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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-03-2003 Council Work SessionCouncil Woricsession 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 3,2003 Orono City Council Chambers AGENDA 1. Planning Commission Interviews 3. Navarre Town Meeting Debrief 4. Telecommunications Tower and Antenna Regulations (Discussion with Planning Commission Representative) 6. Other 40 minutes 2. Report from Assessor Regarding 2002 Property Valuations 15 minutes 30 minutes 20 minutes 5. City Parcel to be Sold for Dental/Medical Office Development 20 imnutcs (Request from Buyer to reduce the Sale Price of the Property) .1 (D TO: FROM: DATE: Mayor Peterson and Council Members Ron Moorse, City Administrator April 1,2003 SUBJECT: Planif lug Conniissioii I ntcrviews The retirement of Jan Berg from the Planning Commission, after serving the maximum three full terms, has created a vacancy on the Commission. Also, David Rahn has completed his first ftill term on the Commission, and has indicated he is interested in serving another term. The Council has requested that staff schedule David Rahn, as well as Jule Hannatbrd and Stephanie Zugschwert, current Plaiming Commission alternate members, for interviews with the Council. At this point, David Rahn and Stephanie Zugschwert are scheduled for interviews at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 3. Jule Hannaford has not yet responded to indicate whether he is available on April 3. I TO:Mayor Peterson and Council Members FROM:Ron Moorse, City Administrator n DATE:April 1,2003 fl SUBJECT: Report From Assessor Regarding 2002 Property Valuations A representative from the Assessor’s Office will provide an overview of the results of the 2002 property valuation process, and will be available to answer questions, in preparation for the Board of Review Hearing scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23. ■40 TO:Mayor Peterson and Council Membera FROM:Ron Moorsc, City Administrator DATE:January 14,2003 SUBJECT: Navarre Town Meeting Debrief The following is a summary of the Navarre Town Meeting Held on March 13, 2003. Key Feedback From Navarre Residents Navarre is a great place to live, and a safe place for kids. Residents enjoy the convenience and friendliness of the full range of owner-operated service businesses in Navarre. Navarre residents enjoy the small town neighborhood feel of the area. There is strong support for the Dakota Rail Corridor regional recreational trail. The residents very much appreciate the Navarre Park upgrade. Key Issues Identified It is important to preserve the small town retail character with a diversity of owner-operated service businesses. -Don't bring in big box retail or strip retail. Add landscaping "green" (trees) to the Navarre commercial area for improved appearance and a consistent theme. Develop a 20-30 year master plan for the Navarre commercial area, to enable greater continuity in the type, character, and layout of buildings. Improve the safety and ease of pedestrian movement -Provide a safe crosswalk across County Road 15. -Provide more sidewalks, particularly along Shadywood Road. Manage the volume of traffic on County Road 15. Questions and concerns were raised regarding moving away from Mound for fire service, and building a neighborhood fire station in Navarre. Orono C'ity Council Comment.s The Council wants to be proactive vs. reactive, and will use public input to guide the long term planning for the Navarre area. Navarre residents are encouraged to provide the creative element of this partnership with the City in developing a master plan for Navarre. Residents are encouraged to volunteer, to get involved, as this is what makes the community great. The Council indicated the Mound Fire Department has provided high quality fire service over the years, and the Council is committed to maintaining and improving the quality of fire service provided to the Navarre area. The Excelsior Fire District will ensure high quality fire service for the three year period during which new volunteer firefighters will be recruited and trained, and the Long Lake Fire Department will take over in 2007, with fully trained volunteers operating out of the Navarre Neighborhood Fire Station. Neighborhood fire stations are becoming more prevalent as important elements of effective fire service provision, because they facilitate recruitment of volunteer firefighters, and improve response times. Building a fire station in Navarre will be a significant investment for the City. The return on thin investment will be quality fire service and long term cost savings under an in-place twenty-year fire service contract with the City of Long Lake. MINUTES OF THE ORONO NAVARRE TOWN MEETING Thursday, March 13,2003 7:00 o ’clock p.m. ROLL The Council met with the public on the above mentioned date with the following members present: Mayor Barbara Peterson; Council Members Jim Murphy, Jay Nygard, Jim White, and Bob Sanseverc; Representing staff were City Administrator Ron Moorse and Recorder Kristi Anderson. The audience was made up of appro.ximatcly 45 residents, plus additional members of City staff. Mayor Peterson opened the meeting at 7:04 P.M. Mayor Peterson welcomed the public to the Navarre Town Meeting, c.xprcsscd the Citj'*s desire to listen to their comments, and turned the floor over to Administrator Moorse. Moorse asked the public for their feedback on two fronts; first, what the public liked about Navarre, its amenities, and features and characteristics worth preserving: Second, what improvements could be made to make the community an even better place to live or work. PUBLIC COMMENTS Evon Paige, 3493 Crystal Place, As a long term resident, Ms. Paige stated that Navarre is a nice place to live, a safe place for kids, and presides a good mix of youth and older adults. Ms. Paige commented that she would hate to sec a big box disrupt the natural order of the community or it become an industrial area. Ralph Kempf, 3675 Togo Road, stated that, while he enjoys the small town neighborhood feel provided by Navarre, he worried about the community turning in to a traffic corridor. Although tUiTcntly a corridor of sorts, he indicated that over the past several years, traffle has worsened dramatically with an increase of short cutting. He feared the current situation was a mere inkling of what w'as to come, and cautioned the Council of allow ing Navarre to turn into another Watertown. Mr. Kempf wished to prcseiv e the character of Navarre and provide better places for people to w alk. As he found the intersection traffic shocking, Mr. Kempf encouraged the Council to plan for additional walking trails in the area and along Shadywood. John Ericson, 1620 Shadyw ood, and owner of two additional lots neat the Snyder’s in Navarre. While Mr. Ericson felt Navarre provided its residents with nice amenities, he expressed his concern over too much traflic. l•urthc^nore, be asked how and w hen the zoning of his two Navarre parcels had been changed from residential to commercial, as appeared to be depicted on a map of the area. (Note: Mr. Ericson had interpreted the map ipcorrcctly, the lots remain zoned residential.) John Klick, 3703 Casco Avenue. As a new resident, Mr. Klick expressed his concern regarding excessive dumping that has iKCurred on City owned land along Casco Point. He indicated that he loved Navarre, but had concerns over the standing water, brush, and debris being left on those sites and asked how he or the City could clean these up. Mr. Klick also expressed his desire for installing speed bumps along his roadway. Sanseverc asked Moorse to address the dumping issue. Klick stated that the dumping seems to be occurring at several points along Casco Point Drive. PAGE 1 of 10 MINUTES OF THE ORONO NAVARRE TOWN MEETING Thursday, March 13,2003 7:00 o’clock p.m. Murphy pointed out that dumping has turned into a global problem for communities all over. He added that, unfortunately, more and more of it is occurring along the trail and something needs to be done. He could not offer a solution at this time. White felt it was shameful, the amount of dumping going on public property, and believed it was a matter of education that it is not legal to dump. He noted that the City owned lots will likely be used for stormwater runoff in future years. Klick offered to do some clean up, provided the City works with him to do so. White thanked the numerous Navarre business owners in attendance, identifying many, A-1 Rental, Champion, the Church, office center, Navarre Hardware, Gallery Navarre, Hope Chest for Breast Cancer, Westonka Psychological, O’Sullivans, Navarre Liquor, Sign Age, Lakeshore Interiors, the Freshwater Society, etc. Suzy Swanson, 3229B Casco Circle. As a lakeshore resident since 1944, Ms. Swanson embraced the hometown feeling of Navarre and the spirit of those living in the community. She did not support speed bumps along Casco Point Drive and felt its neighbors, as well as the City, could do much to clean up, acid have cleaned up, the d’’rnp sites in the past. Dan Crea», 3701 Shoreline Drive, felt that Navarre offered a unique opportunity to business owners and residents because it is convenient, every amenity is here. As the office complex owner, he stated that his tenants choose to be here. Mr. Crear suggested that the Council consider creating a Navarre Master Plan, reflecting the numerous changes made over the years, including those that changed greatly afier the tornado of approximately 30 years ago. He encouraged the Council to look down the road 20-30 more years to identify what a great spot Navarre could be. He pointed out that nothing in Navarre matches, adding that much could be done to provide a greater sense of continuity. Dean Young, 3555 Crystal Place, believed that Navarre had everything to offer, and cautioned the Council from allowing it to turn into Excelsior, a community made up of only junk shops and antique stores. He liked the diversity of Navarre. Murphy concurred, stating that the main purpose of the evening’s discussion was to begin the process of creating a 20 year plan. Although difficult, he felt the City could not afford to be reactive in its planning, and reiterated that the Council could not prixluce this plan without citizen input. Sansevere reminded residents that it was their town and that the Council wished to be careful not to overrun the community with changes, instead presen c the best of Navarre 20 years down the road. Charles and Candace Nadler, 2509 Kelly Avenue. Although a 20 year resident who expressed his love of Navarre, Mr. Nadler voiced his concern with regard to future traffic issues in Navarre. He stated that, even over the past three years, he has seen traffic increase dramatically and encouraged the Council to create a traffic plan. PAGE 2 of 10 l! '! A MINUTES OF THE ORONO NAVARRE TOWN MEETING Thursday, March 13,2003 7:00 o’clock p.m. Nygard agreed that trafTic is an ongoing concern for Nax^irre. He indicated that it is often difficult to traverse the road by foot, even when crossing the road. He stated that, over the years, he has encouraged the City and County to make traversing through Navarre on County Road 1S more difficult for the general public, and that the traffic be encouraged to instead use State Highways to the north and south of Navarre. Evon Paige asked if the redevelopment of Highway 12 would cause an increase in traffic in Navarre. Nygard pointed out that, over the next few years, with the redevelopment of Highway 12 and other roads in Orono, traffic would be difficult. He proposed that this w'ould be a good time to piuduce a plan to effectively handle the traffic situation aAer these projects are complete. Gabriel Jabbour, 98S Tonkawa Road, disagreed with Nvgard ’s assumption that traffic could be routed away from County Road 15. Asa past Orono Mayor, Mr. Jab^ur stated that Council, over the last 30 years, has attempted to work with the County on this traffic situation. He felt it was unrealistic to tell the public that a plan could be created during the next few years that would reduce traffic on County Road 15. Mr. Jabbour demanded that the Council tell the residents the truth about what impacts the Highway 12 and County Road 6 construction will have. He questioned what more the City or County could do, during redevelopment of County Road 6 and Highway 12, especially when Mound plans to build 800 new residential units, which will only increase the traffic burden. Mr. Jabbour felt the Council should not make a speech or promise anything it cannot deliver. Nygard stated that he felt the residents should be aware of the need for planning and discussion regarding the traffic dilemmas faced by Navarre. Steve Wagner, 3607 Shoreline, owner of A-1 Rental. Long time resident and business owner, Mr. Wagner enjoyed the advantages a small community, like Navarre, has to offer. He indicated that many of the local businesses would like to grow and progress together, w ith the community, w ithout being faced with the City bringing in a big box or strip mall to detract from the small town atmosphere of Navarre. He did, however, express the need for better crosswalks with working buttons, and questioned if the proposed fire sub station w'ould mean higher taxes for residents. Mayor Peterson indicated that they would discuss the fire station proposal later in the evening. Bob Albertson, 2100 Shadyw'ood Read, 39 year Navarre resident. .Mr. Albertson suggested that the City consider hiring a landscape company to design a nice plan for the Navarre area, and an architect to come up with some conservative ideas to bring uniformity and continuity to the community. If he were to ere ,.te a 10 year plan. Mi. Albertson stated that he would recommend additional crosswalks and a center stoplight above the intersection in Navarre. Lee Erger, 3265 Crystal Bay Road, felt that access to the Dakota Rail Comdor Trail should be made for people entering and exiting the trail He also thanked Bob Sansevere for returning his call reg.irding questions about his Mediacom bill. Dr. Frank and Melissa Plachecki, residing at 3685 North Shore Drive for merely six months, expressed his happiness in being a member of the Navarre community. He mdteated that li\ing in PAGE 3 of 10 MINUTES OF THE ORONO NAVARRE TOWN MEETING Thursday, March 13,2003 7:00 o ’clock p.m. this community is a dream come true for he and his family and recognized what great neighbors and shop keepers reside in the area. Dr. Flachecki stated that, as semi-retired, he was eager to contribute to the community and had the energy they were looking for to accomplish great things. White pointed out that Orono collects the lowest amount of tax dollars in Hennepin County and will continue to tighten up its belt in this sluggish economy. He complimented the City staff and the Police Chief for their high quality and well managed departments. Miles Shaw, a Navarre resident, maintained that, while so many communities lack character, Navarre is in a position to define itself. Sansevere asked the public if they would be happy with the same Navarre in 10 years as they saw now. Suzy Swanson indicated that, although in need of a facelift and landscaping with trees. Navarre is a great community. She suggested creating a cityscape to define and unify the town. Dr. Plachccki stated that in the case of Lauderdale, his previous hometown off of Carpenter, the residents chose colored street lamps and trees lining the roadway to define itself. He indicated that now, there is no mistake visitors are passing through a special place. Suzy Swanson praised Rick’s supermarket for its flower beds. Candace Nadler staled that, in her recollection, there was much more green space in Navarre ten years ago. and she asked what happened. She noted how residential homeowners are required to meet strict hardcover standards and questioned why it seems that business are not held to that same high standard. John O’Sullivan, owner of O’Sullivans and Culvers, agreed that he too would like to see more green; however, the County chose to take away the green boulevard he had once provided, in order to replace it with a turning lane. He indicated that the current physical limitations of the commercial area make it difficult to find additional grccnspace. He cautioned the City about writing a master plan w ithout limitations to tremendous grow th and change. He stated that, as a Maple Grove resident, he has seen huge growth and lots of recent vacancies and turnover. Mr. O’Sullivan pointed out tliat the small family owned businesses in Navarre risk being costed out if the same happens here. While he agreed that traffic is a big concern, he reminded the residents that to divert it entirely w ould eliminate some of their customer base. After numerous conversations with the County himself, Mr. O’Sullivan stated that he had been told the Navarre intersection is a skewed intersection that the community would have to live with. White concurred that Navane provides its own economic engine. Tamara Homar, of Westonka Psychological at 3701 Shoreline Drive. Ms. Bomar stated that, as a business person in Navarre the past 4 years, she has observed that more options for people to stroll the road safely with better w alkw ays need to be provided. While she felt it would be nice to beautify the commercial area, she urged the City to construct sidewalks'walkways to better access the park behind the hardware store via C’ounty Road 19-Shadywood PAGE 4 of 10 MINUTES OF THE ORONO NAVARRE TOWN MEETING Thursday, March 13,2003 7:00 o ’clock p.m. William Wolfe, 32SS Crystal Bay Road, asked what was happening with regard to the Dakota Rail Trail project. As a member of the committee which spearheaded the Dakota Line trail, Gabriel Jabbour stated that he, as well as, Peter Johnson of Mound, continue to work on the project daily. He noted that the biggest obstacle continues to be the objections raised by the Minnetonka Beach community. While Hennepin County purchased the line in hope that it could be turned into a trail, they’ve been forced to put the rail out for bid for anyone who could operate a rail service. Hennepin County also approached the Three Rivers Park District about turning the 44 mile stretch into a walk/bike trail. Mr. Jabbour believed this opportimity would be an enormous amenity to the area and create a pedestrian corridor within Navarre, Spring Park, Mound, and Minnetonka Beach that would tic into the Luce Line. The public applauded Mr. Jabbour’s and the City’s efforts. Mr. Wolfe asked if the trail could potentially act as a light rail corridor into Minneapolis. Jabbour stated that the Dakota Rail trail is identified os #17 on the Minneapolis light rail trail plan, which would put this light years into the future. White felt the future development of the trail to be the tic that links the center of all the lake communities together. Other than the Lake Superior Trail, White believed this trail would be second to none. Evon Paige asked if the vae2:,i parcel ne.xt to the liquor store was contaminated or prime real estate. Mike Gaffron stated that remediation of the vacant Keaveny property had occurred 10-15 years ago. He indicated he is not aware of the current status of the property in terms of the remediation or any plans for redevelopment. Ralph Kempf reiterated that, while current business is vital, he would not wish to apply any undue burden upon the local business owners by requiring them to update too much. He stated that, further west, vacancies arc common place and he would not want that to be the case for Navarre. Mr. Kempf agreed that the addition of trees and/or a defining feature would be nice. Moorse asked for any further comments. Tamara Bomar asked if there were any plans which would include adding accommodations to the area. Jabbour pointed out that new accommodations e.xist in Long Lake and that Mound has plans to build a motel as well. Dan Clear cautioned the Council from taking too great an oixmership position in Navarre, one that would discourage others from coming in. He stated that progress w ill happen, and encouraged the public and Council to keep an open mind. He reminded the public that the traffic, however PAGE 5 of 10 [ MINUTES OF THE ORONO NAVARRE TOWN MEETING Thursday, March 13,2003 7:00 o ’clock p.m. difficult, allows Navarre to succeed. As a Minnetonka Beach resident in support of the trail, Mr. Crear felt that it was ludicrous that the trail was facing such opposition in his community. Alisa Rashid, owner of the Sign Age at 3502 Shoreline Drive, stated that she has thoroughly enjoyed working with the community over the past 8 years. She stated that Navarre provides a close network of people who support one another. She stated that business owners have begun different attempts to unify the community, for instance, the banner program has been embraced by business owners. She thanked her neighbors for their active support and encouraged even more sponsorship and support for local events like the Dog Days of Navarre. While Ms. Rashid agreed that Navarre could be a very quaint and charming community made up of numerous specialty stores, she believed more care needed to be given to improvements and beautification through a partnership of business owners and the City. William Omiie, I860 Shadywood Road, questioned whether there was any way to construct a sidewalk along County Road 19. He felt that Shadywood was a dangerous place to walk. White stated that the City would like to get a sidewalk from Navarre to the Dakota Rail Trail. Greg Gappa, Public Service Director, stated that the City hopes to complete sidewalk construction along the first block of Shadywood this year using some state aid funding. He indicated that attempts will be made to complete consecutive blocks as resources become available. Phyllis Hendersen, 2308 Shadywood Road, asked which side of the road the sidewalk was proposed for or whether it would run along both sides. Andrew McDermott, Park Commission Chair, stated that the sidewalk would likely nm along the west side of the street. White commended McDermott for his design of the Navarre Park. There was public applause and appreciation. Louis Hudlow, 3438 Lyric Avenue, stated that, while she lives a mere block from Navarre, she doesn't dare walk to the grocery store. She stated that, currently, Navarre is very unfriendly to p.iicstrian traffic, and what sidewalks do c.xist, are not maintained in the winter due to snov.' cover. She urged the Council to do more for pedestrian access to Navarre and the addition of crossing lights. Rick Rice, 2700 Kelly Avenue, suggested the City investigate using the lagoon across from the Sign Age for boats w ishing to gain access to Navarre businesses. He felt it would be nice if people could diKk somewhere and use the Navarre amenities. Mark Palmer, 2450 Carman Street, stated that, as a resident of the lagoon area, there is little room for more access here. He stated that it was difficult to negotiate the lagoon as it stands yet alone adding additional traffic. Murphy thanked the residents for coming to the to\. ,i meeting and making their voices heard He stated that; while the current tax situation is difficult, Orono was better off than most of its PAGE 6 of 10 ( MINUTES OF THE ORONO NAVARRE TOWN MEETING Thursday, March 13,2003 7:00 o ’clock p.m. neighbors. He encouraged people to volunteer, to get involved, as this is what makes this community great. Murphy encouraged residents to provide the creative element of this partnership. Sansevere pointed out that the City has one opening on its Park Commission if residents were interested in getting involved now. With regard to the Navarre Fire Station, Moorse gave a brief history of its evolution. In the past, Orono had been served by four different Fire Departments; Mound, Long Lake, Maple Plain, and Wayzata. In recent years, the costs associated with these four partnerships have been on the rise and long term plans related to facilities and equipment would have cost the City a great deal, llie City began to look into different options which might save money over the long term. Recently, the City came to a 20 year fire service agreement with Long Lake covering a large portion of Orono. While Moorse pointed out that this agreement set the City up well in the area covered by the Long Lake Fire Department, negotiations with other fire service cities did not fair the same. The City then decided to look into consolidating additional areas of the City covered under the Long Lake contract, including areas covered by Maple Plain and Mound. In terms of response time, putting in a Navane \'oluiiteer fire station run by Long Lake seemed to be the most cost effective option. Moorse indicated that, over the next few years, Navarre would be recruiting and training volunteers, with the help of the Excelsior Fire Department. While Mound would continue to provide service through 2003, Moorse explained that Excelsior would cover the area from 2004- 2006 while the station becomes operational and staffed. Dan Crear asked where the station would go. Moorse indicated that the Navarre neighborhood station would reside where the old landscaping business was located east of the Hennepin County Highway Department facility, and west of the old drive-in theatre property. Murphy introduced and thanked Mark DuCharme, Excelsior Fire Chief, for his commitment to assist Orono as it builds the new station, and recruits and trains volunteer firefighters to staff the station. Murphy explained that the City has owned this parcel for quite awhile; theretbre. taxes wouldn ’t be going up because of the fire station. He reiterated that the construction of the neighborhood siition proved to be the most cost effective way to deliver fire service to the community. He encouraged business owners to allow their daylime staff to operate as volunteer fir; fighters. Although Mc'und has provided the City with years of good service, Murphy staled that Otono is committed to transferring fire service to Long Lake. He indicated that many attempts had been made to come to an understanding w ith Mound, however, these didn’t work out and the two parted ways on liiis issue. Rick Rice asked, why all of a sudden, how it could be cheaper to build our own lire stat ion than it was to share with Mound. Murphy slated that, while the short term costs arc higher, the long term costs are lower and benefits are greater. Nygard pointed out that, although Orono paid a high percentage for service to Mound, it had no say- over expenditures. PAGE 7 of 10 r MINUTES OF THE ORONO NAVARRE TOWN MEETING Thursday, March 13,2003 7:00 o'clock p.m. Rice asked how much the building and trucks would cost. Moorse stated that the estimated cost to construct and equip a Navarre station would be $ 1.5 million. Murphy indicated Orono would have paid SI .2 million toward the Mound fire station. White reiterated that the City cannot afford to continue to pay for 20-50% of these other community’s budgets, when it could create its own service. Clem and Barb Birch, 2205 Bayview. Mr. Birch questioned the trade off of service in order to gain control of the Are station. Confident in the service provided by Mound, he was concerned that this happened relatively quickly. Nygard pointed out that the City had little choice but to move on this decision, since Mound had insisted that if we continue to get their service we renew our contract and commit to paying for theit new building. While Sansevere agreed that Mound had offered phenomenal fire service over the years, he had difficulty with the fact that their Council would not give Orono any leadership or ownership in the building it would help fund. Given the size of the investment, Orono felt the Mound City Council should listen to their concerns. He explained that three years should be adequate time to provide Orono with quality responders. He maintained that if the Council had any doubt, they would not have proceeded with this action. Murphy concurred, stating that this development had caught the Council by surprise as well. He explained that only one year ago did they learn what was going on. The City then began to unders. ■ the escalating costs of providing fire service and that not everyone else w'as as concerned about the long term costs as Orono was. We were in a position where the City was forced to negotiate contracts that would be escalating due to construction of new stations in both Mound and Maple Plain in upcoming years. Murphy stated that the trade off was that Orono would be spending more in the near term, than we would with Mound fire service, however, the long term savings would r.iore than make up the difference. Tim Olson, 2510 Old Beach Road, asked w'hethcr the City had considered a joint fire agreement with Excelsior. He inquired if the SI .5 million included the cost of trucks etc. Murphy explained that, once the Council had realized that the negotiations with Mound were worsening, the Cit}' sent out an REP to other communities to discuss service options. He stated that the City had considered joining the Excelsior Fire District, however, chose Long Lake since they had a change of heart and Orono already had a long term commitment with them. Murphy continued, stating that fortunately. Excelsior agreed to play an integral role in the plan by assisting Orono with its fire consolidation effort, and continues to provide the Cit>' vi'ith a 2007 option. With regard to equipment purchases, Murphy indicated that many purchases can be made more reasonably than they had been led to believe and options for used equipment exist. Jabbour pointed out that several choices presented themselves; the first was to continue fire service with Mound, the second to make a new commitment to Excelsior, and third, continue to partner with Long Lake. Although all would make great partners. Jabbour felt making a $1.2 million dollar contribution to Mound with no equity or authont>- made the least sense. He added that the PAGE 8 of 10 MINUTES OF THE ORONO NAVARRE TOWN MEETING Thursday, March 13,2003 7:00 o’clock p.m. contribution to Excelsior would be upwards of $2 million as well. With regard to the sense of urgency. Jabbour pointed out that the City was about to make a 20 year commitment to Mound, with taxpayer money. Jabbour explained that this Council worked its tail off taking into considciation response time, economics, Maple Plain’s need for a new station in 200S, Mound's need for a new station, and finally, chose to go with Long Lake Fire, a current parmcr with whom the most recent fire station construction costs came in $I million below budget. The issue of staffing continues to be the greatest concern, however, Jabbour pointed out that if all else fails, the City would extend its contract with Excelsior in 2007. He reiterated that the City was truly given no other choice than to react to the ultimatum. Sansevere reminded residents that Orono already has a great relationship \\ ith Long Lake, and 50% ownership of the Long Lake Fire building. White pointed out that one consideration when looking at Excelsior is the traffic problems along County Roads IS and 19. As two Mound firefighters were present. Mayor Peterson reiterated the Council's diligence in working with the Mound City Council in an elTort to gain some ownership, unforbinately, this did not happen. She thanked Mound for providing Orono with terrific service over the years. Sansevere stated that the negotiations continually frustrated both the Mound firefighters and the Orono City Council. Suzy Swanson stated that, she believed, the Navarre sub station would be a great addition to the community. She indicated that, once the City offices relocated, Navarre residents felt remote from this hub of activity. She believed it would be a community resource. Andrew Anderson, 3580 Li\ingston Avenue, a firefighter from upstate New York, slated that he would be honored to volunteer here as he had done in the bedroom community he had most recently served in New York. He pointed out that the fire station often has the potential to become the City's community center, building great relationships with the community through this center. He indicated that tours and community rooms can build a strong sense of pride. Mr. Anderson reminded everyone that being a volunteer firefighter is no les.« dangerous than being a paid professional and carries the same weight. He agreed that the savings are well worth the investment over time, financially and civically. lie indicated that equipment lease programs arc available and encouraged the Council to maintain their relationship with its neighbors for mutual aid. He felt the Navarre Fire Station would be a great thing. The public applauded Mr. Anderson's comments. Murphy agreed that neighborhood fire stations were on the rise. Bob Albertson stated that he had visited the new fire station and read up on literature that confirms that new mini stations cut down on response time. He also spoke to Mound firefighters who admitted that the traffic and congestion along County Road 15 could impact response times from Mound to Orono. He believed it was very important to the future of Navarre to do this. Rick Rice asked what the service area would be. PAGE 9 of 10 MINUTES OF THE ORONO NAVARRE TOWN MEETING Thnrsdayy March 13,2003 7:00 o’clock p.m. Mayor Peterson invited Mr. Rice to visit after the meeting to learn more, however, indicated that the service area would be all that was covered by Mound. She encouraged residents to watch for the groundbreaking to take place sometime in late April or early May. The meeting adjourned at 9:05 P.M. 4 PAGE 10 of 10 & TO: FROM: Mayor I’ctcrson and Council Members Ron Moorsc, City Administrator iKv ' DATE:April 1,2003 SUBJECT : Telecommunications Antcnna/Tower Regulations BACKGROUND In the mid 90 ’s, telecommunications carriers began to expand their services in the suburban areas. This required the placement of antennas on towers, at various inteiA'als, depending on the height of the towers. To manage the proliferation of towers and antennas, particularly in residential areas, cities developed regulations to limit the areas in which towers could be placed, while making reasonable accommodations to enable the expansion of the telecommunications services, as required by Federal regulations. The City amended its land use regulations in preparation for the requests from telecommunieations carriers to place antennas in the city. These regulations enable telecommunications antennas to be placed only on the City ’s two water towers. They are not allowed in any other location. Because the towers arc located at the two ends of the city, in the areas of highest development density,» ! along the two highest tralTic roadways in the city, the tower locations have served the telecommunications carriers well. 'I he City has leased space on its two towers to six telecommunications carriers. Complete C’ovcrace One of the carriers has indicated the two water tower locations do not enable full coverage of the city. I here arc gaps in the coverage, particularly in the central area of the city. T he carrier has indicated a solution is to place a tower and antenna in the Crystal Bay area. Providing a solution to the coverage problem would require a significant change to the City ’s telecommunications antenna tirdinance to allow antennas (and antenna towers) at locations other than the City ’s two water towers. More .specifically, it would require allowing antennas and towers in otlicr locations in the City's rcsidentiaj_arcas. Issues lelated to nmendint; the City ’s teleconununications tower/antenna ordinance. Staff has obtained advice from the City Attorney and the City ’s telecommunications consultant regaiding issues related to the request for additional telecommunications tower locations, and its impact on t*'c City ’s telecommunications regulations. 1 he key i.ssue is how the City can be.st balance the interests of the public and the interests of the telecommunications carriers, while complying with the Federal telecommunications law. The telecommunications consultant has indicated that if a carrier can demonstrate a gap in coverage that cannot be addressed by locating antennas on the two City water towers, the City w ill need to enable an J ' ^ !■> * additional option for locating towers and antennas. However, the City can place restrictions on the sites that can be used for towers, and on the towers and antennas, to minimize the negative impacts of the towers and antennas. As the City considers the issue of providing additional options for the siting of telecommunications towers, the two most difficult elements are the types of locations that could be allow'*d, and the maximum tower height to be allowed. Options for Tower Locations in Residential 2^nes Towers in residential zones could be restricted to only a limited subset of residential properties, such as one or more of the following: - City water towers •• City Emergency siren tower locations - Other City-owned property, such as parkland - Institutiorml Use Property -church - school In reviewing the locations of “institutional" use properties there are no institutional use properties located in areas of the City that could address a gap in coverage, and that are not near an existing emergency warning siren site, or City parkland. The potentially available properties could be further restricted by limiting a tower site to parcels with a minimum size i.e. 2 acres, 5 acres, 10 acres.to enable better opportunities to limit the visual impact of the tower. Maximum Height of Towers The telecommunications carriers generally want to build towers between 90 and 120 feet in height. At minimiun the towers need to be taller than the tree canopy in the area of the tower. The telecommunications consultant has suggested that in residential areas it would be reasonable to limit the height of towers to 75 feet. This height is the maximum height the City would be required to allow for an amateur radio tower. The trade-offs related to the lower height are that the potential for co-location is significantly reduced, and it may result in the need for a larger number of towers. Other Potential Restrictions Related to Towers in Residential .\reas - Stealth or camouflaged towers and antennas are required if the carrier has or can obtain the necessary technology. - Only monopole towers arc allow'ed. Council Direction from Previous Work session The consensus of the Council in terms of a solution to the tower siting issue is as follows: - The height of telecommunications towers in residential districts should be limited to a maximum of 75 feet. - The additional sites available for telecommunications antennas are limited to the existing sites of the I y City's emergency warning sirens. A map is attached showing these sites. -Stealth antennas are requited if the technology is available - The lease schedule should be amended to provide for lower lease rates for lower towers and antennas. Planning Commission Recommendations The Planning Commission will be discussing the information in this memo at its April 2 work session. A representative(s) of the Planning Commission will attend the April 3 Council work session to share the recommendations of the Planning Commission. Staff Recommendation Based on the Council’s direction, and on advice from the City Attorney and the City ’s telecommunications consultant, the following is stall's recommendation regarding the key elements of an amended telecommunications tower/antenna ordinance. - The height of telecommunications towers in residential districts should be limited to a maximum of 75 feet. - The height of a tower can be no higher than the minimum height required to address the gap in coverage - The sites available for telecommunications antennas are expanded to include the existing sites of the City ’s emergency warning sirens, and an additional site located on the City ’s GolfCourse property, that would serve as both an emergency warning siren site and a telecommunications antenna site. The Golf Course site was added to fill a gap in the cast central portion of the City. A map is attached showing these sites. The antennas must be located on the existing emergency warning sirens, unless the height of the existing pole, or the capacity of the existing pole to support the antcnna(s) is inadequate to minimally meet the needs of the carrier. In this case, the carrier may be allowed to install a replacement tower that will accommodate both the emergency warning siren and the telecommunications antcnna(s). (The City ’s telecommunications consultant has advised that it is unlikely the e.xisting wooden poles on which the emergency warning sirens are located would be able to support both the sirens and the telecommunications antennas. The existing poles would likely be replaced with a monopole that could support both the sirens and the antennas. - The setback of a tower from a property line must, at minimum, be equal to the height of the tow er, except where an existing emergency warning siren is located on a site that docs not enable this setback to be provided. - A carrier must demonstrate through an engineering analysis that there is a gap in coverage. - At the City’s discretion, a tower must be designed to structurally enable co-location by another carrier, and the carrier must agree to allow co-location. - The carrier must provide computer-generated photos showing the views(as selected by the City) with and without the tower. - All consultant analysis and legal analysis related to the towers and the lease of the towers shall be paid by the carrier. - The carrier is required to provide coverage maps to demonstrate the specific gap in coverage and need for an additional tower and antenna(s), and to demonstrate there are no existing tower options within a radius of one-half mile that could accommodate the carrier's antenna needs. - The size of the cabinets on the ground needed to house the support equipment for the antennas is limited. - "Stealth'’-type antennas (cylindrical) vs. an array of panels, is required if the technology is available. -Only monopole towers are allowed. i TO: FROM: DATE: Mayor Peterson and Council Members Ron Moorsc, City Administrator March 31,2003 SUBJECT: Sale of City Parcel for Dental/Medical Office Background The City has agreed to sell the two-acre parcel at the northeast comer of Highway 12 and Old Cr> stal Bay Road to the Professional Partnership of Orono (PPO)for construction of a dcntal/mcdical office building. The City had been holding this parcel to ensure that the design and quality of the building constructed on the parcel would set the tunc for the design and quality of the office buildings planned along the north side of Highway 12 between Old Cry stal Bay Road and Willow Drive. Although the initial design and quality of the building proposed by the PPO were acceptable to the City, the plans recently were changed to reduce the cost of the building. The result was a lower quality building that did not meet the standards agreed to by the Council. The PPO has indicated they could provide a higher quality building if the City would reduce the cost of the land. Request for Reduction of the Pt ice of the Parcel 'fhe Council has recently received a letter from the PPO providing infonnation regiuding soil correction costs, and requesting the City to consider reducing the price of the property from the amount agreed to in the purchase agreement, ba.sed on the amount of soil correction costs. 1 he City ’s Appraiser, who performed an appraisal of the property as the basis for the City setting a sale price for the property, and the City ’s Consulting Engineer have both provided input regarding the price reduction request. The Appraiser indicated that soil correction costs can have an impact on the price of property if the amount of soil correction needed is significantly beyond w hat would typically be expected. The Consultant Engineer has indicated the soils report is clear about the amount of soil correction needed, and that the amount of soil correction required is typical for this area. 1 his information was available prior to the PPO signing the purchase agreement. The 1-foot subcut for the paved areas is typical for most soil types. The 5 foot subcut for the building pad is necessaiy only in the area of the perimeter footings, fhis depth for footings is, again, standard unless the soils are ver> pt>or. Please see the attached letter from Tom Kellogg of BRA. Design and Quality of the Building Although the PPO has focused on reducing the price of the parcel, the more important issue is whether the PPO w ill provide the design and quality of building the Council wants, to set the standard for the 0 \ future office buildings to be constructed along Highway 12. Staff has requested that the PPO provide the most recent building design plan, so that we can determine the level of quality of the building design and exterior materials. The plan has not been provided at this time. Staff Recommendation The PPO is requesting the price of the property be reduced by 30%. based on the cost of soil corrections, most of which are standard for most soil types. Rather than considering these costs as expenses by which the price of the property should be reduced, these costs should be considered as development costs that are beyond the cost of purchasing the property. The condition of the soils was known to the PPO prior to agreeing to the price reflected in the purchase agreement. Although the amount of soil correction is somewhat beyond what might generally be considered typical, the types and cost of the soil corrections do not rise to the level that would require a price reduction. Of more concern is the current status of the building plans, in terms of the building design and the quality of exterior materials. It is important that the building design and exterior materials are of high quality. Without a high quality building, the price of the parcel and the purchase agreement become moot issues. i .. ^ m Bonestroo Rosene Anderlik& Associates Engineers & Architects March 27,2003 Boncttroo, Rotrnr. Anderlilt ««nd AtsocMtei. Inc. It Jn Afrirm^liwc Acfipn/r()y^f Opporfyniiy employer And employee Owned PrtncipAlt Otto G BoreM»oo Pf • M.i'vm I Sorv.d t PF • Oierm R foofc PF • G Schyntfhi Pf • h rrj, A Bourdon. Pf • A M.inion Pt Senior ContullAnit Rotert W Roicnr PF • Jouph C Ardrrnfc PI • Ru^.rrdt Turner PE • Sui.«ri M tOerim CPA AttocMie PrincipAft Kerfh A Gordon Pf • Rotj^rf R pfi-rrcrc PF • R.ch.ifdUr Fo.tef Pf • Q.«vid O LoUotA PC • Muh.wi r R»«iimAr>n P£ • Trd K field Pf • Rrf^nrfh P Anm r von Pf • Vt fc » Rodv Pt • D.«vid A Buneitroo MBA • VuJru/ P Willi.imvon Pf . l S • Agnei M R ruj MBA • A.i.m P.<> Sd.rr. j| P[ • fnom.fv Pctc'ion PI • jMfiri P M.tl.md Pf • Milet 6 ieoven PC • i Phillip Gr.«vrl ill Pf • D.m*el J tJgrrton. Pt • lsm««cl Martme/ PC • lrv,fTMv A Syffco Pt • sneldori J iohrvon • OAfr» A Grove. PE • Thom,tv A Rouih^r. Pt • Robert J Devery. Pf Office* Si P.ryl, St C*oyd Rnthettrr ,in«| a'liim.ir MN • M4iw<Hil>ee. • Chicago it M^btife ww ^ boneitroo corr* Mr. Ron Moorsc City Administrator CityofOrono Post OfTice Box 66 Crystal Bay. MN 55323 cinre. Rc: Professional Properties of Orono File No. 139-03-000 Plat No. 02-2782 Dear Ron: We have reviewed the geotechnical report (GMF Consultants, Inc. dated Sept. 19,2002) and cost estimates for soils corrections (VP Hnterpriscs of Minnesota dated March 26,2003) for the Professional Properties building. The cost estimate contains six line items identifying costs associated with the site work. We arc writing in regards to line item #3 (building pad) and line item #4 (parking lot). The costs associated with line item #3, building pad, stale that bceause of the poor native soils the contractor will need to remove 5-fcct of material over the entire building pad site. The total building pad site is appro.ximatcly 16,000 square feet equating to excavating appro.ximatcly 3000 cubic yards (CY) of material and replacing it with granular material. The soils report identifies the estimated minimum depth of subcutling for the six soil Iwrings taken under the building pad (table on page 10 in the GMH report). 1 he average depth of the subcul recommended was 2.9-fcel over the building pad and additional depths under the perimeter footings. The depth under the footings is for stability and frosi protcciion and is standard in any new building construction. Taking the average depth of subcut to be 2.9-fcct the total excavation required for soils corrections is approximately 1750 CY. Line item 1/4 states the parking lot will be subcut 1-foot below the proposed gravel base. This agrees with t>pical sections used on the construction of the adjacent Kelley Parkway and also agrees with our site impiovement cost estimate dated September 25,2002. Our cost estimate assumed the site would need l-foot of select granular under ait paiking ioi areas ucfoie we received the geoieeiinical tepori. Oar as.^umpllons were based on visual site inspection and similar projects in the area It is clear given the .surrounding properties, the possible wetland on site, and the findings of the geotechnical report that a high ground water table and organic soils would be present on this site. The additional costs associated with construction on this site are t>pical for this area. In general, wc do not feel that there arc any suriiriscs in the soils rc|xm that a trained professional would not anticipate after a general review of the project site. Please contact me at (651) 604-4863 if you have any questions regarding this rnatlcr. ^'ours vciy truly, liONhSTROO. ROSENE. ANDERLIK & ASSOCIATES. INC.’* ’ * I homas P. Kellogg. P.E. 2335 West Highway 36 • St. Paul. MN 5SII3* 651-636-4600 ■ Fax: 65l-636-f3U ' f' PROFESSIONAL PROPERTIES MAPLE GROVE PROFESSIONAL CENTER 13998 Maple Knoll Way Maple Grove, Minnesota 55369 March 14, 2003 City of Orono Mr. Ron Moorse P O Box 66 Crystal Bay MN 55323-0066 Re: Plan Revisions for 2765 Kellev Parkwav Dear Mr. Moorse: Our partnership members, our builder and our architect met last Friday with Mike Gaffron to discuss the concerns that were raised by the Council over our revised plans. The revision was necessitated in an attempt to control building costs that came in much higher than anticipated. In particular, the poor soil conditions of the lot resulted in an additional expense of $145,000.00 to correct. Our builder tried to offset that cost by changing the building as per the revised plans that were submitted. (Enclosed are copies of the builder’s estimates and soil preparation costs.) All the members of our partnership liked the original design better. It was just too expensive to build. However, we would be willing to go back to the original building plans that you have approved, if we could recoup some of those increased costs by receiving a discount in the purchase price of the lot. Specifically, we are asking for a discount in the price of the land of $145,000.00 to cover the additional excavation costs. It is our understanding that is a common practice in the building industry to be granted a discount for this soil correction. In suinmaiy, we are hopeful that Orono can help us in our goal of building a professional center that all of us can be proud of having in the community. Sincerely, William J. Kottemann, DDS; Partner Karl G. Berg, DDS; Partner McCarthy Construction. Inc. 11100 Brm Road West. Suite #200 Minnetonka. MN 55343 952.922.2227 952.653.1190 McCarthy Construction March 13,2003 Mr. Bob Ritter ReMax Real Estate I2S West Lake Street Wayzata, MN 55391 Orono Professional Center Dear Bob: The following list identifies project cost revisions for potential building exterior design changes and soil correction costs required due to poor soil conditions. 1. Added architectural and structural fee’s for revising original design documents. Please note, if drawings are changed again additional design fees will be assessed. 2. Elimination of exterior stone and add stucco in its place + $ 9,870.00 - $ 42.600.00 3. Remove flat roofi and simplify roof fiaming to a pre­ engineered truss roof system 4. Eliminate all high glass - $ 61,720.00 - $ 27,240.00 5. Soil correction required due to poor soil conditions See attached analysis from earthwork contractor +$ 145,000.00 Should you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to calL Thank you. Team Builder