Agenda - Council - 08/24/2021 - Laserfiche WebLink

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CC Regular Session 7, 3, Meeting Date: 08/24/2021 By: Chris Anderson, Community Development Information Title: Consider Resolution 21-229, 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 City Council heard the case on August 10, 2021 and the City Council directed Staff to research if there were additional sites available to reguide at a density of 8+ units/acre. 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: 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, which provides better transitioning to the existing Rural Developing lots north and west of the Subject Property. In addition to City Council approval, all Comprehensive Plan Amendments also require Metropolitan Council approval. Staff sent the request to the Metropolitan Council for high level feedback. Initial response from Metropolitan Council Staff indicate that this would create an inconsistency with the Housing Plan and, more specifically, the City would no longer be guiding enough land at sufficient densities for affordable housing. If that were the case, it would jeopardize the City's eligibility for Livable Communities Act (LCA) funding (the City has utilized LCA funding for various projects including Center Street design, River Walk Village site clean up, and Sunwood Drive realignment). Alternatives: