Good evening, gentlemen. Okay, my phone says it's six o'clock. The light went on. I would like to call to order the Tuesday, August 19 meeting of the Mound Planning Commission. This is a regular meeting. Roll call, please. >> Planning Commission Member, Council Leazison Mceny. I >> uh planning commission member Sherry Wallace. >> I >> vice chair of the planning commission Jason Baker >> here. >> Planning Commission member Drew Heel >> here. >> Planning Commission Member Samantha Wacker >> here. >> And planning commission member Kristen Young >> here. >> And planning commission chair David >> here. >> You have received uh by email uh the agenda uh for tonight's meeting. There are no amendments. Chair would entertain a motion to approve the agenda as distributed. >> Motion to approve as distributed. >> Second. >> We have a motion and a second. Discussion hearing. None. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. Those opposed. Nay. >> Motion carries. >> You have also before you as transmitted by email the July 1, 2025 regular meeting minutes. Does anyone have any proposed changes, additions, deletions to those minutes? Hearing none, the chair would entertain a motion to approve the July 1, 2025 meeting minutes. >> Motion to approve minutes as distributed. >> Do I hear a second? >> Second. >> We have a second. Discussion hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. >> Those opposed, nay. Motion carries. Board of adjustment and appeals review/recommendation planning case 257 bluff variance construction of newreplacement home 3343 Warner Lane. Applicant Greenwood Design Build on behalf of Tiffany Winter Bitler. Miss Rita. >> All right. Good evening. Thanks uh for the opportunity. I'm Rita Trap, uh planning consultant for the city of Mound. Uh the request before you is at 3343 Warner Lane. Uh just for context, this uh property is located on Warner Lane along Cooks Bay. Um it is near the border with Minitrista and there's currently a single family home with a attached twocar garage. Uh according to the application materials, um the um the daughter of the current occupant is going to be purchasing the property and is looking to tear down the existing home and build a new home. Uh and the request this evening is to address um bluffs uh bluff issues with the property. Um they are proposing to construct a two-story uh single family home with an attached two-car garage. They are requesting a bluff setback variance to allow construction of the house within a 10-ft top of bluff. And I'll provide a little bit more context with where the bluff is located and why this situation is unique. Uh the comprehensive plan, this is a lowdensity residential lot. Um and they are continuing to use it for those purposes. Similarly, this is zoned R1 single family residential. It is considered a lot of record. Um it is a shoreland property. Um but again, they are going to continue to use the use of a single family home. So the use part is not changing. Uh what we are really focused on this evening are the bluff requirements. There are actually two bluffs on the property. This is this is pretty unique. We don't see this very often in mound where we have a house that's impacted by bluffs on two sides of the property. Um so we have you can see the bluff and I think when you look at the survey it's kind of hard to see the bluff. You're like well why is this such a big deal? But as you look at the topo for the entire site I think you can see a little bit better that there are that when the contour lines are that close together there is a bluff situation. So they are located just kind of at the top of the bluff and um that bluff ends right where um the existing house is constructed and as you can see the bluff does curve around uh a bit and so there is a 10-ft set u top of bluff setback and that's what's impacting this property is the fact that the bluff is not just a straight bluff um it does curve a bit and so it is impacting the h the hos or the property on the west side and the north side um which we have here. Um so there is um a north what we called in the packet a north bluff and a west bluff. Um and that is located you can see the top of bluff line. Um then we have a 10-ft u top a bluff setback line and then on the north side which is still the same bluff. It's just that it's curved a bit. Um there is a top of bluff and then a 10-foot setback line. Um per the requirement you are supposed to stay 10 ft back. The house that is currently in existence today is built into the bluff area and does not follow those bluff setback lines. Um the applicant is proposing uh as you can see in this table um to improve the nonconformities and that's something that we always look as favorable in these situations. Um so as you can see in terms of a bunch of the setbacks um they are addressing um there is a non-conformity currently on the sideyard um and that is something that is getting improved similarly on both actually both sides um things are getting better with the new construction so they tried to respect our setbacks a little bit more um and then on the bluff impact zone on the west side there is we are being able to meet that bluff setback so they have reduced the number of basically nonconformities from four down to one um in order to put a house in this vicinity. So, I want to spend I'm just going to make sure that we go back because I kind of went through this fast. You can see the edge of the house um here. Um and so this bluff setback line is something that would extend farther into the house. Um the proposed house does remove the rear deck which is currently located within the West Buff Bluff setback area. Uh and it is, as I said, improving on the south side as well. Um there are a few things that we noted as conditions. So if you were to have a favorable recommendation, we did note on the um application that the air conditioning unit is encroaching farther than we allow per code. Um so that's just going to be need to be addressed. That isn't something that we were assuming a variance would be needed for that. That's just something that they will have to um adjust uh based on what the code which is that mechanical equipment can just encroach into the setbacks by two feet. Um, so that will need to be adjusted. Uh, and then the eaves, uh, it looks like those are correct, but we'd like to mention those just in case, um, that those can also encroach only two feet into the setbacks. Uh, the measurement we did makes it look like that's not a problem. Uh, hard cover. Uh, this is an existing lot of record as I stated. Uh, so they are allowed up to 40% for lots of record. The existing hard cover is 28%. Right now, the proposed hard cover is 27%. So again, we're improving the situation and well under the maximum allowed of 40%. Uh and then the proposed building height is 32.5% 5% feet. Um we do allow a maximum of 35 ft. This is something that staff needs to further look at. Um just the measurements and making sure that everything uh is going to meet those requirements. Uh the applicant has not requested a variance. So we are assuming that we can make that that it works and that it'll be conforming. Um we took a quick look at it but there are some calculations that need to be verified uh as part of the building permit process. We did distribute this as is customary and there were no comments received. Uh so there is a staff feels like it's beneficial that they have reduced the impacts to the property. It's going to be difficult to address all of the setback requirements. Um so from our perspective it seems like a reasonable request to have to um be in that one area. Uh the ask this evening is to discuss the request and take one of the following um options which is table if you need additional information approve or deny. We did provide in the packet uh conditions that staff would recommend and obviously would entertain additional um if you would have any. With that I can answer any questions that you might have >> questions for reader or comments. I have a quick question. Probably means nothing, but I forgot to look on the Henipa County map. When was the original house built? >> 1970s. >> 19 >> 20. Okay. I was like, I know. I looked at it, but I couldn't remember. >> Yeah. Okay. And is the applicant going to be taking residence or putting it for sale? >> No, taking residence. His or her family. >> 1920. >> 1920. >> Thank you. >> Um, yeah. Any other questions? >> Further questions, comments. >> All right, I'm gonna move this where the uh applicants represent clearly. Applicants representative is here if you have questions. Um >> for him. >> Okay. Would you like to approach the commission, sir? >> We'd ask you give your name and your address, please. >> Sure. Uh my name is Is this on? My name is Doug Cuing. I'm owner of Greenwood Design Build. Um, our office is out of Adina. We're representing the homeowner here at 3343 Warner Lane. >> And your address in Adina is >> uh 4550 West 77th Street, Sweet 190. >> Thank you. >> Yep. >> Uh, you have any comments you'd like to make to the commission? I >> I think staff's proposal pretty well sums it up. Um we've got just a really unique situation here with that northern bluff impact zone. Um right now it currently occupies the existing home. Um in fact there's no way for the house to be on the property without impacting this one uh sort of unique bluff impact zone um and thus forth. There's actually no way to tear down and build a new home without continuing to impact that. Um the only thing we can do as staff suggested is we can make improvements to the other encroachments that currently exist. So that is our intent and um in order to move forward we simply need an approval on the variance for this northern impact. In fact the more I look at it and when you show the topography it confuses me even more because this northern one doesn't even follow the curvature of the topography. It's It's like it's radiating from somewhere else. >> Yep. I totally agree. When you put the two together, >> I don't know where it's coming from. >> Yeah. I think there's one to line that is curving a little weird. >> Yeah. >> Yep. >> Okay. Questions for the applicant. >> Hearing none. Thank you, sir. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Further discussion about planning case 257. Hearing none, I will refer you to page seven of your agenda where we have a staff recommendation for commission approval of the project with five conditions and four findings of fact. So, I will make a motion to approve the planning case 257 bluff variance um including conditions 1 through 5 on page seven and findings of fact 1 through 4, page eight. >> We have a motion. Do we have a second? >> Second. >> We have a second discussion. >> Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Those opposed, nay. Motion carries. Sarah, when will this go forward to the city council? >> Um, I think uh because it's a concurrent recommendations from uh for approval from staff and from the commission and because it's nearing end of summer, I think we're going to uh include that on next Tuesday's city council meeting to save two weeks. >> So, uh at least that's kind of the game plan. >> Okay. So with the 26th of August, >> thank you. >> Okay, moving on. Uh >> 2025 planning commission term expiration. >> And I think we talked about this last time. >> Yeah, we did. Yep. Um >> do you have any further comments about this? >> Um I don't have any further comments. Uh we've heard from um Miss Wallace and also Kristen and we also have uh one unfilled seat. So the folks that were to contact me contacted me. >> Okay. >> Nothing new. >> Okay. But the one unfilled seat, we were going to let that >> the city attorney is working on um the a brand new or an amended policy and also um scooching in the number of planning commission members and he's been working on that. >> Oh, great. Thank >> you. >> Y >> questions about that hearing? None. Uh Kath, do you have any comments from the council? >> Well, I mean, I haven't updated you for a while, so I'm not sure. Did everybody get a chance to listen to the um water treatment update on July? >> We made the front page of the newspaper. >> And if anybody has any questions, I can try to answer them. >> It's the phases are confusing to me, but it's it's moving along. Uh then on to the lid. You know, as many of you know, it uh last week did not pass, but we're in the 10day grace period. So, nothing can be approved until or brought up again until next next Tuesday. Uh then I'm going to bring up the parks that maybe people saw in the news or listen to misguided information. Um, I mean, it was really disappointing that the parks did not contact anybody from the council or the city manager to verify what was to be discussed in our workshop. And as you all know because we're all part of a workshop that's to discuss ideas and if we as we have to work on our budget if there's anything we can do to improve it we have felt um in our last parks workshop with there which there never has been a dual parks in recent memory. So, we felt it was really important to get together with the parks commission so we can try to form um goals going forward to make our parks the best they can be. Um we simply wanted to initiate the first part of our discussion which is there are we we kind of found eight parks that we could discuss um with because I've been fielding calls literally since this went on the news um most of them the reason we wanted parks available that night we had Dustin Ryan was on vacation was to just verify why we have some of these and why why we're calling them parks because in many cases except for two of them they're ways for people to simply walk to their dock from for the dock. >> Oh, sure. >> You know, you you know and so and then there were two very small areas that are in between residences that the residents have have already indicated over the years that they would be willing to purchase each half of the lot. And when you take into account our workforce for public works and how we can make our parks the best they can be, especially once LLC gets in, it's going to require a lot of attention from public works. So, we just wanted to initiate a discussion on is there anything we can do to um repurpose or possibly offer for sale. uh Edgewater Park was just an extreme we put on there to show that this is what the property value is even though my kids spent their entire young years sliding on it. I have no interest in selling it but again it was to just show an extreme that we should we could look at to discuss. So none none of us have ever discussed selling parks to a developer. Uh none of us have ever discussed selling parks to fund a treatment plant. Um it's simply how can we better improve our parks and keep maintenance to it to a level that our our public works guys can handle and give us beautiful parks. So can I can I ask a question because storm water runoff and that impacts all the development that goes in is our number one pollutant of our lakes, right? and we have limited landscape right in mounds. Um can we turn those into um areas where we can divert water to? >> Well, I think that's a great idea and had we had a normal workshop where we were actually able to have a high level discussion. You know, if you look at the one on Beachside, that would be a perfect spot to do that. We have a pump station on there and some electrical and that would be a perfect perfect place to put some s sustainable plants and things like >> and then you don't have to mow it. >> Absolutely 100%. So that's that's what we were intending to start a discussion about but we didn't get very far. It turns into a >> it looked it looked like the council was talking because I was there for the whole parks thing. It didn't >> well because it was a workshop. It it's not a discussion for >> No, I meant I didn't see parks involved. You know, the park the chair of the parks was there, >> right? >> I don't know that it was just a weird >> it was a workshop for for the council to initiate conversations on how we could best utilize our parks commission, find some goals. But in even in our joint parks meeting, we said the council will probably have two or three meetings so we can better define how we can work together. And this was simply one of those. The parks commission jumped to conclusions when they saw that without confirming with any of us what it was really to be about. So that that was really disappointing. >> How did they how did channel 5 get involved? >> Somebody from Parks called them. So, you know, they show up and we're all getting calls. Can somebody represent us? Well, I'm in St. Louis Park at a photo shoot. You know, I'm like, yeah, I can get their home back by 5:00. >> Somebody represent I'm sorry. Who could? >> Well, I don't know. >> Channel 5 showed up for the meeting. >> No, Channel 5. Somebody called Channel 5 to do a story on us selling parts to developers, which is so inaccurate. >> So, um, >> it was just kind of a weird form. Well, it wasn't supposed to be it wasn't supposed to be that way, but when we all took the turn into a room where we normally do a workshop, >> the room was filled with park commission people, so we had to divert. But, you know, it's difficult to have a highle conversation like this. We're usually across the table from each other. So, >> so yeah, that was a real dark spot on Mound that absolutely shouldn't have happened had anybody reached out to us and >> just simply to verify the information because it was running rampant. And I I literally had to restrain myself all weekend long from commenting on all these so social media posts. But I generally don't do that because people call usually to get the facts. Um, so I don't really get involved with Next Door or the complaint club or but even today right before I got here, there's another complaint club. You know, they're selling all the parks and they're going to burn them all down. You know, it's just so it's just not fact. So, we're we are really wanting to make our parks the best they can be and to try to find a long-term goal that has >> really, to my knowledge and anybody that we've discussed, never been talked about together. So, we're just trying to improve it >> and and and maybe maybe just a little precursor to that to the group that was here because a lot of people came early to be at that workshop because there was a public notice done on it, you know, >> and we always put out public notices. Yeah. But but so people saw that, right? Right. And they're like, "We want to show up. We want to hear what's going on." And so it wasn't clear. It just there was a list. There there was a lot of miscommunication from a valued commission that we work with that should have been a little more >> responsible to call one of us before they allowed gas to be thrown in the fire social media fire all weekend. >> Okay. Anything else? >> Well, yes. Um, maybe in better news, um, I'm not sure if everybody saw that invoice cloud is now available on our website and it's a new feature for all of our residents that we can finally do online payment >> payments and sign up for that. We also have the ability >> um for 24 months to track the usage and our billing data. So, if you're not aware of it, it's on our website and you just go sign up and you can sign up through credit card or through your electronic check. But it's a really nice feature that we've never had. So, that is now available. And with that, I think that's all I've got except for I guess this Saturday at um Back Channel Brewing is the event >> to support the West Tanka Food Shelf, the bands that start at noon and go on till about 10:00. >> So that'll be a fun >> Leon is there. >> Yeah, I was going to say he's the opening but the closing band that'll be playing. >> I think it's like 2 to 10 or something. That's all day. >> Yeah, it's all day. It's like six or seven bands. So, uh, we just posted it on our Facebook page, but it's also on Back Channel Brewing with the schedule of bands that and what time they'll be playing. So, that'll be a fun event. >> And that's it. >> Okay. Questions for Kathy? Hearing none. Sarah, comments? Um I don't have a lot short of we are uh continue to be very busy with building permits, additions, decks, uh substantial remodels, accessory structures, lots of inquiries, uh lots of inquiries on properties. We're working on budget um that that'll be going to the council soon. Um it is very busy end of end of uh summer activities. Everybody wants to get projects started if they haven't or or get them uh moving soon before the snow flies. But um uh upcoming events, the annual incredible festival will be coming up in a couple of weeks. Um the council approved a permit for uh one of our local businesses to have a a kind of a nice fall festival over in Stonegate. That's Mama's Happy. Um for around the same time, I think it's the same week as Incredible Festival. Um we we had a very very nice spirit of the lakes um and uh looking towards uh fall fall activities starting to get inquiries on those and and holidays already. So um it's been a very very nice summer but it's been a very busy summer for permitting um and lots of um property owner property developer property interested parties lots of inquiries on properties. Um, phone does not stop ringing. >> Any update with Met Council approving the restaurant in commerce? >> Oh, I don't I have no information about >> I don't think that's up to the Met Council. >> I thought it was head to sewer charge sewer line for Met Council. >> The last information I had was that they were working to get their uh their sack um numbers squared away with Met Council. >> Oh, okay. That's correct. I call it Met Council, but it's MCES. >> Thank you. >> But I don't I don't have any additional information on that. >> Is this the Phantom Restaurant on Commerce? >> Yep. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> That's been promised for years. >> of the shopping center. >> I keep calling for a reservation. I can't get through. >> Are they paying rent for three years? >> Yeah. I would imagine they're part of the RPG group. So, >> Yep. >> Okay. Any questions for Sarah? >> Thanks. >> All right. Hearing none. Our next meeting is Tuesday, September 2. It's a regular meeting at 6:00 pm. Anyone on the commission have anything else they'd like to bring up? >> I I have something. Um there's a real blood shortage. Um and Memorial Blood Center is actually doing a blood drive at Back Channel on Thursday. >> So um it's like an extreme Yeah. extreme shortage. So they're um asking for people to participate. So if you can give blood, please do. >> Thank you. >> It's a good PSA. >> Anything else? Hearing none, chair would entertain a motion to adjurnn. >> Motion to adjurnn. >> We have a second. >> Thanks everyone. >> Second. >> We have a second. >> Discussion. >> Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. >> Motion carries. We're journed. to come.