Agenda - Planning Commission - 05/05/2011

Home

Gable Pines Seniors Housing Proposal 28 March 2011 Page 9 There would be a patio on the eastern side of the building near the house / office. The patio would be screened with a hedge of Techny Arborvitae and Black Hills Spruce. All exterior lighting would be limited to the western side of the building, around the parking area. Thus, there would be no light glare directed toward the housing to the east. Sidewalks and Paved Paths: There would be sidewalks around the perimeter of the parking lot and down the middle of the island in the parking lot. A large canopy would protect the drop-off area at the front entrance from rain and snow. Five-foot concrete sidewalks are proposed to be built by the developer from (a) the parking lot to the sidewalk that exists along County Road E, (b) the parking lot entrance to County Road E along Judson Road and (c) the emergency exit of the southwestern wing to the sidewalk along the parking lot (this may require a culvert). The sidewalk along Judson Road should be six feet wide to conform to City standards. A six-foot asphalt walking path would be built around the southern end of the building from the parking lot to the eastern patio. The Fire Depaitment requests that a six-foot asphalt branch path be added from that path to the southern property line at the northeastern corner of the existing RPM parking lot. Once again, a culvert or similar City -approved solution may be necessary. Traffic: I believe that the road system can easily accommodate the additional traffic generated by this project while maintaining a good level of service. The expected traffic generation by the development would be low -- on the order of 200 to 300 trips per day. The traffic signal planned at the intersection of County Road E and International Drive will help create more gaps in the traffic on E, which will aid westbound left turns from Judson Road. Also, some of the traffic may choose to use Willow Lake Boulevard. Facade Architecture: The architectural design of the proposed seniors housing is entirely residential in character. The facade would consist primarily of brick, the roof would be pitched and covered with asphalt shingles, and the windows would be recessed and include muntins (dividers) and stone lintels. The facade would be broken into smaller sections by use of alternative brick glazing, alternative materials, gables and stone accents. Other Visual Considerations: The proposed seniors housing would be visually screened from view from the housing to the east by three features: • The existing mature trees on the rear of the single-family lots • The proposed landscaping on the development site • The change in elevation. A site landscaping plan has been prepared by a professional landscape architect. The eastern edge of the development site would be planted with Red Pines, Black Hills Spruce, Austrian Pines, Balsam Firs, Northern Red Oaks, Sumacs and Aspen. Along the building would be Swamp White Oaks and Bur Oaks plus foundation plantings consisting of Serviceberrys Alpine Currants and Techny Arborvitae. 3824 Huntington Avenue St. Louis Park, Minnesota 55416 952.451.4818 bill@weberplanning.com