HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP February 10, 2000
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CITY of ANDOVER
SPECIAL ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL MEETING - FEBRUAR Y 10, 2000
MINUTES
A Special Meeting of the Andover City Council was called to order by Mayor Jack McKelvey on
February 10,2000, 6:30 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover,
Minnesota.
Councilmembers present: Don Jacobson, Julie Johnson, Mike Knight
Councilmember absent: Ken Orttel
Also present: City Planner, John Hinzman
Community Development Director, Dave Carlberg
INTERVIEW PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION CANDIDATES
The Council interviewed the following candidates for the Planning and Zoning Commission:
Gene Dudziak
Tim Kirchoff
Mark Hedin
Jason Kunze
Charles Ellis
Shawn Rogers
Joseph Waalk
Jerry Putnam
The candidates were asked about their backgrounds and why they applied for the position; their
experience with commissions, committees or government; the most important issue facing the City
in the next five years; the types of development the City should be actively pursuing; their ability to
attend regularly scheduled meetings; conflicts of interest and the process they would use to make a
decision where the residential and development interests conflict.
Gene Dudziak - is a self-employed general contractor living in Andover for five years; is married
with no children; is interested in being involved with the community and learn more about its
government; has dealt with cities through his business and with many logistical problems regarding
his lot; felt the most important issue facing the City is retail space, restaurants, etc., to meet the needs
of an increased population; felt the City should be actively pursuing both commercial and residential
development; assumed the City will have more multiple housing and felt there is a need for elderly
housing; thought the City may possibly need to have subsidized housing; would have no problem
attending the Commission meetings at this point; would not be in favor of rezoning unless it is
thought through and felt the City already has a plan for where development will go; would listen to
both sides of an issue but felt the opinion of those people already living in the area carries more
weight than those wanting to make changes.
Special City Council Meeting
Minutes - February 10, 2000
Page 2
(Interview Planning and Zoning Commission Candidates, Continued)
Tim Kirchoff - is a new resident to Andover but has lived in Anoka County since 1992; has been
employed by Anoka County since 1990 so he is familiar with the area; is in the Transit Department
for Anoka and is interested in what is going on in the county as well as Andover; is interested in
planning and development; is an empty nester and has more fÌ'ee time to volunteer in the community;
has been employed in government and involved in planning most of his life but has also worked in
the private sector; felt the City has growth issues, issues with the MUSA, conflicts between those
who want to see development and those who don't, transportation issues and land use and zoning
issues; feels there should be more commercial development in the right areas; likes the single family
residences but sees the possibility of developing more senior-type housing; is not a big proponent
of multi-family developments but imagines some will have to be brought forward; would like to see
development to help revenue for the City and to keep the overall tax base down; feels schools and
light industry as issues and would like to see small businesses encouraged; would have no conflict
attending the Commission meetings; would first look at the Comprehensive Plan when faced with
a zoning issue; feels it becomes unfair to the citizens who purchased property around an area to have
it rezoned to a higher intensity so such conflicts should be mitigated as best as possible with
significant buffer areas or setbacks; changing the zoning is not a nice thing to do to the residents that
purchased property with the intended use around it.
Mark Hedin - is currently serving on the Planning Commission; thinks the greatest issue is the
organized growth of the City and the direction the City wants to take with regard to the mix of
business and individual private homes; feels the City should be pursuing mixed development; feels
the current plan of urban density down to the rural and five-acre lots works well and should be
followed; indicated his greatest frustration as a Commissioner is not knowing what happened in the
past and the reason behind a zoning issue or regulation; would listen to the arguments when someone
wants to change something but would follow the ordinance; felt people should be accommodated
to the best of the City's ability; thinks rules should be changed if they are not fair or there are no
valid reasons for them or when they are wrong. Mr. Hedin then asked the Council for guidance to
help him as a Commissioner. Councilmember Jacobson suggested watching the Council meetings
or reading the Minutes in an effort to learn the goals and direction they have set for the City.
Jason Kunze - lived in Andover for five years with his wife and child; reviewed his employment
history; has a degree rrom the University of Minnesota in natural resources in environmental studies;
has a general interest in the City functions; has had a lot of contact with city officials through his
current job in land redevelopment and has a general interest in that area; wants to pursue something
beyond work; has attended meetings, finding it interesting and would like to get involved; has not
had a great deal of experience in government but has had fairly regular contact with it through his
employer; feels the most important issue facing the City is dealing with the rapid development; feels
people will continue to be drawn to Andover; thinks the development must be managed and that
commercial is needed but that the City will continue to be mostly a bedroom community; would like
to see the City pursue more commercial development to have more of a tax base; does not have a
problem attending the Commission meetings; does not like to see high density housing but
Special City Council Meeting
Minutes - February 10, 2000
Page 3
(Interview Planning and Zoning Commission Candidates, Continued)
(Jason Kunze interview, conginued)
understands the need to balance both sides; feels the needs of the current residents need to be
addressed first.
Charles Ellis - has lived in the City five years; would like to be active in the community but hasn't
had an opportunity to do that here; has had a fair amount of experience of city planning from a
citizen's perspective; wants to meet the people in town and offer something to the City; was a
Presbyterian clergyman for 16 years but left to be a novelist; is interested in the dynamics of the
urban area; did planning for the Presbyterian church and has more knowledge of the planning issues
than most; noted the Presbyterian form of government is very similar to the U.S. Congress, both
having a lot of cornmittees; was responsible for staffing committees and became familiar with the
functions of committees; feels the type of economic development that takes place in the City and the
type of jobs made available will be an important issue; would like to see a sense of citizenship
created in the City; felt the type of housing that occurs in the City will be important; thought the
development of the commercial area along Bunker Lake Boulevard is really needed; noted Andover
has a sense of small town which he feels is important; recognizes the development of single family
houses accommodates the desires of those who live here; feels strongly people need green spaces and
parks; loves agriculture and would not like to see the pressure of development ruin that sense in
Andover; favors preserving ag land; would not have a problem attending the Commission meetings,
as he sets his own hours; feels if Andover has an economic development spurt, it has a responsibility
to provide some type of housing that is affordable for the people taking those jobs; felt that type of
change must be made very reluctantly unless there is a compelling reason to do so; would be honored
to serve on the Commission.
Shawn Ror.¡ers - has been an Anoka County resident all his life; grew up in Ramsey and moved with
his wife and children to Shadowbrook six months ago; would really like to get involved in some
aspect of the City; sells real estate and sees what people want ofa City; wants to use some of that
knowledge in other avenues; loves Andover, feeling it is a well thought-out City; has no experience
working with City government other than an interest in problem solving and as a pre-law major in
college; has the communication skills necessary to solve problems which he would like to utilize;
feels one of the most important issues facing Andover is dealing with the traffic; thinks Andover has
done a good job using the resources it has, particularly enjoying the parks system, but feels transit
is a big issue; feels "smart growth" is just a good balance of development; would like to see the City
pursue the development of some restaurants along Bunker Lake Boulevard, thinking people will
demand those types of amenities as they move to the City; didn't think the people want an industrial
type setting but will want more as the City grows; will not have a problem attending the Commission
meetings; felt the people moving to Andover 20 years ago had to know development was going to
occur, though he would not necessarily advocate high density except in those areas where residents
are used to it; felt just because someone wants to develop the land doesn't mean the location is the
best place for the use proposed, but there will be progress; stressed both issues need to be addressed,
not just act that it is a given that open spaces will be developed.
Special City Council Meeting
Minutes - February 10, 2000
Page 4
(Interview Planning and Zoning Commission Candidates, Continued)
Joseph Waalk - wants to get more involved with the community; works with Leeann Chin, Inc., as
an auditor, health inspector and field trainer; understands government but has not had any experience
with municipal government except in student government in college and high school; thought the
most important issue in the next five years is slowing down growth; would like to see the City pursue
the park and recreation community center; would not have a problem attending the Commission
meetings; would make decisions based on what the City is looking for; would personally like to see
some growth but thought apartments and town homes are too much; felt people moving out here
want more open space and felt the growth of the City needs to slow down; would try to get
information from other communities; would like to get involved in the community either on the
Commission or elsewhere.
Jerry Putnam - is an architect in the twin cities area and has served on the Planning Commission
once before a few years ago; felt this is one of the things he can do to serve the community; enjoyed
being on the Commission before and felt he brings some insight, expertise and leadership to the
Commission to find solutions; works ",lith municipalities in his business so he is familiar with the
workings of government; feels growth is the major issue facing the City in the next five years, as
people didn't move here for all this congestion; felt the county roads have always been an issue, plus
traffic control with some of the roads; mentioned turn lanes, the expansion of Hanson Boulevard and
Andover Boulevard, the school situation and housing for the elderly as other issues; noted housing
seems to take care of itself except for elderly housing; would like to see the City pursue some
business development so there are more opportunities for the people who live here and not have to
travel so far; would not want to see heavy industrial development; thought it was frustrating on the
Commission to always explain to the public they are only an advisory body for the Council; would
not have a problem attending the Commission meetings.
APPOINT PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION CANDIDA TES/CHAIR/VICE-CHAIR
The Council reviewed the applicants and expressed their choices, finally narrowing the choice of
candidates to those with the most votes through the process of elimination.
Motion by Jacobson, Seconded by Knight, to appoint Mark Hedin and Tim Kirchoff as
Commissioners, three-year terms to expire December 31, 2003; and appoint Jason Kunze as first
alternate and Gene Dudziak as second alternate. Motion carried on a 4- Yes, I-Absent (Orttel) vote.
Motion by Johnson, to appoint Jay Squires as Chair and Larry Dalien as Vice-Chair for the year
2000. Motion carried on a 4- Yes, I-Absent (Orttel) vote.
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Special City Council Meeting
Minutes - February 10,2000
Page 5
OTHER BUSINESS
Transportation study/Highway 10 - Mayor McKelvey reported the City is being asked to participate
in a plan to upgrade Highway 10. The plan would also involve highways for approximately four
miles on each side of Highway 10 and the entrances onto it. He indicated the City may be interested
if the county will be willing to widen Hanson Boulevard to four lanes from the City limits to
Highway 242. The City's cost would be about $2,500. No decisions were made this evening.
Meeting on Friday morning - Mayor McKelvey reminded the Council of the meeting with members
of the Metropolitan Council and Staff on Friday morning, 10 a.m., to discuss issues relating to
sanitary sewer and the siting of a high school in Andover.
Motion by Jacobson, Seconded by Knight, to adjourn. Motion carried on a 4- Yes, I -Absent (Orttel)
vote.
The meeting adjourned at 8:23 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
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Marcella A. Peach
Recording Secretary