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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07.16.03 Work Session Minutes Joint Council/Planning Commission! Spruce Street Corridor Task Force W orksbop Minutes July 16, 2003 Mayor Ristow called the meeting to order for the Council at 6:00 p.m. Present for Council: Ristow, Cordes, Fitch, Fogarty Absent: Soderberg Present for Planning Commission: Rotty, Johnson, Larson Absent: Barker, Heman Present for Spruce Street Task Force: Mike Heinzerling, James Karlin, Don Peterson, Jim Gerster, Sue Ager, Stan Knutsen, Randy Peterson, Doug Bonar, Jim Allen, Bob Egan, Charlie Weber, Kris Akin, Bill Adelman, Casey Wollschlager, Mark Koegler Also Present: Dan Siebenaler, Interim City AdministratorlPolice Chief; Kevin Carroll, Community Development Director; Randy Distad, Parks and Recreation Director; Lee Smick, City Planner; Jim Atkinson, Assistant City Planner; Cynthia Muller, Executive Assistant Audience: Michelle Leonard, Pat Branson The purpose ofthe meeting was for the Spruce Street Task Force to receive comments from the Council and Planning Commission regarding the draft Master Plan for the Spruce Street Corridor Area. Mr. Mark Koegler, of Hoisington Koegler, presented the draft Master Plan. The Spruce Street Corridor is located west of Denmark Avenue, and covers 450 acres. The site will accommodate retail and housing. There are major roads on all sides. Three-fourths of the property contains MUSA. The current zoning is Business Park, Agriculture, and Spruce Street Commercial. One of the early components of this effort was to look at the market area. The market area contains a significant amount of a rural component. The trade area is expected to significantly increase in the next 20 years from 7,800 households to 24,000 households. The trade area includes downtown Farmington, Hwy 3, and Hwy 50. A series of concepts have been reviewed. The draft Master Plan contains parts of three concepts put together into one concept. Some of the characteristics of the Master Plan include a parkway along the river. Representatives from the development community stated it is more feasible to build roadways when there is development on both sides. The plan contains development on both sides of the road, but still maintains a green space. Some concerns from Council were the need for expansion for growth. The downtown as is exists is great, but the area is pretty well defined. To accommodate that, there is an allocation of commercial spaces that matches the market projects for the overall trade area. The area in the northwest is labeled as a business/commercial flex category, which would have business park uses, but still have room to expand for commercial uses. Another theme was the importance of water resources, particularly with the Vermillion River as a trout stream. Another comment was housing, and making sure there were a Joint Council/Planning Commission/Spruce Street Task Force Workshop July !~; 2003 Page ti, variety of opportunities. There is everything from townhouses to smaller lot single family units. The green spaces are both parks and flood plain natural areas. We are dealing with a planning process that is intended to result in larger scale Master Plan thinking for this area, not detail thinking. This should be approached from a land use planning perspective in looking at the types of uses and using them as a guide to assess proposals in the future. The concept plan has a focus on the green space that meanders throughout the area. It can connect to other trail systems and link development. The pattern shows commercial in the northeast, a business flex area, mixed use, and housing to the south of the river. The key features that carried over from the initial plans include a town square approach. Not to compete with downtown, but to set up a complimentary square area that could be used for a variety of public gatherings. This is located on the eastern portion of the area and opens up to the green space. The mixed use area means retail, office on the ground floor and residential above in some cases. This is a vertical mix, not a building separation of residential and commercial. That is clustered around the community square. Spruce Street needs to maintain itself as a very active thoroughfare. It needs to have a commercial focus and an intensity that says that development and people want to be in this area. We want to make this feel like an extension of downtown Farmington. The northwest corner is the flexible space. It could be business park, but commercial could replace portions of this. There are park resources on the north side as well as the south side. The southern side is residential with opportunities to have housing along a parkway. There are three key bridge locations which could be phased in. Implementation will involve both public and private actions and requires a balance of public and private costs. A key aspect is that public investments need to be strategic. It needs to do something to attract private investment and then serve as a catalyst for other things to take place. Public improvements need to precede private development. As far as the allocation of improvement costs, Mr. Koegler suggested the city will need to consider financing the construction of some key core improvements. Spruce Street might be one ofthose. As Spruce Street leaves Denmark and goes west, there will be a segment that will be costly. If Farmington is going to emphasize Spruce Street as the southern connection through downtown into East Farmington as an important one, it may need to precede or at least be done in compatibility with some ofthe development that may take place there. There should be funding for oversizing of utilities to allow for growth as the area expands from east to west. Amenities need to be built and funded by private and public sectors. Some exceptions to that might be parks and the public square. The city may need to look at dedication monies, grants, and local funds for these exceptions. The next steps include an AUAR for the area, which is an environmental review mechanism which allows the city to coordinate what happens with development in the future. When the Master Plan is in final form, the city needs to amend the Comprehensive Plan to include some ofthe recommendations that come out of the Master Plan. This does not mean the design concept piece, but the broader land use plan. And making sure there is a fit between land uses and the Comprehensive Plan. Following that, there are some amendments to the Spruce Street Zoning District that will be necessary to accommodate the range of uses. This was established with what was known at the time. The Master Plan advances the dialogue in terms of types of uses, especially Joint Council/Planning Commission/Spruce Street Task Force Workshop July.ll(,2003 Page 31(. with the mixed use that needs to be looked at to make sure the ordinance paves the way for this to take place. This property has great potential within the community. This city has a resource in the downtown that many communities would love to have. There is a history of innovative planning with what was done on the east end of Farmington. It was a very effective way to combine housing and water resource management. This piece is the next one in line. There is an opportunity to do a number of neat things that can enhance this community as a great place to live. Mr. Koegler asked for input from the Council and Planning Commission as far as whether this is on the right track or things that need to be changed. Mr. Koegler would like to take this to a community meeting while it is still in draft form and see what the public has to say about it. {Planning Commissioner Larson arrived at 6:30 so Chair Rotty called the meeting to order for the Planning Commission at 6:32 p.m.}. Councilmember Fogarty was very pleased with the plan, and had no further comments. Mayor Ristow asked about the location of the gas line easement and what will be done with that area. Mr. Koegler stated they are shown as being park or open space. Chair Rotty was very impressed with the work of the Task Force as far as land uses and keeping in mind the Vermillion River. They did a great job. Commissioner Larson felt this did not fit with what the committee was trying to do. They had talked about having Spruce Street run along the river and having nothing in between Spruce Street and the river. On this plan, Spruce Street is moved to the north and there is high and medium density residential with mixed use in between. He thought they had talked about using the corridor as a parkway with nothing in between the river and Spruce Street. Mr. Koegler replied Commissioner Larson is correct. One of the previous concepts illustrate a one-sided roadway with park on one side and development on the other side. At the last meeting, the practical difficulty was discussed as to how the road is built. There are significant segments where there is nothing but green space against the roadway. The compromise from a market perspective was to deviate from that in some areas to allow development that could back up and take advantage of the views and exposure the river provides, at the same time providing the public great site lines and access to the open space. The rationale was that this fit better with the market place and the way this might be built. If we need to go back to a strict interpretation of the parkway, that can be done. Commissioner Larson would like to see that done. If this is going to be the show piece of the city, he felt it needs to be more of a parkway atmosphere to get the people down there to make it enjoyable to come down and drive around. That is what was discussed before, and he would like to stick to that. Mr. Koegler replied certain areas are still open to the parkway. That gets lost in a plan detail. There could be restaurants that would have walkway connections that would bridge through the development connecting the road to the parkway. There are a lot of ways to connect the open space to the development without strictly having roadway on one side. Commissioner Larson stated he liked the concept of having restaurants back up to the parkway, but would like it moved more to the west and maintain as much of the green space as possible. Mr. Koegler stated that could be considered, but they were trying to keep a mass ofthis mixed use area that Joint Council/Planning Commission/Spruce Street Task Force Workshop July J-!, 2003 Page ~G- focused around the town square area. The further west it goes, the more questionable their viability becomes. Commissioner Johnson asked about the ponding and how much acreage it will take up. Mr. Koegler replied there was a calculation, but he did not have the numbers with him. The ponds are shown to illustrate the kinds of patterns that could occur. Commissioner Johnson liked the design. He then asked how we transition this area to the downtown. Mr. Koegler stated there clearly needs to be a strong link between this area and the downtown. The existing land use pattern contains a number of public uses on the western end, where you could define a more intense streetscape pattern. East of there is a single family neighborhood where things could be done with sidewalks, lighting, etc. The city will need to draw that connection graphically as much as possible. It is difficult due to the neighborhood in between. Community Development Director Carroll stated staff has created a graphic of what is along that route. He asked if it would be useful to incorporate that into the final draft. The Planning Commission felt it would be key to have that area shown on the plan. Task Force member Kris Akin urged Council to leave City Hall downtown. Iflocated on 3Td and Spruce Street, this would be a link to the Spruce Street Corridor. This corner is a natural fit, and City Hall draws a lot of traffic. Task Force member Mike Heinzerling stated he also recalled the previous plan of keeping the parkway along the river, but now this concept is better. Properties that back up to this area have a higher value. It is better to not have a parking lot along the parkway and have people cross the street. Mr. Don Peterson, property owner, asked if 200th Street is a major thoroughfare, why show it as a lower density? Mr. Koegler replied that was an oversight, and should be a higher density. Task Force member James Karlin stated he felt the area with the softball fields is a corner stone to this area. The trails tie the areas together. Mr. Mark Koegler stated there will be a community meeting July 31,2003 at the Maintenance Facility from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. This will provide the community an opportunity to comment on the plan. A final draft will be presented in August to the Planning Commission. Community Development Direct Carroll stated they would like to present this to the Council at the August 18 meeting. Staffwill begin some preliminary work on the steps that will occur after the final plan is adopted. Staff will look at zoning, the comprehensive guide plan, and contact the Knutson's developer as to what types of uses they are planning. Most of the attention for now will be focused on commercial and retail. Sources of income could come from the Metropolitan Council. Their Opportunity Grant program helped fund the Master Plan. Staff has applied for a Development Grant which provides financing for projects the Met Council believes has merit. There is $7.9 million available this year. Staffhas requested a grant for extending Spruce Street, building the bridge, and extending Spruce Street further to a north-south connection. The estimated Joint Council/Planning Commission/Spruce Street Task Force Workshop July .~ ~003 Page 5 ~. cost is $1.6 million. The Met Council will make a decision on awarding the grants on December 10,2003. (Councilmember Cordes arrived at 7:00 p.m.). The next steps are to hold the Community Meeting, then it goes to the Planning Commission for a Public Hearing on a draft of the Master Plan, then it goes to the Council for formal adoption. Staffwill then look at changing the Comprehensive Guide Plan and zoning code. The process is on schedule. The meeting adjourned at 7:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted, ~.::z5tC~:,-, frt~--U Cynthia Muller Executive Assistant Council Workshop City Administrator Hiring Process Minutes July 16, 2003 Mayor Ristow called the meeting to order at 7:20 p.m. Audience: Ristow, Cordes, Fitch, Fogarty, Soderberg Joel Jamnik, City Attorney; Dan Siebenaler, Interim City AdministratorlPolice Chief; Brenda Wendlandt, Human Resources Director; Cynthia Muller, Executive Assistant Michelle Leonard Present: Also Present: Human Resources Director Wendlandt distributed a list of Executive Search Firms to Council. The majority of cities do use search firms. It prevents any perception that staff is trying to manipulate the process. City Administrator searches are more time consuming because there is more information to search through. Interim Administrator Siebenaler noted that if Council decides to do the process in-house, Human Resources Director Wendlandt is very good at what she does. He does understand the perception of staff picking their own boss, however he believes she could be objective. If Council does not want to do the process in-house, staff is willing to do whatever Council wants. Staff will try to find the best candidates for the city. Mayor Ristow agreed with having Human Resources Director Wendlandt do the process. Council could give her the criteria as to what they are looking for. It is just like any other employee. He felt staff would be capable of advertising the same way the search firms do. Human Resources Director Wendlandt stated staff utilizes the same methods such as ICMA, different trade publications, League of Minnesota Cities, Star Tribune. Staff would not have the contacts the search firms do for anyone who is out state or regional if Council wants to look at a national or regional search. Interim Administrator Siebenaler stated search firms also have access to an internal pool. The search firm maintains an internal pool of candidates who are interested in moving to a certain size city or firm. They would not be looking at published information, but specific criteria. Interim Administrator Siebenaler stated when he searches for people, they search for people who want to come to Farmington rather than people who just want police work. This is a big factor in retaining people. In any method used, he strongly recommended that be one of the criteria; someone who wants to come to Farmington. Mayor Ristow asked if there is an abundance of candidates. Is there a legal formality on how you eliminate candidates? Human Resources Director Wendlandt stated on the first pass through, you need to look at who meets the minimum qualifications. After that, you would look at the desire to come to Farmington, reference checks, etc. Attorney Jamnik stated that is one of the reasons he is suspect of a non-Minnesota search firm. He would have more confidence in Human Resources Director Wendlandt in complying with state Council Workshop City Administrator Hiring Process July 16, 2003 Page 2 laws, than with non-Minnesota search firms. The familiarity with state law is a benefit to using a Minnesota firm or using Human Resources Director Wendlandt. A search firm would take about six months. If done in-house it could be slightly shorter, but staff would still have to do background investigations and research which would take some time. For other employees Human Resources Director Wendlandt does reference checks, or the department head. For higher level positions, the police investigator does the background checks. Councilmember Soderberg stated he has every confidence in staff doing the search, however he is interested in the success of the person who is chosen. He felt keeping the search at arm's length would go a long way toward ensuring the success of that person. They have less opportunity to come in with a jaded perception from the public. He felt strongly an outside search firm should be employed. He stated staff could do a fine job, but if we want the new Administrator to be here any length oftime, it should be kept at arm's length to help ensure that. Councilmember Fogarty felt a search firm is the best way. They have pools of people others are not aware of. She would like to exhaust everything, as this is the most critical position in the city. This will not be an easy search. Councilmember Fitch stated if done internally, there will still be advertising cost. He would be against a lot of input by the person doing the search. They are sales people and are there to push their product. He would like them to present the candidates and let Council determine if they meet the qualifications. Councilmember Cordes agreed. Search firms tend to push the individuals they want. If a search firm is used she would like them kept at arm's length and stick to Council's qualifications. Interim Administrator Siebenaler asked Council if they want a search firm to give staff a pool of candidates, let staff look at minimum qualifications and then turn it over to the firm again to finish the process. Councilmember Fitch stated he searches through applications and has a yes/no pile. The supervisor has the same pile and sorts through them, and sometimes there is a lot of conflict. They then discuss the candidates and what makes them qualified or not. Everyone interprets a resume differently. Mayor Ristow asked about the cost. Staff stated the cost is approximately $15,000- $20,000 depending on how much Council would want the search firm to do. Interim Administrator Siebenaler asked Council how they would like to select a search firm. Through an RFP process or have one selected? With an RFP Council would see what the firm would suggest as part of their selection process, the cost, and their services. Council would interview the firms they are interested in and make a counter-proposal. An RFP would be sent to a list of perspective search firms. Based on the interest, Council may not have to reduce the list further. By doing an RFP Council would not have to take the lowest price. Council agreed to use a search firm. An item will be placed on the July 21, 2003 Council agenda, approving staff to distribute an RFP. The RFP will be advertised for two weeks within and out of state. It will take a couple weeks to receive responses. The RFP will also be sent directly to Executive Search firms. The profile will be updated in-house to Council Workshop City Administrator Hiring Process July 16, 2003 Page 3 save cost. Council should offer comments or suggestions on the previous profile and respond to Human Resources Director Wendlandt. MOTION by Cordes, second by Soderberg to adjourn at 7:54 p.m. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. Respectfully submitted, ct/ -b;? , //~ " ....?/'L.~~ fr?~-u . ynthia Muller Executive Assistant