CR 93-52 Concept Review - Grocery Store
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~ March 22, 1993 Council Report 93-52
CONCEPT REVIEW - GROCERY STORE
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tloposed Action. .
lis 'is a concept review which requires no action . However, comments
rom the Council will be helpful to the applicant in the following ways.
Thi~i tem was reviewed by the zoninCj, and Planning Commission on March
30, 1993.
1) whether to proceed with future applications
2) allow the appli.cant to revise the site plan to incorporate
comments and concerns
Overview.
The applicant, Don Hagen, is proposing a project which would involve the
expansion to Tait's SuperValu grocery store located at 25 11th Avenue
North from 23,000 square feet to 42,580 square feet. This expansion
would remove the existing buildings along Mainstreet between 10th and.
11th Avenue and replace them with parking. The drive-thru bank facility
to the north of the grocery store would also be removed.
The applicant has submitted two concept plan alternatives, both of which
will remove the Mainstreetbuildings. One proposal will add 9700 square
feet of additional retail and close 10th Avenue. The second alternative
will add 6350 square feet of retail and keep 10th Avenue open.
In reviewing this project the two major issues the City will need to
address are the following:
. Land use and site plan issues. This is a specific area that the
Commission and City Council should be reviewing as part of. the.
concept review and any conditional use permit applications. The
main issues that will need to be addressed in conjunction with this
discussion is the taking of the Mainstreet buildings.
2) The use of pUblic dollars. Tax increment financing will be needed
to facilitate the proj ect. This aspect of the proj ect will be
reviewed by the city Council, and the city Council acting as the
HRA, at such a time an application is submitted.
Primary Issues to Consider.
o What is the background of the development?
o What are the specifics of the site plan?
o What is the site zoned and Comprehensive Plan designation of
this site?
o Does the Comprehensive Plan address redevelopment in the
downtown area?
o What are the issues that the Zoning and Planning Commission
will need to review as part of the proposed development?
o What are the issues relating to the taking of the Mainstreet
. businesses?
o What are the issues the City Council/HRA will need to review
as part of this project?
o What future actions are required?
o Alternatives
Documents.
Analysis of Issues
Letter from Fran Hesch
Site Plan
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Nancy . Anderson, AICP, Planner
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Pr1mary Issues to Cons1der.
0 What is the background of the this development?
Over the last severai years Mike Tait and SuperValu have discussed
building a larger grocery store in Hopkins. In conjunction with this
effort a number of sites have been discussed. The City Council in
reviewing various projects sites have indicated that maintaining a
grocery store in the downtown is essential to the overall vitality of
this area.
For the last couple of years city staff and Ryan Development worked
together in an effort to facilitate construction for a new store between
6th and 8th Avenues. However, the County was unwilling to allow the
railroad property in this area to be incorporated into the project site.
As a result Mr. Tait is now working with the owner of the existing
building to expand this structure to twice its existing size. In order
to facilitate this size of project all the abutting Mainstreet buildings
between 10th and 11th Avenue would need to be demolished. The developer
has stated this action is essential for the following reasons:
0 provide visibility to the project
0 provide additional parking
. 0 remove conflicting uses which compete for parking
(specifically the Boston Sub which utilizes a substantial
number of parking spaces)
0 What are the specifics of the site plan?
Trash storage
The trash area has not been designated on the concept plans. In
conjunction with the conditional use permit stage the trash area will
have to be detailed and how it functions. staff is recommending that
the trash area at a minimum is enclosed in a structure constructed with
the same materials as the main building. Also, plans for recycling will
need to be detailed.
Traffic and access
Access to the site is shown on the proposed plans from 10th and 11th
Avenues. The preliminary site plan shows access points near Mainstreet
on both 10th and 11th Avenues.
The traffic movements with either proposal will need to be studied.
Staff is recommending that a traffic study be done in conjunction with
either proposal prior to approval of any conditional use permit.
Issues to be reviewed include but are not limited to the following:
1) design improvements on 10th and 11th Avenues necessary to
. facilitate the increased traffic
2) safety and design issues as related to access to the
parking lots - the two access points to the parking are
on 10th and 11th nearest Mainstreet definitely do not
meet adequate design standards
3) Internal parking lot circulation
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4111tterior materials
The proposed exterior of the building is stucco. staff would recommend
that either the entire exterior is brick or at a minimum the Mainstreet
frontage. Also, it will be necessary to insure that the exterior design
and face treatment incorporates and is consistent with Mainstreet design
elements.
Setbacks
The following are the required and proposed setbacks:
B-2 Proposed
front yard 1 foot appro 288 feet
east side yard 0 0
west side yard 15 feet 0
rear yard 25 feet appro 40 feet
The site plan does not meet the west setback requirement of 15 feet.
These setbacks are assuming that Mainstreet is the front yard. If an
agreement can not be worked out for the applicant to own the parking
area, the front yard would be either 1st street North or 11th Avenue.
Parking
The. majority of the parking for the site would be located on the south
~de of the site. The south parking area has 199 parking spaces.
~he project is not required to provide parking because it is located in
the B-2 zoning district. If the site was not located in the B-2
district it would be required to have one space per 200 square feet of
floor area. Using this ratio for the gross floor area, the site is
required to have 212 parking spaces. This number will be reduced by
removing such areas for dead storage, building maintenance, building
utilities etc.
The parking area on the north side of the building appears to have a
functional problem. The applicant will need to detail how these spaces
will operate in conjunction with the loading operation in this area.
The parking area to the north is required to be fenced along the north
side, because the parking area abuts a residential area.
If this project proceeds, issues related to ownership and maintenance of
the newly created parking areas will need to be established. Presently
the parking on the south side of Tait's is a public parking lot owned
and maintained by the City of Hopkins. It is probably appropriate under
the proposed plan to have the applicant assume the cost of maintenance
and upkeep of this lot.
Loading docks
The loading docks will be located on the north side of the site,abutting
the residential district. If this project proceeds to the conditional
_e permit stage, the specifics of the loading area will have to be
tailed and how the abutting neighborhood will protected from the
oading area. Staff would recommend that a wall be placed between the
loading docks and the residential area in addition to a landscaped area.
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4IIle applicant will need to meet with the abutting properties to discuss
an appropriate design for the buffer area.
Surrounding uses
The site has the following surrounding uses:
north - residential and public parking
west - library/library parking
east - commercial
south - commercial
The amount of residential area which abuts the project .is minimal and
would not be negatively impacted with proper site design.
0 What is the zoning and comprehensive Plan designation for this
site?
The site is zoned B-2, Central Business. A grocery store is permitted
I in the B-2 district.
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The site is designated as commercial on the land use map within the
Comprehensive Plan.
0 How does the comprehensive Plan address redevelopment in the
_e downtown area?
~ identifies regarding'the
Comprehensive Plan the following downtown
area:
1) In conjunction with a discussion on design guidelines the plan
states that in reviewing new development and redevelopment the City
should ma.intain the appearance and character of the historic
buildings throughout the commercial area, both in the historic core
and in the supportive nearby areas.
2) Buildings should be maintained or developed in such a manner to
address the following:
0 Buildings should be kept to a relatively small scale
consistent with the historic Downtown.
0 Maintain as much a building line along Mainstreet as
practical. Where buildings must be set back, a strongly
landscaped edge should be established to maintain some visual
line along the street.
0 A window line should be maintained in the building facades
along Mainstreet.
0 New buildings along Mainstreet should attempt to imitate the
. window proportions and placement established in the Historic
Core.
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. parking lots should be kept small and close to the businesses
served. Larger parking lots should have visual breaks or
four-season landscaping treatment.
o What are the issues that the zoning and Planning commission will
need to review as part of this project:
o Appropriateness of removing the Mainstreet buildings and how
to mitigate any negative impacts.
o Safety and design issues for the following:
- access to the subject site
- internal circulation both within the parking area to be
utilized by the applicant and adjacent parking areas
- external circulation and access - more specifically
should there be improvements to 10th, 11th Avenues and
Mainstreet
o Parking design and use issues
o Building design elements for the proposed site plan including
the following:
- building design elements including exterior material and
$ignage (at a minimum staff would recommend that the
building front be brick)
- landscaping and lighting
- incorporation of Mainstreet design elements
. 0 Construction of a physical design element on Mainstreet to
retain a presence on this roadway.
o Loading docks and trash issues.
o Incorporation of physical element i.e. berming, fencing, etc.
to protect surrounding uses from any negative impacts.
o Scale of project, e.g., need to assess whether project is to
big for the area.
o What are the issues as relates to taking Mainstreet buildings?
Hopkins is one of a handful of communities in the Twin city
Metropolitan area that has an identifiable downtown. For the most
part the core of this area consists of the three block area from
Eighth to Eleventh Avenue. The buildings in this area are smaller
one and two story structures fronting on Mainstreet which in many
cases contain multiple tenants. Over the years there has been a
strong emphasis to preserve the character of the downtown area
, which has been established by these Mainstreet buildings.
In 1984 the city of Hopkins became one of the first Mainstreet
Minnesota ci ties. Through this program, participating downtowns
are encouraged to undertake a number of steps to maintain or
increase their overall economic vitality. As part of this program
historic preservation is emphasized. It was felt that Hopkins had
a real attribute to take advantage of with the uniqueness of the
Mainstreet buildings and the character of Mainstreet itself.
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~ In conjunction with the Mainstreet program the City implemented a
commercial rehabilitation loan program. Under this program, low
interest loans are provided to businesses basically in the downtown
to upgrade the buildings. The purpose of this program was to
ensure that these older downtown buildings are maintained. A
number of the property owners and tenants on the block that is
presently under consideration did take advantage of this program.
The Comprehensive Plan endorses a concept that specifically states
that efforts should be undertaken to maintain the' building line
along Mainstreet. It further states that where buildings must be
set back, a strongly landscaped edge should be established to
maintain some visual line along the street. The proposed project
directly contradicts the policies contained in the Comprehensive
Plan.
It would have to be assumed that the project which involves taking
Mainstreet buildings and then constructing a building which is
significantly set back from Mainstreet is contrary to the overall
direction, which the city has taken to date. This doesn't
necessarily 'mean that undertaking the project as proposed is
clearly good or bad for the City but it does represent a definite
change in direction and philosophy on the part of the city. "
. It is clear that undertaking the project as proposed would help to
, retain the grocery store in the downtown area and also allow the
operator to better tap consumer needs within the market area.
However, by taking the Mainstreet buildings and creating more of
the suburban mall approach,' Hopkins could potentially be losing
some of its small town uniqueness and identity that it has tried to
take advantage of in the past.,
Another concern that the staff has as relates to this proj ect
concerns the overall market niche of the downtown area. Older
established downtown areas such as Hopkins have in recent times
found its niche relating more with attracting retail and service
businesses which are looking for smaller spaces and more reasonable
rents than they can find in the malls. Because many of these
businesses are destination oriented, they do not require the high
visibility or roadway traffic counts in order to be' successfuL
The grocery store building as proposed would by far be the largest
single retail building within the downtown area. Should it ever
become vacant for whatever reason, the city would need to directly
compete for the same tenants that are looking for these more
visible locations.
o What are the issues the city Council/HRA will need to review as
part of this project?
Along with the issues just outlined the City Council/HRA will also need
. address the following items: ,.,
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. providing public financial assistance to the project. The
developer has stated that tax increment assistance will be required
to facilitate this project. The city would be asked ~o assist in
land write-down, relocation and demolition. staff estimates this
assistance based on .a' preliminary analysis. to be approximately 2
million. The Council in it's review will need to determine whether
the benefits from this project outweigh the expendi ture of this
amount of public funds as well as removing buildings from
Mainstreet.
0 What is the impact of not expanding the existing store. The basic
question is whether the store can function within the market area
at it's present size.
r 0 Market issues as related to expanding the store. As part of this
issue the Council will need to look at whether the proposed project
will adequately satisfy market demand to adequately prevent or
withstand competition from building .withinthe market area.
0 Loss of existing business and potential relocation of other sites.
0 What future actions need to occur.if the applicant wishes to
proceed with this project?
- submission of preliminary tax increment application to the HRA.
Execution of preliminary development agreement.
Submission of final tax increment application
4) Approval of conditional use permit
At sometime during the above process the staff would probably ask that
the applicant complete the following studies:
1) Traffic study to address parking issues, internal and external
circ~lation, truck loading/movement issues etc.
2) Market study to analyze how, the grocery store would meet market
need and reduce future competition within the market area.
3) Design study to address design elements of the project and how to
mitigate negative elements, most specifically relating to the
taking of Mainstreet buildings. The study should also include some
type of computer' modeling ,. to detail the overall visual impact of
the project on surrounding properties and the downtown.
The results of these.. studies would be provided to the zoning and
Planning Commission and City Council to assist in the overall review of
this project.
0 Alternatives
The following alternatives seem to be available as relates to this
.oject:
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. 1) Do not undertake an expansion of the existing store which
could involve upgrading the building. The City would have the
option of financing with a low interest loan a portion of
these improvements.
2) Undertake a smaller expansion which required limited
acquisition.
3) Undertake the proposed project but only acquire a portion of
the Mainstreet buildings.
4) Explore alternative sites.
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. NOTES FROM THE ZONING & PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
Re: Donald Hagen Project, Expansion of Tait's SuperValu
March 30, 1993
General Overview. staff and Developer
Staff reviewed the applicants proposal. It was stated the
Commission should only review land use/site plan issues.
Don Hagen appeared before the Commission and reviewed the
proposed development. Mr. Hagen stated that they preferred the
concept with loth Avenue closed.
Following Mr. Hagen's review the architect, Gary Vogel, reviewed
the site plan with the commission.
Lloyd Johnson with SuperValu appeared before the Commission. Mr.
Johnson reviewed the internal configuration of the store. Mr.
Johnson stated that they required the Mainstreet buildings to be
removed for visibility and parking. He further stated the store
as proposed would be anew concept for SuperValu. He feels that
this larger store will have a 50% increase in business with 95%
. coming from increased sales to existing customers and 5% from new
customers.
Comments of Zoning and Planning Commission and Others
Mr. Winship stated that the proposed project with the buildings
set back will look like a strip mall, and not a downtown
Mainstreet.
Ms. Reuter was concerned with insuring that pedestrian movements
are safely accommodated in the parking lot. Wants a place for
bikes.
Don Hagen was asked about the owners on the block interested in
selling and tenants willingness to relocate. ~
Bob Miller - not real interested in selling
Don Perkl (Boston Subway building) - willing to sell
Barber shop - willing to relocate
Gun shop - wants to stay
Pawn shop - wants to stay
Train shop - doing very good business, does not want to move
Play it Again Sports - was too busy to talk with Mr. Hagen
Boston Subway - has concerns about relocating business
Mr. Day stated that he could not agree with the need for
. visibility
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. The Commission discussed the removal of the Mainstreet
businesses. None of the Commission members spoke in favor of the
removal of the Mainstreet businesses.
A resident who lives north of the site was concerned with the
buffering, screening and the north parking lot and the traffic
patterns of tenth.
Bob Miller - has not made a decision as of yet.
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Ken Emme from the outdoorsman stated he has not been talked to
regarding moving. stated he felt the taking of Mainstreet
building as relates to the visibility issue was not accurate as
no one drives down Mainstreet looking for a grocery store. Why
did Country Club leave Knollwood? The City will lose jobs if the
buildings are torn down and they will not be replaced by Tait's.
He was there long before the grocery store.
steve S. owner of Train city -The Mainstreet concept works. You
are underestimating people that come to the existing businesses
from outside the City~
Fran Hesch - the neighborhood has dealt with the grocery store
issue for 8 years. Now we need to make a decision. Don't oppose
the proposal unless you have another proposal. Don't disregard
. the plan because it does not meet everyone's desires. Would like
to see a compromise worked out.
ZPNOTE2
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