DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS - Bryan K. Schafer, Planning and Community Development Director
Title
GRANTING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF 56 SINGLE FAMILY LOTS IN A DF (DEVELOPMENT FLEX) ZONING DISTRICT AT 12944 LEVER STREET NE. LENNAR CORPORATION. (CASE FILE NO. 18-0003/LSJ)
Schedule of Actions
|
Planning Commission (Public Hearing) |
03/13/18 |
|
City Council (1st Reading Rezone) |
04/05/18 |
|
City Council (2nd Reading Rezone/Plat/CUP) |
04/19/18 |
|
Action Deadline |
05/12/18 |
Planning Commission
The Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the Conditional Use Permit. There were no comments at the public hearing.
Background
Lennar Corporation is proposing to develop 38 acres on the west side of Lever Street for the purpose of constructing 56 single family homes on this property. As you are aware, Lever Street is being reconstructed in 2018 and sewer and water is being installed on this street as part of that project. Other recent projects that have received approval in this area include the new elementary school on the northwest corner of Lever Street and 125th Avenue and Oakwood Ponds on the east side of Lever Street. Lennar’s request includes a rezoning, a preliminary plat and a conditional use permit.
Rezoning
Currently, the property has an existing zoning designation of FR (Farm Residential) and is guided in the Comprehensive Plan as LDR (Low Density Residential). The property is within the MUSA (Metropolitan Urban Service Area) which indicates it is intended to be served with City sewer and water. The project zoning is proposed to be DF (Development Flex) to cover all of the residential uses. With the DF zoning, housing products and neighborhood design issues will require and be regulated by a Conditional Use Permit (CUP).
Preliminary Plat
Lennar is proposing to develop 38 acres into 56 single family lots and five outlots and the development will be known as Woodridge. The 56 single family lots have a minimum lot width of 65 feet, which is consistent with the size of the lots in this area. The outlots will be used for storm water ponding and wetlands, with the exception of Outlot B, which will be used for a trail connection to City owned open space adjacent to the west edge of this development.
There will be two street connections with Lever Street and also small cul-de-sac on the north end of the development. A sidewalk must be placed on the west side of proposed Street A. A ten-foot bituminous trail must be constructed by the developer on Outlot B to eventually access the City’s open space.
Park dedication will be required for the 56 new lots being constructed at the rate of $4,320 per unit, for a total park dedication fee of $241,920 if paid in 2018. This amount must be paid prior to releasing the plat mylars for recording at Anoka County. The developer will not receive a park credit for constructing the small section of trail in Outlot B.
All local public streets require dedication of 60 feet of right-of-way and shall be constructed to 29 feet back to back of width. All streets will follow the Anoka County street name grid system.
The property owners in this plat, together with other property owners along Lever Street have petitioned for trunk sanitary sewer, water main, and street improvements to be constructed to serve the plat. A feasibility report was prepared and presented to the City Council on June 1, 2017. The report identified assessments that each parcel on Lever Street would pay for the proposed improvements. The estimated cost for property owners of this plat are estimated at $ 421,872. The Blaine City Council held a public hearing and ordered improvements on July 13, 2017 (City Project No. 17-07). The Woodridge development will be responsible for paying assessments for the improvements. It is anticipated that the city project, to install the trunk sanitary sewer and trunk water main along Lever Street NE from 125th Avenue NE to serve properties along Lever Street NE, will be Spring/Summer of 2018.
Trunk Sanitary Sewer area charges become due with platting for upland acreage.
The 2018 rate of $6,632/acre for Sanitary Sewer District 7 will apply to all upland acreage if platted in 2018.
Standard utility and drainage easements must be dedicated along all lot lines and over areas of delineated wetlands, wetland mitigation, infiltration trenches, drainage swales, and storm water management ponds. The Developer is to provide access for inspection and maintenance of storm water management infrastructure.
Restrictions will be placed on lot lines as needed to limit fences and landscaping to ensure access.
Development requires a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II General Storm Water Permit for Construction Activity from Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). A prerequisite to the MPCA permit application includes preparation of a site Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) for the development site.
Both Rice Creek Watershed District and Coon Creek Watershed review and permits are required as this project is proposing to manage storm water within both districts.
Construction contract documents shall include a mass (rough) grading, erosion protection, sediment control, development, utilities, roadway, and storm drainage plan sheets. Plans shall detail wetland information, tree preservation, erosion protection, sediment control, proposed grading contours, utilities, roadway geometrics, storm drainage, storm water quality management, custom lot-grading, house type, and house elevation information. Additional information is required on adjacent parcels to the south to confirm that existing drainage patterns are being addressed. The development plan shall indicate all structures will be protected from flooding. Supporting wetland delineation report, geotechnical investigation report, soil boring logs and hydrology report shall be included in the submittal for City review and approval.
The Developer shall process a Letter of Map Change with FEMA prior to issuance of building permits within the unnumbered A-Zone on the FEMA flood map.
Developer shall provide all FEMA paperwork and structure as-built surveys to homeowners at time of lot closing. Developer is responsible for following through with FEMA as necessary to receive final FEMA documents and to provide those documents to the homeowners, and to record the final documents on the certificate of title for each parcel in the development.
As-built surveys shall be required to verify structure elevations, custom grading requirements, and final lot grading elevations.
Conditional Use Permit
The conditional use permit is necessary to set up the standards of development in the DF (Development Flex) zoning district. This is consistent with every DF zoning district within the City.
All setbacks are listed within the proposed resolution for approval. Also included in the resolution are house size standards, exterior material standards and landscaping requirements.
Lennar is proposing to construct their Landmark Series of homes in this development. These homes are predominately two-stories with four bedrooms and will range in size from 2,000 square feet to 3,400 square feet. Lennar is also offering a rambler style plan that will have 1,900 square feet on the main level plus the ability to finish the basement. The anticipated base pricing will be in the low to mid $400,000’s.
All building facades will include varying amounts of brick or stone and the siding will be wood-fiber siding on the front and vinyl on the sides and rear of the homes. Other architectural features available include columns, board and batten, shake siding, shutters, accentuated window trim, horizontal banding, roof brackets and cornices.
Each lot in the development will have the standard two trees per lot with extra plantings on corner lots. The landscape plan also includes an extensive screening effort along Lever Street which will present a very nice border to the development. This landscaping will also help to meet tree preservation requirements. Approximately 24 acres will be disturbed during construction and the City’s tree preservation requirement includes replacing 8 trees per acre for all disturbed portions of the development. This would mean that 192 trees would be required for tree replacement purposes. The developer has proposed a total of 178 tree within this development, including individual lot landscaping. Prior to the release of the final plat mylars the developer will need to present an overall plan that includes 192 trees. This can be accomplished by adding the additional trees to the plan or oversizing a portion of the trees provided on the current plan.
Recommendation
By motion, approve the Resolution.
Attachments
See Report for Rezoning.
Body
WHEREAS, an application has been filed by Lennar Corporation as Conditional Use Permit Case File No. 18-0003; and
WHEREAS, a public hearing has been held by the Blaine Planning Commission on March 13, 2018; and
WHEREAS, the Blaine Planning Commission recommends said Conditional Use Permit be approved; and
WHEREAS, the Blaine City Council has reviewed said case on April 5 and April 19, 2018.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Blaine that a Conditional Use Permit is hereby approved per Section 29.80 of the Zoning Ordinance to allow for the construction of 56 single family lots in a DF (Development Flex) zoning district based on the following conditions:
Single Family - DF Development Standards
Permitted Uses
1. Single-family detached dwellings.
2. Group family daycare.
Accessory Uses
1. Private garages - one detached accessory structure, with area less than 120 square feet, will be permitted.
2. Private swimming pools/meeting the requirements of Blaine Municipal Code Section 6-121.
3. Keeping of not more than two (2) boarders and/or roomers per dwelling unit.
Conditional Uses
1. Home occupations listed as Conditional Uses fewer than 33.11.
Standards
1. Front yard setback - 20 feet
2. Side yard setback - 7.5feet for house and 7.5 feet for garage.
3. Corner side yard setback - 20 feet.
4. Rear yard setback - 30 feet
5. Maximum building height - 2 1/2 stories or 35 feet.
6. It shall be required for all single-family dwellings that there be an attached garage constructed of a minimum of four hundred (400) square feet, with no dimension less than 20 feet. Total garage space shall not exceed one thousand (1,000) square feet. Detached garages or accessory storage buildings above 120 square feet are not permitted. One detached accessory storage building below 120 square feet is permitted provided it meets 5-foot side and rear yard setbacks and be located within the rear yard.
7. The minimum finished floor area above grade for all homes shall be 1,884 square feet for a single level.
8. All homes shall have a minimum depth and width of 24 feet.
9. All homes to be constructed are to be consistent in architecture, materials and style with the drawings/elevations attached to this CUP. Use of premium materials such as brick, natural stone, stucco, cementious or engineered wood siding or shake shingle siding are to be used on all front elevations. Vinyl/metal siding can be utilized on the side and rear elevations. Care to be taken to utilize a variety of home styles, front elevations and colors to provide maximum housing variety within each neighborhood. Developer to establish criteria to ensure that adjacent single-family homes built within the development do not have the same exterior color or architectural elevations.
10. All residential dwellings must be built in conformance with the current edition of the Minnesota State Building Code.
11. Driveways shall not be constructed closer than 3 feet to the property line. All driveways and approaches shall be hard surfaced using concrete, bituminous asphalt or other City approved material that is consistent in durability and quality.
12. It shall be required that all yards of a new single-family dwelling be sodded over a minimum of 4 inches of topsoil (black dirt containing not more than 35 percent sand). Yards may be seeded over 4 inches of black dirt if underground irrigation is installed with the home.
13. Each lot shall contain one front yard tree and one boulevard tree with a minimum of 2½-inch caliper. Corner lots shall contain an additional yard tree.
14. Developer to execute and record, where deemed appropriate by the City Engineer, with the sale of single family lots, an affidavit indicating to homebuyers that the soils located in the rear and side yards of the single family lots have not been corrected to accommodate general building construction or pools and that additional effort may be required, by the homeowner, to stabilize those soils before additional construction could occur.
15. All development entrance signage by separate permit.
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Blaine this 19th day of April, 2018.