09-16-98 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Schiferl asked why deciduous trees and bushes are being recommended. Deciduous trees only provide screening four months of the year. Teague said the City Forester felt spruce trees would grow into the power lines, where these specific deciduous trees would not. Schiferl said that the Planning Commission recommended approval of the US West facility based on the landscape plan that US West submitted. US West should provide year-round screening. Baker asked if evergreens could be planted behind the power line. The trees would have to be trimmed, but thousands of trees are planted under power lines that have to be trimmed. Teague said the City Forester also felt evergreens would create a traffic sight hazard. Schiferl stated there must be a variety of evergreen that could be planted. Baker said he had a problem with the fact that US West would not screen the tower. The approved plan included screening around the base of the tower to screen the maintenance building and the tower. The proposal shows a wooden fence fully exposed to Cleveland Avenue and the residents across the street from the site. The proposed plan is considerably different from the adopted plan. If this plan had come in with the application for the tower, the Planning Commission would not have recommended approval of the project. Zisla said that US West came in with a problem and asked for a solution. US West created the problem when they submitted the wrong landscape plan to the City. Heavily landscaping the perimeter may be a solution to the problem. Baker said US West must solve the problem, not the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission accepted the landscape plan US West proposed, whether or not they submitted it in error. Zisla asked that if the Planning Commission should hold US West to the plan they erroneously submitted? Baker and Schiferl answered affirmatively. Baker stated that, as a compromise, US West should investigate screening the pole by additional screening on the street side. If they cannot screen the pole from the street side, US West should abide by the approved plan. Zisla said US West was proposing to add screening along Cleveland Avenue. Teague reviewed the proposed plan. Schiferl commented the plan would only screen the pole four months a year. Zisla asked if the approved plan provided year-round screening. Schiferl responded the approved plan provided evergreens. Zisla said that any landscape plan only works for six months of the year in Minnesota. Baker said that US West’s mistake was not the City’s problem and the City should require that US West follow the approved landscape plan. Zisla asked if US West could accomplish this on Cleveland Avenue. Teague asked if putting in evergreens along Cleveland would satisfy the Commission. Baker said he thought the Planning Report stated the Forester said evergreens cannot be used. Baker said he was not comfortable with overruling the Forester’s opinion. Teague clarified that the Forester said evergreens might be possible. Schiferl suggested that, if evergreens along Cleveland would work, perhaps constructing the fence and putting screening in front of the fence on the east side would be adequate. Pat Conlin of US West stated that they want to comply with the intent of the original plan. Conlin said she thought there was enough land between Cleveland Avenue and the parking space to put in additional trees. After doing the locates, US West found there was not much property left with which to work. Conlin said she did not have a problem with screening more of the eastern side of the fenced area. Conlin stated US West I:\COMMISSIONS\PLANNING\MINUTES\1998\09-16-98.WPD 3