##VIDEO ID:D4-ZPvyzd9s## all in uh by um by calling 4156550001 webinar access code 2631 171 8341 and password 1234 and that will work for the hearing that is scheduled for later in the meeting as well uh the first the agenda then would be uh approval of the minutes from the previous meeting commissioner St moved commissioner can seconds move in second to approve the minutes from the previous meeting all in favor say I I opposed all right uh the next thing on the agenda is the open form the open form is an opportunity for residents and community members of Richfield to address the Planning Commission generally on items that are not on the agenda there is a hearing scheduled uh for later in the meeting um so that would uh be a time to speak as well but if you have uh anything you'd like to address the commission about not on the agenda we would invite you to uh come forward have we received any comments or calls chair no we have not all right uh then we'll move on uh with the regular scheduled meeting um we would I would entertain a motion to approve the agenda commissioner Canal so moved Cole Kowski seconded all right all in favor of approving the agenda please say I I opposed okay uh the first thing on the agenda then is the public hearing to consider request for a conditional use permit and a an amended planned unit development and final development plan for retail use at uh 14066 Street West in order to ret tenant the building with a new grocer uh could we have the St report please thank you chair and Commissioners a new grocery store LMA Bonita would like to occupy the former Rainbow Foods building but because the building has been vacant for more than a year the conditional use permit has expired and non-conformities must be brought up to current code to the extent possible consequently the property owner brickmore is before us this evening requesting a new condition use permit and an amended plan unit development and final development plan the proposed changes repair and enhance the look of the grocery store building improve problematic on-site circulation patterns decrease the parking and increase the Landscaping other improvements include uh adding EV charging stations adding bike racks adding a pedestrian path from the transit stop on 66 to the building reconstructing the dumpster enclosure and providing rooftop mechanical screening staff finds that subject to the stipulations recommended in the arc report attached to your staff report The Proposal meets the intent of both the comprehensive plan and the C2 zoning district and therefore recommends approval of the proposal happy to answer any questions you may have any questions for Crosby is the applicant does the applicant have a representative here you'd like to approach the podium and um sign in and then state your name and address for the record please good evening my name is Lauren Robinson with brickmore Property Group um my address is 87 8700 West brinmar Avenue sweet 1000 South Chicago Illinois 60631 so again I am my name is Lauren Robinson I am a Project Director with brickmore Property Group who owns Richfield Hub I'm excited to be here seeking this approval um as Sam mentioned we have a signed lease with super Mado lomma Bonita who will be back filling the former Rainbow Foods and just for background LMA B Nita is an established family-owned Hispanic grosser they have four existing locations in the Twin Cities in Savage St Paul Crystal and Hilltop and the family's been targeting Richfield for a while is the ideal place for a fullscale grocery store unlike anything else they've done and so I wanted to highlight a few items in our application first off the schedule has changed from what was submitted we were originally targeting open the store opening at the end of the year but due to this process and the site improvements which will require popey's approval it's difficult for us to provide a specific date right now we are anticipating opening six months after receiving approval from Popeyes because it's a 3 to six month construction timeline secondly the budget has also increased um through our work with staff regarding and regarding ways that the property does not comply with code we've committed to several new items which were not in our original scope our application lists a $3.7 million spend but we are now projecting spending closer to $4.2 million and I just want to emphasize that our scope reflects an entirely new experience for customers coming to the center we'll be installing new islands at the entry off of 66 which will create a more rational Drive pattern to access the grocery the grocery store and the main Center those islands will feature Landscaping which is something we all know is land lacking here um for pedestrians there will be a a landscape pedestrian path from the bus stop on 66 leading to the grocery store's entry and there will be bike racks located on the sidewalks for customers to use the facade will also be significantly upgraded to include painting of the existing metal canopy a new canopy hung with metal cables from a new ephas facade and a tower element and two Tower elements to signify the store entries third the third thing I wanted to highlight was the first item on the staff report which is the requirement for one L2 or L3 charger and for 13 EV ready spaces we are going to use our best efforts to realize this requirement but I did want to let the commission know that we support and Implement EV charger charging stations but we as a company do not provide the EV charging information infrastructure we contract with the EV charging Network provider and so it's really up to those third-party providers to make a determination as to whether an installation is viable or not we've already presented this site to five of the companies who we've partnered with in the past and we've had encouraging conversations with one group but again I just want to emphasize that our company does not install the EV charging infrastructure and the last thing on my list list that I wanted to bring up is regarding number 10 and number 11 in the staff report and that relates to the building elevations and this is the one item that we do have an objection to the report is requesting awnings to run the entire length of the building on the northwest and the I'm sorry on the I'm just calling it north north and south side the 66 side and then the side that faces the main Center um as you see on the screen we've included in our packet the proposed new elevations and so on the south side we were proposing to demo a portion of the existing canopy and create and install a new um canopy from metal hung cables um the existing canopy that will remain would be painted and we just think that that new canopy matches the more modern aesthetic it'll be complemented by a mural at the corner of the building and the north side will get a similar treatment the existing metal canop will stay in place and it'll get this new canopy hung by metal CA cables um in meeting with staff we've learned that the code requires relief from large blank walls and so on the northeast side we've proposed that we can break up the expanse of that wall by um implementing I'm sorry one second implementing some faux architectural elements like columns and also the St staff has also requested like I said that the canopies extend the entire length of the building on both sides but for us that's cost prohibitive prohibitive um the costs in this deal have continued to increase as I've mentioned we've met with staff and we've increased our scope and for us to extend the canopies the full length of the building on both sides it's something that we just can't do from a cost perspective and so we are proposing that if the city really desires the protection from the element and canopies on both sides that we leave the existing canopy in place and we can work in the new um Tower elements within the existing canopy but we cannot extend we cannot tear off the existing canopy put back in new canopies and extend the full length of the building and at architectural elements like I said it's just Cost prohibitive um and those again those are the items that I wanted to bring up um we're super excited about this this grocer and we're hoping you are too um so ends my comments any questions for the applicant commission can you tell me the terms of the lease and how long this lease is for yeah so it is a 10-year lease with several options um I don't know the full the amount of option period but the base term is 10 years thank you explain a bit more about the uh conditions um that your negotiations with the owners of popey for uh I see that there would be a pedestrian path that would cross popey's property but you uh are still in negotiations with them for like what if that were not to take place what would be uh the the contingent situation yeah so this the plan does hinge is contingent on popey's approval because several of the landscaped islands are on their property we also have a easement agreement um whereby the common area cannot be altered without their approval um we are in conversations with popey we've met with them and introduced this concept we do not have approval from them at this time that's something we're going to be working on um when we worked with staff on this um they weren't really wanting to entertain a cont like a separate plan discussion at this time but if popey is not going to provide approval we will have to totally rethink the improvements we're proposing because we can't we we can't do what we're proposing because the entry cannot be altered without their permission thank you so much if you don't mind we might um ask you a couple more questions if uh we hear some things from the public if that's right with you that's fine all right any discussion before we um if there's any members of the public who would like to uh speak on this matter please approach the podium did we receive any um comments beforehand or chair and Commissioners uh not really um we did receive about five or six phone calls but all of them were simply asking who the new tenant was going to be and I told them and uh nobody had any real concerns to express yes if you'd like to speak please uh please approach the Pod if you just uh sign in and state your name and address for the record please hi uh my name is Michael Gormley um 6926 3rd Avenue South here in Richfield 55423 um I just it's I don't know if this is the it's related but perhaps uh maybe a separate um question and that is about the experience of the um tenant in terms of running a 50,000 square foot uh grocery since it's their largest um project thus far and then the internals we're talking about the externals now which I understand there are a lot of issues related to that but internally are there certain requirements that they will have for upgrading the interior of the um since it's been unoccupied for you know at least a year uh if not longer um because I don't recall that there's been an actual tenant in there since I've been here and I moved here four years ago um it would be great to know a little bit more about that if the plans from the actual tenant or if that's something that would have to be addressed by the tenant themselves I can ask uh planner Cosby from my understanding the the um the developer or tenant would need to BU bring the interior up to current code correct chair and Commissioners there are very extensive um interior uh remodeling plans um in fact most of the 4.2 million that uh the representative was referring to is internal um the as far as the applicants or the new new grocer experience with running this size of a store um I you know the uh representative touched on that earlier but could certainly be called up to respe to that a little bit more if that's your desire is there anyone else who'd like to address the commission about this matter I would entertain a motion to close the public hearing commissioner suras so moved commissioner Canal seconds right moved and seconded to close the public hearing all in favor please say I I opposed right discussion um for the commission Crosby comment EV charger um what would happen if they were unable to provide the charging station like yeah if you could comment on that thank you sure chair and commissioner stura um we would want to see what efforts they have put forward who they've talked with they said that they've had conversations um what would I guess probably happen um would be that they might put up a letter of credit for incomplete items and continue to work on it after the store has opened and then after a while if they still can't um get anybody to you know provide these Services um then they could come back and ask for a a variance from the code showing the hardship that they have gone through at by then to kind of prove that it it's an necessary variance any other discussion or questions and uh in regards to the elevations and the um metal awning uh concerns that staff or why did staff make the recommendation that it did yeah um chair and Commissioners um the it was both aesthetic and practical um there is a sidewalk along that um uh North Northeast elevation that um we believe people will be using so we thought it would help to provide um Shelter From The Elements um but really uh for the aesthetic part is primarily um the vertical breakup of that long expanse of blank wall that you can see from 65th Street quite well because of the curvature of the roadway um so really that um kind that is more uh I think uh visible and will be more prominent of a um Improvement than necessarily the The Pedestrian awning thank you planner Crosby with the um the counter proposal from the developer to reuse the existing awning and alter the architectural um elements to reuse that would that meet City staff's concerns um I I haven't seen like I I I haven't been given time to consider that uh I think that last we spoke um we were talking about doing um uh the the new awning but maybe less of it maybe not the entire length of of the the wall um we could certainly um take a look at the language of number I believe it was 11 and see if we could soften it some if if that was in the planning commission's interest I think there's maybe something to be said too about reusing architectural elements uh in terms of reducing construction waste or I mean I me that might not be a bad thing either if that's if there's a way to reuse those elements um in a way that's aesthetically pleasing and meets the other concerns that that might actually be a positive any other questions or comments commissioner Cole Kowski um no questions I come from a town where we have plenty of his at grocery store so I'm really excited about the idea of putting a new option for grocery shopping on 66 I think everyone's excited to have that uh building occupied um so yeah from a higher level perspective I think it'll bring a lot of business into Richfield and I'm excited to help brickmore and the Tenant get muo in just uh generally we've all been eager to see Redevelopment at the Hub and uh there's there's a long list of improvements included with this um along with what our co-commissioner has already stated I think this is really great development clor kby uh thank you chair sorry to um interrupt I uh have two comments the first is that with the rain outside I know that the microphones are extremely sensitive um so if you could make sure to um project into them as much as possible because I'm sure the rain is countering um our speak and then the second thing is that it says um the condition number 11 does not say new awning or old awning it just says awning and it says along the entire north side of the building so it could be revised to remove the word entire or to modify that adjective as a suggestion commissioner sta um I guess um I too share the enthusiasm for this proposal um I do think that that site as most residents agree I think in Richfield is in need of improvement um and so I do think that I am supportive of um staff's initial recommendation for um I mean we put a lot of time and thought and energy into what we want to to see this space to be and um I think that this um staff recommendation reflects the time and the work and the energy and thought that we've put into what we want that space to be um so I would be reluctant to um not require that standard for that site personally to clar for you so you would support leaving the language as it is now correct we would need a motion to move the recommendation unless other people have a okay uh commissioner stura is at the right spot um I would recommend approval of the proposed conditional use permit planned unit development and final development plan as proposed by staff in the packet so you're moving that we move that recommendation forward okay is there a second seconded by commissioner surma all right any other discussion all in favor please say I I I I opposed all right uh the next item on the agenda is the capital Improvement budget um could we have the staff report please that's can't we just get of how do I move it forward if I need to would you do that okay thank you so much good evening Commissioners my name is kumud Varma I'm the finance director today I'm here to present the capital Improvement budget for 2025 and capital Improvement plan uh for 2026 to 2029 2025 Capital Improvement budget is $3 31.9 million and nearly 64% of that is related to Recreation and open space about 4.2 million is budgeted for Veterans Park complex and 16 million for the Woodlake Nature Center project to be built in 2025 and 26 Woodlake project will be funded from a variety of funding sources that include federal and state grants and local sales tax if approved by voters right of way projects include projects like pavement Management Programs improvements to the 70th Street noise barrier on the west side of highway 6 to lendel Avenue reconstruction Etc other major projects include traffic signal Replacements nickolet Avenue reconstruction and pan Avenue reconstruction public facilities budget of 2.6 million includes sanitary sewer lining rehab of storm water systems new lift station at Ice Arena and sanitary sewer hotspot improvements lastly 3.1 million is budgeted for buildings Fleet and technology that way uh that would that would uh that would provide funding for Public Works storage facility purchase of Fleet and Public Works facility garage repairs here is a summary of the projects by funding sources City projects are funded from a variety of different sources revenue from user fee and franchise fee provides for 9% and 6% respectively to fund all the capital projects City staff diligently strives to identify and secure funding from a variety of federal state and County programs here is the capital Improvement plan of $75 million for 26 to 2029 variety of projects will be undertaken during next four years majority of the funds will be spent on the right of way projects and this is how the city is going to be funding $75 million of the budgeted projects addressing our Capital needs continue to present ongoing challenges following couple of slides now um yeah it's it's slightly off but I can manage following couple of slides provide additional details on the major capital projects undertaken by public works department and Recreation Department this includes 494 project and the construction is going to run between spring of 23 to fall of 26 nikolet Avenue reconstruction project is going to cost $21 million and City would cover for $10 million construction to begin in 26 here's list of other Public Works projects that will be undertaken over next couple of years that include emergency water main interconnect 69 Street reconstruction and 76th Street reconstruction this is uh the Woodlake Nature Center project the total project cost us $25 million and as I mentioned earlier it will be covered from the Federal grant State Grant and bond financing uh the breakdown for the $25 million for the Woodlake Nature Center includes $12 million Grant from state of Minnesota $3 million in Federal Grant and $10 million in debt financing y um here's additional list of the projects that will be covered by uh that will be completed over next couple of years veteran Parks complex project totaling $9 million cover pool liner replacement Arena building improvements new roof on the rink resurface Trails Pavilion improvements Band Shell irrigation accessible Wildlife viewing platform platform cohesive Park signage and invasive invasive species management Yep this is just list of more projects uh pool liner is going to cost $3.6 [Music] million and The Donaldson park building and playground is going to cost $1.4 million in building and 175,000 in playground sorry 130,000 that is uh what I had for today your feedback is welcome and I'm happy to follow up on any question you may have thank you go ahead um the prices that were included in the um Park improvements uh does that presume that the the improvements that um you noted the park improvements that you noted to Veterans Park and to Wood Lake um and the community center I believe um were those uh dollar amounts uh presuming that the ballot question is approved and questions are approved in November or is that uh property tax dollars that you're talking about that is um that is on the assumption that the local sales tax will be approved by the voters thank you thank you for that clarification question thank commissioner surma here I I see some amounts in here U one in particular $200,000 uh through pen AV Rec construction I read elsewhere the report that that project is still likely five to six years away from actually taking place uh just asking for a clarification of what the $200,000 is for I assume preliminary planning and and whatnot but I I like to ask questions here that can clarify this for us and for the greater public at large and we see $200,000 for a project that is still a number of years away from likely uh happening thank you um thank you commissioner for the question I do not have the project sheet ready with me here but I'm happy to follow up with the project manager and get back to you with details thank you any other questions I actually wanted to ask because I remember last year there was discussion about the the pool liner that that was specifically discussed and but was that deferred from last year's Capital plan and move forward or because I remember a specific discussion that was had about the pool liner last year um commissioner again I do not have the project sheet with me I would I'm recording your question question and I will get back to you with details thank you planner Crosby um our role is to it would be to uh recommend that or to state that we believe that this plan is in line with the comprehensive plan right uh chair yes that is correct we would need a motion yeah commissioner sta I'm making the motion to recommend approval of the 2026 2029 Capital Improvement program and adopt a resolution finding that the 2025 Capital Improvement budget and the 2026 2029 Capital Improvement program are consistent with the comprehensive plan seconded by commissioner surma all right any discussion all those in favor please say I I opposed all right uh the next thing on the agenda is liazon reports uh community service advisory commissioner kki and a report today all right city council I also do not have a report today uh H at the last h meeting the H um approved the 2025 um budget and tax levy um and they uh uh community development director pman gave a great overview of the budget so if anyone's curious about some of the H work um it's a 20 minute presentation that I'd recommend listening to all right uh Schoolboard yes chair the school board met August 5th and August 19th preparation for the coming school year uh they announced bid awards for bread products disposable products and milk products they reviewed all sorts of uh policies for the upcoming years regarding fundraising activities use of school facilities and grounds the standard beginning of the school year kinds of things um they also presented a Spartan Foundation scholarship check so beyond that nothing else to report all right uh Transportation Commission yes the Transportation Commission uh discussed and received a presentation from uh Public Works about uh safe routes to school uh implementation along uh 73rd Street I believe yeah 73rd Street between Cedar and Bloomington Avenues near Centennial Elementary there's been a pilot project going on recently uh to improve pedestrian safety around that school and they've been uh outlining the project ideas for more a more permanent solution and uh in the preliminary stages of going forward with with Outreach on that all right and our Chamber of Commerce and sustainability are uh absent um the city planner report thank you chair and commissioner um the only item is that uh stall One auto that conditional use permit and variance from last month was approved by the city council on August 14th all right I ask one question sorry for not catch but um did the city council review the parking um uh changes MR2 and MR3 and if so could you U changing the minimums to 1.25 yes um chair commissioner stura the um the parking ordinance was approved by the city council and um they did drop the MR2 and MR3 requirements to 1.25 across the board so they are in line with all others all zoning districts are now the same so yeah thanks for asking all right yeah then our next U regular meeting would be next month um the September 23rd and then we have the joint work session with the city council on the 24th chair if you'll entertain a motion to adjourn I'd like to make one all right and a second seconded commissioner serma right all those in favor please say I I opposed We Stand adjourned e e