Agenda - Planning Commission - 04/07/2011

Home

Sample Lot Layouts • Requiring lots to be a suitable size for the houses built upon them and for the provision of yards and side yards that avoid crowding and afford privacy. • Requiring that streets and facilities in new areas harmonize with and complement existing features. • Requiring the subdivider to provide parks, trails, and other public places for the enjoyment of residents. • Requiring the subdivider to meet design standards that create a harmonious and aesthetically pleasing subdivision. 3. Preserve and protect vital natural resources. Subdivision standards help the city preserve and protect vital natural resources. Some typical examples include: • Requiring the preservation of trees, woodlands, and significant vegetation during the time of construction, and replanting after construction. • Setting standards for the location, size, and sealing of wells, septic tanks water and /or sewer systems to avoid pollution problems. • Preserving and encouraging green and open space by setting standards for lot layout, such as requiring cluster developments. • Requiring preservation of important wetlands during the grading and construction process. • Requiring erosion and sediment control during construction, and regulating grading of the development to minimize the potential for soil loss For each development built within a city on bare ground there are many possibilities for how the end product will look and interact with the surrounding city environs. A 20 -acre development can be subdivided a myriad of ways —to feature tightly clustered town homes surrounded by open space; 20 houses on one -acre lots on a straight grid pattern; or a middle ground of 10 houses, featuring cul -de -sacs and a shared park. Street patterns within the same 20 acres may also vary greatly, providing for cul -de -sacs and winding lanes, or broad heavy volume streets connected by feeder streets and alleys. 4 LEAGUE OF MINNESOTA. CITIES