HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/08/71CITY 0F HASTIN
Office o~ ENGINEER
HASTINGS. MJN]~,SOTA, 55033
MINUTES OF HASTINGS PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
HELD MONDAY, MARCH 8, 1971
The meeting convened at 7:30 P.M. in the Council Chambers of City Hall.
Those present:
Mr. Walt Petersen, Mr. Arland Siebrecht, Mr. Frank
Sieckert, Mr. Fred Trautmann, Mr. Bob Neujahr,
Mr. Pat Wilson and Mrs. Marcella Linde.
Also present:
Mr. and Mrs. Leo Schumacher, Mr. Hess from Midwest
Planners, Mr. Jeff Wallenston representing Viking
Bottling Company, Mr. Joseph Vogt representing the
Hastings Eagles Club, Mr. Clarence Merkling, repre-
senting Wash-A-Rama Laundromat, 2137 Vermillion
Street and present for a special Council Meeting;
Councilmen Novak, Collins, Christenson, Driscoll,
Wilson and O'Connor, City Clerk Wallace Erickson,
Mr. Earl Schnell and Mr. Paul Leibelt and a delegation
of downtown businessmen and citizens of Hastings
interested in the Court House relocation and/or expansion,
and City Engineer John Davidson.
The first item of business was acceptance of the minutes of February Z2, 1971.
It was determined that the Planning Commission meetings would no longer be
taped and that the minutes would be handled as they have in the past by the
Secretary Mr. Fred Trautmann and assistance as required by the City Engineer.
There was a presentation by Mr. Hess of Midwest Planning in regard to the
proposed Mobile Home site on the north side of T.H. 55, north and west of
Pleasant Drive within Imperial Estates and part of the Dockstader property
immediately north thereof. The proposed lot sizes are 90 x 45, 4, 050 square
feet each, lots 158, with 5.9 lots per acre, 8.5 acres of open space, 32%
open space. Also some detailed drawings showing the 14 foot x 68 foot mobile
home on the proposed lots showing the staggered driveway locations and screen-
ing, including the 4' x 4' and 4' x 6' storage shed for housing yard equipment,
t he required one tree per lot and additional plantings were shown along the
sidewalk in interior greenway areas. It was also a request to reconsider the
sidewalks along the Z4 foot streets to have them located at the rear of the lots
They favor the internal walkways for snow removal reasons and to remove the
pedestrian traffic from the vehicle thoroughfares.
At 9:00 P.M. the Planning Commission Meeting adjourned for a Council Meeting.
The meeting was presided over byActing Mayor Novak. A draft of a resolution
was presented for consideration by the Council in regard to a position on the
Dakota County Court House to retain it in its present location and purchase
Minutes of Hastings Planning Commission Meeting
held Monday, March 8, 1971
Page 2.
property in that area, that the City would make every effort to coordinate and
cooperate with the County in the expansion program. (See copy of resolution
attache d ).
Mr. Earl Schnell, Chairman of the Downtown Businessmens Association intro-
duced Mr. Paul Leibelt, member of the Dakota County Building Committee.
Mr. Leibelt furnished a copy of a report by the Court House Planning Committee
of the County. (See copy of report attached).
Mr. Leibelt stated that the Court House Committee was a 15 member committee,
three members were appointed by each of the five County Commissioners. He
mentioned the fact that we were discussing the County Seat and not the County
Court House. He stated that the committee recommended that 80 acres be
purchased by the County if the County Court House was to be moved, however, in
view of the fact that adequate building space could be created in its present
location, it was later recommended that the Court House remain in its present
location and upgrading be done in that area. He also suggested that the City
might lease part of the Court House facility for City Hall facilities. Mr. Novak
stated that before the City Council could act publicly in this regard, some decision
had to be made by the Court House Committee and subsequently the County
Commissioners. Mr. Novak stated that time has now arrived when the City
must take a position. Mr. Leibelt stated that he was not familiar with the size
of Hastings. The Engineer in.formed him it was 9 square miles consisting of
12,000 persons. Mr. Leibelt stated that he thought in the future the County Seat
would be a computed computor data center and that there would be more takeover
by the Metropolitan forms of government in the areas of Police and Fire protection.
It was also stated that Mr. Leibelt had recently been elected chairman of the
Court House Committee and there was some question as to whether the present
Court House Committee would be retained in its present organization makeup
since the new County Commissioners were not involved in the present appointments.
Mr. Leibelt stated that the present Court House Committee had voted 11 to 1 to
move the Court House complex to a perimeter location. It was moved by Council-
man Driscoll, seconded by Councilman O'Connor to adopt the resolution amended
as follows:
The last line should read: "as may be reasonable".
The motion unanimously pas sed.
It was further stated that there should be a study of a joint venture feasibility
for City and County facilities. It was also pointed out that Mr. Gary Pagel was
the ex-officio member of the Building Committee from the present County
Commissioners. It was also requested that a copy of the resolution adopted
by the City Council on Monday, March 15thbe presented to both the Court House Com--
mittee and the Dakota County Commissioners.
Following the short Council Meeting the Planning Commis sion resumed.
Minutes of Hastings Planning Commission Meeting
held Monday', March 8, 1971 Page 3.
Mr. Hess continued with his presentation of the Schumacher Mobile Home Park
with some review of what he had covered in the early part of the meeting. He
stated that fire accesses and fire hydrant locations would be worked out with
authorities in the State Fire Marshall. He stated that the local control would be
on an Ox~rner-Manager basis, this would not be farmed out to a manager outside
of ow~aership. He stated that the break-even point for development of this kind
was approximately 8 years. He stated that since legislation was pending in this
Legislature, even if it did not pass, by the time that the 8 year depreciation factor
had deterioriated to a point where taxing structure was no longer beneficial to the
City that some form of legislation would be passed to correct the inequities in
the property tax base.
Mr. Hess stated that they will submit the plans as reviewed in tonight's coverage
to the City Engineer for referral to the Planning Commission. Mr. Hess wanted
it known that this was an introduction and not a final presentation.
Mr. Solac, owner of property on W. 1st Street, Featherstone Road asked about
the proposed school property. Mr. Hess stated that this was merely a suggestion
and that there was nothing concrete about location of the school in that area.
Following the Mobile Home Park presentation, Mr. Vogt, representing the Eagles
Club presented a plan for 19 acres of rifle range, archery range, and trap shooting
ranges immediately east of the sanitary landfill on County Aid Road 91. It was
requested of the Plarming Commission that they determine whether this was a good
use for the property and also to be coordinated with Police and Safety Committees,
and that the Rifle Range would be under the control of the Eagles and under advisory
assistance from the Police Department. There would be open supervised shooting
except for two nights a week at which time the shooting range would be closed to
club membership only. It was asked whether there would be telephone service to
the area. It was unknown whether telephone service would be available. Also
whether there would be lights. The statement was that there would be only daylight
use of the ranges. He stated that they were checking with their insurance company
to see if there would be any fen~[ng required. It was also suggested that they might
contact Mr. Kluender and other neighbors within the area to see if they were in accord
with such a land use adjacent to their properties. The study was given to a committee
of Mr. Sieckert, Mr. Hallberg and Mrs. Linde. Mr. Vogt's telephone number is
437-4075. He stated that they were seeking National Rifle Association sanction, that
this would be a well run firing range, well controlled, well policed and adequately
signed or fenced.
Mr. Jeff Wallenston representing Viking Bottling Company, Hy-de-Hy property
on T.H. 55 submitted a letter requesting a change in zoning from I-g to C-3 to
run a retail outlet for soft drinks, 18 flavors,Si. 69 per case of 24 bottles, 12 oz.
each. It would be returnable glass bottles and would not lead to a pollution problem.
The request was referred to a committee of Mr. Wilson, Mr. Bauer and Mr. Neujahr.
There was a presentation by Mr. Wilson of the 'VYash-A-Rama request for an apartment
unit at first floor level at 2137 Vermillion Street in South Hastings. The block building
Minutes of Hastings Planning Commission /V~eeting
held Monday, March 8, 1971.
would be extended 28 feet to the present 30 foot width, the present building being
a lZ" block building 30' x 80' situated on the lot so that there is five (5) foot
setback on the south side, approximately 53 foot setback on the north side, 150
feet of open rear lot to the rear of the building. It was recommended that the
var{ance ~e allowed subject to the condition that the apartment unit would be
used for management purposes only and that no rental unit would be allowed on
the first floor level. The motion was made by Mr. Wilson, seconded by Mr. Neujahr
and unanimously passed.
The next item of discussion was a coordination proposal by Mr. Petersen. This
would incorporate the Township Governments, the City Council, also a coordination
proposal in regard to the Mobile Home Parks, the four of them that have been pro-
posed and also in regard to annexation. He stated he thought we should have a joint
meeting with the County Asessor, Mr. Bob Meier, and the County Planner,
Mr. Gunnar Isberg. It was the majority opinion that the first item of business
should be annexation and the second order should be the Mobile Home Park determination.
The plat of Louis Lane extended presented by Mr. Neal Siewert was referred to
a committee consisting of Mr. Trautmann, Mr. Sieckert and Mr. Petersen.
The Engineer then briefly reviewed the Council minutes of March 1st of the following
items:
The variance was approved for Mr. William Erickson
The Zoning Map correction was completed for that area of
Blocks 48 and 49; Addition 13 from Agricultural to R-3
The referral of Mr. Jeff Wallenston for Viking Bottling
Company.
The Notice of Hearing for April 5th for the David
Fasbender parcel, Lots 8, 9, 10 and 11, Block 16,
Addition No. 13
The motion to proceed with the application for trees for the
Natural Resources Committee submitted by Mr. Ray Knutson
The referral of the plat of exception to Country Club Addition
as presented to the Planning Commission tonight.
A letter from Peter J. Moes, for a septic tank in East Hastings.
This was referred back to the Planning Committee of the City Council.
A report from Mr. Hallberg in regard to the additional 5000 copies of
the Comprehensive Plan brochure.
Notice of the Meeting of March 23, 1971 at 7:30 P.M. for the Lake
Rebecca Park proposal.
We completed our meeting at 10:30 P.M.
John Davidson, City Engineer