CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL – meeting convened at 6:30 p.m.

Members present: Mayor Don Richards, Tom Heimerl, Sandy Bowen, Susan Reese, Ellen Smith, Todd Schultz, David Cronk, Erin Tomlinson, Reid Wronski

There was a quorum present at all times.

Staff present: Buddy Lucero, Planning Director; Tony Steiner, City Planner; Matt Parent, Planning Intern; Carl Gaulke, Utilities General Manager

APPROVAL OF AGENDA/MINUTES –

Mayor Richards closed the Plan Commission meeting and opened the Public Meeting at 6:31 p.m.

1. Request from First National Bank of River Falls to Rezone 2.85 Acres of Land from I-2 (Heavy Industrial) to B-3 (Highway Commercial) Located Along Quarry Road.

Planner Steiner reported that First National Bank of River Falls has requested that 2.85 acres of land located along Quarry Road be rezoned from I-2 to B-3 in preparation for future development. First National Bank of River Falls also owns land adjacent to the west which is currently zoned B-3. The area the land is located never developed as industrial land as was planned when the parcel was zoned I-2.

There were no additional public comments.

Mayor Richards closed the Public Meeting and re-opened the Plan Commission Meeting at 6:36 p.m.

Mayor Richards closed the Plan Commission meeting and opened the Public Meeting at 6:37 p.m.

2. Amendment to Chapter 15.24 of the City Code Regarding Shoreland and Floodplain Protection Regulations

Planning Director Lucero stated that the amendments to the shoreland buffer area in the Downtown Overlay District are to allow flexibility for new development and redevelopment in the area. This issue has been discussed at past Plan Commission Workshops as well as forwarded to the Environmental Task Force for their review and recommendation. The Environmental Task Force has made the recommendation to move forward with the amendments that would allow the current setbacks, which are 125-175 feet depending on topography, to 75 feet. This is consistent with state and county setbacks along the river. To be able to do this, a Stormwater Management Plan would be required and need to be reviewed by staff prior to the approval. Whatever action is taken tonight will be forwarded to the City Council for Public Hearing.

Alec Frank, a student at UW-River Falls, asked if this change was applicable to the entire buffer zone running from north to south. Lucero responded that this amendment is only effective for the Downtown Overlay District and would allow those businesses to redevelop land within the new setbacks, if a Stormwater Management Plan was submitted and approved.

David Babcock requested clarification as to how far outside the City limits the shoreland protection ordinance was in effect. Lucero confirmed that it is only applicable within the City of River Falls; this amendment is specifically within the Downtown Overlay District.

Schultz asked how hard or expensive it would be for a business that wanted to redevelop to comply with the new requirements. Wronski responded that it would be the same process that they currently go through, but the criteria they have to meet would be more stringent.

Mayor Richards closed the Public Meeting and re-opened the Plan Commission Meeting at 6:44 p.m.

Recently City Council authorized plans and specifications for the new City Hall. Currently the property where a future City Hall will sit is zoned R-2 (Multiple Family Residential) and I-1 (Industrial). Under Section 17.104.050, the Plan Commission has the ability to initiate an amendment to the Official Zoning Code. Staff would recommend that the property be rezoned to B-2 (Limited Commercial) which is intended to be a transition zone between B-1 (General Commercial) and residential. A City Hall is a permitted use in the B-2 district.

Cronk asked if at some point the whole industrial area would be rezoned

Steiner responded that yes, they are multiple owners in this area so it will be a longer process. Portions of River Street and Clark Street will need to be vacated as part of this process.

Planning Intern Matt Parent presented an analysis and recommendation to amend the driveway width ordinance. The current width standards have not been reviewed or updated for more than 10 years. They are unclear and large trucks have difficulty maneuvering turns. The current code also does not allow the City Engineer to approve changes in driveway transitions. The recommended changes apply only to the driveway transitions (from the curb to the property line) and not the overall driveway width.

The current code reads as follows:

All private driveways to or from public streets shall be subject to the following restrictions:

A: Driveway Width

The proposed amendments would add the taper and radius as well as change the maximum width at the property line.

These amendments would also allow the City Engineer to approve changes to these measurements. The proposed changes are as follows:

Utilities General Manager Carl Gaulke gave an annual update on the Wastewater Treatment Facility Capacities. In 2002 the Utility Commission approved the Wastewater Treatment Master Plan, which was comprised of three phases. Phase I occurred in 2004-2005. This plan also included a schedule based on population projections as to when each subsequent phase would need to be completed to meet the plants capacity.

Based on the current ten-year average of 132 new units per year, the current plant capacity will meet growth needs until the year 2028. When considering the top five of the last ten years, there was an average of 181 new units per year. At a growth rate of 181 new units per year, the plant will meet capacity until the year 2022. If you look at the single highest year, with a rate of 216 new units, the current plant will meet capacity needs until the year 2020.

Lucero added that one issue that should be discussed is the amount of land that has been annexed into the City. When land is annexed a concept plan is required to provide the City with an idea of future planned development for that area so the impact on the City can be reviewed.

In reviewing the units that are preliminary platted, but undeveloped, there are approximately 1500 that have been approved. As new requests for annexation come into the City, units that have previously been approved but are undeveloped should be taken into consideration. Approval or denial can then be made based on projected plant capacities.

There is a Public Meeting at the Library at 6:30 p.m. on February 7, 2008, regarding the County Road FF Sports Facility. This will primarily be a brainstorming meeting for the design process.

In June of 2007 in Madison the Assembly passed a bill to overturn Wood v. City of Madison. This recommendation would allow municipalities the authority to manage outside their boundaries. The bill was passed with a vote of 70-26 in the Assembly and needs to go to the Senate. The difficulty is that in trying to manage boundaries, the City will be taking a step back. The only way we have to manage our boundaries is through the extraterritorial/subdivision area. There is extraterritorial zoning; however it took place in the 1960’s. In many of those municipalities it has not been amended since.

Respectfully Submitted,

Jessica Urbach, Recording Secretary