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05-13-98 WSCITY OF OTSEGO PLANNING COMMISSION/CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP TO REVIEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAY 13, 1998 - 8:00 PM 1- Chair Carl Swenson will call meeting to order: Chair Swenson called the Planning Commission/City Council Workshop Meeting to order at 8:00 PM. ROLL CALL: Present: Chair; Carl Swenson, Planning Commission Members; Bruce Rask, Eugene Goenner, Arleen Nagel, and Richard Nichols. Jim Kolles, Ing Roskaft excused absence. Council Representative; Vern Heidner Mayor; Larry Fournier, CM Mark Berning, CM Virginia Wendel. Staff: David Licht, City Planner; Dan Licht, Assistant City Planner; John Harwood, City Engineer; Mike Robertson, City Administrator; Elaine Beatty, City Clerk/Zoning Administrator; Carol Olson, Secretary. Mayor Fournier noted that the Comprehensive Plan update is on schedule. The public information meetings are planned for June, with the Public Hearing by mid July. Chair Swenson turned meeting over to Dan Licht. Dan Licht - Tonight we will review Planning Districts 6 and 7. A complete copy of the Policy Plan, Development Framework Section, and Draft maps, which have been edited and revised based on previous meetings comments, have been provided. The only changes not made were in District 3, Urban Service Area Reserve. Sanitary sewer service, as the plan is written now, will not be provided or allowed in this area. After going through the Policy Plan Section and the Development Framework Section, numerous modifications would be needed to accommodate the proposed changes. The Policy Plan states that sanitary sewer service will be provided only in the Sanitary Sewer District. Allowing connections in the Urban Service Area Reserve would be an expansion of the Sanitary Service District. The Policy Statement has 15 conditions that must be satisfied in order to expand the Sanitary Sewer Service District. If connections do not occur in the proposed sewer service area, we can review the policy. Because of all these modifications, staff requested further discussion. Mayor Fournier asked that the specific area be referred to. PLANNING COMMISSION/CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING of May 13, 1998 cont'd Page 2 Dan Licht - District 3, the area east of Hwy 101. The discussion was that since the sanitary sewer plant site was approximately in the center of the district with the pipe extending down 65th Street, that the City should allow housing development to occur and connect to the sanitary sewer system within that district. However, on page 45, Policy number 11, conditions a thru h, are specific on how the sanitary sewer district is to expand. The Community Facility Section has the same criteria for expansion. The Sanitary Sewer Service District is defined as that area where sanitary sewer service is immediately available. That district is then broken into two sub -districts, the Immediate Service Area and the Intermediate Urban Service Area. If changes are made to District 3, all of the districts would have to be redefined. The changes discussed at the last meeting would make the lines less uniquely defined. David Licht - The purpose of the plan is to provide direction. The plan is based on certain objectives and two primary objectives are to get the sewer and water system to areas with potential ground water pollution problems and to promote commercial and industrial development. To achieve those objectives you will want to concentrate development where it is most advantageous to the community. The community has made the commitment that it will minimize the potential future hookup costs to the currently platted areas by running the sewer close to the platted areas. There is a limit to how much development can occur and what drives competition. Financial soundness is essential. If land is short or there is a boom, expansion of the sewer district can be accommodated. It is not unusual to have trunk lines running through rural areas, but they are restricted from access due to other investments or other problems in different areas. There is a limited market so until determined, in terms of feasibility or desirability, certain areas should not be allowed to hook up. Mike Robertson said that he had requested this issue be brought back for more discussion because future expansion of the sewer plant will be more difficult once the area around it is developed. In the future the MPCA may require land injection and that would require the City to purchase more land. If development goes faster then projected, then the City can open up part of the service area reserve. CM Wendel - Is the Draft Comprehensive Plan going to be as written, or will there be changes after the public hearings? Mike Robertson - The informational meetings will be the input from the community. There are issues in the Draft Comp. Plan where there has not been a definitive conclusion. For instance, the information meetings will probably tell us the level of farming, how much development, and the housing densities that are desired. After those meetings the Planning Commission and City Council will meet and can make whatever changes they wish. PLANNING COMMISSION/CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING of May 13, 1998 cont'd Page 3 David Licht - The two bodies (Planning Commission/City Council) have the responsibility of representing the interest of everybody in the City. Property owners have the right to come and say they don't like what we are doing because it effects them, but that is a self interest and at what point is the community jeopardized by the interest of one individual. What is in the best interest of the entire community? Everyone has to be considered as well as the individual. Mayor Fournier - We need the public input and will put together a document with public opinion incorporated in the plan. PC Nichols said he is willing to change the boundaries of the Sanitary Sewer District, but not to increase its overall size. One issue is financial, so if people adjacent to the plant want to develop that would be cash in hand to the City. Don't open up the whole southeast corner, but keep the area to the east of the sewer plant as a buffer for future expansion. Mike Robertson - The concern is wide spread development, not those owning property in the area that wish to hook up. The infrastructure costs increase the further spread out development is. PC Rask - If we allow this, we could possibly have 32 clustered homes in an area where sewer expansion would occur. I agree that restricting the area to non-sewered development is in the best interest of the City. John Harwood - The engineering concern is service to existing residential areas having ground water contamination by septic tank failures. A house or two hooking into the sewer lines in the expansion area is not a problem. The problem would occur with large developments through out the sewer expansion area. David Licht - Financing is a concern, but the potential pollution problems and need for tax base is why sewer and water is being pursued. If development were to occur more rapidly you could make changes in the sewer district boundaries. Dan Licht - Development will occur where the City determines, and in a contiguous manner that will be beneficial to the City plan and in paying for the system. David Licht - Developers will want the City to give them a sense of direction as to where you want development. If in a year or two it isn't being absorbed fast enough, we can look at the boundaries again. PC Rask - We have to hold a strong line now that we know where the area is. PLANNING COMMISSION/CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING of May 13, 1998 cont'd Page 4 David Licht - In that 4 per 40 area, the 40 has to be on a public road. Because a back 40 has no access, it does not qualify for development. The intent is to minimize the development in those areas so not to create an urban demand. CM Heidner - The documents have all shown the area of the proposed plant. We want the land along Hwy 101 and Co. Rd. 42 to develop first. One of the goals was to get the pipe up to Co. Rd. 42 and Co. Rd. 39 area. There is one major road close to the plant and in the spring it is under water. Development there would require a major upgrade of that road. CM Wendel asked after the Comp. Plan is approved, what will it take to change the Comprehensive Plan to add the Urban Service Area Reserve into the sewer district. David Licht - Adding to the sewer district would take an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan. There is a Public Hearing, the Planning Commission considers it, then the City Council considers it based on the Planning Commission's recommendation. Elaine Beatty - In the Immediate Service Area, would you explain how opting out from development works. David Licht - There are guidelines that govern that. There should be a five year supply of developable land. If it got to the place where there was less than that, that is when the Urban Service Area would be expanded. Development rights can be traded with someone not wanting to develop, then they could come to the City with a proposal. As land develops certain criteria would have to be met. The Plan is to make it as financially feasible as possible. If it ends up in six months there isn't anybody wanting to sub -divide, then we'd change the process. You have to start with some ground rules. You have been more than gracious to the overall community as to how you approached this project. The main reason this project is being pursued is the potential future pollution problems in the currently platted areas. You have taken an extremely conservative financial approach to providing sewer and water service to that area. Dan Licht - Recommended leaving the Plan as is until the hearings are held. Consensus was to have the Draft Comprehensive Plan remain as written for the informational meetings. City Administrator Mike Robertson will write a letter to the public regarding the Public Hearings. There will be four meetings, June 3, for the Sanitary Sewer Service District and Urban Service Area Reserve, June 4, Long Range Urban Service Area, June 9, Agriculture Preserve and June 10, 1998, Rural Residential Area, all meetings starting at 8:00 P.M. PLANNING COMMISSION/CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING of May 13, 1998 cont'd Page 5 3. Any Other Business: The next Joint workshop meeting date was set for June 24th, 1998 at 7:30 P.M., where the input from the public meetings will be considered. 4. Adjourn by 10:00 PM: VERN HEIDNER MOTIONED TO ADJOURN. BRUCE RASK SECONDED THE MOTION. ALL IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIED. The meeting adjourned at 10:20 PM. J'olles, Secretary Recorded by: Carol A. Olson PGCC51398.WPS