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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-02-18 DTPC MIN DOWNTOWN PARKING COMMISSION MEETING February 18, 2021 Chair McAllister called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. Present: Chair McAllister, Commissioners Anderson, Glynn, Hopfe, Johnson, LePage, Lettner, Council Liaison Junker Absent: None Staff present: Zoning Administrator Tait, Community Development Director Turnblad, Parking Enforcement Officer Pasket, Police Chief Mueller APPROVAL OF MINUTES Approval of minutes of December 17, 2020 meeting Motion by Chair McAllister seconded by Commissioner Anderson, to approve the December 17, 2020 meeting minutes. All in favor. OPEN FORUM There were no public comments NEW BUSINESS Event Permit for Opera on the River Zoning Administrator Tait reported that St. Croix Valley Opera (formerly Operatunity Theatre), is requesting permission to hold another Opera on the River event this year. The event is taking place August 6 and 7 from 12-9 p.m., with August 8 as a reserved rain-day. Set-up will occur August 6 from 6 a.m.-noon, and clean-up August 7 from 5-10 p.m. The main stage concert will take place on Saturday evening, however in the event of inclement weather this will be moved to a Sunday matinée. As proposed, with no flood-related issues, the event will take place entirely in Lowell Park with no impact to the parking system. In the event of flooding, “Plan B” will impact the parking system for two to three days, depending on the weather. Plan B shifts the liquor tents and portapotties a bit east into Lot 9 along the edge of Lowell Park and the VIP seating area, main stage and artist’s tent will be relocated to Lot 5. Staff recommends approval to utilize Lots 5 and 9 in the event of flooding, August 6-7 for a cost of $222 or $333 if Downtown Parking Commission Meeting February 18, 2021 Page 2 of 7 inclement weather necessitates the use for August 8 as well. Motion by Commissioner Hopfe, seconded by Chair McAllister, to approve “Opera on the River 2021” to utilize Lot 5 and Lot 9 in the event of flooding, August 6-7, for a cost of $222 or $333 (if there is inclement weather on August 7, parking will be impacted August 8 as well). All in favor. 200 E Chestnut Building - Variance to the Zoning Code Parking Requirements Community Development Director Turnblad reviewed the application. 200 Chestnut Street Partners, LLC, owner of the 200 East Chestnut block, would like to demolish the existing building and parking garage and construct a market rate apartment building with 61 apartments and 73 underground parking spaces. Since originally proposing the project, the developer has reduced the number of units from 73 to 61. The City’s Zoning Code requires 1.5 stalls per apartment (regardless of number of bedrooms) and 1 stall of guest parking for every three apartments. By these standards, 112 parking spaces are required (92 for residents and 20 for guests). Since the property has 73 spaces, the Zoning Code would say a 39 space deficit exists. However, the developer’s traffic engineer calculated that the parking demand for the building will be less than the 73 spaces being provided. Therefore, the developer is requesting that the City grant a variance of 39 spaces. The City’s traffic engineering consultant (SRF) suggests that it would be more appropriate if the peak parking demand were identified as a range of 64 – 108 spaces for the 73 units. Staff suggests using 108 as the parking need in this case. If 108 is used as the parking standard for this building, then the project’s 73 on-site spaces would be in a deficit of 35 spaces. Further, staff finds that the total number of mitigation spaces with this project would remain under the 20% limit that has been applied in the past. Therefore, the 35 potential mitigation spaces could be accommodated in the public system, especially given the close proximity to the Municipal Parking Ramp. Chairwoman McAllister noted that the municipal parking ramp has a waiting list for residential permits. She questioned if the City needs to expand the number of permits in the ramp in order to accommodate overnight residential parking. Mr. Turnblad reviewed the Commission’s options: 1) grant the variance without requiring compensation for the 35 space deficit; 2) require mitigation for the deficit; or 3) recommend denial and require the project to have enough spaces to service their own needs. If the DTPC allows mitigation, it could require that the 35 permits be purchased every month at $10 per space per month. The permits would likely be used for guests. Another option is that guests would park in the ramp at the standard fee. Chairwoman McAllister asked if any precedents have been set in other residential projects that have allowed for mitigation. Mr. Turnblad replied that no new buildings since about 2005 have been approved for mitigation. They have all had all parking on site. The only exceptions have been reuse of existing buildings where upper stories of commercial buildings have been converted to residential and the City has allowed for mitigation. Downtown Parking Commission Meeting February 18, 2021 Page 3 of 7 Commissioner Anderson voiced support for the project, but he feels it must be able to contain its own parking, especially because there many bedrooms and residents will likely have more than one car. He also questioned 30% of the parking being compact cars only. Commissioner Hopfe asked about the current situation of the Armory redevelopment which had parking issues. Mr. Turnblad replied the Armory is being converted to large apartments, possibly with some office space. It was dramatically downsized from the original proposal so it easily meets parking requirements with no demand for offsite parking. Joel Hauck, AIA, ESG Architecture & Design, explained the entire site is a zero lot line development. They cannot go deeper into the ground to provide additional parking due to the water table. Residents will enter from Union Alley and traverse down into the parking area. Nick Walton, Reuter Walton Development, applicant, stated that he already owns this property and it is currently vacant. His firm has developed 4,000 apartment units in the state. The parking ratio was calculated from demand relative to different unit sizes, and smaller for-rent units, rather than larger for-sale units. A 73 to 61 ratio would be the heaviest parking ratio in the firm’s whole portfolio. Commissioner Anderson countered that this block is one of the City’s biggest hot spots for parking. Mr. Walton reiterated that the 73 to 61 ratio is very heavy because guests have other parking options including the parking ramp, where $6 for overnight is extremely reasonable. Ari Parritz, Reuter Walton Development, explained how parking demand for each unit type was calculated. For studios, a half space per unit is average. One bedrooms have 1 parking space per unit. This is .2-.3 higher than they would see in Minneapolis. One bedroom with dens are 1.1 spaces and two bedroom units have almost 2 full parking spaces. Two bedroom penthouses have 2 full parking spaces per unit. Typically their parking garages don’t operate at 100% capacity. Commissioner Anderson asked if parking is assigned. Mr. Walton responded yes. Parking Enforcement Officer Pasket asked if all residents would be required to pay for parking or can they opt out and not pay for parking, therefore putting them back on the public parking system. Mr. Walton replied tenants are not required to rent one of their stalls. Some do not have cars. Commissioner Glynn asked where bikes and scooters would park. Mr. Hauck explained bicycle and scooter parking is in all corners of the garage. Mr. Walton added there are bike spots for every unit and they also hang bikes vertically on columns. Downtown Parking Commission Meeting February 18, 2021 Page 4 of 7 Commissioner Hopfe commented the number of parking stalls needed per unit seems small. Two bedroom units would probably have two drivers, for instance. Stillwater lacks the public transportation available in other metro areas. Mr. Parritz answered their parking calculations are 30-40% higher than in metro areas where public transportation is available. If they don’t provide enough parking spaces, they will not be able to rent the units. They believe the numbers are sufficient. Councilmember Junker pointed out that 38 units, or 62% of the 61 total, are projected to have one car. He thinks that for Stillwater, that ratio is extremely low. He lives in a building downtown with 66 units and 132 parking spaces, two per unit, and it’s full. The Lofts, Mills and Terras Springs, the three big projects in downtown, have put no burden on public parking. Mr. Walton argued that for-sale units versus for-rent units generate different parking needs. He asked about the mix of unit sizes in those other developments. Councilmember Junker said that at a Chamber presentation month ago, this development’s rental cost was stated to be $1,390-3,100. Those are expensive units that will likely require two renters to afford the rent. Mr. Walton stated since the presentation, the rental cost has gone down. The three units on the top floor are now $2,800. Those units will have 1.75-2 stalls per unit. The units that rent for $1,395 will have between 1/2 and 1 stall. A smaller unit has less need for parking than a larger, for-sale unit. Councilmember Junker said residents living downtown want to park inside, extremely close to where they are living to bring in groceries etc. To park 1-2 blocks away in a brand new facility, whether it’s owned or rental, is a major inconvenience. Chairwoman McAllister asked if there are loading or drop-off zones proposed. Mr. Hauck answered there are no loading or drop-off zones planned. Commissioner Anderson remarked the tight turn of the entrance on Union Alley will probably spark a request for vacating another on-street parking space. Commissioner Hopfe said there have been snowplow and winter parking issues on Union Alley. Chairwoman McAllister asked if any private business parking has been being allowed on this site which would be displaced by the project. Mr. Walton replied no. Commissioner Anderson remarked he sees no difference in parking demand between an owned unit and a rental unit. He agrees that more parking will be needed. Commissioner Lettner said some on-street spaces might be lost to accommodate trash pickup. Officer Pasket said large semis often park in Union Alley for food deliveries, which would block the northeast access to the building. That is more of an issue than the trash trucks. Commissioner Hopfe noted that since the pandemic, people are getting deliveries to their homes every day. A building with this many units should have an area for delivery vehicles. Downtown Parking Commission Meeting February 18, 2021 Page 5 of 7 Councilmember Junker stated the City Council is adamant about large developments not putting the burden for parking on City streets. There’s a huge difference between a person coming to shop/eat, versus residents whose car is there 24 hours a day. $350/month or $4,200/year for parking permits provides nothing - it’s almost a gift to the development. Mr. Walton pointed out that of Stillwater’s available spaces, City figures state there is 12% utilization and the impact of adding 20 cars would increase it from 12% to 14%. It was staff’s opinion in the staff report that that was an appropriate burden that the system could handle. Mr. Turnblad stated he does not doubt that the system can handle it now but the Commissioners are also correct in that other projects in the future that will be built along Second Street will place additional demands on the system. The cumulative effect will be that after all these projects are completed, the system will be beyond capacity. Councilmember Junker commented that mitigation was really created for business parking, not residential parking. The City has not previously used mitigation to handle overnight resident parking. He questioned the 32-33% of the parking in this project that is compact parking, saying there have been issues with other projects around getting vehicles into those tight spaces. Mr. Hauck answered the two-way traffic aisle of 22’ is very sufficient for someone to back out. They believe this works for a private ramp. Commissioner Hopfe noted the Commission must consider the impact of many people coming down to use the trails. Last summer, when several businesses were closed, the lots were full. Chairwoman McAllister said she would like to better understand residential permitting in the overnight parking lots. For residential mitigation, all that matters for this project are lots 14, 15 and the ramp. There should be a drop off point for residents to unload groceries; they will want to park in the closest place possible and preferably covered in the winter. If they can’t get a residential permit in the municipal ramp, they will not want to pay daily. Officer Pasket said the parking permits, business or residential, permit the holder to park in the 4 hour or permit lots. He feels selling permits for the ramp is probably not a good idea because it would not turn over that parking. Mr. Turnblad added that the City may only sell 10% of the spaces in the ramp for permits because it was financed with tax increment financing. There is a waiting list for residential permits for the ramp, so for this project, basically the ramp would be used for guests, who would pay each day. Chairwoman McAllister commented that in peak season, the overnight lots along the river are often closed for events, forcing residents to park further west. Commissioner Glynn said everyone benefits from having visitors in town, but he shares the concerns about residential parking because there are other apartment buildings downtown. He doesn’t want to stand in the way of progress and feels that something should be developed in this empty building, Downtown Parking Commission Meeting February 18, 2021 Page 6 of 7 Mr. Parritz reminded the Commission that the calculations were based on the Institute for Traffic Engineers data which is considered the gold standard for data used to project parking demand. Stillwater is unique but the data is supported by 100s and 1000s of similar projects. Councilmember Junker reiterated that he thinks people living downtown will want a parking place where they live. Mr. Walton said the project cannot add more parking even if architects disagree that it needs more, and they also cannot reduce the unit count any further and still obtain a mortgage. Their data says they are handling all the residents, the City’s data says they aren’t. For this project to happen, they have to figure out how to work together. Commissioner Glynn asked, what is the project timetable for this and the Shorty’s lot ramp? Mr. Turnblad replied, officially there is no plan for a municipal ramp in Lot 14. He is sure this developer would like to begin construction this year. Mr. Walton added this proposal will go before the Planning Commission in one week and the Council March 2, with a goal of breaking ground this summer, followed by 12 months of construction. There is no backup plan and the project can’t go lower, wider or higher. They are investing $18-20 million. Commissioner LePage remarked that the issue of whether the City is open to mitigation for residential parking would be setting a precedent. This could be tabled so the City can identify a mitigation plan to consider for residential developments moving forward. He agreed that the project will add tremendous value to downtown. Tabling it and revising it next month might be the best option. Commissioner Johnson suggested tabling the application for a month for more discussion on how business and residential mitigation can work hand in hand. Mr. Turnblad explained that without a recommendation from the DTPC, the project can go to the Planning Commission but it may not progress to the Council for the public hearing. Chairwoman McAllister said she disagrees with tabling it for more information because there will probably not be any different information. However, more discussion around the City’s overall approach to residential mitigation is needed. She asked, if the Commission recommends denial of both the variance and the mitigation on the grounds that the Commission is not comfortable making a recommendation related to residential mitigation at this point in time, is that a bridge to be able to pass the application to the Council? Mr. Turnblad replied that the Commission has the option of passing a case on without any recommendation. If it is tabled, it doesn’t go to the Council but if the Commission takes action one way or another, it does move to the Council. Commissioner Lettner remarked if tabling it jeopardizes the project, the Commission could recommend approval and the Council could still discuss it further. Motion by Commissioner Johnson, seconded by Commissioner Glynn, to approve the 35 space parking deficit for the project at 200 Chestnut Street East, per Option 2 in the staff report. Motion passed 5-2 with Commissioner Anderson and Chairwoman McAllister voting nay. Downtown Parking Commission Meeting February 18, 2021 Page 7 of 7 2021 Downtown Parking Maps Mr. Turnblad provided updated maps of the downtown parking system with changes made this year. He asked that Commissioners give feedback by the end of the week. Rate in Lot 2 and Revenue Control System for Lots 1 and 2 Mr. Turnblad explained that it may be time to reconsider raising the rate in Lot 2 from $3/day to $5/day to be consistent with Lot 1. Several years ago the increase in Lot 2 was considered as part of a larger program, but adding the other pay lots garnered so much opposition that the Commission and Council dropped consideration of any rate increases. It may also be timely to begin a discussion on the revenue collection systems for Pay Lots 1 and 2. Staff asks the Commission to consider: 1) making a recommendation to the City Council to raise the rate in Lot 2 to $5/day, and 2) to begin a discussion on potentially changing revenue systems in the pay lots. Consensus of the Commission was to wait until 2022 to review the rates due to business implications of the COVID pandemic. Dashboard Permits Mr. Turnblad stated that since COVID protocols adopted by the City Council have suspended payment for the monthly parking permits, staff has not begun issuing revised permits for 2021 yet. He led discussion of the permit format for input from the Commission. CONTINUING BUSINESS Work Plan Mr. Turnblad briefly reviewed nine strategies identified in the Parking Capacity Study and asked for input as to how the Commission would like to see these strategies addressed. He will set up a special meeting for further discussion in March. ADJOURNMENT Chair McAllister adjourned the meeting at 10:44 a.m. Heidi McAllister, Chair ATTEST: Beth Wolf, City Clerk