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Minutes 9/22/2006 AFC,.L, Saint Paul Planning Commission OCl City Hall Conference Center 0 9 2006 15 Kellogg Boulevard West tr1 et y r Eti Minutes September 22, 2006 K A meeting of the Planning Commission of the City of Saint Paul was held Friday, September 22, 2006, at a.m. in the Conference Center of City Hall. Commissioners Mmes. Faricy,McCall,Morton, Smitten and; and Messrs. Alton,Bellus, Commers, Present: Cudahy, Gordon,Johnson,Kong,Kramer,Mejia and Nelson. Commissioners Mmes. *Donnelly-Cohen, *Lu,*Porter, and *Trevino,and Messrs. * Aligada, *Dandrea, * Goodlow. Absent: *Excused Also Present: Larry Soderholm, Planning Administrator; Penny Simison,Merritt Clapp-Smith, Luis Pereira, Christina Danico,Jessica Rosenfeld, and Kate Fleming,Depai(Anient of Planning and Economic Development staff. I. Approval of minutes September 8,2006. MOTION: Commissioner Johnson moved approval of the minutes of September 8, 2006. Commissioner Kramer seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously on a voice vote. H. Chair's Announcements Chair Alton announced Commissioner Aligada has resigned from the Planning Commission and taken a position as a Federal Public Defender,where the rules of the Federal courts prohibit him from serving on boards that have authority to make decisions on public business. He will remain as a representative on the Central Corridor Task Force,which is an advisory body. Mayor Coleman is expected to appoint someone to fill his position. III. Planning Administrator's Announcements Larry Soderholm reported on planning-related business at the City Council for last week and their agenda for next week. He noted that the McNeely Business School opened at the University of Saint Thomas as part of their campus expansion,which was a hot issue for the Planning Commission for several years. He also announced that the Capitol Region and Ramsey- Washington Metro Watershed District have both adopted their new rules and permitting processes, which go into effect October 15`. Watershed district staff will join in the City's site plan review process to see that their standards are incorporated into proposed developments in the city. 1 IV. Zoning Committee OLD BUSINESS #06-124-804 BNSF Railway Company—Enlargement of Nonconforming Use Permit to construct a new crane maintenance building. 1701 Pierce Butler Rt.between Snelling and Prior. (Merritt Clapp-Smith, 651/266-6547) AMENDMENTS TO MOTION: Commissioner Kramer on behalf of the committee moved to amend condition three,striking the word"regular"in the first sentence and inserting "non emergency", and correcting the name in the second line to be consistent with the official name, BNSF Railway. Commissioner Gordon seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously on a voice vote. MOTION: Commissioner Morton moved the Zoning Committee's recommendation to approve the nonconforming use permit with conditions. The motion carried unanimously on a voice vote. NEW BUSINESS Process for Master Site Plan Review for Phase 1 of Bridges of Saint Paul project. Area generally bounded by Fillmore Avenue,Robert Street, State Street, and the Mississippi River. (Allan Torstenson, 651/266-6579) Commissioner Morton reported that the Zoning Committee laid this case over to a future date. Commissioner Morton announced the next Zoning Committee has been cancelled. V. Comprehensive Planning Committee (Penny Simison, 651/266-6554) - Resolution initiating preparation of Comprehensive Plan 2008,accepting the Scoping Report, establishing the public participation program. -Resolution on formation of the Housing Comprehensive Plan Task Force. -Resolution on formation of the Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Plan Task Force. -Resolution on formation of the Water Comprehensive Plan Task Force. MOTION: Commissioner Kramer, on behalf of the Comprehensive Planning Committee, moved the resolutions in the packet to initiate the preparation of the next comprehensive plan and accept the Scoping Report, and also to form three task forces for the Housing, Water and Parks chapters of the plan. Commissioner Bellus seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously on a voice vote. 2 Commissioner Kramer added that two more task forces will be formed in the coming months for the transportation and land use chapters. Larry Soderholm announced the next Comprehensive Plan Committee meeting will be Tuesday, October 3, 2006, at 4:00 p.m. The topics will be the Mississippi River Critical Area Report and Recommendations,Parkland Dedication Ordinance,including the staff summary of public testimony. VI. Guest Presentation: Discussion about joint issues for the City and Metro Council with, Song Lo Fawcett, a Metropolitan Council member from Saint Paul. Song Lo Fawcett presented information about five topics where the work of the Metropolitan Council is supporting Saint Paul's planning goals and projects—the Livable Communities Program, affordable housing,regional parks, transportation, and geographic information systems (GIS). Livable Communities grants to the City of Saint Paul have topped 30 million dollars from 1996 to 2006. In affordable housing the Metro Council has worked with the Minnesota Housing Financing Agency,the Association of Metropolitan Municipalities, and Family Housing Fund in 2005. The Metro Council did an allocation of affordable housing needs to 2020,which calls for Saint Paul to provide about 2,600 additional units affordable to households making 60 percent of the median regional income. The Metro Council provides grants for improvements at regional parks and in 2006 the City is receiving$14.2 million for parks and trails. The biggest project is $9.2 million for the Como Zoo and Conservatory. In transportation,work has begun on the Central Corridor and the Metro Council is seeking FTA approval for the preliminary engineering stage. The Metropolitan Council is responsible for the design and construction of the rail,but the planning and development piece of it lies with various cities. Additional Central Corridor partners are MnDOT,Hennepin and Ramsey Counties,the cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota.The Hiawatha line has been very successful; during August total ridership went over one million. With regard to trails, the Transportation Advisory Board allocated federal funds to new trails in Harriet Island, the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, along the Lexington Parkway, and an extension of the Midtown Greenway from Minneapolis to Saint Paul. Ms. Fawcett also advocated passage of the constitutional amendment to dedicate MVEST revenue to transportation. Finally, she announced that Metro Council will soon roll out a new Metro GIS data finders system which will allow users to enter the metro system directly. Commissioner Faircy asked whether private partnership funding for parks and trails will be solicited from foundations,or only from private corporations and citizens. Ms. Fawcett responded that Metro Council will solicit private funding,but not foundation funding. 3 1 There was further discussion about the MVEST proposal,public transit funding, and the Central Corridor. Commissioner Smitten ask for clarification to the MVEST. Ms. Fawcett and Denise Engen of the Metro Council staff congratulated the Planning Commission on its approach to updating the City's comprehensive plan. There was discussion about the new chapter on water and on affordable housing. Ms.Engen passed out contact information for Metro Council staff who can help with the various chapters and the internet sites where all of the legal requirements for the plans can be found. VII. Neighborhood and Current Planning Committee No report VIII. Communications Committee No report IX. Task Force Reports Chair Alton announced the next meeting of the Central Corridor Task Force will be on September 29, 2006,with presentations by Peter Bell, Chair of the Metropolitan Council,Tim Griffin of the Saint Paul Design Center, and Jack Becker of Forecast Public Art. Commissioner Smitten stated the next Capitol/Downtown Central Corridor Task Force meeting will be October 3, 2006 and Peter Bell will also speak to them. X. Old Business None XI New Business None XII. Adjournment Meeting adjourned at 9:23 a.m. 4 Recorded and prepared by Kate Fleming,Planning Commission Secretary Planning and Economic Development Department, City of Saint Paul Respectfully submitted, Approved /b 0 U� (D e) Larry S holm AICP arilyn orter Planning Administrator Secretary of the Plann' Commission PED\Fleming\September 22,2006 5