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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03.27.84 Planning PacketAGENDA PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MARCH 27, 1984 This meeting was moved from March 20, 1984 because of the biennial Caucus meetings. 1. Minutes of February 21, 1984, 7:00 P.M. 2. Public Hearing Continued from February 21, 1984 Special Exception at 312 Oak Street. 3. 7:30 P.M. Public Hearing Request for a front yard set back variance at 705 Willow Street. 4. Jack Olwell Discussion of requirements for boarding houses which currently are not addressed in the Zoning Ordinance. 5. Lyell Yetzer, 1134 Highway 3 Discussion of request to extend sanitary sewer lines to his property along side lot easement within the Sunnyside Plat in exchange for a storm sewer easement for surface water from a portion of Sunnyside subdivision. 6. Bill Ford Discussion of Preliminary Sketch Plan Terra Second, Pilot Knob Road. 7. Jack Benedict Discussion Preliminary Sketch Plan Dakota County Estates Second, Pilot Knob Road. 8. Mike Devney Request to subdivide a 10 acre lot from the approxi- mate 400 acres of John Devney now situated in Ag Preserve. 9. Doreen and Raymond Larsen Request for public hearing to vary lot size which includes existing building at 213 Oak Street. 10. Howard Anderson of CAF Trucking Discussion of the potential for expansion of an existing bulk oil storage area on Elm Street at the railroad crossing. AGENDA REPORT PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MARCH 27, 1984 1. Minutes of February 21, 1984. 2. Continuation of Public Hearing Contract Sewing Special Exception at 312 Oak St. See memorandum to Larry Thompson on 409 Third Street Parking Plan. Current em- ployment figures suggest the following: Parker Appliance 3 employees Sewing Unlimited 5 employees Farmington Agency /Century 21 4 employees 3. Public Hearing Front yard variance request at 705 Willow Street. See attached survey indicating the addition, parking and circulation plan. Section 2 -4 -3 lists the tests for a variance. Literal enforcement of the ordinance would re- quire the dining room expansion to be placed in the rear yard which would interfere with both the service entrance and the circulation plan. On this site, the dining room already is too close to both front yards but expansion of the restaurant capa- city may be reasonably accomodated by a 10 foot additional encroachment. The space where the addition and plantings will go are currently used as parking space. If parking is no longer permitted along the southside of the building the addition should stand the test of observing the spirit and interest of the ordinance. RECOMMENDATION: Approve the variance stipulating a well defined 24 foot wide entrance on Willow St. plus plantings to define the parking area and driveways as separate from the public right of way on Willow Street based upon a finding that it meets all listed tests of a variance. 4. Jack Olwell Discussion of requirements for boarding houses. Currently the Farmington Zoning Ordinance defines a family as one or more persons occupying a premises and living as a single housekeeping unit, as distinguished from a group occupying a boarding house, lodging house, club, fraternity or hotel. The ordinance does not go on to define boarding house or to indicate where they might be appropriately located within the City. It would appear that in 1970 the economic conditions were such that persons not related by blood or marriage could afford separate housing units and the only reason the ordinance mentions them at all is that the definition of family was developed at an earlier time when economic conditions were similar in many ways to 1984. It is likely that many households would be considered rooming or boarding houses rather than single family dwellings, without the owners asking if it is a permitted use. This request was generated by a prospective home buyer in need of additional income to help with payments. Recent requests of a similar nature in other com- munities have resulted in ordinance amendments which define boarding houses as follows: "A building, not a hotel or motel, where for compensation and for pre- arranged periods, meals and /or lodging are provided to not less than three nor more than 10 persons." Boarding houses are then listed as conditional uses or special exceptions within specified residential districts. This type of change in Farmington could be diffi- cult particularly in the R -2 District where it is next to impossible to convert to a duplex because of minimum lot area requirements. A boarding house special ex- ception would seem to be unfair unless the yard requirements for a duplex also were reduced. RECOiNDATION: Determine urgency of Olwell request and provide Staff with some guidelines on where boarding houses should fit into the overall development plan for Farmington. Zoning Ordinance revision can be developed as part of the comprehensive overhaul already authorized by City Council. 5. Lyell Yetzer, 1134 Highway 3 Extension of Sanitary Sewer Line. Mr. Yetzer needs to replace an existing on -lot sewer system and in 1981 explored the possibility of connecting with the City system in Sunnyside Plat. A Staff study prepared at that time outlined the costs for Mr. Yetzer excluding those of a pri- vate contractor hired by Mr. Yetzer. This is in line with City policy of providing service to residents from public right of ways. Because of the cost, Mr. Yetzer has asked the City to install a lateral within a side lot easement to his property line in return for which he would grant the City an easement across his property for sur- face water runoff with origins in Sunnyside. The staff has met with Sunnyside de- veloper, Felix Tillges, for information on how surface water was handled in the plat. It appears that prior to the development of Sunnyside this area included a 30 foot wide east west right of way called May Street which is shown on the attached map to adjoin Mr. Yetzer's lot. It is the opinion of Staff that the surface water runoff does not flow across the Yetzer property but does indeed follow May Street. RECOMMENDATION: Advise Mr. Yetzer to be certain of his property boundaries, since the Staff position is that currently storm water runoff does not cross those lines. The Staff further suggests that the request is for a private service which the City does not share the cost. 6. Bill Ford Discussion of Terra Second Addition Sketch Plan. The sketch plan indicates 23 lots and a park which the Park Board would rather not accept. Staff has made some suggestions on layout including the conversion of a portion of the park to an additional lot but leaving an access to the adjoining park to the west in Hill View Addition. The plan does not recognize an existing right of way secured by the City for a street connection between Upper 182nd Street and this property. Such a connection is considered to be an important consideration in a neighborhood traffic circulation plan. In addition, the proposed plan indicates some awkward intersections that can be corrected by introducing where ever possible 90 angle "T" intersections and a curved alignment for Euclid Way rather than the 90 "L" intersection as shown. Both suggestions if followed will provide a consi- derably more attractive development and not alter the number of lots that the pro- perty can accomocdate. The City Engineer has suggested that while a normal center- line curve radius would be 275 minimum, the curve on Euclid Way could be reduced to between 75' and 100'. RECOMMENDATION: Discuss with the developer an acceptable street layout in specific terms before en- dorsing the preparation of a Preliminary Plat. 7 Jack Benedict Discussion of Dakota County Estates Second. The sketch plan submitted includes 163 lots on forty acres immediately east of the first plat. It shows a park dedication of approximately 320 feet square which is able to accomodate a softball field as requested by the Park Board. The layout pro- vides two important openings to the south, anticipating further development of this rapidly growing neighborhood. It also recognizes the floodplain in the northeast corner of the property by providing exceedingly deep lots that allows ample room for each structure. RECOMMENDATION: Advise the developer to proceed with preparation of a preliminary plat if the schematic plan meets with Commission approval. 8 Mike Devney is the first to request a division of land in the Ag Preserve which has resulted in conflicting staff opinion as to if and how it should be accomplished. The decision to bring it to the Planning Commission involves education of both the Planning Conuiiission and the Staff at a time when the Zoning Ordinance will be in a period of transition. The major staff assistance has been provided by Metropolitan Council resource people who have suggested that the intent of the Ag Preserve Law is associated directly with the concept of density transfer. If for example we use John Devney's Ag Preserve holdings as a base, it would be possible to create 10 housing sites. This is based upon one unit per 40 acres. The lot size required for each unit shall be 10 acres in Farmington since this is the minimum lot size per- mitted in the A -1 District. Should the 10 acres cease to be farmed together with rest of the 400 acres it would automatically be dropped from Ag Preserve. But, it would count as one of the possible 10 units to be developed as long as the entire property remains in Ag Preserve. RECOMMENDATION: Approve the lot split and advise the owner that nine additional ten acre divisions are possible. 9. The requested variance will create two substandard lots from a site which includes four separate but interrelated structures. The requested 30 by 70 foot lot, for example, requires an easement from the lot that remains to gain access to the second floor. The front or Third Street portion in turn has retained an easement on the Larsen property for access to the rear of the other existing buildings. The original contract for deed came to the attention of staff due to a question raised by the buyer regarding taxes. A mistake in the property description transferred the entire parcel to the Larsens even though they believed they were purchasing the rear 30 feet. Discussions with both the Planner and the City Attorney have resulted in this request for a public hearing. The City Attorney has indicated that there is no pro- blem in establishing a public hearing where as the Planner has outlined the pro blem the Planning Commission will have in acting favorably on the request in view of the discussion generated by item 2 above. RECOMvEENDATION: Schedule a public hearing after informing the Larsens of the City policy on the creation of substandard lots. 10. This discussion has been requested by a potential purchaser of lots 4,5, and 6 of Block 25 in the original plat of Farmington to continue and expand the bulk oil storage across from Main Street Elevator. Mr. Anderson has been advised that the existing tanks can continue to be utilized but that the City has experienced strong neighborhood reaction against the expansion of these facilities. However, petroleum bulk storage is a listed special exception in the B -3 District and could be acted upon favorably under the conditions outlined in section 2 -4 -4 of the or- dinance. RECOMMENDATIONS: Mr. Anderson is seeking guidance from the Planning Commission prior to investing in this property. 4 Charles Tooker Planner CT /mh