Minutes - Planning Commission - 07/12/2001

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Chairperson Nixt closed the regular portion of the Planning Commission meeting at 10:17 p.m. in order to call the public hearing to order. Public Hearing Chairperson Nixt called the public hearing to order at 10:17 p.m. Presentation Community Development Assistant Wald stated Chris Bulow has submitted an application to rezone property located at the corner of Riverdale Drive and Sunfish Lake Blvd. (County Rd. #57) from B-3 Highway Business to MR Multiple Residential. The property is 23,800 square feet or .55 acres in size and is located within the Metropolitan Urban Service Area (MUSA). The Applicant is proposing to develop eight townhome units which results in a density of 14.64 units per acre. The subject property is designated as commercial in the current Comprehensive Plan and the March 2001 draft Comprehensive Plan shows this area as places to shop (commercial). The Economic Development Authority and the consulting firm of Hoisington Koegler Group Inc. have been working on a Highway #10 Corridor Study for the past several months. In the draft Highway #10 Corridor Study, the subject property has been designated for commercial uses. The Highway #I0 Corridor Draft Plan more specifically suggests that the subject property might be best suited as a ponding area for the commercial strip north of Riverdale Drive. The subject property is also located within the Critical River Overlay District, which restricts lot coverage to 30%. The Critical River Overlay District defines lot coverage to include building area and impervious surface. The proposed townhome development exceeds the 30% lot coverage restriction and would require a variance that must be certified by DNR. In preliminary conversations with Tom Hovey at the DNR, the DNR is not supportive of the proposed density. Due to the property being in the Critical River Corridor District which imposes a 30% lot coverage restriction and the property being designated for commercial in the current comprehensive plan, March 2001 draft comprehensive plan and in the Highway #10 Corridor Study, Staff is recommending denial of the rezoning request from B-3 Highway Business to MR - High Density Multiple Family. Staff also noted that the DNR regulations require that any multi-family residential development be completed as a Planned Unit Development and that there be 50 percent open space. The plan proposed exceeds that requirement. Citizen Input Chris Bulow stated that he has received comments from the DNR as well regarding the site and there are conflicting reports about the issue. He said that the DNR agreed that an eight unit residential townhome would probably have less impact on the area than any business that could go on the site and wanted to meet to discuss the issue further. Mr. Bulow stated that the site is very suitable for a residential use because it would provide a buffer between a high commercial use and a low density residential area. The unites would be owner occupied buildings. He noted that the objection of business owners regarding traffic is absurd because a commercial business would create a lot more traffic. Planning Commission/July 12, 2001 Page 19 of 23