Agenda - Planning Commission - 04/24/2006 - Special Meeting

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There are wetlands on the proposed plat that will be encumbered with drainage and utility easements. Also, the plat appears to conform to the newly adopted wetland buffer ordinance. The plat proposes some wetland impact in order to extend 177th Avenue, and mitigation is proposed on the southern end of the plat. Grading, drainage, and wetland impact plans will have to be reviewed and approved by the Lower Rum River Water Management Organization (LRRWMO). City approvals will be contingent upon the developer's receipt of this permit. The preliminary plat is proposing to gain access from Erkium Street, which has been redesigned to meet the 600 foot length restriction. Staff is requiring that Erkium Street be constructed to urban standards to the southern-most lot, ending in a temporary cul-de-sac. The remainder of Erkium Street has been requested to be platted as an outlot to the southern boundary of the plat. 177th Avenue will be constructed to urban standards along the proposed lots. Currently, staff is in negotiations to obtain right-of-way for the future extension of 177th Avenue to connect with Highway 47. It is not likely that this street will be constructed before the proposed lots are developed, if approved. The Landscape and Tree Preservation Plan have been submitted. There are some density transitioning requirements that are deficient on the proposed plat. According to City Code, 240 trees are required for this plat along the property lines that are shared with large, rural lots. The landscape plan shows 148 trees, half of which are proposed within a United Power Association easement. Also, the cluster ordinance states that attention should be given to the existing, rural lots when siting potential cluster lots, and the currently proposed plan indicates 12 lots immediately adjacent to existing, rural lots. Staff ha~ received numerous letters and phone calls from residents expressing concern with the proposed development. The primary concerns related to this plat are: the increase in traffic and accompanying safety issues with providing only a single access, the lack of density transifionlng, the maintenance and monitoring of the community septic system, and the source of water supply. Recommendation: There are multiple issues to consider concerning the proposed project. This site is challenged because of the lack of existing road frontage and the existence of wetlands and other natural barriers. To develop this land under any set of regulations would be challenging. Whenever possible, the City strives to obtain at least two accesses into developments for public safety purposes, and the proposed development provides only one access. Density transitioning remains to be a significant issue. The revised plat negatively impacts more existing residents than the original plan, impacting the rural character of those adjacent lots. The Planning Commission and City Council have repeatedly expressed their concern with the location of the proposed lots, and requested that the developer site the lots in a way that would use space as a form of density transitioning. 2