Richfield City Council — Transcript
Monday, August 24, 2026
Multifamily Residential Development at 6501 Portland Avenue
2027 Capital Improvement Budget (CIB) and 2028-2031 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)
Votes (2)
Consideration of a Conditional Use Permit and Site Plan Approval for a Multifamily Residential Development of 290 Units and Two Buildings at 6501 Portland Avenue
Dissent: Commissioners voted to stress two specific concerns to the City Council: the bird collision reduction plan (objecting to the developer's alternative language) and ensuring the potential connection to 66th Street is maintained as a future option.
Moved by Terson [1:07:09] · Seconded by Hoie [1:07:29]
The Planning Commission addressed a request from Pope Architects and Lupe Development for a 290-unit, five-story residential complex at the former American Legion site. The project, split into workforce family and senior housing, faces code non-compliance in areas like future 66th Street connection and signage, which staff proposed conditions to resolve. The applicant's attorney raised legal objections to specific conditions, including the bird collision reduction plan's B3 standards and EV charging requirements, citing state law preemption, and the 66th Street connection as an unconstitutional exaction. Public comments expressed significant opposition and concerns about environmental impact (birds), increased traffic congestion, noise, loss of park views, rising property taxes, and the general character of development adjacent to Veterans Park. Commissioners acknowledged these concerns but also affirmed the project's consistency with the 2040 Comprehensive Plan's vision for increased density and housing options. Staff clarified that a TIFF was not requested or under consideration for this project.
2027 Capital Improvement Budget and 2028-2031 Capital Improvement Plan
Dissent: None recorded.
Moved by Terson [1:38:29] · Seconded by Surma [1:38:49]
Steve McDaniel, Budget Cash and Debt Manager, presented the city's Capital Improvement Budget for 2027 ($26.3 million) and the Capital Improvement Plan for 2028-2031 ($137 million). The plan detailed projects across public works, building maintenance, and recreation, including major initiatives like the Nicollet Avenue and Penn Avenue reconstructions, utility system upgrades, and a $55 million Community Center. Funding sources were diverse, comprising utility bonds, property tax bonds, sales tax bonds, and various state, federal, and county grants. Commissioners inquired about the process of securing grant funding and the repayment mechanisms for different bond types. Public commenters voiced strong opposition to the perceived high costs, questioning the necessity of certain projects (e.g., Community Center) and expressing worries about the impact on property taxes and the city's overall financial sustainability. The commission's role was to assess consistency with the city's comprehensive plan, not to approve specific budget line items.
Notable Quotes (11)
This is my first time coming to the planning commission, so I apologize for my ignorance.
Pope Architects and Lupe Development are before you this evening requesting a conditional use permit and site plan approval to construct a fivestory 290 unit housing development at the former American Legion site at 6501 Portland Avenue South. The project is to be constructed in two phases.
However, this condition goes a step further and it requires that the uh project be designed with a whole building threat factor of 45 or less uh based on the B3 standards or same or similar. And this is a little nuance uh and if you're not familiar with B3 standards, those are standards that go above and beyond the state building code. uh and those are applicable when a project takes state money. Uh they are not applicable here and we have no state money in this project.
Our birds travel between Legion Lake and Wood Lake and I think you guys know that and that's a migration back and forth and so forth and so on. Anyways, um I I heard that they also have any of their landscaping stuff a dog park, please. Absolutely no dog park.
Who owns the sky? Who owns the sunsets in Richfield? When we moved here, it was just mostly one-story or twotory houses, and everything felt really open and beautiful that way. Uh, in the 30 years that we've lived here, uh, we've seen many highrises creep up further and further into the sky.
I appreciate your comment. Um who does the sunset belong to? I think it belongs to all of us. It does not belong to someone who bought a house on Portland next to the park. It does not belong to people who inhabit these.
The planning commission is responsible for reviewing both the CIB and the CIP for consistency with the city's comprehensive plan. Upon consideration, the planning commission makes a recommendation to the city council, finding that the budget and the plan are consistent or recommends necessary changes.
The project that is ongoing currently is Nicollet Avenue reconstruction. Um the total project cost is close to $19 million of which the the city share is 7 million. And that 7 million city share um is split between uh property tax bonds, utility bonds, but there was also a $2 million state grant that uh was approved by the legislature at the end of this uh back in May of the 2026 uh legislative session.
So utility bonds would be uh kind of go through a similar process. um instead of hitting the actual uh property tax levy, how those are paid back is um through um anytime I I'm not sure if at the city if it's a monthly bill that you get or if it's a quarterly bill, but it's paid through um with that kind of utility revenue related to um your water bill.
Now, do we really need a $55 million community center? I don't think so, personally. I mean, we only have 3,000 kids, and the community community center does provide opportunities for some of the adults, but do we really need it?
Big reason we're seeing everywhere across the board everyone in their daily lives to every city is that the stuff we normally do just costs more now, a lot more. especially capital improvements, especially construction materials, especially fuel, especially cement, you name it. Building materials of any kind, cost a lot more than they did just a year or two or five ago.
Ordinances & Resolutions (20)
Required for projects over 100 units in the Veterans Park Overlay District.
Requested for the multifamily residential development.
Required by the city, predicting trips within Portland Avenue's capacity.
Prepared by a professional traffic engineer and reviewed by an independent consultant.
Includes conditions to bring the development project into compliance with city code.
Referenced by staff and applicant's attorney regarding project requirements and preemption.
Standards for projects taking state money, cited by applicant in objection to bird collision plan condition.
Referenced by applicant's attorney regarding preemption of more restrictive city conditions.
Architectural Review Committee report, to which the applicant responded with proposed changes.
Referenced by a public commenter regarding statutory requirements.
Richfield's comprehensive plan, cited as guiding high-density housing and overall city vision.
Plan addressing water pressure and waste systems, evaluated as part of development projects.
Annual budget for city infrastructure construction and maintenance.
Four-year plan for capital expenditures, reviewed for consistency with the comprehensive plan.
Conducted by WL architects and engineers for city-owned buildings.
Update process happening over the next two years with public engagement.
Goals tied to the Boulevard tree planting contract.
Contract approved with North Metro Companies for USDA-funded tree planting.
A 10-year city plan that includes all new property tax bonds.
Conducted by Public Works, incorporating utility bond projects for the next three years.