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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-11-29 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes RegularREVISED AGENDA REGULAR MEETING OF THE EDINA PLANNING COMMISSION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2000 7:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS 4801 WEST 50TH STREET I. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: November 1, 2000 II. OLD BUSINESS: S-00-5 Preliminary Plat Approval JMS Properties Brookside Heights III. ADJOURNMENT: MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE EDINA PLANNING COMMISSION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2000 5:30 P.M. EDINA COUNCIL CHAMBERS 4801 WEST 50 TH STREET MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: Chair, Gordon Johnson, David Byron, John Lonsbury, Ann Swenson, Helen McClelland, Geof Workinger, Charles Ingwalson and Lorelei Bergman David Runyan Craig Larsen and Jackie Hoogenakker I. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: The minutes of the November 1, 2000, meeting were filed and corrected as recommended by Commissioner Ingwalson. II. OLD BUSINESS: Preliminary Plat JMS, Inc. S-00-5 Brookside Heights Mr. Larsen informed the Commission the Planning Commission reviewed a five lot, zero lot line development of this property at their November 1, 2000, meeting. That proposal was viewed under multi-family zoning standards, and would have required a rezoning of the property. After hearing testimony and comments from the Commission the request was withdrawn. The proponent has now submitted a revised plan which illustrates a 4 lot conventional plat. The new plan is a Single Dwelling Unit subdivision which does not require a rezoning. Mr. Larsen concluded although all of the lots require some variances, this is a development that fits its neighborhood. The most important measure, lot width, fits the development pattern in the Brookside Heights neighborhood. The numbers are skewed because this property is at the edge of the neighborhood causing the larger lots to the north and west to become part of the formula. The best way to ensure that the new houses are compatible in size and scale with existing homes is to provide a similar lot width. The one and a half story homes the developer intends to build would be compatible. Staff recommends preliminary plat approval, including the requested variances conditioned on: 1. Final Plat approval 2. Subdivision dedication 3. Watershed District permits The proponent, Mr. Jeff Schoenwetter was present to respond to questions. Interested neighbors were also present. Commissioner Swenson asked Mr. Larsen if he knows the age of the homes build on Interlachen Boulevard at Oxford Avenue. Mr. Larsen said he believes those homes were constructed in the 1970's. Commissioner McClelland commented in reviewing the revised plans she found it curious to note the smallest lot is proposed to be located on the corner. Commissioner McClelland said in her opinion a corner lot needs to be larger allowing for greater setbacks from the side street. Commissioner Bergman asked Mr. Larsen if he knows the setback of the house directly to the east (fronting Interlachen Boulevard) of the subject site. Mr. Larsen said he believes the setback of that house in 70 feet. Mr. Larsen asked the Commission to note because of the vacated alley and the 50 foot NSP easement that house is not contiguous to the subject site and therefor is not used to establish setback. Commissioner Workinger asked if the current home fronts Interlachen Boulevard. Mr. Larsen clarified there are two homes involved with this process, the home located at 5343 Interlachen Boulevard fronts Interlachen Boulevard, and the home located at 5012 Oxford Avenue fronts Oxford Avenue. Commissioner Swenson asked Mr. Larsen if he could explain the required setbacks for 50 foot lots. Mr. Larsen said on lots less than 75 feet in width the side street setback is 15 feet, the rearyard setback is 25 feet, and the interior sideyard setback is 5 feet. Mr. Larsen asked the Commission to note for an interior sideyard setback the sideyard setback shall be increased by 6 inches for each foot the building height exceeds 15 feet. Mr. Schoenwetter addressed the Commission and explained he has been in the development business for 15 years and he believes the concept he is presenting this evening suits this neighborhood. Continuing, Mr. Schoenwetter said the proposal allows for choice in home style while maintaining the character of the immediate Brookside Heights neighborhood. Mr. Schoenwetter said the main floor of each house will be around 1300 square feet, and if a one and 1/2 story house is selected an additional 800 square feet can be added. Mr. Schoenwetter added if property owners choose a finished basement that would 2 roughly add an additional 1200 square feet to each house style. Mr. Schoenwetter told the Commission in his opinion the market is ready for this style of development, adding he believes the proposed homes will sell very quickly. Commissioner Ingwalson asked Mr. Schoenwetter if he has set a price range for the proposed homes. Mr. Schoenwetter said the homes will range in price from the low 300's to 500 thousand dollars. Commissioner Bergman asked Mr. Schoenwetter if he has picked a house style for the corner lot. Mr. Schoenwetter said the style of all homes will be picked by the client. Commissioner Bergman questioned exterior building materials. Mr. Schoenwetter responded the client can request different exterior materials, but he believes most will be some form of stucco/brick or shakes/brick, etc. Commissioner Swenson inquired if this is considered a single lot subdivision. Mr. Larsen said that is correct. The proposal is now for single family detached, not a PRD zoning as originally proposed. Mr. Miller, 5340 Hollywood Road, addressed the Commission and informed them he lives within the 500 foot neighborhood. Mr. Miller said he believes what is proposed is a high quality project, but in his opinion it belongs somewhere else. Mr. Miller asked the Commission to reject the subdivision request, adding he believes this corner relates more to the homes along Interlachen Boulevard, and not to the homes that fall within the Brookside Heights plat. Mr. Peter Leenders, 5317 Hollywood Road, told the Commission he believes if this proposal were to be approved the general appearance of the neighborhood would change. Mr. Leenders said the subject property relates to the properties along Interlachen Boulevard, and the majority of homes along Interlachen Boulevard maintain large frontyard setbacks with larger lots. Concluding, Mr. Leenders invited the Commission to read the setback requirements from the Zoning Ordinance, and acknowledge it will be difficult for the corner house to maintain the proper setbacks. Concluding, Mr. Leenders said more neighbors would have appeared at this hearing but no notification was received from the City. Mr. Larsen explained the City of Edina does not notify residents of a future subdivision at the Planning Commission level. The sign is the first notification to the neighbors that a subdivision has been requested. In the subdivision ordinance the City recommends that the developer contact residents that fall within 500 feet of the subject site explaining to residents a hearing before the Commission will occur. 3 A resident of 5332 Hollywood Road, told the Commission the proponent has reduced his original plan from 5 lots to 4, and suggested that the Commission only consider a three lot plat. He stated in his opinion "if they build it, they will come"! Three lots is enough! Ms. Carolyn Bisson, 5340 Hollywood Road, told the Commission in her opinion this proposal will have a negative impact on the area. She said Interlachen Boulevard has a "country lane feeling", and this proposal will detract from that. Continuing, Ms. Bisson said in 1987 her property suffered from sewer backup and adding four new homes will increase the probability that it could happen again. Ms. Bisson said the homes within this area are spaced adequately, with many developed with combined lots. Ms. Bisson said this proposal, in her opinion, crunches four houses into an area that is to tight. Ms. Bisson asked Mr. Schoenwetter how close he lives to his neighbors. Ms. Thiede, 5319 Hollywood Road, pointed out to the Commission all the homes in her neighborhood have spacious lots adding it is a very charming neighborhood of single and combined lots. A resident of 5324 Interlachen Boulevard said if the property is developed as presented it will not reflect the true character of the entire 500 foot neighborhood. Ms. D. Strege, 5113 Oxford Avenue, told the Commission her lot is 88 feet in width, adding she wants some assurance the houses built will reflect the character of her neighborhood. Mr. Jeff Bisson, 2650 California Street, N.E., told the Commission he grew up in Edina and cautioned the Commission to carefully consider this proposal to ensure that Edina continues to remain a premier City for future homeowners. Pat Karasoz, 5001 Oxford Avenue, told the Commission she lives directly across from the subject property, and pointed out she has had to endure for the past 12 years the continued disrepair of this site. Ms. Karasoz told the Commission she fully supports the request as presented. She said what is proposed appeals to her. Ms. Karasoz commented that she is in the minority this evening by supporting the proposal, but stressed she looks out of her window at this site everyday. Ms. Karasoz asked the Commission to note she purchased her home in a neighborhood of 50 foot lots, adding her lot is 50 feet wide. Ms. Karasoz said if she wanted a larger lot, and larger home she would have moved into a different neighborhood. Ms. Karasoz said she loves the homes in her neighborhood, she believes the proposed homes are a good "fit" and supports the proposal as presented. Mr. Thiede, 5319 Hollywood Road, said in his opinion the proposed homes will be too close and appear "townhouse like" especially with the garage 4 the dominant front feature. Mr. Thiede said in his opinion this design concept is totally out of character with the neighborhood. Mr. Leender addressed the Commission and told them he has carefully reviewed the numbers presented by the proponent and does not agree with them. Continuing, Mr. Leender said the proponent has indicated 50 feet is the appropriate lot width, and when he calculated the lot width he came up with a 75 foot width. He stressed to the Commission he does not agree with the numbers presented by the proponent. Chairman Johnson questioned if the figures presented are correct. Mr. Larsen said if there is any question that the figures are incorrect the meeting should not continue. Mr. Larsen said the figures presented to staff are from a registered land surveyor and they indicate a median lot width of 50 feet. Commissioner Byron interjected and said if Mr. Larsen feels the numbers are incorrect maybe this should be rejected as suggested by Mr. Larsen. Mr. Schoenwetter interjected that in his opinion the homes presented are not townhouses, they are single family detached homes. He pointed out he is only proposing one more house, where three are allowed. In response to the mention of potential sewer problems Mr. Schoenwetter said the subject sites are platted for three houses with three sewer hookups, reiterating the proposal only adds one more home. In conclusion, Mr. Schoenwetter said the 50 foot lot width reflects the size of the lots in the Brookside Heights neighborhood. A discussion ensued regarding the figures presented from the developer to the Commission as they relate to neighborhood medians. Mr. Schoenwetter presented Mr. Larsen with a copy of the plat as prepared by the registered land surveyor. Mr. Larsen indicated the plat depicts a 50 foot lot width. Continuing, Mr. Larsen said he has no reason not to believe the numbers supplied by the registered land surveyor. Chairman Johnson asked Mr. Larsen if the lot widths that are presented are 50 feet is a variance still required. Mr. Larsen said variances can be granted at the subdivision level. Commissioner Bergman said her concern is with the corner lot and the potential house setback from Interlachen Boulevard. Commissioner McClelland interjected and agreed with Commissioner Bergman's concern. She suggested platting the largest lot on the corner, not the smallest as proposed in the plan presented. Commissioner Ingwalson said he believes he understands how the Ordinance reads but questioned if the corner lot will require a frontyard setback variance from Interlachen Boulevard. Mr. Larsen said a variance will not be 5 required because a vacated alley and a 50 foot NSP easement separates the subject property from the next house on Interlachen Boulevard. Commissioner Ingwalson asked Mr. Larsen if he is comfortable with the calculations. Mr. Larsen said he has no reason to suspect the numbers are wrong. Mr. Larsen stated he supports the proposal as presented because in his opinion this development relates more to the homes within the Brookside Heights neighborhood, not the properties across Interlachen Boulevard. Mr. Larsen said his opinion is subjective pointing out he supports the concept of smaller homes and smaller lots on this site. He acknowledged not everyone may agree with his recommendation. Commissioner Workinger acknowledged Edina is a community with a need for transitional housing, adding he cannot support the proposal as presented Commissioner Bergman said she would like to see this proposal work. She said she wants the corner lot to be the larger lot, and the proposed house to be setback as far as possible from Interlachen Boulevard. Commissioner Bergman said that while she believes Interlachen Boulevard is a lovely street in her opinion it is not a country lane, it is a collector street, and she believes houses fronting Oxford Avenue with driveways on Oxford Avenue are the best solution for this site. Commissioner McClelland said in her opinion this proposal better suits the Brookside Heights neighborhood, and she agreed with Commissioner Bergman's suggestion that the house constructed on the corner of Interlachen and Oxford maintain the deepest setback possible and be single story. Commissioner Byron asked the developer if he is comfortable with changing the plat to reflect the larger lot on Interlachen Boulevard. Mr. Schoenwetter said he has no problem developing the property as suggested by the Commission. He said the corner lot will be the largest lot with the suggestion of a rambler constructed on this lot. Commissioner Byron said he believes everyone agrees this is a unique location, and acknowledged the difference in the neighborhoods divided by Interlachen Boulevard. He pointed out across Interlachen Boulevard the lots are large (over 50 feet in width), but in the Brookside Heights neighborhoods the majority of the lots are 50 feet in width. Commissioner Byron said he tends to support the planner's belief that it is important the houses constructed "fit the neighborhood" south of Interlachen Boulevard. Commissioner Byron agreed change is never welcome and is difficult for everyone concerned. Continuing, Commissioner Byron said a majority of people visit the Commission for the first time when something happens in their neighborhood that results in a change. Commissioner Byron said the Commission tries very hard to blend a proposal 6 into the neighborhood and entire community, adding it has been very rare that a resident has come back before the Commission stating what was approved devalued properties. Commissioner Byron moved to recommend subdivision approval subject to final plat approval, subdivision dedication, watershed district permits, and that the house on the corner lot of Interlachen Boulevard and Oxford Avenue be limited to one story, and be 50+ feet in width. Commissioner Ingwalson commented that he knows by the comments thus far that the majority of residents that spoke this evening appear to live across Interlachen Boulevard, and have indicated they do not support the proposal as presented. Commissioner Ingwalson pointed out larger lots are not always the answer. He explained the way the market is moving larger lots mean larger homes and in this neighborhood of smaller lots and homes, it is very possible larger homes would be out of character. Commissioner Lonsbury said this is a difficult decision and the Commission needs to consider this carefully. All decisions also must be considered with the community in mind. Commissioner Lonsbury asked Mr. Larsen if Mr. Hoffman, City Engineer will look at the sewer/water run-off situation. Mr. Larsen said this proposal will be completely reviewed by the City Engineering Department and the proposal will be constructed according to engineering standards. Mr. Larsen said this proposal will also go forward to both the Minnehaha and Nine Mile Creek watershed districts for their input. Commissioner Lonsbury seconded the motion. Ayes, Lonsbury, Byron, McClelland, Bergman, Ingwalson, Johnson. Nays, Swenson and Workinger. Commissioner Swenson commented she cannot support the proposal at this time because she has a concern the numbers may not be correct. Motion carried. 6-2. HI. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m. Jackie Hoogenakker 7