Agenda - Council Work Session - 02/12/2013

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CC Work Session 2. 1. Meeting Date: 02/12/2013 By: Tim Gladhill, Community Development Title: FOR DISCUSSION ONLY: Receive Presentation from the Charter School Fund in Regards to Potential Charter School Development Background: Staff has received a request from The Charter School Fund to explore potential sites in Ramsey for a future charter school. The Charter School Fund desires a project schedule that would allow them to open a facility in the fall of 2014. In these initial discussions, Staff has focused on broad policy topics before encouraging the potential Developer to develop plans for the site. These topics include, but are not limited to, density, floor area ratio, architectural standards and viewsheds, and potential tax outcomes. Staff has been working on scheduling a date for a presentation by The Charter School Fund. Representatives from the Charter School Fund will be traveling from out of state to the area on February 12th, so this topic report has been prepared to accomodate that schedule. At the February 5th, 2013 Ramsey Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) Meeting, Staff noted that this user had approached the City for review. The HRA directed Staff to schedule a presentation to review the proposed use in more detail. This topic report is not meant to provide a full analysis of the potential project. This topic report is intended to provide The Charter School Fund an opportunity to present the background on a project that they are considering within the City. The Charter School Fund would then use the feedback from the discussion to help formulate their final decision whether or not to move forward with a project. Notification: As this is for discussion purposes only, no notification is required at this time. Ob servations /Alternatives: There are a number of topics to consider for this potential user. To assist in the review process, Staff has organized topics for discussion this evening into two (2) categories: land use and financial considerations. A formal submittal has not yet been presented to the City at this time, but the potential Developer desires to present the concept to the City Council and HRA. As the topics for discussion with this case focus first on the broader topics of land use /zoning and tax considerations, the case is first being forwarded to the City Council. The potential Developer is looking for feedback from the City Council as to how the proposal fits within the overall Development Plan for The COR as well as the Comprehensive Plan for the City. Staff will summarize the discussions with the potential Developer that were presented at meetings with Staff on January 16th and January 29th, 2013. Land Use and Zoning Private and Public Schools are typically permitted uses within the Public /Quasi - Public, except for in The COR, in which the accepted sub - district is COR -3a. Due to the unique needs and outcomes of this type of use, a Zoning Amendment to the Official Zoning Map is typical for addressing this type of use. The potential Developer is proposing to construct a facility of approximately 60,000 to 80,000 square feet on a fourteen (14) acre parcel. This would equate to a Floor Area Ratio range of approximately 0.10 to 0.15. The Minimum FAR in the COR -3 Sub - District is 0.25. Part of the overall site size need is related to athletic field space. If directed, Staff would work to identify further solutions, and alternatives for the Developer, to address Floor Area Ratio. As the site plan review would unfold, the City would need to study potential traffic impacts. Access to existing and