Minutes - 02/01/2010 WS W/ Planning and Zoning Commission February 9, 2010
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MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL JOINT WORK SESSION
� WITH PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
Hopkins City Hall
Raspberry Room
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Mayor Maxwell called the meeting to order at 6:35 pm. Present were Mayor Maxwell and Council members
Kristi Halverson, Rick Brausen, Bruce Rowan, Cheryl Youakim and Hopkins City Manager Rick Getschow,
Director of Planning and Economic Development Kersten Elverum, Planner Nancy Anderson, Community
Development Coordinator Tara Beard, Hopkins Planning and Zoning Commission members Molly Cuimnings,
Tom Jenny, Patrick Beddor, Kyle Skiermont and Linda Flynn.
CITY UPDATES:
Ms. Elverum reported on the following:
• The independent film "The Convincer" that is being filmed in Hopkins;
• The Pizza Luce restaurant going into the Baker's Square site;
• The Curry N Noodles restaurant going into the Michalangelos site;
• • Samba- the new Brazilian restaurant;
• The Mobile Food Vendor license ordinance that is being drafted;
� The vacant property registration and single-family home demolition ordinances that were approved;
• The current status of Southwest light-rail transit (SWLRT);
• The Marketplace and Main project;
• The Block 64 — S Ave Flats project; and
• The Atlas Cold Storage Building;
DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR MIXED USE ZONING:
Ms. Anderson handed out a proposed development standards and uses for the new mixed use zoning. These
Standards and uses would apply to at least two station areas that are currently guided mixed use and will be
rezoned in the future. The Shady Oak Station may have an overlay district or be included in this proposed
� oning. In addition to these standard each station are would have its own requirements based on the difference
n areas.
February 9, 2010
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She stated that the primary purposes of the Mixed Use Zone Districts are to:
� � Provide a ro riate areas for and facilita
pp p te quality mixed use development m activity centers that are
consistent with the Comprehensive Plan's land use and transportation goals, objective, policies and
strategies;
• Accommodate intensities and patterns of development that can support multiple modes of
transportation, including public transit, biking and walking;
• Group and link places used for living, working, shopping, schooling, and recreating, thereby
reducing vehicle trips, relieving traffic congestion, improving air quality in the City and encouraging
active living principles;
�• Provide a variety of residential housing types and densities to assure activity in the district and
support a mix of uses, and enhance the housing choices of City residents; and
• Integrate new mixed use development with its surroundings by encouraging connections for
pedestrians and vehicles and by assuring sensitive, compatible use, scale and operational transitions
to neighboring uses.
Discussions on the following:
• Bicycle parking: require some short term bicycle parking at Park and Ride Facilities for the
occasional commuter or other short term users.
• Building orientation: Three hundred feet on Mainstreet.
• Transparency: Windows should be required facing public right-of-way on upper floors.
• • Pedestrian/Streetscapes: Need more information on where the suggested 1% came from and if there
are examples of other communities doing this and what methodology they used.
After discussion it is determined that staff will work on implementing the changes to the Zoning Ordinance and
be discussed at next the Zoning and Planning Commission meeting.
EXTEND DOWNTOWN DESIGN GUIDELINES:
The Zoning and Planning Commission has reviewed the existing downtown design guidelines for several
months. The basic framework of the guidelines remains the same, with changes made for the new area. The
boundaries for the new area will be from 13`h Avenue to Shady Oak Road.
There was discussion on the summary of the changes from the existing guidelines which are:
• Change in the boundaries
• Amend the Ordinance from CUP to site plan review
• Monument signs are allowed up to nine square feet
• Remove section 556.06 regarding the "wall of buildings"
• Amend the setback section to all for articulated facades and dining areas
• Amend the parking lot section to include fences and walls abutting Mainstreet
• • Remove 557.07 regarding roof lines of historic Mainstreet buildings
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�fter discussion it is determined that the standards need to be looked at as well as the guidelines. Ms. Anderson
stated that the verbiage "Wall of Building" was removed from the City Code and added setbacks to sections
557.06 and parking lots in section 557.06 subd.3 of the City code. Ms. Anderson stated that the design has to be
pedestrian friendly. She also stated that there has to be some continuity with buildings.
ELECTRONIC SIGNS:
The City has received an application for a zoning amendment from Holiday Companies for an electronic
message center below the gas price sign. Although Holiday wants to change their sign, the amendment would
affect more than their location. Holiday currently has a manually changeable sign on their pylon at the
southwest corner of Excelsior Blvd. and 11�' Ave South.
Discussion was held on:
• Does the City want electronic changeable signs in the City?
• If so, how fast shoixld the signs change?
• If the signs are allowed, what zoning districts?
• If the signs are allowed, should they be allowed only on State and County Roads, not zoning
districts?
�THER:
City Manager and the City Council planned the State of the City that will be held on February 23 at the
Hopkins Center for the Arts from 5:00 — 7:00.
On a motion by Youakim, and second by Brausen, the meeting was adjourned at 9:50 pm.
Debbie Sperling, Secretary
CITY COUNCIL
ATTEST:
Eugene J. Maxwell, Mayor
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