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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03.09.93 Planning Packet1. CALL TO ORDER 7:00 P.M. 2. APPROVE MINUTES a. January 12, 1993 Plus findings prepared for Bongard Trucking and Reisinger Conditional Uses b. February 9, 1993 c. February 23, 1993 3. PUBLIC HEARINGS a. 7:00 PM Akin Park 2nd Addition Preliminary Plat b. 7:30 PM Zoning Request by Wausau Supply Company c. Continued Hearing Riverside Addition Preliminary Plat d. 8:00 PM Conditional Use and Variance Requested by FAA Day Care Facility 4. DISCUSSION a. Very Low Density Housing b. Pat and Robert Devney Playhouse c. Lot Coverage in Residential Districts 5. ADJOURN AGENDA PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MARCH 9, 1993 r1' 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. APPROVE MINUTES a. January 12 b. February 9 c. February 23 d. Conditional Use Findings for Bongard Trucking and Reisinger January 12th 3. PUBLIC HEARINGS a. 7:00 P.M. Akin Park 2nd Addition AGENDA REPORT PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MARCH 9, 1993 The preliminary plat contains 97 lots for housing and one lot which is intended as a City well site as recommended in the City Water Supply and Distribution Plan. The major change in proposed land use is that there is no longer a church site indicated in the northwest corner of the proposed plat. Another is that the developer wishes to develop the plat in up to three phases. This means that portions of the preliminary plat will not be submitted for approval within the 100 days specified for final plats. This coincides closely with procedures for a PUD and the developer would ask for up to 2 years to follow through with filing the final plats for Phases 2 and 3. Depending upon the market reaction to the first phase, the plat could be developed in two phases. Because the plat went through a preliminary review last March, the staff does not expect to receive substantial commentary on the proposal. There are, however, some minor adjustments which need to be made. The landscape plan originally prepared for the plat shows only two species of boulevard trees. They are Summit Ash and Firedance Maple, proposed in a hit or miss pattern along all of the proposed streets. Both species are acceptable for street tree plantings, but should be joined by four to six other species for both variety in the landscape and to assure that a future misfortune to one species will not eliminate a substantial portion of the tree cover in this plat. Staff will provide a proposal which will feature cluster plantings at the public hearing. Another question involves the lot which has been set aside for a future well house to be acquired by the City. During discussions about this site, the staff made it clear that the lot should be adequate for well needs only. The former developer responded with a lot which is 58 feet wide at the street right of way line and 67 feet wide at the normal setback line. In order for this lot to meet minimum standards in the platting ordinance, it should be at least 75 feet wide at the normal building setback line. In this plat, the planned setback is 30 feet from the right of way line. A third comment is directed to approximately a dozen of the proposed single family homes which, because of the mechanical methods used to located houses on curved streets, have another landowner situated between their house and the street. Adjustments need to be made either on lot lines or the location of the houses on those lots. Recommendation Forward the preliminary plat to the City Council with the recommendation that the plat shall be approved contingent upon comments made by the staff and others who have reviewed it and extend the life of the preliminary plat up to two years for Phases 2 and 3. b. 7:30 P.M. Zoning Requested by Wausau Supply Company The management of Wausau Supply Company has requested I -1 Light Industrial zoning for the entire 13 acre site which was annexed to the City by Ordinance of the City Council. The reason for the industrial category is to assure the least restrictive land use possible for the site. This is consistent with the property across Trunk Highway 3 which also is a lumber company which is zoned Industrial. Dakota County Lumber is interested in business zoning primarily because of the setback requirements for industrial uses. However, an analysis needs to be under- taken for the entire Highway 3 strip before individual business uses are sanctioned. Recommendation Forward a recommendation to the City Council endorsing the request by Wausau Supply for I -1 Light Industrial Zoning. c. Continued Hearing Riverside Addition Preliminary Plat The developer has established locations of both the flood plain and wetlands on site. This study has resulted in a slightly revised plat that now has an acre of wetland set aside on which development will not occur. In 10 -9 -5 (B), it states that whenever a wetland is located on land being subdivided, the subdivider shall dedicate such wetland to the public for improving, maintaining or protecting the area for drainage, water quality enhancement, or other purposes. Because the wetlands ordinance is new, it is difficult to determine if this wetland area needs to be dedicated. The developer has indicated that he would not object to such a dedication. Other comments made earlier on this plat include moving the temporary gravel turn around off of the pipeline easement and converting it to a permanent paved turn around east of the pipeline. The only purpose of this road is to provide access to approximately one acre of buildable land west of the plat. If a temporary gravel turn around is accepted, the City will have seriously compromised its design standards. A paved street that cannot be extended will have been left without a permanent solution. Another comment made when the plan was first introduced involves the four corner lots in blocks 5, 6, and 7. Because of the 20 foot wide side lot easement, each of these lots had only a 45 foot wide area for housing. The developer has extended the plat by 10 feet to the east, creating 92 foot width lots and 60 feet within the building envelope. Recommendation Forward the preliminary plat of Riverside to the City Council with the recommendation that it should be approved subject to comments provided by the staff. d. 8:00 P.M. Conditional Use and Variance Requested by the FAA for a Day Care Facility A day care facility serving more than 14 persons is listed as a conditional use in the R -2 District. As indicated in 10 -8 -5 (C), a conditional use shall be approved if it is found to meet the following: a. the proposed use shall not involve any element or cause conditions that may be dangerous to other property or persons, b. the proposed use shall be sited, oriented and landscaped to produce a harmonious relationship, c. the proposed use shall produce a total visual impression and environment which is consistent with the neighborhood, and d. the proposed use shall organize vehicular access and parking to minimize traffic congestion. The information available at this time indicates that there is nothing about the proposal that would suggest that it contains any element which would be dangerous to other property owners. The landscape plan has not yet arrived, but should be here in time to be mailed with this agenda report. Staff will provide comments upon the plan at the hearing. The third criteria references a visual impression and environment consistent with the neighborhood. Considering that the only immediate neighbor to this facility will be the existing City shop on Locust Street, it does fit within the neighborhood. To be more direct, it will not be a handsome building, however, it is located at the end of a cul -de -sac largely screened from view by the uses along First Street. Two of the building elevations are enclosed as part of this report. The vehicular access and parking proposal is reasonable. The parking lot will be capable of handling 26 automobiles and allow ample space for trash hauling maneuverability. The variance requested by the FAA involves a 7 foot chain link fence which extends to within 5 feet of the right of way generally, but actually intersects with the right of way at the north corner. The reason given for not complying with the 4 foot maximum height is security at the FAA Center. This would be more easily accepted if there were not other fences between the day care facility and the FAA Center itself, however, the test for a variance in Section 10- 8 -6(C) will be extremely difficult to justify unless the security issue is accepted by the Commission. Recommendation Approve the conditional use and variance to build a day care facility with a front and rear yard fence 7 feet in height which will help provide child care for FAA employees and facilitate security in the FAA Center itself, subject to the preparation of an acceptable landscape plan. 4. DISCUSSION a. Very Low Density Housing The City Council believes that the joint session of the Council and Planning Commission did not have enough time that was devoted to this issue. They have, therefore, begun to arrange for another joint meeting for the Council and Planning Commission with Bill Morrish, Director of Design Center at the U of M. A meeting notice will be mailed once the date has been established. b. Pat and Robert Devney Playhouse The letter from Ernie Darflinger sent with the January agenda report outlined an interpretation of accessory uses and storage sheds which is different from the direction the City staff has been headed. Please bring your copy of the letter and provide some input as to how this and other accessory structures /storage sheds should be handled in the future. c. Building Coverage Out of curiosity about how well some of the larger structures in Silver Springs have complied with the building coverage section of the Zoning Ordinance, it has been found that one of the structures now under construction has a building coverage of 22i Interest in this subject was spurred by the experience another nearby suburb which has had a building coverage maximum of 18% for approximately 20 years. It was never enforced until one developer started selling lots in a plat that included covenants requiring three car garages. Rather than asking for variances, the staff decided to request that this standard be deleted from the ordinance. It came down to a question about the advantage any city would derive from asking builders to limit the sizes of their housing. This does not make much sense and requiring a potential resident to wait anywhere from 30 to 60 days for a variance is also counterproductive. Staff would request that the Commission also consider eliminating building coverage requirements and leave the issue of light and air availability to setback requirements. eta. .)11t-" Charles Tooker City Planner cc: file