4101 Arrowhead Drive. The plat proposes to
increase the size of the main lot and decrease the size of the outlot to the north. The Planning
Planning Department Update Page 2 of 2 May 5, 2020
City Council Meeting
Commission held a public hearing at the December 10 meeting and recommended approval. The
City Council approved the requests on March 17. Staff will now await final plat
application.
I) Johnson ADU CUP, Hamel Brewery, St. Peter and Paul Cemetery – The City Council has adopted
resolutions approving these projects, and staff is assisting the applicants with the conditions of
approval in order to complete the projects.
J) Hamel Haven subdivisions – These subdivisions have received final approval. Staff is working
with the applicants on the conditions of approval before the plats are recorded.
Other Projects
A) Tamarack Drive study – Staff reviewed feedback from the virtual open house on April 14 and the
online surveys which were posted through the month of April and developed updated concepts for
additional feedback. WSB has created another online activity which will be available until 5/18.
Staff will be sending invites to the activity to property owners, to nearby homeowner’s associations
and to people who provided their email addresses during the first activity. A link to the activity is
available at https://medinamn.us/tamarack/ Staff intends to present a draft report at the May 19
council meeting.
B) Hackamore Road Preliminary Design – Staff has met with Hennepin County and adjacent cites to
discuss the Hackamore Road project. Staff has been providing feedback to WSB to settle on rough
concepts for lane alignments. Online engagement is being planned for the next few weeks and a
virtual open house on May 19.
C) Hennepin County Covid-19 business resource forum – I have been attending weekly
teleconferences coordinated by Hennepin County where various agencies discussed programs
available to support businesses affected by Covid-19. Links to the information are located on the
City of Medina’s website.
TO: City Council
FROM: Jason Nelson, Director of Public Safety,
Through City Administrator Scott Johnson
DATE: May 1, 2020
RE: Police Department Updates
The past two weeks have been more of the same. We continue to refine our best practices within the
police department. The way we are doing things right now is constantly changing as new guidelines
and recommendations come out daily.
Our part one and part two crimes are down by 38% and 45% respectively, but our CAD calls for
service are up by 17%. Part one crimes are things such as homicide, sexual assault, robbery,
aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, auto theft, arson. Part two crimes are things such as fraud,
forgery, embezzlement, weapons, traffic related crimes, drug and alcohol offenses, shoplifting, etc.
We still thankfully have no one out with COVID-19 or illness in their immediate families. There
have been confirmed cases within Hennepin County Jail along with some police and fire
departments. The Lakes Area Chiefs currently have no employees that are out because of COVID-
19 but may be out because spouses or other family members have been affected. We continue to
meet and speak several times a week on various issues.
We are keeping a close eye on our congregate care facilities. There is a total of 65 cases in
Hennepin County and as of Friday, Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported that there
were 24 confirmed cases and as of this morning there were a total of 46 that had confirmed cases.
So, this is a large area of concern because it takes a large amount of resources to assist when the
virus hits these types of facilities. We continue to be in touch with our facilities: Wealshire, Okalee
and Medina Ridge Condominiums.
Seasonal weight restrictions have been lifted by the state. Public Works Director Steve Scherer has
kept a couple of our vulnerable roads restricted in hopes of preserving them. During the weight
restrictions this year there were less vehicles stopped due to COVID-19 and lack of new
construction. Our officers stopped 19 vehicles for weight violations.
MEMORANDUM
Patrol:
Patrol Updates 04/15/2020 through 04/28/2020
Patrol Activities – Between the dates of April 15, 2020 through April 28, 2020 our officers issued 12
citations and 15 warnings for various traffic violations. There were no traffic accidents reported, 3
medicals, 7 business alarms, 2 residential alarms, 5 suspicious calls, and 6 assists to other agencies.
Rush hour traffic continues to be very light with the Executive Order still in effect.
With the Reserves being asked to stay home, Officers have also been conducting house/business
checks for the residents that have requested additional checks. During this time period 86
house/business checks were conducted.
On 04/16/2020 Officers were dispatched to the 300 block of Bergamot Drive on a possible juvenile
luring incident. After speaking to the mother and child, officers were checking the area for the
described suspect vehicle when the reporting party learned the person seen was an employee of a car
dealership who was looking for an address to drop off some keys and had attempted to ask the
juvenile where the address was located. The attempted luring was a misunderstanding.
On 04/18/2020 Officer was dispatched to the 4300 block of Hamel Road on reported shots heard.
The officer checked the area but was unable to locate the source of the shots.
On 04/19/2020 while on patrol Officer discovered a large amount of metal and garbage dumped in
the 4500 block of Arrowhead Drive. Dayshift CSO did a follow up and was unable to determine
who had dumped the material. Public Works was notified to pick up the material. This area has
been a trouble spot for people dumping unwanted belongings.
On 04/21/2020 Officer was dispatched to a reported grass fire on the Medina Golf course. It was
determined that Medina Golf did have a burn permit issued but was unaware of the DNR burning
restrictions that were in place. The fire was put out by Hamel Fire Department and Medina Golf was
issued an invoice for their services.
On 04/24/2020 Officer was dispatched to a suspicious person walking along the railroad tracks
eastbound from the Loretto area. The Officer was able to locate, and made contact with, the subject
who said he was trying to walk to Coon Rapids. He was warned about the dangers of walking on the
railroad tracks and advised that he was trespassing on railroad property. The subject advised he
would stick to the roadways.
On 04/27/2020 Officer was dispatched to a welfare check of a person reported to be laying on the
ground and hitting his own head against a car window. Upon making contact with the individual,
the officer determined the subject was likely under the influence of a controlled substance. North
Memorial Ambulance was called to the scene to check on the subject and found nothing life
threatening. The subject was released to his father who had been contacted to pick him up.
On 04/28/2020 Officers were dispatched to the 500 block of Clydesdale Circle on a reported house
fire. Upon arrival it was learned a juvenile had been cooking dinner for herself when the pan caught
on fire on the stove. The female suffered burns on her arms, legs, and feet. The juvenile’s mother
arrived on scene and transported her to Urgent Care in Plymouth for treatment. There was minimal
damage to the residence from the fire.
Investigations:
Our office received a second complaint about a business that was not following the Governor’s
executive order for staying at home. I went to the business and spoke with the owner about the
complaint. I explained the executive order to the owner and learned they were in violation. The
business was given a verbal warning and the owner shut down immediately.
I sent out two administrative subpoenas for an on-going theft investigation. It may take a few weeks
before I receive the results.
I was able to positively identify a suspect who has been stealing from a local business. The suspect
has been very active in the metro area. I will be making attempts to interview the suspect and then
send my report in for charging.
MEMORANDUM
TO: City Council, through City Administrator Scott Johnson
FROM: Steve Scherer, Public Works Director
DATE: April 30, 2020
MEETING: May 5, 2020
SUBJECT: Public Works Update
STREETS
x Staff had another meeting with the stakeholders for the Hackamore Road project. The
discussions have been about where there are needs for turn lanes and how to best fit
everything into the space available.
x Public Works removed seasonal weight restrictions on all city streets on April 27th.
x Public Works is working on installing many signs around town.
x Public Works has continued shouldering on Willow Dr., Pioneer Trail, and other spots
around the city that need it.
WATER/SEWER/STORMWATER
x Public Works flushed the hydrants in the Keller addition. There were complaints about
air in the water. Their water comes from Orono and they are having some trouble with a
new well. There are no health concerns, just air in the water and it settles out in a minute.
They are working to remedy the problem and we will also continue to monitor it.
x Staff continues to work on inflow and infiltration throughout the city. Staff and WSB will
be metering to try to find any more issues in the system.
x A progress meeting was held with the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services and
their construction partners. The project is going to begin the week of May 4th. There will
be a shut down on County 19 as they bring the pipe across the road. There will be two
crossings, each will take two to three days to complete. There is a full-scale detour being
set up and Public Safety has been involved in the review.
x Public Works will be working with Burschville Construction to replace a large culvert on
Ardmore Ave. The contract is in your packet for approval.
PARKS/TRAILS
x Public Works has begun fertilizing all the parks and ball fields. This is to reduce costs in
the park maintenance contracts.
x Spring cleanup is complete in the parks and around city buildings.
PERSONNEL
x Our new Public Works Maintenance Technician, Curtis Biegert, started and we are
getting him familiar with the city and our processes.
Planning Department Update Page 1 of 2 May 5, 2020
City Council Meeting
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Martin and Members of the City Council
FROM: Dusty Finke, Planning Director; through City Administrator Scott Johnson
DATE: April 30, 2020
SUBJ: Planning Department Updates – May 5, 2020 City Council Meeting
Land Use Application Review
A) Stetler Barn CUP – 1832 Medina Road – Chris and Jim Stetler have requested a
Conditional Use Permit for construction of a 12,300 square foot barn and riding arena. The
Planning Commission held a public hearing at the April 14 meeting and recommended
approval. Staff intends to present to the City Council on May 5.
B) Roehl Preliminary Plat – 1735 Medina Road – The Estate of Robert Roehl has requested a
preliminary plat to subdivide 28 acres into two lots. A public hearing is scheduled for the
May 12 Planning Commission meeting.
C) Cates Ranch Comp Plan Amendment and Rezoning – 2575 and 2590 Cates Ranch Drive – Robert
Atkinson has requested a change of the future land use from Future Development Area to Business,
a staging plan amendment to 2020, and a rezoning to Business Park. The application is incomplete
for review, and the City has requested additional materials.
D) Meadow View Townhomes– north of Highway 55, west of CR116 – Lennar has requested
review of a Planned Unit Development (PUD) concept plan for development of 138
townhomes south of the Fields of Medina. The Planning Commission held a public hearing
at the April 14 meeting and the City Council reviewed on April 21. The feedback from the
Council was generally not supportive of the PUD. The applicant has indicated that they will
likely proceed with a development under the R3 standards and incorporating as many
comments received during concept review that they can.
E) Charlie’s Restaurant– 172 Hamel Road – Steve and Richard Andres have requested
approval of a Site Plan Review and Conditional Use Permit for Charlie’s Restaurant. The
applicants have withdrawn the application after further consideration of site development
costs. The project will now be closed.
F) Mark of Excellence Comp Plan Amendment, PUD Concept Plan – east of Mohawk Drive,
north of Highway 55 – Mark Smith (Mark of Excellence Homes) has requested a Comp
Plan Amendment and PUD Concept Plan for development of 76 twinhomes, 41 single-
family, and 32 townhomes on the Roy and Cavanaugh properties. The Council adopted a
resolution granting conditional approval and authorizing submission to the Met Council.
Staff is preparing the submission.
G) Adam’s Pest Control Site Plan Review, Pre Plat, Rezoning – Jan-Har, LLP (dba Adam’s
Pest Control) has requested various approvals for development of a 35,000 s.f. office
building, restaurant, and 13,000 s.f. warehouse/repair shop north of Highway 55, west of
Willow Drive (PIDs 04-118-23-21-0001 and 04-118-23-24-0001). The Planning
Commission held a public hearing at the November 12 and March 10 meetings and
recommended approval. The City Council adopted approval documents on March 17.
H) OSI Expansion – Arrowhead Drive, north of Highway 55 – Arrowhead Holdings (real estate
company for OSI) has requested approval of a site plan review and preliminary plat to construct an
expansion to the existing building and parking lot at 4101 Arrowhead Drive. The plat proposes to
increase the size of the main lot and decrease the size of the outlot to the north. The Planning
Planning Department Update Page 2 of 2 May 5, 2020
City Council Meeting
Commission held a public hearing at the December 10 meeting and recommended approval. The
City Council approved the requests on March 17. Staff will now await final plat
application.
I) Johnson ADU CUP, Hamel Brewery, St. Peter and Paul Cemetery – The City Council has adopted
resolutions approving these projects, and staff is assisting the applicants with the conditions of
approval in order to complete the projects.
J) Hamel Haven subdivisions – These subdivisions have received final approval. Staff is working
with the applicants on the conditions of approval before the plats are recorded.
Other Projects
A) Tamarack Drive study – Staff reviewed feedback from the virtual open house on April 14 and the
online surveys which were posted through the month of April and developed updated concepts for
additional feedback. WSB has created another online activity which will be available until 5/18.
Staff will be sending invites to the activity to property owners, to nearby homeowner’s associations
and to people who provided their email addresses during the first activity. A link to the activity is
available at https://medinamn.us/tamarack/ Staff intends to present a draft report at the May 19
council meeting.
B) Hackamore Road Preliminary Design – Staff has met with Hennepin County and adjacent cites to
discuss the Hackamore Road project. Staff has been providing feedback to WSB to settle on rough
concepts for lane alignments. Online engagement is being planned for the next few weeks and a
virtual open house on May 19.
C) Hennepin County Covid-19 business resource forum – I have been attending weekly
teleconferences coordinated by Hennepin County where various agencies discussed programs
available to support businesses affected by Covid-19. Links to the information are located on the
City of Medina’s website.
TO: City Council
FROM: Jason Nelson, Director of Public Safety,
Through City Administrator Scott Johnson
DATE: May 1, 2020
RE: Police Department Updates
The past two weeks have been more of the same. We continue to refine our best practices within the
police department. The way we are doing things right now is constantly changing as new guidelines
and recommendations come out daily.
Our part one and part two crimes are down by 38% and 45% respectively, but our CAD calls for
service are up by 17%. Part one crimes are things such as homicide, sexual assault, robbery,
aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, auto theft, arson. Part two crimes are things such as fraud,
forgery, embezzlement, weapons, traffic related crimes, drug and alcohol offenses, shoplifting, etc.
We still thankfully have no one out with COVID-19 or illness in their immediate families. There
have been confirmed cases within Hennepin County Jail along with some police and fire
departments. The Lakes Area Chiefs currently have no employees that are out because of COVID-
19 but may be out because spouses or other family members have been affected. We continue to
meet and speak several times a week on various issues.
We are keeping a close eye on our congregate care facilities. There is a total of 65 cases in
Hennepin County and as of Friday, Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported that there
were 24 confirmed cases and as of this morning there were a total of 46 that had confirmed cases.
So, this is a large area of concern because it takes a large amount of resources to assist when the
virus hits these types of facilities. We continue to be in touch with our facilities: Wealshire, Okalee
and Medina Ridge Condominiums.
Seasonal weight restrictions have been lifted by the state. Public Works Director Steve Scherer has
kept a couple of our vulnerable roads restricted in hopes of preserving them. During the weight
restrictions this year there were less vehicles stopped due to COVID-19 and lack of new
construction. Our officers stopped 19 vehicles for weight violations.
MEMORANDUM
Patrol:
Patrol Updates 04/15/2020 through 04/28/2020
Patrol Activities – Between the dates of April 15, 2020 through April 28, 2020 our officers issued 12
citations and 15 warnings for various traffic violations. There were no traffic accidents reported, 3
medicals, 7 business alarms, 2 residential alarms, 5 suspicious calls, and 6 assists to other agencies.
Rush hour traffic continues to be very light with the Executive Order still in effect.
With the Reserves being asked to stay home, Officers have also been conducting house/business
checks for the residents that have requested additional checks. During this time period 86
house/business checks were conducted.
On 04/16/2020 Officers were dispatched to the 300 block of Bergamot Drive on a possible juvenile
luring incident. After speaking to the mother and child, officers were checking the area for the
described suspect vehicle when the reporting party learned the person seen was an employee of a car
dealership who was looking for an address to drop off some keys and had attempted to ask the
juvenile where the address was located. The attempted luring was a misunderstanding.
On 04/18/2020 Officer was dispatched to the 4300 block of Hamel Road on reported shots heard.
The officer checked the area but was unable to locate the source of the shots.
On 04/19/2020 while on patrol Officer discovered a large amount of metal and garbage dumped in
the 4500 block of Arrowhead Drive. Dayshift CSO did a follow up and was unable to determine
who had dumped the material. Public Works was notified to pick up the material. This area has
been a trouble spot for people dumping unwanted belongings.
On 04/21/2020 Officer was dispatched to a reported grass fire on the Medina Golf course. It was
determined that Medina Golf did have a burn permit issued but was unaware of the DNR burning
restrictions that were in place. The fire was put out by Hamel Fire Department and Medina Golf was
issued an invoice for their services.
On 04/24/2020 Officer was dispatched to a suspicious person walking along the railroad tracks
eastbound from the Loretto area. The Officer was able to locate, and made contact with, the subject
who said he was trying to walk to Coon Rapids. He was warned about the dangers of walking on the
railroad tracks and advised that he was trespassing on railroad property. The subject advised he
would stick to the roadways.
On 04/27/2020 Officer was dispatched to a welfare check of a person reported to be laying on the
ground and hitting his own head against a car window. Upon making contact with the individual,
the officer determined the subject was likely under the influence of a controlled substance. North
Memorial Ambulance was called to the scene to check on the subject and found nothing life
threatening. The subject was released to his father who had been contacted to pick him up.
On 04/28/2020 Officers were dispatched to the 500 block of Clydesdale Circle on a reported house
fire. Upon arrival it was learned a juvenile had been cooking dinner for herself when the pan caught
on fire on the stove. The female suffered burns on her arms, legs, and feet. The juvenile’s mother
arrived on scene and transported her to Urgent Care in Plymouth for treatment. There was minimal
damage to the residence from the fire.
Investigations:
Our office received a second complaint about a business that was not following the Governor’s
executive order for staying at home. I went to the business and spoke with the owner about the
complaint. I explained the executive order to the owner and learned they were in violation. The
business was given a verbal warning and the owner shut down immediately.
I sent out two administrative subpoenas for an on-going theft investigation. It may take a few weeks
before I receive the results.
I was able to positively identify a suspect who has been stealing from a local business. The suspect
has been very active in the metro area. I will be making attempts to interview the suspect and then
send my report in for charging.
MEMORANDUM
TO: City Council, through City Administrator Scott Johnson
FROM: Steve Scherer, Public Works Director
DATE: April 30, 2020
MEETING: May 5, 2020
SUBJECT: Public Works Update
STREETS
x Staff had another meeting with the stakeholders for the Hackamore Road project. The
discussions have been about where there are needs for turn lanes and how to best fit
everything into the space available.
x Public Works removed seasonal weight restrictions on all city streets on April 27th.
x Public Works is working on installing many signs around town.
x Public Works has continued shouldering on Willow Dr., Pioneer Trail, and other spots
around the city that need it.
WATER/SEWER/STORMWATER
x Public Works flushed the hydrants in the Keller addition. There were complaints about
air in the water. Their water comes from Orono and they are having some trouble with a
new well. There are no health concerns, just air in the water and it settles out in a minute.
They are working to remedy the problem and we will also continue to monitor it.
x Staff continues to work on inflow and infiltration throughout the city. Staff and WSB will
be metering to try to find any more issues in the system.
x A progress meeting was held with the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services and
their construction partners. The project is going to begin the week of May 4th. There will
be a shut down on County 19 as they bring the pipe across the road. There will be two
crossings, each will take two to three days to complete. There is a full-scale detour being
set up and Public Safety has been involved in the review.
x Public Works will be working with Burschville Construction to replace a large culvert on
Ardmore Ave. The contract is in your packet for approval.
PARKS/TRAILS
x Public Works has begun fertilizing all the parks and ball fields. This is to reduce costs in
the park maintenance contracts.
x Spring cleanup is complete in the parks and around city buildings.
PERSONNEL
x Our new Public Works Maintenance Technician, Curtis Biegert, started and we are
getting him familiar with the city and our processes.
Roehl Estate Subdivision Page 1 of 4 May 12, 2020
Preliminary Plat Planning Commission Meeting
MEMORANDUM
TO: Planning Commission
FROM: Ben Schneider, Planning Intern and Dusty Finke, Planning Director
DATE: May 8, 2020
MEETING: May 12, 2020 Planning Commission
SUBJ: Public Hearing – Roehl Estate – Preliminary Plat – 1735 Medina Road
Background
The Estate of Robert Roehl has requested a subdivision of approximately 28 acres of property
into two lots. The subject property is located at 1735 Medina Road and is zoned Rural
Residential. Medina Road cuts through the northern part of the lot and County Road 24 runs
along the southern edge of the property. Morgan Road also borders some of the property to the
north. There are three structures south of Medina Road, including a house, shed, and detached
garage. There are 6.1 acres of wetlands on the property, meaning most of the land is dry. The
southern strip of the lot also features FEMA Zone A floodplains. An aerial of the subject
property and surrounding land can be found below.
The proposed subdivision would use Medina Road as a divider to create two lots from one. The
north lot would be 6.65 acres and the south lot would be 20.85 acres. Upon this division, the
north lot would be vacant and the south lot would feature the existing structures. The Applicants
have included septic plans for the north lot in this application, which likely means a future house
is planned. Future construction will have to go through the City’s building permit process.
County Road 24
Medina Road
Morgan Road
Location of
existing
structures
Roehl Estate Subdivision Page 2 of 4 May 12, 2020
Preliminary Plat Planning Commission Meeting
Preliminary Plat
As mentioned, the applicant proposes to subdivide the existing property into two lots with gross
area of 6.65 acres (north lot) and 20.85 acres (south lot). The table below summarizes the
characteristics of each lot.
RR Requirement North Lot South Lot
Gross Area 5 Acres Contiguous
Soils
6.55 acres (6.54 acres
contiguous)
20.85 acres (5.03
acres contiguous)
Minimum Lot Width 300 feet ~500 feet ~950 feet
Minimum Lot Depth 200 feet ~650 feet ~650 feet (not
including long strip)
Max Hardcover 40% 0% <1%
The width of the long strip of the south lot would be too narrow for the requirements of the RR
district, but the north section of the lot would be wide enough to compensate this. The long strip
also features the Zone A floodplain and over 5 acres of wetlands, which explains why the
acceptable contiguous soils are only about 25% of the land. Section 826.25, Subd. 2 says that
Rural Residential lots must have at least 5 acres of contiguous soils suitable for sewage
treatment. Both lots would comply with this requirement. For the north lot, the proposed septic
locations have been deemed acceptable by the City Building Official.
Section 826.24, Subd. 4 limits hard surface coverage of rural residential lots to 40% of the
property. Hard surface on the south lot would be far under 40% and the north lot would be
vacant, so both lots would satisfy this limit.
Utilities and Easements
The proposed lots will be served by individual wells and septic systems. The applicant has
provided soil information verifying that a primary and secondary septic location exist on each
lot, which has been confirmed by the Building Official.
The City requires drainage and utility easements around the perimeter of each lot in new
subdivisions and also over wetland areas. These easements have been shown on the preliminary
plat.
Wetlands/Floodplains
The City’s wetland protection ordinance requires a buffer with an average width of 30 feet
adjacent to the wetland. The Applicant has included these buffers on the preliminary plat. Staff
recommends that the buffers, including signage and buffer vegetation, be implemented
immediately upon subdivision for the southern lot. Staff believes it is reasonable to delay
implementation of the buffers on the northern lot until construction, which is included as a
recommended condition.
The preliminary plat identifies the Zone A floodplain as depicted on FEMA maps. No activities
are proposed in the vicinity of the floodplain.
This application did not trigger a review by the Elm Creek Watershed.
Roehl Estate Subdivision Page 3 of 4 May 12, 2020
Preliminary Plat Planning Commission Meeting
Transportation, Streets and Right-of-way
The property abuts Morgan Road along the north, County Road 24 in the south, and Medina
Road between the two proposed lots. The Applicant has included the right-of-way recommended
by staff for the City streets on the preliminary plat. The preliminary plat identifies 40 feet of
right-of-way for County Road 24. The City is waiting on comments from Hennepin County as to
whether additional right-of-way is recommended. Staff recommends a condition that the plat
provide right-of-way as requested by Hennepin County.
The northern lot will have frontage on both Medina Road and Morgan Road. Staff is concerned
about the impact of construction traffic from a new home on Morgan Road. Staff recommends a
condition that construction traffic come from Medina Road, or the applicant improve Morgan
Road as necessary.
The southern lot has frontage on both Medina Road and County Road 24. The property currently
is accessed from Medina Road, and the area adjacent to County Road 24 is wetland.
Park Dedication
The subdivision will be presented for Park Commission review on May 20. The City’s
subdivision ordinance requires the following to be dedicated for parks, trails and public open
space purposes, at the City’s option:
• Up to 10% of the buildable land (in this case = 2.18 acres)
• Cash-in-lieu of land – 8% of the pre-developed market value; minimum of
$3500/residential unit, maximum of $8000/residential unit (in this case the $8000
maximum will be triggered for the new lot)
• Combination of the above
The City’s park plan does not identify the need for park space in this area. The trail plan
identifies bikeable shoulders along Medina Road. Staff has determined that these shoulders can
be accommodated within the dedicated right-of-way. As such, staff recommends that cash be
required in-lieu of land dedication.
Review Criteria/Staff Recommendation
The following criteria are described in the subdivision ordinance: “In the case of all subdivisions,
the City shall deny approval of a preliminary or final plat if one or a combination of the
following findings are made:
(a) That the proposed subdivision is in conflict with the general and specific plans of the city,
or that the proposed subdivision is premature, as defined in Section 820.28.
(b) That the physical characteristics of this site, including but not limited to topography,
vegetation, soils, susceptibility to flooding, water storage, drainage and retention, are
such that the site is not suitable for the type of development or use contemplated.
(c) That the site is not physically suitable for the proposed density of development or does
not meet minimum lot size standards.
(d) That the design of the subdivision or the proposed improvements are likely to cause
substantial environmental damage.
Roehl Estate Subdivision Page 4 of 4 May 12, 2020
Preliminary Plat Planning Commission Meeting
(e) That the design of the subdivision or the type of improvements are likely to cause serious
public health problems.
(f) That the design of the subdivision or the type of improvements will conflict with public or
private streets, easements or right-of-way.
The City’s has a relatively low amount of discretion with regard to reviewing subdivisions. If
the subdivision meets relevant ordinance standards and does not meet the criteria above, it
should be approved.
Subject to the following conditions, staff does not believe these findings are met. As a result,
staff recommends approval subject to the following conditions:
1. The Owners shall pay cash-in-lieu of dedication park land in an amount of $8,000.
2. The proposed septic sites shall be fenced off upon approval of the preliminary plat
3. The Owners shall provide a title documentation as recommended by the City Attorney.
4. The plat shall provide right-of-way for County Road 24 as requested by Hennepin
County.
5. The requirements of the wetland protection ordinance shall be met. Buffer vegetation
and signage upon the northern lot may be implemented at the time of construction on the
lot but shall be completed immediately upon the southern lot.
6. Construction access for the northern lot shall be from Medina Road, or improvements
shall be provided on Morgan Road as recommended by the City Engineer to
accommodate construction traffic.
7. The final plat applicant shall be filed within 180 days of the date of the City Council
resolution granting preliminary approval or the approval shall be considered void, unless
a written request for time extension is submitted by the applicant and approved by the
City Council.
8. The Owners shall pay to the City a fee in an amount sufficient to reimburse the City for
the cost of reviewing the preliminary plat
Attachments
1. List of Documents
2. Preliminary Plat dated 4/29/2020
8/1/2019
Project: LR-19-257– Roehl Preliminary Plat
The following documents are all part of the official record of the above referenced request, even if some documents are not attached, or are
only attached in part, to Planning Commission and City Council reports. All documents are available for review upon request at City Hall.
Documents Submitted by Applicant
Document Received
Date
Document
Date
# of
pages
Electronic Paper
Copy?
Notes
Application 8/19/2019 8/19/2019 4 Application Y
Deposit 8/19/2019 8/19/2019 1 Deposit Y
Preliminary Plat 4/30/2020 4/30/2020 1 Plat Y
Documents from Staff/Consultants/Agencies
Document Document
Date
# of
pages
Electronic Notes
Legal Comments 4/8/2020 1 Legal Comments
Elm Creek Comments 4/8/2020 1 Elm Creek Comments
Building Official Comments 4/8/2020 1 Building Official Comments
Engineering Comments 4/9/2020 1 Engineering Comments
Wetland Comments 4/23/2020 1 Wetland Comments
Additional Legal Comments 5/6/2020 1 Additional Legal Comments
Planning Commission Staff Report 5/8/2020 4 Planning Commission Report
Public Comments
Document Date Electronic Notes
Ordinance Amendment Page 1 of 2 May 12, 2020
Shed Setbacks Planning Commission Meeting
MEMORANDUM
TO: Planning Commission
FROM: Dusty Finke, Planning Director
DATE: May 7, 2020
MEETING: May 12, 2020 Planning Commission
SUBJ: Public Hearing – Ordinance Amendment – Shed setbacks
Background
Current City regulations allow varying sizes of accessory buildings on residential lots based
upon the size of the lot. The smallest lots are permitted up to a 1000 square foot outbuilding. In
addition, all lots are permitted an additional shed up to 120 square feet (12’x10’).
Accessory structures are currently required to meet the same setbacks as the home on the lot,
with the exception of sheds under 120 square feet, which are only required to be set back 5 feet
from side and rear lot lines.
A property owner in Foxberry Farms recently inquired about building a 14’x12’ (168 square
feet) shed. To meet the full setbacks of the Suburban Residential district, the shed would need to
be located 15 feet from side lot lines and 40 feet from the rear lot line. This would place the shed
in the middle of the back yard on this owner’s lot, as would be the case in most residential lots
served by sewer and water.
Except for rural lots, few platted lots have sufficient room in the rear yard to construct any size
accessory structure which would be able to meet structure setback requirements. This means that
sewered lots are mostly limited to sheds under 120 square feet.
The Building Code exempts sheds 200 square feet and less from needing a building permit. This
exception was previously 120 square feet, and staff believes is probably part of the reason the
shed exceptions were for 120 square feet and under.
Staff believed it was appropriate to review the
requirements for small accessory structures
following the discussions with the property owner
and the fact that sheds 200 square feet and under
are exempt from building code.
Staff reviewed the regulations of a number of
nearby and similar communities for context. Most
communities, except Minnetrista, allow reductions
of side and rear setbacks for accessory structures.
Many of the communities allow such reduction
regardless of size.
Accessory
Structure Setback
(rear and side)
Full Principal
Setback Req.
Medina (existing)5 ft 120 s.f.
Victoria 5 ft 100 s.f.
Maple Grove 5 ft None
Brooklyn Park 5 ft None
Plymouth 6 ft None
Eagan 5 or 10 ft None
Corcoran (sewered lots)10 ft None
Corcoran (rural lots)20 ft None
Orono (1 acre)10 ft 1000 s.f.
Orono (rural)20 ft 1000 s.f.
Minnetrista Same as Principal All
Ordinance Amendment Page 2 of 2 May 12, 2020
Shed Setbacks Planning Commission Meeting
Proposed Amendment – Shed Exemption to 200 square feet
Staff believes it seems reasonable to change the exemptions in the zoning code to 200 square
feet, matching the exemption under building code. This would allow sheds up to 10’x20’ to be
located within 5 feet of property lines. Any larger accessory structure would still need to meet
the full setback requirements. The proposed changes are highlighted at the top of page 2 of the
attached ordinance.
In discussions related to garage size and other subjects, comments from the Planning
Commission and Council continually referenced an interest in having items stored inside of a
garage. Staff believes additional flexibility for sheds may be consistent with this goal.
Other Options
Reduced rear setback for accessory structures
Alternative setbacks could be incorporated for accessory structures on sewered lots. The 5-foot
setback could be maintained for small sheds (120 s.f. or 200 s.f.) and some larger rear setback
could be required for larger accessory structures.
Add height limitation for sheds at reduced setback
Some of the communities reviewed place height limitations on the accessory structures with
reduced setbacks. Structures over a certain height would need to meet the full setbacks. A
maximum height of 12 feet could be established for accessory structures which do not meet the
principal structure setback.
Conditional Use Permit for >5000 square feet
While discussing accessory structures, staff thought it would be a good opportunity to discuss
larger accessory structures on rural properties as well. The City requires a CUP for any
accessory structure in excess of 5000 square feet. The City has reviewed a few of these
applications recently. The CUP process provides for a public hearing, but adds approximately 75
days to the process to get a permit and some additional costs for the property owner.
Staff’s impression from review of recent CUP requests for large accessory structures is that the
public process may not have added a lot beyond what is already explicitly required.
The City could have standards for larger accessory structures, but not require a CUP process.
Staff is requesting feedback on whether the Planning Commission and Council see benefits of
the CUP process.
Potential Action
The Planning Commission should hold a public hearing on the proposed ordinance amendment.
After the Planning Commission has completed its review, it could consider the following action:
Move to recommend adoption of the ordinance amending regulations pertaining to
accessory structures [with the changes recommended by the Commission].
Attachments
1. Draft Ordinance
Ordinance No. ### 1
DATE
CITY OF MEDINA
ORDINANCE NO. ###
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO
ACCESSORY STRUCTURES; AMENDING CHAPTER 8 OF THE CITY CODE
The City Council of the City of Medina ordains as follows:
SECTION I. Section 825.19 of the code of ordinances of the City of Medina is amended by
deleting the struck through language and adding the underlined language as follows:
ACCESSORY STRUCTURES
Section 825.19. Accessory Buildings.
Subd. 1. No accessory building or structure shall be constructed on any residential lot prior to
the time of construction of the principal building to which it is accessory.
Subd. 2. No accessory building shall exceed 30 feet in height, with the exception of buildings
where agricultural use or farming is at the discretion of the City the primary use of the
property. Building projections or features, such as chimneys, cupolas, and similar
decorations that do not exceed 35 feet in height are permitted in residential districts.
Accessory building height shall be measured as set forth in section 825.07, subdivision 12 of
the city code.
Subd. 3. In residential districts, accessory buildings shall not be attached to, or erected, altered,
or moved within 10 feet of the principal building. Accessory buildings in residential
districts shall be governed by the following regulations:
Lot Size Bldg. Size* No. Permitted
10,000 sq. ft. or less 1,000 sq. ft. one
10,001 sq. ft. to 20,000 sq. ft. 1,200 sq. ft. one
20,001 sq. ft. to 43,560 sq. ft. 1,500 sq. ft. one
more than one and up to three
acres
2,000 sq. ft. one
more than three and up to five
acres
4,000 sq. ft. two
more than 5 acres 5,000 sq. ft. two
* Building size shall be calculated by determining the footprint of the building.
Ordinance No. ### 2
DATE
Subd. 4. On residential properties more than five acres in area, the city council may grant a
conditional use permit to allow accessory buildings which exceed an aggregate of 5,000
square feet in size or two in number. Conditional use permits shall be reviewed in
accordance with the requirements of sections 825.39, et seq. of the city code and shall be
subject to the additional accessory building standards set forth in section 826.98, subdivision
2 (o) of the city code.
Subd. 5. One additional accessory building that has a footprint of less than 120 200 square feet
or less, such as a shed, chicken coop, or similar type of building, is permitted. The footprint
of this type of accessory building shall not count towards the maximum accessory building
size allowance for the property as required above. In residential and agricultural districts, a
detached accessory building of less than 120 200 square feet may be located within five feet
of the rear or side lot line, with the exception of animal structures and chicken coops, which
shall abide by the specific setback requirements in respective district. All detached
accessory buildings 120 200 square feet or larger must meet the setbacks required for
principal buildings in the district.
Subd. 6 In commercial and industrial districts, all accessory buildings shall meet the same
front, side, and rear yard setback requirements as the principal building.
Subd. 7. The exterior materials and design features of accessory buildings in commercial or
industrial districts must be compatible with the materials and features of the principal
building.
Subd. 8. All accessory buildings in residential and agricultural districts shall be designed to be
architecturally compatible with other buildings on the property. Accessory buildings should
be designed to reflect the rural design and character of the city. The visual impact of the
accessory building upon neighboring properties shall be minimized by the building’s design
and siting and by providing screening or additional landscaping, which shall be approved by
the zoning administrator.
Subd. 9. The following residential improvements shall be excluded from the maximum
allowed building sizes noted under Subd. 3 of this section:
(a) unenclosed playhouses;
(b) gazebos up to 120 sq. ft. in size and a maximum 12 feet in overall height;
(c) outdoor swimming pools;
(d) detached decks up to 120 sq. ft. in size;
(e) patios;
(f) tennis courts; and
(g) loafing sheds used exclusively for horses and which are up to 300 square feet in size
and meet setbacks for structures used to house, exercise or accommodate animals
for the zoning district in which they are located.
SECTION II. This ordinance shall become effective upon its adoption and publication.
Ordinance No. ### 3
DATE
Adopted by the Medina city council this th day of , 2020.
______________________________
Kathleen Martin, Mayor
Attest:
___________________________________
Jodi M. Gallup, City Clerk
Published in the Crow River News on the _____day of __________, 2020.
1
CITY OF MEDINA 1
PLANNING COMMISSION 2
DRAFT Meeting Minutes 3
Tuesday April 14, 2020 4
5
1. Call to Order: Chairperson Reid called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 6
7
Present: Planning Commissioners Aaron Amic, Peter Galzki, Ron Grajcyk, Beth Nielsen, 8
Kerby Nester, Cindy Piper, and Robin Reid. 9
10
Absent: None. 11
12
Also Present: City Council Member Todd Albers, Planning Director Dusty Finke, Associate 13
Planner Deb Dion, and Planning Intern Ben Schneider. 14
15
2. Public Comments on Items not on the Agenda 16
17
No comments made. 18
19
3. Update from City Council Proceedings 20
21
Albers reported that the Council met the previous week. He noted that the Council approved 22
a number of items recommended by the Planning Commission under the Consent Agenda. 23
He stated that the Council also held a public hearing related to an Ordinance amendment 24
related to surface use of Lake Independence, specifically related to a request to raise the high-25
water mark. He explained that the higher than normal water level of the lake has triggered no 26
wake days that prevent use normal recreational use of the lake and therefore the request is to 27
raise the high-water level in attempt to allow more recreational use. 28
29
4. Planning Department Report 30
31
Finke provided an update. 32
33
5. Lennar (US Home Corporation) – PID 11-118-23-12-0004 – PUD Concept 34
Plan for development of 138 townhomes on approximately 20 net acres 35
36
Finke presented a request from Lennar for a PUD Concept Plan for Meadowview 37
Townhomes. He noted that the request would include a 138-unit townhome development. 38
He explained that PUD is a zoning designation that allows from some flexibility of the zoning 39
code, noting that the City has a great deal of discretion when reviewing a PUD request. He 40
stated that the subject property is guided for medium density residential, which would equate 41
to five to seven units per acre and is designated for the current staging period. He provided 42
details on the stage one master plan that was completed for the property at the time the Fields 43
of Medina was developed, and this property was split off, noting that this type of townhome 44
development was anticipated at that time. He reviewed the surrounding land uses and 45
highlighted elements of the concept plan including access, the mix of townhome products, 46
and green corridor and trail. He stated that generally the development as proposed is close to 47
the R-3 standards and highlights some of the deviations as proposed. He stated that feedback 48
is requested on the design elements proposed and the density range requested. He provided 49
details on transportation and access and parks and trails. He stated that the City received four 50
comments which were included in the packet and will be entered into the record. He 51
2
highlighted some of the staff comments related to landscaping/green corridor and future road 52
improvement plans. 53
54
Galzki referenced the minimum size for garage stalls and asked if the change in ordinance 55
was adopted by City Council. 56
57
Finke confirmed that the ordinance amendment was adopted by the City Council. 58
59
Grajcyk asked for clarification on the density range allowed within R-3. 60
61
Finke confirmed that the R-3 zone allows for five to seven units per buildable acre. He 62
explained that the base density would be five units per acre with additional density allowed in 63
return for some of the noted benefits typically provided under a PUD. He stated that based 64
on the recreational opportunities, extra soundproofing amongst the units, and other elements, 65
it would seem the applicant could reach 6.25 units per acre without incorporating additional 66
elements. He stated that the applicant states that the elements they are providing would 67
equate to the seven units per acre but advised that is up for discussion. 68
69
Nielsen asked if the applicant would reach the seven units per acre if the garage size 70
reduction was not approved. 71
72
Finke stated that would be a question for the applicant as that could impact the setbacks and 73
number of units. He stated that the Planning Commission should provide feedback on the 74
elements proposed in the PUD, as the applicant can use that feedback prior to moving 75
forward to plan submission. 76
77
Paul Tabone, Lennar, stated that he has been working with staff for the past few months to 78
reach this point. He thanked the City and staff for their assistance. He stated that he believes 79
they can accommodate a shift of the western portion of the trail more to the north along 80
Meander, which would increase the buffer area and provide an opportunity for more 81
landscaping. He stated that Lennar built a very similar townhome product that was successful 82
in the Enclave community and used that layout in designing this site. He stated that he 83
understands that there have been ordinance updates related to garage size that time. He stated 84
that these are these townhomes are the same square footage and garage size as the Enclave, 85
and other developments they have built across the metro. 86
87
Nielsen asked how the number of units per acre would be impacted if the City does not 88
approve the 380 square foot garage size. 89
90
Tabone stated that he would have to go back and determine how that could impact the site 91
plan configuration, specifically the rowhomes along Meander Road. He stated that he 92
appreciates those types of questions because his intent is to gather feedback and determine 93
how Lennar may be able to move forward prior to submitting a formal application. 94
95
Amic stated that he did not see a rowhome listed in the product flyer. 96
97
Tabone provided clarification on the different model examples shown in the product flyers. 98
99
Amic asked if the driveway would be in the back of the rowhome. 100
101
Tabone replied that the patios of the rowhomes backup to Meander and the driveways would 102
be in the front. He stated that currently they show a setback of about 45 feet from the back of 103
the building. 104
3
105
Amic stated that he is attempting to think about what the residents in the Fields of Medina 106
would look at. He noted that he would think it more aesthetically pleasing for that residential 107
development to not look at the back of the townhomes. 108
109
Grajcyk asked why Lennar is looking at a large townhome development in this area. 110
111
Tabone stated that Lennar recognizes a need for this type of product in this area of the metro. 112
He noted that the site is zoned for this type of development and the original development of 113
the Fields of Medina anticipated this type of development. He explained that this would be a 114
typical transition from commercial across Highway 55 and then this denser type of housing 115
near the arterial road, then leading into single family housing. He stated that Lennar has had 116
success with this type of townhome development in Medina and adjacent communities. 117
118
Reid opened the public hearing at 7:40 p.m. 119
120
Chris Leaf, 1065 Jubert Trail, (email comment read aloud): I'd like to recommend that the 121
Meadow View Townhomes provide a berm and vegetation (trees/shrubs) between their 122
homes and Meander Road since those of us on the other side of Meander are unable to do this 123
due to the filtration trench there. 124
125
John Podvin, 1053 Jubert Trail, stated that it would seem that porches would face directly 126
towards each other from this development and the existing single-family homes and believed 127
that it would be beneficial to have landscaping in that area to provide a buffer. He stated that 128
there is already considerable traffic on Pinto attempting to get onto Highway 55 and adding 129
these units would put considerable strain on Pinto Drive. He stated that he has been surprised 130
by the train noise he hears from his home, noting that would be amplified for the townhomes 131
and perhaps the developer could consider something to mitigate that noise for the residents 132
that would live in the townhomes. 133
134
Reid asked if the City is working towards a silent crossing at that location. 135
136
Finke stated that the goal of the City is to implement a whistle-less crossing with the 137
Tamarack Drive project. He noted that Arrowhead Drive should have a whistle-less crossing 138
later this summer. 139
140
Matt Dunn, 1113 Jubert Trail, echoed the comments of the last speaker. He stated that 141
berming to the north side would be encouraged to provide a buffer between the two 142
developments. He noted that he is also concerned with the increase in traffic. He stated that 143
currently there are no footpaths that go from Meander to 116 and was curious to the type of 144
expansion that would be provided. He asked if there has been any thought to the type of 145
utility disruption that would occur as a result of the development. 146
147
Ashok Sunkavalli, 1033 Jubert Trail, asked if a traffic study has been completed. He asked 148
the measures that would be taken during construction to ensure that Meander Road would not 149
become too crowded. 150
151
Finke stated that one aspect of the Tamarack Drive study, which is underway, will determine 152
the thresholds of where Tamarack Drive would become a high priority. He noted that the 153
study would determine interim improvements and future improvements that would support 154
anticipated development. He stated that the traffic changes on 116 are driven by growth to 155
the north and the City remains in contact with the County on improvements that could be 156
done to 116. 157
4
158
Atul Dua, 1061 Jubert Trail, echoed the comments requesting the berming and landscaping. 159
He stated that townhomes would be visible from his home, noting that he chose his home 160
because of the open area. He stated that he recognized there would be development on this 161
parcel but 140 townhomes seem to be a high number that would add to the congestion on 162
Meander. He stated that he would like the Commission to consider a berm and additional 163
landscaping to provide a buffer to the Fields of Medina. 164
165
Ryan Brokow, 1041 Jubert Trail (email comment read aloud), We had a few questions 166
regarding the meadow ridge development. How many units are in the Enclave development? 167
The proposed townhome development is more dense than we had been led to believe when 168
we built 2013. The FOM residents built here partly because of the rural nature of the area. 169
This defeats that vision. We believe strongly that front facing units is important to the current 170
residents across Meander. All of the surrounding suburbs in a 3 mile radius are building 171
townhomes and filling the need for higher density demand in this area of the metro. Has there 172
been any research to evaluate this? Thank you. 173
174
Mahesh Purama, 1100 Jubert Trail, echoed the comments of the last two speakers. He 175
commented that this proposal seems to be very dense and would add a lot of traffic. He asked 176
if the residents would have another opportunity to provide input as this moves along. He 177
asked the type of housing this would be, whether it would be market rate or affordable 178
housing. 179
180
Reid closed the public hearing at 7:56 p.m. 181
182
Piper stated that she is concerned about Meander Road and asked what could be done to 183
create a buffer between the roadway and the residents across the street that do not have much 184
of a buffer. She was also curious as to why this many townhomes would be proposed, as that 185
would add a lot of traffic. She was hoping that the number of homes could be reduced. 186
187
Tabone stated that he could address some of the questions now, while some elements would 188
need to be delayed as he would need to go back to his team to determine if those elements 189
could be an option. He stated that Lennar receives regular updates on products and the types 190
of housing that are desired and trending. He stated that the townhomes are targeted towards 191
young families and young professionals, as starter homes. He stated that they have also had 192
interest from empty nesters because the townhomes are association maintained and have 193
snowplowing and yard maintenance. He stated that the density proposed is within the range 194
but acknowledged that they are attempting to come in at the top of that range. He explained 195
that they have already decreased the density to fit within this range. He explained the benefit 196
in infrastructure to laying out the development in this manner. He stated that they are 197
amenable to having the berm and landscaping near Meander, noting that if they do shift the 198
trail it would provide the space to do that. He stated that they will consider the comments 199
related to the train noise, noting that they are working to exceed the minimum noise rating 200
between units and could explore other options to mitigate that noise. He commented that he 201
lives along a busy road or near railroad tracks and noted that there are people out there that 202
are willing to put up with some level of noise. He stated that one of the recommendations 203
from the City was to complete a traffic analysis and noted that he will be reaching out to the 204
City to gather data for Meander Road and will work with staff on that. He stated that the 205
purpose of the trail and open space corridor is to provide walkability and noted that they 206
would work with staff to determine the best layout on the property they control. He stated 207
that utilities are available in Jubert Trail and the development would tie into those. He noted 208
that they would work with the City on that connection. He stated that they are attempting to 209
work within the regulatory framework established by the City for the property. He stated that 210
5
they are working with Hennepin County Land Trust to determine if offering an affordability 211
element would be an option as this moves forward. 212
213
Reid noted that the purpose of a concept plan review is for the Commission to provide input 214
to the developer prior to submission of a formal application. 215
216
Ryan Brokow, 1041 Jubert Trail (email comment read aloud): A lot of wildlife and the 217
stream on the proposed land use. Anything done to address protecting wildlife areas? 218
219
Finke noted that there is information within the staff report related to the wetland buffers, 220
noting that the required wetland buffers are being provided. He stated that there would be 221
some impacts to the fingers of the wetlands, but the large wetland to the south would not be 222
impacted as proposed. He noted that one additional resident would like to provide input. 223
224
Jason Taffe, 1133 Jubert Trail, asked when the Tamarack improvements would be put in 225
place compared to the timing for this development. He stated that he would find it difficult to 226
anticipate the increase in traffic to Meander if the Tamarack improvements are not 227
implemented with this development. 228
229
Finke stated that some of the deliverables from the Tamarack study would be to review the 230
capacity at Meander, determining when the connection would be necessary, and to determine 231
if interim improvements would be beneficial. 232
233
Nielsen stated that she likes the comments related to the transition from commercial to this 234
density and then the Fields of Medina. She stated that she did not vote in favor of the 235
ordinance amendment to reduce garage size and therefore would not support this further 236
garage size reduction. 237
238
Galzki stated that he would like to see the back to back townhomes on the western side 239
shifted down, which would allow the loops to be connected east/west and would allow for 240
additional buffer along Meander. He stated that he does like the trail in the middle. He stated 241
that while a garage size of 360 is standard for Lennar, he believes that it would be worth the 242
developer’s time to find small modifications that could increase that size. He stated that this 243
request meets the staging and zoning and appreciates those elements. He stated that perhaps 244
it would be helpful for the developer to hold some neighborhood meetings with residents of 245
the Fields of Medina to gather their input prior to submission of formal plans, which could 246
perhaps help to make the process smoother going forward. 247
248
Nestor commented that she agrees that the development is overall too dense. She stated that 249
there are several concessions proposed, especially related to wetland impacts, therefore 250
creating the additional density would further impact the wetlands. She stated that she also 251
voted against the ordinance reducing the garage size and would not support a lesser garage 252
size. 253
254
Amic agreed that if the developer had shown up three months ago, they would have been 255
asking to reduce a large amount in garage size. He stated that the garage size was already 256
reduced through ordinance to 400 and did not believe that the reduced garage size would be 257
approved because even passing the 400 square feet through the Planning Commission was a 258
tough sell. He stated that he lives in the Enclave and commented that it is a well-built home, 259
noting that Lennar has been the best builder that he has personally worked with on building 260
his homes. He stated that the Enclave is a well-done development, but the garages seem too 261
small, as trash cans and vehicles are usually outside of the garage. He asked the developer to 262
6
think about what would be done with the homes facing the Fields of Medina, whether that is 263
done with buffer or forward facing the homes. 264
265
Nielsen stated that garage size was a recently discussed topic and the Commission was hard 266
pressed to even get to the 400 square feet. She stated that this would increase traffic on 267
Meander and believed that should be another high priority item for the developer. 268
269
Reid stated that she does like the townhomes and that this would provide more variety of 270
housing products and would serve as a good transition. She stated that in order to qualify for 271
a PUD the applicant would need to exceed the basic standards. She noted that she would 272
need additional details on how the applicant is going above the required standards. She stated 273
that she would like to see a centrally located tot lot, if this is going to be marketed to young 274
families. She stated that perhaps landscaping could be installed now between the townhomes 275
and future commercial area to establish that buffering. She stated that she would also like to 276
see varying colors in the townhomes to ensure that the homes do not all look the same. 277
278
Grajcyk stated that it is nice to see a transition from commercial to townhomes, to single 279
family. He stated that this would definitely be a lot of units in a smaller space but 280
understands that the property is zoned to support that use. He stated that the trail would be 281
great and would like to see it closer to Meander. He hoped that Lennar has heard the 282
feedback related to garage size, as he did not think the Commission would support less than 283
400 square feet. He noted that it would be great to see some landscaping put into the PUD as 284
that would allow people to see what could be done to alleviate the concerns with noise and 285
screening. He referenced the issue of traffic and stated that the added traffic could really 286
impact the intersection of Pinto and Highway 55. He noted that he experiences similar 287
problems at 24 and Highway 55 with the timing of the lights. 288
289
Tabone thanked the Commission for its input. He clarified that the existing utilities are in 290
Meander Road and believed that they would hook up at Meander and Jubert. 291
292
Finke stated that the developer has received the input of the Commission, noting that the Park 293
Commission will have an opportunity to provide comments the following night with the City 294
Council reviewing the concept the following Tuesday. 295
296
6. Cris and Jim Stetler – 1832 Medina Road – Conditional Use Permit for Construction of 297
an Accessory Structure in Excess of 5,000 Square Feet 298
299
Ben Schneider presented a request to construct an accessory structure over 5,000 square feet 300
at 1832 Medina Road. He noted that the site received approval for the construction of a home 301
the previous year, which has not yet been built. He provided details on the proposed 302
accessory structure which would be a barn, indoor riding arena and storage area. He 303
identified the wetlands on the site, along with the pasturable land. He noted that both the 304
home and accessory structure would have their own driveways. He stated that a CUP is 305
required for an accessory structure over 5,000 square feet and referenced the criteria that are 306
reviewed for a CUP. He reviewed some of the architectural details that would be proposed. 307
He provided details on animal density, noting that the survey claims 12.9 grazable acres but 308
staff is unsure if that is the correct figure because of the wooded area on the site. He noted 309
that the site could support up to 11 animals, but the applicant would propose eight. He stated 310
that staff recommends approval of the request, subject to the conditions noted in the staff 311
report. 312
313
Jim Stetler, applicant, stated that he is present if anyone has any questions. 314
315
7
Piper asked if this is planned to be used commercially. 316
317
Stetler replied that this would only be used for his horses. 318
319
Reid opened the public hearing at 8:41 p.m. 320
321
Jerry Roehl, 1735 Medina Rd., stated that is in favor of the project and has no objections. 322
323
Reid closed the public hearing at 8:42 p.m. 324
325
Nestor commented that this seems to be a good use of the space. 326
327
Nielsen agreed that this is a great design and use of space. 328
329
Galzki agreed that this will be a great use of the space and will be a great addition to the 330
viewshed along the roadway. 331
332
Reid asked if there would be night lighting on the barn. 333
334
Stetler stated that they have not gotten that detailed into the planning but that would be 335
workable. It was noted that perhaps there would be security lighting at the entryway, but they 336
would not go beyond that. 337
338
Motion by Piper, seconded by Nestor, to recommend approval of the Conditional Use 339
Permit for the construction of an accessory structure over 5,000 square feet with the 340
conditions recommended in the staff report. 341
342
A roll call vote was performed: 343
344
Amic aye 345
Nestor aye 346
Nielsen aye 347
Galzki aye 348
Piper aye 349
Grajcyk aye 350
Reid aye 351
352
Motion carried. 353
354
7. Approval of the March 10, 2019 Draft Planning Commission Meeting Minutes. 355
356 Motion by Galzki, seconded by Piper, to approve the March 10, 2019, Planning 357
Commission minutes with noted changes. 358
359
A roll call vote was performed: 360
361
Amic aye 362
Nestor aye 363
Nielsen aye 364
Galzki aye 365
Piper aye 366
Grajcyk aye 367
Reid aye 368
8
369
Motion carried. 370
371
8. Council Meeting Schedule 372
373
Finke advised that the Council will be meeting the following Tuesday and Galzki volunteered 374
to attend in representation of the Commission. 375
376
9. Adjourn 377
378
Motion by Nielsen, seconded by Piper, to adjourn the meeting at 8:52 p.m. Motion carried 379
unanimously. 380