City Council

REGULAR ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL MEETING – APRIL 2, 2024 MINUTES The Regular Bi-Monthly Meeting of the Andover City Council was called to order by Mayor Bukkila, April 2, 7:00 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Councilmembers present: Jamie Barthel, Ted Butler, and Randy Nelson Councilmember absent: Rick Engelhardt Also present: City Administrator, Jim Dickinson Community Development Director, Joe Janish Director of Public Works/City Engineer, David Berkowitz City Attorney, Scott Baumgartner Others PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE RESIDENT FORUM Rex Hamann, 14201 Crosstown Boulevard, came forward and shared he was unhappy with the snow removal process on the trails from last weekend's storm. He stated his driveway is at an incline to the road that results in a lot of snow and ice collecting at the bottom of his driveway. He shared they got their snowblower out and cleared their driveway, which went well until they ran into the two ridges at the bike trail. He said there were ridges of ice like brick that a lot of the driveways on his road had to deal with. He added he has not had to deal with anything like this before. He shared he did send an email to Director of Public Works/City Engineer Berkowitz and asked why they did not use the snow blowers in this area. He noted he also contacted Streets Supervisor Baumunk, who shared with him that they made the decision on what snow removal method to use based on what would be the most expedient. He stated there was no reason to rush through this and they should have used the snowblowers. He added that Mr. Baumunk shared with him that they needed to use the V- plows because the chutes on the snowblowers would get stuck and present a safety issue. He shared his snowblower had no problems with this. He said he questions Mr. Baumunk’s decision to use the plows over snowblowers. He noted he would like the City to review their policies on what is the best process for snow removal when there are storms such as the one that happened last weekend. He thanked the Council for the opportunity to speak on this and asked for a change so this situation does not happen again. Mayor Bukkila requested that Staff reach out to Mr. Hamann directly to work on this issue. Regular Andover City Council Meeting Minutes – April 2, 2024 Page 2 AGENDA APPROVAL Motion by Nelson, Seconded by Barthel, to approve the Agenda as presented. Motion carried unanimously. APPROVAL OF MINUTES March 19, 2024, Regular Meeting: Correct as written Motion by Butler, Seconded by Barthel, to approve the March 19, 2024, Regular meeting minutes as presented. Motion carried unanimously. CONSENT ITEMS Item 2 Approve Payment of Claims Item 3 Award City Contract for Ash Injections/24-25/EAB Management Program Item 4 Approve Easement with CenterPoint Energy/24-19/7th Ave. NW Frontage Road Trail Connection Item 5 Approve Plans & Specs/Order Ad for Bids/23-12/Crosstown Blvd. NW Trail (See Resolution R038-24) Item 6 Award Bid/24-3, 2024 Crack Sealing/24-5, 2024 Pavement Markings/ 24-7, 2024 Trail Maintenance/24-10, 2024 Parking Lot Maintenance (See Resolution R039-24) Item 7 Award Bid/24-16, 2024 Mill & Overlay/Bunker Lake Boulevard Service Road NW/Grouse St. NW & 24-17, 2024 Mill & Overlay/Bunker Lake Boulevard Service Road NW/Rose St. NW to Heather St. NW (See Resolution R040-24) Item 8 Award Bid/24-8, 2024 Curb, Sidewalk & Ped Ramp Repairs/24-11, 2024 Full Depth Reclamation/24-14, Hills of Bunker Lake West Park Parking Lot Reconstruction & 24-15, 2024 Mill & Overlay/Bunker Lake Village (See Resolution R041-24) Item 9 Authorize Fire Services Evaluation RFP Item 10 Accept Contribution/Andover Lions Club Inc./Andover Community Center (See Resolution R042-24) Item 11 Accept Contribution/Andover Youth Hockey Assoc. (See Resolution R043-24) Motion by Nelson, Seconded by Barthel, to approve of the Consent Agenda as read. Motion carried unanimously. CONSIDER PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT - ANDOVER SENIOR CAMPUS - PID#23- 32-24-32-006 AND 23-32-24-33-0002 (APPLICANT - JA WEDUM FOUNDATION) The City Council is requested to review the Planned Unit Development (PUD) for the property that will be known as the Andover Senior Campus. Community Development Director Janish reviewed the information with the Council concerning the overall project and PUD request for the Andover Senior Campus. He shared the Planning and Regular Andover City Council Meeting Minutes – April 2, 2024 Page 3 Zoning Commission’s recommendation of approval. Councilmember Barthel asked if the 1.4 parking stalls per unit includes the underground parking. Mr. Janish said yes. Mayor Bukkila asked how many parking stalls are underground. Mr. Janish shared there are 48 underground stalls for the Brownstones; however, he does not recall how many stalls there will be for the main building. He said the applicant would be able to answer this question more accurately. He shared they are proposing 127 surface stalls, 159 garage stalls, and 111 underground stalls for the independent living, assisted living, and memory care facility. Councilmember Barthel asked if people in the independent living units get a garage space for free. Mr. Janish said that would be a question for the applicant. Councilmember Barthel said the cottage unit on the corner with three driveways seems to be a pretty big feat to accomplish. He asked if they would truly be able to get three driveways on a corner condo unit. Mr. Janish said this is what is shown in the Preliminary Plat so the applicant is saying they have the ability to fit this in. Councilmember Nelson asked about the internal roadway and if it will be 24 feet wide. Mr. Janish said yes. Councilmember Nelson said he assumes there will be no parking allowed on the streets. Mr. Janish confirmed that street parking will not be available. Councilmember Nelson shared he is always thinking of the safety aspect on projects like this. He noted with the previous proposal they were proposing to have a fire hydrant that is connected to the building. He asked if this was still in the proposal. Mr. Janish said yes and noted that they will have standpipes that will have hydrants in the stairwells and at the ends of the building. He added the architect, and the Fire Department had this conversation. City Administration Dickinson added this is a sprinkled building with standpipes in the hallways. Mr. Janish added there will also be a fire suppression system in the attic space of the single-story and the two-story units as a part of the fire code. Councilmember Nelson asked about the right-in-right-out off of Crosstown Boulevard, with the full access off of Bluebird street and 150th Lane, but no access from Hanson Boulevard. He asked if this is enough access in the case of an emergency. Mr. Janish said yes and explained the applicant has provided a fire turning radius coming off of Bluebird Street and making it to the independent living, assisted living, and memory care facility. He noted the Engineering Department was also asked to see this information related to Crosstown Boulevard as well to ensure that emergency services can make it at either entrance. Councilmember Nelson stated there was a traffic and shadow study done during an early proposal. Regular Andover City Council Meeting Minutes – April 2, 2024 Page 4 He noted during the shadow study it did not cast any shadows on residential; however, on this one, he asked if it will cast a shadow. Mr. Janish said no it will not cast shadows on existing homes. Councilmember Butler asked if there is full access off 150th Lane which is for staff. Mr. Janish said yes and the applicant has indicated they want to put signage that the entrance is for staff and deliveries only. Councilmember Butler stated the traffic impact of this development was established during an earlier iteration that it would be less than what it would have been if they had built this as a general commercial strip mall. He noted any time they have new traffic demands, they look at what the best way is to make things work with the additional load of vehicles and pedestrians. He asked if there has been any discussion with the developer around contribution to the construction of the roundabout in this area. Mr. Dickinson said this would be determined at the time of the development contract. He stated they are evaluating the traffic study on how they would put together a cost share relative to this. He added the traffic study does indicate that there is some existing condition there which does bring the City to the table. He said they would be looking for significant contributions from this project towards the roundabout. Councilmember Butler said he would like to know more about the parking plan in regard to visitors to the cottages or townhomes given that there is no on-street parking. Councilmember Nelson asked about the landscaping. He asked if they could have a berm in this area. Mr. Janish explained the stormwater report did not include the drainage from the roundabout to the ponding. He shared in his conversations with the Engineering Department, they believe this may cause the berm to shrink or disappear to accommodate the stormwater. He noted staff and the applicant had conversations about if this stormwater could go somewhere else, which it could not. Councilmember Nelson shared in earlier conversations they focused on mitigating headlights into the residential area east of Bluebird Street. He noted a berm may help with this over just having foliage mitigate the lights. Mr. Janish said they would have to analyze this based on foliage or fencing to block the headlights. He said if they put the roundabout in, the stormwater would have to go somewhere. Councilmember Nelson asked if there could be a berm off of the southern end of the development off of 150th Lane. Mr. Janish said he was not sure. He shared the applicant's proposal of landscaping along the parking area is to mitigate lights. He said if they were to build a berm in this area it would have to be done on a different property. Mr. Dickinson added this driving lane matches up with the street, which was always a part of the plan. Mayor Bukkila asked the applicant to come forward. Sarah Kern, 1301 American Boulevard East, Bloomington, the architect for the project came Regular Andover City Council Meeting Minutes – April 2, 2024 Page 5 forward and discussed parking. She shared there are four stalls per cottage, two in the garage and two in the driveways. She noted this does comply with Andover parking regulations. She said there are 1.4 stalls per unit for the independent, assisted living and memory care units. She added in other developments, very few of the occupants of the memory care or assisted living are driving and have cars to park at the facility. Councilmember Barthel asked if the underground parking stalls are free to the residents of the facility. Ms. Kern said this would be up to the market. Councilmember Barthel noted if residents have to pay to park in the underground parking, then they may end up parking in the free surface parking which could lead to a parking issue. Mike Gould, the applicant shared they have done free and paid parking in the past and then predominantly charge for parking now. He noted none of their communities have vacancies in the underground parking. Councilmember Nelson asked about the one stall garages. He asked if the length of the driveways would allow for two cars. Ms. Kern stated all of the driveways are longer than one car. She stated one car would fit in the garage and one would fit in the driveway. Mayor Bukkila asked about snow removal. Ms. Kern shared at some times the parking lots may be pretty empty, and they would be able to keep snow on the site. She said that sometimes in the winter when the parking is filled, the snow would be hauled off site. Councilmember Barthel asked if there will be a berm on the corner of Bluebird Street and Crosstown Boulevard now. Ms. Kern said they are still hoping to keep the berm. She said they are working with the City on being able to keep this. Councilmember Barthel shared every time they have received an updated drawing from the applicant the berm gets smaller and smaller. He shared the concern with needing this protection for the residents. Mr. Berkowitz said this is driven by engineering and when they look at the possibility of a roundabout being constructed, stormwater is very important. He noted this is the most viable location for the stormwater due to the constraints of the other already developed buildings in the area. He added they are committed to finding screening for this to meet the needs of the residents in this area. Councilmember Barthel noted they are trying to put a lot of buildings in a small area which is forcing them to remove the berms and other things for the stormwater. Mayor Bukkila noted the Planning and Zoning Commission discussed that only 16% of this land is going to be covered with buildings. Mr. Janish explained there is a lot of ponding that is required. He noted they have tried to discuss this with the Met Council as they come to cities with density requirements. He explained there is Regular Andover City Council Meeting Minutes – April 2, 2024 Page 6 also a greenspace provided within the package which states that the landscaped portion of the property is 52.6% and the impervious is 47.4%, which includes the homes and parking. Councilmember Barthel noted the 52.6% includes five retention ponds and is not truly just greenspace. Councilmember Nelson asked about the 7,300 square foot wellness center with indoor pickleball. He noted the old proposal had warm water therapy and outdoor pickleball that was going to be open to outdoor residents. He asked if this has changed and if the indoor facility will be accessible to residents. Ms. Kern said the larger wellness center will allow access for seniors in the community. Councilmember Butler noted this is an important thing for a lot of people in the community. He said with every development that is built on what used to be farmland or wild space, there are always people who will be upset with the change. He stated they have been talking about this project for almost the entire time he has been on the Council. He noted the general lack of commercial availability in the City has driven him to think it would be good to have commercial development in this area; however, he has shifted his thinking on this because of the neighborhood. He shared he is generally supportive of moving forward with this project as there is a demand for senior housing in the community. He said they will continue to work with the applicant on the project and contributions to the roundabout project. He thanked the applicant for responding to a number of concerns throughout the course of this project and thanked the residents for their input. Councilmember Nelson thanked Staff for all of their work with the applicant on this project. He noted in the 2020 census there was a 13.8% increase in residents 65 and older. He said he has talked to a number of people in the community who have been patiently waiting for this development. He shared his appreciation for the applicants and their hard work on adjusting this project based on feedback they have been given. Mayor Bukkila shared she was not supportive of this project at the beginning; however, she is now supportive. She noted she had originally wanted to preserve this area for commercial use, but the traffic study compelled her to change her opinion on this development. She added that something is going to go in on this land regardless of what it was. She noted they did not want a lot of traffic congestion in these areas. She added the Council has had a hard time trying to move pedestrian traffic around the City because the City runs on county roads. She said they have had to create roundabouts to slow traffic for safety reasons. She said she is not concerned with parking in the development but does have concerns with snow storage. She shared there have been 22 meetings on this project that have given residents the opportunity to provide feedback and listen to the Council’s discussion. She said the applicant has been very flexible and accommodating through this whole project. Motion by Butler, Seconded by Nelson, to adopt Resolution No. R044-24, approving the Conditional Use Permit/Planned Unit Development requested by J.A. Wedum Foundation, presented as Andover Senior Campus. Regular Andover City Council Meeting Minutes – April 2, 2024 Page 7 Further Discussion: Councilmember Nelson shared he was also against this project in the beginning; however, as the process evolved, he changed his mind based on the results of the traffic study. He added there will still be 10,000 square feet of neighborhood commercial in this plan. Mayor Bukkila added the commercial aspect will have limited hours of operation which will reduce traffic concerns. Councilmember Barthel complimented the developers for all of the work they have done on this. He said he is proud that they have made it this far. He added he does not think this development is the right thing for this community. He said the average restaurant is 5,000 square feet and there is not much parking available for much commercial development in the 10,000 square feet that is set aside for commercial development. He said there are better things that they could put in this space than this development. Motion carried 3 ayes, 1 nay (Barthel). CONSIDER PRELIMINARY PLAT - ANDOVER SENIOR CAMPUS - PID#23-32-24-32-006 AND 23-32-24-33-0002 (APPLICANT - JA WEDUM FOUNDATION) The City Council is requested to review the preliminary plat for the Andover Senior Campus. Mr. Janish reviewed the information with the Council in regard to the preliminary plat for the Andover Senior Campus. He shared the Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation of approval. Councilmember Butler asked about the steps that follow a preliminary plat approval. Mr. Janish explained the applicant will work through a commercial site plan. He noted they are not able to start grading until the site plan and preliminary plat meet all of the staff’s comments. He said then the final plat. He noted after this they will have to get a building permit and easements if they are required. He explained the City Attorney would look over all of this before, then bring the final plat to the Council for approval. He said once the Mayor and City Administrator have signed the final plat, they can submit the plat for recording purposes. Mr. Berkowitz explained the roundabout would likely be built in 2026. He stated this would follow the same process as all other roundabout projects. Mayor Bukkila said the more important thing to her concerns the berm and the roundabout. She noted it is hard to put stipulations on something like this when it is uncertain. She said if they cannot have a berm or fencing in this area, she would like to see year-round shrubbery in the area that would provide that screening from lights. Motion by Butler, Seconded by Nelson, to adopt Resolution No. R045-24, approving the Regular Andover City Council Meeting Minutes – April 2, 2024 Page 8 preliminary plat for the Andover Senior Campus. Motion carried 3 ayes, 1 nay (Barthel). ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT City Staff updated the Council on the administration and city department activities, legislative updates, updates on development/CIP projects, and meeting reminders/community events. (Administrative Staff Report) Mr. Dickinson reviewed the Administrator’s staff report. He shared that capital improvement meetings have started, with a focus on equipment purchases. He added they are also working on emergency preparations for the summer. He said they have had meetings on banking and financing relationships for the City. He noted interest earnings are up on holdings that the City has. He said they are looking at ways of taking advantage of this. He shared he just had a point of dispensary site meeting at the Community Center. He noted this agreement is active for the Community Center to be a potential dispensing location. He added he met with the Met Council in regard to regional planning. He said he shared concerns at this meeting surrounding the Met Council’s process as they create the 2050 Comprehensive Plan. He noted there is a real push for communities within the City’s classification to increase density. He said they are pushing back on this at the ground floor. He noted there will likely be an opportunity to review these policies and objectives before they finish the 2050 Comprehensive Plan. He shared he has signed 90 agreements for the Red Oaks development. He added they have issued 27 new home permits with six under review. He said HR has completed all hiring for seasonal staff. He added they are bringing on two interns in Administration. He shared there will be a Board of Review meeting on April 8th at 7:00 p.m. (Public Works/Engineering Department Report) Mr. Berkowitz reviewed the Public Works and Engineering Department report. He shared the Public Works crew does a great job with snow removal. He said the plow drivers take a lot of pride and have passion for what they do. He noted this is not an easy job. He explained staff made a commitment to addressing the trail system. He said the concerns brought forward by Mr. Hamann this evening is concerning to him as they have equipment that can efficiently clear the trails. He noted there are 41 miles of trails and sidewalks in the City. He said they had these trails cleared within three to four hours during last week’s snow event. Mayor Bukkila added the Public Works crew is outstanding. She noted Mr. Hamann said this is the only time in 22 years that he has had an issue with plowing. She said she is thankful that this kind of issue has only happened to him once and shows how great the Public Works crew works on snow removal. She shared she is grateful for how they responded to this snow event so quickly. Mr. Berkowitz shared they also talk about these events several days in advance to prepare for them and they are providing updates constantly as things change. He said Mr. Baumunk works very hard leading up to these events. He shared there was a pre-construction meeting with the contractor for the Red Oaks project. He said they will start removing trees next week. He added the construction of the water main will begin the week of April 15th and detailed letters were sent to all property owners. He added that there is a website link that they will provide weekly updates on Regular Andover City Council Meeting Minutes – April 2, 2024 Page 9 the project through. He said the Engineering Department is happy to help with any questions that come up. He shared several projects were awarded this evening for street reconstruction. He noted they are doing a little over eight miles of roads this year. He added there are also development projects moving forward including Fields at Winslow Cove. He said they have finished up the trail plan for Crosstown Boulevard from Bluebird Street to Xeon Street. He noted this plan will be going out to bid with construction this summer. He added that SilverCrest will be responsible for the trail from Hanson Boulevard to Bluebird Street. He noted all of this will be tied together in 2026 when they put in the roundabout. Councilmember Nelson shared there was a fire station sign flashing off of Crosstown Boulevard. He thanked staff for putting this up. He said that Mr. Baumunk and all of Public Works have been doing an amazing job lately. MAYOR/COUNCIL INPUT Councilmember Barthel said staff did an amazing job with the recent snow event. Councilmember Butler noted the Andover Senior Campus development that was moved forward this evening has been in process for years. He shared his appreciation for all of staff’s work on this project since the beginning. Councilmember Nelson agreed. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Barthel, Seconded by Nelson, to adjourn. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Ava Major, Recording Secretary Regular Andover City Council Meeting Minutes – April 2, 2024 Page 10 REGULAR ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES – APRIL 2, 2024 TABLE OF CONTENTS TOC \h \u \z \t "Heading 1,1,Heading 2,2,Heading 3,3," RESIDENT FORUM ..................................................................................................................1 AGENDA APPROVAL ............................................................................................................. 2 APPROVAL OF MINUTES ...................................................................................................... 2 CONSENT ITEMS .....................................................................................................................2 Item 2 Approve Payment of Claims .....................................................................................2 Item 3 Award City Contract for Ash Injections/24-25/EAB Management Program ...........2 Item 4 Approve Easement with CenterPoint Energy/24-19/7th Ave. NW Frontage Road Trail Connection .........................................................................................................................2 Item 5 Approve Plans & Specs/Order Ad for Bids/23-12/Crosstown Blvd. NW Trail (R038-24) .................................................................................................................................. 2 Item 6 Award Bid/24-3, 2024 Crack Sealing/24-5, 2024 Pavement Markings/ 24-7, 2024 Trail Maintenance/24-10, 2024 Parking Lot Maintenance (R039-24) .......................................2 Item 7 Award Bid/24-16, 2024 Mill & Overlay/Bunker Lake Boulevard Service Road NW/Grouse St. NW & 24-17, 2024 Mill & Overlay/Bunker Lake Boulevard Service Road NW/Rose St. NW to Heather St. NW (R040-24) .......................................................................2 Item 8 Award Bid/24-8, 2024 Curb, Sidewalk & Ped Ramp Repairs/24-11, 2024 Full Depth Reclamation/24-14, Hills of Bunker Lake West Park Parking Lot Reconstruction & 24- 15, 2024 Mill & Overlay/Bunker Lake Village (R041-24) ........................................................2 Item 9 Authorize Fire Services Evaluation RFP .................................................................. 2 Item 10 Accept Contribution/Andover Lions Club Inc./Andover Community Center (R042- 24) ...............................................................................................................................................2 Item 11 Accept Contribution/Andover Youth Hockey Assoc. (R043-24) ................................2 CONSIDER PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT - ANDOVER SENIOR CAMPUS - PID#23-32-24-32-006 AND 23-32-24-33-0002 (APPLICANT - JA WEDUM FOUNDATION) (R044-24) ............................................................................................... 2 CONSIDER PRELIMINARY PLAT - ANDOVER SENIOR CAMPUS - PID#23-32-24-32- 006 AND 23-32-24-33-0002 (APPLICANT - JA WEDUM FOUNDATION) (R045-24) 7 ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT ............................................................................................... 8 MAYOR/COUNCIL INPUT ......................................................................................................9 ADJOURNMENT ...................................................................................................................... 9