[00:00:02]
[CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL]
MICROPHONES ON AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL ROLL.MOSES. HERE. KAISER. HERE. SAHNOW. GIANOULIS.
HERE. AND DENEEN. HERE. ALRIGHT, WE
[APPROVE MINUTES]
WILL GO TO OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM ON TODAY'S PACKET.A APPROVAL OF LAST MEETING'S MINUTES. I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE LAST MEETING'S MINUTES. I'LL SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT. ITEM NUMBER TWO IS OUR FIRST ITEM AND DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR TODAY'S MEETING.
[PUBLIC HEARINGS]
AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO CITY STAFF. THANK YOU.PLANNING COMMISSION TODAY BEFORE YOU WE HAVE A ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT FOR A VARIETY OF SECTIONS.
9.101 PURPOSE. 9.103 DEFINITIONS. 9.106 GENERAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
9.107 SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS. 9.109 RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS.
9.110 COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS. 9.111 INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS.
THE PREVIOUS PLANNING COMMISSION, WE DISCUSSED POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER NINE LAND USE, AND WE PRESENT PREPARED A ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT FOR CONSIDERATION AT THE FEBRUARY 4, 2025 PLANNING COMMISSION.
ZONING TEXT AMENDMENTS ARE REQUIRED, SUBJECT TO REQUIRED FINDINGS FOR ZONING AMENDMENTS PER 9.104F.
AS I MENTIONED, THESE ARE THE APPLICABLE CODE SECTIONS THAT WE'RE AMENDING.
SKIP ONE. THANK YOU. WE WANTED TO INCLUDE LANGUAGE TO ENCOURAGE AND STRENGTHEN SOLAR DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY WHILE PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF ITS RESIDENTS AND FURTHERING PROGRESS TOWARDS SPECIFIC COMMUNITY GOALS AND PLANS.
AND THEN THE OTHER AMENDMENT TO 9.101 WOULD BE TO REFLECT OTHER SPECIFIC GOALS DEFINED IN PLANS SUCH AS THE ENERGY ACTION PLAN AND OTHER GUIDING DOCUMENTS. SINCE A LOT OF WHAT WE DO IN PLANNING IS KIND OF DETERMINED BY THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN , IT KIND OF FELT LIKE IT MADE SENSE THAT THE PURPOSE SECTION OF THE ZONING CODE INCLUDES JUST THAT EVERYTHING WE DO IN ZONING SHOULD BE IN SERVICE TO THAT HIERARCHY PLAN. YOU KNOW, THE ENERGY ACTION PLAN, COMPLETE STREETS, THOSE LARGER CITYWIDE PLANS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO. JUST KIND OF FOLLOWING UP FROM OUR PREVIOUS MEETING LAST MONTH.
SOME OF THE DEFINITIONS ARE JUST INCLUDED TO REFLECT THE PRESENCE OF SOLAR ENERGY AND EQUIPMENT WE WANTED TO SUPPORT SOLAR AND RENEWABLE ENERGY IN ZONING CODE. AND WE FELT THAT THAT STARTS BY HAVING CONCISE DEFINITIONS.
WE ARE PROPOSING TO AMEND THE LANGUAGE FOR ACCESSORY BUILDINGS STRUCTURE, BUILDING AND STRUCTURE DEFINITIONS, BASICALLY TO EXEMPT SOLAR EQUIPMENT AND INSTALLATIONS.
AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE EXPLICITLY STATE THAT THESE ARE NOT CONSIDERED STRUCTURES.
THE NEXT IS JUST ADDING DEFINITIONS FOR COMMUNITY SCALE SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM, GRID CONNECTED SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM, GROUND MOUNTED SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM AS AN ACCESSORY, AND A PRIMARY USE ROOF MOUNTED SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM, AND THEN ADDING DEFINITIONS FOR SOLAR ENERGY AND SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM.
AND SO THESE ARE THOSE SAME DEFINITIONS FROM JANUARY.
9.106 PROBABLY HAS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO IT.
[00:05:03]
IN ADDITION TO THE HEIGHT, MAXIMUM SOLAR AND OTHER RENEWABLE ENERGY EQUIPMENT BEING SUBJECT TO THE SAME SETBACK REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCESSORY STRUCTURES, ALBEIT THEY'RE NOT CONSIDERED ACCESSORY STRUCTURES.WE JUST WANTED TO KIND OF MAKE THAT IN LINE WITH WHAT IS CURRENTLY ALLOWED FOR ACCESSORY STRUCTURES AND USES AND THEN EXEMPTING SOLAR AND RENEWABLE ENERGY EQUIPMENT FROM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. SOME OF THE BEST PRACTICES RECOMMENDED NOT REQUIRING THINGS LIKE GLARE STUDIES OR NOISE STUDIES, JUST BECAUSE THE DATA BEHIND THEM SHOWS THAT THOSE ARE NOT REALLY AFFECTING THOSE CONCERNS.
AND THEN THE TWO MORE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES ARE RELATED TO SIGNAGE.
AND THEN JUST HOW WE ORGANIZE USES AS A WHOLE.
FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, WE HAVE ABOUT 40 PAGES OF ZONING CODE DEDICATED TO SIGNS AND USES.
AND OFTENTIMES IT'S BASICALLY REITERATING THE SAME EXACT INFORMATION FOR EACH DISTRICT TO THE POINT THAT THERE REALLY AREN'T MANY DIFFERENCES. AND SO THERE'S KIND OF BEEN A PUSH IN THE PLANNING COMMUNITY TO ADOPT FORM BASED TABLES OR FORM BASED CODING.
JUST TO KIND OF MAKE THINGS A LITTLE MORE DIGESTIBLE, A LITTLE MORE READABLE.
THIS IS ALL THE ALLOWED SIGNAGE IN THE CITY FOR EVERY DISTRICT RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, PUBLIC SPACE. I CAN GET A BETTER COPY OF THAT.
BUT BASICALLY WE WANTED TO KIND OF GO OVER ALL THE TYPES OF SIGNAGE THAT ARE ALLOWED PER DISTRICT AND THEN MERGE THESE THINGS WHERE THEY KIND OF ARE THE SAME, YOU KNOW, GRAND OPENING SIGNS. OH, SORRY, GRAND OPENING SIGNS ARE PERMITTED OUTRIGHT, NO PERMIT REQUIRED. IT'S 50FT² ACROSS THE BOARD, EVERYWHERE THEY'RE ALLOWED.
DURATION ONE SIGN FOR A MAX OF 60 CONSECUTIVE DAYS.
THIS JUST FEELS LIKE A REALLY GOOD BEST PRACTICE AS FAR AS STAFF GOES TO KIND OF GIVE PEOPLE COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION IN A REALLY DIGESTIBLE, ACCESSIBLE FORMAT. AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S KIND OF WHAT YOU SEE FROM FORM BASED TABLES, FORM BASED CODING. AND THEN THAT KIND OF CONTINUES WITH OUR USES ON THE NEXT PAGE.
SORRY. NO. YOU'RE GOOD, I APOLOGIZE, THIS DOESN'T LOOK BETTER.
I JUST HAD TO BLOW UP THE IMAGE IN SUCH A WAY.
ANYTHING WITH AN A IS ACCESSORY, AND THEN C IS A CONDITIONAL USE.
IF IT DOES NOT HAVE A LETTER IN THE COLUMN, IT IS NOT AN ALLOWED USE WITHIN THAT DISTRICT.
AND SO I THINK THIS WILL REALLY JUST CONDENSE A DOZENS OF PAGES OF CODE INTO SOMETHING THAT I THINK JUST READS A LOT EASIER, AND YOU CAN KIND OF IT WAS ACTUALLY KIND OF FUNNY BECAUSE AS SOON AS I CREATED THAT SIGN CODE SOMEONE CAME IN BASICALLY REQUESTING SIGNAGE OR LIKE INFORMATION ON SIGNAGE. AND SO IT WAS REALLY NICE TO JUST KIND OF INSTEAD OF PRINTING OUT X AMOUNT OF TEXT, I WAS ABLE TO BASICALLY GIVE THEM 2 OR 3 PAGES.
THIS IS EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE ALLOWED TO DO.
HIGHLIGHT THE SECTIONS IN THE DISTRICT THAT IT'S APPLICABLE TO, AND IT SEEMED LIKE THAT WAS RECEIVED A LITTLE MORE FAVORABLY THAN GOING THROUGH HOWEVER MANY PAGES OF ZONING TEXT TO FIND THE EXACT THING HE NEEDED.
AND THEN GOING ON TO SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS 9.107 WE REALLY JUST WANTED TO INCLUDE PROVISIONS FOR ROOF MOUNTED SOLAR ESTABLISHING THAT AS A USE AND THEN INCLUDING A SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT STANDARD THAT THE SYSTEM SHALL COMPLY WITH APPLICABLE STATE AND FIRE CODES, LOCAL FIRE CODES TO ENSURE EMERGENCY ACCESS TO THE ROOF PATHWAYS TO SPECIFIC AREAS OF THE ROOF, PROVIDE AREAS FOR SMOKE VENTILATION, AND PROVIDE EMERGENCY EGRESS FROM THE ROOF.
WHEN I REVIEWED SOLAR PERMITS IN MY PREVIOUS JOB, FIRE WOULD USUALLY HAVE A REVIEW, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY TYPICALLY LOOK FOR WHEN THEY DO THEIR INSPECTION. SO IT JUST KIND OF MADE SENSE THAT THAT IS KIND OF A TEMPLATE STANDARD BEST PRACTICE.
AND THEN GROUND MOUNTED SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS, INCLUDING A SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT STANDARD THAT IF THE AREA UNDERNEATH THE SYSTEM CONTAINS VEGETATIVE GROUND COVER, SUCH AS GRASS NATIVE PLANTINGS AND VEGETATION OR POLLINATOR HABITAT,
[00:10:01]
AS THE TILTS AND SPACING ALLOWS FOR PARTICIPATION TO DRAIN INTO THE PERVIOUS GROUND COVER.WE WANTED TO MAKE THAT AN OPTION AND JUST KIND OF ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DO THAT, JUST BECAUSE WE DO HAVE AN IMPERVIOUS SURFACE MAXIMUM THAT DOES APPLY TO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES. A LOT OF PROPERTIES KIND OF ARE COMING CLOSE TO THOSE LIMITS OR EXCEED THEM.
SO WE DIDN'T WANT THAT TO BE A GROUNDS FOR LIMITING SOMEONE'S ABILITY TO DO SOLAR.
AND THEN THE RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL AND PUBLIC OPEN SPACE DISTRICTS.
WE'RE JUST AMENDING THESE TO RELOCATE THOSE USES FROM SPECIFIC ZONING DISTRICTS INTO THE GENERAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE OUR PARKING IS. THAT'S WHERE OUR LANDSCAPING IS. ALL THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS THAT AREN'T SPECIFICALLY LIMITED TO EACH USE.
IT JUST SEEMED LIKE IT MADE SENSE FOR THE GENERAL USE TABLE TO LIVE THERE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GUIDING PEOPLE TOWARDS. OKAY, THESE ARE YOUR PARKING REQUIREMENTS AND YOUR LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS USE THAT USE AND THE OTHER USE. SO IT JUST MADE SENSE TO KIND OF RELOCATE THAT TABLE FROM INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS BECAUSE THEY KIND OF SHARE SO MUCH IN COMMON. OUR COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL USES OR DISTRICTS DON'T REALLY HAVE A LOT OF VARIETY TO THEM.
CERTAIN USES ARE CONSIDERED INDUSTRIAL USES, JUST BECAUSE I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK THAT WE WANT THEM IN OUR IN OUR PRIMARY COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS. BUT OTHER THAN THOSE KIND OF INDUSTRIAL FOCUSED USES, THERE REALLY ISN'T MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DISTRICTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO, LIKE I WOULD SAY, THE RESIDENTIAL. SO IT JUST KIND OF MADE SENSE TO CONSOLIDATE AS MUCH OF THAT AS WE COULD.
BASICALLY, THE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT CAN PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY TO THE FOLLOWING AREAS.
AND THIS KIND OF CAME IN RESPONSE TO SEEING SOME DEVELOPERS PRESENT SOLAR OPTIONS.
AND SO WE WANTED TO JUST INCLUDE LIKE IF THAT'S GOING TO BE PART OF THE CONSIDERATION, WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM MAKE SOME PROGRESS TOWARDS SOLAR OR RENEWABLE ENERGY GOALS, AND THEN TO CONSIDER ANY OF OUR OVERARCHING PLANS TO THINGS THAT ARE KIND OF USE A PUD TO GUARANTEE A SUPERIOR DESIGN WHILE WALL.
SO ALLEVIATING POTENTIALLY SOME OF THE STANDARDS THAT YOU WOULD SEE IN A ZONING CODE.
AND SO WE WANT TO KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF GIVE SOMEONE A SPECIAL APPROVAL, THAT WHATEVER THEY'RE PREPARING IS MAKING PROGRESS TOWARDS THOSE GOALS THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY, AND THOSE ARE OVERARCHING DOCUMENTS. AND THEN THAT KIND OF BRINGS US TO THE LAST OF THE AMENDMENTS.
I THINK IT'S A LONG TERM PLAN TO REVISE AND UPDATE OUR DESIGN GUIDELINES.
RIGHT NOW WE BASICALLY JUST KIND OF IDENTIFIED THESE SIMILARLY TO LIKE ZONING DISTRICTS WHERE IT JUST HAS THE NAME OF THE OVERLAY DISTRICT, WHETHER IT'S THE CENTRAL AVENUE DESIGN DISTRICT, THE 40TH AVENUE DESIGN DISTRICT, AND THE HIGHWAY DESIGN DISTRICT, AND WE FELT THAT AS STAFF, OUR ZONING DISTRICTS HAVE A PURPOSE SECTION.
SO JUST KIND OF TAKING CENTRAL AVENUE DESIGN DISTRICT, THE LANGUAGE THAT WE'RE INCLUDING FROM THE ORIGINAL DESIGN GUIDELINES IS THAT RECENT STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING, AS WELL AS THE MIXED USE CITY HALL REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT, HAVE ENHANCED THE PEDESTRIAN CHARACTER OF THIS DISTRICT.
THIS DISTRICT CONTAINS NUMEROUS NEIGHBORHOOD ORIENTED MULTI-TENANT SHOPPING CENTERS, INCLUDING RESTAURANTS, PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, RETAIL, AND MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENTS.
AND AGAIN, JUST REITERATING THAT THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING AND CITY HALL HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO WHAT I THINK THE CHARACTER OF THIS DISTRICT IS NOW AND THEN GOING ON TO 40TH. OBVIOUSLY CITY HALL IS NO LONGER AT THE PREVIOUS LOCATION.
SO WE KIND OF HAD TO FIND ANOTHER PUBLIC USE THAT REALLY DREW PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS LIKE THE INSTITUTION GOES.
SO THAT'S HOW WE KIND OF LANDED ON JOHN P. MURZYN BEING THE FOCUS OF THE 40TH AVENUE DISTRICT, ALONG WITH SMALLER COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES INCLUDING RESTAURANTS, MULTI-TENANT BUILDINGS WITH PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL SERVICES,
[00:15:03]
AS WELL AS HOUSING AND PLACES OF WORSHIP. BUT WE ALSO WANTED TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MOST OF THE PROPERTIES IN THE 40TH AVENUE DESIGN DISTRICT ARE ZONED LIMITED BUSINESS, AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN THE SENSE THAT OUR THREE PART COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS LIMITED BUSINESS, GENERAL BUSINESS, AND CENTRAL BUSINESS ALL KIND OF HAVE DIFFERENT PARKING NEEDS.CENTRAL BUSINESS IS AN OFF STREET PARKING DISTRICT.
UNLESS IT'S RESIDENTIAL, NO OTHER USES HAVE A EXPLICIT PARKING REQUIREMENT, WHEREAS GENERAL BUSINESS, PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING HAS THAT GENERAL THAT SPECIFIC PARKING STANDARD.
YOU NEED ONE PER EVERY 300FT² DEPENDING ON THE USE.
AND THAT KIND OF LEAVES LIMITED BUSINESS IN A REALLY WEIRD KIND OF LIMBO WHERE THEY EXIST, BECAUSE MOST OF THE PROPERTIES ARE CONSIDERED LEGALLY NON-CONFORMING BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE OFF STREET PARKING.
AND SO AS WE KIND OF TAKE THE DESIGN GUIDELINE CONVERSATION FORWARD, WE REALLY WANTED ANY FUTURE REDEVELOPMENT AND RECONFIGURATION OF 40TH TO PROVIDE SOME SORT OF ON STREET PARKING, JUST BECAUSE THAT WILL HELP ALLEVIATE THE LEGAL, NONCONFORMING SENSE THAT A LOT OF THESE PROPERTIES DO HAVE BECAUSE OF THE PARKING SITUATION.
THAT BRINGS US TO OUR LAST DISTRICT HIGHWAY DESIGN.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THAT MEETING ON CENTRAL AVENUE GOING ON NEXT DOOR.
THIS DISTRICT ALSO SEEMS TO EXPERIENCE HISTORIC LEGACY STORMWATER QUANTITY AND QUALITY ISSUES THAT ARE APPARENT WHEN THERE IS SIGNIFICANT OR TORRENTIAL RAINFALLS. I THINK 45TH AND 46TH ARE PRETTY GOOD EXAMPLES OF THAT.
49TH, I THINK WHEN YOU GET MAJOR RAIN FALLS, THAT'S AN INTERSECTION THAT KIND OF GETS FLOODED OUT.
STORMWATER ISSUES, AREAS THAT ARE CONSIDERED UNDER LIT.
BARRIERS OR CONFLICT POINTS TO PEDESTRIAN OR BICYCLE MOVEMENTS OR IF THESE AREAS ARE REFERENCED IN ANY GUIDING DOCUMENTS, SUCH AS SAFE STREETS FOR ALL ADA TRANSITION PLAN.
ANY OVERARCHING PLANS THAT KIND OF CALL OUT THOSE AREAS? I THINK WE NEED TO JUST HAVE THAT THOSE REQUIREMENTS BAKED INTO DESIGN STANDARDS SO THAT WHEN THINGS REDEVELOP OR WHEN BUILDING GOES ON, WE KIND OF HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE THOSE REQUESTS.
WE OBVIOUSLY WANT THINGS, AT LEAST IN THOSE DISTRICTS, TO REDEVELOP AND DEVELOP IN CERTAIN WAYS.
AND SO I THINK THAT JUST HELPS SUPPORTING ENFORCING THE DESIGN STANDARDS.
FIRST IS THAT THE AMENDMENT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN .
THE AMENDMENT IS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND NOT SOLELY FOR THE BENEFIT OF A SINGLE PROPERTY OWNER.
AND THEN THE OTHER TWO ARE TO CHANGE THE ZONING CLASSIFICATION.
THE LAST TWO ARE NOT NECESSARILY APPLICABLE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT PROPOSING ANY SORT OF REZONING.
THE DISTRICTS THEMSELVES AREN'T REALLY BEING CHANGED.
WE'RE JUST KIND OF CONSOLIDATING AND EXPANDING THE DEFINITIONS AND USES ALLOWED WITHIN THOSE DISTRICTS. SO WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU GUYS HAVE.
I WAS EXPECTING MORE WORDS. I TRIED TO CONDENSE IT.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? NO, I JUST WANTED TO SAY A FABULOUS JOB TO ALL THE STAFF ON ON ALL THE DIFFERENT AMENDMENTS. EVERYTHING LOOKS REALLY GOOD FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, ESPECIALLY ALL THE SOLAR ITEMS. IT'S VERY DETAILED, VERY THOROUGH, AND I THINK IT OVERALL CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO HERE.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT ON THAT AS WELL.
THAT WAS EXTREMELY VALUABLE PLEASURE. AGREED.
YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN SO PROACTIVE IN SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS.
AND I WENT THROUGH ALL OF THIS AND IT'S A LOT.
SO I JUST CAN'T IMAGINE BEING ON YOUR SIDE OF IT.
IT WAS KIND OF FUN. YEAH. I THINK IT LOOKS GREAT TOO.
YEAH. THANKS SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS TO GET TO ANYBODY ONLINE?
[00:20:04]
ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE? I HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY WRITTEN COMMENTS EITHER.ALL RIGHT. WELL THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION OF THE MEETING.
AND WE HAVE TWO MOTIONS IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL OR THE COMMISSION.
MOVE TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND WAIVE THE READING OF THE DRAFT ORDINANCE, AMENDMENT NUMBER 1711, THERE BEING AMPLE COPIES AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
I'LL SECOND THAT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED.
MOTION PASSES. I'LL MOVE TO RECOMMEND CITY COUNCIL APPROVE DRAFT ORDINANCE AMENDMENT NUMBER 1711, A ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT AS PRESENTED.
I'LL SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES.
THAT ENDS OUR PUBLIC HEARING PORTION OF THE MEETING, AND WE WILL MOVE ON TO ADDITIONAL BUSINESS.
[OTHER BUSINESS]
A DISCUSSION ON DESIGN GUIDELINES. YEAH. AND I JUST PLANNING COMMISSION, I WANTED TO PUT THIS IN FRONT OF YOU JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT DESIGN GUIDELINES IT HAS BEEN A LONG HELD PRIORITY TO UPDATE THESE AT SOME POINT.AND JUST WITH WHAT WE'RE KIND OF WORKING ON, THIS FEELS LIKE A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT.
SO IF YOU JUST WANT TO PULL UP THE DESIGN GUIDELINES.
IF YOU JUST WANT TO CLICK ON. YEP.
OKAY. SORRY. TRY CONTROL. THERE WE GO. THERE WE GO.
THERE WE GO. SO, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THE LAST TIME THE DESIGN GUIDELINES WERE UPDATED WAS 2003.
FOR REFERENCE, I WAS NINE. [LAUGHTER] SO IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT SOME THINGS HAVE GONE ON TO CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF THESE DISTRICTS A LITTLE BIT OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS. IF YOU WANT TO SCROLL DOWN, JUST A TISH, ACTUALLY, CAN I NAVIGATE? THANK YOU. I NOTICED THE PICTURES OF BLOCKBUSTER.
SO I COULD TELL IT WAS DATED. [LAUGHTER] THE 90S CARS WERE DEFINITELY CLASSIC AS WELL.
OKAY, SO THIS JUST KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHO WAS INVOLVED INITIALLY.
LIKE I SAID, 2003 WAS THE LAST TIME THESE WERE UPDATED.
THIS IS JUST KIND OF REITERATING THE PURPOSE OF THE DESIGN GUIDELINES, WHICH IS TO BASICALLY GUIDE DEVELOPERS, BUSINESS OWNERS WISHING TO PROPOSE EXPANSIONS OR JUST WORK ON EXISTING PROPERTIES, BUILD NEW PROPERTIES, AND THEN ALSO TO HELP CITY STAFF AND OFFICIALS IN REVIEWING SOME OF THESE DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS.
CHASE BANK WAS PROBABLY THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE OF A PROPERTY OR A PROJECT THAT WE REALLY HAD TO TAKE THROUGH THE DESIGN STANDARDS, AND IT WAS SUPER HELPFUL. THEY COMPLIED WITH EVERYTHING THAT WAS ASKED OF THEM, BUT THERE JUST STILL SEEMED LIKE THERE WERE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE THIS, TO REFLECT KIND OF WHAT THE CITY PRIORITIES ARE.
THESE APPLY TO DESIGN GUIDELINES, APPLY TO NEW CONSTRUCTION EXTERIOR CHANGES, INCLUDING REPAINTING, ANY INTERNAL REMODELING OR EXPANSION ACTIVITY THAT INCREASES THE OVERALL SIZE OF THE BUILDING BY 10%.
AND THEN THERE ARE SOME MINOR ALTERATIONS THAT AS THE CITY PLANNER, I HAVE SOME DEGREE OF AUTHORITY IN DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT THESE, LIKE THE SCOPE OF WORK TRIGGERS DESIGN GUIDELINE REVIEW.
AS FAR AS JUST LOOKING AT LIKE CHECKLIST ITEM, BUILDING PLACEMENTS, BUILDING HEIGHTS, ORIENTATION.
THESE ARE KIND OF THE DESIGN GUIDELINE DISTRICTS.
HIGHWAY DISTRICT BASICALLY STARTS AT 42ND AND THEN TRAVELS NORTH TO THE CITY BOUNDARY.
CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT IS FROM 37TH TO 42ND AND THEN 40TH AVENUE IS EVERYTHING BASICALLY, AS YOU GET TO PUBLIC SAFETY ALL THE WAY TO UNIVERSITY.
[00:25:02]
ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE KIND OF HAD AS STAFF IS THE PRESENCE OF UNIVERSITY AVENUE, WHICH KIND OF HAS A UNIQUE FRONTAGE ROAD THAT NO OTHER PROPERTIES IN THE CITY REALLY HAVE.SO WE HAVE KIND OF CONSIDERED ADDING AN ADDITIONAL DESIGN GUIDELINE DISTRICT SPECIFICALLY FOR UNIVERSITY AVENUE JUST BECAUSE THOSE BUSINESSES, I THINK THERE'S A COMBINATION OF USES AND NEEDS THAT JUST AREN'T REFLECTED ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE CITY. YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF AUTO USES, A LOT OF MULTI-FAMILY USES.
THERE'S LIMITED COMMERCIAL TO A DEGREE. SO WE JUST FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO HAVE ACTUAL PARAMETERS AS SOME OF THESE SITES REDEVELOP OR AS NEW BUSINESSES GO IN. MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD. ANDREW THIS IS A GOOD SPOT TO KIND OF STOP AND TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT AND JUST GET SOME OF YOUR FEEDBACK ON UNIVERSITY AVENUE SPECIFICALLY.
IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS, YOU THINK THAT WOULD FIT AS A DESIGN DISTRICT? AND THEN ALSO WHEN WE THINK OF UNIVERSITY AVENUE.
WHEN YOU THINK OF UNIVERSITY AVENUE, WHAT ARE THE KIND OF KEY PARCELS, KEY BUSINESSES THAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD KIND OF DESIGN THIS GUIDE, THESE GUIDELINES FOR THIS DISTRICT OFF OF AND THEN ALSO WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT UNIVERSITY AVENUE IS GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH THIS SIMILAR PROCESS AS CENTRAL AVENUE IN THE FUTURE, AND THEY ARE GOING TO LOOK TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, THESE DESIGN GUIDELINES AND OUR INTEGRATION OF COMPLETE STREETS IN HERE FOR THAT REDESIGN AS WELL.
SO ANY THOUGHTS, ANY IDEAS OR YOU KNOW TIE INS WOULD DEFINITELY BE HELPFUL AS WE KIND OF TRY AND HASH THIS OUT ON OUR END AT THE SAME TIME. I MEAN, PART OF THE CHALLENGE OF UNIVERSITY AVENUE AS IT IS RIGHT NOW VERSUS WHAT IT COULD BE, IS THAT SO MUCH OF IT IS AVAILABLE FOR REDESIGN AND THERE AREN'T A LOT OF PROPERTIES THAT SHOWCASE WHAT THAT ROAD COULD BE. AND SO, I MEAN, I THINK OF BONA BROTHERS OR I THINK OF THE MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT.
ALSO, PRODEO ACADEMY CAME TO MIND JUST BECAUSE THAT WAS AN INTERESTING PROJECT FOR US TO DISCUSS AS IT RELATED TO HOW TRANSPORTATION, BOTH AUTO, PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE FUNCTIONED IN THAT AREA.
DOES THIS GUIDELINE ALSO INCLUDE HOW THE ROADWAYS ARE DONE TO OR IS IT JUST ESSENTIALLY FOR THE BUILDINGS? I WOULD SAY MORE SO FOR THE BUILDING IN THE SITE DEVELOPMENT.
ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE IN ANY DESIGN GUIDELINE UPDATES ARE REFERENCES TO COMPLETE STREETS, JUST BECAUSE THAT DOES HAVE SOME IMPACT ON HOW THE ROADWAY ROADWAYS ARE CONFIGURED.
AND SO I WOULDN'T SAY IT HAS MUCH DOMAIN OVER THE ACTUAL ROADWAYS, BUT I DO THINK IT INCLUDES FEATURES THAT INTERACT WITH THE ROADWAYS, YOU KNOW, MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION CONSIDERATION, LANDSCAPING AND SCREENING PUBLIC ART. SO HOW DOES INCLUDING THE UNIVERSITY AVENUE AS PART OF THIS BUSINESS DISTRICT CHANGE FROM WHAT ARE THE GUIDELINES ARE THERE RIGHT NOW? RIGHT NOW THERE ARE NO GUIDELINES FOR THIS JUST BECAUSE WE DO NOT.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE IMAGE AND I CAN KIND OF BLOW IT UP A LITTLE BIT MORE.
THIS IS KIND OF WHERE UNIVERSITY IS. AND SO WE REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR THAT.
SO THEY WOULD JUST BE SUBJECT TO WHATEVER THE REGULAR ZONING CODE REQUIREMENTS ARE.
AND SO WE THINK JUST HAVING BECAUSE OF THE CHARACTERISTICS THAT KIND OF MAKE UNIVERSITY PROPERTIES UNIQUE WE WERE SUGGESTING OR CONSIDERING ADDING A UNIVERSITY AVENUE DISTRICT IS KIND OF WHAT THAT FOURTH ONE WOULD LOOK LIKE.
[00:30:05]
TO ME, THIS FITS RIGHT IN LINE WITH THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD TODAY AND IN THE PREVIOUS COUPLE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS THAT THE CITY IS BEING VERY FORWARD THINKING AND GETTING IN FRONT OF ANY PLANNED CHANGES TO UNIVERSITY, AND REALLY KIND OF GUIDING THAT CONVERSATION, I THINK IS COMMENDABLE. SO I ABSOLUTELY THINK IT SHOULD BE A DIFFERENT DISTRICT IN THE DESIGN GUIDELINES.IT IS CERTAINLY THE MOST I THINK, UNIQUE OF THE DISTRICTS.
IT DEFINITELY STANDS ON ITS OWN. SO I THINK I'M KIND OF WITH YOU THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE AN EXEMPLARY PROPERTY OF WHAT I WOULD WANT IT TO BE BASED ON, BUT OUTSIDE SOURCES, COMPLETE STREETS, THOSE THOSE SORTS OF COMPANION DOCUMENTS I THINK COULD LEND A LOT OF GREAT DESIGN TO THIS DISTRICT. AND BESIDES THE FRONTAGE ROAD, ARE THERE ANY CHARACTERISTICS THAT THESE, THAT UNIVERSITY FACES THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE KIND OF INCLUDED IN THAT DISCUSSION? I ENJOY THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN SMALL PARTS ALONG UNIVERSITY THAT HAVE A LOT OF NATURE, HAVE A FAIR NUMBER OF TREES, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE STANDARDS FOR THAT DISTRICT CALL OUT PRESERVATION FOR WHAT IS WHAT REMAINS OF NATURE ALONG THAT CORRIDOR, BECAUSE IT'S SO OBVIOUSLY DIFFERENT THAN CENTRAL AVENUE AND ALSO THE PRESENCE OF SO MUCH MULTIFAMILY LIKE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
AND, YOU KNOW, SURE, A LOT OF THOSE PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR MANY, MANY DECADES.
BUT I THINK THAT CHARACTERISTIC THAT USE SHOULD BE HIGHLIGHTED AND ENHANCED, AS WELL AS HOW MUCH I'M NOT SURE HOW TO PHRASE THIS, BUT WE WOULD WANT TO ENCOURAGE REDEVELOPMENT, TO PRESERVE TREES, TO ADD TREES, TO USE NATURAL SCREENING AS OPPOSED TO JUST SOUND BARRIERS TO SOFTEN THE IMPACT OF THE ROAD.
SO THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I WOULD POINT TO.
I ALSO THINK ONE OF THE COOL THINGS ABOUT UNIVERSITY, AND, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY DOESN'T BEGIN UNTIL YOU GET SOUTH OF 37TH, IS ALL OF THE RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE AND HOW THAT'S OF HISTORIC IMPORTANCE TO THE HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS.
I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA. YOU KNOW, A LONG TIME AGO I WORKED ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR 2040, AND I REMEMBER SOMEONE PROPOSED, OR MAYBE IT'S IN THE PLAN ITSELF, BUT HAVING SHIPPING CONTAINERS YOU KNOW, AS A BUILDING STRUCTURE. I REMEMBER IT WELL. YEAH.
AND I DO I THINK THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO, YOU KNOW HAVE SOME TYPE OF CALL OUT TO THE INDUSTRIAL ROOTS OF THE AREA. BUT I THINK JUST MAKING IT A COHESIVE AREA, I THINK WOULD BE REALLY WELCOMED, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT JUST FEELS LIKE A HODGEPODGE.
AND I WONDERED TOO, IF MAYBE YOU KNOW, AS I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S ANY TYPE OF SIGNAGE OR WHAT EXACTLY, BUT WHEN YOU GET OFF OF 694, YOU KNOW, GOING DOWN UNIVERSITY, IF IT, YOU KNOW, COULD FEEL LIKE YOU'RE BEING WELCOMED INTO COLUMBIA HEIGHTS.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT. BUT I AM FULLY IN SUPPORT OF MAKING IT ITS OWN DISTRICT.
AND I'M CURIOUS, JUST ONE OTHER THING IS UNIVERSITY, THE ROAD WITH THE HIGHEST SPEED LIMIT IN COLUMBIA HEIGHTS? I WOULD SAY SO I THINK SO. I THINK IT'S LIKE 50.
AND I'M USUALLY, YOU KNOW, JUST GOING ON MY WAY.
[LAUGHTER] YEAH I AGREE AS WELL. I THINK THERE WAS LIKE SO 20 YEARS AGO WAS WHEN WE DID THIS DESIGN DOCUMENT FOR CENTRAL AS WELL AND MADE THAT INTO A DISTRICT. YEP. SO I THINK THERE'S A CERTAIN FEEL OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS THAT CENTRAL AVENUE HAS WITH IT FLOWS WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, CENTRAL AVENUE IS ABOUT BECAUSE IT FLOWS WELL. AND I THINK MAKING UNIVERSITY AVENUE ALSO A DISTRICT WOULD MAKE IT FLOW WELL.
[00:35:03]
LIKE, YOU KNOW, HOW OTHER COMPANIES IT'S KIND OF A HODGEPODGE.IT'S KIND OF DISINTEGRATE IN A CERTAIN WAY. AND I AGREE THAT THE FEEL WOULD BE DIFFERENT.
SO YEAH, I AM FULLY IN SUPPORT OF THAT AS WELL.
THANK YOU. JUST ONE MINOR ADDITIONAL THING. LOOKING AT THIS IMAGE REALLY HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CROSS STREET INTERSECTIONS AND HOW YOU'RE NOT JUST CROSSING THROUGH A BUSINESS OR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT.
THESE ARE NEIGHBORHOODS. AND I THINK SOME SUBTLE TRAFFIC CALMING COULD BE ACHIEVED.
AND I KNOW I'M GETTING OVER MY SKIS, BUT BY REALLY HIGHLIGHTING THE FACT THAT IT'S NOT JUST AUTOMOTIVE USES, IT'S PEDESTRIANS AND BIKES AS WELL, BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF THAT JUST GIVEN ALL THE RESIDENTIAL.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WONDER IF IT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME INCREASED SIGNAGE TO DIRECT PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING THROUGH THAT CORRIDOR TO OTHER DESTINATIONS, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE DOWNTOWN CENTRAL AREA OF COLUMBIA HEIGHTS OR CERTAIN PARKS OR THE RIVERFRONT BEING JUST NOT FAR TO THE WEST OF UNIVERSITY.
AND SO I THINK UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S NONE OF THAT SIGNAGE OR THOSE HIGH PRIORITY CROSSINGS IN PLACE NOW, BUT I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BUILD TOWARD.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LOT OF SUBSTANCE TO THIS RIGHT NOW. AND SOME THINGS THAT I'M KIND OF GETTING FROM THIS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE AS KIND OF LIKE THOSE DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS, THE FRONTAGE ROAD ACKNOWLEDGING THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE SECTION OF STREET WHERE PEOPLE TRAVEL THE FASTEST AND THE NEED FOR MULTIMODAL CONSIDERATION JUST FOR THE DIFFERENT LAND USES TO TRY TO BRING SOME PEDESTRIAN SCALE AMENITIES FOCUSING ON THE RAIL YARD TO A DEGREE AND ITS PRESENCE IN OUR HISTORY.
SIGNAGE, IT SEEMS LIKE WAYFINDING IS SOMETHING THAT THIS DISTRICT SHOULD CONSIDER AS WELL.
AND THEN, JUST LIKE A PUBLIC ART COMPONENT AS WELL, IS KIND OF WHAT I'M HEARING.
YOU GOT ANY THOUGHTS? YEP. JUST ONE KIND OF RAW THOUGHT HERE.
I'M JUST GOING TO KIND OF THROW THIS OUT. SO WITH THE POSSIBLE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPERTY, THE REUTER WALTON PROJECT AT 3901, WHICH IS [INAUDIBLE] INTO A MULTIFAMILY HOME, A LOT OF THE DISCUSSION THAT THE EDA REALLY HAD WAS, AS YOU COME NORTH FROM 37TH, WE HAVE THE GRAND CENTRAL.
BUT THEN AS YOU KIND OF GET FURTHER NORTH, A LOT OF THE MULTIFAMILY ARCHITECTURE IS REALLY THAT LIKE 80S MODERN, KIND OF BOXY. IS THERE LIKE AN ARCHITECTURAL STYLE OR ANY LIKE ITEMS THAT WOULD HELP MAYBE MIX ALONG THAT CORRIDOR? SAY WE DO START SEEING REDEVELOPMENT OF MULTIFAMILY PARCELS OR OF BUSINESS PARCELS INTO THAT MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IS IT, YOU KNOW, ARE WE LOOKING TO BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR AS WE KIND OF GO DOWN INTO THE DESIGN GUIDELINES, YOU'LL SEE WHERE THE ARCHITECTURAL STANDARDS REALLY POP UP.
AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE WANTS THAT HISTORICAL LOOK THE, THE BRICK BUILDINGS AND ALL THAT KIND OF ITEMS. BUT WHAT KIND OF ARCHITECTURAL THINGS WOULD REALLY FIT WITH THIS? I'M HEARING MAYBE INDUSTRIAL, MORE MODERN, BUT JUST KIND OF THROWING THE IDEA OUT TO SEE WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE.
I DON'T I THINK IT'S MORE VOLUME RELATED THAN, THAN ROOF LINES OR HEIGHT.
ONE BEING THOSE THAT HIGHER DENSITY USE OF HOUSING THAT WE NEED.
RIGHT. AND SO YOU CAN TAKE THOSE. I SEE THIS AS LIKE AN ARCHITECTURAL TRANSITION AREA WHERE WE WANT TO WE DON'T WANT TO OVERBUILD. SO THAT YOU HAVE A SIX STORY RIGHT NEXT TO A SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE, RIGHT? SO I THINK IT'S MORE ABOUT THE VOLUME OF THE BUILDINGS. IT'S MORE ABOUT THE HEIGHT OF THE BUILDINGS THAN IT IS THE ARCHITECTURAL LOOK OF THE BUILDINGS TO ME.
MAYBE. YOU KNOW, IT GOES FROM 3 TO 6 OR 3 TO 4 OR WHATEVER IT IS AT THE CORNERS SO THAT IT ALLOWS SUNLIGHT TO DIVE A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO THE INTERSECTIONS ALLOWS SUNLIGHT TO GET A LITTLE DEEPER INTO THE PROPERTIES, AND DOESN'T BLOCK AS MUCH TO THE NEIGHBORS IMMEDIATELY TO THE NORTH AND EAST.
[00:40:07]
WHAT YOU JUST SAID REMINDS ME OF THE ALMOST ENDLESS APARTMENT PROJECT JUST NORTH ON UNIVERSITY IN FRIDLEY.AND I THINK THAT THAT EVEN THOUGH IT IS ONGOING AND FEELS LIKE IT'S BEEN ONGOING AS LONG AS I'VE LIVED IN THE CITY, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE WOULDN'T WANT TO DO, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S A LOT OF MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING.
IT JUST LOOKS LIKE IT WAS PLOPPED IN WITH LITTLE THOUGHT.
YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK IT WOULD REALLY BE HELPFUL TO HAVE LEED ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY CONSIDERATIONS AS WELL. WHEN WE WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THIS CORRIDOR AS WELL.
SO I KNOW WHAT YOU SAID AS WELL ABOUT HAVING IT MORE GREEN, HAVING THAT MORE AS A STANDARD AND THEN HAVING THE PROTECTION IN PLACE WOULD REALLY BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE CITY OVER TIME AS WELL.
SO IT'S SOMETHING I'M THINKING ABOUT TOO. SO ON THAT KIND OF THOUGHT WE DO HAVE SOIL VOLUME REQUIREMENTS NOW BASICALLY FOR TREE PLANTING. THIS IS KIND OF A CONCEPT THAT OUR FORESTER AND ONE OF OUR PARKS AND RECREATION MEMBERS KIND OF INTRODUCED, WHERE IT'S LIKE, IF WE DO PLANTINGS, WE KIND OF WANT TO PRIORITIZE AREAS THAT BASICALLY CAN PRODUCE THE MOST HEALTHY, THE MOST MATURE CANOPIES. SO IF WE'RE LOOKING TO KIND OF INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF JUST NATURAL ENVIRONMENT THAT WE HAVE HERE. I THINK MAYBE AS FAR AS LIKE TREE PLANTING AND LANDSCAPING GOES.
IF THERE ARE AREAS WHERE WE CAN KIND OF DO MORE WITH SOIL VOLUME, THAT SHOULD ALMOST BE PRIORITIZED VERSUS KIND OF STANDALONE TREE PLACEMENT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. LIKE IF WE HAVE AREAS WHERE WE CAN DO LARGER, MORE LUSH TREE CLUSTERS, I THINK THAT WOULD KIND OF PROVIDE MORE VALUE OVERALL THAN HAVING THOSE.
I THINK THE CENTRAL AVENUE TREES IN FRONT OF CITY HALL ARE A GOOD DESCRIPTION OF THAT.
I KNOW OUR FORESTER HAS THOUGHTS ON THOSE AS WELL.
BUT I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO GET AWAY FROM IS THAT THOSE AREN'T NECESSARILY LIKE, THOSE TREES CLEARLY DIDN'T PROVIDE MUCH VALUE.
THEY WERE STUNTED. THEY. I THINK THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT SOMEONE DROVE INTO.
RIGHT. SOMEONE. OH, SOMEONE AT 1:00 IN THE MORNING JUST TACKLED THEM.
SO YEAH. VERY USEFUL. PRETTY GOOD SIGNS THAT THEY WERE NOT MATURE OR HEALTHY CANOPY TREES.
JUST ONE THING OFF OF THAT LOOKING AT JUST OF COURSE, GOOGLE MAPS.
SOME OF THE SETBACKS WILL BE IN OUR DISCUSSION AS WELL, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF THESE OLDER APARTMENT BUILDINGS AREN'T ACTUALLY BROUGHT UP RIGHT UP TO THE PROPERTY LINE. THEY'RE SET BACK A LITTLE BIT WITH SOME GREEN SPACE IN BETWEEN THE ACTUAL BUILDING AND THE FRONTAGE ROAD.
SO THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER AS WELL.
BUT WITH THAT WE CAN DEFINITELY MOVE ON. I'M TRYING TO THINK OF OTHER AREAS, WHETHER IT'S IN THE TWIN CITIES OR BEYOND, THAT DEMONSTRATE LAUDABLE URBANISM WITH FRONTAGE ROADS.
THAT'S SUCH A IT'S SUCH A CLASHING THOUGHT. AND I EQUALLY HESITATE TO USE HIAWATHA AVENUE AS A VERSION OF ANYTHING GOOD. BUT CAN ANYONE ELSE THINK OF AN ANYWHERE WITH FRONTAGE ROADS THAT HAVE SOME POSITIVE DESIGN QUALITIES BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT EVIL? I'M NOT TRYING TO SAY THAT. THEY'RE NOT EVIL. I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING WITH HIAWATHA. I MEAN, SO MUCH OF THAT IS DRIVEN BY THE TOD DISTRICT THAT THAT THOSE BUILDINGS RESIDE IN.
THE FRONTAGE ROAD TO ME IS IT'S PART OF THAT, THE LANGUAGE OF THE BUFFER OF THE TRANSITION.
RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU'RE OFF THE HIGHWAY. YOU HAVE YOU ARE NOW ON A CITY STREET WITH MUCH LOWER SPEEDS.
I KIND OF SEE THAT AS THE FRONTAGE ROAD IS WHERE ALL OF YOUR MULTIMODAL IS, ALL YOUR PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES ARE, BECAUSE WE WANT THEM SEPARATED INSTEAD OF INTEGRATED FROM THE STREET WHERE WE WANT THAT EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE CITY.
ON UNIVERSITY YOU WANT THAT COMPLETELY SEPARATED FOR SAFETY.
SO IT'S THAT IT'S THAT THAT FRONTAGE ROAD THAT BECOMES THAT BUFFER, THAT TRANSITION SPACE TELLING YOU THAT YOU ARE NOW IN A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT. RIGHT. SO I DON'T KNOW, DO WE, DO WE JUST LIKE, DON'T EVEN CONSIDER IT A FRONTAGE ROAD.
[00:45:04]
IT'S A CITY STREET. IT'S PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.AND TREAT IT AS SUCH. YEAH. I MEAN THAT ALSO IT'S VERY I WOULD SAY JUST AS AN OUTSIDE OBSERVER, I THINK IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT EVENTUALLY THERE WILL BE BUS RAPID TRANSIT DOWN UNIVERSITY.
AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN QUITE A BIT OF FUNDING ALLOCATED TO THAT GOING FORWARD.
IT SEEMS LIKE ANY SORT OF DESIGN GUIDELINES MIGHT WANT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT BRT STYLE BUS STOPS, AS OPPOSED TO JUST TRADITIONAL URBAN BUS STOPS OR TRADITIONAL SUBURBAN BUS STOPS, FOR THAT MATTER, ANYWAY. YET ANOTHER I'M STILL WAITING FOR THE MONORAIL.
NO, THAT'S A THAT'S REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK. WE DO HAVE A NEW BRT ROUTE COMING IN.
WAS IT 28 I THINK. THEY'RE DELAYING THAT SLIGHTLY JUST BECAUSE OF THE CENTRAL REDESIGN.
I'M ALMOST CERTAIN THAT AT SOME POINT MNDOT PUT OUT A LIST OF POTENTIAL FUTURE CORRIDORS FOR BRT.
AND THEN SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP WERE BUILDING COLORS. IT SEEMS LIKE WE AT SOME POINT ADOPTED THE TONE OF BEIGE, AND THERE'S A DESIRE TO MAYBE HAVE A LITTLE MORE VIBRANCY.
AND THAT KIND OF APPLIES TO SIGNAGE AS WELL. LIKE, DO WE FEEL LIKE THESE DISTRICTS SHOULD FOLLOW A SPECIFIC STANDARD ESTHETIC THAT WE'RE SHOOTING FOR. OR DO YOU THINK THAT WE SHOULD KIND OF LOOSEN THOSE, GIVE BUSINESSES, GIVE PROPERTY OWNERS A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY TO KIND OF CHOOSE COLORS THAT THEY THINK WOULD WORK WELL, OR SIGNAGE THAT JUST LIKE WOULDN'T BE ALLOWED NECESSARILY BY DESIGN STANDARDS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE OFFER FLEXIBILITY TO KIND OF JUST MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY'RE AT A LITTLE BIT MORE? I FEEL LIKE IT'S THE BUSINESS NEEDS HERE IN COLUMBIA HEIGHTS I FEEL LIKE VARY SO DIFFERENTLY FROM PROPERTY TO PROPERTY THAT SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE HAVING CERTAIN DESIGN STANDARDS ALMOST HURTS THEM.
DO YOU WANT TO CONSIDER THE SHINY SHEEN OF THE ART BUILDING AT THE U OF M ART BUILDING? THE WEISMAN? [LAUGHTER] BE VERY CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT THAT BUILDING.
THAT'S ONE OF MY ONE OF MY FAVORITES. JUST KIDDING.
IMAGINE HAVING THAT HERE. 100% WOULD APPLAUD THAT.
A STATEMENT BUILDING IN COLUMBIA HEIGHTS. ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK IT'S MORE THE QUALITY OF THE BUILDINGS. IT'S MORE IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE ACTIVE STREET, IT'S THE WINDOWS. IT'S THE ABILITY TO VIEW IN AND KIND OF CREATING KIND OF A BLURRED BORDER BETWEEN THE SIDEWALK AND THE BUSINESS THAT IT'S IN AND REALLY KIND OF INTERACTING WITH THE CITY.
I'M THINKING SPECIFICALLY TO THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THE, THE, YOU KNOW, VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO BE OKAY WITH THE ORANGE BUILDING THAT SOMEBODY'S GOING TO PUT UP IF YOU DON'T DEFINE IT RIGHT? BUT MAYBE THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT ORANGE BUILDING, AND MAYBE THERE'S A REASON TO ALLOW FOR THAT.
IS THERE ANY REGULATION NOW FOR A BUILDING PERMIT IF THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY PAINTED SOME DIFFERENT COLOR THAT WE DON'T LIKE OR SOMETHING OR NOT REALLY OTHER THAN THIS ONE.
THERE USED TO BE THAT USED TO BE THAT YOU COULDN'T DO LIKE PAINTED BRICK.
MURALS ARE BECOMING MORE POPULAR. I THINK IT WOULD DEPEND ON WHERE THAT BUILDING IS LOCATED IN TERMS OF LIKE IF THE DESIGN GUIDELINES WOULD APPLY. BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE ABOUT IT. YEAH.
FITS A LITTLE BETTER IN THAT KIND OF THAT YOU KNOW THAT HIGHWAY DISTRICT A LITTLE FARTHER NORTH.
BUT IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD FIT ON 40TH AVENUE? DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO LOOK AT WITH THESE. YEAH, I THINK WITH THAT
[00:50:04]
I GET OH, GO AHEAD. CAN I MAKE JUST JUST ONE RECOMMENDATION? AND THIS THE PAGE YOU'RE ON RIGHT NOW IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF IT.CAN WE STRIKE ALL REFERENCES TO EIFS AND BAN IT FROM EVER BEING IN THE CITY EVER AGAIN? IT'S NO, IT'S HORRIBLE EXTERIOR INSULATION THAT IS THEN PAINTED TO LOOK LIKE STUCCO OR FAKE BRICK OR FAKE PANELS.
AND IT IS GREAT FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF THE BUILDING, AND THEN IT'S GUARANTEED TO LEAK.
AND IF YOU DO NOT PUT IT UP PROPERLY, IT'S A HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE WALL SYSTEM AND SHOULD BE I MEAN, THERE'S TALKS AT THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE LEVEL THAT EIFS WILL BE BANNED.
IT'S HORRIBLE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. WHEN THAT STUFF BURNS I WOULD I WOULD BE ALL FOR REMOVING ALL, ALL MENTIONS OF EIFS FROM THE DESIGN GUIDELINES.
SO MAYBE MORE THAN LIMITED TO A MAXIMUM OF 60%.
60%. [LAUGHTER] OH MY GOODNESS. YEAH, THAT'S GOOD FEEDBACK.
I'D ALSO BE FOR LESS DESIGN RESTRICTIONS BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, LIKE WE'RE THINKING ABOUT STRUCTURES THAT WE'RE LIKE, OH, WE REALLY WANT TO BASE THIS AROUND. AND NOT A LOT ARE COMING TO MIND.
SO I FEEL LIKE THAT WOULD ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY.
AND I DON'T KNOW, THOUGH, I MEAN, IF COULD WE HAVE ALL THE BUILDINGS BE ORANGE? WE WANT. THAT COULD BE IN THE DESIGN GUIDELINES IF SO CHOSEN.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO. OKAY.
I WOULD SAY THAT WE'RE STARTING TO GET TO THAT LEVEL, ESPECIALLY IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, WITH YOU. THINK OF THIS BUILDING AN THE HEIGHTS THEATER AND THE LIBRARY, AND, YOU KNOW, WE START ARE STARTING TO GET THAT MASS OF BUILDINGS THAT'S STARTING TO CREATE THAT NEXT LANGUAGE, RIGHT? I MEAN, THOSE THREE BUILDINGS, EVEN THE HEIGHTS, HEIGHTS THEATER, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY A HISTORIC BUILDING IN THE CITY.
IS THERE ANY CODE FOR THAT AT ALL, OR WOULD THIS BE ESSENTIALLY BE THE CONCENTRATION FOR THAT? I THINK IT WOULD STILL BE SUBJECT TO PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
WE DO HAVE SECTIONS ON GLARE. SO DO YOU LIVE NEXT TO THE WEISMAN BUILDING? NO, I'M NOT EVEN THINKING ABOUT THAT. ACTUALLY.
I'M JUST THINKING OF LIKE STREETS OF CHICAGO AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WHEN YOU HAVE, LIKE, REALLY, REALLY BRIGHT BUILDINGS AND THEN HAVING THAT SHINE DOWN ON LIKE, THE NEIGHBORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT IF YOU DO HAVE SOMETHING THAT TAKES CARE OF THOSE CONSIDERATIONS, THEN I THINK HAVING THIS PRETTY OPEN IS LIKE, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY.
YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU'RE PLANNING ONE HELL OF A HOME REMODEL.
SO, I MEAN, WE COULD SIT HERE AND DEFINITELY TALK ABOUT THIS ALL DAY.
BUT STAFF WILL BRING THESE ITEMS, PUT TOGETHER SOME LANGUAGE FOR THE UNIVERSITY AVENUE DISTRICT, AND THEN ALSO BRING SOME MORE DIRECTED QUESTIONS FOR NEXT MONTH TO KIND OF CONTINUE THIS WORKSHOP, BECAUSE THIS IS ALL AMAZING STUFF. AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE EIFS, THE MORE OF THOSE ITEMS THAT WE CAN REALLY REMOVE FROM THE OLD CODE AND, YOU KNOW, UPDATE EVERYTHING, INCLUDING THE PICTURES THE BETTER OFF WE ARE GOING TO BE.
SO WE'LL GET WORKING ON SOME OF THAT STUFF. AND I THINK THIS IS KIND OF A GOOD, GOOD POINT TO PAUSE, BUT WE ARE DEFINITELY OPEN TO ANY LAST MINUTE COMMENTS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE.
AND YEAH, AS YOU GUYS WE'LL TAKE THIS TO THE NEXT MONTH'S MEETING.
FEEL FREE IF YOU GUYS GET A BURNING URGE TO LOOK AT THE DESIGN GUIDELINES OR WALK AROUND, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS LIVE HERE. YOU KNOW THESE PLACES AS WELL, IF NOT BETTER THAN WE DO.
SOUNDS LIKE EIFS, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, IS NOT WORKING.
SO WE'LL DEFINITELY TRY TO CONTINUE THIS ON TO THE NEXT MONTH AND HAVE MORE OF THESE DISCUSSIONS.
ONE TINY LITTLE ADDITION. I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT, IS IT COUNTY ROAD 96 AS IT GOES THROUGH
[00:55:05]
SHOREVIEW? THAT'S KIND OF AN INTERESTING ROAD TO LOOK AT AS A POSSIBLE PARALLEL, BECAUSE IT'S LARGELY BUILT OUT LIKE UNIVERSITY.BUT THINKING ABOUT THE AREA AROUND THE I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S SHOREVIEW CITY HALL OR IF IT'S JUST THEIR COMMUNITY CENTER, WHICH IS SO BIG. THAT'S KIND OF AN INTERESTING ASPIRATIONAL PARALLEL FOR UNIVERSITY.
TOOK ME A FEW MINUTES, BUT I GOT THERE. ALL RIGHT.
ANY FINAL COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION? CITY STAFF? ALL RIGHT. I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE MEETING. MOTION TO CLOSE THE MEETING.
YEAH. JUST. JUST FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD, I'LL INCLUDE THAT COMMENT FROM THE THE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER BUESGENS THAT THE BRT IS NOT PLANNED JUST SO WE HAVE IT ON THE MICROPHONE, BUT THANK YOU, CONNIE. OKAY.
SORRY. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.