Politics & Government

City Council Tackles False Fire Alarm Fees, Light Rail Development

July 11 City Council Meeting: 5 Things to Know

1. City Council meetings take place every other week at 6:30 p.m., in the.

2. With two Southwest Light Rail Transit stations in works for Minnetonka, city planners want to either stop or tightly manage and development in the areas around those proposed stations. City planners worry that premature development in the LRT station areas could be problematic, and say that these new measures are necessary to best manage development in the interim.

As the council is aware, the plans for the Southwest Light Rail Transit envision two stations in Minnetonka: one in the Shady Oak Road area near the Hopkins border and one in the Opus business park.

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Within the next year, detailed implementation plans for both areas are anticipated to be completed to address the necessary public improvements needed and provide a framework for future private property redevelopment. These plans will provide more certainty for those choosing to invest in a station area.

But the city says that properties surrounding each station area are ripe for redevelopment as many are nearing the end of their life-cycle, and current or proposed uses may not be consistent with transit oriented development principles.

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There are a few approaches the city could take to better manage this interim period until station area planning efforts are completed. Staff has developed the following alternatives:

1. Moratorium — A development moratorium would allow the city the ability to restrict or prohibit development activity until planning studies are complete. This would allow the city the ability to finish station area planning efforts and put new controls in place. By law, a moratorium could be effective for one year. (See pages A1-A5).

2. Southwest Light Rail Transit (SWLRT) Overlay District — This ordinance would allow minor development activity to occur until planning studies are complete, but like a moratorium, would prevent the city’s review of certain land use applications that require public review such as conditional use permits, variances and preliminary plats. Only those projects requiring an administrative review such building permits and signage would be allowed. (See pages A6- A10).

3. Interim Use Ordinance – An interim use ordinance is an additional tool the city could enact to allow only certain development. The council has broad discretion with this approach to allow specific development for a specified time period as determined by the city. This ordinance could be coupled with either the moratorium or the overlay district to allow some time-limited development during the transition period.

3. The is requesting that the city council introduce an ordinance changing details of the city’s false fire alarm feed. 

In 2003,the city council amended the city code to require a $250 response fee for false fire alarms. This ordinance has been very effective in reducing the number of false alarms. The number of repeat alarm calls from properties has diminished significantly. In 2004 the fire department began tracking calls initiated from a central station monitoring company. From 2004 through 2010, fire alarms called in by a central station monitoring company were reduced by 50%, from 148 to 75.

Initially, the fee was focused on dealing with poor installations and people’s cavalier attitude toward false alarms. The fee has been effective in reducing those situations. The current ordinance allows the fire chief to waive the fee when there is a true emergency. The fire chief believes, however, that there are situations that are not “true emergencies” when he would like to be able to waive or reduce the fee. Examples are a daughter who was checking on her father and activated the fire alarm when she meant to disarm the burglary alarm, and guests who did not know how to use the alarm and accidentally tripped it.

The ordinance would delete “true emergency” and instead give the chief the discretion to waive or reduce the fee when “circumstances justify such action.” This language is general because not every situation can be anticipated.

4. St. David’s Center is requesting the city issue financing through a tax exempt bond not to exceed $3,750,000 for an upcoming remodel of their Minneotnka property.

The proceeds will be used to redesign rooms, expand occupational therapy services, and update and upgrade mechanical and lighting systems. There are additional future improvements St. David’s is considering. These projects would require additional city review, and would be funded privately from St. David’s.

St. David’s Center for Child and Family Development is a tax-exempt organization that provides early childhood education, pediatric therapies, mental health services, community special needs services, and early intervention and support for both children and families. St. David’s owns the property at 3395 Plymouth Road, and plans to make renovations to the facility starting later this year.

According to the city, exempt financing is to be used on a selective basis to encourage certain development that offers a benefit to the city as a whole, including significant employment and housing opportunities. It is the applicant’s responsibility to demonstrate the benefit to the city, both in writing and at the public hearing.

5. The city has received applications from Apple Minnesota LLC (Apple MN) for on-sale and Sunday on-sale intoxicating liquor licenses for use at Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar.

The licensee name (Apple Minnesota LLC) will not change; however, a change of ownership that was greater than 25 percent took place for the many up-line owners both in May 2011, and further changes were reported in June 2011. Because of these changes of greater than 25 percent ownership, the city of Minnetonka requires a new application for on-sale intoxicating liquor licenses.

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For more information, please visit the city website at http://www.eminnetonka.com


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