09/16/2008 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 9/16/2008 long mound is proposed along Columbia Road that will be planted with evergreens and deciduous trees to create a dense buffer. The existing trees to remain will also provide screening. There will be two driveways into the site from Country Club Boulevard and a cross access point to the neighboring property to the west. Sufficient parking is provided, with two parking spaces land banked to increase green space on the site. A new sidewalk will be continued along both street frontages. Storm water will be filtered in landscaped bio retention cells in lieu of swales and will collect in detention basins only during storm events, and height of wall sign due to the size of the building. Variances were received for signage; namely an additional wall sign to face I-480 and height of wall sign due to the size of the building. There was a long discussion regarding the 50 foot landscaped mound along Columbia Road. Councilman Orlowski feels that more conifers are needed and to be planted on the top of the mound. Mr. Kerr's feeling was that they may not survive being planted on top of the mound. The consensus of most members of Council is that a wall of trees will still not hide afour-story building that is well over 300 feet from Columbia Road. In addition, if and when the office building proposal would come forward, that the mound could and would be revisited. It was also stated that our landscaping expert Mr. Greg Malone on the Planning & Design Commission feels it is a great plan and also our Forester Mr. Dave Wendell. Mr. Gareau commented that this is the most comprehensive natural buffer that we have ever done. The object of this buffer is to get away from the buffers in the past, a mound with an 8-foot fence. Maybe some additional trees on top wouldn't hurt, but he isn't an expert. It was apparent that after a half-hour discussion on just the 50-foot mound that this matter be held in committee for further review. A committee motion was made by Councilman Barker to hold in committee so that the architects could revamp the 50-foot mound to reverse the conifer and deciduous trees on the mound for review next week before the Council meeting. The committee motion was seconded by Council Member Dailey Jones and passed 3-0. • Ordinance 2008-118, an ordinance authorizing the Director of Public Service to request proposals for professional consulting engineering services for the city's Division of Engineering; further authorizing the Mayor, subject to approval of the Board of Control, to enter into an agreement with the firm selected in the RFP process; and declaring an emergency. It was the feeling of the administration and the Service Director that we go through some minor changes in the current contract instead of the possibility of going through the process of training a new company. Councilman Barker's comments were that with Bowen being our City Engineer the past 2 years, their pencil should be pretty sharp and they would probably come in with a good and fair bid. Council Member Dailey Jones comments were that we didn't have this opportunity in the spring of this year and appreciate the fact that we will go through the process now. Councilman Gareau's comment was the difference between tweaking an existing contract and getting a contract proposal tweaked is the same thing. A committee motion was made by Council Member Dailey Jones to recommend Ordinance 2008-118. The committee motion was seconded my Councilman Barker and passed 3-0. 10