Agenda - Council - 12/16/2003 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The applicant provided an extensive tree inventory as part of the tree preservation plan as part of the preliminary plat submittal. The information supplied indicated about 30 trees would be removed in order to construct the road and utilities. The remaining trees on the new lots will be preserved initially and these lots will be custom graded. As part of the building permit, Staff will require information showing which trees will be removed. Under the Development Agreement, the Staff will need to approve the tree removal plan prior to the issuance of the building permit. Therefore, work on the site will need to conform to the tree preservation plan dated August 5, 2002. The proposed plat is considered low density residential and is bounded on the east and north by Highlands at River Park, a low density single-family development. The development property abuts four lots (3 lots fully back up to the development and the fourth has 25 feet sharing a common boundary) to the west that are also in the Metropolitan Urban Service Area and eligible for redevelopment with single family homes at urban densities. The four lots are all served by septic systems and private wells and range from 0.83 to 0.87 acres in size. The existing houses on these lots are located on one side of the lot, making replatting very feasible. The density transition ordinance does not clearly state what the requirements would be, if any, in situations where the adjacent property is in the MUSA, zoned the same, but currently consists of larger lots. Subd. 3.b.l.(a) of the ordinance would seem to indicate that no transitioning is required. Subd. 3.b.l.(b) of the ordinance could be broadly interpreted to require a Level C Vegetative Buffer (45 foot wide landscape with overstory, evergreen, and understory trees). Additionally, there is always the possibility of an 'alternative agreed upon by the Developer and the City' iftransitioning is determined to be appropriate in these instances. Given the fact that the adjacent lots are in the MUSA and are configured to be able to be replatted in the future, staff proposes that landscape buffering be used to satisfy the density transition requirements as follows: a) Given the existing vegetation and what will remain, there is no need for additional screening on Lots 4 and 7. b) The addition of new plantings on the rear of Lots 5 and 6 where the existing tree cover will be removed for grading and utility purposes. c) The addition of new plantings on the rear of Lots 2 and 3 to supplement the existing tree cover. The applicant will provide the City a copy of a revised landscaping plan reflecting the above changes. Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the final subject to compliance with Staff Review Letter dated December 12, 2003 and the execution of the Development Agreement between the City and the Developer.