Agenda - Council - 10/22/2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I on the right-of-way. The stub road to going to the west will be preserved as an outlot and the alignment for the stub road to the east will be incorporated into the larger outlot. Under City Ordinances, townhome developments shall have a minimum of 40% of the development property as open space for the enjoyment of its residents. The prelim/nary plat meets this standard. Of the 40% open space, 10% of the open space is required to be grouped together in a way that is easily identifiable and used as common space. In the sketch plan, the developer indicated that in a future phase, they will be constructing a community building that will serve the residents of this development. The City will count this as meeting the 10% common space requirement. However, if the community building is not built, the developer will be responsible for creating the required common space in future phases. The developer has submitted a tree protection plan. Currently the City has no ordinances governing tree preservation. However, a task' force has been set up-to prepare an ordinance governing tree preservation. The Planning Commission reviewed the tree protection plan at their September 5, 2002 meeting and found it to be generally acceptable. The City of Ramsey has recently adopted a density transition ordinance that took effect on September 30, 2002. As part of the site plan submittal, the applicant has provided the City with information on how the western property lines would have landscape buffering in. accordance with the new ordinance. The applicant is, for the most part, meeting the buffering requirement when a R-2 use is adjacent to a R-1 urban single family use (the lots to the west are within the MUSA). The applicant is showing a minimum of 35 feet of space in common ownership (the buffeting required under the ordinance is 25 feet). The ordinance calls for 20 understory, 20 evergreen, and 20 overstory trees along the western perimeter of the plat. The applicant is showing 20 understory, 26 overstory trees and 25 evergreen trees. Where the proposed single family lots abut the existing single family lots, the applicant is showing some screening even though the ordinance does not require it. The applicant is also showing the installation df landscape buffeting between the new single family lots and the two unit townhomes. The project is also subject to the review and permitting process of the Lower Rum River Watershed Management Organization (WMO) and MPCA. Comments regarding the drainage, grading, and utility plans are contained in the staff review letter. The Planning Commission conducted the preliminary plat public hearing on August 29, 2002. The Commission closed the public heating and tabled action on the request for preliminary plat approval until the regular meeting scheduled for September 5, 2002. The Planning Commission requested that they be provided with additional information on September 5 relating to the following issues: a) alternatives to actual construction of the proposed stub roads providing future access to the west and southeast (Kuechle and Bridwell properties); b) alignment of sewer trunk lines through the wetlands of Fox Knoll; c) corrections to grading and drainage plan in the vicinity of the western comer of the Bridwell' property; d) traffic generation report; e) more details and clarity needed on the tree preservation exhibit; f) density transitioning provisions. -299-