05/24/1992 - City Council Special
MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING
OF THE EAGAN CITY COUNCIL
Eagan, Minnesota
May 26, 1992
A special City Council meeting was held on Tuesday, May 26, 1992, in
the lunch room of the Eagan Municipal Building at 5:00 p.m., for the purpose of
holding a joint meeting with the Advisory Planning Commission and to discuss
street reconstruction policies. Present were Mayor Egan and City Councilmembers
Awada, McCrea and Pawlenty. City Councilmember Wachter was absent. Also present
were Director of Community Development Runkle, City Planner Sturm, Assistant City
Attorney Dougherty, Director of Public Works Colbert, Project Planner Ridley,
Sign Inspector Rollins, Street Superintendent Erhart, and City Administrator
Hedges.
Mayor Egan and City Councilmember McCrea excused themselves to attend
a groundbreaking ceremony for Elementary School #17 on Wescott Road.
GENERAL DISCUSSION/ADVISORY PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS
Acting Mayor Pawlenty welcomed members of the Advisory Planning
Commission, Chairperson Ron Voracek and commission members Scott Merkley, Gary
Graves, Shawn Hunter, John Gorman and John Griggs. Acting Mayor Pawlenty stated
that until Mayor Egan and City Councilmember McCrea returned, the presentation
and discussion regarding outdoor advertising and sign regulations would be
suspended and encouraged members of the Advisory Planning Commission to share any
discussion or input about general planning matters, about City Council philosophy
on planning issues or about other matters of interest to the Commission members.
Commission member Hunter suggested discussion of the preliminary plat for
Lexington Pointe 8th Addition due to the split vote by both the Advisory Planning
Commission and City Council. He raised questions as to whether the Planning
Commission should be making concessions, such as variances, for development
proposals similar to the Lexington Pointe 8th Addition project. Acting Mayor
Pawlenty stated that, in his opinion, the Advisory Planning Commission should
consider each application on its merits and make recommendations to the City
Council according to City Code regulations and the philosophy of the Commission
as to what they feel is right. He stated that he had voted against the
preliminary plat for the Lexington Pointe 8th Addition because 50% of the lots
were less than the 12,000 square foot minimum and required a substantial number
of variances. City Councilmember Awada stated that she had supported the
preliminary plat for Lexington Pointe 8th Addition and had made an exception for
the variances because the property was downzoned from a Community Shopping Center
to a Single Family zoning classification. As a result, this development would
be an exception regarding the number of variances.
Acting Mayor Pawlenty acknowledged the return of Mayor Egan and City
Councilmember McCrea from the groundbreaking ceremony at Elementary School Site
#17 and turned the meeting over to Mayor Egan. Mayor Egan suggested that the
City Council and Advisory Planning Commission consider outdoor advertising sign
regulations and the presentation by Mike Cronin of Naegele Corporation as the
next topic of discussion.
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MAY 24, 1992
PAGE 2
OUTDOOR ADVERTISING SIGN REGULATIONS
Mayor Egan welcomed a number of persons in the audience representing
the sign industry as well as residents to the community who were present to hear
a presentation by Mike Cronin of Naegele Sign Company and a discussion by the
City Council and Advisory Planning Commission on proposed outdoor advertising
sign regulations. City Councilmember Pawlenty stated that he has announced at
previous meetings that a member of his law firm represents the sign industry and
that any discussion, recommendations or action regarding public policy on sign
regulations could be a potential conflict of interest. He would, therefore,
refrain from action or discussion on this agenda item.
Mr. Cronin thanked the City Council for the opportunity to present
a land use perspective on community development and how it relates to the need
for certain types of business and advertising signs. He presented a slide
presentation that explained the contrast of what is acceptable in terms of
business advertising on either pylon signs or outdoor advertising signs in core
cities, old established neighborhood shopping center areas and also new suburban
developments. Mr. Cronin stated that, in his opinion, suburban design does not
allow for individuality. He said suburban businesses use standard signs which
deny the opportunity to use signs to make a statement such as those in the
commercial areas of our core cities.
Mr. Cronin also presented visuals that referenced Pilot Knob Road as
a main street, the Town Centre/Yankee Square Shopping Center area as a downtown
area and the Cliff Lake Centre as an uptown development area. He suggested that
the City Council and Advisory Planning Commission look at the community
differently than through its standard zoning and comprehensive guide plan maps.
Instead, they should focus on regulations and a development pattern that would
allow some outdoor advertising opportunities north of the Town Centre "downtown"
shopping area and possibly an allowance for outdoor advertising in the
southwestern part of the city for the Cliff Lake Centre "uptown" shopping
district. Mayor Egan thanked Mr. Cronin for his presentation and comments.
Cheryl Casey, an Eagan resident, stated that billboards or outdoor
advertising signs, should not be allowed at all in the community. She further
stated that in her opinion billboards do not have any purpose for the community.
Others in the audience, including Mrs. John Young, representing Young Outdoor
Advertising, and Tom Hart, representing Adams Signs, expressed their appreciation
for Mr. Cronin's presentation and asked that the City Council consider reasonable
regulations for allowing locations within the community to be made available for
outdoor advertising sign opportunities. Commission member Graves raised a
question about the sign policy that was presented several months ago and
suggested that a clear/concise statement be made by the City Council as to how
outdoor advertising sign applications should be processed even if a variance is
eventually required. Commission member Merkley raised questions as to whether
there are any sites available within the City for outdoor advertising signs.
Director of Community Development Runkle indicated that according to a staff
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MAY 24, 1992
PAGE 3
analysis, there are approximately seven sites that appear to be feasible for
outdoor advertising signs.
After further discussions regarding outdoor advertising sign
regulations and the present moratorium on existing and new applications as well
as other input by the Advisory Planning Commission, the City Council suggested
that consideration be given to the formation of a special task force. The task
force could evaluate business and environmental concerns and then make
recommendation as to changes in existing City Code regulations that govern
outdoor advertising signs. City Councilmembers agreed that the study commission
should be appointed at a later City Council meeting, taking into consideration
representatives from the sign industry, the local business community and
residents at large.
JOINT MEETING/ADVISORY PLANNING COMMISSION
City Councilmember Pawlenty recommended that the general discussion
between Advisory Planning Commission members and City Council return to the
subject of the Lexington Pointe 8th Addition preliminary plat for the benefit of
Mayor Egan and City Councilmember McCrea. City Councilmember McCrea stated that
she is generally supportive of planning deviations that provide a certain
residential character and felt the Lexington Pointe 8th Addition project would
be a unique residential neighborhood. Mayor Egan shared the reasons why he was
in favor of granting variances for this development, emphasizing the downzoning
from Commercial Shopping Center to Single Family Residential, the type of
landscaping and the general development described by City Councilmember McCrea
that would occur as a result of the project.
There were other comments made by members of the Advisory Planning
Commission relative to building controls, architectural standards and a brief
discussion of the action taken by both the Advisory Planning Commission and City
Council regarding the ABRA conditional use permit application. Mayor Egan
thanked all members of the Advisory Planning Commission for their participation
and attendance at the joint workshop session and praised them for their volunteer
work through the community. Commission members thanked the City Council and
asked that more frequent meetings be held to share philosophy on proposed
development and interact as a more proactive planning approach to various
community development matters.
STREET RECONSTRUCTION
Director of Public Works Colbert along with Assistant City Engineer
Foertsch and Streets Superintendent Erhart appeared and presented a summary of
the proposed street reconstruction and maintenance needs for the streets
infrastructure system. He presented, with the aid of overheads, the various
types of street repairs, including approximately 15 miles requiring
reconstruction,. 11 miles for overlays and approximately 170 miles for ongoing
maintenance. The Director of Public Works provided statistical data on the age
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MAY 24, 1992
PAGE 4
of the streets, the year they were constructed and the fact that many streets
have exceeded their original life expectancy and have a more immediate need for
reconstruction. He further complimented Streets Superintendent Arnie Erhart for
his excellence in the use of crack sealing as a major maintenance effort which
has lessened deterioration and increased the life expectancy of streets within
the community.
Director of Public Works Colbert presented slides that illustrated
the condition of streets in certain neighborhoods explaining that curbing in
Cedar Grove neighborhoods is bituminous and has deteriorated beyond repair. He
recommended that a public hearing be held to present the City's reconstruction
program without any emphasis on or presentation on cost participation. Members
of the City Council expressed their support for a community wide public hearing.
Director of Public Works Colbert also presented current and proposed
financing alternatives for residential reconstruction/overlay programs. Members
of the City Council discussed a variety of funding methods suggesting that the
City staff examine certain options and return at a later date with funding
alternatives for consideration by the City Council. Mayor Egan recommended that
precedence of funding options be safeguarded due to the number of streets that
will require reconstruction in future years.
OTHER BUSINESS
City Administrator Hedges presented a copy of the 1991 Financial
Report, stating that the audit firm will be represented at the next regular City
Council meeting on June 2, at which time the City Council will consider adoption
of the document.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
TLH
May 26, 1992 ,,h a 2JLU A
Date City Clerk