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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-11-2005 MinutesCITY OF OAK PARK HEIGHTS °. PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES S. <. Thursday, August 11, 2005 Call To Order: Chair Runk called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. Present: Commissioners Liljegren and Wasescha. City Planner Richards and Commission Liaison McComber. Absent: Commissioners Caspers and Dwyer and City Administrator Johnson. Approval of Agenda: Vice Chair Liljegren, seconded by Commissioner Wasescha, moved to approve the Agenda, as presented. Carried 3 -0. Approve Minutes of July 14, 2005: Commissioner Wasescha, seconded by Vice Chair Liljegren, moved to approve the Minutes with clerical corrections as noted by Commission Liaison McComber. Carried 3 -0. Department /Commission Liaison Reports /Other Reports: A. Commission Liaison Commission Liaison McComber apprised the Commission as to Hwy. 36 and St. Croix River Bridge project activities. B. St. Croix Crossing Update Commission Liaison McComber announced that the Visual Quality sub -group will be meeting August 23, 2005 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Stillwater City Hall and expect to receive an update on the Transportation Reauthorization Bill. C. Other Visitors /Public Comment: There being no visitors to the meeting, Chair Runk moved to the Public Hearings portion of the Agenda. Public Hearings: A. E.Q. Life To consider requests for Site Plan & Design Guideline Review and Signage Variance for tenant space use and signage at 5803 Neal Ave. N. City Planner Richards reviewed the August 4, 2005 Planning Report to the request, provided an issue analysis and recommended conditions in the event the Planning Commission elected to recommend City Council approval. Planning Commission Minutes August 11, 2005 Page 2 of 4 Chair Runk opened the public hearing for comment and invited the applicant to address the Commission. Todd Rohrer of Best Buy & Phil Foster of CM Architecture - introduced themselves as the applicants to the request. Mr. Rohrer informed the Commission that E.Q. Life is owned by Best Buy and that the Oak Park Heights location will be their second store, having opened their first in Richfield, MN last year. He noted that they are also working on a third location at Grand Ave. in St. Paul, MN and that it is their hope to open both the Oak Park Heights and Grand Avenue locations on the same day, sometime this Fall or early 2006. Mr. Rohrer noted that E.Q. Life is a health, wellness and technology retail store and to that end offers a variety of products and services related through their business partners, including a small line of electronics. Along with their business partners, E.Q. Life offers salon services, a pharmacy, health and wellness education, a full service coffee shop and technology support through Geek Squad, which is a branch of Best Buy, for products sold in Best Buy stores. Mr. Rohrer and Mr. Foster discussed the signage needs of the store as they relate to the individual components of the store operation and the importance of identity for the individual business partners within the E.Q. Life store for their recognition in this location area. They expressed that they believed the proposed signage to be balanced and nicely blended to the store area. There being no other visitors to the public hearing, Vice Chair Liljegren, seconded by Commissioner Wasescha, moved to close the public hearing. Carried 3 -0. Commission discussion ensued as to the matter of signage, calculation of square footage for signage allowance, variance criteria and potential conditions to window signage should they consider allowing the signage under a variance as requested by the applicant. Discussion of the Oak Park Ponds pylon and one monument sign was also discussed as it related to the variance being requested. Commissioner Wasescha, seconded by Vice Chair Liljegren, moved to recommend request approval by City Council, subject to the amended conditions of the August 4, 2005 Plaraiing Report, specifically: 1. The variance for signage shall be approved to allow three additional wall signs over the two allowable wall signs for a total of five wall signs. 2. That the applicant shall provide details on the gate for the trash compactor enclosure and noise information for the compactor for City Council review. Planning Commission Minutes August 11, 2005 Page 3 of 4 3. All lighting at the rear entrance /loading dock shall be required to be full cut off and compliant with Zoning Ordinance provisions. 4. The Planning Commission makes a finding that the facade design and materials are in compliance with the Design Standards. 5. No window signage shall be allowed other than store identification, hours of operation and other informational signage at the front door to the business. 6. Any other comments of the City Council or City staff. Carried 3 -0. New Business: A. Commission Council Representation Schedule Revised schedule for review, revision and approval. Chair Runk requested this matter be carried to the September meeting when the full board is expected to be present. Old Business: None. Informational: A. Comprehensive Plan Update City Planner Richards discussed correspondence received from Metropolitan Council and noted that the next update of the Oak Park Heights Comprehensive Plan was due in 2008. He discussed timelines for beginning this and noted City Administrator Johnson's suggestion that no work commence until mid or late 2006, particularly to the trail plan, to allow some time to see where things are at with the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Richards also advised that the City Council approved the recommendation to change the CBD zoned areas to B -4 and that the Zoning Ordinance was being updated and they could anticipate receiving updated Zoning Ordinance books soon. B. Next Meeting September 8, 2005 7:00 p.m. — Regular Meeting C. Council Representative August — Vice Chair Liljegren September — Commissioner Wasescha Planning Commission Minutes August 11, 2005 Page 4 of 4 Adjournment Commissioner Wasescha, seconded by Vice Chair Liljegren, moved to adjourn at 7:39 p.m. Carried 3 -0. Respectfully submitted, Ju ' e A. Hultman Planning & Code Enforcement Officer Approved by the Planning Commission: 09- 27 -05. 4 -0.