WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=0DLnGfWGDs4

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: 0DLnGfWGDs4):
- 00:01:52: Meeting Call to Order, Agenda Approval, Introductions
- 00:04:39: Public Hearing: Zoning Ordinance Amendment - Chaza Tech Center
- 00:14:50: Public Hearing: Ed Flareity, Owner of Lariat Companies
- 00:21:58: Public Hearing: Zoning Ordinance Amendment - PCD-18
- 00:30:43: Public Hearing: Questions Regarding Crooked Pint Replacement
- 00:34:35: Public Hearing: Recommendation to include digital signage
- 00:36:51: Discussion: Downtown Master Plan Update and Task Force
- 00:47:37: Discussion: Southwest Transit Status and Future


Part: 1

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call the May 13th Chaza Planning Commission meeting. Um Liz, could you get take roll call, please? >> Austin >> here. here. >> Campbell >> here. >> Here

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>> and vice chair Perie >> here. >> That moves us on item number three, adopting the agenda. Has everyone had a chance to review the agenda? Uh would anyone like to make a motion to uh approve and a second?

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>> Second. Approved by Commissioner Assan and seconded by uh Miss Michaelelsson. Was it or was it Rosstead? Sorry. >> Uh mo motion. All those in favor? >> I

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uh motion carries. Moves us to item number four, visitor presentation. Is there anyone in the audience or online that would like to speak about something that is not already on the agenda? Nobody online. >> Nobody.

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>> Nobody. >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> Um, now we'll move to item number five, approving the previous U. Planning Commission minutes. Has everyone had a chance to review the the April 8th planning commission minute meeting minutes? Uh would anyone like to make a

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motion? >> Motion to approve. >> Second. >> Rusted. First motion to approve. And um Boswa second >> Sailor. >> Oh, sorry. Sailor. Sorry, Scott.

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>> Yeah, I'm still getting used to all the names. Um all those in favor? >> Opposed? Motion carries. Um, consent item number six, uh, recommended approval for the final plat for the Firefly Firefly

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acres, the Jen and Scott Schlaughter raft, uh, PC number 2026-10. >> Um, are you doing the presentation, Liz? >> Nope. No presentation for this. >> Oh, okay. >> Yep. >> Recommend approval. >> Yeah.

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>> Move to approve. >> Okay. Assan second and Mr. Iberg first. >> All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. Motion carries. Next item on the agenda. Um it is a

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public hearing to recommend approval. Um for public hearing, recommend approval for zoning ordinance amendment ZOA to PMD21 AMCOM PC 2026-9. >> All right, I'm just bringing up my

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screen here. Can everyone see that in front of them? Great. All right, we have a zoning ordinance amendment request this evening for the Chaza Tech Center, which is in the zoning district PMD21,

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uh, which stands for plan multi-use district number 21. Um, this is being proposed by Amcon Construction. Uh so to give you an idea of where the site is located um and where the zoning district is located, it encompasses two

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separate lots. One that's owned by Formicote on Chaza Boulevard um and then the second owned by uh Chaska Tech Center just east of Formicote. Um so if you know where Southern Social is um it's just west of that property off of

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Fire Lane. Um so to give you a background uh back in 2018 is when formote uh was approved for their building. Uh during that time the zoning district was adopted uh for

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planned multi-use district number 21. Um and then four years later in 2022, uh the Chesca Tech Center went through um the approval process um and a zoning ordinance amendment was uh completed at

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that time to PMD21. uh that basically um encompassed the new building uh the permitted uses for the Chaza Tech Center as well as uh established sign criteria for the Chesa Tech Center.

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Um within the zoning, the sign criteria basically states one wall sign is permitted for each tenant not to exceed 12 square feet in area and then designated in a location as shown on the elevation drawings. Uh so the elevation

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drawing that was included as a part of that approval is shown on this screen here below. Uh basically where um the doorways are for each tenants space um there was going to be uh or the approval for sign criteria included a 2x6

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foot panel sign above those doorways. So a 12 square foot sign. Um currently, uh the owners are working with a retail tenant that will occupy four of their tenant spaces on uh that

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will face the uh south side. So facing out towards Chesca Boulevard. Um the 12 square feet um is not really conducive to a retail storefront uh by any means. So really this is why this request is coming in front of us is uh looking for

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um additional criteria that can um be a little bit more uh appropriate for uh potential retail users and um for that facade that faces Chesca Boulevard so they get that visibility off the main roadway there.

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So, the current request um from the applicant is to amend the PMD21 zoning ordinance relative to the sign criteria that's listed in there. Um all of the um changes that are proposed are shown on the right hand side of this uh

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slide here in red. Um but to kind of lay it out generally um for you, it basically includes um allowance for them to do larger lit signs uh on the south elevation facing Chesca Boulevard. Um

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and reflect sign sizes and types that are more comparable to the city's commercial sign code. Um which really gets down to an allowance of 10% of a wall area for a tenant space. you can have signage for. Um, so the changes for

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area on the south elevation would be more comparable to that commercial sign code standard or within that. Um, also included in the amendment is to have language for tenants that occupy more than one tenant space since the

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current zoning is pretty silent on that. Um this allows um that flexibility if tenants do occupy one more than one space. There's some criteria there that needs to be met um on the building.

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Um and that's for all tenants within the building, not just the south facing um facade. Um the 2x6 panel uh sign design would still be applicable on the other facade. So on the east and west sides

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that sign criteria would still remain in effect. So really the changes are kind of focused on that southern elevation to allow for those larger signs um and allow for lighting as well. Um but all in all the sign designs would be

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consistent or similar in type um all throughout the building. Um just to give you a visual on um what's proposed in terms of size um and the emphasis on the south elevation

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here. So we have a floor plan snippet of uh the south facing tenants um as well as that southern elevation showing the proposed um sign areas with this amendment. Um, basically the corner

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tenants which have more wall area facing the south elevation will have a little bit bigger signs at 48 square ft in size. And they're showing how that um 4x12 panel can fit uh within the

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elevation there for the corner tenants. And then the non-corner tenants which were which are kind of sandwiched between both of the corner tenants and shown in blue here. uh would be allowed 32 square foot um wall sign areas above

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the doorways and those are also shown how they can fit um within the elevation and the windows and doors of the building there. Um so those are the sign areas proposed with the changes uh specific to the south elevation um

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that's included with this amendment. So, in conclusion, uh we are asking um or requesting a recommendation of approval uh of the zoning ordinance amendment to uh PMD21 based on the draft ordinance.

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Um if this moves forward uh this evening, um it will be seen and reviewed at the May 18th city council meeting, which is next Monday. Happy to answer any questions. Um, this does include a public hearing. Uh, we also have

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representatives uh from the applicant side as well if you have any questions for them. >> Thank you, Liz. We're going to bring it back to the commission. As Liz mentioned, this is a public hearing, but before that, are there any questions from the commission to the applicant or the city?

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Yeah, I have the So is like why there is a difference between the corner U units versus the middle units like uh uh I mean if some suppose right now we are uh amending the ordinance like for 32 ft

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suppose what what happens the next tenant like the next floor tenant comes in and says I want 48 ft because I 48 because the corner one is having 48 ft. So are we going to go with another amendment and how exactly we define that

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size is there might be four units two units are having 32 other units are having 42 and the side units only again 2x 6 12 how exactly we come up with that one >> yeah it's it's based on that sign drawing that was put together by the

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applicant they basically had to show how they can fit a sign panel in the area of those tenants spaces. So the the metric of 32 and 48 is really coming out of that exercise that the applicant did. So

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if those interior tenants really wanted to do a bigger sign, I mean it's there's not a lot of options for them um just based on where the doorways and the windows are set out there. Um so that's why 32 square feet is kind of the max

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they can get there between or above the doorway. So based on the elevation drawings and all this they come up with that that number basically. >> Yeah. >> So I mean what about the sideways? I mean is is there any reason we are not providing benefit for the side units not

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giving that 32 ft I mean 32 square foot >> on the east and west? >> Well that would be a question for the applicant. um they chose to move forward with just the south elevation um because that had more of the visibility um and they can probably speak to kind of how

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they see the other east and west tenant spaces functioning with the the panel designs which is the current um sign allowance that's out there today. >> Okay. Yeah. The only reason I'm asking is like if suppose side tenants also

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wanted to come back and again we have to come back for another amendment right then what is the point I mean if the elevation is allowing it I mean can't we do it like a common thing for that entire tech center that is the only point I want to make

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>> do you want to >> should I open the public hearing now >> sure it's fine >> we'll open the public hearing at 7:14 p.m. Please. >> Um I'm Ed Flareity. I'm the uh owner of Lariat Companies, which owns the center. Um

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if we just briefly, if we go back when we went through this process, there was a lot of questions about who are the tenants going to be. We own a number of these buildings and it's kind of a flip of the coin. You just these are spec buildings and you don't know who your tenants are going to be till the

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building is ready. and and uh and so just a couple of brief um I think updates for all of you. Um all of our tenants are Chaza residents except two and one of them is in Carver and one of

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them is in Chanhass. One of the objectives um in these early discussions were we like this project because we can keep the local businesses in this community when there wasn't space like this for you know the

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availability of of smaller smaller users. Um presently the building is about two and a half years complete. It's about 80% occupied. Um, and when we

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first talked about this, I alluded to what I'd called pseudo retail users. I didn't realize that we'd have the type of potential users that were as retail as these are. But what's happened in the

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marketplace is there's a demand for retail in your core central business district and there's no retail. There's just no space. And so I have a half a dozen tenants that are prospects that want these

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spaces and we haven't gone further with those people subject to getting um you know the sign ordinance straightened out. Um so um that's kind of the history here. the side tenants. None of those

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tenants have businesses that they need identification, but they don't have daily traffic from their tenants. A lot of them have their inventory and their services and tools there and a lot of

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them don't spend time in their facility during the day. It's very unusual. Um, a couple a couple of the users do have customers that come to them, but they're the nature of their work is two or three

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customers a day. So on once people know how to get to them, that's all that's important. And so I that's why we didn't try to change the side uses. And if I look at all of our other buildings, um, the bulk of those buildings don't have

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retail. It's really office warehouse, smaller office warehouse use. So, does that answer your question, Commissioner? Is there any other questions I can answer? >> You You mentioned the signs have to be

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uniform and lettering. Does that allow for distinct logo branding? Well, we're going to have to have the ability to to have the tenants use, you know, their logos. I mean, that's standard. We have a lot of other buildings. I've worked with cities to establish sign

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ordinances and typically, um, you always have to let the tenant have, you know, the use of their logo. So, um, but yeah. >> So, Liz, one quick question. when we were approving the tech center right we

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considered like most uh applicant mentioned most of the occupants are like maybe using like they are not like day-to-day traffic comes into that section center based on that I think we did have the parking requirements so if

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>> if potential retail like which will have more traffic comes into that building I mean do we need to reconsider the parking requirements for that those units or is sufficient enough to have this? >> Uh short answer is no. Uh because the

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zoning that's in place out there does allow for retail and we looked at that as a part of when we put the zoning in place to understand if the parking out there can support retail and kind of that uh lighter industrial use. Um, so

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the permitted uses out there are very specific um to be conducive to how the parking is allocated out there. So retail is an allowed use. So we don't have to, you know, go through and review

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their parking uh needs and stuff like that. Um, when a retail user comes in, it's they're uh they're permitted outright in terms of the zoning. Yeah, >> another answer to that question is in

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the master plan, there's still land available to add additional parking if we would need it. Okay, >> so and maybe the last comment I'd make is if you look up and down um Chasa Boulevard, primarily um to the

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east, all of those tenants have massive signs and um we we couldn't fit them in. We tried to be practical and at the same time um the design was pertinent to the building

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itself. Um and so we're not asking for pylon signs. We're not asking for signs that fill up half the building or anything, but our tenants do need to have signs big enough so that when people drive by, they know it's there.

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They see it. They know how to find it, how to get to it. Um this will be a destination um I think u facility at some point. The neighbor next to Spice Rack is um a company called U Heaven Bakery. They are

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a wholesale gluten-free baker. Um Pelina and Vlad Laoda are Ukrainian immigrants. Um they do not do retail, but I think at some point in the future I would see them going to have a takeout operation

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there. But um at this point in time, they're selling direct to consumer and then they're selling through um retail distribution also. Um so um thank you

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Liz. Do we have anybody online for this >> action item? >> Okay, we will close the public hearing at 7:21. Any further questions? Well, I'd like to make a motion to approve.

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>> Second. >> First motion by Commissioner Perty, second by Mr. Ryberg. All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. Motion carries.

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Next item 7B. Also a public hearing item. Recommend approval of zoning ordinance amendment to PCD-18 city of Chaza PC number 2026-11. We're just filled with amendments today

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for signs. >> Um, we have another zoning ordinance amendment proposed this evening for the curling and event center in the planned commercial district number 18. Uh, this is being proposed by the city of Chesa as we own this building.

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Um to give you an idea of where it's located, we're in downtown here on um the northwest corner of where Highway 41 and Chaza Boulevard intersect. Um so this is the Curling and Event Center. You've got Fireman's Park as well as um

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the restaurant space that's attached to that as well. Um also in proximity are other retail businesses. And one other area that um I'll reference this evening is the strip center across the street from high uh across the street of

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highway 41 where AT&T Edible India um Dunkin Donuts um exist there. Oops. Um, so for background, uh, 2014 was when we approved, uh, the curling and event

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center and adopted the ordinance for planned commercial district number 18. Um, Crooked Pint was the original restaurant user in that building when it first opened. Um, however, it it is being taken over by a new restaurant um

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that is called Copper Field. Um so since they're taking over uh we have to modify our monument signs as a part of that. Um and kind of through that review process um they were met with challenges in terms of the visibility and the size of

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the signs um that exist out there today. Um there's also sign criteria that is wrapped into that PCD18 zoning district. Um, and when it was put in place, and again, this was before Nate and I's time

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here, um, it definitely had very restrictive language in there in terms of the, uh, allowances for both the ground signs and the wall signs on the building. Um and we understand the

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intention to be more to focus the attention on the quality of the building and um uh be sensitive to the park adjacent as well. So um that was the intent of why there were

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restrictive um uh provisions put in place. Um, but they are definitely more restrictive than kind of our standard sign code uh would permit both in the historic downtown core area and what we allow for commercial signs both for wall and

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ground signs. Um, in addition, the wall signage for the restaurant space. So, the restaurant kind of takes up that gray um, uh, gabled end of the building that's on the

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northeast side of the building. Um, and there are limitations just due to the location and some of the architectural features of that space. Um, and um, with the intent of the zoning district and sign criteria that was put

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in place, really didn't want any signage facing out towards the park. So, kind of keep that park feel out there was kind of the intent. Um so due to those limitations, there's really not a lot of options to put um wall signs on the

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restaurant side of things. Um and the visibility again um is important for a retail user. Um the uh existing ground signs are both at the Chesa Boulevard entrance and then

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there's also one right outside of uh that restaurant space along Highway 41. Uh those are currently 32 square feet and uh about five and a half to six feet tall in height.

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Um so the proposed amend amendments um tonight uh and what's being requested would better align with kind of the standard sign codes uh that we have for both the historic downtown core area um as well as the commercial allowances.

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um and also still maintaining that quality image um for the park and the building itself too. So that was really the intent um with the request uh this evening. So the current request uh all of the

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changes are shown in red on the right hand side here. Uh but to put it generally, uh the changes to the sign criteria criteria for PCD18 would include um allowing the wall signage allowance to be um consistent with the

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historic downtown core area regulations um which all of the other properties south of um Chesca Boulevard uh have to meet that. Um, and we feel with the wall signage, um, it's only fair to do that

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as well. So, the changes would include, um, uh, reference to that part of the code for wall signs. Um, and then for, uh, groundmounted sign allowances, that would align more with the commercial regulations. Um and really our reference

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point is the monument sign that's across the street at um the strip center with AT&T Fitness First Edible India Dunkin Donuts. Um that sign um is uh roughly 60

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square feet in sign area, 10 feet in height. um if you kind of include those brick pillars, it's 100 square feet kind of total there or up to 100 square feet. So um we wanted to mimic kind of the scale of that um across the street just

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due to the again the limitations of the architecture on the restaurant side. Um it's not conducive for a wall sign there unfortunately. So, we felt uh that the um kind of reasonable uh change to the

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ground sign in front of the building there would be uh more appropriate to have um something consistent with the sign that's across the street. So the changes um in terms of sign area and height would basically mimic um or be

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very close to the sign that's across the street there on the other side or here on the curling event center side. So the really the the tangible um uh change that's proposed out here is for the

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ground signs both on the Chesa Boulevard and the Highway 41 side. Um, so we do have some design concept for that. Um, just to show you what that would look like. Uh, and that's on this slide here.

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So, this would be a 64 square foot um, sign, 10 ft in height. Um, so again, um, pretty much the same size and scale of the one across the street. Um, so in conclusion, we are

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recommending um or asking you to recommend approval of the zoning ordinance amendment to PCD18 based on the draft ordinance and kind of the the pieces that I laid out uh previously. Um, this also includes a public hearing.

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Um, and if it gets uh recommended for approval tonight, it'll go to council on Monday, May 18th. Happy to answer any questions. Thank you, Liz. We'll bring it back to the commission. Any questions from any of the commissioners? >> I have one. Did the Crooked Pint just

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not renew their 10-year lease? I can speak to that. Um, yeah. So, Crooked Pint, when they originally entered into the lease for the Coing Event Center, it's a 10-year lease with two five-year options to extend. Um,

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they're at the end of the 10-year lease now. And so we enter into some conversations about, you know, what should the future hold? Um, Crooked Pine is under the same uh umbrella as Copper Field, uh, the Green Mill Corporation.

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Um, and so as the conversations uh, evolved, there was an idea to bring in Cricut Pint as a new opportunity to kind of refresh the space, um, create a new menu opportunity. Some of the things that Copper Field does that Cricut Pine does

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not um would be a breakfast offering um including kind of a sort of bakery uh taking you know grabband go type of a of an offering. Um and so we don't really have a lot of breakfast opportunities in Chaska right now. There's maybe a

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couple, but um this this we viewed as an opportunity to bring something new. Um it's an opportunity they're currently remodeling the space. So to do that and give a refresh kind of at that 10 year anniversary of the facility. Um and it's given some opportunity. It'll be

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exciting when it reopens. Um there's some new thought put into how does the restaurant relate to the curling facility and creating spaces um that you know based on what we've learned over the next 10 or over the last 10 years hopefully sets it up to um work better

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together. Um, and so there's there's some of those benefits that come out of that that partnership, but it ends up being under the same kind of umbrella company, um, or rebranding more than anything. So, they move forward um, and I'm not

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greatly involved in the in the lease side of it, but I believe they're moving forward um, kind of under the terms of that original lease, just, you know, tweaking it a little bit. So, >> yeah. I have one question. My only question from a brand strategy

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standpoint and this doesn't impede whether or not to improve approve the zoning ordinance change because I think that makes sense. Um but the ratio of space allocation to the curling and event center versus the restaurant,

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>> I'm curious how that was decided because normally that would be flipped, right? your anchor would get the bigger space >> allocation and then the secondary would get the smaller space allocation. >> Yeah. >> Um I think well you're asking a question that I'm not fully uh

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>> fair enough >> able to answer because it it has to do with the negotiations that have you know gone on you know between the city and uh Copperfield. Um I think there's part of that. I also think there's some recognition that um at this point I think a lot of folks are

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pretty familiar with Fireman's Park, the Curling and Event Center, at least the folks who live at Chaza. Um and maybe you know the thing that people would be looking for um would be the Copper Field. Um if you're coming from out of town, sort of this I don't know, it's a

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judgment call, right? Um, but I think there's some thought that, you know, someone's coming from outside of Chaza looking for the facility, um, the reason for that is maybe more likely to be the restaurant, um, than the other two. Now, there's going to be exceptions to that,

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but that's the best I can answer. Yeah, >> fair enough. >> Yeah, it's a good question. >> Okay, I'll open the public hearing at 7:33. There's nobody in the audience. Is there anybody online? >> There's nobody online.

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>> Okay, we'll close the public hearing at 7:34. >> Um, I'd like to make a motion to approve. Uh I have just not related to this sign though like I think we had some conversations about like having a digital sign or something which will uh

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maybe display more about like some cities are having it and we had some conversations right like uh now taste of chaza is going to be next week something like that. We wanted we were talking about having some kind of digital signage

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>> around the downtown area especially that signal so that like it can have more reach talking to >> like a city commission meeting or planning commission meeting or like the next event uh something like that right so why don't you take this opportunity

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because it's city owns that and just add extra digital sign on top of whatever you have it so that way you can have those events and city related events can be displayed over there and it can have more reach. >> I mean just we had some conversations before probably you can consider and

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talk about that >> suggestion. Yeah. >> Go ahead. >> Yeah. No, I think it's it's a good comment. Um and I think it's something we're always thinking about is how do we best communicate with with the community? um make sure people are aware of what's going on and >> yeah especially that that signage board

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is like a rebrand I mean redesigning so probably it's the same place you can add somewhere on the top or like close to that right maybe >> any other questions >> thank you >> I'd like to make a recommendation of approval for zoning ordinance amendment PCD-18

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city of Chaza PC number 2026-11 could I get a second please Seconded by Commissioner Rastard. All those in favor? >> I >> I >> opposed.

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>> Motion carries. >> Final item. Other business. >> I I have one if I could offer it up. >> Absolutely. >> All right. Um, >> does this pertaining to your email? >> It does. So, I'm trying to

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just share on the screen here. Am I doing it? All right. All right. So, yeah, I want to make the planning commission aware. It was I think uh well, whenever the last city council meeting was last Monday,

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uh council made took action to uh direct staff to move forward uh with a a scope of work um to update the downtown master plan. So, the downtown master plan was adopted by the city council in 2012. Um, so as we continue to speak about things

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that happened between before Liz and I were here, um, this is another one, but um, but it's it's been a great plan. It's late that plan that was put in place in 2012 identified a lot of things that have now been implemented. Um, so if you look around and you see all the streets in downtown have been rebuilt at

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this point, 41 got completely redone um, and rethought. um the uh PO network on the east side and through the alleyways on on 41, the underpass that brings the trail underneath there. Um this the

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wayfinding signage that's been implemented. Fireman's Park is something that was identified. Uh the need for a new library and we're working on that. We're going to start a process for that um in short order as well. the landing apartments that are at the um uh kind of

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the gateway point to the city as you're crossing 41. It's on the on the east side um off of the bridge. That was a site that was identified for redevelopment in that plan. Um, and there's more there's more stuff, uh, in addition to the things I just listed

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off, but suffice to say, uh, you know, the plan being almost 15 years old, um, with as much has been has been completed and achieved at this point, it feels ripe and it feels like it's the right time to think about what should that next, uh, you know, version of it be. I

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think previous uh discussions with council, you know, they're of the feeling that the vi the overall broader vision that was set in that plan is probably still relevant. Um but it's rethinking about how do we apply that for the next 1015 year uh time horizon and what are those next priorities going

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to be. Uh so that'll be the idea and that'll be what we move forward with. Part of it will be to have a task force that provides direction to staff and to our consultant. the consultant will be HKGI uh and uh specifically leading that Jeff

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Miller is his name. Uh he's worked with us on the zoning project that we're continuing to to work on. Um he's also been involved in last I think two uh comprehensive plan updates and he was involved with the downtown master plan. Also had involvement in the city square

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west redevelopment plan that we are continuing to try and figure out how to implement that one. Um so he's got um what he has told me is a PhD in Chaza. Um so I don't know from what university exactly but uh he's got that and uh so

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he's excited to you know continue with that and bring that depth of knowledge that he has based on that long-term relationship. Jeff actually worked uh for the city uh early in his career for a couple years. He worked for the city of Chaz as well. Um so working with HKGI

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uh looking for that task force and we're working towards establishing that. We're looking um for folks who would be up to the task of meeting approximately four times between uh end of June, early July when we'll have the first meeting hopefully and then targeting March

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timeline for council to adopt uh you know hopefully a recommended plan at that point. Um so meeting four times over the course of about you know a year maybe a little less uh in the evening most likely on a weekday. Um and I'm hopeful that the meetings would be no

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more than two hours. I don't feel a whole lot of good happens after a two-hour meeting uh timeline happens. So, that I think that's a fair goal. And so, we're looking for a good mix. We have a couple from the city council um who will be on it. We're asking for the

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park board to have a person, uh planning commission, the historic preservation commission, um someone from the history center, the downtown business alliance will have a couple folks on it. We're also currently advertising um to hopefully get um some applicants that

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could serve two spots for downtown residents and then another two spots for residents at large. Um and I think there's the county there's a few others uh that that we've got um trying to plug into the the task force and cast hopefully a wide net um to the extent that we can. There will also be

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throughout the process opportunities for public input. We'll be at uh you know we're looking to be at River City Days. We're looking at the Latin Festival. There's also a a downtown Halloween trick-or- treat that happens um that hopefully we can set up a presence at. Um and then the state of the city um

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event that uh we tried our our first uh edition of that earlier this year. Um and so we're hoping that that'll be an annual thing and that should be a good opportunity to plug into that one as well towards as we get towards the hopefully the end of the process. Um, so that's the idea. That's the commitment.

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And I guess what I'm hoping for is maybe the planning commission would want to talk about, you know, who might be interested in serving on that this evening. Um, my thought is hopefully we can get to a decision through a consensus process. That's why I didn't put as an action item tonight, but if we're feeling like we want to revisit

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June, there's still time. We could put it on the agenda uh for the June meeting and, you know, come to a conclusion then if we're not able to this evening. So I can say uh Commissioner Urbansski expressed interest although he's not here this evening um so he asked me to

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provide that but at the same time he recognized this chair you know he's happy to um you know create that or you know bow to you know whoever else might have an interest in that as well. So that is what I have to say. If anyone has any questions I'm happy to to take

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those and help us. >> So do you have any I mean dates uh for the meetings are not yet decided? We don't have dates for the meetings quite yet. The first meeting I can say we're aiming for end of June, early July. >> Oh, yeah. >> Time frame. So, that'd be the first one.

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>> After that, um, just based on this timeline that we've put together, uh, it's the green dots. So, you know, August, September, and then December. Um although having been part of projects uh you know many

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times uh as you the further you get from the start date the more likely there is for shifts to happen but we do want to try and stick to this schedule so the best that we can. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. The only reason I I'll be uh out

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from end of July to end of August. Oh, that is just the reason why I just wanted to check with you before the day. There are four meetings and if if I wanted to be there, I wanted to be on all four meetings rather than that like one or two meetings. Doesn't make any sense, right? That is the only reason

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I'm just asking. >> Anyone else have any interest? >> I do. I don't know. Anybody else? >> I'd be interested in I don't know how many spots we got or how many. >> Yep. Yeah. So, for for this group, um

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we're looking for one. Um which is consistent with how we've formatted task force in the past is we tend to have one from each commission. Um the risk that we run into if we go bigger than that and part of the reason why we typically don't is because you can end up with a city heavy, you know, presence in these

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things. Um so we try to have you know balance of city presence and there's different perspectives bringing the commissions in um to be you know kind of part of the conversation with council members as well um but then also making sure that the space for you know non-commission city representative type

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folks is um you know is in balance. So that's kind of the rationale there. One thing that uh I've council did, other groups I've talked to have have done as well is they will you know have one person kind of be the primary and then

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have a secondary uh recognizing that you know something could come up and it's nice to have uh you know that second person. >> So we have the option to do that. >> We we could do that. >> That's a good idea. >> We got two people so >> yeah. Yep. So, if you want to arm

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wrestle on who that primary is, it'd be just be helpful for me to know for expectations, um, you know, that that could be helpful. Or if you guys want to talk about it and come back in June, um, I'm, you know, that can work too. That works with the timeline. >> Great. I think that's a brilliant solution. Would we also be able to make

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space to provide input behind the scenes to kind of have our spokespeople bring forward >> if they have anything to say? >> Yeah, that's a great question. Um, and I think a really good suggestion that's in line and consistent with how we've done things before. I know Commissioner

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Urbansky served on the uh there's a task force for the community center that happened um and that process was a couple years ago I think now um and he did a really nice job of providing updates at planning commission meetings um and you know kind of seeking other people's perspectives and wanting to you

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know carry that forward. I think that's a great suggestion and you know that's a great um way for the role to be approached. Super. >> Yeah. >> So, who wants to be primary and who wants to be secondary? >> Or do you guys want to talk about it separately?

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>> We could connect after. >> Cool. >> Cool. >> Might depend on the dates that you end up picking as to like what are we lining up with and how many lacrosse games do I have to be at? >> Fair enough. Yep. And that's why it's great to have a buddy system on it, too. So, yeah.

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>> Yeah. >> Sounds good. Thank you. >> You're welcome. Any other questions for staff? >> I think that's great. This is looks like a great process. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, it's proven, I think, very valuable um to the downtown with the

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plan that we've had. Um, and you know, one of the if you if you go back pre202, um, at least based on the the stories I've been told, um, one of one of the motivating factors was that people were feeling like, you know, they want to invest in downtown and attempts were

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being made and things were happening. Um, but there wasn't a a, you know, strategy behind it necessarily, right? Or not not a formal express strategy. Um, and so, you know, kind of beg the question, well, what what's the most bang for our buck? Where should we be

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spending our effort and our and our money and our time and all that kind of stuff. Um, and so that's what this plan has done. Um, and I think it's laid good groundwork to continue the momentum. >> Yeah. >> All right.

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>> Do have another question since on your list there says Southwest Transit. >> Yeah. Do you know what the status is of the bill that would combine Southwest transit and the other metro transits

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into Met Transit? >> I don't Yeah, I know that's that's been a debate this session. It's been that's always been sort of something lurking in the shadows. um this idea that the suburban optouts um you know what should their status be relative to metro

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transit and you know at some point do they come together or how does that how should that be um and that I think had some momentum early in the session this year I haven't heard anything recently um and it it might be because nothing is moving forward or it might be because

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I'm just out of the loop so I'm not I'm not too sure um the sort of reading the uh the tea leaves so to speak on the legislature is a risky thing to do. Um but uh feedback that I've received from

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our lobbyists, they're not expecting that there's going to be anything, you know, super earthshattering at this point. Um I think, you know, so we'll see what comes out and we're getting towards the end of session. I think this is Sunday when they're hearing. Um, and often there's things that kind of come

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together at the last, you know, final final hours of session. >> Um, so we'll need we'll know soon enough. Um, but yeah, that's the best I can answer right now. >> I think from the city's perspective, um,

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you know, Southwest Transit has been a really good partner and a really good asset for the community. Um, and I think you know a lot I don't want to speak too much on behalf of council on a legislative issue, but um I feel pretty confident to say that they would love to see Salos transit remain that uh well

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into the future. >> Like you said, they've really been good for our community. A lot of people utilize that, >> right? >> And I'd hate to see it go away, too. >> It'd be a challenge for sure. >> Any other questions? >> Well, would someone like to make a

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motion to adjurnn? Motion to adjurnn. >> Second. >> Second by um >> Sailor. >> Sailor and >> Commissioner Roststead. >> First by Commissioner Rost. Second by Sailor. All those in favor? >> I

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meeting is ajourned. >> Very good. >> Good stuff, guys.

