APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE PLANNING COMMISSION. Council Chambers 8080 Mitchell Road

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1 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE PLANNING COMMISSION MONDAY, JUNE 25, 2018 COMMISSION MEMBERS: CITY STAFF: 7:00 PM CITY CENTER Council Chambers 8080 Mitchell Road John Kirk, Charles Weber, Ann Higgins, Andrew Pieper, Ed Farr, Mark Freiberg, Michael DeSanctis, Christopher Villarreal, Carole Mette Julie Klima, City Planner Rod Rue, City Engineer Matt Bourne, Manager of Parks and Natural Resources Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary I. CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER Vice Chair Farr called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL Absent was commission member DeSanctis. Pieper arrived at 7:05 p.m. III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Higgins moved, seconded by Weber, to accept the agenda. Motion carried 7-0. IV. MINUTES MOTION: Kirk moved, seconded by Weber to accept the minutes of Monday, June 11, 2018 with the correction of the 5-1 vote on approval the Culvers project. Motion carried 7-0. V. INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS VI. VII. PUBLIC MEETINGS PUBLIC HEARINGS A. LINCOLN PARC APARTMENTS/CASCADE AT TOWN CENTER Location: 8090 Eden Road

2 Page 2 Request for: Planned Unite Development Concept Review on 4.83 acres Planning Unit Development District Review with waivers on 4.83 acres Zoning District Change from C-COM to TC-MU on 4.83 acres Klima presented the staff report. The project was a five-story mixed use building with underground parking, ground floor office/retail, and multi-family housing on the upper floors. The approvals included establishing a PUD for the site including waivers to allow flexibility within the Community Commercial zoning district and site plan approval for the construction of the project. Waivers for the project included increased density and building height, as well as, building and floor area ratio. The approval of the project furthered the Town Center vision of pedestrian oriented ground floor retail space with multi-family housing on upper floors but pre-dated the Town Center zoning districts. The property was recently acquired by the applicant. As a part of this acquisition, the owners were rebranding the property to Cascade at Town Center. The applicant was requesting that the property be rezoned to Town Center Mixed Use (TC-MU). This rezoning request is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. The TC-MU district allows as permitted uses neighborhood commercial, offices as accessory uses, and multiple family attached dwelling units with ground floor retail/restaurant/services. The ground floor office/retail space currently offers approximately 14,000 square feet of space. These spaces front the exterior south and east facing facades. The applicant was proposing an amendment to the PUD to allow the conversion of these areas behind the corridor to create 16 additional residential units. The office/retail spaces that have direct access to the exterior façade are proposed to remain with the exception of the southwest corner of the building. This portion of the building is proposed to be converted to residential units due to the lack of direct grade level exterior access and limited visibility. The proposed 16 units are studio apartments ranging from 518 to 796 square feet in size. Waivers to the TC-MU performance standards are being requested due to the property being originally developed under the Community Commercial zoning district. Staff is recommending that affordability consistent with the approved TIF for the property and inclusionary housing previously approved with recent multi-family projects be provided in this project. Generally, this affordability is 10 percent of the units being maintained as affordable. Half of those units would be at 50 percent AMI and half at 80 percent AMI. Staff recommended approval.

3 Page 3 Farr asked if the application encompassed exterior as well as interior improvements, including the driveway and landscape improvement, as it was near the light rail and Town Center station. Klima replied there would be painting and cosmetic upgrades, along with a landscaping bed with native and pollinator species, and new signage. No trees would be removed but they would be trimmed and maintained. The City applied for and received a regional solicitation grant for the Town Center Station for it to be constructed at the same time as the rest of the light rail project. This would be a separate process. Mette asked for the affordability housing requirement under Tax Increment Financing (TIF) as opposed to under general zoning requirements. Klima replied the requirement for this TIF district required 20 percent due to the public financing included. More recently the City practice included requiring multifamily structures not receiving TIF or public subsidies to have 10 percent of the units be set aside as affordable housing, and half of those as 50 Average Median Income (AMI) and the rest at 80 AMI, all in perpetuity. A TIF district required 50 percent AMI. Marc Swerdlow, Principal and Chief Operations Officer of Magellan Investment Partners, displayed a PowerPoint and explained the application. Weber asked how the use of studio apartments would assist in fulfilling the need for affordable housing in Eden Prairie. Swerdlow replied of the 38 units 22 are three-bedroom affordable apartments, with a diversity of the remaining units being one- and two-bedroom, and a small amount of studio apartments would be affordable; the applicant did find a need for small, affordable studio apartments. Villarreal asked if the grill units would be propane or direct line, and Swerdlow replied they would be direct line. Villarreal asked if the nest thermostat installation was part of the Xcel conservation program. Swerdlow replied it was not connected but these installations were well received from residents, who would have control of the nest thermostat. Villarreal asked how many EV units were planned in the parking area. Swerdlow replied there was no plan for them but would consider installing some, either interior or exterior or both, if there was demand for it. Villarreal emphasized the importance of sufficient EV units being so close to a light rail station. Farr noted he could see half of the floor plan with regarding to parking and asked if there were corridors connecting to the elevators and allowing access to underground parking. Swerdlow replied there were; there was access via two elevators but also direct access to the garage. Farr asked for and received

4 Page 4 clarification the improvement on Eden Road would be deferred and was not part of this application. Farr then suggested a T-turnaround on the north end which would become a dead end once the improvement was completed. Swerdlow replied that idea was part of the plan. Kirk asked why the area needed rezoning. Klima replied there had been an evolution on this site since the Town Center plan and guidelines were adopted ( ). The Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2008 with some properties not in compliance with the understanding that rezoning would occur in the future. The project needed to be brought into compliance with the Comprehensive Plan while fulfilling at least some of the goals of the Town Center guidelines. Also, if the area needed to be redeveloped in the future as it ages, the zoning would then be in place to facilitate this. Farr spoke in favor of the project. Freiberg stated he consistently hears there is a shortage of three-bedroom units in Eden Prairie, and found the number of them offered by this project impressive. Higgins asked what security was being proposed for the proposed new units. Swerdlow replied the development would have electronic-fob access, and the residential corridor would be locked on both ends, preventing commercial tenants from accessing the residential areas. The existing main lobby would be converted to a residents -only space, and access from the parking garage would be tightened. Kirk spoke in favor of the project as it represented a transition in the right direction. MOTION: Kirk moved, seconded by Weber to close the public hearing. Motion carried 8-0. MOTION: Kirk moved, seconded by Weber to recommend approval of the Lincoln Parc/Cascade at Town Center based on the staff recommendation dated June 21, 2018 and the plans dated June 1, Motion carried 8-0. VIII. PLANNERS REPORT A. ASPIRE 2040 UPDATE Klima presented a PowerPoint and summarized the Eden Prairie Today and Eden Prairie Tomorrow chapters of the Aspire 2040 Plan. Kirk asked if the future population estimate of 66,101 was the City s estimate or the Met Council s estimate. Klima replied this was the City s estimate. The Aspire 2040 Plan was a working document and will continue to be refined based on staff review and public process.

5 Page 5 Villarreal asked how many workshops City staff held as part of its community outreach. Klima replied roughly 60 different events, including focus group meetings, work sessions, community events, and presentations were held, including eight focus groups (on eight different topics) in which the public was invited to give its feedback. In addition, a DIY meeting was created so residents could also hold meetings. An average of between 16 and 20 people participated in each of the focus groups. Several individuals participated in two or three different focus groups. Villarreal asked for and received confirmation these attendees seemed representative of the larger community. Klima expressed confidence the City had reached a broad audience. Kirk emphasized the importance of goals and objectives, and expressed approval that first principles were outlined in the plan. Mette asked if the following chapters would have specific goals that tied in to these broader goals. Klima replied the goals Kirk mentioned were specific to three topics: social equity, community health, and sustainability. Subsequent chapters would have their own goals and objectives to be reviewed during each chapter summary. Villarreal asked the meaning of regulate in relation to the solar energy goals. Klima replied the word likely meant specifically addressing them and did not imply any regulatory authority. Villarreal emphasized the need to be certain no authority was implied where it was not intended, and Kirk agreed. Klima replied staff was in the process of reviewing the chapters one by one. Farr asked for a schedule of upcoming chapters, and Klima displayed a timeline slide. The July 9, 2018 meeting would include a review of the parks chapter and the community facilities chapter. She had ed a timeline to the commission. Farr when the final draft would be available. Klima replied the current document was available for viewing on the City s website, and chapters for public comment would be available on City Connect. Farr thanked Klima for her presentation and expressed enthusiasm for the diversity of tools used for community outreach. IX. MEMBERS REPORTS Farr announced he received an from the City Manager stating Eden Prairie was again voted one of the 150 Best Places to Work. X. CONTINUING BUSINESS XI. XII. NEW BUSINESS ADJOURNMENT

6 Page 6 MOTION: Freiberg moved, seconded by Higgins to adjourn the Planning Commission meeting. MOTION CARRIED 8-0. Vice Chair Farr adjourned the meeting at 8:06 p.m.