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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1985 11-21 PCM MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER IN THE COUNTY OF HENNEPIN AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA NOVEMBER 210985 STUDY SESSION CITY HALL CALL TO ORDER The Planning Commission met in study session and was called to order by Chairman George Lucht in the Manager's Conference Room at 7:33 p.m. ROLL CALL Chairman George Lucht, Commissioners Molly Malecki, Mike Nelson, Carl Sandstrom, Wallace Bernards and Ann Wallerstedt. Also present were Director of Planning and Inspection Ronald Warren and Planner Gary Shallcross. Chairman Lucht noted that Commissioner Ainas had called to say he would be unable to attend and was excused. ADMINISTER OATH OF OFFICE The Secretary then administered the Oath of Office to Commissioner Ann Wallerstedt for the remainder of former Commissioner Nancy Manson's two year term which expires in December of 1985. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - October 24, 1985 Motion by Commissioner Nelson seconded by Commissioner Sandstrom to approve the minutes of the October 24, 1985 Planning Commission meeting as submitted. Voting in favor: Chairman Lucht, Commissioners Nelson, Sandstrom and Bernards. Voting against: none. Not voting: Commissioners Malecki and Wallerstedt. The motion passed. RYAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY (Preliminary Review) Following the Chairman's explanation, the Secretary began to review the staff report on a conceptual plan for an office development by Ryan Construction Company at the corner of Summit Drive and Earle Brown Drive (see staff report attached). The Secretary explained that the urgency for concluding a development contract with Ryan Construction Company' is because Ryan Construction Company is seeking industrial revenue bond financing for the development and that they must receive approval for this financing before the end of the year. Commissioner Wallerstedt asked for a clarification of the location of the project. ' The Secretary pointed out the location of the proposed buildings on a conceptual site plan and the location of the property on a City map. By way of background, the Secretary explained that the City had acquired the Earle Brown Farm and surrounding land and that it wished to sell off or trade some of the excess land on the Farm site to Ryan Construction for development of an office complex. He also explained that the area south of the Farm buildings would be developed probably with a high-rise residential development that would require a Planned Unit Development Ordinance in effect or a rezoning of the property to R7. He also explained that the City has adopted a tax increment financing plan for improvements in the area near the Earle Brown Farm that will be financed by tax revenue from development in the commercial area north of John Martin Drive and south of the freeway between Shingle Creek Parkway and Highway 100. Commissioner Sandstrom asked whether the housing would be for seniors. The Secretary stated that that possibility had been discussed, but that no definite decision had been made. He stated that some discussions had been held with Lombard 11-21-85 -1- Properties regarding services for senior housing development. He also explained that the City was having a market analysis done on possible uses for the Farm buildings themselves. He explained that one of the key planning concerns for development in this area was p.m. peak hour traffic generation. He stated that the City has agreed with Ryan Construction to limit traffic generation within this general area along Summit Drive in order to maintain an acceptable level of service. The Secretary stated that the first phase of the office development would not likely create any traffic problems, but that the second phase might, depending on what traffic levels result from surrounding development. The Secretary stated that projecting traffic generation for a given development depends on the assumptions for trip generation being used. He acknowledged that the assumptions used in the traffic analysis by Short-Elliott-Hendrickson were fairly conservative and that lower trip rates for given amounts of office space would allow for far more office space to be developed along Summit Drive. The Secretary stated that Ryan Construction was running the risk that the second phase might not be allowed because of high traffic generation from other development in the area. He explained that the probable case taken into account in the Short- Elliott-Hendrickson traffic analysis was for only 130,000 sq. ft. of office space on the land in question. The Secretary explained that the City only wanted to keep the Farm buildings and would dispose of as much of the surrounding land as possible. The Secretary then returned to the subject of the office development layout. He reviewed the parking and access provided to the site. He noted the proposal for a pond between the office buildings and the Farm site. He also noted the attempt to keep important site lines open to the Earle Brown Farm from key areas nearby. There followed a brief discussion of the report on sight lines by Tim Erkkila of Westwood Planning. The Secretary explained that the recommendation of the report was to preserve certain key views of the Farm, especially that from the south which looks up into the center of the Earle Brown Farm. He stated that the recommendation is also to keep high-rise buildings as far away from the Farm buildings as possible and to step them up as they recede away from the Farm site. Commissioner Sandstrom stated that he was concerned about office development coming into this area before the residential development took place. The Planner pointed out that Brooklyn Center's demographic profile suggested that the greatest number of elderly residents would take place in the 1990's to around the year 2000. He stated that, therefore, the greatest benefit to Brooklyn Center would probably take place some years hence. The Secretary then reviewed with the Commission an aerial photograph that showed the Farm buildings and various sight lines to the Farm site. Chairman Lucht asked whether the proposed office development would be a multi- tenant building or for a single corporation. The Secretary responded that that had not been definitely decided, that both possibilities had been brought out by Ryan Construction Company. Commissioner Sandstrom stated that he was concerned regarding the appearance of the proposed office buildings relative to the Farm buildings. He stated that office buildings can all begin to look the same after awhile and hoped that the new buildings would have a quality appearance that would reflect well on the Farm. The Secretary noted that, in the past, Ryan Construction had considered building another building very similar to the two office buildings on the west side of Earle Brown Drive. He stated that it was likely that a glass type office building would be built in the area immediately west of the Farm. 11-21-85 -2- Commissioner Sandstrom stated that he felt the residential development could be' developed for condominiums and expressed confidence that quality development would sell. Commissioner Nelson disagreed with the assessment that condos would be marketable and cited the history of the Brookwood development. Commissioner Sandstrom pointed out that the site adjacent to the Earle Brown Farm has more locational amenities than the Brookwood site and, if built with a quality design, could attract buyers. The Secretary summarized the Commission's concerns as acknowledging the basic appliance of the conceptual development plan, but with a strong recommendation for attention to aesthetics and sight lines relative to the Earle Brown Farm site. ACTION ACKNOWLEDGING ZONING COMPLIANCE Motion by Commissioner Sandstrom seconded by Commissioner Nelson to acknowledge that the conceptual plan submitted by Ryan Construction Company for a two-phase office development immediately west of the Earle Brown Farm does meet basic zoning requirements as to setbacks, buffers, parking, greenstrips, etc. Voting in favor: Chairman Lucht, Commissioners Malecki, Nelson, Sandstrom, Bernards and Wallerstedt. Voting against: none. The motion passed. Commissioner Sandstrom, with the concurrence of other Commissioners, recommended that attention be given to the report by Tim Erkkila and that the development be of the highest quality. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Commissioner Nelson seconded by Commissioner Sandstrom to adjourn the meeting of the Planning Commission. The motion passed unanimously. The Planning Commission adjourned at 8:50 p.m. Chairman 11-21-85 -3- 1 1 1