Agenda - Planning Commission - 10/04/2012

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Regular Planning Commission 6. 3. Meeting Date: 10/04/2012 Submitted For: Tim Gladhill By: Tina Goodroad, Community Development Information Title: PUBLIC HEARING: Request for Sketch Plan Review of NORTHGATE ADDITION (Minor Plat) and Request for Site Plan Review and Conditional Use Permit for Northgate Performing Arts Center at the North East Intersection of Sunwood Drive and Peridot St; Case of PSD, LLC and Northgate Church Background: Northgate Church is proposing construction of a performing arts center that will include 504 auditorium seats, two classrooms, nursery and lobby area on the property legally described as Ramsey Town Center 14th addition located at the northeast corner of Sunwood Drive and Peridot Street NW. In order to accomodate the request, the parcel must be platted as part of the request for NORTHGATE ADDITION. Notification: A public hearing is not required for the site plan review. However, Staff attempted to notify all property owners within 350 feet of the Subject Property of the request for a Conditional Use Permit and property owners within 700 feet of the Subject Property of the request for Sketch Plan Review of NORTHGATE ADDITION via Standard US Mail. The Public Hearing was published in the Anoka County Union. Observations: The Subject Property is zoned Mixed Use and is located within the COR3 Subdistrict. Institutional uses are a conditional use in this subdistrict. The Subject Property is located immediately west of the Allina Medical clinic and directly south of the PACT Charter school. The proposed structure is 15,242 square feet in size with a future expansion area identified on the site plan immediately north of the proposed structure of approximately 13,000 sq. ft. The minimum F.A.R in this subdistrict is 0.25; the proposed F.A.R. is 0.257 with this initial construction. The site will derive public access from a shared driveway with the Allina site to the east from Sunwood Drive. An existing access easement is recorded on the site. COR 3 requires that blocks be more internally oriented with driveways, parking lots and walkway connections in the center, ringed by buildings. The position of the proposed structure at the southwest corner of the site, shared drive access and proposed parking lot located to the side and rear of the structure meets the intent of this requirement. The COR3 setback from the street is 0-15 feet with at least 60% of any street frontage meeting this build to line. The proposed structure is located along this build to line on both the Sunwood Drive and Peridot Street NW elevations. The proposed building frontage on Sunwood Drive is 54% where 60% is required. The COR Design Framework allows for flexibility in meeting this frontage by allowing an architectural wall with a minimum height of 3 feet and a maximum of 4 1/2 feet to be used to meet this 60% building frontage requirement. This method has been successfully used to frame the Allina site. Staff recommends an extension of a similar wall, as along the Allina site, to fulfill the building frontage requirement and satisfy required parking lot screening for the proposed spaces facing Sunwood Drive. This addition will provide necessary consistency to the frontage of Sunwood Drive. The proposed building frontage along Peridot Street is 46%. When combined with the percentage along Sunwood Drive the total building to street frontage is 49%. The applicant has indicated a building addition in the northern portion of the site. Once this addition is complete the site will meet the required 60% frontage requirement along the Peridot Street. In the interim, proof of parking is planned where the addition will be situated which may result in parking facing Peridot Street NW. Since a building addition is planned it seems onerous to require an architectural wall if it will eventually be removed for the building addition. Staff recommends installation of landscape screening that meets the 3 feet height minimum along the entire west property line extending from the