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I I I Council Meeting Minutes January 28, 1997 Page 5 Council Business. continued Williams questioned what the next steps should be. Kolberg said the issue should be forwarded to corporate management to determine its priority. The railroad wishes to resolve the issue, but cannot spend $250,000 at this time. Williams does not expect the railroad to provide funding immediately, but the City is anxious to reach an agreement. Williams does not want this inconvenience to continue for 20 years. Benke feels the best strategy is to communicate to railroad management that it is in their best interest as well as the publics that the investment is made sooner rather than later. City Attorney Charlie LeFevere said there is no reason to feel the railroad would not cooperate, however, the City does have some leverage in continuing to issue tags. The City could go before the Legislature and request authority to reduce blockage violation time to five minutes. Benke prefers that police resources are used to address crime and community issues rather than sitting at a railroad crossing with a stopwatch. He favors communications between railroad management and the City to develop short term options, however, police monitoring and enforcement should continue. The turnaround site is identified in the Hwy 8 Corridor Study, and resolving train delays would provide assurance to prospective businesses that access to their business will not be impacted. The City appreciates the railroad's willingness to find a way to resolve this issue. Richard Loshirer, 4th Ave. NW, lives three blocks from the crossing, and on many occasions the dishes in his house shake. The City needs to address this issue before the Rottlund townhome development suffers. He supports the Council's action. City Planner Erny Mattila presented an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to increase the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for service structures in R-l districts from 30 % to 35 % . The City of Minneapolis Water Reservoir project was approved with a FAR of 33% conditional on a PAR amendment to the zoning ordinance. The Planning Commission held a public hearing and recommended approval of the amendment. The intent of the 30% FAR is to ensure that a typical single family residential lot not be so over occupied by the dwelling that there is not longer ample yard area. Conversely, public service structures do not generate significant activity and their sole function is to serve a public need. Similarly, industrial districts have a FAR of 40% because industrial buildings and uses do not typically need large yards. The amendment would best be achieved by adding language to Section 4-030(b) of the Zoning Ordinance. Motion by Samuelson, seconded by Larson, to WAIVE THE READING, GIVE A FIRST AND SECOND READING, ORDER THE PUBLICATION, AND APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT SECTION 4-030(B), BY ADDING THE LANGUAGE: "FLOOR AREA RATIOS OF UP TO 35% FOR SERVICE STRUCTURE MAYBE AUTHORIZED BY A SPECIAL USE PERMIT." 4 Ayes -1 Nayes (Gunderman), Motion Carried. Fulton presented the City's participation in financing, construction, and operation of a 4- sheet ice facility at the National Sports Center. Council Business Railroad Crossing Issues Report 97-019 FAR Amendment Report 97-020 Ordinance 625 Agreement for 4-Sheet Ice Facility Report 97-021