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AAA S; .ON
11 October 2016
Andrew N. Jacobson
Direct Dial: (612) 672-8333
Direct Fax: (612) 642-8333
andy.jacobsonOmaslon. com
CITY OF MEDINA PLANNING COMMISSION
c/o Scott Johnson, City Administrator
20152 County Road 24
Medina, MN 55340
RE: Proposed Automotorplex Project, Medina, Minnesota
Dear Planning Commission Members:
This firm represents Dellcroft Farms, LLP ("Dellcroft Farms"), which owns approximately 156 acres of
land on the west side of Arrowhead Drive, straddling Hamel Road. We are writing to oppose the PUD
Concept Plan for the automotorplex facility (the "Autoplex Project") that has been proposed by Bruno
Silikowski and Loram, Inc. (collectively, the "Developer"). The Autoplex Project involves development
of an approximately 19 acre parcel of land, currently zoned Business Park, located on the east side of
Arrowhead Drive south of Highway 55 and north of Hamel Road. The Autoplex Project site is located
directly across the street from Delleroft Farm's northern parcel. Based on the Developer's submittal, the
existing Chanhassen autoplex is the template for the proposed Medina location. The Medina location to
consist of 237,340 square feet of development of which approximately 12% is designated retail, although
the application indicates that the general public will have limited access and use of the retail component.
While a unique and interesting project in the appropriate setting, the proposed Autoplex Project is not
compatible with surrounding land uses and is materially inconsistent with the City of Medina's 2030
Comprehensive Plan (the "Comp Plan"). As a result, the City must deny approval for the Autoplex
Project. Alternatively, the City needs to adopt a comprehensive and fair approach to Comp Plan revisions
and rezoning for the general area around the Autoplex Project site, including Dellcroft Farms, in order to
achieve appropriate increases in density and assure compatibility of uses. Dellcroft Farms relies on the
City being fair and consistent in its treatment of landowners and Delleroft Farms will take appropriate
steps to protect its interests in this matter.
As you are aware, Minnesota law controls municipal planning decisions, such as the approvals sought by
the Developer for the Autoplex Project. A key requirement of the statutes is that:
`°A local governmental unit shall not adopt any official control or fiscal device which is in
conflict with its comprehensive plan or which permits activity in conflict with
metropolitan system plans." Minn. Stat. § 473.865, subd. 2
A primary stated goal of the Comp Plan is for the City to protect residents from "(1) indiscriminate
development, (2) exploitation of resources, and (3) the consequences of unplanned public services."
Comp Plan at Page 1-1. Accordingly, the City Council has been expressly directed to "preserve the rural
character of Medina" and to only approve projects that are "compatible with existing development." The
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CITY OF MEDINA PLANNING COMMISSION
October 11, 2016
Page 2
community vision statement begins with the stated goal for Medina to "maintain its rural character."
Comp Plan at Page 2-3. The visions, goals and strategies include "maintaining rural character and rural
heart of the City was a high value" and is "important to the quality of life that residents enjoy." Comp
Plan at Page 1-4. Although the project is being developed by an experienced developer and we
acknowledge the quality of the Chanhassen project location, the Autoplex Project plan is inappropriate for
Medina as it is inconsistent with the Comp Plan and incompatible with the uses of the surrounding
properties, as discussed further below.
To begin with, the proposed development is not consistent with the type of commercial development
envisioned for Medina in the Comp Plan. While the Developer characterizes the proposed uses for the
Autoplex Project as "office condos" and retail, the nature of the use is anything but traditional commercial
development, as illustrated by the Chanhassen location (the template for the Medina project). Even the
City has recognized that the proposed uses are "not explicitly listed in the city's zoning regulations." The
"office condos" label (referenced several times in the application materials as "auto condos") is not a
complete or accurate characterization of the unique nature of the proposed project. Fundamentally, the
Autoplex Project will be a private, upscale automotive enclave, with limited public access except during
periodic events such as Cars and Coffee. Our understanding is that all, or significant portions of the
project, will be enclosed by security fencing, there will be a security gate for vehicular entry and the
relatively small retail component of the project will apparently generally be inaccessible to the public
(i.e., the "retail operations will primarily serve the owners of the office condos").
Units at the Developer's project in Chanhassen have been referred to in various publications as "urban
cabins" and "like a country club, except instead of golf, this is about cars." Having visited the
Chanhassen facility on a number of occasions over the last several years for Cars and Coffee events, it is
apparent that many of the units in Chanhassen are equipped with kitchens, full bathrooms and some even
have sleeping accommodations, even though these "office condos" are not technically designated for
residential use. Even the Developer recognizes that the project does not constitute traditional commercial
development, characterizing the Autoplex Project as "a unique attraction to the community."
Unfortunately, this proposed unique use is inconsistent with the type of commercial development for
Medina envisioned in the Comp Plan, where the objectives for commercial use include: (i) providing for
convenient and attractive shopping and services to meet the needs of residents, (ii) regulating the
impact of commercial development that abuts residential areas "to ensure that commercial development
has a minimal impact on residential areas," and (iii) ensuring that commercial uses are compatible with
neitrhborinR future and existing uses. Comp Plan at Page 5-17.
The Developer's application materials make a number of references compatibility with its setting,
including the conclusory statement that the Autoplex Project "will be compatible with these uses and is a
good fit for this neighborhood area." The Developer's application materials also state that there have not
been issues the surrounding neighborhood at the Chanhassen project, apparently as an indicator as to what
one can expect from the Medina project, if approved. However, the Developer fails to recognize crucial
differences between the Chanhassen and Medina locations. The area Chanhassen where the Developer's
project was constructed was an established, developed commercial/warehouse/industrial area, quite
different in character from the rural setting in Medina. The Chanhassen autoplex facility was constructed
on a site with existing commercial/industrial buildings on three sides (north, south and east) and wetlands
/ open space on the fourth side (west). This is a stark contrast to the proposed Medina site that would be
directly across the road from land zoned rural residential, the least dense zoning district in the City.
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October 11, 2016
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The traffic and parking issues that would be generated by the Autoplex Project (e.g., Cars and Coffee
events) is of particular concern to Dellcroft Farms. The Developer touts that heavy traffic for the
AutoPlex Project "occurs 90% of the time outside peak hours of the other users in the area." However,
this means the heavy traffic times for the Autoplex Project will occur on evenings and weekends --
adjacent to rural residential land. While evening and weekend event -related traffic patterns may work
well in a commercial / industrial setting, such as Chanhassen where most of the surrounding business
have limited or no evening and weekend operations, large crowds, loud / exotic cars and snarled up
vehicular and pedestrian traffic along Arrowhead Drive and Hamel Road early on a Saturday morning
(events often start at 7:00 a.m.) are not compatible with the quiet and bucolic setting of a rural residential
area.
There are also issues related to access to the Autoplex Project site from Hamel Road. While the
Developer plans to encourage access from TF1 55 to the north, the Developer has no control over what
route individuals use to access the site and can do nothing to prevent access from the south using Hamel
Road. The Developer asserts, without support, that "[t]here is no reason for visitors to the site to use
Hamel Road." In fact, there are several reasons why one would approach the Autoplex Project from the
south via Hamel Road. First, entering the project from the south allows entry into the Autoplex Project
with a right hand turn, eliminating the need for a left hand turn across traffic. This right turn entry would
be particularly useful during weekend events, when it appears there will be 250 or more cars and related
pedestrian traffic jamming the shoulders of Arrowhead Drive. Second, if one planned to park along the
east side of Arrowhead Road, that would necessarily require an approach from the south using Hamel
Road. All of this will create congestion and traffic hazards as cars maneuver to park and pedestrians
make their way to and from the entry gate, as is the case in Chanhassen. Third, as there are no sidewalks
on Arrowhead Drive and it is unclear how visitors would get from the peripheral parking locations
mentioned in the application materials (i.e., the Loram property to the north and the Hennepin County
property to the northwest) to the entrance of the project. As a result, it appears that most (if not all) of the
offsite pedestrian traffic will necessarily funnel onto Arrowhead Drive when there are events at the
Autoplex Project.
While the Cars and Coffee events are a lot of fun (akin to a monthly automotive mini -Woodstock),
anyone who has attended one in Chanhassen understands the challenges of access and parking. In my
experience, if one does not get to Chanhassen early for an event, parking can be almost as challenging as
at the State Fair. It is also important to keep in mind that at both Chanhassen and in Medina, almost of
the visitor parking is located off -site, as vehicular access into the project is restricted to unit owners and
their designated guests. The Cars and Coffee events in Chanhassen generate such a volume of offsite
traffic (vehicular and pedestrian), that the Developer often pays for police and traffic control personnel
from the City of Chanhassen to direct the vehicular and pedestrian traffic at events.
For the reasons stated above, Dellcroft Farms objects to the proposed Autoplex Project. For the same
reasons and in light of the City's obligations under Minnesota law to enforce for others the zoning
guidelines set forth in the Comp Plan adopted by the City, the City must reject the Developer's
application for the Autoplex Project. Alternatively, the City needs to take a broad and fair approach to
Comp Plan revisions and rezoning for the area around the Autoplex Project site, including Dellcroft
Farms. Please be advised that Dellcroft Farms will take appropriate steps to protect its interests in this
matter.
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CITY OF MEDINA PLANNING COMMISSION
October 11, 2016
Page 4
Thank you in advance for your consideration of our concerns and please feel free to contact me should
you have any questions.
Sincerely,
cc: Mayor Bob Mitchell
Council Member John Anderson
Council Member Lorie Cousineau
Council Member Kathleen Martin
Council Member Jeff Pederson
Thomas Borman, Dellcroft Farms
4818-3693-7530, v. 1
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