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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJune, 8, 2010 !I 0 1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD N.W. . ANDOVER, MINNESOTA 55304. (763) 755-5100 FAX (763) 755-8923. WWW.CI.ANDOVER.MN.US Andover Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting Agenda June 8, 2010 Andover City Hall Council Chambers 7:00 D.m. .1. Call to Order 2. Approval of Minutes - May 11,2010 3. PUBLIC HEARING: Conditional Use Permit Amendment (10-07) to consider expansion of the Great River Energy/Connexus Energy substation located at 1635 and 1657 Bunker Lake Boulevard. 4. Other Business 0 5. Adjournment Q 0 1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD N.W. . ANDOVER, MINNESOTA 55304. (763) 755-5100 FAX (763) 755-8923 . WWW.CI.ANDOVER.MN.US PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MEETING - JUNE 8,2010 The Regular Bi-Monthly Meeting ofthe Andover Planning and Zoning COl]Ul1ission was called to order by Acting Chairperson Holthus on June 8, 2010, 7:00 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Commissioners present: Dennis Cleveland, Lynae Gudmundson, Valerie Holthus, and Devon Walton. Commissioners absent: Chairperson Dean Daninger, Commissioners Michael Casey, and Tim Kirchoff Also present: City Planner, Courtney Bednarz Others 0 APPRO V AL OF MINUTES. May 11,2010 Motion by Walton, seconded by Cleveland, to approve the minutes as presented. Motion can-ied on a 4-ayes, O-nays, 3-absent (Casey, Daninger, Kirchoff) vote. PUBLIC HEARING: CONDITIONAL USE PERMITAMENDMENT (10-7) TO CONSIDER EXPANSION OF THE GREAT RIVER ENERGYICONNEXUS ENERGY SUBSTATION LOCATED AT 1635 AND 1657 BUNKER LAKE BOULEVARD. Mr. Bednarz noted Great River Energy and Connexus Energy are proposing to expand the existing substation and provide additional site improvements. Public Utility Improvements outside of the public right-of-way require a Conditional Use Permit. Mr. Bednarz reviewed the information with the Commission. Motion by Cleveland, seconded by Walton, to open the public hearing at 7: 10 p.m. Motion can-ied on a 4-ayes, O-nays, 3-absent (Casey, Daninger, Kirchoff) vote. Mr. Bob Larock, 13783 Ibis Street, stated he did not understand what the new addition 0 was to the substation, he wondered what it was for and what it will do. He wondered if Regular Andover Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes-June 8,2010 Page 2 0 the changes would affect the electrical interference of his business. He stated he has concerns if the changes will affect his business. Mr. Louis Rudneke, owner of North Point Plaza, stated he wanted to make sure they do not add any additional electrical interference to the businesses in his building also. He stated he had some concerns about the changes to the grading and entrance. He recommended installing additional curb and gutter for an additional twenty-five to fifty feet so they would not have to won-y about undermining of the existing curb and gutter at the end. Commissioner Holthus noted Great River Energy and Connexus Energy would like to file for a variance and not put curb and gutter in because according to the information they received the utility companies have large equipment and curb and gutter would not allow them to maneuver some of their equipment into the area. Mr. Rudneke indicated he would still ask that curb and gutter be installed at least ten feet to divert the drainage in a controlled fashion onto their property. Mr. Rudneke asked who was responsible for plowing the road into the property. He also wondered what kind of landscaping will be planted to screen the equipment. 0 Mr. Bednarz explained 130th Avenue is a public street and the City has an interest in making sure the curb and the rest of the improvement there is maintained. If this item is approved they will go through a commercial site plan process. He stated plowing will continue as it has been in the past, up to the property line and snow storage will continue where it has been and then beyond that point it will be a private driveway and the applicant will be responsible for the maintenance. Mr. Rick Hiring, Great River Energy, explained what the project entailed. He stated there are no issues with medical devices in and around the equipment as long as they are not inside the fenced area. He noted there is a pedestrian walkway in very close proximity of the substation and a lot of studies have and continue to be done regarding this. He stated there should not be an issue and no changes should be made by the surrounding businesses. Mr. Hiring stated in regard to drainage along with getting the City approval they will also need to get aPEroval from Coon Creek Watershed District which they have not begun yet. He stated 138 currently flows easterly and will continue to flow easterly. He reviewed some ofthe landscaping they plan to do to improve the site. Mr. Mike Felber, Connexus Energy Manager, stated the distribution substation they are proposing is an addition that will be located to the north side ofthe sub. He stated they need to add capacity to this site. He reviewed the proposed expansion with the Council 0 and residents. - - Regular Andover Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes-June 8,2010 Page 3 0 It was noted that cell phone usage would not be affected by this. Mr. Greg Shuddy, Great River Energy, explained the fence slat on the south portion where Connexus portion of the sub is actually a one inch mesh fence slat which is a tighter slat they have around the existing Great River Energy portion of the fence, there's is a two inch slat. He stated they are currently working with the manufacturing company but from what they have been told they do not have anything for the tighter mesh fencing and that is part of the reason why they went towards the landscaping plan around the southern portion to help screen it. Mr. Rudneke stated he did not realize they were going to gate the front entrance to it and perhaps a good solution to all the issues around that would be to install some sort of a cul-de-sac with curb and gutter and then have the gate go offthe end of that and it would give the City staffto go all the way around and continue back west on 138111 and would resolve most of those issues. He stated it was not the voltage that causes the electromagnetic interference in the sun-ounding area it is the current going through those wires that creates those magnetic fields and creates that interference so if they are increasing the current then there will be a larger magnetic field and interference. He stated he was in support of this project and he thought this was wise for the growing community. 0 Motion by Walton, seconded by Cleveland, to close the public hearing at 7:41 p.m. Motion can-ied on a 4-ayes, O-nays, 3-absent (Casey, Daninger, Kirchoff) vote. Commissioner Cleveland asked how large is the expansion going to be. Mr. Felber stated the fence expansion is 57x120 to accommodate vehicle movement around the equipment. Commissioner Gudmundson asked if the question and concern about interference could be addressed. Mr. Hiring explained how the electromagnetic interference works. He stated the greatest magnetic field would be directly under the wire and the further away you are the less the magnetic field would be. He stated the addition of their project and the modifications to their substation is essentially negligible in terms of the amount of current that will be increasing. Commissioner Gudmundson asked what other colors would they consider using for the slats in the fence. She also thought they will struggle to keep plants and grass alive without some type of irrigation. Mr. Hiring stated he drove by the site today and the plantings they put in last year, like the arborvitae is not doing well and he suspected that was due more to salt than anything else but some ofthe others seem to be doing quite well. He thought they needed to learn and figure out what types of species will do well at this site. Commissioner Gudmundson asked who would take care of the grass area. Mr. Hiring 0 stated they currently mow the area within the fence to keep the area clean. -- Regular Andover Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes-June 8,2010 Page 4 0 Commissioner Cleveland asked what the color options are for the fence slats. Mr. Shuddy stated there are examples in the packet that show what the manufacture has and they will use whatever the City recommends. Commissioner Holthus stated since this is probably one of the busiest corners in Andover and played the role of "Welcome to Andover" statement, she thought this site could be made a lot more attractive. She stated she would like to see a brick wall or cement block with a texture on the outside to make it look aesthetically more pleasing. She would like them to consider putting up something of a stronger screening and a better looking screening than slats and a chain link. Mr. Hiring stated they are certainly aware of this concern and that a solid wall like that would screen more effectively but the issue that keeps coming back is the road right of way is at the fence line and using today's standards, their facility would not be built the way it exists today. The fence would be further away from their equipment. If they could move the fence there they would. They have had several discussions with the County Highway people and were told they could not do anything in their road right-of- way. He stated the slats are the only reasonable thing they could do to screen the site. Commissioner Holthus stated she would like to see this motion include a recommendation to the City Council to include a brick wall because she knew this could 0 be done and has seen it done elsewhere. Mr. Shuddy stated this is something they looked at quite a bit and due to the right-of-way issue, in order for them to build a brick wall along Hanson Boulevard, even if they were to build it on the right-of-way line, the foundation that needs to be built beneath that wall to withstand their wind loading and criteria for that substation would encroach on the County and the width to the nearest foundation of their large 230kb structure would cause a significant issue with their existing substation. The Commission discussed with the applicant landscaping, irrigation, security and screemng. Motion by Cleveland, seconded by Gudmundson, to recommend to the City Council approval of Resolution No. _' including the variance noted to curb and gutter and in-igation on the south side ofthe site. Motion can-ied on a 3-ayes, I-nays (Holthus), 3- absent (Casey, Daninger, Kirchoff) vote. Commissioner Holthus stated she voted against this because she felt there needed to be better screening which would consist of a wall. Mr. Bednarz stated that this item would be before the Council at the June 15,2010 City Council meeting. 0 Regular Andover Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes -June 8,2010 Page 5 0 OTHER BUSINESS. Mr. Bednarz updated the Planning Commission on related items. ADJOURNMENT. Motion by Cleveland, seconded by Walton, to adjourn the meeting at 8:05 p.m. Motion carried on a 4-ayes, O-nays, 3-absent (Casey, Daninger, Kirchoff) vote. Respectfully Submitted, Sue Osbeck, Recording Secretary TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc. 0 0