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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 />