Minutes - Planning Commission - 01/02/2003

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Motion Carried. Voting Yes: Chairperson Nixt, Commissioners Kociscak, Brauer, Johnson, Reeve, Van Scoy and Watson. Voting No: None. Absent: None. NOTE CITY COUNCIL MINUTES The following Council minutes were noted: 1) City Council regular meeting minutes dated November 26, 2002 2) City Council regular meeting minutes dated December 10, 2002 PUBLIC HEARINGS/COMMISSION BUSINESS Case #1: Request for Sketch Plan Review of Village of Sunfish Lake; Case of LTR Development, LLC. Presentation Principal Planner Trudgeon explained LTR Land Development, LLC has applied for sketch plan review to plat the Thomas Kurak property south of Sunwood Drive between Potassium Street and 145th Lane. The submitted sketch plan shows a total of 129 housing units on 29.08 acres. The property is currently zoned R-1 Residential and is located in the Metropolitan Urban Service Area. The City of Ramsey Comprehensive Plan designates this area for low density single family residential development not to exceed a net density of 3 units per acre or up to 4 units per net acre if townhomes are proposed as part of a Planned Unit Development (PUD). The gross density of the plat appears to be 4.43 units per acre. Since the net density of the development property exceeds the limit for the low-density residential designation, the applicant will need a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to change the land use designation to Medium Density Residential (up to 7 units per net acre). The applicant has indicated that they would first like to have the City review the sketch plan to give general feedback on developing the land before they move forward with the rest of the development. Principal Planner Trudgeon noted the sketch plan proposes smaller lots than typically required for single family lots. Some lots are as small as 5,500 square feet and lot widths as narrow as 50 feet. The current minimum for urban single family lots is 10,800 square feet with lot widths of 80 feet. The applicant is also proposing to have narrower right-of-ways, some as small as 50 feet versus the 60-foot requirement, and extensive use of private roads to serve the 38 association maintained cottages. He noted the City would prepare a traffic impact study at the developers expense for consideration at the preliminary plat stage. The sketch plan proposes many trails throughout the development. The sketch plan will be reviewed by the Park Board on January 9, 2003, at which time they will look at park dedication fees or land dedication. The sketch plan also proposes a buffer strip with a trail along the section that abuts existing single-family lots. If this type of buffer is used to satisfy the density transition requirements, the City requires a 25-foot minimum. The sketch plan currently shows 30 feet with additional tree planting. Portions of the proposed parcel to be developed are contained in the Shoreland Overlay District. Sunfish Lake is classified as a Planning Commission/January 2, 2003 Page 2 of 10