Agenda - Environmental Policy Board - 01/13/2025

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5. 2. Environmental Policy Board (EPB) Meeting Date: 01/13/2025 Primary Strategic Plan Initiative: Promote economic growth and development. Information Title: Consider the Natural Resources Aspects of a Proposed Site Plan for Northstar Truck & RV Parking LLC (Project No. 24-122) Purpose/Background: The City has received a Land Use Application from Nikolay Babkin (the "Applicant") for a Site Plan and Zoning Amendment to accommodate a proposed truck and RV parking operation on the property known as 15861 Jarvis Street NW (the "Subject Property"). Time Frame/Observations/Alternatives: Project Summary The Applicant is proposing to establish a business on the Subject Property to provide an option for drivers of semi -trucks and RVs to lawfully park their vehicle (this could assist in reducing the number of code enforcement calls received by the City, as parking of semi -trucks in residential neighborhoods tends to generate complaints). The Subject Property actually straddles not only a municipal boundary (Ramsey and Elk River), but also a county boundary (Anoka and Sherburne). The Applicant attempted to have the portion of the Subject Property in Ramsey annexed into Elk River, but the Ramsey City Council did not support that approach. So, the Applicant is now working with both Ramsey and Elk River to get approval of a Site Plan for this business operation. Since the two cities have different zoning designations and requirements, the Applicant has included a request for a Zoning Amendment to rezone the entire parcel (in both cities) to a Planned Unit Development (PUD), so that at least as far as the proposed use is concerned, similar standards could be applied between the two communities (typical site improvements, such as landscaping, stormwater management, etc. will still depend on the corresponding communities zoning codes). This review focuses only on the portion of land within Ramsey city limits. Overall, the Subject Property is about eleven (11) acres in size, with about 7.3 acres being in Ramsey. The project will result in most of the Subject Property being paved with asphalt and concrete curb and gutter. A stormwater basin is proposed in the southern part of the Subject Property. The project does include a sixty (60) foot wide bufferyard along the northern boundary, to provide some screening between the existing residential home to the north and this proposed truck parking business. There are also plantings (combination of shrubs and trees) around the perimeter of the Subject Property. Zoning & Land Use Designation The Subject Property is currently zoned I-1 Light Industrial and is guided as Business Park in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The Subject Property abuts an existing residential property to the north (most similar to the Rural Residential zoning district but is technically zoned as a Planned Unit Development), the Links at Northfork Golf Course to the east (zoned as Parks and Open Space), and the BNSF railroad tracks to the south. West of the Subject Property (in Elk River), parcels are zoned general industrial. The requested Zoning Amendment, which would rezone the portion of the Subject Property in Ramsey from I-1 Light Industrial to PUD (Planned Unit Development), would allow for the proposed use. Natural Resources Summary The City's Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) does not identify any native plant communities on site. In fact, the Subject Property is essentially devoid of any tree cover, which is why there was no Tree Inventory and