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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJune 9, 2026 PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING – JUNE 9, 2026 The Regular Meeting of the Andover Planning and Zoning Commission was called to order by Chairperson Loehlein on June 9, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Commissioners present: Chairperson Nick Loehlein, Commissioners Roger Grout, Scott Hudson, Chuck Naughton, Jonathan Weinhold, Nicole Wicklund, and Ryan Winge. Commissioners absent: None. Also present: City Planner Peter Hellegers, and Associate Planner Aidan Breen. CALL TO ORDER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion. The Chair assumed a motion to approve the May 26, 2026, Regular Meeting Minutes as presented. The Motion carried on a 6-ayes, 1-present (Chair Loehlein) vote. PUBLIC HEARING – CONSIDER AN INTERIM USE PERMIT (IUP) FOR INTERIM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS PURSUANT TO ANDOVER CITY CODE ND 12-14-18 AT 3149 162 LANE NW; PID 16-32-24-23-0009 – LANDSCAPES UNLIMITED (APPLICANT) Associate City Planner Breen reviewed the Interim Use Permit request for Landscapes Unlimited. Commissioner Naughton asked for clarification regarding the proposed lighting plan. He noted that the lighting in the area appeared not to meet code requirements and questioned whether a deviation was being requested. He asked the staff to explain the reason for the proposed lighting approach briefly. Associate Planner Breen explained that the lighting concern applies only to the storage yard area. City code incorporates international lighting standards that establish minimum illumination levels based on the type of business and specific areas within a commercial or Regular Session Andover Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes – June 9, 2026 Page 2 publicly accessible site. Applicants are required to submit a photometric plan demonstrating that the proposed lighting will meet those standards. Mr. Breen noted that the applicant is proposing a single exterior light mounted on the garage to illuminate the storage yard. Based on the available information, that lighting configuration would likely not meet the minimum required illumination levels for that area. However, the parking lot and other publicly accessible portions of the site are expected to comply with the City's lighting standards. He added that there is currently no lighting in the storage yard, so the proposed floodlight would improve existing conditions even though it would not fully satisfy the applicable code requirements. Commissioner Naughton asked whether the updated rendering referenced by staff would be received before the proposal is forwarded to the City Council. He noted that the rendering presented reflected the staff's best effort to approximate the applicant's anticipated revisions and sought confirmation that an updated plan would be submitted before Council review. Mr. Breen responded that he had not received confirmation that an updated rendering or site plan would be available before the proposal is presented to the City Council. He explained that the applicant has been working to obtain the revised documents but has encountered delays involving the engineering firm and other parties involved in the project. Although the applicant had anticipated receiving the materials the previous Friday, they were not available then. Mr. Breen expressed hope that the updated plans would be completed by the end of the week, but noted that no revised timeline had been provided. He added that the applicant has indicated both verbally and in writing that it intends to comply with all aspects of the application, even if an updated site plan is not available before the matter proceeds to the Council. Chair Loehlein assumed a motion to open the Public Hearing at 7:19 p.m. Motion carries by unanimous consent. Chair Loehlein assumed a motion to close the Public Hearing at 7:20 p.m. Motion carries by unanimous consent. Commissioner Weinhold asked for clarification regarding the remaining incomplete aspects of the proposal. He summarized his understanding that the outstanding issues were limited to the landscaping plan and questioned whether the uncertainty primarily concerned the number and placement of trees and shrubs in the final design. Mr. Breen explained that he has not received any updated site plans beyond the version he presented to the Commission, which includes annotations reflecting discussions with the applicant and direction from the City Council. He noted that the applicant had been unable to provide a revised plan and that he was uncertain about the reason for the delay. Regular Session Andover Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes – June 9, 2026 Page 3 Mr. Breen emphasized that a complete commercial site plan documenting all required improvements must be submitted and approved before a building permit can be issued. As a result, construction cannot begin until the City has received the finalized plans. He added that the original proposal focused solely on constructing the garage with no additional site improvements. However, following feedback at the Council workshop, the applicant agreed to incorporate the recommended enhancements. At the time of the meeting, those commitments had been communicated verbally and through email but had not yet been reflected in an updated visual site plan. Commissioner Weinhold asked whether the proposal presented to the Commission was expected to remain substantially unchanged or could change significantly once the applicant receives input from its engineers and other consultants. He questioned whether the delays in communication and the absence of an updated site plan could result in major revisions to the building or even an entirely different proposal. Mr. Breen responded that he could not predict exactly what the applicant would ultimately submit. He explained that the conditions attached to the interim use permit were intentionally written to establish minimum requirements for screening and landscaping that any final site plan would have to meet or exceed if approved by the City Council. Mr. Breen acknowledged that the applicant could submit plans that differ from what had been discussed. However, doing so would be inconsistent with the applicant's verbal and written commitments to comply with the recommended improvements. In his opinion, the interim use permit would not be valid unless the final site plan satisfied or exceeded the required standards, including the proposed screening, landscaping, and any additional trees or related improvements. Commissioner Grout expressed confidence that the interim use permit conditions adequately address the required improvements and stated that any significant changes to the proposal would likely fall outside the permit's scope. Chair Loehlein agreed with Commissioner Grout and reminded the Commission that its role was to evaluate the interim use permit and its performance standards, not the final site plan details. Commissioner Naughton asked whether the City Council would be required to review the completed site plan before moving forward with the proposal, or if that assumption was incorrect. Mr. Breen responded that he does not believe a completed site plan is required for the interim use permit application process. Commissioner Weinhold stated that focusing on the interim use permit standards, rather than the incomplete site plan details, addressed his concerns about the application. Regular Session Andover Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes – June 9, 2026 Page 4 Chair Loehlein agreed and added that the applicant's commitment to comply with the City Council's requested improvements provided additional reassurance that the interim use permit met the applicable standards. Motion by Commissioner Grout, seconded by Commissioner Hudson, to recommend that the City Council approve the Interim Use Permit (IUP) for Interim Performance Standards Pursuant to Andover City Code 12-14-18. The motion passed on unanimous consent. DISCUSS STEERING COMMITTEE FOR 2050 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE. City Planner Hellegers informed the Commission that the City is beginning to update its 2050 Comprehensive Plan, a state-mandated effort that will largely be completed in- house. He explained that during the previous update, the Planning Commission served as the steering committee by reviewing draft chapters and providing feedback before they were presented to the City Council. Mr. Hellegers asked whether the Planning Commission would like to continue in that role for the current update. Under the proposed approach, the steering committee would consist of the full Planning Commission, along with one representative from each of the City's other commissions. Commission Winge indicated he would be interested in serving on the Steering Committee. Commissioner Grout asked what alternatives would be available if the Planning Commission chose not to serve as the steering committee for the 2050 Comprehensive Plan update. Mr. Hellegers responded that no formal alternative had been established but explained that staff could assemble a steering committee from interested volunteers, including Planning Commissioners or other participants, if the Commission declined to take on the role. Commissioner Weinhold asked about the ideal size of the steering committee for the 2050 Comprehensive Plan update. Mr. Hellegers responded that a group of approximately 10 to 11 members would be manageable. He explained that the proposed structure, consisting of the full Planning Commission and one representative from each of the other commissions, would fall within that range and avoid logistical challenges associated with a larger group. Commissioner Hudson asked when the 2050 Comprehensive Plan steering committee would begin meeting and what level of time commitment would be expected. Regular Session Andover Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes – June 9, 2026 Page 5 Mr. Hellegers responded that no start date has been established, but meetings are not anticipated to begin for at least a few months. He explained that the steering committee would likely meet after the second Planning Commission meeting each month, allowing the regular business meeting to conclude before transitioning to the comprehensive plan discussion. Commissioner Wicklund asked how long the steering committee for the 2050 Comprehensive Plan update would remain active. Mr. Hellegers explained that the committee would likely operate through the major phases of the comprehensive plan process, but it may not be needed for the entire two-year timeline leading up to plan adoption. He noted that meetings would occur as needed, with more activity during in-depth topic reviews and fewer meetings during slower phases, and that the anticipated schedule should not require more meeting nights than the Planning Commission currently holds. Chair Loehlein asked Commissioner Hudson to share his experience participating in the previous comprehensive plan update. Commissioner Hudson recalled that the process involved reviewing topics, discussing details, and providing community-based feedback, and that it was manageable and worthwhile. Chair Loehlein remarked that serving on the steering committee would allow the Planning Commission to help shape the City's long-term vision rather than focusing only on individual properties or development proposals. He expressed support for the Commission's participation and invited members to raise any significant concerns. Commissioner Naughton expressed support for the Planning Commission serving as the steering committee, noting that the anticipated time commitment appeared manageable and that Commissioners could provide valuable perspectives on the process. He also asked whether business owners would be included on the committee, noting that the informational materials had mentioned that possibility. Mr. Hellegers explained that there are many ways to structure a steering committee and that staff's current proposal is to use the Planning Commission along with one representative from each of the City's other commissions. Commissioner Naughton confirmed his support for the proposed approach. Motion by Commissioner Hudson, seconded by Commissioner Grout, to make a non- binding motion to express the Planning and Zoning Commission's support for serving as the steering committee for the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update. The motion passed on unanimous consent. OTHER BUSINESS Regular Session Andover Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes – June 9, 2026 Page 6 City Planner Hellegers provided updates on recent City actions, including adoption of the Fields of Andover AUAR, upcoming City Council agenda items, and a proposed one-year housing moratorium to allow additional study of sewer capacity and future infill development within the urban service area. Commissioner Winge asked for clarification about the proposed housing moratorium, including how it was developed, why certain areas were excluded, and whether the one- year timeframe could end sooner. Mr. Hellegers explained that interim ordinances are a common planning tool, that the proposal focuses on areas served by the existing City sewer system while excluding rural and AUAR developments, and that the moratorium could be lifted before one year if the sewer capacity study is completed early. ADJOURNMENT Chair Loehlein adjourned the meeting at 7:46 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Sue Osbeck, Recording Secretary TimeSaver Off-Site Secretarial, Inc.