DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS - Bryan K. Schafer, Planning and Community Development Director
Title
GRANTING A COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN AMENDMENT TO CHANGE THE CURRENT LAND USE OF 40 ACRES FROM HDR (HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL)/MDR (MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL)/CC (COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL) TO HDR/PC (HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL/PLANNED COMMERCIAL) ON THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF 125TH AVENUE NE/JEFFERSON STREET. CITY OF BLAINE. (CASE FILE NO. 18-0025/LSJ)
Schedule of Actions
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Planning Commission (Public Hearing) |
04/10/18 |
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City Council (Comp Plan Amendment) |
05/03/18 |
Planning Commission Action
The Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the comprehensive land use plan amendment. Comments at the public hearing included concern for impacts to the neighborhood, buffering, increase and speed of traffic, increased noise, pedestrian safety, property values and the extension of Jefferson Street to the north.
Background
As you know, the City is in the process of updating its overall Comprehensive Plan that guides planning decisions through the year 2040. Staff expects the Comprehensive Plan document will be submitted to the Metropolitan Council for their review and approval in June 2018. There are several steps to that approval process with the Met Council, but staff would expect that the Met Council would review and approve the overall plan in the 1st quarter of 2019 (February-March).
Staff has prepared three (3) land use amendments in the draft documents to the Planning Commission and City Council which are related to developments that would potentially like to begin work prior to the overall plan being approved by the Metropolitan Council. In order to facilitate development activity that would likely begin late summer or fall, staff is going to present these as individual amendments to the Met Council earlier than June so the approval process by the Met Council does not delay the proposed development activity this summer. These three items include the Cedar Point apartment project (on this evening’s agenda), the sewer boundary change at 131st Avenue and Legacy Creek Parkway (on this evening’s agenda) and a proposed change to the land use for a development on the southwest corner of Jefferson Street and 125th Avenue (this report).
Staff has been presented with preliminary site plans for the southwest corner of Jefferson Street and 125th Avenue. The developer/property owner is not ready to come forward with a proposed development at this time due to some wetland-related work that needs to be done this spring before a formal application can be made. The proposed development would include commercial uses including a possible grocery user, other retail or office and a possible senior or multi-family housing facility. In order to provide land use flexibility to support those uses, staff is recommending that the land use for this property have a blanket land use of HDR (High Density Residential)/CC (Community Commercial). This has been used successfully at several other sites.
This proposed land use change is not very different from the land use currently on the property which already includes high density residential as well as commercial uses. The only thing being removed from this property is a land use designation of MDR (Medium Density Residential).
When formal applications are made the Planning Commission and City Council will see the plans for the project and the neighborhood will be notified of the public hearing process. Staff has decided not to include a formal plan with this land use change as the overall layout and mixture of uses will likely change before a formal application is made. Any submittal made would need to be consistent with the HDR/PC land use categories.
Recommendation
By motion, approve the Resolution.
Attachments
Existing Land Use
Proposed Land Use
Public Comment
Body
WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 462.355, Subdivision 2, prescribes the procedure for amending the Comprehensive Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission held a public hearing on April 10, 2018, and recommended approval regarding the Comprehensive Plan amendment request for:
THE NORTHEAST QUARTER OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 7, TOWNSHIP 31, RANGE 23, ANOKA COUNTY, MN.
WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed the Comprehensive Plan amendment request and finds the change to be in general conformance to the adopted Comprehensive Plan for land use compatibility; and
WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes that this amendment requires the review and approval of the Metropolitan Council and that the proposed amendment cannot be implemented until that occurs.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Blaine that the land use plan be amended to change portions of the property, as described above, and based on land use maps contained within Case File No. 18-0025, to change the current land use of 40 acres from HDR (High Density Residential)/MDR (Medium Density Residential)/CC (Community Commercial) to HDR/PC (High Density Residential/Planned Commercial) on the southwest corner of 125th Avenue NE/Jefferson Street based on the following rationale:
1. The proposed land use change is generally consistent with the current land use of the property, which would not substantially change the future development of the property.
2. The proposed land use is consistent with the type of development always planned for this property in recent years.
3. The blanket HDR/PC provides the property owner and City more flexibility in the positioning of buildings and uses.
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Blaine this 3rd day of May, 2018.