Agenda - Planning Commission - 02/24/2022

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7.02: Public Hearing: Review Comprehensive Plan Amendment Creating New Urban Residential Low (URL) District and Re -Guiding Subject Properties Public Hearing Chairperson Bauer called the public hearing to order at 7:47 p.m. Presentation Senior Planner McGuire Brigl presented the staff report stating that staff recommends approval of the Comprehensive Plan Amendment. Chairperson Bauer asked if in order to provide City services, the City would need to be at a certain level not only for the parcels but city-wide. Senior Planner McGuire Brigl confirmed that in order to stay on the Metropolitan Council's wastewater , the City would need to have three units per acre as a whole. She stated that the City is already close to three units per acre as a whole. She stated that this is about placing the right densities in the right locations. Chairperson Bauer commented that it is important for the City Council to review the ability to allow smaller lots in other parts of the community in order to ensure the City does not fall below three units per acre. He stated that placing more density near The COR will allow the City to allow lesser density in other areas. Councilmember Woestehoff commented that is something on the radar of the Council. He stated that the Council had a unanimous decision to not allow for smaller lots in the Trott Brook development. He stated that generically speaking the majority of the Council agrees that higher density and medium density should remain around The COR. Commissioner VanScoy asked why there are issues with density. He asked if this is net density. Senior Planner McGuire Brigl confirmed that it is net density. Commissioner VanScoy asked the issues with this development, at it would seem that if the areas of parks and wetlands are excluded, they would only be looking at developable land. Senior Planner McGuire Brigl replied that when calculating density, the Metropolitan Council allows exclusion of wetlands and park but roads, wetland buffers, easements, density transitioning, and those types of items are not allowed to be excluded from the density calculation. She explained that because of that formula, with quarter acre lots, the City is not meeting four units per acre. She stated that Andover ran into the same issue. She stated that this is a large site which requires more ponding, and the layout is odd because of wetlands and related buffers. She stated that there is also the density transitioning buffer and pinch points at both sides of the development. She stated that because of those site constraints they are not able to meet the density requirements. She stated that this site and the North Brook Crossings site will also not meet the density requirements. Planning Commission/ January 27, 2022 Page 7 of 22