Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 07/14/1994

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CASE REQUEST iFOR REVIEW OF PARK DEDICATION FOR CHESTNUT HILL ~ BASED ON REVISED PRELIMINARY PLAT; CASE OF JOHN PETERSON, GOOD VALUE HOMES By: Zoning Administrator Sylvia Frolik Background: On May 22, 1990, the Ramsey City Council granted preliminary plat approval to Chestnut Hill. As you may recall_, the park dedication for Chestnut H/Il was done in conjunction with Cedar Hills and Windemere Woods. Basically, the park dedication consisted of development of Emerald Pond Park, a trail system throughout the neighborhoods, and the remainder of the park dedication was to be satisfied by cash payments. In the vicinity of the final phase of Chestnut Hill, the park dedication agreed to was a cash payment only. Observations: The developer kas submitted an application to revise the final phase of Chestnut Hill. The preliminary plat was approved with a through street running west to the plat boundary, through a wetland, and then turning north to connect with what is now to be developed as Sunwood Drive. Since preliminary plat approval in 1990, wetland regulations have become more stringent and it is no longer possible to construct roads through wetlands, even with mitigation, if there is an alternative route. In this particular case, Good Value Homes has submitted a revised design proposal for the final phase of Chestnut Hill that extends 145th Lane as a through street to Sunwood Drive with minimal impact to the wetland. Because the proposed revision to the road alignment requires City approval, the City has the obligation of an additional review of the area. In that review, City Staff recommended to the Planning Commission that along with the revision to the road alignment, the City require the developer to provide a trail segment that would link Hunter's Hill park on the south to the trail along Sunwood Drive to the north. This recommendation was based upon Park and Recreation Commission and City Council directives in the 1994-1999 CapitaI Improvement Pro,am and the 1991 Comprehensive Plan to provide such linkages. Staff recommended that trail link be dedicated on the west side of the wetland. However, Good Value's property {tbuts that of Mr. Deemer on the west and the intent was to convey land on the west side of the ~oad to Mr. Deemer so that he could combine it with a portion of his adjacent property and plat '3 tots on the west side of the road. If the park trail were dedicated on the west side of the wetla ,n~, there would only be enough area remaining for Mr. Deemer to plat two lots. An alternative to getting the trail link and not reducing Mr. Deemer's developable property would be to extend the tr~til north to Sunwood Drive on the west side of Mr. Deemers proposed lots. The following items are enclosed for your information: a) b) c) d) e) Site location map Excerpt from 1993 approved prelimin ,ary plat for subject area Plat design without trail Pta~t design with trail segment west of wetland Plat design with trail segment west of Mr. Deemer's lots