Agenda - Planning Commission - 07/28/2022

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Regular Planning Commission Meeting Date: 07/28/2022 By: Todd Larson, Community Development 6. 2. Information Title: PUBLIC HEARING: Consider a request for a Sketch Plan, Conditional Use Permit, Zoning Map Amendment, Site Plan, Final Plat, and Comprehensive Plan Amendment approval for Green Valley Greenhouse to expand the commercial greenhouses on the properties generally located south of Green Valley Rd. NW and east of Nowthen Blvd. NW. Purpose/Background: Background Green Valley Greenhouse (GVG) has been in operation for many years along the south side of Green Valley Road. Over the years, the business has expanded after receiving the proper approvals. The most recent approval, in 2018, identified an overall area for additional greenhouses to be installed in phases over the years. GVG is planning to purchase a 22-acre portion of the property to the west owned by the Hunt family to expand the greenhouse operations further. The portion southwest of the meandering ditch will be retained by the Hunt family. Notification: Staff mailed a public hearing notice to property owners within 700 feet of the parcels included in the plat on July 28, 2022. A notice of the Public Hearing was also published in the Anoka County UnionHerald, the City's official newspaper. Observations/Alternatives: Zoning The GVG property is zoned R-1 MUSA. The Hunt property is split with the eastern half also being zoned R-1 MUSA-80 and the western half being zoned R-2. Commercial greenhouses are an allowed conditional use in the R-1 districts, though the use is not allowed in R-2. In order to expand greenhouses fully onto the adjacent property, it must be zoned entirely R-1 to accommodate it. Approximately six acres are affected. In exchange, a 6.73-acre portion of the Hunt property (conveniently drawn from two lot corners) is proposed to be rezoned to R-2. Comprehensive Plan Amendment Simply rezoning the R-2 to R-1 MUSA-80 on the Hunt property cannot be accomplished since that portion of land is also guided for medium density residential uses in the Comprehensive Plan. Zoning designations must be in conformance with the Comprehensive Plan per state statutes. An amendment to the Comprehensive Plan is proposed that re -guides the medium density land to low density residential. In recent years, the City has been under pressure from the Metropolitan Council to maintain or increase overall density to justify its investment in the sanitary sewer system in Ramsey. Getting the Metropolitan Council to sign off on downgrading approximately six acres is extremely unlikely as our existing overall density is at 2.9 units/acre (3.0 units/acre is the benchmark). Therefore, the applicant is looking to swap density on the Hunt's property to the south. This land is still adjacent to other medium density property. Once the density is swapped, the rezoning can occur for both the area that GVG is purchasing and what the Hunt family is retaining. Since maintaining areas for medium- and high -density residential property is important, should the Planning Commission and Council want, additional portions of the Hunt property can be up-guided/up-zoned to provide the City the density cushion it needs --up to a total of 40.85 acres. The Hunt property is encumbered by wetlands, the ditch easement, and a pipeline easement that will make a traditional single-family development difficult. The