Agenda - Council Work Session - 07/27/2021

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of oak wilt to the area. Due to the size of the Subject Property and the limited areas of site disturbance, the Applicant had proposed limiting the tree inventory to just those designated areas of potential impact. This approach seemed reasonable and was approved with the understanding that the project must still comply with the tree preservation standards in City Code (retaining at least thirty percent [30%] of the significant tree diameter at breast height [DBH] inches on site). Based on the submitted Tree Inventory and Preservation Plan, approximately 64% of the existing significant tree Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) inches will be preserved. Again, this only includes the trees that were inventoried (only those that were in areas of proposed disturbance), there are many more trees on the Subject Property overall, meaning that an even greater percentage of tree inches are actually being preserved. Wetlands and Floodplain There are both wetlands and floodplain on the Subject Property. Approximately thirty (30) acres of the Subject Property contain either wetland and/or floodplain. The floodplain is designated as General Floodplain, meaning that there has not been detailed modeling done to determine Floodway and Flood Fringe boundaries. However, as long as there are no proposed buildings within the floodplain boundary, which there are not, additional modeling is not required. Staff is working with the MN DNR Floodplain staff to verify that the proposed driveways and public road are permissible (they do cross the floodplain boundary). The developer will likely need to provide documentation that neither would create a rise of more than 0.5 feet. Additionally, the developer will also need to provide documentation that no driveway, nor the public road, will be more than two (2) feet below the Regulatory Flood Protection Elevation. A wetland delineation has been completed. The Preliminary Plat does include the required sixteen and a half foot (16.5') wetland setback; however, it appears that the drainage and utility easements need to be adjusted to encumber these areas. There will be some minimal impacts to wetlands on some lots (Lots 3-5), simply due to needing the driveways to access buildable locations on each of the lots, as well as the public road. Wetland mitigation will be necessary and will be reviewed and addressed by the Lower Rum River Watershed Management Organization (LRRWMO). Landscaping Each of the nine (9) lots have existing trees that will be located between the proposed house pads and the public street. Additionally, based on the amount of trees being preserved across the Subject Property, no additional plantings would be required. Streets and Access The project proposes a single public road off of 175th Avenue to provide access to the nine (9) lots. Originally, the proposed road width was twenty-eight (28) feet. However, based on feedback from Staff, Planning Commission, and City Council, the plans were revised to provide a thirty-two (32) foot wide paved road section. The road terminates in a cul-de-sac with a length of approximately 1,600 feet, a paved diameter of 100 feet, and a right-of-way diameter of 130 feet (the dimensions of the cul-de-sac bulb itself comply with City Code). City Code limits cul-de-sac length to no more than 600 feet. Thus, as proposed, a variance for the length is required. City Code notes that the intent with development is to connect new roads to existing street stubs or, in the instance where land is undeveloped, to provide street stubs to facilitate future development. There are no existing stub roads that connect to the Subject Property. Abutting the northwest corner of the Subject Property is Caroline Acres Park, which is accessed from 178th Lane (a cul-de-sac). However, this is a dedicated park and while there is a process to undo that dedication, it time consuming and complex. Furthermore, during the Sketch Plan review, multiple property owners from that neighborhood opposed not only making that road connection but also eliminating the park. In addition, the northern portion of the park area is mostly wetland and the park only has forty (40) feet of frontage along the cul-de-sac. Thus, making this road connection would require at least partial acquisition of one of the two adjacent residential properties (to accommodate a right of way width of sixty-six [66] feet) and result in additional wetland impacts. It could be possible to provide a corridor (in the form of an outlot deeded to the City, a permanent road easement, or