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REQUEST FOR A VARIANCE FROM MAXIMUM FRONT YARD SETBACK · <br />REQUIRMENTS IN THE TC-1 ZONING DISTRICT;. CASE OF CITY OF RAMSEY <br /> By: Patrick Trudgeon, AICP, Community Development Director <br /> <br />Background: . <br /> <br />The City of Ramsey is considering the construction of the Ramsey Municipal Center that.would <br />house a new City Hall and Police Station. The Ramsey Municipal Center w/ll be located in the <br />Ramsey Town Center at the comer of Sunwood Drive and Sapphire St. The proposed Ramsey <br />Municipal Center is located in the TC-1 Zoning District which' requires at least 60% of the <br />building frontage be located within five feet of the property .line. The City is reques, ring a <br />variance to allow for approximately 33% of the building frontage to be located within five feet of <br />the property line. <br /> <br />The following items are enclosed for your information: <br /> <br />a) <br />b) <br />c) <br />d) <br /> <br />Site location map <br />Site Plan ' <br />Proposed resolution to adopt findings of fact <br />Proposed resolution to approve the variance <br /> <br />Notification: City Staff notified property owners within 350 feet of the proposed variance' <br />request as required by law. <br /> <br />Observations: <br /> <br />The subject property is zoned TC-1 Tbwn Center Mixed Use Core. Section 9.20.25 (3) (b) of <br />City Code has setback standards based On the principle to have them serve more as "build. to" <br />lines rather than traditional setbacks. This is especially important for the front yard since the <br />building presentation to the street is critical. The !'setback" requirements anticipate a minimum <br />and maximum setback for the front yard. For the TC-1 District, the minimum setback is zero <br />and the maximum is 5 feet with at least 60% of the front fagade within the maximum setback <br />area. From review of the plan, it appears that only 33% of the front fagade is within 5 feet of the <br />property line. It should be noted that 60%: of the front facade is located within 18 feet of the <br />property line. <br /> <br />City Staff believe there are several factors that may mitigate the effect of the larger setback that <br />should be considered by the Board of Adjustment. One is the creation of the public plaza at the <br />front entrance along Sunwood Drive. These types of spaces are encouraged as part of the Town <br />Center Development Guidelines. The second factor regards the placement of the building. The <br />building has a length of over 300 feet along Sunwood Drive. In o3der to make the building <br />architecturally interesting, the Municipal Center will be curved and not have a long fiat, <br />monolithic wall along Sunwood Drive. in addition, where the building is pulled back on <br />Sunwood Drive, raised landscaped areas will be brought up tO the lot line that will to some extent <br />feel like an extension of the building. The Town Center Technical Advisory Committee <br />(TCTAC) has reviewed the layout of the building and is supportive of a variance to allow for the <br />building to be pulled back as shown. The group believes that pull-back of the buildings p~?ovides <br />rYr some visual relief while still engaging the pedestrian and the design' works well for the use of <br />the building. <br /> <br />13 <br /> <br /> <br />