Agenda - Planning Commission - 04/25/2024

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Regular Planning Commission Meeting Date: 04/25/2024 Primary Strategic Plan Initiative: Information 7. 3. Title: PUBLIC HEARING: Consider a Zoning Amendment, Site Plan, and Variance to Height Regulations in the COR Framework for Norhart Ramsey at 7975 and 7979 Sunwood Drive NW Purpose/Background: Norhart (the "Applicant") has submitted a Land Use Application for development of a 3.88-acre parcel in the COR, bounded by Sunwood Drive to the west, Zeolite Street to the east, future Ramsey Parkway to the north, and the Home2Suites site (currently under construction) to the south. The project will consist of 218 apartment units distributed through 5 floors, a sunken parking garage, and 5,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, situated at the southwest corner of the site. The site is currently zoned COR-4b and guided for Mixed -Use in the City's Comprehensive Plan. The site will be platted as part of Waterfront Village. In order to accommodate the proposed development, the Applicant is requesting a Zoning Map Amendment, a Site Plan Review, and a Variance to Height Regulations in the COR Zoning District. Notification: Staff attempted to notify property owners within 350 feet of the Subject Property, as reflected in the Anoka County Property Records, of the request and the Public Hearing to be held by the Planning Commission. A notice of the Public Hearing was published in the Anoka County UnionHerald, the City's official newspaper. A proposed development sign was placed on the property facing Sunwood Drive. Time Frame/Observations/Alternatives: Subject Property The Subject Property is located in the COR, bounded by Sunwood Drive to the west, Zeolite Street to the east, future Ramsey Parkway to the north, and the Home2Suites development to the south. The proposed addresses are 7975 Sunwood Drive for the retail space and 7979 Sunwood Drive for the apartments. The Subject Property is currently zoned COR-4b, which was part of the Waterfront Village lot when the City adopted a new city-wide zoning map in November 2023. It is guided for Mixed -Use in the City's 2040 Comprehensive Plan, and is approximately 3.88 acres in size. Surrounding properties are also guided for Mixed -Use, though this will only be the second instance of vertical mixed -use development in the COR, with the first instance being The Residence at the COR Apartment Homes at 7700 Sunwood Drive. Site Plan The proposed building has a footprint of 43,866 square feet, and is roughly L-shaped along Sunwood Drive and Ramsey Parkway, with the amenities corner situated at the northwest corner along the roundabout. The north leg of the building is designed to follow the contour of Ramsey Parkway as it curves along the site. Sixty-four (64) percent of the building frontage is located within 20 feet of the right-of-way of Sunwood Drive and Ramsey Parkway, which satisfies the minimum requirement of 60 percent as stated in the COR Framework. The proposed development has 26.3 percent building coverage and 54 percent hard surfacing coverage (including pavement, sidewalks, outdoor patios, and the pool deck) on the lot, resulting in 81.1 percent impervious surfacing coverage on the lot. Other developments of this scale in the COR have similar percentages. The building is designed to have the main residential entrance in the northwest corner of the building, facing