Agenda - Council - 10/13/2026 - Laserfiche WebLink

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four (4) lots in the Scenic River Protection Overlay District that abut either the Rum River or Trott Brook, which is a tributary of the Rum River, all exceed four (4) acres in size. Due to the fact that a portion of the Subject Property is within the Scenic River Protection Overlay District, Staff did forward the Preliminary Plat plan set to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for review and comment. The DNR had no specific comments or objections to the plat. All lots appear to comply with the minimum lot width standards in the Rural Residential Zoning District and the Scenic River Protection Overlay District. Proposed lot sizes range from 2.69 acres to 8.99 acres, which all comply with the bulk standards of both the zoning district and overlay district. Due to the location of the permanent road easement for the Erkium Street corridor, the depth of the two proposed lots on the east side of this easement is limited to 185 feet. However, in the Rural Residential Zoning District, the minimum required lot depth is 200 feet. Due to this deficiency, a variance to lot depth is necessary. Staff is supportive of this variance because shifting the road corridor to the east to meet the 200-foot lot depth requirement would result in more tree loss, extensive grading, and the proposed lot depth is essentially equivalent to the lot depth of many of the existing lots abutting the eastern boundary of the Subject Property. Should the City Council not support the variance, the Erkium Street corridor will need to be shifted west to achieve the minimum required lot depth. This will result in greater tree loss, but the project would likely comply with the removal limit of sixty percent (60%) of the Significant Tree DBH inches. Streets The subdivision will be accessed via a southerly extension of Erkium Street. Presently, this corridor is encumbered with a Road Easement extending south from 177th Avenue to the northern border of 17400 Erkium Street, where it connects to the dedicated right-of-way established with the Riverbrook plat. There is a private driveway within this Road Easement serving 17400 Erkium Street (and 17500 Erkium Street, which is not part of this subdivision) that will need to be upgraded to meet the City's public road standards. Additionally, an east / west road will be constructed to the western boundary of the Subject Property. Should the land to the west ever develop in the future, this east / west road could be extended and connected to the 177th Avenue segment west of the Subject Property, and the temporary cul-de-sac would be eliminated. This new road segment exceeds the 600-foot maximum cul-de-sac length set forth in the Subdivision Code (Chapter 117). However, after consultation with the City Attorney, this is not being designed as a true, permanent cul-de-sac and thus, Staffs interpretation is that a variance is not necessary due to the 'temporary' nature of this turn -around. Both roads will be built to rural section road standards with some areas having concrete curbing for storm water management. MN State Fire Code requires a minimum width of at least twenty-six (26) feet, with parking restricted to one side of the street due to its length. Both streets are proposed to have a paved width of twenty-six (26) feet and the plans do show no parking signs on one side of each of the two streets. The bulb of each cul-de-sac will have a paved diameter of 100 feet, in accordance with the City's subdivision design standards. The revised Preliminary Plat includes a reduced length of Erkium Street, which is now approximately 260 feet shorter than originally proposed. The reduced length eliminates the need for retaining walls, which had been identified as a maintenance concern by Staff, while also slightly reducing the amount of impervious surfacing. The cul-de-sac bulb now terminates roughly at the boundary between 17400 and 17650 Erkium Street. Conversely, this will result in longer shared driveways for a couple of lots and Shared Access and Maintenance Agreements will need to be executed (for Lots 1-4, Block 3, and 17500 Erkium Street NW) and recorded along with the Final Plat and Development Agreement. Utilities The Subject Property is outside the 2040 MUSA boundary. Therefore, all proposed Tots will need to be served by private wells and septic systems. The Preliminary Plat identifies locations for both the primary and alternative sites for septic systems on each lot. The Applicant has provided a septic report, which included soil borings for each lot in the Preliminary Plat. It does appear that each lot has sufficient soil to accommodate both a primary and alternate septic location. Wetlands/Floodnlain There are multiple wetlands across the Subject Property. The Applicant has completed the wetland delineations, which must be reviewed and approved by the Lower Rum River Watershed Management Organization (LRRWMO). The Preliminary Plat does include drainage and utility easements extending at least 16.5 feet beyond the delineated wetland boundaries. There are also floodplains present over the southern portion of the Subject Property. None of the proposed home locations appear to be within a floodplain. However, at the time of home construction, an Elevation Certificate or an As -Built Grading Survey will be required for Lots 2-4, Block 3, to verify that the homes on these lots are properly elevated above the Base Flood Elevation (BFEs). This will also benefit future homeowners regarding whether flood insurance is required or not. Existing Conditions The Subject Property is heavily wooded and, as previously noted, also contains wetlands and floodplains. The City's Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) identifies a high -quality mesic oak forest over a large portion of the Subject Property. Due to the natural features of the site, the Applicant is proposing to custom grade many of the lots, to try and minimize impacts. The submittal did include a Tree Inventory and Preservation Plan. In residential developments, City Code restricts tree removal