DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS - Lori Johnson, City Planner
Title
SECOND READING
GRANTING A REZONING FROM FR (FARM RESIDENTIAL) TO DF (DEVELOPMENT FLEX) FOR 174 ACRES AT LEXINGTON AVENUE AND 109TH AVENUE NE. ALLIANCE BANK (NORTH MEADOWS/WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT INC.) (CASE FILE NO. 19-0043/LSJ)
Schedule of Actions
|
Planning Commission (Public Hearing) |
02/12/20 |
|
City Council (1st Reading) |
03/02/20 |
|
City Council (2nd Reading) |
04/20/20 |
|
Action Deadline |
05/04/20 |
Planning Commission Action
The Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the rezoning. There were comments at the public hearing regarding traffic, loss of open space, wetland concerns and density concerns.
Background
Wellington Management, Inc. has requested approval for the development of land north of 109th Avenue at the Austin Street alignment. The proposal includes 258 lots on 174 acres. The majority of the lots will be residential lots of varying types, with three of the lots planned for commercial/industrial uses in the future. The development will be known as North Meadows. Lennar is the proposed home builder within this plat.
At the City Council meeting staff will provide a brief history of the land uses on the northwest corner of 109th Avenue and Lexington Avenue, to compare those land uses to what is being proposed at this time.
The site currently has a zoning designation of FR (Farm Residential) and a land use of P/OS (Parks/Open Space) for the residential portion of the development and PI/PC (Planned Industrial/Planned Commercial) for the commercial portion of the development. With the approval of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan by the Metropolitan Council this spring, the single family/twinhome portion of the site will have a LDR (Low Density Residential) land use designation. The townhome portion of the site will have a PI/PC/HDR (Planned Industrial/Planned Commercial/High Density Residential) land use designation, therefore, all land uses that are proposed at this time can be accommodated through the Comprehensive Plan. There is a condition that has been added that states no work can occur on site until the 2040 Comprehensive Plan is approved by the Met Council.
Rezoning
The proposed zoning for the development, including the commercial/industrial/high density lots, is DF (Development Flex). This is the preferential district for all new single family development in Blaine as it allows flexibility on design issues that can benefit both the city and the developer to provide a market driven product. The DF zoning for the commercial lots is also beneficial if setbacks can be negotiated in order to get the optimal uses on these sites. The conditional use permit will require that all uses on the commercial lots conform to the PBD (Planned Business District) standards.
Preliminary Plat
A total of 258 lots are being proposed in the North Meadows plat. The lots can be broken down as follows:
• 72 single family lots (60-foot wide lots, approx.)
• 54 twinhome lots (40-50-foot wide lots, approx.)
• 128 townhome lots
• 3 commercial/industrial/high density residential lots
• 1 common lot (for townhome area)
• 6 outlots (will be used for ponding/storm water purposes and one for a trail access)
All residential lots will be developed by Lennar. Lennar has a well-established presence in the city with many different lot sizes and products available. The commercial lots, while not being developed at this time, are being platted and rezoned for future commercial use. Please see the narrative from the applicant regarding this project for more information.
Park dedication will be required for the 258 lots being proposed at this time. Park dedication will be required to be paid by the developer at the rate in effect at the time of final plat approval and prior to the mylars for each phase being released for recording at Anoka County. Park dedication will be based on the uses provided in the plat. Based on the proposed plat, the breakdown of the park dedication would be required as follows:
• 255 residential lots at the rate of $4,449 per unit for a total of $1,134,495.
• 3 commercial lots (8.4 acres) at the rate of $8,704 per acre for a total of $73,114.
Given that the three commercial/industrial lots are not being developed at this time, it is likely that the rate listed above will change. The breakdown above simply provides a picture of what the park dedication fee could look like.
Outlot F is being proposed as a trail access location to the Wetland Sanctuary on city owned property immediately north of the single family lots being proposed. The city has envisioned that a trail will be located within the Wetland Sanctuary and this residential development should have adequate access to this trail. The exact trail location is unknown at this time. The city would also like to install a small parking lot within this outlot to provide other avenues for residents of the city as a whole to access the Wetland Sanctuary. The trail access and a 13-stall parking lot should be located in this outlot as well as a drive to a small cul-de-sac that will sit on city owned property. An unscaled version of this proposal is included in the packet for review.
The city is requesting that the developer deed Outlot F to the city with no credit for park dedication fees based on the value of this land. The city is also requesting that the developer construct all of the above listed improvements at the time of development, and the city will give the developer park dedication credit for the cost of the improvements only. Details have not been finalized on these costs at this time, but this arrangement will be fully detailed in the development agreement associated with this plat. It should also be noted that this construction will need a permit from the Rice Creek Watershed District, which will be a separate permit from the overall grading and site development permit.
The west residential portion of the plat will be accessed via an entrance from 109th Avenue (CSAH 12) at the Naples Street alignment. The developer will need to construct the access improvements on 109th Avenue (CSAH 12) as determined by Anoka County and will need to obtain a permit from them for any proposed work in their right-of-way. The internal streets labeled as X and Y will be constructed to city standards and will have a 6 foot concrete sidewalks on the east and south side of Street X and the east side of Street Y. A water main will be extended south on the Naples Street alignment to provide a looped system to this portion of the development.
Austin Street will be constructed from 109th Avenue (CSAH 12) north to 112th Avenue. Austin Street will also have an 8 foot bituminous trail on the west side of the street. The developer has submitted a traffic study based on the proposed development including the outlots as commercial and HDR land uses. The traffic study recommends several mitigation measures such as a traffic signal at the intersection of 109th Avenue at Austin St, extending turn lanes on Lexington Avenue at 109th Avenue. Again, the developer will need to construct the access improvements on 109th Avenue and Lexington Avenue based on and determined by Anoka County and will need to obtain a permit from them for any of the proposed work in their right-of-way.
Conditional Use Permit
A conditional use permit is required for the residential construction through the DF zoning district. This conditional use permit will set up the standards for approval for the single family homes, the twin homes and the town homes.
Lennar has submitted a narrative of the types of homes they are proposing to construct. In summary, the details of each type of housing are as follows:
• Villa units - 1,300 to 1,900 square feet and a price range between $345,000 and $385,000.
• Twinhome units - 1,600 to 1,620 square feet and a price range between $315,000 and $330,000.
• Colonial Manor townhome units (back to back style) - 1,700 to 1,800 square feet and a price range between $265,000 and $295,000.
• Colonial Patriot townhome units (row style) - 1,800 to1,900 square feet and a price range between $285,000 and $317,000.
Villa Units
The villa units being proposed will be located on the west portion of the site as described on the attached plat. These are single story homes on somewhat smaller lots. Exterior materials include vinyl lap siding, board and batton, shakes, and stone elements. A variety of exterior elevatons are available to property owners. Setbacks for these homes are listed in in the resolution of approval. The roads in this area will be public roads.
Twinhome Units
The twinhome units being proposed are also on the west portion of the site as described on the attached plat. The twinhomes will utilize the same exterior materials as the villa units. The exterior elevations that have been submitted are conceptual at this time, but they provide a good indication of what the units will look like. Setbacks for these units are listed in the resolution of approval. The roads in this area will be public roads.
Townhome Units
The townhomes being proposed are on the west side of Austin Street within the plat. Two types of townhomes are being proposed; row style units and back to back units. They will utilize the same exterior materials as the single family and twinhome units. The elevations are included for your review. A condition has been added that all units facing the exterior of the townhome portion of the plat (as shown on the plat drawing) should have a masonry product added to the elevations. These areas will be viewed by other residential homes or the traveling public and it is important to provide a desirable appearance in these areas. The townhome development will be required to go through site plan approval before any work can begin on this site. The roads in this area will be private roads.
Landscape Plan
Each villa and twinhome must have two overstory front yard trees. Each corner lot shall have an additional tree. In addition, an enhanced landscape plan has been provided on the north side of the pond located in Outlot C adjacent to the single family homes in the Sanctuary Preserve development. An enhanced landscaping plan is provided on the east side of the twinhomes adjacent to Outlot B to mitigate the noise from 109th Avenue for those homes.
The developer has proposed an 8-foot privacy fence on the south side of Lots 5 and 6, Block 3. Staff has added a condition that this fence be a maintenance free vinyl fence, and also added to the rear of Lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 10, Block 3.
The townhome area must have one overstory, one ornamental tree and one conifer tree per unit on the landscape plan. Additional landscaping is provided on the west side of the townhome area adjacent to Outlot B.
The landscape plan that has been provided meets these requirements and it should be noted that this plat is removing a considerable amount of trees. Over 30 acres of treed land is being cleared. The city’s tree preservation ordinance requires that tree replacement must occur at the rate of 8 trees per disturbed acre. In this case, 243 trees will be required for tree replacement. With all individual lot landscaping requirements, townhome plan requirements and buffer areas proposed, the landscape plan exceeds the tree replacement requirement.
Since the date of the first reading of the rezoning, staff has added a condition that redirects some of the trees proposed in the rear yards of the twinhome lots adjacent to Outlot A to the rear yards of the villa lots (Lots 1-18, Block 1) on the east side of the development. Ultimately, one rear yard tree should be placed on Lots 1-18, Block 1 of the proposed plat. All other landscape requirements must also be met. (This may mean that the overall tree requirement goes up.)
All units within the plat, regardless of the distance from 109th Avenue, will be required to utilize the noise abatement standards from the zoning ordinance.
NOTE: All uses shown on the commercial lots are considered conceptual and are not being proposed at this time. If the developer wishes to pursue the construction of an apartment project on these lots as is conceptually shown, a comprehensive land use amendment will be required. When the uses for these lots are known, each use/lot will be required to obtain a conditional use permit. The public would be notified again of any future proposals.
Recommendation
By motion, approve the Ordinance.
Attachments
Zoning and Location Map
Comprehensive Plan Illustrations
Narrative from Wellington
Colored Site Plan
Preliminary Plat
Site Plans
Grading Plans
Tree Preservation Plan
Landscape Plans
Trail Parking Lot Drawing
Narrative from Lennar
Housing Details and Plans
Phasing Plan
Public Comments
Letter - Sanctuary Preserve
Remove Townhome Masonry Requirement
Lennar Product Lineup
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:
PARCEL 1:
OUTLOT E, GLENN MEADOWS
PARCEL 2:
OUTLOT G, GLENN MEADOWS
PARCEL 3:
OUTLOT C, CORRECTED PLAT OF SANCTUARY PRESERVE
PARCEL 4:
LOT 1, BLOCK 2, CORRECTED PLAT OF SANCTUARY PRESERVE
PARCEL 5:
LOT 2, BLOCK 2, CORRECTED PLAT OF SANCTUARY PRESERVE
PARCEL 6:
LOT 3, BLOCK 2, CORRECTED PLAT OF SANCTUARY PRESERVE
PARCEL 7:
LOT 4, BLOCK 2, CORRECTED PLAT OF SANCTUARY PRESERVE
PARCEL 8:
LOT 5, BLOCK 2, CORRECTED PLAT OF SANCTUARY PRESERVE
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 2nd day of March, 2020.
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Blaine this 20th day of April, 2020.