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CASE <br /> <br />INTRODUCE ORDINANCE TO AMEND LANDSCAPE REQUIREMENTS <br />IN THE B-1 BUSINESS, B-2 BUSINESS, E-1 EMPLOYMENT, AND <br /> E-2 EMPLOYMENT ZONING DISTRICTS; <br /> By: Community Development Director Sylvia Frolik and <br /> Community Development Assistant Chris Anderson <br /> <br />Background: <br /> <br />As part of implementing the 2001 Comprehensive Plan, City Staff, the Planning Commission <br />and the City Council have been involved in implementing the new Plan by reviewing and <br />rewriting City Code Chapter 9, zoning and subdivision regulations. In 2003, the commercial and <br />employment districts were amended. <br /> <br />Observations: <br /> <br />As with the residential districts, Staff has encountered difficulty applying the new landscaping <br />requirements in the business and employment districts. The planting requirements are based on a <br />certain number of trees and a certain number of shrubs per tree. <br /> <br />Staff has researched the standards in other communities and is proposing something similar for <br />Ramsey. Current ordinance states that one tree is required for every 40 lineal feet of site <br />perimeter. That is proposed to be changed to 1 tree for every 50 lineal feet, or 1 tree per 1,000 <br />square foot of building area, whichever is greater. The current requirement for 5 shrubs per tree <br />was proving to be the most difficult requirement to apply to site plans. Staff is proposing to <br />change that to 1 shrub per 30 lineal feet of site perimeter or 1 shrub per 300 square feet of <br />building area, whichever is greater. Text is also being added to address building expansions: 1 <br />additional tree for every 1,000 square feet of building expansion area. There are some other <br />minor changes to the landscaping requirements that are considered 'housekeeping' items. <br /> <br />Enclosed for your information is an edited version of the B-1 Business District that is indicative <br />of the amendments to all the business and employment districts. Additions are identified with <br />underlines and deletions are identified with strikethroughs. The new H-1 Highway Business <br />District has been drafted to include landscape requirements as proposed in this case. <br /> <br />Recommendation: <br /> <br />City Staff recommends approval of the proposed landscaping amendments. <br /> <br />Council Action: <br /> <br />Motion to introduce an Ordinance to amend the landscape requirements in the B-1 Business, B-2 <br />Business, E-1 Employment, and E-2 Employment Districts. <br /> <br />Reviewed By: <br />Asst. Community Development Director <br />Associate Planners <br />City Attorney <br /> <br />CC: 04/13/04 <br /> <br /> <br />