Minutes - Council - 07/13/1999 - Laserfiche WebLink

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project can go forward. Councilmember Hendriksen responded that tabling the item should not hold the project up since they are already waiting for a response from the State. Motion carried. Voting Yes: Mayor Gamec, Councilmembers Anderson, Hendriksen, and Zimmerman. Voting No: None. Case #7: Request for Site Plan Approval; Case of Direct Enclosures Zoning Administrator Frolik stated that the City of Ramsey has received a request for site plan approval from Direct Enclosures. The plan proposes to construct an office/manufacturing/warehouse on Lot 1, Block 2 of the A.E.C. Energy Park, west of the intersection of Industry Avenue and Sunwood Drive. She explained that, although the building will be situated on Lot 1, Block 2 of A.E.C. Energy Park, the City-owned parcels to the east and west are also affected by the project to facilitate grading operations, stormwater improvements, wetland mitigation, etc. Two accesses onto Sunwood Drive are proposed and there will be no direct access to Industry Avenue. There are wetlands on the site and the Lower Rum River Water Management Organization has issued a permit to fill approximately ½-acre of those wetlands. This filling is being mitigated both on-site and off-site of Alpine Park. Ms. Frolik explained that the facility is proposed to be 16,080 square feet in size, with a possible future expansion of another 14,336 square feet. The site plan being considered at this time is only applicable to the initial 16,000 square feet. The proposed building and its future expansion complies with the 35% building coverage restriction and all setback requirements. The exterior finish on the building is proposed to be concrete masonry with decorative texture, except that the west wall will consist of painted smooth block. The reason for this deviation is that this wall will be an interior wall when the future addition to the building occurs. One loading berth is required and two are provided. The loading berth will be located on the rear, or north wall. In accordance with City Code, a sufficient number of off-street parking spaces are provided and all traveled surfaces of the lot will be paved with bituminous and finished with B-612 concrete curb. Ms. Frolik stated that at the July 6, 1999 Planning Commission meeting, three issues were discussed in depth: 1) The requirement and justification of a trail along Sunwood Drive; 2) Comments in the staff review letter requesting the addition of an equalizer culvert under the bituminous path in the northwest corner of the project area; and 3) Staff's request for the addition of three trees on the south property line to continue the established planting pattern along Sunwood Drive. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the site plan contingent upon these issues being resolved to the satisfaction of the City Council. Ms. Frolik explained that staff met with the applicants on July 8, 1999, and came to the following conclusions relating to the three issues. 1) The City's Trail Map was received and it was evident that the trail in front of Direct Enclosures is a link in the greater pedestrian transportation system. The site improvements for the Direct Enclosures facility will include construction of the trail segment and the City will join in to extend that trail segment east of Industry Avenue and west beyond the boundary of the Direct Enclosure site to link up with an existing trail around the wetland northwest of the site. The City is planning to construct the remainder of the Sunwood trail with the extension of Sunwood Drive from Sunfish Lake Boulevard to Ramsey Boulevard in year 2000; 2) The potential for the existing trail segment around the wetland to the northwest to flood during certain high water City Council/July 13, 1999 Page 11 of 18