This transcript is from a **Richfield Planning Commission** meeting. Based on the context provided and the dialogue, I have identified the speakers, including city staff (Sam Crosby, Melissa Poehlman) and public participants. *** **[00:00:00] Chair:** I'd like to call this meeting on October 23rd of the Planning Commission to order. Before I get into the approval of the minutes, I'll just give the options to participate remotely. You can call into our open form and our hearing later during the meeting by calling 415-655-0001 and using the access code 26311082816 with password 1234. And again, you can do that for the open form or for the hearing later in the meeting. That being said, the first item on the agenda would be approval of the previous minutes. I need a motion to approve the minutes. **[00:00:45] Commissioner Rudolph:** Chair, I give the motion to approve. **[00:00:47] Commissioner Sersa:** Seconded. **[00:00:48] Chair:** All in favor of approving the previous meeting's minutes, please say aye. **[00:00:51] Commission (Unison):** Aye. **[00:00:52] Chair:** Opposed? All right. The next thing on the agenda is the Open Forum. The open forum is an opportunity for interested persons to speak before the Planning Commission. It's generally limited to things that aren't on the agenda for later on. I know many of you are here for the hearing portion, and we'll have an opportunity to speak on that. But is there anyone here who has something else to speak to at the forum? Do we have any remote participants? **[00:01:25] Sam Crosby (City Planner):** Chair, we do not. **[00:01:27] Chair:** All right. Let's go forward then with the approval of the agenda for the rest of the meeting. **[00:01:31] Commissioner Sersa:** So moved. **[00:01:32] Commissioner Key:** Second. **[00:01:33] Chair:** It's been moved and seconded to approve the agenda for tonight's meeting. All in favor please say aye. **[00:01:38] Commission (Unison):** Aye. **[00:01:39] Chair:** Opposed? All right. Other business from City staff? **[00:01:42] Sam Crosby (City Planner):** Chair and Commissioners, we are hoping to reschedule the December Planning Commission meeting to December 11, 2023. **[00:01:51] Chair:** All right. Is there any discussion about that? **[00:01:53] Commissioner Rudolph:** I make a motion to move the December Planning Commission meeting to December 11th. **[00:01:58] Commissioner Sersa:** Second. **[00:01:59] Chair:** All in favor of moving the December Planning Commission to December 11th, please say aye. **[00:02:04] Commission (Unison):** Aye. **[00:02:05] Chair:** Opposed? All right. We have a public hearing. Let's first get the staff report. **[00:02:10] Sam Crosby (City Planner):** Thank you, Chair and Commissioners. The applicant, Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, has applied for land use approvals to construct a three-story, 38-unit housing development on the four city-owned parcels south of TNT Automotive. Their targeted clientele is neurodiverse young adults. Half of the units would be affordable at 30% of area median income and the other half of the units would be available at 50% of area median income. Their land use request is comprised of six parts, and I will address each in turn. The first part is a Comprehensive Plan Amendment. The subject property is currently guided as medium-density residential, which provides for a maximum of 21 units. Because the proposal has 38 units, the applicant is asking to reguide the site to high-density residential... staff supports the request. The second part is a rezoning... The third part is a preliminary plat... The fourth part of the request is site plan approval. The fifth and sixth parts are variances. The first variance is a 32-parking stall variance from the 43-stall requirement to allow 11 stalls. The applicant provided a parking study capturing utilization at three other locations... staff supports the variance. The second variance is a 5-foot variance from the 15-foot front building setback... staff finds the proposed project is in harmony with the comprehensive plan... The county has reviewed the preliminary plat and indicated support. In summary, staff supports all six aspects of their request. I would subsequently like to invite the applicant to give a brief PowerPoint presentation. **[00:06:50] Paul Melum (MSR Design):** Thank you. Is this picking me up? The mic's on? Okay, thank you. So I'm Paul Melum, I'm a principal architect with MSR Design and our client is Beacon Interfaith. I will walk through a couple of items. What you're looking at on the screen is the footprint of the building... Portland Avenue is here on the left... the repair station is north... east and south are single-family homes. [Explains site plan, fencing, and landscaping]. We did, as Sam mentioned, move the smoking porch and it will have a chimney so that the smoke is evacuated up rather than horizontally. Many residents will use public transit, so we intentionally put the primary entry close to the bus shelter. [Explains floor plans and interior renderings]. That is the end of my presentation. **[00:10:45] Kevin Walker (Beacon Interfaith):** Good evening, Chair, Commissioners, City staff. My name is Kevin Walker, I’m Vice President of Housing Development with Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative. Beacon is a collaborative of about 100 congregations across faith traditions united around a vision that all have a home. We currently own and operate 19 apartment buildings with about 700 homes. Aster Commons would join a neighborhood rich with community amenities. It responds to priorities in your 2040 Comprehensive Plan, particularly affordability and housing diversity. 90% of households at 30% AMI in Richfield are cost-burdened. Secondly, less than 0.1% of Richfield’s apartments are studios; Aster Commons adds to that stock. Thanks. **[00:13:50] Chair:** Before we open the public hearing, do any Commissioners have questions for staff or the applicant? ... then I'll go ahead and open the public hearing. Public hearings are an opportunity for members of the community to give feedback. We're especially interested in hearing from people who live, work, or worship in Richfield. Please go up to the podium, sign in with your name and address. **[00:14:30] Scott Doist:** Can you hear me okay? Good. My name is Scott Doist. I've been a Richfield resident since 1991, a longtime member of Wood Lake Lutheran Church, and a retired police officer. I have seen the value of my house increase greatly, but the marketplace has not done a good job providing housing for those with low incomes. I live near the proposed site of Aster Commons. As a nonprofit developer, Beacon has a track record of providing services that become assets to their communities. I urge the commission to support this. **[00:15:35] Rev. Hope Peson:** My name is Reverend Hope Peson and I serve Richfield United Methodist Church. When Beacon first told us about this development, we were ecstatic. We see every day on our campus the need for more affordable housing. This really would be an answer to so many of your residents' prayers. I urge you to support this proposal. **[00:16:30] Chair:** Planner Crosby, have we received any emailed comments? **[00:16:33] Sam Crosby (City Planner):** There is nobody on the line and no, I did not receive any emailed comments. **[00:16:40] Megan Webster:** My name is Megan Webster and I'm a Richfield resident. I live about half a mile from here. I strongly support the proposed Aster Commons. As the aunt of a nephew with autism, I think there's a great need for this. I've witnessed the good outcomes from other Beacon developments such as Richfield 66 West. I urge you to consider the positive impact. **[00:18:05] Martin Duan:** My name is Martin Duan. I am in support of this development. I see the value in Richfield; my oldest daughter was raised here. We all hit hardships in life. To make this available to people like me again would help future generations. Richfield needs to remember this is about the kids, our future. **[00:19:15] Donna Drummond:** I'm Donna Drummond. I'm a resident of Richfield and very much in support. It helps the city meet its goals. I think the parking variance makes a lot of sense because very few of this population will be able to afford a car. I was a city planner for 35 years and this site plan looks pretty good. **[00:20:40] Alison Lind Meier:** Hi, my name is Alison Lind Meer. I've been a resident of Richfield since 2016. Around 32 years ago, I was born and taken home to an affordable housing development where I was able to thrive. I know how much hard work Beacon puts in. I hope you support Aster Commons. **[00:21:40] Public Speaker (Resident):** I am one of the few people who, not figuratively but literally, this is in my backyard. I'm a physical therapist of 38 years; I understand the need. My questions are: who supervises the people living there? Our understanding is it will have housing for people beyond probation. How does that work integrating everyone? When will we neighbors have an opportunity to find out more about the supervision, not just the neurodiverse population? **[00:22:45] Chair:** So there have been some neighborhood listening sessions, but in terms of your specific concerns, when we close the public hearing, we may ask some of those questions of the applicants. **[00:23:05] Commissioner Sersa:** I just want to clarify, you can ask questions for us to hear. If you'd like to ask any of those questions and address them to the Commission, after we close the hearing, we can direct them to staff or the applicant. We generally collect all the questions asked during the public hearing first. **[00:24:25] Luis De Lara Gaza:** My name is Luis De Lara Gaza. I live right across from this proposal. I feel very under-represented as a neighbor. I love the idea of space for neurodivergent people, but this is coming up really fast. There are 38 units and only 11 parking spaces? I don’t believe in this. Also, I am non-religious. Having a building that represents an Interfaith group does not bring me comfort. I see no brown representation here; I feel outnumbered. Why only a small number of units for affordable housing—why not all of them? What is "affordable housing" in 2023? **[00:26:45] Chair:** This is an opportunity for us to hear your concerns so we can relay them to staff and the City Council. We will ask staff to circle back with questions about income levels. **[00:27:00] Sarah:** My name is Sarah and I live across the street. I do not support this project. Neighbors are not happy with a large property being erected among single-family homes. The size and height of it... it feels like you're stuffing a large property in a small lot. I’m very unhappy with the distance from the property line to the structure. We’ve lived there 12 years with an empty lot, and now I have to look at this. **[00:28:40] Public Speaker (Teacher):** I’m a 60-year-old special ed teacher. I’d like to invite the neighbors to go with me to Creekside Commons or 66th Street to see what a wonderful place Beacon provides. These will be the very safest neighbors. I live at 63rd and Sheridan where Lunds built a tall building looking into our yards; we didn't have a choice. This is the safest place and I'm appreciative Richfield is open to this. **[00:30:10] Judy Moe:** My name is Judy Moe. I am the director of the Richfield Disability Advocacy Partnership. Five years ago, I asked the Planning Commission to add people with disabilities to the 2040 plan, and you did. People with disabilities are desperate for housing; more than 50% of people who are homeless have disabilities. "Neurodiverse" includes ADHD, Autism, TBI, Down Syndrome. I take offense at anyone who says they are okay with neurodiverse people but not "other" people. Everybody deserves a place to live. Let's not give into stereotypes. **[00:33:45] Chair:** I would entertain a motion to close the public hearing. **[00:33:48] Commissioner Sersa:** So moved. **[00:33:49] Commissioner Key:** Second. **[00:33:50] Chair:** All in favor. (Unison: Aye). The public hearing is closed. Discussion. I heard questions about whether all residents are neurodiverse, how affordability is decided, and why all units aren't affordable. **[00:34:30] Sam Crosby (City Planner):** Chair and Commissioner Sersa, all units are affordable, just at two different levels (30% and 50% AMI). Area Median Income is determined by Met Council based on HUD data. Regarding the non-neurodiverse clientele, the applicant should answer. **[00:35:10] Kevin Walker (Beacon Interfaith):** 19 units are set aside for neurodiverse conditions. The other 19 do not have a specific designation; they are generic 50% AMI housing. **[00:35:50] Commissioner Rudolph:** I have a question about the variance for the front setback. We are guided to look for a hardship that the applicant did not create. The roundabout has been there since 2008. If the building could be built further back, how is this a hardship rather than a preference? **[00:37:15] Sam Crosby (City Planner):** If the property line had not been relocated by the roundabout project, where the building is proposed right now would actually exceed the 15-foot setback. It is because the property line moved that this is occurring. **[00:38:20] Melissa Poehlman (Community Development Director):** To clarify, when applying for a variance, the HRA has authorized Beacon to apply as they are the current owner. Regarding the 10% parking reduction for transit, that number was established about 15 years ago. **[00:41:00] Kevin Walker (Beacon Interfaith):** Regarding parking, there is only a 16% car ownership rate among households at 50% AMI. Our comparative analysis of three other sites showed utilization at 60%. Regarding staffing, we expect up to five full-time staff. We have representatives from Frasier and Volunteers of America here if you'd like more detail. **[00:43:55] Commissioner Key:** I heard questions that neighbors felt disconnected. Could staff address the community sessions held? **[00:44:15] Sam Crosby (City Planner):** A neighborhood meeting was held in May with a 500-foot public notice area. A sign has been on the property for weeks with the applicant's contact info. **[00:45:00] Commissioner Sersa:** I think this is a proposal we dreamed of when envisioning the overlay district. It is responsive to community concerns. I will be supporting all recommended actions. **[00:46:10] Commissioner Rudolph:** What happens if the building is sold in 10 years and becomes standard apartments? **[00:46:30] Sam Crosby (City Planner):** The funding mechanism requires 40 years of these affordability levels. It is tied up through HRA agreements. **[00:47:15] Commissioner Key:** Regarding the setback, by pushing it toward the road, you give the immediate neighbors more privacy. The roundabout action happened so long ago, I don't think it's unfair to grant this. **[00:48:40] Chair:** Are we ready for a motion? I'll make a motion to recommend approval of amending the comprehensive plan designation from medium-density residential to high-density residential. **[00:48:55] Commissioner Key:** Seconded. (Unison: Aye). **[00:49:10] Chair:** I make a motion to recommend approval of rezoning from MR2 to MU Mixed Use Neighborhood. **[00:49:20] Commissioner Rudolph:** Second. (Unison: Aye). **[00:49:35] Chair:** I make a motion to recommend approval of the preliminary plat, site plan, and two variances. **[00:49:45] Commissioner Sersa:** Seconded. (Unison: Aye). **[00:50:00] Chair:** I recommend approval of the resolution finding the sale of the Portland Avenue parcels is consistent with the comp plan. **[00:50:10] Commissioner Rudolph:** Second. (Unison: Aye). **[00:50:20] Chair:** Next order of business: Liaison reports. Commissioner Rudolph? **[00:50:25] Commissioner Rudolph (CSAC):** No report, but I’d like to say it’s been a pleasure serving. We do listen to everybody even if it doesn't always feel like it. **[00:50:45] Chair (City Council/School Board):** No Council report. For the School Board, they adopted changes to harassment policies and added girls' lacrosse through an agreement with Holy Angels. **[00:51:15] Commissioner Key (Transportation):** We are discussing the Nicollet Avenue reconstruction for 2026. Outreach is beginning. **[00:52:00] Commissioner Rudolph (Sustainability):** Richfield received a $550,000 grant for Emerald Ash Borer tree removal. Also, our organic waste audit found less than 1% contamination, which is great. **[00:52:45] Sam Crosby (City Planner):** No planner report this month. **[00:52:55] Chair:** Motion to adjourn? **[00:52:57] Commissioner Rudolph:** So moved. **[00:52:58] Commissioner Sersa:** Seconded. (Unison: Aye). **[00:53:05] Chair:** We stand adjourned.