Agenda - Environmental Policy Board - 11/13/2017

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5.02: Consider Sketch Plan Review for Northfork Meadows located Near Puma Street and Alpine Drive; Case of Paxmar (Project #17-126) Presentation Community Development Director Gladhill presented the staff report stating the purpose of this case is to review a sketch plan for a 149-lot subdivision (56 detached single-family lots with 65-foot-wide lots, and 93 detached townhome lots). A Sketch Plan affords the Planning Commission the opportunity to review a project before it enters the official Preliminary Plat stage. The Preliminary Plat (future step) is the most important step in the review process and gives the project 'entitlement' to the project. Please note that the request requires a Comprehensive Plan Amendment. The City can, approve said amendment, but is not obligated to approve said amendment. The City has discretion on how to move forward with the request. Commission Business Chairperson Bauer stated he was not on the Planning Commission when the current Comprehensive Plan was put in place. He understood the Commission had to thoroughly evaluate each change and questioned why the current zoning designation was put in place. Community Development Director Gladhill explained the current zoning designation (Low Density Residential) has been in place for the past 20 years. However, in the yearly 2000's Pulte homes proposed a housing development which matched the LDR zoning. He indicated this development was never completed. He reported this zoning designation was reconfirmed in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan. Commissioner Brauer recalled this property had been zoned LDR since before The COR was developed. Commissioner Gengler asked if the neighborhood to the east was zoned LDR. Community Development Director Gladhill reported this property was zoned Rural Developing and was outside of the MUSA. Commissioner Nosan questioned if Capstone's subdivision would be across the street from Paxmar's proposed project. Community Development Director Gladhill stated this was the case. Commissioner Nosan inquired what the differences were between the Capstone and Paxmar developments. Community Development Director Gladhill explained both developments were medium density projects. He described the differing buffers between the two projects. Kent Roessler, Paxmar Land Development, introduced himself to the Commission and thanked them for their time. He explained he had several national and local builders that were interested in a housing development in Ramsey. He stated he currently had a development in Elk River with 250 to 300 lots, and other developments he was working on in Blaine, Buffalo and North Branch. He discussed the proposed detached townhouse community in further detail with the Commission and indicated these types of units were in demand. He reported this development would have a homeowner's association to maintain the exterior of the units. He provided further comment on the styles and types of detached townhome units DRAFT Planning Commission Minutes dated June 12, 2017