02-09-2010 WSFebruary 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 Cummings, 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 5 th 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 zoning. In addition to these standard each station are
would have its own requirements based on the difference in areas.
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She stated that the primary purposes of the Mixed Use Zone Districts are to:
Provide appropriate areas for and facilitate quality mixed use development in 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 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
After 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
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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:
OTHER:
Does the City want electronic changeable signs in the City?
If so, how fast should 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?
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
/"Zbed
Eugene J. Ma well,
Eugene J. Ma well, ayor
ATTEST
CITY COUNCIL