Agenda - Planning Commission - 10/06/2016

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Review File:Brookfield 8th Addition Preliminary Plat, Comprehensive Plan Amendment, Cul-de- sac Length Variance, Lot Depth variance and Front yard setback variance. September 30, 2016 Page 5 of 6 Comprehensive Plan Amendment and ReZoning Application Review As proposed Brookfield 8th Addition would result in two (2) additional lots being added to the Municipal Urban Service Area(MUSA) boundary. Generally it is required that adjacent communities review the proposal and provide comment;however,if the proposed amendment is able to meet the following criteria, then that adjacent community review may be waived by the metropolitan council. • The Amendment involves a site of 40 acres or less • The amendment does not change the community's growth forecasts for 2010-2030 or the TAZ allocations • The amendment site is either more than one quarter of a mile from an adjacent jurisdiction or is beyond the distance or area which the community's adopted ordinances require notice to adjacent or affected property owners,whichever distance is less. The proposed amendment meets the above criteria and as such,Eric Wojchick,metropolitan council sector rep to the City of Ramsey authorized the waiving of adjacent community review. Staff is supportive of the proposed Comprehensive Amendment as the two (2) additional lots will not have an adverse effect on public safety or infrastructure. The property would be re-guided from Rural Developing to Low Density Residential. The Applicant has proposed rezoning the property from R-1 (Rural Developing) to R-1 (MUSA). The proposed zoning designation is in keeping with the change in land use to be within the MUSA. Staff is supportive of the proposed rezoning. Cul-De-Sac Length Variance Review The Applicant is currently proposing a cul-de-sac that would measure approximately 1,200 feet in length. City Code Section 117-614 Subd. (C)(3) limits the length of cul-de-sacs to 600 feet. Staff has reviewed with the Applicant the possibility of extending Quartz Street to eliminate the creation of a cul-de-sac. However,that alternative was estimated to cost approximately$750,000.00 not including right-of- way acquisition. The construction of the extension would have been constructed in what is now classified as high quality wetlands per the Ramsey Wetland Inventory created in 2007 by Westwood Professional Services. The "high quality"category is the second highest category of the four categories of wetlands. Staff also reviewed the option of a paved trail that could be used by emergency vehicles if necessary;however,the cost was still too great to justify the impact to the high quality wetlands and the expenditure of public funds. The Environmental Policy Board (EPB) reviewed the proposal and concluded that if public safety staff found the cul-de-sac length acceptable,they would encourage avoiding wetland impacts. Fire,Engineering,and Public Works Staff have reviewed the proposed cul-de-sac and fmd it acceptable. Staff recommends approval of the Cul-De-Sac length variance as requested.