Agenda - Planning Commission - 11/02/2006

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following overview of the criteria to be used when determining the suitability of a Comprehensive Plan Amendment: 1. The proposed land use considers traffic levels and patterns. a. Traffic impacts of the proposal should be assessed for adjacent streets and affected collector streets. Impacts resulting in a safety hazard, increase in fire or police response time, or substantial increase in traffic congestion should be mitigated. b. Potential future travel corridors should be identified and preserved where feasible. The proposed land use will produce more traffic than the existing land use, and the scope of this increase in traffic is outlined in the traffic generation report. This report predicts that the development will produce approximately 350 additional trips per day, half of which will exit on 151 st Lane. It is estimated that the County will require the construction of a turn lane on Nowthen Boulevard at 151 st Lane. Such an upgrade will improve the safety of that intersection. Also, as part of the Meadow Development on the east side ofNowthen, turn lane construction at Alpine Drive and Nowthen Boulevard is required. The Planning Commission, residents, and the City Council have expressed concern over the increase in traffic congestion and high crash counts at Alpine Drive and Nowthen Boulevard. Staff has worked with the County and the developers to attempt to mitigate some of the traffic concerns. The developer would be required to provide right-of-way to realign Alpine Drive NW west of the intersection with Nowthen Boulevard, construct a crosswalk at the intersection of proposed Pointe Drive and 151 st Lane NW, and construct a sidewalk along the south side of 151 st Lane for the entire length of the plat (approximately 550 feet) and on the north side of 151 st Lane from Pointe Drive to Nowthen Boulevard. 2. The Community's expenditures for new or additional services required by the proposed land use will be recovered if the proposal goes forward. Under the current proposal, the land use change will produce approximately 18 more housing units than if the property were developed at a low-density residential land use (3 units per acre). The costs of public infrastructure improvements, including street, sewer, water, stormwater, piping, and other utility installation will be the responsibility of the developer. It is estimated that the fees and taxes generated from this project will cover the additional expense incurred by allowing the land use change. 3. Environmentally sensitive resources should be known, as per section 9.21. 01 of the city code "development shall be so regulated as to minimize risk of environmental damage to these areas. " The proposed land use change would increase the amount of housing units allowed on this property, thus increasing impervious surface coverage. However, the development is respecting the wetland buffer ordinance and the applicable setbacks. The proposal plans to preserve 63% of the trees on the site and proposes 36% of the total land area to be dedicated for usable open City Council / September 26, 2006 Page 15 of 38 P35