Agenda - Council - 08/10/2021 - Laserfiche WebLink

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CC Regular Session 7, 1, Meeting Date: 08/10/2021 By: Chris Anderson, Community Development Information Title: Consider Request for Comprehensive Plan Amendment to Re -Guide PID #20-32-25-44-0003 from High Density Residential (HDR) to Medium Density Residential (MDR) (Project No. 21-122); Case of Lennar Purpose/Background: The City has received an application from Lennar (the "Applicant") for a Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA) to re -guide PID #20-32-25-44-0003 (the "Subject Property") from High Density Residential (HDR) to Medium Density Residential (MDR). The Applicant has also submitted a Sketch Plan and, subsequently, a Preliminary Plat for a proposed residential development. The Planning Commission reviewed the Sketch Plan at their July 22, 2021 meeting. The purpose of this case is to introduce the topic to City Council before bringing forward an official case to seek formal action. Staff is seeking some initial feedback on the both the proposed development layout/configuration and the requested Comprehensive Plan Amendment. Notification: The City attempted to notify Property Owners, as reflected in the Anoka County Property Records, within 700 feet of the Subject Property of the request. Time Frame/Observations/Alternatives: Project Summary The Subject Property is approximately 35.5 acres in size, including about eight (8) acres of wetland. The site abuts Fire Station #1 on the west side of Armstrong Blvd. The Applicant is proposing 143 new dwellings, including a mix of single family homes (65-foot wide lots) and attached townhomes. The proposed net density of the project is approximately 5.2 units per acre. The Planning Commission identified two major items of concern regarding the proposed development. First, that 130+ homes would be situated along a roughly 2,100 foot long cul-de-sac (that was the original configuration; the Applicant subsequently provided an alternative layout that had a 'loop' road instead of a cul-de-sac). Secondly, that 130+ homes would be served by a single access (off Armstrong Boulevard). The Planning Commission acknowledged that the 'loop' configuration was an improvement, but still didn't address the single point of access. Comprehensive Plan Amendment The Subject Property is guided as High Density Residential in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. This designation requires a density range between eight (8) and fifteen (15) units per acre. The Applicant has applied for a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to re -guide the Subject Property from High Density Residential (HDR) to Medium Density Residential (MDR), which allows a density range of four (4) to eight (8) units per acre. The City can approve a Comprehensive Plan Amendment without an approved/formal subdivision plan for the site, if the City Council wishes to do so. This could be helpful to set plans for and solicit projects, if the vision now differs from what is in the Comprehensive Plan (in this case, High Density Residential). Both the Planning Commission and Staff see merit in the request to reduce the density from 8 - 15 units per acre to 4 - 8 units per acre. The Subject Property abuts land guided as Rural Developing to the west and north. The project proposes attached townhomes in the southern portion with single family homes (65-foot wide lots) in the north,