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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019 03-21 PCM Special MeetingPC Minutes 03-21-19 -1- MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER IN THE COUNTY OF HENNEPIN AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA MARCH 21, 2019 1. CALL TO ORDER The Planning Commission Special Session meeting was called to order by Chair Christensen at 7:03 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Chair Randall Christensen, Commissioners Alexander Koenig, Stephen Schonning, Rochelle Sweeney, and Susan Tade were present. Commissioner Jack MacMillan was absent and excused. City Planner and Zoning Administrator Ginny McIntosh, Community Development Director Meg Beekman, and Carla Wirth of TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc. were also present. 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA – MARCH 21, 2019 There was a motion by Commissioner Schonning, seconded by Commissioner Tade, to approve the agenda for the March 21, 2019 Special Session meeting as presented. The motion passed unanimously. 4. 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CONSIDERATION (PUBLIC HEARING) Chair Christensen explained the Planning Commission’s role as an advisory body and that tonight it will be holding a public hearing on the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan establishes a community’s long-term vision, goals, strategies, and policies for guiding future changes and investments. The Plan is intended to serve as a roadmap for the City for the next 20-year planning period and will address future land uses, housing, economic development, transportation, parks, trails, open spaces, natural resources, and City services/facilities. Chair Christensen stated a presentation on the 2040 Comprehensive Plan will be presented tonight followed by a public hearing to receive comments on the Plan. City Planner and Zoning Administrator Ginny McIntosh introduced Jennifer Haskamp of Swanson Haskamp Consulting (SHC). She invited Ms. Haskamp to address the Planning Commission. Ms. Haskamp stated she will provide a short presentation on the Comprehensive Plan prior to the opening of the public hearing. She explained this is a long-range plan for the City, looking out for a 20-year planning period, and focusing on the next 10 years for anything physical in the landscape (parks, roadways, structures). To create this Plan, components such as demographics PC Minutes 03-21-19 -2- and existing housing were used to forecast for the future along with business economic competitiveness, growth, and how the infrastructure will support those systems. Ms. Haskamp explained why the City has a Comprehensive Plan and the requirement of the Metropolitan Council to update it every ten years. She noted the Metropolitan Council’s system statement addresses four regional systems: transit, sewer, airports, and parks, and the Plan needs to address each of those systems. The City is required to answer all of the items in the Metropolitan Council’s local planning handbook checklist, which is about 16 pages long, and all the items listed must be incorporated into the Plan. Ms. Haskamp provided an overview of the 2040 requirements specific to Brooklyn Center and noted plans for about 2,250 new households by 2040. For areas planned for redevelopment, housing needs to average a minimum of ten dwellings units per acre, which would require attached housing-types of products rather than single-family housing. Areas with planned transit are required to plan for higher density housing than other redevelopment areas. In addition to the households, there is an employment forecast. The City must also plan for a component or percentage of affordability within the new housing. The Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area (MRCCA) Plan is required to be more robust and in-depth, which will directly impact Brooklyn Center. Ms. Haskamp reviewed the people and groups involved in creating and establishing the goals and strategies in the Plan, including the consultant team of Swanson Haskamp Consulting, LLC and Perkins + Will, the Planning Commission as its working group, other City Advisory Commissions, residents input provided during City events, City staff, and the City Council. Ms. Haskamp presented the Plan schedule, noting the process started the summer of 2017 when a background report was prepared that included a socio-economic analysis and mapping. That background report became the foundation for visioning, goal setting, and Plan development. The Plan development phase went from late 2017 through October 2018. The six-month adjacent/affected jurisdictional review runs until April 2019. Ms. Haskamp noted it is now at the end of the process and has resulted in a deliverable Plan that can be considered for adoption. Once the public hearing is over this evening and the six-month review process is completed, there may be additional comments that need to be incorporated. After that, it will go to the City Council for consideration. Ms. Haskamp provided a short presentation that described highlights and key points contained in each of the nine chapters included in the 2040 Plan as follows: Chapter 1: Community & Planning Context; Chapter 2: Vision, Goals & Strategies; Chapter 3: Land Use & Redevelopment; Chapter 4: Housing & Neighborhood; Chapter 5: Community Image, Economic Competitiveness & Stability; Chapter 6: Parks, Trails & Open Space; Chapter 7: Transportation & Transit; Chapter 8: Infrastructure & Utilities; and Chapter 9: Implementation. In addition, the Plan includes: Appendix A: Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area; Appendix B: Glossary of Terms – Goals & Strategies; Appendix C: Background Report; and, Appendix D: Capital Improvement Plan. PC Minutes 03-21-19 -3- Ms. Haskamp explained the revisions to the Plan since the Planning Commission’s last meeting relating to changes in housing stock and needs in the new residential areas. She stated the next steps are to hold the public hearing, have the City Council discuss the Comprehensive Plan again at their meeting on March 25, 2019, and wait for the six-month affected/adjacent jurisdictional review to close. Final adoption and submission to the Metropolitan Council will take place after jurisdictional review closes in April. Chair Christensen thanked Ms. Haskamp for her hard work with the Planning Commission, other Commissions, staff, and the City Council. He asked whether the Commissioners had questions prior to opening the public hearing. No questions or comments were raised. OPEN TO PUBLIC COMMENTS – 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN There was a motion by Commissioner Sweeney, seconded by Commissioner Koenig, to open the public hearing on the 2040 Comprehensive Plan at 7:45 p.m. The motion passed unanimously. Chair Christensen recognized residents in the audience who wished to speak on this matter and called for comments from the public. Cheryl Olson, 6532 Brooklyn Boulevard, stated she has lived in the City since 1987 and her children attended the Osseo schools. She asked what, if any, projects or changes might be coming forward that could impact her home, as she lives on Brooklyn Boulevard. Ms. Olson stated she is 71 years old and it makes a difference whether she should put new windows in her house or make do with what she has. She stated she has asked this question before but received no answers. Ms. Olson stated homes like hers need upkeep but it is not worth it if she is told that her house will be gone. Chair Christensen stated he does not have a perfect answer but that is part of this discussion this evening as future land use is a consideration with the Comprehensive Plan as well as what will happen in the Brooklyn Boulevard corridor. He asked staff to make note of this concern, look into it, and get back to Ms. Olson with an answer. Ms. McIntosh stated Ms. Olson’s home is just south of I-694 and I-94 on Brooklyn Boulevard so with regard to the Brooklyn Boulevard project now underway, Ms. Olson’s house appears to be just outside of Phase II, which would commence in 2021. She asked Ms. Olson to provide her telephone number or e-mail address so staff can follow up with her. Ms. Olson stated in a prior road project, she lost mature trees from her yard but she likes living in Brooklyn Center and does not want to leave. Chair Christensen thanked Ms. Olson for her comments. Diane Sannes, 7006 Willow Lane, noted the Plan indicates that C Line and D Line will affect Brooklyn Center’s growth and asked what that means as the City already has that bus service but not with electric buses. PC Minutes 03-21-19 -4- Ms. Sannes stated there is talk in the Plan of needing more jobs, but she thinks there are plenty of jobs already and what the City needs is people, noting there are some businesses closed with signs saying ‘no service’ for lack of employees. She stated the Plan indicates that 18% of the City’s population is without high school diplomas compared to 8% in Hennepin County, which she finds to be an amazing statistic. Ms. Sannes stated Highway 252 will happen and she thinks people will leave and shop elsewhere because there will be no safe way to get into Brooklyn Center. She stated her concern with the proposal for only one exit off Highway 252, which she stated will not be safe, so people will go to Brooklyn Park instead. Ms. Sannes encouraged the City to embrace transit and the Brooklyn Center Transit Center, not fear it, because it is needed. She welcomed the Planning Commission to join her on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. for the Shingle Creek Neighborhood kickoff that will involve a cleanup effort. Commissioner Tade thanked Ms. Sannes for her comments and stated a lot of the demographics and numbers referenced in the Plan came from Hennepin County and were a surprise to the Planning Commission too. There were no other individuals in attendance who wished to make comments at this time. MOTION TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENTS (HEARING) There was a motion by Commissioner Koenig, seconded by Commissioner Sweeney, to close the public hearing on the 2040 Comprehensive Plan at 7:55 p.m. The motion passed unanimously. Chair Christensen thanked the public for their comments and called for questions and comments from Commissioners. Commissioner Schonning stated anyone who was at last night’s LISC Opportunity Site workshop should delve into this Plan because it is extremely timely considering what will be happening on that site. He noted the things discussed during the drafting of this Plan are timely when considering what the Opportunity Site developer, Alatus, is proposing. Commissioner Schonning stated he thinks that project will make the City viable and vibrant and provide the hub the City has been craving and needs, changing the momentum of the City in the true spirit of the Comprehensive Plan. He stated he thinks the City will have the rare opportunity to see many things leapfrogged in the Comprehensive Plan because of the Opportunity Site project, which is very exciting. He stated he has been in Brooklyn Center since 1978 as a homeowner, finds this exciting, and thinks this Comprehensive Plan is key to where the City is going. Chair Christensen stated he was not able to be at last night’s meeting on the Opportunity Site but heard it was a good deal and would be consistent with the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. He believed the excitement for a destination place started with Top Golf. He explained he has concerns with the Park and Ride but understands the need for connectivity and the Plan addresses some of those things. Chair Christensen stated he thinks the Plan will help the City achieve some of the goals they have set. PC Minutes 03-21-19 -5- Commissioner Schonning stated Ms. Haskamp has done an excellent job, noting this process has involved a long timeline. Community Development Director Beekman noted the background report was completed but in reality, work on the Comprehensive Plan did not begin in earnest until late 2017 so the amount of work Ms. Haskamp was able to accomplish and within the budget, has been amazing. She offered kudos to Ms. Haskamp and her team. Commissioner Schonning stated in addition, the 2040 Plan is more readable than the 2030 Plan. Chair Christensen thanked all, including Ms. McIntosh, for their work and making this Plan a document the Planning Commission is proud to forward to the City Council for approval. The Commissioners interposed no objections to recommending approval of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. ACTION TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN There was a motion by Commissioner Koenig, seconded by Commissioner Tade, to recommend approval of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Voting in favor: Chair Christensen, Commissioners, Koenig, MacMillan, Schonning, Sweeney, and Tade. And the following voted against the same: None The motion passed unanimously. 5. ADJOURNMENT There was a motion by Commissioner Tade, seconded by Commissioner Sweeney, to adjourn the Planning Commission Special Session meeting. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:07 p.m. _______________________________ _______________________________ Ginny McIntosh, Secretary Randall Christensen, Chair