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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-11-08 City Council Meeting MinutesPage 1 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE EDINA CITY COUNCIL NOVEMBER 8, 2023 7:00 P.M. I. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Hovland called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. then shared the procedure for public hearing and community comment. II. ROLLCALL Answering rollcall were Members Agnew, Jackson, Risser, Hovland. Absent: Member Pierce. III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IV. MEETING AGENDA APPROVED AS PRESENTED Member Jackson made a motion, seconded by Member Agnew, to approve the meeting agenda as presented. Ayes: Agnew, Jackson, Risser, Hovland Motion carried. V. COMMUNITY COMMENT Janey Westin, 6136 Brookview Avenue, shared safety concerns regarding the construction project at 4404 Valley View Road and proximity of the power poles in relation to the units. She spoke about Xcel Energy’s 12-foot rule with relation to windows then shared photos of power pole proximity to the building and about an incident that occurred in another area of the country that resulted in death. She then displayed a model that outlined the power pole proximity that could result in a power arc and injury. Owen Michaelson, 4520 West 56th Street, shared the November 7 election was conducted by Edina for the school district at a cost of $150,000, and schools were responsible for the fee. He said he presented at a recent school board meeting this information and the resulting comments by the school board chair who felt the amount should not be paid as there was an election already in place. He asked who was the responsible party for the school district election and if the district was at odds with the City’s interpretation of the fee. He added the residents need to understand who was responsible for election costs. V.A. CITY MANAGER’S RESPONSE TO COMMUNITY COMMENTS Manager Neal responded to past Community Comments then spoke about Mr. Michaelson’s concerns regarding election fees. He explained the City entered into a one-year agreement with the school district for elections which included a cap of $150,000 and the City’s pledge to track time and expenses for the district. He said the cap was in an up to amount, could be less, and staff was working to collect all costs. He noted staff would also follow up on potential safety concerns regarding the construction project at 4404 Valley View Road as raised by Ms. Westin. VI. CONSENT AGENDA ADOPTED AS AMENDED Member Risser made a motion, seconded by Member Jackson, approving the consent agenda as revised to remove Item VI.L., Traffic Safety Report of September 26, 2023, as follows: VI.A. Approve Minutes of the Worksession and Regular Meeting of October 17, 2023 VI.B. Approve Claims for Payment for Check Register Claims Pre-List Dated October 13, 2023-1 totaling $153,577.48; Check Register Claims Pre-List Dated October 16, 2023-1 totaling $78,247.28, Check Register Claims Pre-List Dated 10.16.23-2 TOTAL $1,310,875.84, Check Register Claims Pre-List Dated October 18, 2023-1 totaling $1,657.92, Check Register Claims Pre-List Dated October 18, 2023-2 totaling $5,257.23, Check Register Claims Pre-List Dated October 20, 2023, totaling $2,112,778.15, Check Minutes/Edina City Council/November 8, 2023 Page 2 Register Claims Pre-List Dated October 27, 2023, totaling $5,466.18, and Check Register Claims Pre-List Dated October 30, 2023, totaling $2,057,397.86 VI.C. Request for Purchase; Institution Community Work Crew Contract, awarding the bid to the recommended low bidder, State of Minnesota, $210,000 VI.D. Request for Purchase; Courtney Baseball Fields #2-4 Sports Lighting, awarding the bid to the recommended low bidder, Electro Mechanical Contractors, $103,980 and Musco Corporation, $359,000 VI.E. Waive Building Permit Fees for Courtney Baseball Fields #2-4 Sports Lighting VI.F. Receive Advisory Report; Arts and Culture Initiative, Street Art Policy and Practices VI.G. Adopt Resolution No. 2023-78; Setting Public Improvement Hearing Date for Concord B and C Neighborhood Roadway Reconstruction VI.H. Adopt Resolution No. 2023-79; Setting Public Improvement Hearing Date for Southdale B Neighborhood Roadway Reconstruction VI.I. Request for Purchase, Professional Services for 50th and Grange Improvements, awarding the bid to the recommended low bidder, Short Elliot Hendrickson, $246,000 VI.J. Request for Purchase, Promenade Pumping System Professional Services, awarding the bid to the recommended low bidder, Kimley Horn, $30,176.00 VI.K. Request for Purchase, Senior Center Water Intrusion Investigation and Repair, awarding the bid to the recommended low bidder, Rachel Contracting, $33,365 VI.L. Traffic Safety Report of September 26, 2023 VI.M. Request for Purchase, Neptune 360 H2O Meter Software and Hardware, awarding the bid to the recommended low bidder, $24,980 VI.N. Request for Purchase, Replacement of a Submersible Cable for Well 2, awarding the bid to the recommended low bidder, E.H. Renner & Sons, $21,500 VI.O. Request for Purchase, 911 Radio and Phone Recorder Replacement, awarding the bid to the recommended low bidder, Northland Business Systems, $27,905 VI.P. Request for Purchase, Handheld Robots, awarding the bid to the recommended low bidder, Recon Robotics, Inc., $77,996 VI.Q. Request for Purchase, Two 2024 Chevy Electric Blazers, awarding the bid to the recommended low bidder, North Country GM, $122,837 VI.R. Request for Purchase, 2024 Doge Durango, awarding the bid to the recommended low bidder, Dodge of Burnsville, $39,371 VI.S. Request for Purchase, Adobe Software Subscriptions, awarding the bid to the recommended low bidder, LOGIS, $25,671 VI.T. Request for Purchase, Fire Toughbook Replacements, awarding the bid to the recommended low bidder, Baycom, $64,518 VI.U. Request for Purchase, Fire Station 1 Fitness Equipment, awarding the bid to the recommended low bidder, 2nd Wind Exercise Equipment Inc., $24,314 VI.V. Approve 2024-2025 Union Contract for LELS Local 486 Sergeants VI.W. Approve 2024-2025 Union Contract for LELS Local 498 Patrol Rollcall: Ayes: Agnew, Jackson, Risser, Hovland Motion carried. ITEMS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA VI.L. TRAFFIC SAFETY REPORT OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2023 – RECEIVED The Council noted the City would be installing a warning sign for eastbound traffic for the Grandview Square area as recommended in the traffic safety report. Director of Engineering Millner shared the report noted pedestrians had pushed the crosswalk button 46% of the time and that 95% of cars stopped when the lights flashed and encouraged pedestrians to continue to use the button to safely cross the intersection. Member Jackson made a motion, seconded by Member Agnew, to receive the Traffic Safety Report of September 26, 2023. Ayes: Agnew, Jackson, Risser, Hovland Minutes/Edina City Council/November 8, 2023 Page 3 Motion carried. VII. SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS AND PRESENTATIONS VII.A. DECLARING NOVEMBER 19 WORLD DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR ROAD TRAFFIC VICTIMS – PROCLAIMED Member Risser made a motion, seconded by Member Jackson, to proclaim November 19 World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims in the City of Edina. Ayes: Agnew, Jackson, Risser, Hovland Motion carried. Member Risser shared about her loss of a loved one through road traffic violence, the importance of this proclamation, and ways to reduce crashes through messaging and public education. She noted Edina had lost many people in the past year as a result of reckless and inattentive driving and encouraged everyone to pay attention for the safety of staff and the entire public. VIII. PUBLIC HEARINGS Affidavits of Notice presented and ordered placed on file. VIII.A. RESOLUTION NO. 2023-80; 4917 EDEN AVENUE, MAISON GREEN, SIGN VARIANCE APPEAL – CONTINUED TO NOVEMBER 21, 2023 Assistant City Planner Boedecker shared that Edina resident Tom Tessman had appealed the Planning Commission’s decision to the City Council for an additional 39.9-square foot wall sign for Maison Green. She explained the PUD-21 zoning allowed signage on one wall sign for maximum of 12 square feet and that the applicant wanted an additional lighted sign on the south side in the amount of 39.9 square feet. She spoke about the practical difficulties shared by the applicant for reasonable use and that staff believed the request was reasonable given site’s unique location on Highway 100 and that granting the variance would not alter the character of the neighborhood. She shared the Planning Commission approved the variance request unanimously and requested the Council hold the public hearing and continue action until the November 21 meeting. The Council asked questions and provided feedback. City Attorney Kendall responded to questions of the Council that said approval of a variance would not create a precedent as each request had to be evaluated individually on its own merits. He noted while future applicants might refer to any variance approval regardless, the Council was not bound on decisions for future requests as a result of past requests. Dianne Blake, 5017 Yvonne Terrace, said they were residents and engaged members of Edina and offered perspective that seemed to be lacking from the Planning Commission. She argued the sign code did not meet statute requirements and spoke about reasonable, uniqueness, and essential character. She stated the claim that without signage the building would not be recognized was not reasonable as the building scale was very large and the public was able to locate other buildings on Highway 100 already, including through the use of GPS. She said no request was made for signage on the north side of the complex and felt this property was not unique as there were multiple buildings already in the Grandview area. Tom Tessman, 5017 Yvonne Terrace, spoke about essential character and felt nearby residents would be subjected to an illuminated sign 24/7 then shared photos of other buildings and their current signage. He said they believed the variance requirements had not been met regarding reasonableness, uniqueness, and essential character and that a variance for an additional, large-scale illuminated sign broke the established precedent and undermined the City’s climate action plan. Bjorn Bowman, Serigraphics Sign Systems, said the building was not easily visible at night and spoke to the scale being very understated. He said the sign copy would be the only portion lit as the background would be opaque and residents would see no light pollution. He said he believed this was not an overly large sign then shared how the brightness could be adjusted to control the lumens if necessary as well as hours as the Minutes/Edina City Council/November 8, 2023 Page 4 sign would likely be on a timer. He believed the sign would be similar to lighting coming from an actual apartment unit and supported the variance. The Council requested the property owner appear at the November 21, 2023, Council meeting with the reasons for the variance request. Mayor Hovland opened the public hearing at 8:07 p.m. Public Testimony Janey Westin, 6136 Brookview Avenue, addressed the Council. Daniel Eaton, 5712 Parkwood Lane, addressed the Council. Susan Lee, 6708 Pointe Drive, addressed the Council. Member Jackson made a motion, seconded by Member Agnew, to close the public hearing on November 12, 2023, and continue action on Resolution No. 2023-80, 4917 Eden Avenue, Maison Green, Sign Variance Appeal, to the November 21, 2023, meeting. Ayes: Agnew, Jackson, Risser, Hovland Motion carried. IX. REPORTS/RECOMMENDATIONS IX.A. RESOLUTION NO. 2023-81; ACCEPTING DONATIONS - ADOPTED Member Jackson introduced and moved adoption of Resolution No. 2023-81, accepting donations. Seconded by Member Agnew. Rollcall: Ayes: Agnew, Jackson, Risser, Hovland Motion carried. IX.B. SKETCH PLAN FOR 6600-6800 FRANCE AVENUE – REVIEWED Community Development Director Teague shared the applicants, Wildamere, Olympus Ventures, and HGA Architects were requesting consideration of a sketch plan review to redevelop a portion of the 22-acre parcel at 6600-6800 France. The applicants brought two sketch plan alternatives to the Planning Commission for review on September 27, 2023 and based on feedback had revised plans for Council consideration. The proposal now was to rezone the site back to the original zoning classification of POD, Planned Office District from the current PUD. The plans still included demolition of the middle buildings on the site (6750, 6740 and 6700 France) and construct a 3-4 story 85,000 square-foot medical office building and 8,500 square-foot restaurant. He said if a formal application was made the applicants had stated that they would bring forward a Code compliant plan with the POD standards. Mr. Teague noted setbacks shown on the revised plans appear to be code compliant with the POD Ordinance and more detailed plans would be required with a formal application to ensure code compliance. Shawn Smith, Wildamere, said they had been working on this project since 2008 and shared how many of Wildamere and Olympus Venture staff lived in the community and were excited to propose new 3-story, 85,000 square-foot medical building and 8,500 square-foot restaurant and associated parking structures. He said the project would be similar to the 2017 PUD Phase IV then shared two options for sketch plan for Planning Commission review. He said after consideration of building the PUD against constraints and stakeholder concerns they concluded the best course was to revert back to the POD zoning and create a medical building and not a typical office building. He said they were in support of the City and Chamber’s goals to create this area as medical destination with access to grade, covered parking options, and internal access to amenities. He spoke about the need for greater plumbing/electrical infrastructure and how the site was unique in overall size and constraints and challenges through commitments of existing tenants. He spoke about key sight lines maintenance, easement maintenance and preserving existing tree growth and how they intended to improve connectivity and visibility and incorporate the City’s guidelines for a gateway Minutes/Edina City Council/November 8, 2023 Page 5 project for the south France Avenue corridor. He spoke about increased medical access and the desire to welcome employees, residents and visitors to the Southdale neighborhood. He shared a general overview of the existing site conditions, outlined proposed parking, then spoke about easements that would serve the campus, the existing high-water tables and the resulting challenges with the goal of having a $50-$60 million investment for Southdale. Jason Vanslo, HGA, said he had worked on the project since 2019 and was a result of years to revitalize a cornerstone site. He spoke about creating a connected cohesive campus and keep the 6600 and 6800 buildings viable and thriving. He referred to the sensitivity to the adjacent Cornelius neighborhood and the goal to provide sufficient parking in recognition of the spirit of the Greater Southdale Area Guidelines. He said the project would serve both remote users and local residents to connect to a broader community that had pedestrian friendly parking experiences and would work to buffer internal traffic impacts and eliminate the right-out exit onto France Avenue to make the area more pedestrian-friendly. He referred to massing of the parking structure that was thoroughly studied and building placement and parking to support the goals of overall reduction of the site and generate a more engaging public realm. Mr. Vanslo shared further comments regarding the proposed project and outlined in detail the resulting public benefits of the project and how the project followed the Greater Southdale District Plan guidelines which included reduced density, elimination of hotel, residential and retail and reduced building square footage, then spoke more about the goals of the parking structure and their request for 150 more stalls for future phases. Shawn Smith, Wildamere, recognized the importance of building a project that reflected the quality of the surrounding neighborhood and the Southdale District and invited the Council to a tour the site to better outline the constraints and thanked them for their time and consideration. The Council asked questions and provided feedback. IX.C. RESOLUTION NO. 2023-82; UPDATE TO GATEWAY ALTERNATIVE URBAN AREAWIDE REVIEW (AUAR) – ADOPTED Mr. Teague shared the Gateway Study Area was approximately 135 acres, bounded by Highway 100 on the west, France Avenue on the east, 76th Street West, and the former Fred Richards Golf Course on the north, and Edina’s border with Bloomington on the south. The Study Area currently contained a mixture of light industrial/warehouse, commercial, office and residential uses with a total of 1,904,000 gross square feet (gsf) of these uses in the original existing conditions. The City adopted the final AUAR on November 5, 2007, and the City updated it in September 2013 and August 2018. Pursuant to Minnesota Rules 4410.3610 Subp. 7, for the AUAR to remain valid as the environmental review document for the area, the document needed to be updated every five years until all development in the study area had received final approval. Since not all redevelopment had received approval in the study area and another five years had passed, the purpose of this document was to update the AUAR pursuant to Minnesota Rules. Andi Moffatt, WSB, shared they conducted the original AUAR in 2007 and presented further updates to the Council that included the purpose was for a study area and not a specific development. She outlined the area included 135 acres of the Gateway Area and how the State reviewed document similar to an EAW that evaluated different development scenarios, included a mitigation plan, and provided a wider view of the area. She said the AUAR was valid and when an area redeveloped a guide plan was in place and a separate EAW was not needed. Ms. Moffatt spoke about what’s involved in an AUAR that evaluated what had developed, stated mitigation measures, updated the environmental review, and provided a 10-day agency and public comment period which recently ended. She outlined the comments received were in keeping with others with no significant issues and that some revisions were made as a result and suggested the Council adopt the AUAR update through 2023 and to continue updating as long as necessary then noted the addition of greenhouse gas analysis to the AUAR. The Council asked questions and provided feedback. Minutes/Edina City Council/November 8, 2023 Page 6 Member Jackson introduced and moved adoption of Resolution No. 2023-82, adopting the final Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) Update for the Gateway Study Area. Seconded by Member Risser. Rollcall: Ayes: Agnew, Jackson, Risser, Hovland Motion carried. X. COMMISSION CORRESPONDENCE (MINUTES AND ADVISORY COMMUNICATION) – Received X.A. MINUTES: ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT COMMISSION, SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 X.B. MINUTES: HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELATIONS COMMISSION, SEPTEMBER 26, 2023 X.C. MINUTES: ARTS AND CULTURE COMMISSION, AUGUST 24 AND SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 X.D. MINUTES: TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, SEPTEMBER 2, 2023 XI. MANAGER’S COMMENTS – Received XI.A. CITY MANAGER ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION XII. MAYOR AND COUNCIL COMMENTS – Received XIII. ADJOURNMENT Member Agnew made a motion, seconded by Member Jackson, to adjourn the meeting at 9:53 p.m. Ayes: Agnew, Jackson, Risser, Hovland Motion carried. Respectfully submitted, Sharon Allison, City Clerk Minutes approved by Edina City Council, November 21, 2023. James B. Hovland, Mayor Video Copy of the November 8, 2023, meeting available. Sharon Allison (Nov 22, 2023 08:35 CST)