Planning Commission Minutes 2021 02 11

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Planning Commission Meeting Minutes February 11, 2021 Page 8 of 10 waivers. He thought that the architecture on the east elevation was sufficient as -is. He appreciated the rural gateway concerns and asked the 7-Eleven team if there was a way to make a unique signage option. Brauneis called on Commissioner Rice and asked him for his thoughts about the procedure. Rice stated that if there were no other tools then they would have to go with the modification approach. He remained concerned that the Commission could not make a decision on the subdivision agreement. He suggested making a condition that the deferral terms on the in -lieu payments be provided before Council so that the Council could have something tangible to look at. He did not have an issue with the idea of paying the fees as the property developed. He addressed the east elevation, agreeing with the applicant, stating that it was the backside of an industrial building with trucks backing into it, noting that there were railroad tracks and other industrial buildings behind it and that the trail would be buffeted by trees and landscaping. He was in favor of removing that condition from the recommendation. He noted that the City had to want the property for land dedication to make sense. He added that the design issues would be more intense in that case, as well. He thought the cash -in -lieu made sense. Diehl stated that he recognized that there would not be any open space on the Ascent parcel, but there could be other cases in the other parcels. Rice agreed. Howe stated that the option of having the land donation in lieu of the cash for future parcels may be something to keep in mind. He stated that he was split on the application because the timing of the phased approach to develop was a bit nebulous and there was a possibility to have undeveloped, adjacent lots for a long time, as there were with other projects on 96th Street. He agreed with Commissioner Diehl that it changed the character of a rural gateway to an urban one, as it seemed like the development was paving paradise to put up a parking lot. He acknowledged that it was difficult to transition between the CTC and the rural area. He thought the area was more of a commuter benefit, not a community benefit, as it was a little further away from residents that could walk to it. He thought there was a potential for this project to put the City on the map by exceeding the standards. He stated that he did not have an issue with the three waivers and noted that the project as -is exceeded the standards. He voiced interest in having a hydrogen fuel cell and a charging station, noting that there were a lot of electric cars in the area and Tesla nearby. He thought the dark -sky lighting was fantastic and it would be nice to have some solar cells and some reusable energy. He understood that was above and beyond the purview of the Planning Commission, but he thought that for Council's consideration that that would be something that the citizens would look forward to. Brauneis asked if Commissioner Rice had language for his condition about cash -in -lieu. Rice offered the following language: "Prior to Council, a final draft of the subdivision agreement be prepared, and in specific speak to the deferred payment of in -lieu cash contributions."