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5.01: Review Site Plan and Final Plat for The Sapphire (Project No. 18-138); Case of PSD <br /> City Planner Anderson presented the staff report. He stated that the purpose of this case is to <br /> review a proposed Site Plan and Final Plat for a project known as The Sapphire, located at the <br /> southeast corner of Center Street and Ramsey Parkway. The proposal is for a four story, 118-unit <br /> apartment building that mirrors the existing Parkview East building just to the east. The property <br /> is located within The COR Sub-District 1 (Mixed Use COR) and is subject to The COR Design <br /> Framework. The City's Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) does not identify any significant <br /> natural areas within the subject property. The entirety of the subject property is classified as"urban <br /> with little vegetative cover"per the Minnesota Land Cover Classification System(MLCCS). The <br /> subject property is devoid of any significant trees and thus, there is no need for a Tree Inventory <br /> and Preservation Plan. There are no identified wetlands on the subject property per the National <br /> Wetlands Inventory (NWI) nor any floodplain areas present. <br /> Motion by Board Member Hiatt and seconded by Board Member Covart to recommend approval <br /> of the Landscape Plan contingent upon compliance with the Staff Review Letter. <br /> Further discussion: Councilmember Shryock asked if the landscape plans are reviewed for safety <br /> on larger projects. City Planner Anderson stated that the safety issues that are reviewed are in <br /> regard to landscaping near intersections to avoid site obstructions. He stated that the City has not <br /> implemented review of landscaping from other safety aspects. He noted that part of the safety <br /> concerns sometimes arise from placement of evergreens and advised that this request does not <br /> include many evergreens. He stated that if the Board is interested,there could be further discussion <br /> on that type of review/policy. Councilmember Shryock stated that as The COR starts to fill in <br /> with large developments, they should be mindful of the environment as they continue to design, <br /> she provided the example of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). <br /> Chairperson Valentine confirmed the consensus of the Board to further discuss the topic. <br /> Motion carried. Voting Yes: Chairperson Valentine, Board Member Hiatt, Covart, and Moore. <br /> Voting No: None. Absent: Board Member Bernard, Fetterley, and Madison. <br /> Board Member Hiatt stated that he would love to see some additional trees incorporated in the <br /> large open areas. <br /> City Planner Anderson confirmed the consensus of the Board to ask the applicant to explore <br /> additional options for landscaping within the parking area. <br /> 5.02: Ramsey's Closed Landfill Site Solar Potential Assessment <br /> City Planner Anderson presented the staff report. He stated that the MN Brightfields Initiative is <br /> a program exploring the potential and feasibility of developing renewable energy on Closed <br /> Landfill Program (CLP) sites. This initiative includes a wide array of state and federal agencies, <br /> as well as various associations and organization, including the Council of Development Finance <br /> Agencies (CDFA). A primary focus of the MN Brightfields Initiative is to mitigate greenhouse <br /> gas emissions from CLP sites (estimated are that CLP sites account for about one fifth of all state <br /> agencies' greenhouse gas emissions). Ramsey's CLP site was identified by the MN Brightfields <br /> Initiative as a potential candidate for further analysis, at least in part due to the larger boundary of <br /> state (MPCA) owned land compared to the actual waste footprint (the landfill itself). Recently, <br /> Environmental Policy Board/March 18, 2019 <br /> Page 2 of 4 <br />