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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP June 5, 1996 CITY of ANDOVER 1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD NW. . ANDOVER. MINNESOTA 55304. (612) 755-5100 Special City Council Meeting - Wednesday, June 5,1996 Call to Order - 7:00 pm 1. Meeting with Developers a. Transportation Fees b. Wetland Buffer c. Sequencing of Developments 2. City Hall Workshop Adíournment hppro\JeO l£ \ \~Iqv CITY of ANDOVER 1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD NW. . ANDOVER, MINNESOTA 55304. (612) 755-5100 SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING - JUNE 5, 1996 MINUTES A Special Meeting of the Andover City Council was called to order by Mayor Jack McKelvey on June 5, 1996, 7:10 p.m., at Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Councilmembers present: Jacobson, Knight, Kunza Councilmember absent: Dehn Also present: City Building Official, Dave Almgren City Planning, Jeff Johnson City Engineer, Scott Erickson City Planning Director, Dave Carlberg City Administrator, Richard Fursman Others MEET WITH DEVELOPERS - TRANSPORTATION FEES Mr. Fursman stated in view of the appellate court decision on the City of Eagan's implementation of a transportation fee, he'd recommenà that the Council drop any further consideration of a transportation fee until such time as the issue works its way through the courts. Mr. Almgren stated Staff feels the City should continue to charge the trail fee that was recently implemented; however it should be held in escrow until the issue is settled in the courts. After further discussion on the reason for transportation fees, their pros and cons, and noting the fact that the City has instituted several development fees over the past few years, the Council agreed to table any further discussion on transportation fees. They also wanted to obtain further information on such fees. In addition, the Council agreed to continue collecting the trail fees, which are to be placed in escrow. MEET WITH DEVELOPERS - WETLAND BUFFER Mr. Johnson explained the proposed wetland buffer ordinance was the result of the City Council's meeting on externalities and the desire to protect the wetlands. In researching what other communities do, Staff found that most rely on the Wetlands Conservation Act to enforce this - ..__.- Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - June 5, 1996 Page 2 (Meet with Developers - Wetland Buffer, Continued) issue. Issues relating to the ordinance are the taking of property without just compensation, there is mowing of the entire buffer strip on some properties, and the question of possibly protecting only those wetlands that are of high quality. Those developers who addressed the Council expressed their desire to protect the wetlands but felt the ordinance proposed is unenforceable; that the government does not have the right to take property without compensation; that the enforcement of the ordinance would be a considerable economic burden to the City; that the tools are already in place to protect the wetlands and another level of government and rules are not needed; that there is a liability issue on the part of the City, especially on the requirement of monuments; that the proposal is stricter than those of the DNR by not allowing those things such as mowing, removing of trees, etc. I which are allowed by the DNR on the wetland itself; and that the ordinance would have a negative impact on the City itself when constructing its trail system. It was suggested a possible solution would be to administer the regulations of the ne-¡l wetlands legislation that has just been passed by the State legislature which has a built-in incentive on mitigating the buffer zones. Also, the PUD ordinance can be used as a tool to protect wetlands. It was also pointed out that what is high quality wetland now will, over time, change as sedimentation fills the area to the point where noxious weeds become a problem. Councilmember Jacobson agreed with the developers that on a practical basis, the ordinance is unenforceable once the developer is done with a plat. He would like to see the buffer area protected during the construction phase of the plat and the construction of houses on the lots until the landscaping is completed. That could be done through this ordinance. Mayor McKelvey also agreed, believing the government should not add any more restrictions to the property owners. Councilmember Knight also had a problem with the proposed ordinance because it is unenforceable. Discussion continued on methods that could be used to protect the buffer area around wetlands during construction. It was suggested this coulã be done by moving the silt fence out further. The delineation of the silt fence locations could be placed on the grading plans. Staff noted there have been few problems with silt fences in recent years as everyone has become more educated on the issue, plus the City will red tag a project if there is a problem until it is corrected. Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - June 5, 1996 Page 3 (Meet with Developers - Wetland Buffer, Continued) Staff was directed to review the proposed ordinance based on tonight's discussion and to apply the protection of wetland buffer areas during construction until the landscaping is completed. MEET WITH DEVELOPERS - SEQUENCING OF DEVELOPMENTS Mr. Erickson suggested a program be implemented for the development of plats so they are completed by October 1 of each year. Since the 429 procedure takes four to five months to complete, that means the preliminary plat should be approved by January 1 of that year. The developers generally agreed with the proposal, stating now that the MUSA is in place, they will be able to plan ahead. There was some concern that the smaller plats take less time to construct. The suggestion was that the sequencing be flexible, based on the number of lots in the proposed plat. For example, plats of 1 to 20 lots would have a February 1 target date for preliminary plat approval with January 1 the date for the larger plats. Mr. Erickson stated Staff will come back to the Council with a program for plats to be approved by January 1 of each year with a threshold for the smaller plats. The Council recessed at 8:20; reconvened at 8:30 p.m. CITY HALL WORKSHOP Craig Cronholm and Mark Pearce, Adolfson and Peterson, and K. C. Lim of LHB Engineers and Architects addressed the Council on a proposed layout of the new City Hall. The footprint encompassed 12,000 square feet in the new building and will be located adjacent to the existing building. Tonight they are asking for approval of the footprint. They will then come back to the Council at the June 18 meeting for approval of the final layout with the interior walls delineated. Estimated costs to remodel the existing building will also be available then. The construction documents will be ready for approval by the end of July_ They are extremely tight on the budget and asked for suggestions from the Council and Staff on items to be bid as alternates. The following suggestions or comments were made: Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - June 5, 1996 Page 4 (City Hall Workshop, Continued) · Bid a closed loop system on the mechanical as an alternate. While it is more expensive, it will be much cheaper on the life cycle cost. · By increasing the space to 12,000 square feet, it is cheaper tJ construct the restrooms in the new building than to remodel the existing facilities. · The cost of remodeling the existing building will vary depending on what is done with it and whether the roof will be patchp.d or replaced. A sprinkling system will be needed to eliminate code violations. · A divider in the Council chambers can be bid as an alternate. · Since corridors consume a lot of space, careful consideration should be given to the placement of walls. The building should be designed for low maintenance with a minimum of corridors. · Bid an alternate to brick at least the east side of the existing building to match the new building. · It is anticipated the Cable TV company will install the necessary equipment in the Council chambers to televise meetings. · The preference was for vertical windows. · Mr. Cronholm stated they have not had any problems with flat roofs if they are constructed correctly. Some Councilmembers and Statf had reservations with a flat roof. Mr. Cronholm stated a low pitch can be placed on the roof, plus many roof suppliers have warranties. · The landscaping and upgrading of the parking lot will be in Phase 2 of the project, with anticipated funding coming from the TIF fund. Council asked that they be provided with all costs of the project, the new building, remodeling the existing building, landscaping and parking. · The public places should be of ceramic or quarry tile. All offices and corridors should be carpeted. There should be a way to close off the offices from the public portion of the building. A security system is needed in the new building, though cameras are no': Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - June 5, 1996 Page 5 (City Hall Workshop, Continued) necessary. Provisions should be made under the flooring for cable TV and computers. Be sure enough electrical outlets are installed, including along the Council bench. The same is true of phone ports, including a public telephone in the lobby. A card reader key system should be considered as opposed to keys to enter the building. provision should be made for residents to hang coats in the winter. Consideration must also be given for the need for an emergency shelter when designing the building. The Council gave verbal approval of the footprint provided this evening. MOTION by Jacobson, Seconded by Kunza, to adjourn. Motion cê.rried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, ~~~~~ Recording Secretary