[Music] [Music] [Music] All right, I'll go ahead and call the meeting to order. Good evening and welcome to the July 10th, 2025 meeting of the Minnetonka Planning Commission. The commission generally meets twice a month, always on the Thursday. The schedule and tenative meeting agendas can be obtained by calling the planning division or by checking the city website at minnotonkamn.gov. The commission holds public hearings on land use applications. For all land use applications, the city notifies property owners within at least 400 ft of the site and posts plans and information on minnotankmn.gov. For some applications, the city also places signs on the on the properties and places notices in the sun sailor. From a a specific process standpoint, the commission makes recommendations to the city council on resonings, subdivisions, conditional use permits, and amendments to the city's comprehensive guide plan, zoning ordinance, and subdivision regulations. We also make final decisions on site plans, signage requests, variance requests, uh, and expansion permits unless these requests are part of an application that must be heard by the city council. In that case, the commission makes, uh, a recommendation and the council makes a final decision. Anyone agreved by a planning commission decision may appeal the decision to the city council. If you wish to appeal, you must submit a written request to the city staff within 10 days of this meeting. From a broader standpoint, the city's comprehensive guide plan, zoning ordinance, and subdivision regulations are the city's best efforts to codify a balance between individual rights and community responsibilities. Individual rights are easy to understand. Community responsibilities are more subtle, but the idea is that we, as members of the community, agree to limit our individual rights for the common good of the group. The planning division, the planning commission, and the city council are charged with managing this sometimes difficult balancing act. We ask that you keep this broader perspective in mind as we review tonight's applications. Again, welcome. Staff, please call roll. >> Banks is absent, Brink >> here. >> Hansen is absent. Uh Henry >> here. >> Minion >> here. >> Maxwell is absent. And Chair Waterman >> here. There are four of us tonight. Uh next up, item number three, approval of the agenda. staff. I believe there's a change memo. >> Uh, Chair Waterman, there is a change memo. It relates to 7A. A question was raised by a commissioner. We um uh Commissioner Henry specifically, and I relayed this information to him via phone call, but I thought it was important that all of uh the commissioners saw that same information. So, um, nothing changing in the recommendation or conditions of approval. It's just kind of an FYI. Great. Thank. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Recognizing that change memo. May I have a motion to approve the agenda? >> I'll make the motion. >> Motion Henry. >> Second. >> Uh second minion. Uh all those in favor, please signify by saying I. >> I. >> All right. Motion carries. Item number four, approval of minutes. Uh this would be the these would be the minutes from the June 26th, 2025 meeting. Uh commissioners, any changes? No. Okay. Uh, seeing no changes, may I have a motion to approve the minutes? >> Um, I'll make a motion. >> Uh, motion Brink. >> A second. >> Second. Minion. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> All right. Motion carries. Next up, number five, report from staff. >> Uh, chair and uh, commissioners, uh, the city council actually hasn't met since your last meeting, so nothing to report um from the council. A reminder that if you have not RSVPd for the commission tour on July 31st, if you could do so either with me at the end of the meeting or uh contacting Karen Tlega of the community development staff. Um, as I indicated before, we have a a tour um scheduled for essentially the northwest uh area of town this year. For those of you that haven't been on the tour, Commissioner Brink, I don't know, Commissioner Minion if you've been on the tour. Oh yes, last year. Um just going out with various commissions looking at uh different things that the city has uh done over uh typically the last year, but we're going to look this year at a business, a solar business that is has its headquarters in Minnetonka. We're going to look at some older naturally occurring affordable uh rental units. We look at a lot of new units. We're going to look this year at some um existing units um and then go visit uh a solar array uh that was recently installed uh by the city on city property. So um we're trying to come up with a catchy name for our tour this year. Um as of yet we don't have one, but please RSVP. And then your next meeting is scheduled for July the 24th. That's all I have. >> Great. Thank you. Uh, next up, item number six, report from planning commissioners. Uh, commissioners, anything to report? No. Okay. Moving on to item number seven on the consent agenda. Uh, for the consent agenda, city staff places items that are considered routine on the consent agenda. No staff or applicant presentations will be made. The commission will hold one public hearing and approve all items on the consent agenda with one motion subject to the staff recommend staff recommended conditions of approval. Before voting on the consent agenda, I will open the public hearing, announce each item, and ask if anyone wishes to have a separate discussion or vote on that item. If so, the commission will then remove the item from the consent agenda and hold a separate hearing on it. After voting on the remaining consent agenda items, I may allowformational questions without removing an item on from the consent agenda. I will open the public hearing on the consent agenda. The first and only item that we have is item 7A, an interim use permit for a portable classroom at Glen Lake Elementary School, 4801 Woodridge Road, with the recommendation that the city council adopt the resolution approving the request. Uh, does any commissioner wish to remove this item? Okay. Any member of the audience wish to remove this and have a separate hearing? Okay. No one wishes to speak. I will go ahead and close the public hearing. Um, commissioners, may I have a motion to approve the items on the consent agenda? >> I'll make the motion. >> Motion, Henry? >> I'll second. >> Second, Brink. Uh, staff, please pull the commission. >> Brink. >> Yes. >> Henry, >> yes. >> Minion, >> yes. >> Chair Waterman. >> Yes. All right. Motion carries. Uh, that is item 7A, a recommendation to the city council, which they will consider on July 14th. Okay. Moving on to item eight, non-consent agenda. Um, before we begin consideration of non-conent items, I'd like to review the steps of the process and the public hearing procedure that will be followed for each proposal. First, the item will be announced and the staff will report on the subject. Commission um the commission will then ask questions and that's the applicant will be invited to make a presentation or offer comments. Commissioners may ask additional questions at this time. After the applicant is finished, the public hearing will be open to give anyone present the opportunity to comment on the proposal. If you wish to speak, please come to the podium and state your name and address for the record. We ask that you keep your comments brief and try not to repeat any points already made and once everyone has spoken, we may allow speakers to return for additional comments. Uh neighborhood spokespeople, I don't see many, if any, are encouraged and will be given up to 15 minutes to present. Uh the first and only item on tonight's non-consent agenda item or non-consent agenda is number 8A uh which is a conditional use permit and site and building plan review for a concession stand with bathroom facilities for veterans field at Minnitonka at the Minnitanka High School campus. Uh that's 18301 Highway 7 and this is a recommendation that the city council adopt the resolution approving the requests. Uh Mr. Ingles, I believe this is your item. >> It is. Thank you chair and commission. So, our next item, and you can see we have a theme, at least for tonight. It's a school district since we have two school district uh requests here. So, uh this one is at the Minnotonka High School campus. Uh if you're looking here, um you probably all know where it is, but Highway 7 to the north, there's Delton Avenue, and then just over to the east is the Highway 101 and 7 intersection. Uh the property is very large. It's 97 acres. uh surrounded by uh residential properties, uh some apartment buildings, town homes, uh uh single family homes also. So, uh definitely residential around the property. Uh but what we're looking at tonight is specifically the baseball field and this location on your map just to give you a little bit of an orientation. So, here's how the site looks today. There is a seating area uh on the back of the baseball area. Here is the uh home plate. Uh and then if you look over here, there is a few other existing things on the property. There's a already a concession stand with a press box above it. And there's also in this blue area is representing the existing retaining walls. So there are two retaining walls located here on the property uh that exist. And those are sort of the areas that we're looking here tonight for some changes and modifications. Here's a look at that concession stand. It's made of brick on this on this side. And then going to the other side, there is some blue accents on it. Uh the existing uh concession stand and press box is 400 square ft. Uh and here is a look at those retaining walls that I mentioned earlier. They are a two-tiered retaining wall. So here is one and then another. If you added their two heights together, basically from the grade down here to the top, it ranges from 14 ft to 22 ft. So a pretty large retaining wall. And part of the reason that we're here tonight, too, is that the school district mentioned that they're looking at doing repairs for that uh existing retaining wall. You can barely see it, but part of it's already roped off as a area for people not to be walking. And what the proposed changes that the applicant is looking at doing here, uh just to give you again some reminders, here's that existing concession stand. They're looking to uh add a new concession stand that's shown in blue. They're also looking to fill in this uh retaining wall area. So it just would be one retaining wall. So instead of having two tiered here, this area would be filled in. So it' be the same grade as that upper area. And it would just be then one tall retaining wall. They're also repo uh proposing to remove some of the grass area here and extend this area of uh the walkway. This that upper level walkway area and then bumping out uh the uh sidewalk to a little bit farther into the parking lot. Here, look at it zoomed in and a little bit clearer. Uh, again, just one retaining wall, adding that concession stand. The applicant has proposed to keep the existing concession stand, using the lower level for storage, and then continuing to use that upper level for a press box. Here is a look at that except a bit zoomed out. Uh, so you can see again sort of that same area. Uh, also showing on here is the landscaping. Uh, one of the conditions that the city requires is that in city code is that there's a landscaping improvements done with any project and there what they the proposing to do is to do some plantings uh include 35 trees, 39 shrubs and nine perennials. So adding a bit more uh vegetation on the property as part of this project would be required. And here's some looks just to show you what that looks like from a street view. Again, I talked about bumping out this sidewalk a little bit into this drive aisle area. Uh, this will require a bit of a modification to the site. Uh, some of these stalls will be removed to make sure there's adequate access, something that was reviewed by the fire marshall. And that's what the applicants are chosen to take that path is removing a couple of stalls. And then also here's a look at where that concession stand would be located approximately. Here's another view uh showing how this area would actually expand over. So that walkway would be a bit larger. And then there's a look at where the roughly the concession stand would be located. The new concession stand would be 17 ft tall. It would be made of similar materials as the original one they have there. So it's really going to complement it well. You they're using brick that's going to look similar to the other one. There's blue accents again similar. And then even uh having a bit of an same architectural style, having that same sort of slanted roof uh will keep it really in consistent character with what's currently out there for that other building. Here's a look at the inside of the building. So, it is split in half. Half one half of the side will be concession stands. Here's the area where people would come up to make their orders. Um it's glass. And then um over here on the other half would be bathrooms. So for people who are there currently um portable bathrooms are used at the site. So this would be closer to the concess closer to the seating area uh and also be a permanent facility for folks as people in there side by side, but you can't really stack people one after the other. So, it's a it's it's very small, but but but it's worked. But we have not had permanent restrooms. uh the the restrooms that are the the the kind of like a full full, you know, full use uh permanent restrooms are actually the uh restrooms that are underneath the visitors bleachers. There's a sign saying restrooms that way. Uh and but it's it's it's a quite a distance. And we uh also then service it every year with portables. And portables are functional, but they're not popular. And so the biggest question we had is how come you don't have restrooms? Uh and so with putting this particular um uh concourse in place, it it creates enough space to actually maybe then put a a restroom facility and a little bit of bigger concession facility on it and uh still allow for you know good viewing area for people who want to be standing standing uh you know spectators versus sitting spectators. I know as a parent I usually did the standing thing. I was too nervous watching my kids play. But um uh the Diamond Club actually uh who paid 90% of the original project over 15 years, they've actually fundraised and and they actually uh have agreed to donate the cost of the concession stand. So the district is actually uh is has district resources are paying for the actual concourse, but then the Diamond Club is act has actually donated the dollars to basically do this. So it's a nice community partnership. Uh in terms of uses, we're actually making this concession stand being uh and the restroom being heated and cooled. Um so it's a little more uh comfortable for the people who are uh actually working when the with the sun beating through the windows from the west. Uh but also in the in the winter time, we've we've discussed the fact that yes, this can be used for the tour to Tonka. Uh it can be used for uh we'd have to do some good security on it, but it could be used during football games where we have some large crowds. But also uh we even talked about the idea of like when we do hockey day in Minnesota, we might be able to put some rinks out on the baseball field and this could actually serve as as a as restrooms and a warming house type of thing in a concession area for some type of events like that. So there's a lot of, you know, potential community uses besides the baseball field. Um the baseball field is is heavily used from basically right at the end of March as soon as actually as soon as we clear it because it actually melts faster than most of the uh the snow melts off faster. So they can use it a lot sooner than than you can a typical grass field and u so from late it's sometimes mid-March but late March into primarily the end of July. Uh and then after after July and August, the football team u has two football practice fields on it. But it's a it this will make it a even more of a year-round facility and multiple use. So that's the kind of the goal behind this and so we're um hoping you consider it and appreciate uh your consideration for it. Thank you. >> Great. Thanks. Uh commissioners, any question for the applicant? >> Commissioner Brink? Uh, not a question, but just um uh thank thank you for discussing the um the wall and the geotechnical issues and so forth. I originally had some questions about that, but you described it and addressed it real well, so I don't really have any other questions. >> Go ahead. >> Sure. Me too. Commissioner, >> thanks for the presentation. I'd like to delve just a little bit more into the structural integrity of the large blocks, too. You said the let's see city staff said the wall is going to be between 14 and 22 feet tall. Is that right? >> Is what you said Drew? >> Yeah that's what existing is at and the final will be similar. >> Okay. Yep. So in your estimation Paul a 22 foot tall wall will have no problems with subsidance compression anything else with one one wall versus two with these larger blocks. >> Our engineers have signed off on it. uh the uh and and you you'll see maybe if I just mention you you'll as you'll drive around you'll see these large larger taller walls with the with the big block >> just you know one straight up um >> and uh uh so yeah they've it it's designed by engineers their names are on the plans >> and um so uh yeah at the at the 2200 or at the 22 uh foot high section the compression at the bottom level is 3,300 lb per square inch but they've engineered uh you know base underneath it to to support it. And uh uh you you see a lot of these structures um built with this large block that is actually just a much more sturdy um uh construction. And uh like I said, there's this they actually use this kind of like steel mesh netting that actually gets for each layer gets dug back into the side of the hill and then uh uh soil compacted on top of that. And every layer has that and it goes back approximately 20 feet. So with the small block you'd go back like six feet uh maybe seven feet. Uh so the thing is is is uh it's a it's it's a much more robust type of of construction and the engineers say it's okay. I'm not an engineer and I did not play one on TV, but uh our we have, you know, solid a solid engineering uh company, Inspec Engineers. Uh and uh uh you know, they they they signed off on this. >> I'm assuming it's a different engineering firm than what built the wall originally since that had subsidance issues. >> Actually, it's not. It's the same one. Uh >> oh. I'll be demanding a discount for the work that you have to redo on it. >> Well, there's there was a lot of erosion coming from the top. Not so much. There's some settling, but there's been water issues on the site. This is a this is a a much more uh deeper foundation. >> Okay. Another question I have is in the in the the drawings for the bathrooms, it shows two stalls only for the men's and the women's rooms. Is that to scale? And is that all that you're planning on putting in those restrooms? >> Yes, that meets the code for 600 people in the st in the stands. >> Okay. And then in your estimation as a as a baseball fan and a parent, you think that's going to be enough for accommodating overflow for football and and when the baseball team is doing especially well and we have a lot of fans in the stands? >> Uh if if that's the case, uh we can always augment it with portables. Uh we still have the restrooms down the hill, but uh this is for for the for the standard crowds. This this is this meets meets code. It should be it should be plenty. They've serviced it primarily with just a couple of restrooms in the past and we have some pretty big events there. We have, you know, regional legion tournaments. We have college teams coming to play uh be particularly in the early spring before their fields are ready. Um and uh so you know the the the estimation of people we consult with and and uh various code requirements is that's what will what will work. We have our our restrooms below the visitor bleachers, which is a 1500 visitor bleacher uh for the football field has the exact same number. And so this is these won't have as big a crowds. There's usually, you know, there's there's a usually several hundred people watching, but there's very rarely 600. Uh on occasion there is, but again, even that is not the same size as the 1500 that we have on the visitor bleachers for large football games. And this is the this is almost the identical layout that we have in that restroom below. So we think that it'll service better and again it'll provide relief for football games. So additional places for people to relieve themselves. >> Thank you. I'm glad to hear that it's being used for more than just baseball because there's a lot of activities going on around that campus. >> Yeah, we have to build multi-use. Absolutely. >> Mhm. Speaking of that, I know that last week the town ball tour, there was some town ball happening in Anoka High School. They had a field over there. I'm just curious. I don't even know this, but does Minnetonka have a town ball team that has the home field there, too? And that's adult uh baseball players. >> Um, we we have uh the uh Milit Minnotonka, they were the Millers, and they just changed their name. And I'm so sorry that I don't know what the name was changed to, but we do have a town ball team. >> Nice. Okay, good. And I see that the old concession stand had a big Cambria sign up there. Was that a sponsorship program that that Cam that you worked with Cambri on? And second to follow up with that is are you going to have a plan for sponsorship for this new building as well? >> Uh the school district has an agreement with the Diamond Club to operate the ball field for all times when we don't use it for our our varsity and uh um junior varsity uh all the high school teams. And so they actually schedule it um and they are able to fundra for it. So they um they get u revenue from field rentals and from advertising. Uh and so they can they can sell advertising. It has to be advertising within the ball field. So we don't do anything hanging on towards the towards it's um hanging towards the parking lot, but inside the ball field, we let them do that. And um that's our agreement and that's one of the ways that they do they raise funds. So it that type of advertising program is uh why they have resources available to do this because the the uh the this this particular facility is about a million dollar building. And so they're they're basically paying for it. >> They've accumulated the dollars over the years. >> Great. Thanks. >> Yeah, very generous of them. >> Commissioner Minion, Mr. Henry's asked a number of my questions already. Good job, sir. Um, on the same line of the uh footings, it sounds like the erosion has been a big problem in the past. Can you tell us how the grade is going to change or how that will uh impact so we won't repeat another erosion problem of coming out? I mean I get the the geog grid going back 20 ft's great but >> if the foundations the same can you talk about a little bit about how the water's going to shut off? Uh one of the things that uh is the the main reason for actually a lot of the work on the top end is actually uh we're adding additional catch basins to bas to to be make sure that water and we're also changing the curbing from u uh from a surmountable curb to just kind of a more of a standard curb because you know how like in the rapids water can if it's running fast it can get up over the rocks right well I we you know we don't have any any specific filming of that cuz not too many of us are standing out there in the rain watching it. But um we are we were getting erosion over the top and uh uh so the the u the surount or the the standard curb B6 curb is more of a dam type of thing, but we're also putting in more catch basins to catch more water. Excellent. Thank you. Um something that's always dear to my heart whenever we talk about schools and changes is just uh pedestrian. When I say pedestrian, it's basically young kids, which is a high school. But can you talk a little bit about how this will impact uh I think the term was used uh enhanced uh vehicle and pedestrian uh safety. Would you talk a little bit about kind of share the the vision on on the enhancements and how that'll improve with the uh changes? Well, we're we're we're bumping out the sidewalk uh in a manner where we're kind of creating a little drop off zone closer to the main entrance to the field so that people would be able more pull to the side uh and take a little more time. Uh and and then the idea was that a narrower a narrower lane would would basically also slow traffic down. Uh but we're going to have to widen that for fire truck uh rad turning radius. So, but um still the the whole thing about kind of creating this little bumpout zone where people can more or less pull over is going to help to create a little bit more of a safer environment. >> Okay. Um we talked a little bit about the ADA ramp and how that will change. Will that be impacted at all? We saw in the earlier photos of of what you have now, but um will that be changed and and impacted in this at all? >> No. No. No. It's full we're fully ADA compliant and there's no changes to that. Okay. Well, I'm glad to hear about the catch basins and sounds like some great plans. I appreciate it. Thank you. >> Great. Thank you. Uh my other question actually sort of ancillary to this. Is there any plan to change or improve the pedestrian flow for the lower parking lot? Um like once you go down the stairs in that lower parking lot there um there. And yeah, maybe maybe we'll be able to see it in one of these views. um pedestrians, kids to Commissioner Minion's point, sort of have to navigate. It's a little bit tricky down uh yeah down in that lower part like kind of cut cut behind cars, cut through I think there's like a bit of a maintenance storage shed. Um don't need a long answer. Just kind of >> Yeah, we are we are not changing the traffic pattern down below. That thing is that that is striped for additional parking for the during the school day. Um, so when when we have larger events, we try to station people at the at the lower level and we also for football games and those types of things, we block it off. Um, but we that's not in I guess for lack of a better term, it's not in the scope of this project. >> Understood. It could be something worth considering for for the future. Okay. Um, I think we're all done. Um, might have you back uh to the extent there are any questions after the uh public hearing, but I doubt it. Um, okay. Next up, uh I will now open open the public hearing. Uh if you'd like to speak, please come to the podium and state your name and address for the record. Any questions should be directed to me as the acting chair, not to staff. We will accumulate and ask certain questions to the staff later in the meeting. Um so is there anyone who'd like to speak? Okay, I will seeing no one, I will go ahead and close the public hearing. Um no questions. So, next I will next I will bring it back to the commission for any uh questions or comments that we have. Commissioners, what do we what do we think? Who'd like to go first? >> All right, Commissioner Henry. >> Thanks, Chair, and thanks for the presentation. I live really close to this and I can hear the roar of the crowd from my house, which is fun. So, I'm happy to hear that you're improving the facilities for not just baseball, but for all these things and you got my full support. Thanks for answering all of our questions. Thank you, Commissioner Brink. >> Yeah, just quick comment. Uh thank you for your plans here and your presentation and looks like a wonderful uh addition to the facilities out there and um yeah, looking forward to it uh moving forward. >> Thank you, Commissioner Minion. Thank you to the city for a great job putting it together and thank you for guys your application answering all the questions. Um I do appreciate the fact that uh it's going to enhance the uh traffic flow. It's going to enhance the experience for your fans and I think it's a uh good ad to the school and to the city. So, thank you for all your good work. >> Great. Thank you. Okay. Well, it sounds like we're ready for a motion. I'm in support of this as well. Um, so, uh, may I have a motion regarding this is item number 8A, recommendation that the city council adopt the resolution approving the request for conditional use permit and site and building plan review for a concession stand with bathroom facilities for Veterans Field and Minnetonka at the Minnitankka High School campus 18301 Highway 7. Uh, anyone like to make a motion? >> I'll make the motion. >> Motion, Minion. >> Second. >> Second. Brink. Uh, staff, please pull the commission. >> Brink. Yes. >> Henry. >> Yes. >> Minion. >> Yes. >> Chair Waterman. >> Yes. All right. Motion passes. Uh, this is a recommendation to the city council and the council will consider the item on at their July 28th meeting. So, thank you for thank you for coming. All right. Item nine, other business. I don't believe we have other business. Uh, and so then we are on to item number 10, adjournment. May I have a motion to adjourn the meeting? >> Make the motion to adjurnn. >> Motion, Henry. Second. Second. Brink. Uh, all those in favor, please signify by saying I. >> I. >> I. Motion carries. Good night. [Music] [Music]