HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-15-2010 Planning Commission Meeting PacketPLANNING COMMISSION MEETING AGENDA
THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2010
7:00 P.M.
7:00 p.m. L Call to Order
Estimated
times
IL Approval of Agenda
III® Approval (1)
IV. Department 1 Commission Liaison 1 Other Reports
V® Visitors /Public Comment
This is an opportunity for the public to address the Commission with questions or concerns on issues not
part of the regular agenda. (Please limit comments to three minutes)
VI. Public Hearin
7:40 p.m. X. Adjournment.
CITY OF OAK PARK HEIGHTS
7:10 p.m. VII® Old Business
A. Design Guidelines (2)
VIII. New Business
Ix Informational
A. Upcoming Planning Commission Meetings
April 15, 2010
May 13, 2010
June 10, 2010
7:00 p.m. (Council Chambers)
7:00 p.m. (Council Chambers)
7:00 p.m. (Council Chambers)
B. council Representative April Commissioner LeRoux
May Commissioner Powell
June Commissioner Liljegren
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MEMORANDUM
NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS, INC.
4800 Olson Memorial Highway, Suite 202, Golden Valley, MN 55422
Telephone: 763.231.2555 Facsimile: 763.231.2561 planners@nacplanning.com
TO: Eric Johnson
FROM: Scott Richards
DATE: March 30, 2010
RE: Oak Park Heights Design Guidelines Update: Planning
Commission Recommendation
FILE NO: 798.04 09.05
ENCLOSURE Z
The City Council, at its February 23, 2010 meeting, approved the revised Design
Guidelines and the amendments to the Zoning Ordinance in Section 401.15.C.8, as
recommended by the Planning Commission. Following that action, the Mayor brought
forward a request for reconsideration of the Zoning Ordinance changes, indicating that
he was of the opinion that the regulations for new and remodeled homes should be the
same. He offered that the requirements for new homes should be removed or the
regulations should apply to both new and existing structures.
The City Council considered this item at their March 9, 2010 meeting and referred it
back to the Planning Commission for additional discussion. The issue is related only to
the single family and multiple family requirements in Section 401.15.C.8.b (see
attached). The City Council is asking the Planning Commission to discuss whether to
eliminate these regulations altogether or provide language that would make the
requirements apply both to new construction and remodeling. One of the issues is to
add a threshold so that small maintenance and remodeling jobs do not require a total
reconstruction of the home or a multiple family unit. Options for the Planning
Commission to consider if remodeling is to be subject to the new Design Guidelines:
1. Require conformance with the residential design guidelines when the value of the
remodeling is at least 50 percent of the fair market value of the structure.
2. Require conformance when the street facing facades are to be remodeled which
add additional volume to the structure by more than 10 percent.
3 Require conformance when the height of the structure and the street facing
facades are altered by more than two feet.
4. Eliminate the residential design guidelines in Section 401.15.C.8.b and
401.15.C.8.c altogether.
The Planning Commission should discuss these options or add other ideas at their
meeting on April 15, 2010.
2
8. Building Type and Construction.
a. General Provisions for Residential and Commercial Zoning Districts:
1) Compatibility. Buildings in all zoning districts shall maintain a high
standard of architectural and aesthetic compatibility with
surrounding properties. Compatibility means that the exterior
appearance of the building, including design, architectural style,
quality of exterior building materials, and roof type and pitch are
complementary with surrounding properties.
2) Maintenance. All buildings in the City shall be maintained so as not
to adversely impact the community's public health, safety, and
general welfare or violate the provisions of the Nuisance or
Hazardous Building provisions of the Oak Park Heights Code of
Ordinances.
3) Exterior Building Finishes.
a) The primary exterior building facade finishes for residential
uses shall consist of materials comparable in grade to the
following
b
PROPOSED OAK PARK HEIGHTS ZONING ORDINANCE
SECTION 401.15.0.8
February 15, 2010
(1) Brick.
(2) Stone (natural or artificial).
(3) Integral colored split face (rock face) concrete block.
(4) Wood, natural or composite, provided the surfaces
are finished for exterior use or wood of proven
exterior durability is used, such as cedar, redwood or
cypress.
(5) Stucco (natural or artificial).
(6) High quality, apd e ologic w „,ustaipgbl grades of
vines ,steel and aluminum._ Yi shall be a solid
colore Lpl t c siding ri
(7) Fiber cement board.
(8) Exterior insulation and finish systems.
(9) Energy generation panels and devices affixed to a
roof or wall. If not in use, the panels or devices
should be removed and building surface restored to
the original condition.
The exterior architectural elements and finishes for all
buildings in the business zoning districts shall be subject to
1
4
Section 401.16 of this Ordinance known as the Design
Guidelines.
c) All accessory buildings to residential dwelling units and non-
residential uses shall be constructed with a design and
materials consistent with the general character of the
principal structure on the lot as specified in Section 401.15.D
of this Ordinance.
Metal Building Finishes. No ,unfinished steel or unfinished
aluminum buildings shall be permitted in any zoning district. High
quality, non-corrosive steel, aluminum, or other finished metal shall
be allowed for walls or roofs. All structures in the business districts
shall comply with Section 401.16 of this Ordinance known as the
Design Guidelines.
5) Prohibited Materials and Structures.
a) Pole buildings and quonset structures.
b) Wood or metal poles as a principal structural support where
such supports are not affixed to a floor slab but inserted
directly into the ground to achieve alignment and bearing
capacity.
b. Single Family and Multiple Family Containing Up to Five (5) Units to
Include All New Construction;
1) Entrances. Primary entrances on principal structures shall face the
primary abutting public or private street or be linked to that street by
a clearly defined and visible walkway or courtyard. Additional
secondary entrances may be oriented to a secondary street or
parking area. Primary entries shall be clearly visible and
identifiable from the street, and delineated with elements such as
roof overhangs, recessed entries, landscaping, or similar design
features.
2) New Construction, New construction „shall relate to the design of
surrounding jouildings, where these are present. Design features
such as similar setbacks, scale, facade divisions, roof lines, rhythm
and proportions of openings, building materials and colors are
possible design techniques, while allowing desirable architecture
innovation, variation, and visual interest. All sides of buildings shall
use the same building materials and other architectural treatments
as principal facades.
3) Window and Door Openings. For principal residential buildings,
above grade window and door openings shall comprise at least
fifteen (15) percent of the total area of exterior walls (excluding the
2
L Deleted: galvanized or
Deleted: Including
and Remodeling
Deleted: and Remodeling
Deleted: and remodeling
[Deleted: traditional
area of garage doors) facing a publ street or sidewalk. In
addition, for new principal residential buildings, above grade
window and door openings shall comprise at least ten (10) percent
of the total area of all exterior walls.
4) Garage Doors/Street Facing Building Facade. Public or private
Atreet facing garage doors shail be allowed to pro no more than
lour (4) feet lrom the front or side facades of the ground floor living
area portion of the dwelling or a covered porch (measuring at least
eight (8) feet by eight (8) feet).
5) GerogeOoors/Bui0ing Design for Attached or Detached Garages.
Garage doors may be Iocated on another side of the dwelling ("side
orrear|oeded")provdedthattheoidoofthegaraQofaoingthehnnt
public orprivate street has windows and other architectural details
that mimic the features of the living portion of the dwelling.
6) Garage Doors/Building Frontage. Garage doors shall not comprise
more than (55) percen of the ground floor public or private
street facing linear building frontage. Alleys and corner lots are
exempt from this standard.
7) Garage Door Height. Except in the rear yard, garage doors facing
a public or private street shall be no more than nine (9) feet in
height.
c. Multiple Family Containing Six (6) Units or More For New Constructiorv
1) Mass and Scale
a) Each multiple family building containing six (6) or more
dwelling units shall feature a variety of massing proportions,
wall plane proportiona, roof proportions and other
characteristics similar in scale to those of single family
detached dwelling units, so that such Iarger buildings can be
aesthetically integrated into a lower density neighborhood.
The following specific standards shall also apply to such
multiple family dwellings:
Roofs. Each multiple family building will feature a
combination of primary and secondary roofs. Primary
roofs will be articulated by at least one (1) of the
following elements:
(a) Changes in plane and elevation.
(b) Dormers, gables or clerestories.
3
Deleted:
Deleted: recessed at least
l
Deleted: behind l
[eeted: and Remodeling l
b
(c) Transitions to secondary roofs over entrances,
garages, porches, bay windows.
(2) Facades and Walls. Each multiple family dwelling
shall be articulated with projections, recesses,
covered doorways, balconies, covered box or bay
windows or other similar features, dividing large
facades and walls into human scaled proportions
similar to the adjacent single family dwellings, and
shall not have repetitive, monotonous,
undifferentiated wall planes.
Each multiple family building shall feature walls that are
articulated by at least two (2) of the following elements within
every thirty (30) foot length of the facade:
(1
Recesses, projections or significant offsets in the wall
plane of at least four (4) feet.
(2) Distinct individualized entrances with functional
porches or patios.
Chimneys made of masonry, or other contrasting
material that projects from the wall plan.
(4) Balconies.
(5) Covered bay or box windows.
c) Variation Among Repeated Buildings. For any development
containing at least twenty -four (24) and not more than forty
eight (48) dwelling units, there will be at least two (2)
distinctly different building designs. For any such
development containing more than forty-eight (48) dwelling
units, there will be at least three (3) distinctly different
building designs. For all developments, there will be no
more than two (2) similar buildings placed next to each other
along a street or major walkway spine.
d) Distinctly different building designs shall provide significant
variation in footprint size and shape, architectural elevations
and entrance features, within a coordinated overall theme of
roof forms, massing proportions and other characteristics.
To meet this standard, such variation shall not consist solely
of different combinations of the same building features.
2) Multiple Family Detached Garages:
a) Garages. No„ o private street facing facade shall
contain more than two (2} garage bays.
b) Perimeter Garages.
(1) Length. Any garage located with its rear wall along
the perimeter of the property and within sixty -five (65)
feet of a public right -of -way or the property line of the
development site will not exceed fifty-five (55) feet in
length. A minimum of eight (8) feet of landscaping
must be provided between any two (2) such perimeter
garages.
(2) Articulation. No rear garage wall that faces a,
or_private street or adjacent development shall
exceed thirty (30) feet in length without including at
least one (1) of the following in at least two (2)
locations:
c) All Garages.
(a) Change in wall plane of at least two (2) feet;
(b) Change in material or siding pattern;
(c) Change in roof plane;
(d) Windows;
(e) Doorways;
(f)
An equivalent vertical element that subdivides
the wall into proportions related to human scale
and/or the internal diversions within the
building.
(1) Access Doors. Access doorways will be provided as
reasonably necessary to allow direct access to living
units without requiring people to walk around the
garage to access their living units.
(2) Articulation. At a minimum, a vertical trim detail that
subdivides the overall siding pattern will be provided
at intervals not to exceed two (2) internal parking
stalls (approximately twenty (20) to twenty -four (24)
feet).
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CITY OF OAK PARK HEIGHTS
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES
THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010
1. Call to Order: Chair Wasescha called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Present:
Commissioners Bye, Le Roux, Liljegren, and Powell; City Administrator Johnson,
City Planner Richards and Commission Liaison Abrahamson.
Adjourn to Annual Meeting: Chair Wasescha adjourned the regular meeting to
call the Annual Meeting to order.
III. Call Annual Meeting to Order: Chair Wasescha called the Annual Meeting to
order.
A. Chair Wasescha and Commissioner Liljegren Terms Culminate May 31,
2010
City Administrator Johnson reviewed the terms of the Commission
members noting that Commissioners Wasescha and Liljegren would both
be completing two full Commission terms on May 31, 2010.
Johnson reviewed the Planning Commission Bylaws provision that allows
a one year extension appointment by the City Council, adding that if
either Commissioner Wasescha or Liljegren would be interested in
seeking such extension, they should make their interest known and that the
Commission should make such a recommendation to the City Council for
their review and consideration.
Johnson reviewed the process for filling Commission vacancies and
discussed the staggered terms structure.
Chair Wasescha stated that he has enjoyed his six years on the
Commission and the interesting discussions, noting that he would not seek
an extension appointment to his term.
Commissioner Liljegren stated that he was interested in seeking City
Council appointment of a one-year extension to his term.
ENCLOSURE
Chair Wasescha, seconded by Commissioner Powell moved to
recommend that City Council approve a one-year extension, as allowed by
the Planning Commission Bylaws, to Commissioner Mike Liljegren's
term. Carried 4-0-1, Commissioner Liljegren abstained.
B. Elect Chair Vice Chair
Ixa s
Planning Commission Meeting Minutes
March 11, 2010
Page 2 of 4
Chair Wasescha, seconded by Commissioner Powel, moved to elect
Commissioner Jennifer Bye as Chair. Carried 4 -0--1, Commissioner Bye
abstained.
Commissioner Powell, seconded by Commissioner, Liljegren moved to
elect Commissioner Chuck LeRoux as Vice Chair. Carried 4-01-1,
Commissioner LeRoux abstained.
No Miourn Annual Meetin Reconve le Re War Meetin o Chair Wasescha
adjourned the annual meeting and reconvened the regular meeting.
v® Approval of Agenda: Commissioner Powell, seconded by Commissioner Bye,
moved to approve the Agenda as presented. Carried 5-0.
Vie A royal of `ebrua Chair Wasescha, seconded by
Commissioner Liljegren, moved to approve the Minutes as presented. Carried 5-0.
VII® Department /Council Liaison R e orts: Council Liaison Abrahamson
reported on the activity of the St. Croix River Crossing project and this it was not
y
currently moving forward and noted how that may affect the activities of the
Planning Commission.
VIII. Visitors/Public Comment: None.
A. Xcel Energy Moelter Fly Ash Site: Public Meeting for Presentation of.
Information by Xcel Energy Relating to the Closure of the Moelter Fly
Ash Disposal Site.
City Planner Richards noted that representatives from Xcel Energy were present
to provide a presentation relating to the closure of the Moelter Fly Ash Disposal
Site, that the presentation had also been provided at a December 2009 City
Council meeting and that after the presentation questions and comments from the
audience would be received.
Chuck Donkers of Xcel Energy introduced himself and clarified that he was not
present to seek any action from the Planning Commission, rather he was present
to provide an update as to the closure activities planned for the site over the next
15 months.
Mr. Donkers discussed activities planned toward closure, what those activities
involved and their timelines, beginning with the construction of a perimeter wall
that will reduce dusting from the site and sound transmission to the adjacent
neighborhood.
Mr. Donkers explained that work is to commence in the spring of 2010 with final
capping and landfill closure completed by August 2011. He discussed post
closure responsibilities and time elements at the site for Xcel Energy, anticipated
land use of the site upon its closure and that a license agreement or other type of
agreement would be coordinated between the City and Xcel Energy to clarify
respective responsibilities and construction activities processes related to the site.
Mr. Donkers addressed questions and discussed various aspects to the closure of
the site with the Planning Commission and with visitors in the audience, including
Pam Patrick of 15365 58 St. N. and Brian Jones of 15331 58 St. N., including
the design, installation, maintenance and life of the synthetic membrane;
vegetation maintenance; public availability and city provision of periodic testing
and annual reporting for the site; monitoring systems in place at the site; park or
open space construction plan approval by Xcel Energy and the MPCA for the site
in order to ensure the integrity of the site closure; trails composition in relation to
their maintenance and disturbance of the site; zoning; existing sanitary sewer lines
beneath the capped site; water run off from the northern side of the site; and plans
for existing tree removal.
Mr. Donkers noted that he had brought magnets along that contained information
for the comment line at Xcel Energy and invited the audience to take one. He
added that the contact line folks knew how to reach him and that as the work
progressed he anticipated being on the site regularly.
Old Business:
City Planner Richards informed the Commission that the City Council had
discussed the recent changes to the Zoning Ordinance Design Guidelines, that
they had a couple of issues related to the residential standards, and that the this
subject would be on the Commission's next meeting agenda.
XL New Business: None.
XIL Informational:
Planning Commission Meeting Minutes
March 11, 2010
Page 3 of 4
A. Upcoming Planning Commission Meetings:
April 15, 2010 7:00 p.m. (Council Chambers)
May 13, 2010 7:00 p.m. (Council Chambers)
June 10, 2010 7:00 p.m. (Council Chambers)
B. Council Representative:
March Commissioner Wasescha
April Commissioner LeRoux
May Commissioner Powell
Respectfully submitted,
Julie Hultman
Planning Code Enforcement Officer
Approved by the Planning Commission:
Planning Commission Meeting Minutes
March 11, 2010
Page 4 of 4
XIII. 4r
Commissioner Powell, seconded by Commissioner Bye, moved to adjourn at 7:32
p.m. Carried 5 -0.