Agenda - Planning Commission - 01/27/2022

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Regular Planning Commission Meeting Date: 01/27/2022 By: Chris Anderson, Community Development Information 7.1. Title: Consider Site Plan and Variance Request for Northstar Marketplace Multi -Tenant Retail Building at 7912 Sunwood Drive NW (Project No. 22-101); Case of Northstar Marketplace LLC Purpose/Background: The City has received an application from Northstar Marketplace LLC (the "Applicant") for Site Plan review for a new multi -tenant, retail building at 7912 Sunwood Drive NW (the "Subject Property"). The proposal also includes a request for a Variance to the build -to requirement along Sunwood Drive. Notification: The City attempted to notify all property owners, as reflected in the Anoka County Property Records, within 700 feet of the Subject Property of the request by U.S. Mail. The Public Hearing notice was also posted in the City's Official Newspaper, the Anoka County UnionHerald. Observations/Alternatives: General Project Overview The Applicant is proposing construction of a 7,200 square foot, multi -tenant building on the southern portion of the Subject Property. The building could have up to six (6) tenants and does include a drive-thm along the western (non -street facing) side. This project would result in the full build -out of the Northstar Marketplace retail node. The Subject Property is located in the COR-2 zoning district and is guided as Mixed Use in the Comprehensive Plan. The proposed uses, retail and restaurants, are permitted based on both the zoning and land use designations. Parking Summary As a stand-alone project, a minimum of fourteen (14) parking stalls would be required and a maximum of twenty-eight (28) stalls would be permitted (based on retail uses). However, the Subject Property is part of a retail 'campus' that shares a large parking lot. There are currently 468 parking stalls serving this retail node, which includes four (4) existing buildings, plus this proposed building. This project would actually decrease the parking from 468 stalls to 452 stalls. Looking back at the initial review of the Ramsey Town Center 3rd Addition Site Plan, a minimum of 440 parking stalls were required (this included the build -out of the Subject Property). The project proposes to provide nine (9) parking stalls abutting the south elevation of the building. Architecture The proposed building will have an exterior finish consisting of a combination of facebrick, integral colored rockface CMU, glass, aluminum, and EIFS. This design is very similar or matches the exterior finish of the other buildings within this retail node. While the south elevation, which faces the parking lot, will serve as the front entrances for these tenants, the north (street facing) elevation will essentially match that same look, including ingress/egress doors. The Site Plan includes a twenty foot by twenty foot (20' x 20') fenced in patio off the northwest and southwest corners of the building. This would provide an outdoor eating spaces for prospective food tenants in the end cap units, something that the Applicant has noted as being important, especially considering the impacts the pandemic has had on the food service industry. The Applicant has noted that the fencing material would be aluminum. Staff is working with the Applicant to ensure that the fencing would be consistent with The COR Design Framework.