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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979 05-24 PCM MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER IN THE COUNTY OF HENNEPI14 AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA STUDY SESSION MAY 24, 1979 CITY HALL CALL TO ORDER The Planning Commission met in study session and was called to order by Chairman Hal Pierce at 8:08 p.m. ROLL CALL Chairman Pierce, Commissioners Malecki , Theis, Hawes, Manson, and Erickson. Also present were Director of Planning and Inspection Ronald Warren, Superintendent of Engineering James Noska and Planning Assistant Gary Shallcross . APPROVAL OF MINUTES - May 10, 1979 Motion by Commissioner Malecki seconded by Commissioner Hawes to approve the minutes of the May 10, 1979 meeting as submitted. Voting in favor: Chairman Pierce, Commissioners Malecki , Theis, Hawes, Manson and Erickson. Voting against: none. The motion passed. COMMENT ON PREVIOUS PLAN SECTIONS Following the Chairman's—explanation, the Secretary invited people present in the audience and the Commission to make comment on the sections of the updated Compre- hensive Guide Plan relating to Brooklyn Boulevard, Parks and Housing. The Secretary indicated that the studies submitted by the Planning Consultants had been sent to the various Neighborhood Advisory Groups, the Housing Commission, and the Parks and Recreation Commission. He reported that the Housing Commission had requested additional time to consider the Housing Element presented by the Con- -sultants in order to review it more carefully and.make any additions or recom- mendations it Pelt necessary. When no one offered any comments on the sections presented at the previous meeting, Chairman Pierce asked for a comment on the proposal of a minimum 150 ft. frontage and the Cl and C2 zones when abutting a major thoroughfare. Commissioner Hawes noted that those who were proposing a rezoning for the property between the Northport Medical Clinic and the Brooklyn Center Library should be made aware of this possible ordinance change as it might affect their ability to market their property once it is rezoned to Cl . The Secretary underscored the fact that the proposed 150 ft. lot width' is only a recommendation at present and does not affect the proposed rezoning at this time. He urged the Planning Commission to examine rezonings not on the basis of potential requirements, but on the basis of existing guidelines, because any proposed new requirements would have to be enacted by the City Council before they would take effect. He added that the Metro Council would also be reviewing any proposed Comprehensive Plan and implementation ordinances. Commenting on the Brooklyn Boulevard Study, Chairman Pierce agreed with the concept of three basis nodes adding that it would be beneficial to zone toward a coherent pattern, rather than allow strip development. The Secretary pointed out that one important consideration relative .to Brooklyn Boulevard is the ex- pansion of commercial areas. He cited the fact that the present plan is very restrictive in regards to retail uses . He added that the proposed revisons would be somewhat of a departure from the restrictive policy of the past. Chairman Pierce asked for a delineation of the C2 zone at Brooklyn Boulevard and 69th Avenue North. 5-24-79 -1- 9 The Secretary outlined the C2 zone in this area and noted that the proposal ex- ,€ pands the C2 zone to residential streets both to the east and west of Brooklyn Boulevard. He also pointed out a proposed rezoning to C2 from Brooklyn Boulevard to Chowen Avenue North, in the neighborhood of 63rd Avenue North. He explained that the expansion of the C2 zone in certain blocks abutting Brooklyn Boulevard would eventually- do away with the close abutment of retail uses and residential uses. Chairman Pierce asked whether the Secretary considered streets to be a better buffer than greenstrips and fences. The Secretary responded that he did consider them superior buffers since additional screening can be used in con_ . junction with the street separation. Commissioner Hawes stated that one area of concern would be to prevent the traffic generated by commercial uses from spilling onto residential streets. Mr. Bill Weber, the Consultants ' representative, stated that the Planning Com- mission could use discretionary powers in granting site and building plan approval to restrict curb cuts for commercial uses on residential streets . Commissioner Hawes asked whether the intent of the proposals was to unify commercial develop- ment along Brooklyn Boulevard. Mr. Weber responded that that was the purpose expressed in the Plan. Commissioner Hawes stated his opposition to any-fast _food_______«__ restaurant located on a residential street. Mr. Weber responded that such an occurrence was not likely because of normal market forces .. Chairman Pierce cautioned, however, that more C2 zoning would certainly bring more fast food restaurants and could create problems for local neighborhoods . The Secretary pointed out that the City's Zoning Ordinance does not allow "drive-in restaurants" to abut low or mid-density residential uses even at a street line. He also noted that such restaurants are special uses within the C2 zone and could therefore be restricted on the basis of traffic impact or for other reasons . He added that . there might be some way of classifying fast food restaurants as special uses in order to regulate them in a similar manner. Commissioners Hawes expressed concern over possible fragmentation of commercial development of the northwest corner of 63rd Avenue North. Mr. Weber suggested that the City could consider creating a new zoning district,• for instance, C3, with a larger lot requirement so as to prevent small developments . Commissioner Hawes asked whether this would create an undue hardship on the property owners . Mr. Weber replied that such a requirement would not be any more of a hardship than other zoning requirements. The Secretary pointed out the Brooklyn Center Library on Brooklyn Boulevard as an example of hardship. It was more reasonable to rezone the property to Cl and allow commercial use to take over the existing building once the new library was finished rather than require the usuable structure to be torn down and re- placed by a low-density residential use along a major thoroughfare (as the pre vious R1 zoning would have required) . He also urged the Commission to resist speculative rezonings, citing the example of the slaughterhouse property as a case in which a development proposal was required before a rezoning was con- sidered prudent. Commissioner Hawes agreed and asked whether the proposed re- zoning for the lots south of the library should be considered in a similar manner. The Secretary answered that he considered the proposed rezoning of the six residential lots south of the library to be somewhat premature and he' also expressed the fear that the properties, once rezoned, would become six small commercial developments. Mr. Weber stated that even at present the indivi- dual lots would have some difficulty in meeting the dimension Cl zoning. Possibly variances would be needed to allow appropriate use of the land. Commissioner Hawes said he could foresee small developments at either end of the proposed rezoning, but feared that the lots in the middle would be left undeveloped. 5-24-79 -2- Commissioner Malecki asked whether deferring a decision on the proposed rezoning until a development plan was submitted would be the best way to proceed. The Secretary favored that approach. Commissioner Hawes concurred, recommending that the City leave the property zoned Rl until a definite demand for commercial use was shown. He added that the frontage road serving the residential properties across from Brookdale was an asset not available to other residential properties along the Boulevard. The Secretary probed the Commission for further comments regarding the Brooklyn Boulevard study emphasizing that what was approved in the study would eventually lead. to the changes in the City's Zoning Ordinance and to the actual development pattern along the Boulevard. Commissioner. Theis responded that he liked the idea of limiting access onto Brooklyn Boulevard, but was concerned about expanding retail development into residential areas . He used fast food restaurants as an example of a possible threat to residential neighborhoods. He said that resi- dents purchased their homes with certain assumptions as to what their neighbor- hoods would be like and that to change the development pattern might threaten those assumptions rather than protect them. Chairman Pierce recalled the case of a proposed development at 58th Avenue North and Brooklyn Boulevard that would have brought truck traffic near residential areas. He noted that this proposal was opposed because of the potential conflict and advocated office use as a good buffer between retail and residential use. Louis Terzich of the Northwest Advisory Group told the Commission that he was aware of a person who is considering developing the northeast corner of 69th and Brooklyn Boulevard for a fast food restaurant. He stated that he was not opposed to all fast food restaurants citing the fact that many of them have . improved on their upkeep and asked the Commission for their thoughts on the matter. Commissioner Theis stated simply that whatever development was allowed, adequate protection should be made for the residents in the area. Mrs . Ekberg, of. 5549 Brooklyn Boulevard, presented the Commission with a number of arguments in favor of the rezoning proposal for the lots south of the Library and north of the Northport Medical Clinic. She stated that the residences on Brooklyn Boulevard suffer greatly from noise, odor and debris. She pointed out that the houses are encircled by retail office or other special land use and maintained that more offices in the area would be attractive. She also felt that rezoning all the lots at once would attract a larger developer. Her husband complained of many bothersome requests from passers-by. Commissioner Theis asked whether a fence shielded their property. Mr. Ekberg replied that the fence began just south of their property and as a result their yard received a lot of paper. Commissioner Theis noted that the residential uses along the Boulevard were probably not the best use of the land, but added that the real challenge lay in properly going about getting the right kind of development. A discussion then ensued relative to traffic levels on the Boulevard and what kind of impact on traffic would result from more service/office use. The Superintendent of Engineering pointed out that estimates for offices were about 14 trips daily per thousand square feet of office space. This came. to about 200 extra trips per day for the new law office. Chairman Pierce, while not opposing the expansion of retail use in some cases, said that great care must be taken in deciding where retail uses could be located and what restriction would be placed on those uses. The Secretary stated that present district requirements for the Cl and C2 zones were probably not adequate to ensure quality development since the minimum lot width for the C2 zone was only 50 ft. and ,the minimum lot width for the Cl zone is only 75 ft. 5-24-79 -3- Commissioner Manson asked whether zoning districts are automatically changed by the passage of the Comprehensive Plan. The Secretary answered that that would not necessarily be the case, that the plan serves primarily as a guide for amendments to be made in the process of development. One possibility, he mentioned, would be for the City to land bank certain critical property and -hold onto it until the right-development came along. In response to Commissioner Erickson, who asked for a clarification, Mr. Weber stated that land banking is occasionally done in the City of Minneapolis, but that such arrangements are usually set up with a development plan ready to be implemented before purchase. , Mrs. Jensen of 65th and Drew Avenues North asked about the City's policy regard- ing issuing building permits to nonconforming uses. The Secretary explained that a residence in a nonresidential zone would not be allowed to expand. Mrs. Ekberg of 5549 Brooklyn Boulevard, asked whether her taxes would go up if her property were rezoned. The Secretary answered that her taxes would probably not change since the City Assessor assesses property based on its use, not its zoning classification. Mrs. Jensen asked why it would not be good to rezone the residences across from Brookdale along Brooklyn Boulevard, if the owners _ to accept the restrictions on office development and on _their_own use of the property when they became a nonconforming use. Chairman Pierce explained that the City must be careful in creating too many nonconforming situations and added that any time the City initiated a rezoning, it should do so with the consent of the property owners involved. Mrs. Jensen and members of the Commission then discussed the Brooklyn Center Trail System, specifically the difficulty presented by the Brookdale parking ' lot. The Chairman explained that the reason the Creek had been blacktopped over was that the space was required for parking at the shopping center and that to remove the pavement now would require a variance from parking requirements. RECESS The Planning Commission recessed at 9:43 p.m. and resumed at_10:14 p.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - April 26, 1979 Motion by Commissioner -Hawes seconded by Commissioner Theis to approve the minutes of the April 26, 1979 Planning Commission meeting as submitted. Voting in favor: Chairman Pierce, Commissioners Malecki , Theis, Hawes, Manson and Erickson. Voting against: none. The motion passed unanimously. Commissioner Manson left at 10:30 p.m. LAND USE PLAN Mr. Weber began his presentation of Land Use Proposals by stating that the consulting firm does not recommend any further construction of apartments in the City of Brooklyn Center. He then went through a long list of areas proposed for rezonings or maintaining the existing zoning with new development. In -the northeast corner of the City, just west of Highway 169 and east of Evergreen - Park, he suggested that a large tract of land, undeveloped and presently zoned R4, be rezoned for mid-density residential development. He noted that the area seemed appropriate for a development of this type since it was surrounded by apartments, park and highway. In two unsubdivided areas in the vicinity of 69th Avenue North, east of the City maintenance annex, he recommended single family residential development. For the area just north of the Highway 94 and 169 Interchange, he recommended commercial retail development because of its high visibility. Concerning the tract of land east of Humboldt Square, Mr: Weber stated that he originally proposed mid-density residential development, however, he said, he has been informed that the residents in the area would prefer not to see any further multi-residential development in the neighborhood. Chairman Pierce stated that it was not his impression that this opposition to - multi-family residential would exclude townhouse development. 5-2.4-79 -4- Regarding the open tracts of land in the Industrial Park north of the freeway, Mr. Weber proposed no change from the present zoning. Commissioner Theis asked Mr. Weber for his reaction to the proposed rezoning to C1A and/or I-1 by the Industrial Park. Mr. Weber generally opposed the rezoning, but stated that a - rezoning to Cl would definitely be preferable to a rezoning to I-1 . Mr. Weber recommended a service/office use in the open land east of Shingle Creek Parkway, both north and south of Summit Drive. Commissioner Theis asked why a rezoning from the current I-1 classification- was necessary. The Secretary commented that the I-1 zone allows certain commercial uses by special use permit and that Mr. Weber's suggestions were geared to uses more than to zoning classifications. Mr. Weber recommended the down zoning of a small parcel of land at the south- east corner of 58th Avenue North and Logan Avenue North just opposite the North- brook Shopping Center from service/office to single family residential . This tract of land, he said, is simply too small for commercial development. Regard- ing the proposal to rezone the Madsen Floral property for townhouse use, Mr. Weber stated that the proposal could be compatible with the neighborhood depend- ing on the design of the townhouses. He also recommended that an undeveloped, low-lying area just east of the Highway 100/Brooklyn Boulevard intersection, across from Brookdale, be developed for single family and townhouse use. The Secretary commented that the soils in that area were very poor and that develop- ment would not likely take place for some time. Along Brooklyn Boulevard, Mr. Weber recommended single family homes to be main- tained in the area south of the Northport Medical Center. From the Northport Medical Clinic to north of County Road 10 on the west side of the Boulevard, he recommended continuous service/office use. Fie also recommended office use from 59th Avenue North to 62nd Avenue North along the east side of the Boulevard. All of these expansions of the service/office district, would encompass entire blocks rather than simply the parcels abutting the Boulevard. He recommended up-zoning of the two blocks at the northwest and southeast corners of Brooklyn Boulevard and 63rd Avenue North to Commercial/Retail in order to round out the retail district at that corner: North of the freeway, Mr. Weber recommended continued R3 zoning for the open land south of the water tower. Commissioner Hawes asked whether there was a covenant on the land. The Secretary answered that there was a covenant that prohibited commercial uses until 1980. As indicated earlier during the dis- cussion of the Brooklyn Boulevard study, the recommendation for the area around the intersection of Brooklyn Boulevard and 69th Avenue North was for an exp- ansion and upgrading of the retail zone in that area . Mr. Weber also recommended a mid-density residential use at the location of the old City Hall across the Boulevard from Willow Lane School . Mr. Weber then discussed with the Commission the Industrial area south of the railroad tracks and the concern for keeping residential and industrial uses separated by other uses and adequate buffers. TRANSPORTATION PLAN In reviewing the Transportation Plan for the City, Mr. Weber explained the status . of different roadways according to the area they serve and by the traffic con- trols utilized. He indicated that the future route of Highway 169 would probably be along its present route and that the City recommends a 4 to 6 land on grade facility with improved landscaping. The Superintendent of Engineering added that the Minnesota Department of Transportation is proceeding on schedule in the development of Highway 169. Mr. Weber went on to note that Highway 94 south of the 694 bridge would have access from 53rd and 57th Avenue North. He showed the plans for a half clover leaf intersection at Shingle Creek Parkway and Highway 94 and stated that the ramps serving Xerxes Avenue North would probably be removed once the Shingle Creek Parkway intersection is completed. 5-24-79 -5 In regard to Brooklyn Boulevard, Mr. Weber repeated the objective that develop- ment plans should attempt to channel access onto the Boulevard from streets 3 rather than directly via curb cuts, and added that an attractive, but not over- done lighting system for the Boulevard would do much for its image. He concluded his remarks by recommending that Lilac Drive be extended from 50th Avenue to link up with its southerly segment on the other side of the railroad tracks. i Chairman Pierce asked the Superintendent of Engineering what the schedule for phasing out the ramps on Xerxes Avenue North was . The Superintendent of Engineer- ing replied that the interchange at Shingle Creek Parkway was expected to be completed around 1983. Chairman Pierce inquired what the impact would be on Brooklyn Boulevard traffic levels as a result of the development of Highway 169. Mr. Weber responded that the reduction in traffic would not be significant and that the. demand for commercial development along the Boulevard would continue unabated. The Commission then discussed other collector streets in the Brooklyn Center road system. Mrs. Jensen of 65th and Drew Avenues, expressed concern over the plan to straighten out 69th Avenue North in the vicinity of Palmer Lake Park. She stated that reconstructing the road along that stretch would destroy --- the work of the Park Department in that area. The Superintendent of Engineering acknowledged the sensitivity of the problem, but added that traffic safety is also a concern. The Superintendent of Engineering also mentioned that the County was planning on widening 69th Avenue from Highway 169 into Brooklyn Park. In regard to the segment of 63rd Avenue North between Xerxes Avenue North and Brooklyn Boulevard, the Superintendent of Engineering stated that the City planned to upgrade the road possibly to a 44 ' width with MSA road funds by 1981 or 1982. In response to Chairman Pierce and Commissioner Erickson, he maintained that the traffic demand in that area is sufficient tq justify the widening and that safety would be served thereby. DISCUSSION ITEMS The Secretary reported to the Planning Commission that City staff had met with the property owners connected with the proposed Charlson plat. While some progress was being made he said, a solution had not been reached. He indicated that the owner of the Northwestern Bell property had become more flexible of late after learning that he would be assessed for some of the expense in con- structing the cul-de-sac to the south and the installation of a median cut. The debate, he said centers over where the median cut should be. He concluded by saying that the City could not recommend the plat as presently proposed, unless it were accompanied by a development plan. The Secretary reported that in discussions with the City Attorney over the set- back requirements off major thoroughfares, the conclusion had been reached that the 50 ft. setback requirement applied only to front and side yards as the, ordinance is written. He suggested that the question of setback from a major thoroughfare should be considered by the Planning Commission. Regarding the proposed rezoning of the Madsen Floral property, the Secretary said that it would likely be on the June 14 agenda since the Southeast Neighor- borhood Advisory Group had met on the subject and recommended approval . The Secretary told the Commission that a plat had been submitted by the Dayton Development Corporation intending to split the large parcel of CIA zoned land at County Road 10 and Brooklyn Boulevard for the purposes of allowing -the eastern portion to be used by a bank. The -Secretary touched on other upcoming items for consideration by the Planning Commission including a revised site and building plan proposed by Howe Fertilizer, Inc. 5-24-79 -6- MEETINGS TO BE SCHEDULED FOR 7:30 P.M. At the suggestion of Commissioner Erickson, the Commission generally agreed to begin its meetings at 7:30 p.m. instead of 8:00 p.m. , starting June 14, 1979. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Commissioner Theis seconded by Commissioner Hawes to adjourn the meeting of the Planning Commission. Voting in favor: Chairman Pierce, Commis- sioners Malecki , Theis, Hawes and Erickson. Voting against: none. The Planning Commission adjourned at 11 :44 p.m. 4JClhair an 5-24-79 -7-