06-08-2026 CC WSCity Council Work Session Minutes – June 8, 2026
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CHANHASSEN CITY COUNCIL
WORK SESSION
MINUTES
June 8, 2026
Mayor Ryan called the work session to order at 5:30 p.m.
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Ryan, Councilmember McDonald,
Councilmember von Oven, Councilmember Kimber, Councilmember Schubert
COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT:
STAFF PRESENT: Laurie Hokkanen, City Manager; Charlie Howley, Public Works
Director/City Engineer; Eric Maass, Community Development Director; Patrick Gavin,
Communications Manager; Jerry Ruegemer, Park & Recreation Director; Kelly Grinnell,
Finance Director
PUBLIC PRESENT:
Stephen Michals, Chapel Hill
Gary Hegenes, Chapel Hill
Bob Solfelt, Chapel Hill
Kassie Grosz, Chapel Hill
JT Pedersen, Chapel Hill
19011 Lake Drive East - Chapel Hill Academy Concept Plan
Eric Maass, Community Development Director, introduced staff from Chapel Hill. Mr. Mass
explained a concept plan request involving the potential conversion of the former Bernard Group
property at 19011 Lake Drive East into a new campus for Chapel Hill Academy. Because the site
is currently guided and zoned for office-industrial uses, the proposal would require both a
Comprehensive Plan amendment and a rezoning before a school could be allowed at the location.
The work session provided an opportunity for Council members to hear the concept, ask questions
and discuss potential land use, zoning and tax-base implications before any formal applications or
public hearings are considered.
Representatives from Chapel Hill Academy shared that the school's current campus serves
approximately 430 pre-K through eighth-grade students and has reached capacity after several
expansions over the years. Their proposal would repurpose the existing 155,000-square-foot
building into a second campus, likely serving grades five through eight while retaining younger
students at the current location. The additional space would provide room for expanded
educational programming, gymnasiums, an auditorium and outdoor recreation facilities while
allowing the school to accommodate future enrollment growth.
The City Council primarily discussed two issues: whether to support changing the property's future
land use designation from office-industrial to office, and the financial implications of the property
becoming tax-exempt as a nonprofit educational institution. City Council members expressed
general support for keeping Chapel Hill Academy in Chanhassen and recognized the compatibility
of the proposed use with the surrounding area. Council members also noted the need to better
City Council Work Session Minutes – June 8, 2026
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understand the long-term budget impacts associated with removing the property from the city's tax
base before any formal decisions are made.
Traffic Safety Committee Annual Update
The City Council received the Traffic Safety Committee's annual update, which provided an
overview of traffic-related concerns, requests and safety issues reviewed during the past year.
Established in 2020, the committee meets monthly to evaluate traffic concerns raised by
residents, review safety data and develop recommendations aimed at improving transportation
safety throughout the community.
City staff presented a two-year review showing that speeding has become the committee's most
common area of focus, accounting for approximately 38% of all reported cases between June
2024 and May 2026. The increase is attributed in part to a change in reporting practices that now
logs every submission rather than only unique cases, as well as the impacts of several major
construction projects and associated detours throughout the city.
The presentation highlighted several tools the committee uses to address concerns, including
neighborhood educational mailers, portable speed signs, the city's mobile speed trailer and
enforcement efforts coordinated with the Carver County Sheriff's Office.
City Council members also discussed opportunities to expand public education around
roundabout navigation and pedestrian safety, particularly as new roundabouts are added
throughout the community. Staff noted that SeeClickFix continues to serve as an important
reporting tool, with roughly 60% of traffic concerns now submitted through the platform.
Mayor Ryan adjourned the work session at 6:52 P.M.
Submitted by Laurie Hokkanen
City Manager
Prepared by Jenny Potter
City Clerk