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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-01-20 DTPC Packet DOWNTOWN PARKING COMMISSION January 20th, 2022 REGULAR MEETING 8:30 A.M. I. CALL TO ORDER II. ROLL CALL III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Possible approval of the December 16th, 2021 special meeting minutes IV. OPEN FORUM - The Open Forum is a portion of the Commission meeting to address subjects which are not a part of the meeting agenda. The Chairperson may reply at the time of the statement or may give direction to staff regarding investigation of the concerns expressed. Out of respect for others in attendance, please limit your comments to 5 minutes or less. V. UNFINISHED BUSINESS VI. NEW BUSINESS 2. Review Previous Parking Reservation Approval for Stillwater Farm Store Building (401 Main St S); Commission Request VII. DISCUSSION 3. Discuss Enforcement of Overnight Parking; Commission Request [no materials] VIII. FYI – STAFF UPDATES 4. Receive Update on Event Parking Fee for Parking Ramp per Commission Request [no materials] 5. Receive Update on 200 Chestnut Apartments Construction Schedule [no materials] 6. Receive Update on Chestnut Street Plaza Public Improvement Project and Downtown Parking District Impacts [no materials] IX. ADJOURNMENT V,d,,1495555Mmo VLCm,d,pl e, — 0 x IKM 0 Oflf 00❑X DOWNTOWN PARKING COMMISSION MEETING December 16, 2021 Chair McAllister called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. Present: Chair McAllister, Commissioners Glynn, Lepage, Rheinberger, Council Liaison Junker (remotely) Absent: Commissioners Anderson and Bates Staff present: Community Development Director Gladhill, Zoning Administrator Tait APPROVAL OF MINUTES Possible approval of November 18, 2021 meeting minutes Motion by Commissioner Rheinberger, seconded by Commissioner Lepage, to approve the minutes of the November 18, 2021 meeting. All in favor. OPEN FORUM There were no public comments. UNFINISHED BUSINESS There was no unfinished business. NEW BUSINESS Fire and Ice: North Lowell Park Event Application Community Development Director Gladhill stated that the Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce applied for a special event permit to hold the 2022 Fire and Ice event at North Lowell Park, January 28-30, 2022. This event was held last year. It will utilize North Lowell Park and Mulberry Circle and will feature three to five hot air balloons, a beer tent and fire pits. Including setup and cleanup, the fee for the 21 parking spaces in Mulberry Circle for a total of five days would be $315. The Chamber is asking for a fee waiver. Commissioner Glynn asked if any handicapped spaces will be impacted by the event. Mr. Gladhill replied that the Parks Superintendent has not flagged that as an issue so there should be sufficient ADA parking but if not, the parking can be adjusted. Commissioner Glynn noted that in the past, the Downtown Parking Commission has approved events with the parking fees as is, and then the Council chooses to waive or reduce the fee or leave it in place. Mr. Gladhill concurred, adding that a new policy is being discussed but current fees are still in effect. Motion by Chair McAllister, seconded by Commissioner Rheinberger, to recommend approval of the request by the Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce to reserve Mulberry Circle for the 2022 Fire and Ice event, with the standard parking reservation fee of $315. All in favor. World Snow Sculpting Championship Event Application Downtown Parking Commission Meeting December 16, 2021 Page 2 of 4 Mr. Gladhill informed the Commission that the Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce has applied for a special event permit to hold the 2022 World Snow Sculpting Championship (WSSC) at North Lowell Park and parking lots 4, 5, 9, and Mulberry Circle (for shuttle service) on January 18-23, 2022. This event is new to Stillwater. Teams from around the world will create snow sculptures and compete for prize money and the title of World Champion. The event will include social events, activities, award ceremonies and entertainment open to the public. Setup will occur January 10-18, 2022 and cleanup January 23-25, 2022. They are asking to reserve the following parking lots: lots 4 & 5 January 13-24 (12 days); lot 9 (entire lot) for snowmaking from January 4-17 (14 days); 8 spots in lot 9 during the event (7 days); and Mulberry Circle for the week of the event for shuttle services (7 days). Additional handicapped parking would be available in lot 9 during the event. Fees to reserve the parking spaces as requested would total about $1,500. The Chamber is requesting a waiver of the fees. A representative of the event, Sara Jespersen, stated the event is well planned and there are seven international athletes and five U.S. athletes coming. The High School and Middle School are reserved for shuttling to reduce parking congestion. Four of the spaces would be for handicapped accessibility. Speaking as a representative of the event, Commissioner Glynn added that most of the event will take place in the park, with only the small lot being used for food trucks. The other lot in front of Water Street Inn will have the ice rink and this event will take the other half. The City is upgrading some of the electrical boxes to accommodate the snow making machinery. Motion by Commissioner Rheinberger, seconded by Commissioner Lepage, to recommend approval of the request by the Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce to reserve lots 4, 5, 9 and Mulberry Circle as requested, for the 2022 World Snow Sculpting Championship, with fees as stated in the staff report. Motion passed 3-0-1 with Commissioner Glynn abstaining. Biercycle Parking space reservation request Mr. Gladhill reported that Pat Wolf, Wolf Brewing/BierCycle, is requesting renewal of the approval to operate BierCycle in downtown Stillwater during the summer of 2022. She would like to reserve one parking stall on Water Street on weekends during the summer. The fee to reserve this space would be $3/day for a total of $606/year. Staff recommends approval consistent with past years’ approvals. Pat Wolf, applicant, stated the application is for the entire year but usually the official start date is May 1, weather-dependent. Chair McAllister asked who marks the reserved parking space. Ms. Wolf replied the City posted a sign indicating it is reserved but she often places a cone or two also. Chair McAllister said she would like to find a way to make the parking spot available on the days that the BierCycle does not use it. Ms. Wolf replied her intent is to run every day but the operation was scaled back last year due to COVID and staffing. If the space is reserved intermittently, people would not know when to park and when not to park there. She pays for the space for the whole year. Motion by Chair McAllister, seconded by Commissioner Rheinberger, to approve the reservation of one parking stall on Water Street as requested by Wolf Brewing/BierCycle, for 2022 with the fee of $606. All in favor. Parking request from Kathleen Schubert with Medicinal Blends Zoning Administrator Tait explained that Kathleen Schubert, Medicinal Blends, is requesting a change from three hours to 30 minutes for the parking space in front of her store. Her clients often have physical handicaps or injuries. However, the street parking in front of her store is frequently occupied with vehicles that remain there all day. Because the number of spaces for 30 minutes or less is so low Downtown Parking Commission Meeting December 16, 2021 Page 3 of 5 and the parking study recognizes the need for this percentage to increase, staff could support changing this spot from three hours to a lesser time limit. However, the Commission is in the middle of a broader policy discussion in conjunction with the City Council and may prefer to discuss this request later in the broader context. Chair McAllister remarked that she is not in favor of making such decisions based on business use requests, but prefers to have a more thoughtful, systematic approach to how time limits are set. Commissioners Rheinberger and Lepage agreed. Commissioner Glynn noted the Commission will be addressing the need for more 15 or 30 minute parking spots for more turnover. Meanwhile the 3-hr time limit in this space should be enforced. Mr. Gladhill added that the Commission will also be discussing new ways to do enforcement and payment, possibly looking toward license plate readers in the future. Motion by Chair McAllister, seconded by Commissioner Glynn, to deny the request by Kathleen Schubert, Medicinal Blends, to change the parking space in front of her store from three hours to 30 minutes, noting it is working on solutions that would be comprehensive and helpful to her business. All in favor. On street parking setback request from Timothy Press Zoning Administrator Tait explained that Tim Press, a Stillwater resident, voiced a concern that on- street parking is limiting the line of sight at various intersections, creating a hazardous situation for both vehicles and pedestrians. He requests consideration to remove the first parking stalls at select downtown intersections, in order to improve the line of sight. Staff recognizes that these intersections have an issue, however it does not seem that the removal of one spot would make a meaningful difference to the line of sight. Staff believes it is best to discuss in the broader context already underway in the Commission’s work plan. Commissioner Glynn asked if the Police Department would inform the Commission if there are more accidents on these corners. Chair McAllister said she does not disagree with the impression that these are challenging corners, but they are not the only challenging corners downtown. She added that Mulberry and Commercial may be the only two cross streets that must be navigated without the help of signals. The number of pedestrians and vehicles is growing year-round so there will probably be more need for this kind of evaluation, perhaps by the Traffic Safety Review Committee. Mr. Gladhill said staff could run some scenarios and do another traffic study looking more closely at sight lines. Public Safety staff did not single out these intersections but they can be monitored. Motion by Commissioner Lepage, seconded by Commissioner Rheinberger, to deny the request to remove selected parking spaces, and consider a traffic study and recommendation from the Traffic Safety Review Committee. All in favor. Two parking stall closure behind Amoco (Water Street) request from Public Works and Public Safety Mr. Tait informed the Commission that the City Engineer, in consultation with the Police Department and Fire Department, has identified two parking spaces that cause traffic flow issues and pose a safety hazard. They suggest removal of the two parking stalls on the southbound side of Water Street (behind Amoco Station), to improve public safety and traffic flow. The Planning Department recognizes this location is a chokepoint and agrees that removing these two spots would help. Staff recommends that the two parking stalls along Water Street be removed. Motion by Chair McAllister, seconded by Commissioner Rheinberger, to remove the two spaces behind the Amoco Station as recommended by staff, in the interest of safety. All in favor. Brian’s Bar 4th Annual Bocce Ball Tournament Event Application Downtown Parking Commission Meeting December 16, 2021 Page 4 of 4 Mr. Gladhill stated that Todd Nelson, Brian’s Bar, submitted an event application to hold a bocce ball tournament behind their building to the east and in parking lot 3 on February 26, 2022, from 10 am- 10 pm. The expected turnout is 250-400 people. Lot 3 will need to be reserved for all of Saturday and Sunday to accommodate the event and the next morning cleanup. Additionally, four spots will need to be reserved in lot 3 on Friday for sand delivery. The Commission should make their recommendation to City Council for Brian’s Bar to utilize lot 3 for a parking fee of $105. Chair McAllister said she would like to ensure there is advance communication about closing the lot. Mr. Gladhill recommended that staff handle closing the parking lot similarly to when a road is closed: by State statute, put up signs with a 10-day notice stating this lot will be closed for an event on certain days. Signs could be made in the City shop. He will work with the Public Works Department to do so. Motion by Commissioner Rheinberger, seconded by Commissioner Glynn, to recommend approval of the use of lot 3 by Brian’s Bar for the 2022 Bocce Ball Tournament, for a parking fee of $105, with the condition that advance notice of the parking lot closure be handled per the State’s 10-day notice for road closures. All in favor. Chair McAllister commented that the City needs a standardized approach about communicating lot closures to permit holders. FYI/STAFF UPDATES 2021-2022 Event List Mr. Gladhill provided the 2021-22 event list. Public Comments regarding parking ramp received since last meeting There were no public comments. DISCUSSION Mr. Gladhill reminded the Commission of the State statute regarding remote attendance. If a Commissioner needs or wants to attend remotely as a voting member, they must give at least 3 days notice and must post the location where they will participate in the meeting, which must be accessible to the public. Unless another official emergency is declared, the City is not allowed to go back to doing it the way it was done with COVID previously. There is currently no discussion of resuming face mask mandates or vaccination mandates for staff. Chair McAllister asked that Commissioners be as planful as possible about their absences and notify staff. Also there is one seat open and interviews will take place soon. Commissioner Glynn brought up a handwritten sign that was on the parking ramp during Harvest Fest, saying Event Parking $10. Flat fee parking rates for events should be run by this Commission and the sign should be professionally made. Mr. Gladhill will follow up. Mr. Tait announced he is moving back east and his last day will be January 13. The Commission thanked him for his good work. ADJOURNMENT Chair McAllister adjourned the meeting at 9:33 a.m. Heidi McAllister, Chair ATTEST: ________________ Tim Gladhill, Community Development Director COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT REPORT TO: Downtown Parking Commission MEETING DATE: January 20, 2022 TOPIC: Review Previous Approvals for 401 Main St S REPORT BY: Tim Gladhill, Community Development Director INTRODUCTION At the December 16, 2021 Downtown Parking Commission Meeting, the Commission requested a review of previous approvals (2020) related to this address. Specifically, the Commission desired to review the reservation of two (2) stalls that were approved for reservation related to the loading dock and a proposed recreational equipment rental company. Neither the proposed rental company nor the planned walk-up restaurant materialized. The northern suite became a retail clothing company. The Building Permit was reviewed administratively for the existing retail store. Parking needs were determined to be consistent with previous approvals and current zoning code, so no additional review was required. The southern suite is in the process of tenant build-out for the same. Staff is reviewing said permit for the new second retail space. Parking needs are consistent with past review and can be approved administratively. For purposes of administration and economic development, there is a threshold of smaller mitigation needs that are approved administratively without the need to review with the Downtown Parking Commission. The Commission Review is reserved for larger mitigation needs. For the two (2) new uses, it is not a required condition to reserve the two (2) spaces in question, only account for required parking and/or pay the Parking Mitigation Fee if required. The reservation of the two (2) spaces is handled outside of the Conditional Use Permit. In other words, the Parking Commission could recommend to the City Council to remove those spaces as reserved and return to general parking. This has not been discussed with the Property Owner nor the Tenant. If this is an alternative the Commission desires to explore, the Commission should direct Staff to connect with the Property Owner and Tenant to discuss and bring back a formal request to a future meeting. Additionally, it is noted that the parking stall reconfiguration (head -on converted to parallel parking – creation of a sidewalk connection) has not yet occurred. Staff will be prepared to discuss the status of future improvements to Nelson Street at the meeting. January 14, 2022 Page 2 Finally, zoning approvals are typically valid for a period of two (2) years. Staff is reviewing if this code provision also applies to parking approvals such as this. In any event, the previous approvals for the use as a recreational equipment rental servi ce would expire in June of this year. Attachments: Copy of Case File Materials CITY OF STILLWATER ZONING Permit Type: Planning Commission Meeting Date: 6/27 Action/Vote: Approved 7-0 Case No.: 2020-17 Permit Fee: $525.00 Paid: 5/5/2020 PERMIT Special Use Permit Description of Project: Consideration of a ipecial Use Permit for a walk-in restaurant with wallk-up service window. Applicants): Dennis Kilbane DCK ENTE Todd Konigson, Applicant Project Address: 401 Main St S, Stillwater, MN i Property ID No.: 2803020410039 Zoning District: CBD Conditions of Approval: 1 This Special Use Permit is in all ways a Conditional Use Peri in Minnesota Statue Section 462.3595. WI LLC, Owner as the term is used 2 Plans shall be substantially similar to those found on file with PC Case No. 2020- 17, except as modified by the conditions herein. 3 Food service queuing shall be contained to private property. 4 Trash must be kept inside until the day of trash collection unl agreement to use a trash enclosure located on public or privE agreement shall be submitted to the City prior to the release + 5 Plans and the use will need to be approved by the engineerin officials before the issuance of a building permit. 6 All changes to the approved plans will need to be reviewed at Community Development Director. Any major changes will nE Planning Commission for review and approval. 7 The business shall be required to provide and maintain pedeE adjacent to the take out window and located on the private pn We accept the conditions of this permit. We; plans must be resubmitted for approval. Owner or Representative Z Date Page 1 of 2 s the applicant has land. Proof of a building permit. fire and building approved by the I to go to the trash and recycling erstand that any changes from these Com ty Development Director 6F 2020 DateCOPY CITY OF STILLWATER Permit Type: Case No.: 2020-17 Permit Fee: $526.00 Paid: 5/5/2020 ZONING PERMIT A zoning permt is granted pursuant to the zoning ordinance and is issued by the city building official after approval of the plans and p Page 2 of 2 Special Use Permit a substitute for a building permit. A building permit is ent of the building permit fee and state surcharge. COPY Planning Commission May 27, 2020 Commissioner Steinwall asked if the footprint of the garage will be the same as the existing garage. Erik Sorensen, applicant, replied it will be slightly larger than the existing garage. The existing garage was too small for two cars. Commissioner Hansen questioned the possibility of the garage space being used in the future as an accessory dwelling unit. Mr. Sorensen said they understand that an accessory dwelling unit would not be permitted. The space will not be plumbed. Chairman Lauer opened the public hearing. There were no public comments. Chairman Lauer closed the public hearing. Motion by Chairman Lauer, seconded by Commissioner Kocon, to approve Case No. 2020-15, Variance to allow an attached garage and associated improvements at 1305 1st St N with the four staff- recommended conditions. All in favor. Case No. 2020-17: Consideration of a Special Use Permit for a Restaurant. Property located at 401 Main St S in the CBD district. Todd Konigson, applicant and DCK Enterprises WI LLC, property Vowner. Ms. Wittman reviewed the case. Todd Konigson plans to open River Provisions at 401 Main Street South. The business would operate retail sales, outdoor sport good equipment rental, as well as a small restaurant offering food to-go either by walk in or walk up service. He is requesting a Special Use Permit for a walk-in restaurant with walk-up service window. The use conforms to the standards set forth for the issuance of use permits. Therefore, staff recommends approval with six conditions. Councilmember Collins asked about the statement in the staff report that there will be a shuttle to take the paddleboards and kayaks to the river. Where will it pick up and drop off? Ms. Wittman replied that the applicant met with the Downtown Parking Commission last week. There are two parking spaces near the two loading docks that the DTPC said the business may use as the location for any shuttle. Commissioner Meyhoff asked if there will be any outdoor seating or tables out front. Ms. Wittman said at this time that is not proposed because there is no permission currently from MnDOT to use the right of way area. Todd Konigson, 401 Main Street South, applicant, thanked the Commission for consideration. Commissioner Steinwall asked if there will be a trash receptacle for walk-up customers. Mr. Konigson said they will address trash there and also on the interior. Commissioner Dybvig asked exactly where the take-out window will be. Jen Noden, representing the applicant, pointed out where the take-out window will be on the graphic. Chairman Lauer opened the public hearing. There were no public comments. Chairman Lauer closed the public hearing. Commissioner Dybvig suggested adding a condition requiring receptacles for trash and recycling near the walk-up window. Motion by Commissioner Kocon, seconded by Commissioner Meyhoff, to approve Case No. 2020-17, Special Use Permit for a Restaurant at 401 Main St S with the six staff-recommended conditions, adding Condition#7 stating the business shall be required to provide and maintain pedestrian trash and recycling adjacent to the take-out window and located on the private property. All in favor. Page 2 of 4COPY LStIIr M E g 1 9 t H P , A is E OF MINNESOIA PLANNING REPORT TO: Planning Commission CASE NO.: 2020-17 REPORT DATE: May 19, 2020 MEETING DATE: May 20, 2020 APPLICANT: Todd Konigson representing River Provisions LAND OWNER: Dennis Kilbane of DCK Enterprises WI LLC REQUEST: A Special Use Permit for a restaurant with walk up window LOCATION: 401 Main Street South ZONING: CBD: Central Business District. PREPARED BY: Abbi Wittman, City Planner REVIEWED BY: Bill Turnblad, Community Development Director INTRODUCTION Todd Konigson would like to open River Provisions at 401 Main Street South. f. The business would operate retail sales, outdoor sport good equipment rental, as well as a small restaurant offering food to-go either by walk in or walk up service. Street View Courtesy Google Maps (May, 2019) SPECIFIC REQUEST Consideration of a Special Use Permit for a walk-in restaurant with walk-up service window. ANALYSIS City Code Section 31-207,Special Use Permits, identifies the city may grant a Special Use Permit or amendments when the following findings are made:COPY Case no.2020-17 Page 2 The proposed structure or use conforms to the requirements and the intent of this[Zoning) chapter, and of the comprehensive plan, relevant area plans and other lawful regulations. Any additional conditions necessary for the public interest have been imposed or use and/or structure will not constitute a nuisance or be detrimental to the public welfare of the community. Conformance to the Zoning Code generally surrounds around whether or not the proposed use will be compatible with its surrounding uses. The site has historically been used for warehousing with a small amount of retail space. A portion of that existing retail space is proposed to be converted to the food service area. Generally speaking, multi-use buildings, including those with food service, have been found to be acceptable in the Central Business District. In staffs review of the request, the following items were determined to be of concern: Walk-up Window: Concern is raised when walk up food service could queue onto the public way. The walk up window is proposed to be located in an area where there is adjacent private property—though minimal. Directly adjacent to the private property is MNDOT right- of-way where excess lands have been converted into pedestrian space that is in addition to the customary sidewalk area. The applicant has indicated the design will include queuing on the subject property, requiring some sort pedestrian barrier. As such,the applicant will be required to show a queuing and signage plan for the walk up window. Trash Storage: It has been determined the prior operations included the use of a roll-off dumpster placed on the east side of the building. If the applicant desires keeping trash outside of the building, it must be kept in an enclosed area and an agreement for such use must be submitted for review. Otherwise trash must be kept inside until the day of trash collection. Parking: The property was credited for having 10.6 parking spaces the new uses require 12.3 parking spaces. Since the change in use requires less than four parking spaces to be mitigated, no parking mitigation is required. Exterior Improvements: The applicant is proposing to alter the façade of the building by adding a walkup food service window. No specific alteration plans were submitted with the request but the design will need to conform to the Zoning Code requirements for Design Permitting. These improvements will need to be submitted for review and approval by the Heritage Preservation Commission prior to the release of a building permit. Comprehensive Plan Chapter 6, Downtown Stillwater Plan, identifies the following goal: Encourage a viable and compatible mix of community and visitor-serving activities that builds on the assets of Downtown as a desirable placed to live, work, shop, recreate and visit consistent with the capacity of public services and facilities and the natural resources. Promote a diverse range of uses, a welcoming and engaging atmosphere, and unique activities and events oriented to a range of ages and cultures". The use is not in conflict with the comprehensive plan. Public Comment COPY Case no.2020-17 Page 3 To the date of memo development, no public concerns have been identified. POSSIBLE ACTIONS The Planning Commission has the following options: A. Approve the requested use permit and associated variances with the following conditions: 1. This Special Use Permit is in all ways a Conditional Use Permit as the term is used in Minnesota Statue Section 462.3595. 2. Plans shall be substantially similar to those found on file with CPC Case No. 2020- 13, except as modified by the conditions herein. 3. Food service queuing shall be contained to private property. 4. Trash must be kept inside until the day of trash collection unless the applicant has agreement to use a trash enclosure located on public or private land. Proof of agreement shall be submitted to the City prior to the release of a building permit. 5. Plans and the use will need to be approved by the engineering, fire and building officials before the issuance of a building permit. 6. All changes to the approved plans will need to be reviewed and approved by the Community Development Director. Any major changes will need to go to the Planning Commission for review and approval. B. Deny the requested use permit and associated variances. With a denial, findings of fact supporting the decision must be provided. C. Table the request for additional information. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATION As noted in the Analysis section, above, the use conforms to the standards set forth for the issuance of use permits. Therefore, staff would recommend conditional approval of CPC Case No. 2020-013 with those conditions outlined in Alternative A, above. Attachments: Site Location Map Narrative Request Floor Plan Certificate of Survey cc: Todd Konigson Jen Noden Dennis Kilbane COPY t r=, r; iwa der M1 1 R',/, pit y{ The Birthplace of Minnesota x ,_ - F ; C t444-4 1 `. ir, 43 xw; re,>a:»a, mc,;aare awaK.,m:vmxx i.i Location rt 401Site Main St Sry 29- S µ " r <, s 4 a S' `! 1 4 General Site Location k: i y s7 w i _.; x C„„ COPY April 22, 2020 Stillwater Planning Department 216 4th Street North Stillwater, MN 55082 RE: Planning Application for 401 Main Street South,Stillwater, MN 55082 River Provisions is proposing a buildout of the old Stillwater Farm Store on the corner of Main Street and Nelson.The northwest store-front area of the space would serve as a retail and rental facility for various types of bikes, kayaks and paddleboards as well as custom wood furniture.The storage/dock area on the east side of the building would house the retail and rental stock for the kayaks, paddleboards and bikes. The southwest storefront area would house a To-Go Food interior counter and exterior walkup window initially serving soft serve ice cream,gourmet grilled cheese, Belgian waffles,smoothies and various juices and beverages. The business will be servicing the outdoor river activities on the St. Croix. Local kayak and paddleboard rental would shuttle customers to and from the areas of the St. Croix where paddle boarding and kayaking launch ramps are available and safe. In the past, a popcorn truck was located in front of the storefront. River Provisions would like to provide the seasonal to-go food at the south end of downtown where the access to walk-up windows is limited. Thank you for your consideration. Kind Regards, Todd Konington River Provisions c. 651-775-0783 e. konigson32@gmail.com COPY o 0 om I I I S A w I 'xa I \ 1 nnV L I. 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INC., 1 eh, ,'" ,,)t tate One Call C ER r IF ICA I E cm SURVEYCOPY April 22, 2020 Stillwater Planning Department 216 4th Street North Stillwater, MN 55082 RE:Planning Application for 401 Main Street South,Stillwater, MN 55082 River Provisions is proposing a buildout of the old Stillwater Farm Store on the corner of Main Street and Nelson.The northwest store-front area of the space would serve as a retail and rental facility for various types of bikes, kayaks and paddleboards as well as custom wood furniture.The storage/dock area on the east side of the building would house the retail and rental stock for the kayaks, paddleboards and bikes. The southwest storefront area would house a To-Go Food interior counter and exterior walkup window initially serving soft serve ice cream,gourmet grilled cheese, Belgian waffles, smoothies and various juices and beverages. The business will be servicing the outdoor river activities on the St. Croix. Local kayak and paddleboard rental would shuttle customers to and from the areas of the St. Croix where paddle boarding and kayaking launch ramps are available and safe. In the past,a popcorn truck was located in front of the storefront. River Provisions would like to provide the seasonal to-go food at the south end of downtown where the access to walk-up windows is limited. Thank you for your consideration. Kind Regards, e,...1,..a.t .,,,c,...e.s............. - 5„............ _.. Todd Konington River Provisions c. 651-775-0783 e. konigson32@gmail.com COPY NEL9ON 5rgeEr 122 r li c.: 4 or, le.RETAIL = , . _ II 83'4" it II BA 2 TT es ' S tt li s, I I11). 1- Ili TOQ Al FOOD 0 COPY fli n s3 1 I f. I I 1, s ' A.. t tSf-3.t-'r l c t Gt't^. t rCOPY ii r. ;. tr r--i its t r ram` s t ma cat fCOPY 223- 4' ' ` ,j t l 1wa N 227 fit t 3 A The Birthplace of Minnesota m r s x N 2 y 2.: W %'F. a y" • Via',<' P s fi 1 t 301 r. R 302 98,.....t-,', 4 ex . i..„:- , _ : .,. . 1 10,,,i...4,CON *:'''''. f.)„ a10 '. ,,, 317 t Site Location 312 t uol e._ 401 Main St S321 ZI? 324- 41 e. 0 70 140 280 A:.. v. Feet i. 23. - l , ,t fi General Site Location r 11 t r LI ems t,, t-.i 7 v a a bw i Q .wMw,yj•"IMC;',' ,h a 322 L 4y ' A . e y aft_ e°., 0 t h, 1 428 a r, rr. • s ? . 4 r 52f,tt!"........,., r t y y i lac d ^. rF 37^ ir ie438 oh ma`sttCOPY DOWNTOWN PARKING COMMISSION DATE: May 21, 2020 APPLICANT: Todd Konigson, River Provisions SUBJECT: New proposed business at the Old Stillwater Farm Store LOCATION: 401 Main Street South REPORT BY: Graham Tait, City Zoning Administrator REVIEWED BY: Bill Turnblad, Community Development Director Abbi Wittman, City Planner BACKGROUND River Provisions is proposing a remodel and use change of the property at 401 South Main Street, in Downtown Stillwater. The building that sits on the corner of Main Street and Nelson, used to serve as the Stillwater Farm Store, from around 1896 until June of 2018. Being proposed is a mix of retail use, food-takeout and storage/warehousing for various sporting equipment. The northwest store-front area of the space will serve as a retail and rental facility for various types of bikes, kayaks and paddleboards as well as custom wood furniture. The storage / dock area on the east side of the building would house the retail and rental stock for the kayaks, paddleboards and bikes. The southwest storefront area would house a To-Go Food interior counter and exterior walkup window initially serving soft serve ice cream, gourmet grilled cheese, Belgian waffles, smoothies and various juices and beverages. In terms of parking, the applicant has proposed to reserve 4 spaces on the side of the building along Nelson Street (Refer to site plan). Currently, these are head-in parking spaces, though this is slated to change in the near future when Nelson Street improvements are completed by the City. In 2019 the owners of this property were granted an encroachment license from the City, to keep inCOPY River Provisions Page 2 place improvements over public land. However, the discussion also surrounded around what would happen in the future, identifying a new Nelson Street ROW parking design (transforming the spaces from head-in to parallel as seen in the graphic below). The graphic below shows how the spaces are currently arranged. The four spaces that are requested to be reserved are identified. The reason the business owner wants to reserve these spaces is that his store will rent equipment that will need to be driven to river access points. Reserving the spaces makes it more convenient to load the rental equipment onto the customer vehicles. ANALYSIS Every new business in the Downtown Parking District is required to provide new on-site parking spaces for any increased parking load.1 1 City Code Sec 31-510, Subd 1 (d)(4) Parking requirements for nonconforming structures or uses. [“Nonconforming” in this sense means that the property does not meet the minimum number of parking spaces required for the existing uses.] In the case of struc tures in any district, which are reconstructed, enlarged, structurally altered, changed in occupancy to a more intensive use category or otherwise increased i n capacity, off-street parking shall be provided only for that portion of structures or use constituting the increase in capacity; except that no additional parking need be provided for nonresidential uses, if the increased capacity results in an increase of four or fewer off-street parking spaces. COPY River Provisions Page 3 The parking load of the current building is 10.6 spaces2. And the parking load of the proposed uses after remodeling would be 12.3 spaces (see attached table). There is an increased load of 1.7 spaces to the current parking system. However, as outlined in Sec. 31-510. Subd. 1. (d). (4)., additional parking would not be required because the increase parking burden is less than four spaces. RECOMMENDATION Staff finds that the remodeled use of the Old Stillwater Farmstore will not increase the building’s burden upon the public parking system by more than four and recommends not requiring mitigation for the 1.7 space deficit. In terms of the request to reserve four on-street parking spaces for exclusive use of the store, staff requests the Downtown Parking Commission to consider temporarily allowing the reservation of four dedicated spots for $9 each day for each spot ($1136 per 31 day period). However, if the Parking Commission and City Council approves the reservation request, it will have to be readdressed when the head-in parking spaces gets reduced and converted to parallel parking spaces. Attachments: Floor Plans Applicant Narrative Required Parking Table 2 1603 SF of retail space. Requires one space per 200 SF. 2643 SF of warehousing/Storage; requires one space per 1,000 SF. Total = 8 + 2.6 = 10.6 spaces. COPY COPY 401 Main St South – Parking Requirements Use Total Area (sf) Use Parking Requirements Number of Required Parking Spaces Warehousing/Storage 2643 SF 1 space / 1,000 SF 2.6 spaces Retail 1094 1 space / 200 SF 5.5 spaces Takeout Food (and associated office) 500 SF 1 space per 120 SF 4.2 spaces Total Spaces Required 12.3 spaces COPY DOWNTOWN PARKING COMMISSION MEETING May 21, 2020 Chairman Anderson called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. Present: Chairman Anderson, Commissioners Glynn, Hopfe, Johnson, Lettner, Lepage, McAllister, Council Liaison Junker Absent: None Staff present: Police Chief Gannaway, Parking Enforcement Officer Pasket, City Clerk Wolf APPROVAL OF MINUTES Possible approval of minutes of February 20, 2020 meeting Motion by Commissioner Hopfe, seconded by Commissioner McAllister, to approve the February 20, 2020 meeting minutes. All in favor. OPEN FORUM There were no public comments. NEW BUSINESS Konigson parking mitigation request for 401 South Main Street Chairman Anderson reviewed the staff report. River Provisions is proposing a remodel and use change of the property at 401 South Main Street at the corner of Main Street and Nelson. Being proposed is a mix of retail use, food takeout and storage/warehousing for various sporting equipment. The northwest storefront area will serve as a retail and rental facility for various types of bikes, kayaks and paddleboards as well as custom wood furniture. The storage/dock area on the east side of the building would house the retail and rental stock for the kayaks, paddleboards and bikes. The southwest storefront area would house a To-Go Food interior counter and exterior walkup window initially serving small food items and beverages. The applicant has proposed to reserve four parking spaces on the Nelson Street side of the building. Currently, these are head-in parking spaces, but in the near future they will be converted to parallel parking as part of a Nelson Street right-of-way re-design. Staff finds that the remodeled use of the building will not increase the building’s burden on the public parking system by more than four and recommends not requiring mitigation for the 1.7 space deficit. In terms of the request to reserve four on-street parking spaces for exclusive use of the store, staff requests that the Commission consider temporarily allowing the reservation of four dedicated spots for $9 each day for each spot ($1136 per 31 day period). However, if the Parking Commission and City Council approves the reservation request, it will have to be re-addressed when the head-in parking spaces are converted to parallel parking spaces. Jennifer Noden, Seven Edges, said they are asking to reserve those four spaces because there will be kayak, bike and paddleboard rental out of the back of the building. There is no way to load and unload out of the back space without dedicated parking. Todd Konigson, River Provisions, stated the previous tenant had four dedicated spaces so they are only asking for the same as previous tenants had. They will do sales and rental so they will have large products that have to be unloaded. Parking Enforcement Officer Pasket clarified there are currently two 30-minute spaces, two three-hour spaces and the spaces in front of the two docks. He is not aware of any spaces being dedicated to the building itself. COPY Downtown Parking Commission Meeting May 21, 2020 Page 2 of 6 Mr. Konigson noted that the person who owns the adjacent property is not providing access to the building’s east dock. Without a way to have loading/unloading on the north side of the building, there is no way to function. Commissioner Glynn reminded the Commission that it voted to turn the head-in parking spaces into parallel spaces, to eliminate the dedicated loading/unloading spots and to add a pedestrian walkway. The Commission thought that any future tenants would know that this is the plan and there would not be any dedicated loading/unloading space. Councilmember Junker added that continuing the sidewalk east from Main Street will be safer for pedestrians versus walking out onto the street, as there is currently no sidewalk there. Chairman Anderson stated that historically, the Commission has not given on-street parking to any business other than for valet parking. Mr. Konigson stated he would be alright with use of the two spaces instead of the four that the previous occupant had. He would love to have a pedestrian walkway. The deteriorating stairs are a safety hazard and will be removed. They modify their door so it does not project out. Parking Enforcement Officer Pasket asked if they anticipate deliveries via semi trucks. Mr. Konigson replied delivery trucks would come occasionally in the morning and would not take up any more of the street than the regular food delivery trucks already do. Mr. Pasket voiced concern about delivery trucks protruding onto Nelson Street, interfering with vehicles turning eastbound onto Nelson from Main. Mr. Konigson replied they would back into the parking space no different than food service trucks. Commissioner McAllister commented that food trucks park everywhere downtown with no regard for traffic flow but that is not the issue being discussed. The applicant is now requesting two spaces but the staff report says four. She asked if the request has changed. Mr. Konigson responded that they just want access to the building otherwise no business can function there. Two or four is OK. There is also a fire code exit access issue that needs to be addressed. Ms. Noden added that they originally requested four spaces because in 2013 there were four dedicated loading/unloading spots. If they can get four spaces, great. Two is adequate but zero would be a death toll. Chairman Anderson reminded the applicants there is no appetite on the Commission to dedicate a space to a business. They would not be able to sign it for their business only. Councilmember Junker acknowledged the building would not be functional without loading/unloading. He suggested labeling one space as loading zone leaving five parallel spots available. Commissioner McAllister asked if only one dock would be adequate. Mr. Konigson replied yes, and they would prefer to use the easternmost dock. Commissioner McAllister asked if the applicant should change the written request for the record. Chairman Anderson noted the language about what is being approved will need to be specific and should include a requirement that it be revisited when the spaces are realigned. Commissioner McAllister pointed out this would not be a loading zone only for this business, but for any loading function in this area. Ms. Noden said they met with Building Inspector Shilts Tuesday regarding code-related modifications for the doors. The east dock door would be expanded to be able to receive large deliveries. This will go before the Heritage Preservation Commission and the Planning Commission. When the parking spaces become parallel, she requests that the Commission please take into consideration there will be modifications toCOPY Downtown Parking Commission Meeting May 21, 2020 Page 3 of 6 accommodate business based on where those spots are. She would like to make sure the loading space remains in a spot where they can actually use it. Mr. Konigson added that he was not informed of the plan for parallel parking when he signed the lease. Motion by Chairman Anderson, seconded by Commissioner Johnson, to not require mitigation for the 1.7 space deficit, and to designate the two spots currently in front of the east loading dock on Nelson Street to loading/unloading only from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., and to require the Downtown Parking Commission and business owners to revisit this approval once the parking converts to parallel. All in favor. Summer Tuesdays parking reservations Chairman Anderson reviewed the staff report informing the Commission that due to COVID-19, Summer Tuesdays will be held only on Tuesdays in August and the format will change to a Drive In Movie event. Participants will pre-register their cars with Summer Tuesdays and event staff will direct participants to parking spots. In place of food vendors, local restaurants will make car-side deliveries. Lots 7, 8a, 8b and 9 are requested to be reserved for the event. Lots 8a, 8b and 9 would be used by the Drive In Movie participants. During the movie, River Market customers would park in Lot 7. Summer Tuesdays is in communication with the River Valley Market regarding the proposal. Councilmember Junker stated for the record that the owner of the River Valley Market building normally buys 75 passes for his workers so they can park in the parking ramp every Wednesday during Cruisin’ on the Croix. If both Cruisin’ the Croix and Summer Tuesdays close that lot, he would have to buy passes for both nights. It is uncertain if Cruisin’ on the Croix will happen this year. Mr. Pasket said he has no concerns with the Summer Tuesdays request. Commissioner McAllister suggested that when closing lots that allow overnight residential parking, alternate lots should be designated for overnight parking. The City has a significant number of residential permit holders who have only a couple lots to choose from. Councilmember Junker said he wished there could be an alternative to closing lots for an entire day for an evening event. Chairman Anderson agreed. He suggested having a workshop on it. Cassie McLemore, event organizer, said they are aware there may still be cars in the lot after it is closed. The barricades state that the event starts at a certain time and it is OK if there are cars there during the day. River Market said they are willing to work with the event. She told them she would request to have Lot 7 for their parking in the evening. She wants to be clear it was not an absolute “yes”, it was “We will talk to the City and work it out.” Motion by Commissioner Glynn, seconded by Commissioner Lettner, to recommend that the City Council approve the request by Summer Tuesdays for the use of Lots 7, 8a, 8b and 9 on August 4, 11, 18 and 25 at the standard rate of $1.50 per space per day. Prior to Council approval, River Market should submit their consent in writing to the City. All in favor. Parking Ramp rates Chairman Anderson noted that on June 1, City staff plans to activate the AirGarage mobile payment system for the parking garage. Because rates for the parking ramp have not been revised other than minor revisions since the ramp originally opened, staff recommended looking at the rate structure at this time. City Clerk Wolf said the Council has already approved the new rates recommended by staff. This item is just an FYI. The parking ramp will be free for June per City Council action. Motion by Chairman Anderson, seconded by Commissioner McAllister, to table a recommendation for the City Council on the resolution amending resolution 2020-001 adopting 2020 fee schedule. All in favor. COPY Downtown Parking Commission Meeting May 21, 2020 Page 4 of 6 UNFINISHED BUSINESS EV charging station Chairman Anderson led discussion on installing an EV charging station. Per the staff report, an estimate of 30,000 was received for the cost of installation of one or two electric vehicle charging stations on the fourth level of the municipal parking ramp. Installing the stations on the first level would reduce the estimated cost to $7,000. Staff therefore recommends declining the fourth level location and installing them on the first level instead. Staff recommends that the Commission authorize $5-6,000 in matching funds for the station, the rest to be raised through fundraising. Councilmember Junker remarked that Kevin Tholen from Sustainable Stillwater has ideas on various spots that would work well for additional charging stations. Commissioner McAllister pointed out that originally the Commission was resistant to taking prime parking spots out of the system for the charging stations. She wants to be clear whether this involves one or two electric charging spots. Kevin Tholen, Sustainable Stillwater, commented that he has identified a few other potential locations for EV charging stations that are not currently parking spaces such as behind the Water Street Inn, the parking lot by the Co-Op, and the yellow-lined space by Lucky’s Gas station. The original proposal was for a dual head charging station which would take two spaces. The City might eventually consider having an EV charging parking lot or locating the charging stations in different areas close to popular businesses. Commissioner Glynn pointed out these spots require power. He believes the Commission is OK with a couple parking spaces being used as long as there is not a huge cost to the City. Councilmember Junker added that the City could get reimbursed from the grant. He feels that two charging stations in the first level of the parking garage is a great start and then working with Mr. Tholen to determine other locations. Chairman Anderson said he is not convinced the first floor of the ramp is good location. He does not want to take prime parking spots for these units. There are probably good reasons why the possible spaces Mr. Tholen mentioned are not parking spaces currently. Mr. Tholen offered advantages of locating the charging stations in the parking ramp: shelter from rain, easier installation, wall-mounted units could be less expensive than pedestal mount. Addressing Commissioner Glynn’s concern about the other locations, each of the other locations he mentioned were near 220 power. Chairman Anderson suggested putting this back on the agenda for next month and asking Mr. Tholen to come back with the other locations for review. Mr. Tholen said he sent the slides to Councilmember Junker and Community Development Director Turnblad but he can send the information to others as well. Wendy (no last name given) asked if businesses need to apply to the Parking Commission to install chargers in their own private parking lots. Chairman Anderson replied no they do not. Motion by Commissioner McAllister, seconded by Chairman Anderson, to review Mr. Tholen’s report about the additional three places being recommended, and also get more information about options within the ramp specifically exact location and the impact on costs, and discuss at the next meeting. All in favor. COPY Downtown Parking Commission Meeting May 21, 2020 Page 5 of 6 Downtown Parking Study: next steps Transportation Planner Lance Bernard from HKGi led discussion of next steps in the Downtown Parking Study. He provided a draft of the study including an analysis of the City’s downtown parking system and recommendation for a series of nine strategies that would create efficiencies without major capital investments. An online questionnaire will be sent to the Commissioners to get responses to the draft plan. Chairman Anderson asked if the data was seasonally analyzed. Mr. Bernard replied that utilization counts were taken during the summer when there is high demand. He discussed which lots are under-utilized. He went on to explain how on-street parking is used. Stillwater has longer on-street time restrictions than most other communities, so the study recommends reducing those times to shift some of the users from the core to the under-utilized lots and ramp. This will be the mindset moving forward. A tool is being developed to help monitor use of parking. Better signage and wayfinding to the under-utilized lots is needed. Active enforcement is needed including after 6 p.m.. Technology can be explored to assist. Officer Pasket remarked that in addition to one full time parking enforcement employee, the City also employs one seasonal employee Thursday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mr. Bernard continued reviewing the rest of the strategies, including looking at parking regulations, continuing to work closely with the businesses, getting better information out to the public, recognizing that employees are also users of the system, beefing up a parking permit program for employees and implementing pay parking in more of the lots. Event parking is a big challenge and may require that plan B for some events means being further away from the river. He also acknowledged that residential parking needs must be addressed. He asked for input over the next week. He will bring the final plan to the June meeting for approval and then staff will take the plan to the City Council for adoption. Commissioner McAllister remarked that before completing discussion of the parking study, it would be helpful to have Mr. Bernard discuss with the Commission ways to address in the near term how the City can be responsive to the impacts of COVID-19 and impacts on parking. UPDATES Status of Downtown Events in light of COVID-19 Police Chief Gannaway reported that all downtown events are cancelled until the end of July. The Council is currently considering how to handle smaller events like weddings. Parking system and COVID-19: Chamber Letter Chief Gannaway stated that Mr. Turnblad is not at this morning’s meeting because staff has been charged by the Council to devise alternatives for opening up downtown beyond the curbside pickups, based on a letter from the Chamber. The Council is having an emergency meeting next Wednesday to discuss and adopt strategies. Staff is creating an application form for businesses that want to open up into a parking space for outdoor business. The City is doing its best to allow expansion of business footprints within legal parameters. For example, Main Street is a state highway so the City has no say in allowing business to expand there. The Council voted to allow alcohol in the park. The policy changes are City Council decisions, not staff or Commission. There will be a map of what is allowed where. City Clerk Wolf added that the “parklets” will only be allowed until November 1 and will then be removed for the winter. The Council will review events again once the Governor issues a new order. Commissioner Glynn remarked that now is probably a good time for business owners to tell their employees they must park up the hill to make sure the prime spots are open for customers. COPY Downtown Parking Commission Meeting May 21, 2020 Page 6 of 6 Chief Gannaway responded that the biggest problem with that is always how to enforce it. One-hour parking is a great suggestion and the Council could do that with a vote. Commissioner McAllister requested that a placeholder be put on the Commission agenda for June to review impacts of the Council’s decisions on the parking system and to review a map showing which businesses have permission to use parking spaces adjacent to their location for outdoor food/beverage service. City parking lot north of Zephyr Theater Chairman Anderson noted that the City has sent the Zephyr a notice that it would like to end the lease that transferred to them from David Paradeau; the lease requires a minimum one-year notice period before the lease can go away. The City also made a request to MnDOT for 18’, or as much as they can spare, of the excess ROW to the north of the area the Zephyr would like to expand for parking. Both of these actions have occurred so that the City can plan for the potential expansion of the parking lot to the North to accommodate up to 71 parking stalls (47 Zephyr/24 City). Commissioner Lepage disclosed that he is on the board of the Zephyr Theater, which is willing to work together with the City to maintain access to the future park and other users of the lot. Status of parking ramp transition to AirGarage No report. Election of officers City Clerk Wolf reminded the Commission that Chair and Vice Chair are usually elected in May. The Commission’s consensus was to table elections. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Chairman Anderson, seconded by Commissioner Johnson, to adjourn the meeting at 11:06 a.m. All in favor. Respectfully Submitted, Julie Kink, Recording Secretary Darin Anderson, Chair ATTEST: Beth Wolf, City Clerk COPY