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01-11-2000 PC MIN - SPECIAL . . . SPECIAL MEETING OF THE ELK RIVER PLANNING COMMISSION HELD AT ELK RIVER CITY HALL TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2000 Members Present: Chair Mesich Commissioners Chambers, Kuester, Thompson and Schuster Members Absent: None Staff Present: Michele McPherson, Director of Planning Also Present: Todd Mosher, Greenberg Farrow Architects Lynn Caswell, John Oliver and Associates 1. Call Meetina To Order Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the meeting of the Elk River Planning Commission was called to order at 6:35 p.m. by Chair Mesich. 2. Reauest bv Greenbera Farrow for Preliminary Plat (Home Deoot Addition!. Public Hearing Case No. P 99-14 3. Reauest bv Greenberg Farrow for Conditional Use Permit. Public Hearing Case No. CU 99-36 MOTION BY COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER CHAMBERS TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR BOTH THE PRELIMINARY PLAT CASE NO. P 99-14, AND CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT CASE NO. CU 99-36. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. Chair Mesich opened the floor to a presentation by Mr. Todd Mosher. Mr. Mosher stated that he understood that the Commission had a number of concerns specific to the building materials and elevation. Based on the Commission's comments of December 28, 1999, the following revisions have been made to the building materials and elevation: The concrete panels will have a heavy stucco finish on them to provide texture. They are proposing to use face brick in a tan color. They are still working on identifying the exact color and vendor. The top of the wall will be capped with a twelve inch double-stepped, pre-finished cornice. Mr. Mosher stated that one item the Commission requested from the last meeting was to mirror the parapet wall on the back in a similar stepped fashion as what is on the front. He provided a cross-section from Tyler Street which indicates that the back of the parapet wall would not be seen by drivers on Tyler Street. due to the change in grade and the size of the building. Mr. Mosher stated that they have relocated the pro-initiative Planning Commission Minutes January 11. 2000 Page 2 . storage building and cantilevered storage rack to the north side of the building. as suggested by staff in their report. The Commission discussed at length the outdoor sales area south of the permanent garden center. The outdoor sales area has been reduced from 7,000 square feet to 6,000 square feet, however, The Home Depot is proposing 2,625 square feet of outdoor display area in front of the building, as well. The development standards allow a five percent maximum of outdoor display space which is approximately 6,000 square feet, however. there is language excepting garden centers. The Commission determined that the seasonal sales area functions as a garden center and would not be included in the maximum display space calculation. Mr. Mosher described how the seasonal sales area would function. The customer would obtain a sales ticket from the store, pay for the material and then drive to the sales area, either along the front or to the rear of the sales area to pick up the paid-for material. Ms. McPherson asked what the purpose of the 45' x 60' foot garden pad to be located east of the seasonal sales area was for. Mr. Mosher stated that the garden pad functions as a staging area which allows Home Depot personnel to off-load trucks and allow product to wait if the seasonal sales or the garden center is too busy and full of customers to safely put away product. Chair Mesich was concerned about long term storage on the concrete pad. A condition was proposed limiting the storage of product to daytime hours only and no overnight storage. . Commissioner Schuster expressed concern with the traffic congestion which could be created on the west side of the seasonal sales area, considering that it is near the 1 791h Avenue entrance to The Home Depot store. The Commission discussed this issue at length. Mr. Mosher stated that this area would be reviewed by the fire department and that they would comply with any of the fire department requirements. A condition was suggested to require no parking and no loading in front of the temporary fence enclosing the seasonal sales area and to require loading in the designed pickup lane in front of the store. The Commission also discussed additional screening of the sales area since it is proposed to be enclosed by a split rail fence which will not provide extensive screening. Mr. Mosher stated that Home Depot would be willing to increase the amount of landscaping adjacent to the seasonal sales area. This will need to be discussed with the city engineer. as a portion of the landscaping may encroach in the public right of way. Chair Mesich expressed concern with the lack of ornamentation on the rear elevation of the building. Mr. Mosher stated that they have provided additional landscaping including the adding of 49 evergreen trees, most of which will be in the rear of the facility and should provide ornamentation visually to the building without increasing the detail on the building itself. . Chair,Mesich asked about the wetland areas and if they would have water in then on an annual basis. Mr. Caswell stated that both wetland areas will have some water in them all year round. The wetlands are part of the mitigation required for filling wetlands elsewhere on the site, and the north-south pond is Planning Commission Minutes January 11, 2000 Page 3 . actually a sedimentation pond and will have water in it on a regular basis, although the water level will fluctuate. Ms. McPherson stated that staff is still recommending additional curbing on the north side and south sides of the building. The Planning Commission agreed that curbing adjacent to the pickup lane was not required as the pickup lane and the display area have different types of pavement to designate them. There was no public comment. MOTION BY THOMPSON, SECONDED BY KUESTER, TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. MOTION BY THOMPSON, SECONDED BY CHAMBERS TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST BY GREENBERG FARROW FOR PRELIMINARY PLAT (HOME DEPOT ADDITION), PUBLIC HEARING CASE NO. P 99-14, WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS: 1. ALL COMMENTS OF THE CITY ENGINEER BE ADDRESSED. 2. THE NORTH BOUNDARY OF LOT 1 BE ADJUSTED TO ALLOW FOR THE ENCLOSED STORAGE AREA TO BE PLACED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE HOME DEPOT BUILDING. . THE MOTION CARRIED 5-0. MOTION BY THOMPSON, SECONDED BY KUESTER TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST BY GREENBERG FARROW FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, PUBLIC HEARING CASE NO. CU 99-36, WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS: 1. ALL COMMENTS OF THE CITY ENGINEER BE ADDRESSED. 2. THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT IS CONTINGENT UPON FINAL PLAT BEING APPROVED FOR HOME DEPOT ADDITION. 3. THE LANDSCAPE PLAN BE REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY STAFF AND INCLUDE A 10 FOOT WIDE LANDSCAPE AREA ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE GARDEN CENTER, AND ADDITIONAL SHADE TREES PLANTED IN THE PARKING ISLANDS IN FRONT OF THE STORE. 4. ALL SIGNAGE SHALL BE REQUIRED TO APPLY FOR A CITY SIGN PERMIT. 5. NO FREESTANDING SIGN HAS BEEN APPROVED AS PART OF THIS CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT. 6. ANY FUTURE EXPANSIONS OR ALTERATIONS TO THE SITE SHALL REQUIRE A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT. . Planning Commission Minutes January 11, 2000 Page 4 . 7. THE RACKS WITHIN THE OUTDOOR STORAGE AREA/GARDEN CENTER SHALL BE PAINTED BLACK AND STORAGE SHALL NOT EXTEND ABOVE THE TOP OF THE FENCE. 8. SEMI TRAILERS, DROPPED TRAILERS OR CONTAINERS OR OTHER TRUCKS SHALL NOT BE KEPT ON SITE OR USED FOR STORAGE. 9. THE OUTDOOR GARDEN CENTER SHALL BE FOR SEASONAL DISPLAY, SALES AND STORAGE OF GARDEN CENTER RELATED GOODS ONLY. 10. MAXIMUM SQUARE FOOTAGE FOR WALL SIGNAGE SHALL NOT EXCEED 789 SQUARE FEET. 11. THE TEMPORARY GARDEN CENTER AREA SHOULD BE ENCLOSED BY A TEMPORARY SPLIT RAIL FENCE. THE USE OF THIS AREA SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE SALE AND DISPLAY OF GARDEN MATERIALS WHICH SHALL BE REMOVED NO LATER THAN JULY 10TH. 12. THE PROPOSED ORANGE ROOF ON THE REAR STORAGE AREA SHALL BE CHANGED TO BROWN. 13. THE BOLLARDS IN THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING SHALL BE PAINTED BROWN TO MATCH THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING. . 14. CURBING SHALL BE INSTALLED IN FRONT OF RETAIL "A" AND THE PERIMETER OF THE LANDSCAPED AREA SOUTH OF THE GARDEN CENTER. 15. THE PROPOSED STORAGE AREA LOCATED AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE BUILDING BE MOVED TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING. 16. THE PROPOSED CANTILEVERED OUTDOOR STORAGE RACKS ON THE REAR OF THE BUILDING BE LOCATED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING. 17. OUTDOOR STORAGE AND/OR DISPLAY OF MATERIALS IS PROHIBITED EXCEPT FOR THE DESIGNATED AREA IN FRONT OF THE STORE OR WITHIN THE OUTDOOR GARDEN CENTER. 18. OUTDOOR STORAGE, OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING OR WITHIN THE GARDEN CENTER, OF PALLETS, BOXES, BUNDLED CARDBOARD OR OTHER PACKAGING MATERIAL, BROKEN MERCHANDISE OR MERCHANDISE NOT NORMALLY SOLD WITHIN THE GARDEN CENTER IS PROHIBITED. 19. THE DISPLAY AREA LOCATED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE "LUMBERYARD PICK UP" AREA SHALL BE ELIMINATED. 20. PRODUCT SHALL NOT BE STORED ON THE 45' X 60' CONCRETE PAD AREA OVERNIGHT. 21. THE AREA IN FRONT OF THE SEASONAL SALES SHALL NOT BE USED FOR PARKING OR LOADING AND SHALL BE POSTED AS SUCH. . THE MOTION CARRIED 5-0. . . . Planning Commission Minutes January 11, 2000 Page 5 3. Adiournment MOTION BY THOMPSON, SECONDED BY THOMPSON TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. THE MOTION CARRIED 5-0. The meeting of the Elk River Planning Commission adjourned at 8:00 p.m. ~//!ceA:d0 //(efftbUt//t:J/ ctK~ Michele McPherson Director of Planning