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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-11-30 CC MIN Special Joint Meeting with CPC Sitlwater 216 4th Street N, Stillwater, MN 55082 `+� � . _�— 651-430-8800 the 8 ThpI ce N9irsresc www.ci.stillwater.mn.us JOINT MEETING MINUTES OF CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION November 30, 2020 SPECIAL MEETING 7:00 P.M. Planning Chairman Lauer called the meeting to order via Zoom at 7:00 p.m. Present: Mayor Kozlowski, Councilmembers Collins,Junker, Polehna and Weidner Planning Commission Chairman Lauer, Commissioners Dybvig, Hansen, Kocon, Steinwall Absent: Commissioner Meyhoff Staff present: Community Development Director Turnblad City Planner Wittman NEW BUSINESS Neighborhood Commercial Zoning District and Community Mixed Use Zoning District Discussion Community Development Director Turnblad provided background on the purpose of the discussion. The Stillwater 2040 Comprehensive Plan envisions the creation of several new zoning districts. These zoning districts are included within the Comprehensive Plan's "Highway Mixed Use"and "Neighborhood Commercial"future land use categories. Recently the City adopted the first of the two planned zoning districts associated with the Highway Mixed Use land use category. This first zoning district was given the land use category's name and was called the Highway Mixed Use (HMU) Zoning District. It is on the north end of the south side of the Highway 36 corridor.The other zoning district is called Community Mixed Use. The CMU District is intended for areas that are currently developed as commercial that would be redeveloped as mixed use. Mr. Turnblad explained that the goal of the HMU is to allow the addition of high density residential to the commercial mix. In addition to living units (apartments or condos), other permitted uses would be parks, early childhood education, commercial greenhouses, hospitals, home occupations and Type C short term home rentals. This district is generally a melding of the uses in the BP-C district, the Central Business District downtown, and general commercial districts that are currently scattered around the City.The following uses would not be allowed in the CMU:warehousing,wholesales,automotive,and industrial uses. The CMU would not follow the same zoning standards as other zoning districts. It looks at new forms of development, called "form-based standards" which are different from traditional zoning district standards. He introduced Jeff Miller and Laura Chamberlain with HKGi. Mr. Miller described that building form standards include upper floors stepped back from the front of the building, principal entrance placement visible from the street, street facade articulation (to prevent long, flat building fronts) and transparency (to avoid blank walls). City Council Meeting November 30, 2020 Building placement standards include building to zone, building street frontage, and off- street parking. The build-to zone uses a maximum setback rather than a minimum setback. Mr. Turnblad added that a major difference between traditional standards and form-based standards is employing minimum setbacks rather than maximum setbacks,giving buildings an active street presence and putting parking out of view. Mr.Miller explained CMU massing standards.Building height maximum is 55'or five stories, whichever is greater, and minimum height is two stories.The third story and above must be set back to reduce the perception of the scale of the building. No lot area minimum is proposed. Front and side yard setbacks adjacent to a street (build-to zone) would have a maximum setback in addition to a minimum setback. Minimum side and rear yard setbacks are smaller than traditional; this allows for higher density development that is more walkable. The minimum percentage of the building that needs to be in the build-to zone is 75%. Street articulation means that every 40' there is some sort of projected or recessed element. This contributes to the walkability of the area. Street facade transparency only applies to the first level; non-tinted, clear windows are required for the ground floor. The lowest level must have 60' transparency for mixed use or 20% for residential uses. Other massing standards include no parking between the building and the street;a public entrance is required for building facades facing public streets, parks or plazas; and the maximum distance between entrances would be 70'. Councilmember Junker noted that allowing 55' high buildings east of Highway 5, past Greeley Street, caught his attention. He also asked what percentage of the third and higher stories must be stepped back. Mr. Turnblad replied that the step-back from the front would be applied to any portion of the building abutting a public street, park, or other public space. Currently the BP-C has a maximum height of 40'whereas the CA District does not have a height limitation. The idea is that the first floor would be commercial with the upper stories being residential. Councilmember Weidner asked about the height allowance and questioned where the building occupants will park; and Mr. Turnblad replied the goal is to make it attractive and feasible to put housing above commercial. Maybe it could be limited to three stories but he is not sure that two residential stories above commercial would be economically feasible. With a shorter building, parking must go underground which drives up the development cost. Councilmember Weidner pointed out that three stories with underground parking was able to be achieved downtown. If commercial use is accommodated,then there would need to be surface level parking as well. City Planner Wittman noted that the 55'height was just a carryover from the HMU as a base point. She asked if the Council feels that is too tall. Councilmember Junker stated his initial reaction is that it is too tall, but is open to discussion. Mr.Turnblad added that the City is not requiring that the second story is residential, it is an encouragement. Page 2 of 6 City Council Meeting November 30, 2020 Mayor Kozlowski asked how much of the proposed area is open for redevelopment; and Mr. Turnblad answered that over time, everything out there will redevelop. The City would encourage properties to be developed in this fashion. Commissioner Hansen noted it sounds like there is opposition to going to five stories. As busy as Highway 36 is getting, having a sound buffer (from the extra height) would be beneficial. Councilmember Junker noted that there are no five story buildings off of Highway 36. He added that first floor commercial with residential above creates noise and inconvenience for residential occupants; this has been challenging in this type of development although it has become popular. Councilmember Weidner agreed, adding that this is not a walkable area in the first place. There is almost no pedestrian traffic there now. Commissioner Steinwall asked would Highway 36 be considered a street and require step backs; and Mr. Turnblad answered the step back would be applied from the frontage road so there would be articulation along the highway. Commissioner Steinwall noted if the minimums were only 5'on either side,that could result in big buildings with only 10'between them.She inquired if zero lot line construction should be considered; and Mr.Turnblad replied that is certainly a possibility. Mayor Kozlowski stated he would not want to require a second story in this district as it could be an obstacle to redevelopment of some sites that need to be redeveloped soon.If the City allows a second story but does not require it, does that deter some types of development that do not want to be next to big box development; and Mr. Turnblad answered that requiring a second story helps support mixed use and forces new development patterns. Ms. Wittman reminded the Council that the 2040 Comp Plan calls for this area to have greater housing density. Mayor Kozlowski recalled discussion that the City was mostly built out and the Met Council was not looking to increase density very much in Stillwater. Mr. Turnblad responded that the Met Council has density and affordable housing requirements for the metro area as a whole. Stillwater has been assigned a certain number of affordable housing units that it is expected to meet by 2030 in order to be eligible for certain funding revenue streams. This is one opportunity for adding housing units within a commercial area. Mayor Kozlowski voiced concern that requiring a second story could have an adverse effect on redevelopment, especially for properties that are already underutilized, for example the Herbergers site. He would like to see case studies of other communities that have implemented these requirements and see what kind of developments they have attracted. Councilmember Polehna stated he feels that allowing 55' heights ruins the character of the entrance of Stillwater and is not very appealing. Page 3 of 6 City Council Meeting November 30, 2020 Chairman Lauer remarked that part of the problem is that if you put one 55' tall building there now, and everything else does not get redeveloped for a long time, it will look out of character. Commissioner Hansen agreed that this district would be a great place to hide some density. He referred to Woodbury's Citywalk,which is likely close to 55'tall.He feels that 55'heights along Highway 36 is appropriate. Commissioner Kocon told how the addition of a senior high-rise among one to two story buildings along Central Avenue in NE Minneapolis worked well. If the high density residential does not go in this area, he questioned where it would go in Stillwater. Councilmember Junker noted that the current Lakeview Hospital site will be redeveloped in the future,when the hospital moves. This could be a site for multi-family housing. Commissioner Dybvig questioned what the City wants this area to look like in 20 years.The City needs to give signals to developers about its vision.The area is not going to be terribly walkable at first,but once there is more residential mixed in, it will become more walkable. Business models are changing, including the hotel industry and the big box stores, so there is a lot of potential for redevelopment of this area. Councilmember Weidner stated that it seems like allowing five stories throughout the entire area would be out of character. Why stop at five stories, why not give the option of 10 stories? Commissioner Kocon commented that five stories is a compromise; there are areas that could be redeveloped in the short term. Certain business models are failing and changing. Commissioner Steinwall indicated that when talking about proscriptive development and concerns for minimums, the City may not want to require multi-use within multi-family. Could it be allowed,but not required? Mixing commercial with residential may be a fad that may pass, and she would worry about locking into the zoning code something that would not be as appealing in the future. Mr. Turnblad pointed out that the zoning requires mixed use. The ground level has to be 66%non-residential.This does not preclude ground level residential,but it cannot be 100% residential. Commissioner Hansen stated he would not want to see a lot of apartment complexes along Highway 36. He is in favor of mixed use, because this area is the primary commercial/retail space in town. If the City allows five or 10 stories, developers are going to request five or 10 stories; development always maximizes the allowable space. Councilmember Weidner agreed that developers will always say they cannot do it in five stories -they will ask for six stories. Mayor Kozlowski commented that four stories is plenty; 55'seems too high in this location. Ms. Wittman summarized the conversation thus far: along Highway 36, the group is not opposed to multi-use, but there is some concern about requiring it in upper stories; and higher heights are more appropriate along Highway 36 than further back. Staff will review other communities' requirements and what the development patterns look like. Page 4 of 6 City Council Meeting November 30, 2020 Mr. Turnblad went on to review the proposed Neighborhood Commercial (NC) Zoning District. The 2040 Comp Plan calls for preservation of historic commercial properties scattered throughout the City, such as neighborhood grocery stores. These are presently legal nonconforming uses. The NC District would create a new use column in the zoning table to allow the uses that are there.The most inclusive district is CMU,which allows almost everything, whereas NC would be least inclusive and the most restrictive; its goal is to provide services for the neighborhoods that surround it.This would legitimize existing uses. Massing standards require buildings close to the street with parking, if available,in the rear or side with screening.Front doors would be near the sidewalk and any outdoor commercial activities would cease by 10 p.m. It has not been determined whether design review should be required. Ms.Wittman added that this district is not necessarily about specific businesses but, rather, preservation of pocket commercial areas, for example, allowing a commercial business in a neighborhood to be rebuilt if it burns down. Mr. Turnblad pointed out that another option would be to rezone these areas to general commercial,but that is a very liberal zoning district and staff does not want to open the door to a wide spectrum of commercial activity. Commissioner Steinwall asked if all of these potentially neighborhood commercial areas are in the historic districts,except perhaps the one by Owens Street;and Ms.Wittman answered that they are in the Neighborhood Conservation District. In that district, at present only residential construction is reviewed. Commissioner Hansen asked if the goal is to legitimize existing commercial in residential areas, as opposed to allowing for new commercial areas to pop up; and Mr.Turnblad replied that the point is if the currently non-conforming use ceases or the building burns down, it allows them to be reused. Ms.Wittman stated it would legitimize historically commercial buildings.She added that the area of Fourth &Churchill is not intended to be downzoned. Commissioner Hansen acknowledged it is important to have neighborhood shops and to allow existing buildings to rebuild as they are now, if for example the building burns down. Commissioner Steinwall remarked that a funeral parlor use as stated in the use table may not be appropriate for this district. Mr.Turnblad acknowledged this is the time to discuss possible uses that should be taken off that may not feel right in a residential neighborhood. Commissioner Hansen stated he would like to see more uses permitted by Conditional Use Permit, for instance neighborhood drugstores. Councilmember Junker stated he supports the concept of legitimizing these businesses with their own zone, for instance businesses like Just for Me, Nelsons, and Lens. Councilmember Collins agreed. Commissioner Steinwall asked about the automotive facility at Owens and Mulberry; and Mr. Turnblad replied that is already zoned commercial; staff is not suggesting downzoning it. Page 5 of 6 City Council Meeting November 30, 2020 Commissioner Steinwall suggested that design review should encourage a design that is consistent with the neighborhood. Commissioner Dybvig agreed that design review for neighborhood commercial is appropriate. Ms. Wittman stated that there are currently no design review standards for commercial uses in residential areas. This would require discussion of what is appropriate for review: just signage, signage plus materials, a threshold of a certain percentage being demolished, etc. Commissioner Hansen remarked that commercial spaces should not be made to look like a residential area. He likes the little commercial nodes through the City. Mr. Turnblad thanked the Council and the Commission for their direction. Another workshop will be scheduled in the future. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Councilmember Weidner, seconded by Councilmember Dunker, to adjourn. All in favor. The meeting was adjourned at 8:46 p.m. ATTE (tvid Beth Wolf, City Clerk - Page 6 of 6 Ted Kozjpwski, Mayor. Chris Lauer, Chairman Planning Commission