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2022.10.10 - MinutesApproved Planning Commission Minutes – October 10, 2022 CRYSTAL PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES Monday, October 10, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers, Crystal City Hall 1. CALL TO ORDER The regular meeting of the Crystal Planning Commission convened at 7:00 p.m. with the following members present: X Commissioner (Ward 1) Sears [Vice Chair] X Commissioner (Ward 2) Selton [Chair] X Commissioner (Ward 4) Einfeldt-Brown X Commissioner (Ward 1) Heigel X Commissioner (Ward 3) Maristany [Sec. Vice Chair] X Commissioner (Ward 4) Johnson X Commissioner (Ward 2) Strand  Commissioner (Ward 3) Buck X Commissioner (At- Large) Scholz Other attendees: City planner Dan Olson, City Council liaison Brendan Banks, Scott and Rita Endres (representing Crystal Vision Clinic) and other interested persons. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Moved by Sears and seconded by Heigel to approve the minutes of the August 8, 2022 regular meeting. Ayes: Strand, Heigel, Sears, Selton, Johnson, Einfeldt-Brown, and Scholz. Abstain: Maristany Nays: None Motion carried. 3. PUBLIC HEARING a. Variance request from Scott Endres for a new monument sign at 5730 Bottineau Boulevard (Application 2022-09). Chair Selton opened the public hearing. Olson presented a summary of the staff report and stated he is recommending approval of the variance. Commission member Heigel asked if there was a way to control the light intensity of the sign. Ms. Rita Endres said she wasn’t sure, but Planner Olson said that electronic readerboards can be programmed to adjust the brightness. Heigel expressed concern that motorists on Highway 81 will be distracted by the electronic movement of the sign. Ms. Endres said that they have had problems in their current Douglas Drive location with patrons finding their clinic and they want to make this sign visible in their new location, but do not want to have a sign with negative impacts to the community. Approved Planning Commission Minutes – October 10, 2022 Commission member Heigel asked if the Crystal Medical Center has an electronic sign. Olson said he wasn’t sure, but if there isn’t one now, the medical center could install that with an approved sign permit application. Commission member Maristany asked if the sign would conflict with airport operations. Olson said he sent hearing notices to both the on-site airport manager and the airport owner, the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC). When the clinic was going through its approval, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) found the building height in compliance with airport operations, and this sign will be shorter than the building. Commission member Maristany asked why the sign was not located at the Colorado entrance to the property. Ms. Endres said they want visibility on Highway 81. A Crystal resident said she’s concerned that the sign will flash in her windows and is too close to Airport Road. She also expressed concern that the clinic’s entrance was on Colorado. Olson explained that the Colorado driveway entrance was approved through a public hearing process last year and there was no other option to access the new clinic. The sign will be set back some distance from Airport Road since the County owns quite a bit of land between the clinic and Airport Road. The resident spoke about the past history of the commercial area west of Colorado Avenue and is disappointed that the area continues to have commercial uses. Olson showed the Planning Commission the location of this resident’s home in the Powerpoint slides and the location of the proposed sign. Hearing no one from the public who wished to speak, Selton closed the public hearing. Commission member Sears asked if the sign could be located in the southwest corner of the lot. Mr. Scott Endres said there is a large tree in that area located on the property owned by the Medical Center. Since he did not want the sign to be blocked by this tree, he located the sign near the intersection of Highway 81 and Airport Road. Commission member Scholz said she understood the concerns of both the resident and the Endres’, and there’s not an easy solution to satisfy both. Commission member Strand said that she believes the sign will be difficult to see by residents to the east due to its orientation along Highway 81 and it being screened by the taller clinic. Commission member Heigel asked if the sign will be lit continuously. The Endres’ said yes. Commission member Maristany asked if the sign could be shut off or dimmed overnight. Olson said that the Endres’ could be asked to dim the sign at night, but the city may not be able to require that. Maristany asked if the sign could be installed on the clinic itself. Ms. Endres said it would be too far from the highway to be visible if it was on the building. Moved by Strand and seconded by Einfeldt-Brown to recommend approval to the City Council of the variance application for Scott Endres at 5730 Bottineau Boulevard with the conditions in the staff report. Ayes: Sears, Strand, Selton, Einfeldt-Brown and Johnson. Nays: Heigel and Maristany. Abstain: Scholz. Motion carried. Approved Planning Commission Minutes – October 10, 2022 4. OLD BUSINESS - None 5. NEW BUSINESS - None 6. GENERAL INFORMATION • City Council actions on previous Planning Commission items: Olson stated that the Council approved the property rezoning from Crystal Housing Group for the property at 5232-5256 West Broadway and also approved miscellaneous UDC amendments. Commission chair Selton asked about litigation relating to the UDC amendments and asked if the Commission should be informed of the specifics of the issue if members are called to testify in court. Olson said he would look into how much can be divulged to the Commission. Commission member Strand reviewed the Commission’s past actions on this issue and didn’t think they would be called to testify. She said she doesn’t necessarily need to know the details of the litigation. • Update from Council Liaison: City Council liaison Brendan Banks did not have any Council updates, but agreed with Planner Olson that he can’t say a lot about the litigation relating to the UDC amendments, but he will convey to the Council the Commission’s thoughts on the UDC amendments and their desire to be informed about the litigation. Mr. Banks said the open house for the new police station was well attended. • Staff preview of likely agenda items for Monday, November 14, 2022 meeting. Planner Olson said he has not received any applications for the November meeting, but the application deadline is not until next week. 7. OPEN FORUM Commission member Scholz said she sees stormwater draining from the new police station to the library property and wondered who she could speak to about that. Olson said she could contact the city engineer. She said she would do that. Commission member Einfeldt-Brown asked what’s going on with the former Burger King property and former Pizza Ranch on West Broadway. Olson said the Burger King restaurant is being converted to an office building and the Purple Rose restaurant and smoking lounge will be occupying the Pizza Ranch space. 8. ADJOURNMENT Moved by Heigel and seconded by Maristany to adjourn. Ayes: All. Nays: None Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.