ITEM: 11.4 DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS - Clark Arneson, City Manager
Title
GRANTING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT AMENDMENT TO ALLOW FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A 191-UNIT MARKET RATE APARTMENT COMPLEX IN A PBD (PLANNED BUSINESS DISTRICT) ZONING DISTRICT AND SHARED ACCESS AT ULYSSES STREET/NORTH OF CLOVERLEAF PKWY. BALDWIN PARTNERS. (CASE FILE NO. 12-0044/LSJ)
Schedule of Actions
Planning Commission (Public Hearing) |
02/12/13 |
City Council (Comp Plan Amend/CUP) |
03/07/13 |
City Council (CUP Amendment) |
04/17/14 |
Background
In 2013, the City Council approved a conditional use permit for a 182 unit market rate apartment project within the plat of Cloverleaf Commons 2nd. This site is adjacent to the Teamsters office building. The applicant has since revised the plans and is ready to move forward with construction. The changes in the plans are significant enough to warrant a conditional use permit amendment. The adjacent neighborhood has been notified of this meeting and the change in plans.
The major changes that have occurred since the approval last year are to the number of units, the appearance of the building and the construction of a detached garage building. The project that was approved last year included 182 units, and the project now includes 191 units. The additional nine (9) units were achieved thru a re-design of the building, no additional square footage was added to the building footprint. The exterior of the building is now a new design that is more consistent with urban style apartment buildings but exceeds the City's Highway 65 Overlay District requirements at the same time. In order to gain more covered garage spaces for the additional units the applicant is proposing to construct a detached garage structure. The details of the garage unit are described later in the report. Overall, staff is supportive of the changes to the project.
Conditional Use Permit
As stated earlier, the project consists of 191 market rate apartment units on 6.89 useable acres (there is a large pond on the west side of the property occupying approximately 2.3 acres). Lots 2 and 3 of Cloverleaf Commons 2nd Addition, will be combined to create one lot. The breakdown of the unit types and expected rental rate range is as follows:
· 26 studio apartments--$910/month |
· 76 one bedroom apartments--$1150/month · 6 one bedroom/den apartments--$1,284 |
· 75 two bedroom apartments--$1,493 /month |
· 8 three bedroom apartments--$1,707 /month |
*all rents (other than studio) include a covered garage space |
The building will also include an exercise room, a meeting/party room and storage areas within the building on various levels. Each unit will have a washer/dryer and some units are designed for fireplaces. Most units will have a balcony. The units will include solid surface counters, upgraded cabinetry and higher end appliances. A pool is planned for the northwest corner of the building.
The exterior of the building includes a combination of brick, block and James Hardie fiber cement lap siding. This site needs to meet the Highway 65 Overlay District requirements for exterior materials and the proposed building meets these requirements. The design is more of an urban design, as stated earlier. The previously proposed building had a pitched roof and this building has a flat with several roof line breaks. The roof line has actually been lowered 14 feet with this proposal. The detached structure compliments the main building by using the same materials. There are only two garage doors on the detached structure, eliminating individual garage doors for each stall. It is essentially a detached extension of the underground parking structure.
There is one level of underground parking provided for the apartment complex. There are 142 underground parking stalls and there are 26 stalls in the detached garage structure, which equates to more than one stall per unit for the one, two and three bedroom units. Studio apartments will not be provided with an underground stall. There are also 261 outdoor parking stalls on site. The total number of parking stalls provided equates to just over 2.2 parking stalls per unit, which is the standard the City has held other high density projects to in the past. The parking provided is adequate for the site.
As you may recall, this site actually shares 50 parking stalls with the Teamsters site twelve times a year (once a month). A shared parking agreement was recorded when the Teamsters site was developed. Because of this shared parking agreement, the City has been consistent in requiring a proof of parking plan for the apartment site to ensure that if parking ever becomes a problem for this site, there is a plan to use should it be needed. Attached you will find a proof of parking plan that adequately addresses extra proof of parking stalls. Staff recommends that the parking issue be observed once the building has been substantially rented to see if extra parking is needed. If parking issues are observed the City Council would then be asked to consider the requirement to construct some or all of the additional parking.
The trail on site serves two functions in that it provides an outdoor walkway from one end of the building to the other and it serves as a fire access for the north side of the building. The trail is an 10-foot bituminous trail but a paver system is installed on both sides of the trail that creates a 20-foot wide drivable surface for emergency vehicles if they are ever needed. This trail and paver system must be maintained at 20-feet all year so snow plowing will be required.
The landscaping on site needs to meet the Highway 65 Overlay District requirements so the following trees must be provided on site:
· Overstory Trees: 51 |
· Conifer Trees: 51 |
· Ornamental Trees: 51 |
In addition, 25% of the trees need to be oversized to meet the Highway 65 Overlay District standards. Oversized trees must be 3 inch caliper overstory trees, 8-foot conifer trees, and it is not recommended that ornamental trees be oversized. The landscape plan that is shown meets all Zoning Ordinance requirements.
A lighting plan will need to be provided that illustrates that the lighting provided meets ordinance requirements. All lighting needs to be downlit and shielded to prevent glare or spill. Pole mounted lighting is limited to 20-feet in height. There shall be no lights installed on the rear of the building exterior (north side) except for individual patio lights and there shall be no free-standing lighting (other than bollard type lights along trails/features) on the rear of the building (north side), as it is immediately adjacent to an existing residential area.
Park dedication has been paid for the site with the recording of the plat. The amount paid, however, was based on the commercial park dedication rate at the time of recording. The developer paid for 9.16 acres in 2007. Using the 2014 commercial rate that would have a credit value of $75,927. The City's current residential rate for park dedication is $3,094 per unit. The total park dedication amount that would be owed for the proposed 191 unit residential project is $590,954. The City will credit the owner for the $75,927 that has already been paid, so the total amount of park dedication required before a permit is issued is $515,027.
SAC and WAC payments will also become due prior to the issuance of building permits.
The applicant will need to obtain a Coon Creek Watershed District permit prior to City approval of construction plans and specifications.
Recommendation
By motion, approve the Resolution.
Attachments
Zoning and Location Map
Revised Site Plans (2)
Previous Site Plan
Revised Grading Plan
Revised Landscape Plan
Revised Elevations (6)
Previous Elevations
Revised Floor Plans (5)
Revised Unit Plans (4)
Body
WHEREAS, an application has been filed by Baldwin Partners as Conditional Use Permit Amendment Case File No. 12-0044; and
WHEREAS, a public hearing has been held by the Blaine Planning Commission on February 12, 2013; and
WHEREAS, the Blaine Planning Commission recommends said Conditional Use Permit be approved; and
WHEREAS, the Blaine City Council has reviewed said case on March 7, 2013 and April 17, 2014.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Blaine that a Conditional Use Permit Amendment is hereby approved per Section 31.30 of the zoning ordinance to allow for construction of a 191-unit market rate apartment complex (Multi-floor Residential) along with shared private access drives in a PBD (Planned Business District) zoning district based on the following conditions:
1. This site needs to meet the Highway 65 Overlay District requirements for exterior materials, and the plans that have been submitted for this proposal meet this requirement.
2. The trail and paver system on the north side of the building must be maintained at 20-feet all year so snow plowing will be required.
3. The landscaping on site needs to meet the Highway 65 Overlay District requirements so the following trees must be provided on site:
· Overstory Trees: 51 |
· Conifer Trees: 51 |
· Ornamental Trees: 51 |
In addition, 25% of the trees need to be oversized to meet the Highway 65 Overlay District standards. Oversized trees must be 3 inch caliper overstory trees, 8-foot conifer trees, and it is not recommended that ornamental trees be oversized. The current landscape plan meets all Zoning Ordinance requirements.
4. A lighting plan will need to be provided that illustrates that the lighting provided meets ordinance requirements. All lighting needs to be downlit and shielded to prevent glare or spill. Pole mounted lighting is limited to 20-feet in height. There shall be no lights installed on the rear of the building exterior (north side) except for individual patio lights and there shall be no free-standing lighting (other than bollard type lights along trails/features) on the rear of the building (north side), as it is immediately adjacent to an existing residential area.
5. Park dedication has been paid for the site with the recording of the plat. The amount paid, however, was based on the commercial park dedication rate at the time of recording. The developer paid for 9.16 acres in 2007. Using the 2014 commercial rate that would have a credit value of $75,927. The City's current residential rate for park dedication is $3,094 per unit. The total park dedication amount that would be owed for the proposed 191 unit residential project is $590,954. The City will credit the owner for the $75,927 that has already been paid, so the total amount of park dedication required before a permit is issued is $515,027.
6. SAC and WAC payments will also become due prior to the issuance of building permits.
7. The applicant will need to obtain a Coon Creek Watershed District permit prior to City approval of construction plans and specifications.
8. The building's construction and components to meet the Noise Abatement Standards outlined by Zoning Section 33.22 based on the site's close proximity to Highway 65 as well as the Anoka County Airport's flight pattern generated by the east/west runway.
9. This building will need to be licensed under the City's annual Rental License Program.
10. After the building receives a Certificate of Occupancy and has substantially rented staff will monitor for parking issues related to the shared parking with the Teamsters. Should parking issues exist the applicant will be required to add some or all of the performance parking. If an expansion of the parking is to be requested by the City the action will be scheduled and considered (with public hearing) by the City Council. If the City Council determines that some or all of the additional stalls are required the building owner will be required to build the additional stalls within 180 days of Council direction.
11. Site plan approval is required prior to any work being performed on site. This will include the submittal of a site improvement performance agreement and associated financial guarantee.
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Blaine this 17th day of April 2014.