|
Our Mission: To work together to responsibly grow our conununity, and to provie quality, cost-effective, an efficient government services
<br />CC Regular Session 7, 2,
<br />Meeting Date: 02/25/2014
<br />By: Chris Anderson, Community Development
<br />Information
<br />Title:
<br />Consider Adopting Resolutions #14-02-038 and #14-02-039 Regarding a Potential Cul-de-Sac on 171st Ave NW East of Rabbit St NW in Response to a
<br />Building Permit Application for a Single Family Home
<br />Purpose/Background:
<br />On October 21, 2013, the City received an application for a Building Permit for a single family home to be located on a parcel that is approximately ten (10)
<br />acres in size and is located off of 171st Ave NW, just east of Rabbit St (the "Subject Property"). Currently, 171st Ave NW terminates in a hammerhead rather
<br />than a cul-de-sac, resulting in only sixty-six (66) feet of public street frontage for the Subject Property rather than the required 200 feet. Staff has met with the
<br />owners of the Subject Property to review possible options available to them, including construction of a full size cul-de-sac, construction of a reduced size
<br />cul-de-sac, and/or application for a variance to the minimum required public road frontage.
<br />Notification:
<br />Notification is not required at this time.
<br />Observations/Alternatives:
<br />When the land to the west of the Subject Property was developed (Alicia Addition, circa early 1990s), the developer had proposed to provide permanent road
<br />easement from the intersection of Rabbit St and 171st Ave to the eastern limits of the plat (coincides with the property boundary of the Subject Property) rather
<br />than constructing the actual road. Both the Planning Commission and City Council wanted to see 171st Ave constructed to the limits of the plat to allow for the
<br />Subject Property to be developed in the future and made that a condition of the Alicia Addition plat approval. However, the approval did not require the
<br />construction of a cul-de-sac at the terminus of 171st Ave, which resulted in the existing hammerhead condition. Under current subdivision design standards, a
<br />cul-de-sac should have been required by the City instead of the allowed hammerhead condition. As the remainder of the case will illustrate, the reason this case
<br />is in front of the City Council at this time is there are current issues with the existing hammerhead, and the existing issues will stand to worsen with additional
<br />construction at the terminus of this street.
<br />Planning Staff circulated the Building Permit application information to members of the Development Review Committee (Public Works, Engineering, Police,
<br />Fire, Building, Economic Development) for feedback related to the lack of public road frontage. Concerns by both Public Safety and Public Works were raised
<br />regarding the existing conditions even without a home on the Subject Property. The primary concerns identified involved snow plowing (lacking adequate turn
<br />around space) and fire response (unhydranted area, not sufficient maneuvering space with an engine and drop tank in hammerhead). If a home were to be
<br />constructed on the Subject Property without addressing the road frontage issue, that would only compound these existing public safety concerns while creating
<br />additional concerns as well (if a driveway were installed off the hammerhead, where would snow storage be accommodated, where would garbage/recycling
<br />carts and mailbox be located?).
<br />The owners of the Subject Property are not proposing to develop the property in the traditional sense (e.g. they are not proposing to create any additional
<br />buildable lots), they are simply wanting to construct a single family home on the Subject Property. Since the Subject Property would only be improved with one
<br />home, a reduced size cul-de-sac may be acceptable as long as it met the minimum required dimensions to allow for proper maneuverability and snow storage,
<br />and complied with the other minimum design standards.
<br />The Subject Property owners have submitted a preliminary design and cost estimate for the construction of a fifty (50) foot radius cul-de-sac with an additional
<br />ten (10) feet of road easement (for snow storage purposes). City Staff have reviewed the design and cost estimate and find them both acceptable. However, the
<br />property owners have indicated that if they have to the bear the entire cost of this improvement, it would likely force them to sell the Subject Property and seek
<br />an alternative building site. If that occurred, the existing public safety concerns would remain and this same discussion would likely occur with a future owner of
<br />the Subject Property. Thus, due to the existing concerns with this stretch of 171st Ave, it may be in both the City and the Subject Property owners best interests
<br />to consider a cost -share partnership to facilitate the construction of a cul-de-sac.
<br />The cost estimate for the cul-de-sac is $35,475.00; however, Staff has identified a couple line items that could be reduced/eliminated, which would lower the
<br />cost estimate to $28,975.00. The City has some of the base material that could be provided (Subject Property owners would be responsible for hauling) as an
<br />in -kind contribution of about $1,000.00. Additionally, since the Subject Property is not being platted, a permanent road easement would be needed over the
<br />cul-de-sac as well. The value of that permanent road easement is estimated to be $11,500.00. Therefore, the City could consider purchasing the road easement
<br />and providing an in -kind contribution of the Class V gravel base material, for a total contribution of $12,500.00, toward the road improvement project that
<br />would ultimately address existing public safety issues.
<br />The Subject Property owners would like to get their Building Permit issued as soon as possible to commence construction (their current lease ends in June of
<br />this year and they are not able to extend it month to month beyond then). This would require issuing the Building Permit prior to the cul-de-sac being
<br />constructed. Thus, to ensure that the road improvement is completed in a timely fashion and complies with the minimum design standards, the following would
<br />need to be completed prior to issuance of the Building Permit:
<br />• Letter of Credit or Cash Escrow for 125% of the estimated cost of the road improvements
<br />. Executed Development Agreement outlining the terms of construction
<br />• Submission of an Owners and Encumbrances (0 & E) Report to establish marketable title
<br />. Executed Perpetual Road Easement Document
<br />
|