Agenda - Planning Commission - 06/01/2017

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Regular Planning Commission 5. 3. Meeting Date: 06/01/2017 By: Chris Anderson, Community Development Information Title: Review Sketch Plan for Pearson Place (Project No. 16-31a): Case of John Dobbs Purpose/Background: The purpose of this case is to review the official Sketch Plan, prepared by Otto Associates and dated May 4, 2017, for a proposed twelve (12) lot residential subdivision near the southern/eastern end of Bowers Drive. The Sketch Plan Review process affords the Planning Commission to opportunity to provide early direction on the layout of the proposed plat, before the Developer prepares detailed Preliminary Plat plans. A key decision will occur at Preliminary Plat, in which the layout will be approved, subject to approving final construction plans and Final Plat documents. At that time, the City will review items including, but not limited to, Grading Plan, Utility Plan, Landscape Plan, and Street Light Plan. The City did host two (2) public workshops regarding a concept plan for this project in 2016. Comments from attendees of those workshops are attached for reference. Furthermore, the Planning Commission did review a Concept Plan for this project in March of 2016 and the minutes from that discussion are also attached. Notification: Although a public hearing is not required, a notice of Sketch Plan was sent to surrounding property owners (including all of Bowers Drive). The project site is located within the Mississippi River Critical Corridor Area (MRCCA) and so Staff also notified the MN DNR. Observations/Alternatives: The development site is located near the southern/eastern end of Bowers Drive, a cul-de-sac that is slightly over a mile long. The Sketch Plan proposes to establish twelve (12) lots on the north side of the road where there is a gap of approximately 1,400 feet between existing homes. The project area is currently guided as Low Density Residential (LDR) in the Comprehensive Plan, is zoned R-1 Residential (MUSA), and is located in the MRCCA Overlay District. Also, the MN DNR just recently completed a rulemaking process that created new districts in the MRCCA and, for non -riparian lots, primarily defers to the underlying zoning district for dimensional standards. However, the City has yet to receive the necessary guidance from the MN DNR to proceed with updating our Zoning Code and Comprehensive Plan and thus, are caught in a transitional time. As a result, the Applicant has indicated that their intention would be to also apply for a Zoning Amendment to rezone the land to a Planned Unit Development, which, if approved, is a legal instrument that would allow deviations from certain standards (setbacks, use of private utilities rather than municipal services, etc.). The proposed lot size, lot width, and density all appear to conform to the R-1 Residential (MUSA) bulk standards, as outlined in the Staff Review Letter. Furthermore, the MN DNR has previously commented that they would be generally supportive of that approach as the proposed lots would comply with the new MRCCA rules. The public benefit would be a fifty (50) foot wide outlot along the rear boundary of the existing homes on the north side of the road to serve as a buffer to future development. This area is heavily wooded and would provide both visual and noise buffering from future uses. This idea came out of the public workshops held last year. At the public workshops last year, the primary concerns raised by attendees focused on concerns with construction