Planning Commission Minutes

CITY OF VICTORIA     REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION          AUGUST 18, 2009

MEETING

Pursuant to due posted and mailed notice thereof, the Victoria Planning Commission met on August 18, 2009, at 7951 Rose in the Council Chambers.

#1  CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL:

Chair Simanton opened the meeting at 6:30 p.m.

Members Present: Chair, Gordy Simanton; Commissioners:  James Donadio III and Tom Vogt.  

Members Absent:  Commissioner Grant Peterson.  

Others Present: Community Development Director, Holly Kreft; Councilmember O’Connor and Tanya Schmieg, Recording Secretary.

A.          Adopt Agenda

Chair Simanton added discussion of a memorial for Commissioner Hiivala under miscellaneous. 

 A motion was made by Donadio, seconded by Vogt, to adopt the agenda as amended.  Vote:  3 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion Carried.

#2  APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

Minutes of the August 4, 2009 Planning Commission Meeting.

A motion was made by Simanton, seconded by Vogt, to adopt the minutes.  Vote:  3 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion Carried.

Review Minutes of the July 27, 2009 City Council Meeting.

The above minutes were reviewed. 

Review Minutes of the August 3, 2009 Special City Council Meeting.

The above minutes were reviewed. 

#3  PUBLIC HEARINGS:

None.

#4  NEW / OLD BUSINESS:

A.          Presentation by David Pitt, U of M, Laketown UCGO Project

              1) Agenda Statement No. 09-12

              2) Exhibits:  Maps of Values and Threats, Four Development Scenarios for                         Transition Area

Dr. Pitt said this project is a joint project.  He stated UCGO stands for University Community Growth Options.   

Dr. Pitt provided a project overview.  He said the project was funded by McKnight Foundation and there was a partnership with 1000 Friends of Minnesota.  There was also additional support from U of M’s Metropolitan Consortium.

Dr. Pitt said they said they choose Laketown Township because of the significant growth pressures and many sensitive natural and cultural resources.  

Dr. Pitt showed a map of the Laketown Township study area.  He said the project objectives are to contribute to local planning efforts and create a replicable decision-making framework. 

Dr. Pitt explained the project components:  study area, multi-functional ecosystem services, environmental protection framework, environmental use management framework, protection and development priorities, evaluation of alternative scenarios and implementation strategies. 

Dr. Pitt showed a map of the areas to protect for human use and enjoyment.  He noted the key reasons for protection are recreation, water quality and habitat quality.  He then showed a map for the environmental significance and said the reasons for protection were water quality, habitat, unique natural features, steep slopes and proximity to existing protected lands.  He said the next was the areas appropriate for development and the reasons were transportation access, access to other infrastructure, good access to existing development, flat and very easy to develop. 

Dr. Pitt reviewed the forest cover types and wetland cover types and said they looked at the characteristics, patch shape and core patch area.  Chair Simanton asked about the dense area and the value.  Dr. Pitt said they are talking about the overall size of the forest and the core size area. Chair Simanton clarified that value is equated to wildlife.  Commissioner Donadio asked how many forests are original.  Dr. Pitt pointed out a couple forests on the map.  He said they then looked at the disturbance and how much of the forest was in 100 yards of urban.  Dr. Pitt explained that altered/non-native cover is a type of disturbance.   

Dr. Pitt talked about the hydrologic regime and RSEA patches.  He noted that RSEA stands for Regionally Significant Ecological Area. 

Dr. Pitt stated the groups came up with a value for forest habitat quality and wetland habitat quality.   He said they then went through a similar exercise for the ecosystem services, which provides an environmental protection framework.  He noted the groundwater quality analysis is very course.  Dr. Pitt said they then came up with a water quality priorities map. 

Dr. Pitt showed the seven environmental protection maps and three of the suitability maps.  

Dr. Pitt explained that five different scenarios were produced.  The green areas are areas of protection and the red areas are for future development.  He showed how the different groups scored the importance of each of the maps.  He stated this map then became the consensus protection priority map.

Dr. Pitt said they used a software called CommunityViz, which is a visualization and scenario evaluation software.

Dr. Pitt talked about the implementation and said the three groups did a mapping of implementation policies. 

Commissioner Donadio asked about the Metropolitan Council’s density requirements.   Dr. Pitt said they never took the Metropolitan Council’s approach.  Ms. Kreft noted that they were told early on to pretend that the Metropolitan Council didn’t exist. 

Commissioner Donadio asked if any of the work leads to determination of development value.  Dr. Pitt said from a financial standpoint it is based upon the composite assessment of landscape value.  He pointed out an intersection node off County Road 10 for development that was identified by all groups.  

Commissioner Vogt asked how many communities have actually used something this scientific.  Dr. Pitt said Victoria has.  He noted there have been communities that have taken a look at the landscaping and collaborative decision.  He stated they tried to develop a process that could be replicated. 

Commissioner Donadio commented on getting the 2030 comprehensive plan matched up with the environmental uses and concerns.  Ms. Kreft said this will set baseline. 

Chair Simanton commented on the model being statistically driven and asked if there is anyway to take the modeling for a community of not having dependency on automobiles.  Dr. Pitt said that is a goal to be thinking about.  Chair Simanton talked about the connectivity and making more walkable communities.  He said the trail systems would need to be more significant by the node.  Dr. Pitt showed the density maps and said the protection framework is used to develop nodes.

B.          Discussion on Zoning Ordinance Updates

              1) Agenda Statement No. 09-13

              2) Exhibits:  Draft Articles XII, XIV

Ms. Kreft said article XII is the central business district.  She noted the area south of Highway 5 will be guided as central business district and zoned as transitional industrial.  The remainder of the area north of Highway 5 and east of County Road 11 as central business district and also the small portion in the Carver Park Reserve on the west side County Road 11. 

Ms. Kreft said the city has been trying to get away from creating a need for variances in the central business district.

Ms. Kreft stated the majority of the ordinance deals with permitted and conditionally permitted uses.  She said a number of strikethroughs are included in the packet and will be condensed into the definition of retail stores.  Commissioner Vogt asked about gas stations.  Ms. Kreft said gas stations still fall under a conditional use permit.

Ms. Kreft explained that in bold are the potential conditional uses that could be transferred to an interim use. 

Ms. Kreft noted that currently adult uses are listed in the central business district as a conditional use and she is recommending removing that and include those in the transitional industrial.  She noted that would limit the scope and geographical area they would be permitted.  

Commissioner Donadio asked why a repair store would be listed separately from a retail store.  Ms. Kreft said sometimes they are considered conditional uses. 

Commissioner Donadio said he likes the idea of the bolded items becoming interim uses.  He noted that gives the city the power to put a sun set date on the use. 

Ms. Kreft explained that article XIV is the C-2, village commercial district.  She said there aren’t any properties in the city zoned as village commercial.  She noted that key intersections were identified and the proposed changes are for future events.  Ms. Kreft said the types of uses permitted would be similar to the central business district.  She noted that currently the language is two to five acres and the proposed language is two to ten acres.  She stated that most of the regulations are removed and fall within the building design standards, which are the same as the central business district. 

Chair Simanton said he has always found in areas where you are not quite sure what you will get it is better to be more conservative. 

#5  COUNCIL LIAISON UPDATE:

Councilmember O’Connor invited the Planning Commission to review the minutes from the last City Council meeting regarding the significantly revised cooperative construction agreement with the Metropolitan Council.  

#6  MISCELLANEOUS:

The Planning Commission talked about a memorial for Commissioner Hiivala.

Ms. Kreft noted the position will only be filled until March 2010 and they would possibly look at someone who previously applied.   

Chair Simanton commented on Commissioner Hiivala’s passion for trails.  He suggested having something marked on a trail and a dedication with his family.   

Ms. Kreft stated the comprehensive plan was approved by the Metropolitan Council. 

#7  ADJOURNMENT:

A motion was made by Simanton, seconded by Donadio, to adjourn the meeting at 8:14 p.m.  Vote:  3 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion carried.

Respectfully submitted,

Tanya Schmieg

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