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CASE #: 3 <br /> <br />REQUEST FOR A VARIANCE TO HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS <br />FOR AN APARTMENT BUILDING <br /> CASE OF: ROYAL OAKS REALTY, INC. <br /> By: Patrick Trudgeon, PrinCipal Planner <br /> <br />Background: <br /> <br />Royal Oaks Realty has submitted an application to receive a variance from the height restrictions <br />in order to construct an apartment building along Dysprosium St. as part of The Ponds <br />subdivision. City Code restricts the height of structures to 35 feet. The applicant has proposed to <br />construct an apartment building that will reach a height of about 52 feet at the peak of the roof. <br /> <br />The following items are enclosed for your information: <br /> <br />a) <br />b) <br />c) <br />d) <br />e) <br /> <br />Site location map <br />Building Elevation Plan <br />Proposed Elevations for third story windows. <br />Memo from Ramsey Fire Chief Dean Kapler <br />Proposed Findings of Fact <br />Proposed Variance <br /> <br />Observations: <br /> <br />The apartment building proposed to be constructed will be a three-story, 82 unit apartment <br />building designed for senior citizens. The peak of the roof for the apartment building will be 52 <br />feet tall at its greatest height. City Code restricts building height to 35-feet; therefore Royal Oaks <br />Realty will need a seventeen (17) foot variance to be able to construct the apartment building as <br />designed. <br /> <br />The Fire Chief indicates that the maximum reach capability of the Fire Department for fire <br />suppression and rescue operations is 35 feet. The Fire Chief has concerns regarding the. possible <br />impairment of fire suppression activities resulting from equipment that cannot reach the roofline <br />and the difficulty in rescuing tenants on the third floor of the apartment building. Ramsey does <br />have a joint powers agreement with the~Anoka and Andover Fire Departments for emergency <br />assistance and those departments do have aerial ladder trucks with reach capabilities in excess of <br />52 feet. The Fire Chief also notes that the City Administrator will recommend to the City Council <br />that an aerial ladder truck is in Ramsey's 2002 capital equipment plan. <br /> <br />The applicant has provided staff with information regarding the height of the third story windows. <br />In all locations on the building, the bottom of the third story window is below 35 feet. The lowest <br />point of the third story windows range from 23' 10" to 28' 7". The top of the third story <br />windows range from 27' 8" to 32' 6". The difference in heights is due to different elevations on <br />each side of the apartment building. <br /> <br /> <br />