PLAN COMMISSION

May 29, 2007

                                                                                               

Members present:  Breault, Burchill, Mailloux, Caruso and Bieraugel

 

Others present:  Gordon Conard, Jim Seal, Tom Schumacher, Kevin Smith, Faye Luepke, Jim O’Connell, John Maas, Todd Erskine, Eric Rolland, Joe Granberg, Ryan Sherley, Brian Zeller, John Erickson, Tim Erickson, Angela Popenhagen, Denny Darnold and others

 

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Breault at 7:00 p.m.

 

Motion by Mailloux, seconded by Burchill to approve the May 10, 2007 meeting minutes.  Motion carried.

 

Darnold noted that the two items, numbers 4 and 5, in regard to the proposed senior housing in Red Cedar Canyon have been removed from the agenda and will not be discussed at the meeting tonight.

 

Public hearing and consideration of an application for conditional use permit for freestanding signage proposed by The RiverBank at the Prairie View Center, northeast quadrant Carmichael Road and Vine Street / CTH UU – The RiverBank.  Tom Schumacher representing The RiverBank reviewed the request by The RiverBank to install a 20 foot high freestanding sign which will include a back lit sign and an electronic reader board.  Schumacher distributed colored rendering of the sign, referred to the proposed location and pictures of similar signage at the RiverBank facility located in North Hudson and Osceola.

 

Faye Luepke expressed concern about lighting from the sign shining into her house during the evening hours.  She asked if it was necessary to have the sign lit 24 hours per day. 

 

No other comments were received.

 

Motion by Caruso, seconded by Mailloux to close the public hearing.  Motion carried.

 

Bieraugel noted that initially the city received two plans - one for a 20 foot high sign and one for a 16 foot high sign.  Bieraugel stated he preferred the lower sign.  Kevin Smith, Sign Art explained that the 20 foot high sign has been proposed because of the trees located on the park property east of the proposed bank facility.  Darnold commented that he felt the height was not a significant issue because the traffic that will go by this site may go by it several times per day.

 

Mailloux noted that the background for the back lit sign is white and may shed too much light.

 

Page 2, Plan Commission

May 29, 2007

 

                                                                                                           

Caruso expressed concern on the change of message on an electronic reader board that the messages should not be flashing.  Darnold noted that the sign ordinance does not allow signs to flash mode.

 

Motion by Bieraugel, seconded by  Mailloux to recommend approval of a conditional use permit to The RiverBank for a freestanding sign at Lot 2, CSM, Vol. 22, Page 5384 with the following conditions:

-         Overall height limited to 16 feet

-         Lighting of the back lit sign to be no more intense than the existing signs

-         Review in one year of installation or upon complaint or concerns expressed

-         Electronic reader board to have a dimming mechanism

Motion carried.

 

Concept development plans (on-site parking, grading and utilities only), River Crest Elementary School, southeast quadrant of Carmichael Road and Coulee Trail – School District of Hudson.  Angela Popenhagen, Stevens Engineers representing the School District of Hudson reviewed the proposed site plan including general building area, off-street parking and access lanes, storm water ponds, trails, ball fields, play field and on-site utilities. She noted that the main entrance will be from CTH F and the bus access will be from Coulee Trail.  The school district wants to be able to start grading on the site in early June, 2007 and request approval of the grading plan, on-site utilities and the roadway access improvements from Coulee Trail.

 

Moved by Burchill, seconded by Mailloux to approve the River Crest Elementary School on-site grading plans, on-site utility plans and the Coulee Road roadway improvement plans with the plans to be amended per the city engineer review comments / recommendations and sign off of the revised plans by the city engineer and water utility director. Motion carried.

 

Application to rezone property on the east side of First Street from Buckeye Street to Wisconsin Street from I-1, Light Industrial District to B-3, Central Business District – River City Partners.  Darnold noted that he has suggested for several years that this rezoning occur.  The 1993 City of Hudson Comprehensive Plan designates this area to be central business district.  Darnold recommended approval.  Motion by Caruso, seconded by Bieraugel to recommend approval of the River City Partners request for rezoning from I-1, Light Industrial District to B-3, Central Business District for the area generally located east of First Street between Wisconsin Street and Buckeye Street.  Motion carried.

 

John Erickson expressed concern about the timetable for city considerations regarding the visioning plan, ordinance provisions and rezoning because of the financial impact of the prolonged considerations.

Page 3, Plan Commission

May 29, 2007

 

                                                                                                           

Certified survey map (CSM), creating four outlots comprising part of the Birkmose Park private street, Birkmose Park residential neighborhood – Eric Rolland.  Darnold explained that last year the plan commission and Common Council reviewed and approved an outlot that comprised much of the private road area in the Birkmose Park residential neighborhood so that a homeowners association may take over ownership of the outlot and maintain the private road.  This certified survey map would further subdivide the private street area so that it may be sold to the adjacent property owners.

 

Motion by Caruso, seonded by Mailloux to approve the proposed certified survey map as proposed by Eric Rolland creating four outlots which comprise part of the Birkmose Park private street area and to recommend approval to the Common Council.  Motion carried.

 

Final development plans, Kinder Care Learning Center, 2600 Center Drive (lot 5, Ban Tara commercial development), southeast quadrant of Pearson Drive and Center Drive – Kernon Bast.  Ryan Sherley, Keller Construction reviewed the project and colored rendering of the proposed building.  He noted that the stone will be similar to the stone used in other buildings in the Ban Tara development, color to be tan and the roof to be similar to the roof of the nearby U.S. Bank facility.

 

Motion by Mailloux, seconded by Caruso to recommend approval of the final development plans for the Kinder Care Learning Center, 2600 Center Drive contingent on plan amendments per the city engineer recommendations and sign-off of the architectural plans by Ban Tara, LLC regarding architectural review / acceptance.  Motion carried.

 

Proposed retail, office, showroom and warehouse for flooring contractor business, east of 17th Street and north of Coulee Road – Erskine Floors / Todd Erskine.  Darnold commented that when he first visited with Mr. Erskine about relocating his flooring business to this general area that it was the building that was most recently located west of 18th Street and occupied by Propulsion Associates; but due to the condition of that building, he reconsidered and is proposing to locate the business to the lot immediately to the west which has been used by Hecker car sales.  The uses of office, sale room and retail sales area are permitted uses in the B-2, General Business District.  The warehouse area would be an ancillary use and permitted.  Bieraugel asked about outside storage and the number of service vehicles and if any significant cutting of the wood products would occur on-site.  Erskine noted only the refuse container, to be screened, and 14 vehicles of which some would be parked on site.  Several are driven home by the employees after work hours.  Erskine explained that only samples would be milled at the site.

 

 There was no consideration taken by the plan commission.

 

Page 4, Plan Commission

May 29, 2007

 

                                                                                                           

Other business for consideration only or placement on future agendas.  Breault reminded the plan commission of the joint plan commission / Common Council meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 31, 2007, 7:00 p.m. to discuss and consider the on-going discussions regarding the downtown visioning development guidelines and quality design and consideration of adopting the plan and related ordinance provisions.

 

Moved  by Burchill, seconded by Caruso to adjourn.  Motion carried.  7:52. p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Dennis Darnold, Secretary