Comments regarding Costco Development in Otsego (email)From:D. DANIEL LICHT
To:vognsen@charter.net
Cc:Katie Kalland
Subject:RE: Comments regarding Costco Development in Otsego
Date:Wednesday, May 29, 2024 10:28:33 AM
Attachments:07-Costco Otsego-Exhibit 4-Site Plan & Fuel Plan-5-6-2024_REV.pdf
Mr. Vognsen:
Thank you for your questions/comments. We will provide them and the following responses to the
Planning Commission:
1. The City has established performance standards for exterior lighting limiting the intensity of
light cast at property lines and requiring that fixtures use a 90 degree cut-off to minimize glare
horizontally. City staff has also worked with Costo regarding the height of the proposed
fixtures to minimize the number of total fixtures needed for the property. The submitted
lighting plan complies with the standards of the Zoning Ordinance. The City does not have a
regulation requiring lighting to be dimmed during overnight hours but will address this
question with Costco. Also, the existing trees along the east line of the property adjacent to
MacIver Avenue will be preserved and added to for screening.
2. Peak traffic generation times for Costo is off-set from what is primarily commuter traffic
causing congestion on the roadways today. Costco The site will have two accesses to 60th
Street (CR 137) and one access to MacIver Avenue at Marlowe Avenue as shown on the
attached site plan. Costco provided a traffic study indicating that the MacIver
Avenue/Marlowe Avenue intersection would function satisfatorily with a 4-way stop.
However, to address long-term traffic for MacIver Avenue, the City is requiring Costco to
construct a roundabout at the intersection. Wright County is also undertaking improvements
separate from the Costco development to the I-94/CSAH 37 interchange and 60th Street (CR
137) from I-94 to east of Marx Avenue in 2025 that will include roundabouts at both I-94
ramps, Lymon Avenue, and MacIver Avenue to improve area traffic flow. Access to 63rd
Street is not possible due to the topography adjacent to the site and that street being entirely
within the City of Albertville.
Please do not hesitate to let me know if you have additional questions/comments or if you would
like to discuss these issues further.
Sincerely,
D. Daniel Licht
THE PLANNING COMPANY LLC
3601 Thurston Avenue, Suite 101
Anoka, MN 55303
612.991.2230
DDL@PlanningCo.com
From: vognsen@charter.net <vognsen@charter.net>
Sent: Friday, May 24, 2024 4:59 PM
To: D. DANIEL LICHT <ddl@planningco.com>
Subject: Comments regarding Costco Development in Otsego
I won't be able to be at the meeting on June 3rd, but I do have a couple of questions that I would
appreciate an answer to:
I live in a home on Marlowe Ave NE and I also own a rental townhome on 61st ST NE just across from
the property.
Question #1: With the amount of parking area lights for a store of that size, I am concerned that the
parking lot lighting be reduced shortly after the store closes. Since in the townhome bedroom
windows face the property, I am concerned that their ability to sleep will be affected if the lighting is
too bright late at night.
Question #2: I don't know where the entrance to the development will be, but if it is across the
street from where Marlowe Ave NE and Maciver Ave NE intersect, it will create a lot of congestion.
It is already a busy intersection and to add more to that can easily add backups of cars all the way to
60th St NE and even onto 60th ST NE. It would seem to reduce that issue, putting the entrance off
Maciver and 63rd St NE would make more sense and take the traffic away from Marlowe and 60th
ST NE.
Thanks,
Mark Vognsen
6126167780