HomeMy WebLinkAbout11.12.96 Planning Packet
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AGENDA
PLANNING COMMISSION
REGULAR
NOVEMBER 12, 1996
7:00 P.M.
1.
CALL TO ORDER
2.
APPROVE MINUTES
a) October 8, 1996 - Regular
3. PUBLIC HEARINGS
a) 7:00 P.M. - Cameron Woods Planned Unit Development
b) 7:30 P.M. - pine Ridge Forest Planned Unit Development
c) 8:00 P.M. - Variance for Driveway Access - Lexington Standard
d) Continue Hearing - Wireless Telecommunication Services Ordinance
4. DISCUSSION
a) Proposed Ordinance - Credit Common Open Space to Lots
b) Draft MUSA Expansion Comprehensive Plan Amendment
c) Informal Request for Front Yard Fence Variance
5 . ADJOURN
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AGENDA REPORT
PLANNING COMMISSION
REGULAR
NOVEMBER 12, 1996
1.
Call to Order
2.
Approve Minutes
3.
Public Hearings
. 7:00 P.M. - Planned Unit Development - Cameron Woods
Cameron Woods is a proposed 62 unit neighborhood adjoining the west side of
County Road 3l in the NE l/4 of Section l4. Jack Benedict, the developer,
initially explored the possibility of business uses with frontage adjoining
County Road 3l followed by a single family neighborhood proposal. The former
was not practical since there would be no direct opening to County Road 3l and
the second failed because it would require regrading the entire hillside and
eliminating existing tree cover.
The proposal being discussed at this hearing is one that will provide for a
housing cluster of 62 townhouse units in the eastern one-half of this property
and a 6.29 acre wooded hillside that will become part of the City open space
system. There have been extensive discussions between adjoining residents and
members of the Planning Commission and City Council. People are dismayed that
townhouse units can be built in the R-l Low Density Residential District.
Essentially, the Zoning Ordinance was designed specifically for property like
Cameron Woods, which includes wooded steep slopes. All residential districts
include the possibility of single, two and multi family dwellings, plus
townhouses involving various lot sizes and a modest density increase for planned
unit development projects. The advantage this offers is that housing units may
be clustered to save existing natural features. At l3.65 acres and PUD density
of 4.5 units per acre, the site can handle 6l.4 housing units. Because of the
double stacking of units, 62 townhouses are proposed.
The principal concern of neighbors is that the units are close enough to both
the north and south property line that many of the larger fence line trees will
be destroyed during construction. The Developer has indicated that he would
prefer to save those trees as well and has ordered his engineer to revise the
site plan to maintain this tree line buffer.
The City Engineer has some concerns about on site grading because of the 25 foot
drop in topography across the townhouse site and the need to protect the City
well from storm water runoff. Another concern is the construction cost of the
80 foot wide City right of way which separates Endeavor Avenue in Cameron Woods
with Nelsen Hills Farm 3rd Addition. It is recommended this construction be the
responsibility of the Developer.
The setback on the existing right of way of Pilot Knob Road is 80 feet which
means that all units will be at least 55 feet from the right of way after it has
expanded. It is recommended that Endeavor Avenue should become Euclid Street
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since the name change will affect only two addresses in Nelsen Hills Farm 3rd
Addition, whereas a name change in Terra Addition will affect seven addresses.
Recommendation
Recommend Council approval of the schematic PUD plan and authorize drafting the
formal PUD plan and submittal of the preliminary plat.
7:30 P.M. - Planned Unit Development of pine Ridge Forest
Pine Ridge Forest is a proposed 68 lot single family neighborhood situated
between Hillview Addition and Nelsen Hills Farm 5th Addition. It does not
include a complete submission of necessary information and once opened, the PUD
hearing should be continued to either a special meeting on November 26th or the
regular meeting of December lOth.
It should be noted that the Developer, Tim Giles, has dropped his request to cut
the top of the hill. He will instead dedicate 5.45 acres for parkland and
regrade housing sites west of the ridge line in order to provide adequate
separation between housing and the lowest level of water in the tower adjoining
the south edge of the plat.
This PUD has also had some objections from adjoining property owners because of
the proposed direct link between Everest Path and Upper l83rd Street. This
connection may be a relatively short term problem in as much as Everest is
recommended to connect with l80th Street, the east/west collector street in Deer
Meadow, and an east/west street in Lakeville that is included in the long range
thoroughfare plan.
Recommendation
Continue the public hearing until a time when all documentation has been
received.
. 8:00 P.M. - Variance Request by Lexington Standard for 45 Foot Wide
Driveway Access
The plan for Lexington Standard expansion included a 45 foot wide access from
Edmonton Street. This was a variance of only l3 feet from existing City code.
Since the request was filed, however, the contractor made a mistake in the
placement of wall panels which will now require a 60 foot wide access from
Edmonton Street. It is tempting to ask for a separation in the access drives,
but as a practical matter, the larger turn radii necessary for truck turning
movements make such separations useless. Staff has discussed this with
Lexington Standard and believes that the contractor error is justification for
granting the 28 foot variance. The Commission previously granted a similar
variance for JIT Powder Coatings in the Industrial Park. It may be time to
consider a change in the ordinance that will eliminate the frequency of these
variance requests.
. Recommendation
Approve the variance request as amended.
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· Continued Hearing - Wireless Telecommunication Services Ordinance
Deb Garross from SBA, Inc. submitted some wording substitutions that the
Commission may wish to consider. The first is a section dealing with co-
location requirements. It would involve substitution of Section lO-6-20 Bl as
follows:
Co-Location Requirements.
l. A proposal for a new personal wireless communication service tower
shall not be approved unless it can be documented by the applicant
that the communications equipment planned for the proposed tower
cannot be accommodated on an existing or approved tower or building
within a one-half mile radius of the proposed tower due to one or
more the following reasons:
a) The planned equipment would exceed the structural capacity of the
existing or approved tower or building, as documented by a qualified
and licensed professional engineer, and the existing or approved
tower cannot be reinforced or modified to accommodate planned
equipment at a reasonable cost.
b) The planned equipment would cause interference with other existing
or planned equipment at the tower or building as documented by a
qualified and licensed professional engineer, and the interference
cannot be prevented at a reasonable cost.
c) No existing or approved towers or commercial/industrial buildings
within a half mile radius meet the radio frequency (RF) design
criteria.
d) Existing or approved towers and commercial/industrial buildings
within a one-half mile radius cannot accommodate the planned
equipment at a height necessary to function reasonably as documented
by a qualified and licensed professional radio frequency (RF)
engineer.
e) The applicant must demonstrate that a good faith effort to co-locate
on existing towers and structures within a one-half mile radius was
made, but an agreement could not be reached.
Section lO-6-20 B2 would remain as is. The second proposal would change
lO-6-20 (9) as follows:
9. Tower Lighting
Towers and their antennas shall not be illuminated by artificial
means, except for camouflage purposes (designed as a lighted tower
for a parking lot or a ballfield) or the illumination is
specifically required by the Federal Aviation Administration or
other authority.
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4. Discussion
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· Proposed Ordinance to Credit Common Open Space to Lots
This amendment has been designed to provide small lot single family developments
with common open space the same flexibility townhome developments have with
respect to the relationship between lot size and building coverage.
· Draft Comprehensive Plan Amendment on MUSA Expansion
The preliminary draft being forwarded to the Metropolitan Council staff is
enclosed for a recommendation to the City Council.
. Informal Request for Front Yard Fence Variance - 5264 186th Street
The attached letter to Leonard and Kimberly Lee produced a request for variance
which has been directed to the Commission for a response without a public
hearing since two earlier requests were denied.
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Charles Tooker
. City Planner
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