20/20 Cold Spring Vision Team

Minutes of the Meeting
Design Standards Committee
September 27, 2004

Minutes of the Meeting
Design Standards Committee
September 27, 2004


Members Present: John Frischmann, Brigetta Klemek, Ann Harren, Stephanie Johnson, Steven Penick, Hedi Howard, Nicole Matuska, Melissa Kolbjornsen, Larry Lahr


Meeting called to order at 7:07 PM

I. Old Business
1. Lion’s Park Shelter: Construction has begun with a few modifications. Since the last committee meeting, the Park Dept. and Lion’s had discussed the possibility of detaching the seating portion of the building and locating it closer to the river. This change was eventually not pursued. A second modification included moving the structure closer to the road and that option was implemented. Other committee recommendations appear to be adopted as of this committee meeting.
2. Assistance in helping the City select the Gateway East master planning consultant. The committee approved the work of City Administrator Larry Lahr on gathering the appropriate information for the RFP. Committee members raised general questions as to the length of the proposal, its content, and timeframe. Larry provided insight to the selection process regarding the number of firms being sent RFP’s and which ones were chosen. The City decided to pick 4, possibly 5 firms, all with a familiarity of the Cold Spring area and operate in either St. Cloud or the Twin Cities. Larry encouraged all the design committee members to be involved in the process both in reviewing the proposals and interviewing the firms. (It was originally thought a larger city contingent would be present.) Scheduled dates include: Oct. 15 for delivery of proposals to committee members and an Oct. 20 afternoon interview time yet to be announced.
3. Design Standards: Review info from subgroup meetings: John, Brigetta, and Melissa reported about their research into the St. Cloud model. General categories relate to three building zones (downtown commercial, commercial, and industrial) gathered from the St. Cloud standards. The general categories include different criteria based on: Building materials, glazing (awning treatments), bulk requirements (building size/height and its relation to the lot), setbacks, design and construction, landscaping and lighting. This information will be used as a guide during Cold Spring’s design standard process.

Larry informed the committee about insights to his vision for zoning and the relationship to design standards. He has gathered information about other communities and their implementations. Ann, Melissa, and Hedi offered to review this data and organizing it. Larry also mentioned this data could be applied to the rezoning of Cold Spring into the following categories: central business, fringe central business, and highway commercial. Timing to implement this rezoning would coincide with the Planning Commission and City Council schedules, all with the goal to meet the 2005 construction season.


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II. New Business
1. Next steps for design standards. Larry suggested a sequence involving hiring a consultant, a rezoning effort, an adoption of design standards, and working with the Planning Commission. One of the initial steps begins with the Gateway consultant. It’s hoped a positive relationship will develop with this yet to be determined firm and the City to work on upcoming planning initiatives.
2. How to represent the committee during the consultant interview process. Larry encouraged all committee members to become involved in the process. Proposals will be delivered on Oct. 15 to committee members and the interviews will take place on Oct. 20.
3. Other: Ann reported on her attendance to the Statewide Historic Preservation Conference held in St. Cloud. Her summarized report focuses on a city environments and their relationship with pedestrians. Commercial districts should have elements of the following: trees and nonabtrusive signage, places for people to linger, a directory of shops/restaurants, green spaces, and a retention of community heritage. To promote these positives, communities should develop committees, preserve their natural resources, and hire professional consultants. Commercial districts should avoid the following: overhead power lines, cemented in windows on buildings, large blank walls on buildings, narrow sidewalks, roads that are difficult for pedestrians to cross, and poorly designed parking lots.

III. Next Meeting: October 11, 2004 7 PM at the Chain of Lakes Mortgage building.