Advisory Planning Commission Meeting - June 24, 2025: Childcare Facility Amendment
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Advisory Planning Commission Meeting – June 24, 2025
The Eagan Advisory Planning Commission met on June 24, 2025, at 6:30 PM at the Eagan Municipal Center. The primary agenda item was a public hearing and recommendation vote on a Planned Development Amendment to allow a childcare facility (Today's Life Eagan) at 1575 and 1580 Thomas Center Drive. The commission voted unanimously (5-0) to recommend approval with 13 conditions, forwarding the item to the City Council for July 1, 2025.
Consent Calendar
- Roll call and Pledge of Allegiance completed.
- Agenda adopted unanimously (5-0) with no changes.
- Minutes from the previous meeting approved (4-0, one abstention from Member Block who was absent).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Teryl Olson (1770 Beecher Drive, Eagan) – owner of two office buildings west of the proposed daycare. He stated no objections but raised concerns about:
- Parking overflow from daycare staff into his lots, given existing parking pressure from his tenants.
- Drop-off/pick-up traffic congestion on the shared easement used by his tenants.
- The proposed trash enclosure expansion and its impact.
- The retaining wall and playground construction near his parking lot.
Discussion Items
- Staff Presentation (Mr. Ellis):
- The site is 0.78 acres with an existing office building (north parcel) and a vacant lot (south parcel).
- Proposed use: child daycare center with 9 classrooms (infant, toddler, preschool), a 1,250 sq ft toddler play deck, and a 6,500 sq ft playground.
- Licensed capacity: 128–138 children; operating hours: Monday–Friday, 6:30 AM – 6:00 PM; staffing: 25–30 team members.
- Planned improvements: trash enclosure expansion, 12 new trees, landscaping, curb/gutter extension, retaining wall repair.
- Parking: existing shared parking with cross-access easements; the applicant noted 30–40 stalls needed, with double that available on site.
- Applicant Presentation (Peter Hilger, architect, Rylar LLC):
- Confirmed the use is needed before finalizing engineering/construction drawings.
- Addressed parking: main entrance on lower level for drop-off; upper lot for staff; cross-parking easement with Lifetime Fitness to the north.
- Drop-off traffic will be distributed between 6:30–9:30 AM and 3:30–6:00 PM.
- Trash enclosure expansion is hidden by retaining wall; playground will not disturb the steep slope.
- Retaining wall repairs are part of the plan.
- Commission Questions:
- Vice Chair Schwanke asked about parking allocation and cross-easements; staff clarified the original subdivision attempted to allocate parking per building, and a cross-parking easement exists with Lifetime Fitness.
- Member Block requested staff clarify the cross-access easement language before the City Council meeting.
- The commission noted the property address correction (1575 & 1580 Thomas Center Drive, not 1780).
Key Outcomes
- Motion: Member Block moved to recommend approval of the Planned Development Amendment to allow a child daycare center on 0.78 acres (Lots 3 & 4, Block 1, Safari at Eagan 4th Addition) with the 13 conditions in the staff report. Seconded by Member Whitfield.
- Vote: 5-0 in favor. (All members present voted yes; no abstentions.)
- Next Step: The item will appear on the City Council agenda on Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
- Commission Encouragement: The chair encouraged the applicant and neighboring property owner (Teryl Olson) to collaborate on parking and access concerns.
Meeting Transcript
At this point, we stand and do the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. Schultz, at this point, are there any changes to the agenda or any updates for the commission? No, Mr. Chair, there are no changes to the agenda. Okay. Okay. I have a motion for Member Whitfield and a second from Vice Chair Schwanki. All in favor, please say aye and raise your hand. I see that's past five to zero. Were there any changes or updates to the minutes, Mr. Schultz? Ms. Chair did not receive any changes to the agenda. Okay. And I would at this point entertain a motion to approve the minutes. So move. Okay. I have a motion from member Whitfield. Second. A second from Vice Chair Schwanke. All in favor, please raise your hand and say aye. And I see that's passed four to zero with an abstain from uh member block who is not present at the last meeting. Um at this point of our meeting, we do open the agenda up to the public for any items that can be added to the agenda that are not currently listed on the official agenda. All right, not seeing any. Uh we will move into the first new business. Uh this is applicant today's life incorporated. It's an application for approval of a planned development amendment to allow a child daycare center at 1780 Thomas Center Drive. And at this point, I will defer to Mr. Ellis. I believe will be presenting to us on this application. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, Commissioners. Uh today I'll be presenting a report on the planned development to allow a child daycare center for today's Life Egan. Uh the site is a approximately 0.78 acres, uh, located at 1575 and 1580 Thomas Center Drive. Uh the site was originally part of the Black Hawk Park plan development. Uh in early 2000, the subject site received a plan development approval to for the current development, which consists of four office buildings uh on one lot. Only three of the office buildings were ever constructed uh to the state. Um later that year, the land was subdivided into separate parcels uh with each uh lot encompassing the footprint of each building to allow separate ownership. Cross am easements for ingress and egress uh and shared parking are provided. The parking lots and lands around the building were platted as a separate lot and it owned in common by an owner's association. In 2013, the property was subdivided again to create individual parcels for each building. So that association ownership of shared parking and uh lock and land area could be eliminated. Uh the property consists of uh two parcels with an existing office building on the northern parcel and a vacant lot on the southern parcel. The existing parking lot and building are were constructed with the development of the safari at Egan Third Edition. Uh the building connected is connected to city sewer and water services, extending through the development from Thomas Center Drive. Uh public street access is provided via Thomas Center Drive, located to the east. And crossing easements uh provide shared ingress, egress as well as shared parking. Uh a gas pipeline uh easement runs from north to south through the site between the buildings.
openpublica.com