DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS - Bryan K. Schafer, Planning and Community Development Director
Title
SECOND READING
REZONING FROM FR (FARM RESIDENTIAL) TO DF (DEVELOPMENT FLEX) AT THE NE QUADRANT OF LEVER STREET & 125TH AVE. EXCELSIOR GROUP. (CASE FILE NO. 17-0029/SLK)
Schedule of Actions
|
Planning Commission (Public Hearing) |
09/12/17 |
|
City Council (1st Reading) |
10/05/17 |
|
City Council (2nd Reading, Pre-Plat, CUP) |
10/19/17 |
|
Action Deadline |
11/16/17 |
Planning Commission Action
The Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the rezoning. There were comments at the public hearing related to drainage of the plat, the proposed location of the road entering the development on Lever Street, and buried construction debris on the proposed plat.
Background
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). Lot 1 Block 6 is being platted for the existing home that will retained on 125th Avenue and will remain FR (Farm Residential).
Preliminary Plat
The preliminary plat proposal consists of subdividing approximately 109 acres into a subdivision with a total of 211 new dwelling units and a lot for an existing home. The preliminary plat also includes outlots for ponds, drainage, and wetlands. This application proposes single-family homes and detached townhomes.
Because the developer is proposing different housing styles with different design issues, platting requirements, lot sizes, markets and price ranges, the DF (Development Flex) zoning is proposed to establish the minimum standards for each of these areas.
Neighborhood Description
In summary, Oakwood Ponds development is proposed to contain the following:
• 52- 80 foot Single-Family Lots
• 115- 65 foot Single-Family Lots
• 44- Detached Townhomes (Villa Homes)
The single-family lots are proposed to be 80 and 65 feet in width, and the typical depth being 135 feet. These homes will be enhanced with impressive exterior architectural details. The homes will include brick, stone, Hardie/LP (fiber cement) siding on the front elevation, and varying gables and hip rooflines. The floor plans would provide 1,600-4,400 square feet of finished area. The estimated price range will start at $350,000 for the 65 foot wide lots and the 80 foot wide lots will be $375,000-$500,000.
All single-family units are proposed to be constructed with a minimum 25-foot front yard setbacks and 30-foot rear yard setbacks.
The applicant is also proposing to construct detached single family Villa Homes. The homes will consist of a rambler layout including an owner’s suite on the main level with additional bedrooms and living space on the lower level. The proposed unit will have 1,600 to 1,900 square feet of finished square footage on the main level. The homes will include brick, stone, Hardie/LP (fiber cement) siding on the front elevation. The homeowner will be required to be a part of an association that would cover yard maintenance and snow removal. The homeowner would be responsible to provide exterior building maintenance. The estimated price range will start in the low $300,000. The attached floor plan identifies a garage width of less than 20 feet, a condition has been added that requires no dimension less than 20 feet. This requirement is consistent with other similar approvals.
The required landscaping in the single-family area consists of one boulevard and one front yard tree per lot plus an additional tree per lot to meet the tree replacement requirement. Site grading will remove a significant number of trees over the 105 acres that will be disturbed. 735 of those trees need to be replaced per City ordinance.
Because of the proximity of portions of this development to 125th Avenue it is recommended that Noise Abatement Standards be incorporated into all housing constructed within 500 feet of 125th Avenue.
ENGINEERING ITEMS
The developer has responsibility to construct 125th Avenue NE intersection improvements associated with this development. Anoka County has specified required improvements in their plat review.
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.
Developer and staff will work together to identify areas of the plat where additional trees can be saved through the use of custom grading, retaining walls, and by structure design.
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 $ 384,846. The Blaine City Council held a public hearing and ordered improvements on July 13, 2017 (City Project No. 17-07). The Oakwood Ponds 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 2017 rate of $6,300/acre for Sanitary Sewer District 7 will apply to all upland acreage if platted in 2017.
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 insure 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.
Rice Creek Watershed District review and permit is required.
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.
In Planning Case File No. 17-0029 it is recommended that the Planning Commission recommend approval of Rezoning based on the following conditions:
1. The DF zoning standards to be incorporated are consistent with and will complement homes and housing options that have been constructed within recent master planned developments. The standards will create an attractive benchmark of quality multi-family homes with desired range in appearance, style, density, and construction value and market appeal.
2. The DF zoning district allows the City the opportunity to have some flexibility when approving developments that warrant higher standards than what is allowed with the traditional zoning districts. It affords the City the opportunity to provide input on items that would benefit the surrounding neighborhoods and the City as a whole.
Recommendation
By motion, approve the Ordinance.
Attachments
Zoning and Location Map
Preliminary Plat (6)
Utility Plan (2)
Grading Plan (7)
Lot Exhibit
Ghost Plat
80 foot wide lot - elevations and floor plans (4)
65 foot wide lot - elevations and floor plans (6)
Villas - elevations and floor plans (2)
Narrative
Body
THE CITY OF BLAINE DOES ORDAIN: (Added portions are underscored and deleted portions are shown in brackets with overstrike.)
Section 1. The Official Zoning Map of the Zoning Code of the Municipal Code of the City of Blaine is hereby amended to change the zoning classification of the following described property:
The Northwest Quarter of the Southeast Quarter of Section1, Township 31, Range 23, Anoka County, Minnesota.
AND
The Northeast Quarter of the Southeast Quarter and the Southeast Quarter of the Southeast Quarter all in Section 1, Township 31, Range 23, except the East 660 feet of said Southeast Quarter of the Southeast Quarter as measured along the North and South lines of the Southeast Quarter of the Southeast Quarter, and also except Parcel 6, Anoka County Highway Right-of-Way Plat No. 50.
AND
That part of the East Half of the East Half of the Southwest Quarter of the Southeast Quarter of Section 1, Township 31, Range 23, lying north of the centerline of Anoka County Ditch No. 32, Branch 10, Anoka County, Minnesota.
Section 2. The above described property is hereby rezoned from:
[FR (Farm Residential)]
to
DF (Development Flex)
Section 3. The City Manager is hereby directed to make the appropriate changes in the Official Zoning Map of the City of Blaine to reflect and show the changes in zoning classification as set forth above.
INTRODUCED and read in full this 5th day of October, 2017.
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Blaine this 19th day of October 2017.