Agenda - Planning Commission - 07/06/1999

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Review Letter: New Life Church Page 2 of 4 June 30, 1999 Access: The plan proposes to have one driveway access to St. Francis Boulevard NW that will line up with the existing 172"~ Avenue NW leading into the Fox Ridge Estates subdivision on the west side of T.H. #47. A copy of the plan has been forwarded to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) for comments. Architectural Standards: The proposed building is well below the maximum building height of 35 feet allowed by City Code. The proposed exterior finish is a combination of rock face concrete block and single score concrete block, which complies with City Code. Screening and Landscaping: Where any non-residential use is adjacent to residentially zoned/used property, City Code requires the non-residential use to provide a landscaped area along all streets and areas separating a non-residential use from a residential use. This landscaped area must be kept clear of all structures, storage and off-street parking. The non- residential use is required by City Code to provide screening and a 40-foot wide buffer. No screening is required where a non-residential use or parking lot is across the street from a residential zone on the side of the subject property building considered to be the front. Screening may consist of vegetation, berms or decorative fencing. In the case of the subject property, the church is a non-residential use and the surrounding properties are zoned residential. South of this property is Wirz's Nursery, a non-residential use, that has an existing line of coniferous trees that provide adequate screening. The existing trees to the east of the proposed building provide screening to the east. The property to the north of this site is currently vacant and 310 feet from the parking lot. Staff does not find additional screening is required at this time. The plan provides a 20-foot landscape buffer along T.H. #47. There is an existing row of 30 feet tall coniferous trees along the south property line, but the trees appear on aerial photographs to be located entirely on the neighboring property. The plan, however, indicates a portion of these trees lie on the subject property. Also, there is a row of existing 15 feet tall coniferous trees extending north and south to the east of the proposed church building. It appears that both of these existing rows of trees will be preserved. The plan proposes to transplant 11 coniferous trees from the site to the west property line along T.H. #47. New plantings include four Amur Maple trees along the west boulevard and three Flowering Crab trees along the west elevation of the building. The plan provides only a 35-foot landscaped buffer area on the south side of the property, and a 1 O-foot landscaped buffer area on the north side of the southern parcel. The plans must be modified to provide a 40-foot setback on the south. If the northerly parcel is ever developed by the church or sold for residential development, the church will need to provide the required 40~ foot setback on the north side of the site as well. As was previously stated, the plan meets the 20-foot setback requirement to the west.