Agenda - Council Work Session - 08/13/2013

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COUNCIL MEMO FORM 1 Meeting Date 1 Agenda Section 1 Item Description Submitted By August 5, 2013 Planning Commission RES;/Preliminary Plat; Rum River Shores Crystal Paumen, ACIP, Associate Planner BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Landmark Development of Anoka is requesting preliminary plat approval for a 44 single family lot subdivision. The property is zoned Sensitive Development District and the developable property is approximately 22.5 acres. The portion proposed to be developed into single family lots is part of a larger system of property that now has a conservation easement over the property. In 2007, a perpetual conservation easement was granted by the City of Anoka over approximately 200 acres to the north. The property retained for development is the 22.5 acres that is a currently a farm field. There is an additional strip of property about 100 feet wide immediately adjacent to the Rum River that is also part of the conservation easement. The City of Anoka is the property owner and the Anoka County Conservation District administers the easement and management plan. The preliminary plat proposal is for 44 single family lots with one access point off of County Road 116/Bunker Lake Boulevard and another public street connection to 6th Avenue, north of the Anoka County Library. The residential subdivision also includes a proposal to mitigate erosion on the riverbank that is being undermined along the Rum River west of the subdivision. Photos of the current condition are included in the packet. The role of the Planning Commission is to review the regulatory authority of this proposal. The area is owned by the City of Anoka and has a conservation easement over the property. The Anoka Conservation District is responsible to oversee the conservation easement documents and management plan to review that all improvements within the easement are consistent with the conservation values. In general, the easement is intended to provide a public benefit by protection of natural habitat of fish, wildlife and plants; protection of the water quality of the Rum River; preserving the open and natural character of the protected property for low - impact recreation and scenic enjoyment by the general public within the property and from the Rum River; and protection of natural habitat for wildlife and plants, both terrestrial and aquatic. The complete proposal includes stabilizing the toe (bottom of the slope where land meets the water), removing the vegetation on the bluff, replanting with native plant species that will screen views from the river, and regrading the bank to create a middle tier trail and easier access to the toe in the future. The two tiers will be graded at a 3:1 slope with the trail in the middle of the slope on the shelf. On May 20th, the Conservation District Board met and approved moving forward with a river bank plan and directed the District Manager to work with the Developer to come up with a design that is consistent with the conservation values and design a tier trail approach to stabilize the bank. From the toe of the Rum River, the 1st tier would be a 3:1 slope and then it would flatten out like a shelf where a trail would be located. The 2nd tier would be a 3:1 slope and then would flatten to the private single family lots. The discussion of the Conservation District Board focused on stabilizing the toe and protecting the water quality of the river which is a priority of the Conservation District. The timing of the development and the opportunity to partner with the Developer now for funding, design, and labor are key components to the discussion of this project. The riverbank restoration is a partnership with the Anoka County Conservation District, Developer, Minnesota DNR, City of Anoka, and Lower Rum River Water Management Organization. Right now there is an opportunity to get greater access to the bank and toe with more choices to stabilize the bank and most likely a less costly method to stabilize and address the erosion that is occurring on the bank. The goal is to protect the river long-term, preserve water quality, stabilize the bank, take out the invasive species, replant with appropriate vegetation and monitor the area to create a stable slope.