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Motion Carried. V oting Yes: Chairperson VanScoy, Board Members Nixt, Cleveland, and Rogers. Voting No: None. Absent: Board Member Hunt. Case #2: Public Hearing - Request for a Variance to Minimum Lot Size Requirements in the R-l Residential District; Case of City of Ramsey Chairperson VanScoy closed the regular portion of the Board of Adjustment meeting at 7: 17 p.m. in order to conduct the public hearing. Public Hearin2 Chairperson Van Scoy called the public hearing to order at 7:17 p.m. Presentation Associate Planner Gladhill explained the City is in the process of acquiring parcels to construct a third water tower and secure a permanent access to Elmcrest Park, located west of Saint Francis Boulevard and south of 16ih Avenue. He stated the City has begun to assemble parcels to' facilitate the right of way for Quicksilver Street and a proposed subdivision request will result in an existing lot of record being reduced to 1.57 acres, under the 2.5 minimum lot size for the R-l Rural Developing District. He indicated the land is currently owned by Alvin Goebel and although the City is the applicant in this case, Mr. Goebel will still need to be a party to the variance. He added in order to split the lots to facilitate the sale of land, the City is also in the process of subdividing the property for future right of way through a metes and bounds subdivision and requests of this nature are required to be heard by the City Council acting as the Board of Appeals. He further explained that this variance to platting requirements is a temporary, procedural variance; the two additional parcels created through the subdivision process will be required t6 be platted in the future and will be considered non-buildable until they are platted in accordance with City Code. He stated the result of the non-conformance to City Code is not the result of the property owner, but a need for an extension of Quicksilver Street on behalf of the City. He indicated this variance would generally continue to follow the Rural Performance Criteria in the Comprehensive Plan. He noted there is a typographical error on page 7 (Resolution Adopting Findings of Fact Relating to a Request for a Variance from Lot Size Requirements in the R-l Residential District) and explained this request is just for Lot .1, Block 1, Rabbit Run. Assistant City Engineer Himmer stated as the City was initially looking at this location for the proposed water tower and after perforpling more geotechnical analysis, it found the City would be required to expend approximately half a million dollars for pilings; as a result, staff identified alternative locations and in doing so, access to Elmcrest Park through a temporary easement from Quicksilver Street is required, which will expire when the permanent right of way is dedicated to that park. He indicated this represents a similar situation to the Town Center in that the property owner dedicated the easement prior to getting a mortgage on the land. He added the owner of the subject property is Alvin Goebel who is a partner in Oakwood; Oakwood owns all the surrounding parcels in this location and would continue to own the remnant and the City would Board of Adjustment/January 8, 2009 Page 4 of7