Minutes

New Brighton Planning Commission

Regular Meeting

June 20, 1995

7:30 p.m.

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Larry Baker, Chair.

Roll Call

Present:	Larry Baker, Roger Blomquist, Steve Jensen, Mike Livingston, Virginia Sande, Paul Zisla

Absent:	Joann Knuth

Also Present:	Erny Mattila, City Planner

Roger Williams, Council Liaison

Approval of Minutes

Motion by Sande, seconded by Jensen, to approve the minutes of the June 20, 1995, Planning Commission meeting. 6 Ayes - 0 Nays. Motion Carried.

Report of Council Action

Williams said the City Council concurred with Ramsey County's bid award for the Silver Lake Road reconstruction project. The bid was higher than the County's estimate. Ramsey County and New Brighton will each bear part of the extra cost. New Brighton's largest cost will be for the signal at Windsor Green, which did not meet the County's warrants for cost-sharing. However, the City Council feels that signal is essential. McCrossan, the contractor, will begin work soon. Ramsey County and McCrossan are negotiating the schedule. The project may be split. The work north of 5th may be done this summer and south of 5th, next summer.

The City Council approved the purchase of easements for the 5th Avenue streetscape and construction project. We have purchased all the easements except one.

Agenda Review

The Commission adopted the agenda as written.

Public Hearings

7:40–8:15 p.m.	LP-303, SP-187 & VN-301	Salem Baptist Church

Mattila presented the staff report concerning an application for site plan review and a special use permit and variance to construct an addition onto an existing church youth house. Mattila showed slides of the site.

Baker asked if anyone in the audience wished to speak.

Diane Hitchcock, 2300 Rice Creek Road, asked if Salem Baptist Church intended to rent the property next door in the future.

Pastor Paul Widen, Salem Baptist Church, replied Salem would like to buy the property for future planning purposes. The church may use the property for parking space. It depends upon the future expansion of the church.

Hitchcock said she wanted to be sure drainage will be considered in any plans Salem may have.

Gene Elwell, 2239 Rice Creek Road, stated the Salem Baptist Church Youth House has been an excellent neighbor and is the reason he is selling the house to Salem. Elwell stated he owned the property for 45 years and the drainage problem existed before Salem Church was there.

Widen said the church's vision was to reach out to young people, providing them an attractive, safe facility. Widen said he had lunch with Chief John Kelley of the New Brighton Police. Kelley said New Brighton desperately needs youth facilities.

Bill McKay, Associate Pastor of Salem Baptist Church, said, at the lunch with Chief Kelley, Kelley outlined a need for community involvement from church leaders. McKay subsequently volunteered to be a chaplain for the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department. McKay said he rode along with the New Brighton Police when three fifteen year old youths were handcuffed, one of whom was armed. These kids were three gang "wannabes." Riding along with the police underlined the need for church involvement with New Brighton's youth. Salem has a great sense of need to become more involved with young people. The Youth Ministry needs more space to do its work.

Motion by Baker, seconded by Blomquist to close the public hearing. 6 Ayes - 0 Nays. Motion Carried.

Livingston asked if Salem would have to meet the new requirements for the disabled. Mattila answered it would have to comply with the ADA requirements. Ken Nelson, New Brighton Building Official, and Mark Bishop, New Brighton Fire Marshal, have spoken with church officials about code requirements.

Livingston said the 1982 resolution says the church and the house would be combined into one parcel. Has that taken place? Mattila answered it had.

Williams asked if the house being considered for acquisition would also be incorporated into the church parcel. Mattila answered no. It would be a separate parcel. The church would buy it on a Contract for Deed and, therefore, it could not be incorporated into the church parcel.

Zisla said the 1982 resolution says "the structure shall not be physically expanded in any way and therefore maintain limited use in regard to number of users." The Planning Commission is now making a finding that restriction is no longer necessary. Zisla wondered what was the thinking fourteen years ago when the City Council adopted the resolution.

Blomquist said he was on the City Council in 1982. The City Council was concerned that the use was something new and different in the neighborhood. The Council was concerned about public uses encroaching on the residential neighborhood. The City Council put the item in the resolution to control the impact of the facility on the residential neighborhood. Blomquist said he was surprised so few neighbors of the facility were here this evening. That must mean the neighbors are comfortable with the operation of the facility and must agree that the expansion would cause no negative impact.

Baker commented he was on the Planning Commission in 1982. He had some reservations about the impact on the neighboring residential area. Baker said he would add an item to the resolution "construction of the addition is consistent with the single family neighborhood."

Hitchcock said she was concerned about the lighting. Hitchcock said she understood the lighting is necessary for security reasons, especially because of the fire problems Salem had. She said she would appreciate it if no lighting were added. Hitchcock said her living room was as bright as Yankee Stadium.

Widen asked which lights were a problem for Hitchcock. Hitchcock pointed out them out. Sande asked if the lighting could be down-directed. Mattila responded they could control the lighting with blinders on the lights. Widen said the church would be happy install them.

Blomquist asked about the fire problems referred to by Hitchcock. Hitchcock responded, several years ago, someone was breaking into the main church building and making 1-900 calls on their phones and starting small fires.

Zisla said the request seems to be a continuation of the 1982 action.

Livingston read Item #11 of Resolution 95-8, "the applicant intends to purchase the single family home adjacent to the east and rent it out as a single family residence." Livingston asked if the item should be dropped from the resolution.

Baker said the item should be deleted from the resolution, and the requirement that construction of the addition be consistent with the neighborhood's single family image inserted.

Motion by Baker, seconded by Blomquist to recommend approval of VN-301 and SP-187, deleting Item #11 from the resolution and adding, "construction of addition be consistent with the single family image of the neighborhood." 6 Ayes - 0 Nays. Motion Carried.

Sande asked Mattila to follow up on redirecting the existing lighting. Mattila said he would do so.

General Business

LP-304	Mark Besser Building

Mattila outlined the staff report concerning an application for site plan review to construct a 4,672 square foot office building in a commercial district and showed slides of the site.

Mark Besser, the applicant, was present.

Zisla asked if the utility wires would be moved or buried. Locke answered the lines would not be buried.

Sande asked the applicant if he had leased the building. Besser said he would lease the building to a mix of retail and office uses.

Jensen asked about the drainage plan. Mattila said the front portion of the site will drain out to Silver Lake Road and part of the site will drain to the ponding area. Besser showed the drainage of the site on the plan.

Mattila stated the Rice Creek Watershed District reviewed the application and they required no permit.

Zisla asked why the trash enclosure is in the front facing the street. Besser answered the enclosure would be in the back. The directional markings are incorrect on the plan.

In answer to Zisla's question, Mattila explained Item #2 of the staff recommendation. Redmond Lindens were substituted for the dogwood shrubs because the City Forester said the shrubs would hamper snowplowing. The Forester also changed the spruce varieties because of hardiness.

Sande asked about the traffic. Mattila said the B-3, General Business zoning, allows retail. The proposed use of combined retail and office would generate less traffic than all retail.

Besser said Ramsey County will put in a curb cut in the median for left turns when they reconstruct Silver Lake Road.

Motion by Sande, seconded by Jensen to recommend approval of LP-304, subject to conditions. 6 Ayes - 0 Nays. Motion Carried.

Announcements and Updates

Sande asked about the New Brighton Care Center's expansion. Locke answered construction will begin in July. Locke said the start of the Rottlund project, the Care Center expansion, the streetscape and reconstruction of 5th Avenue are all scheduled for late summer.

Adjournment

Motion by Baker, seconded by Zisla, to Adjourn the Meeting. 6 Ayes - 0 Nays. Motion Carried.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

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Erny Mattila, City Planner