07-10-2003 Planning Comm. Minutes

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MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION JULY 10, 2003 wall that exceeds 32 inches in height will have a guardrail installed at the top. Keis pointed out that the preliminary plat for The Preserve did not include these retaining walls. Now the Commission is being asked to consider a Final Plat that has significantly changed to include retaining wall ranging in height from 4 to 10 feet. Keis also noted the amount of fill that will have to be brought in to accommodate this development. Duray asked how these changes impact the aesthetics of the area. McDonnell indicated that the changes made to the Final Plat versus what was presented at Preliminary Plat are only changes in terms of vertical elevation. McDonnell indicated that they plan to plant vines and shrubs in front of the wall on the south side of the street. Landscaping could be required in front of the individual walls on the lots. Duray asked how much higher the elevations are for the road. McDonnell replied that the elevation of the road is the same height as what was proposed in the preliminary plat. In the preliminary plat rather than having retaining walls, the grades were proposed at a 2 to 1 slope immediately coming off the road. A slope of 3 to 5 would be preferable, however, grading could not occur off the Dayspring property. That is why retaining walls are not being proposed. The City Engineer indicated that the intersection of Preserve Court and Preserve Trail had to be raised approximately four feet given the crossing of Williams Pipeline. McDonnell agreed, pointing out that Preserve Trail has to be four feet above the pipe. This impacts the elevations of the entire development. Kevin Von Reidel indicated that without the connection of Preserve Trail to Viking Drive, the elevations could have been dropped and the need for retaining walls eliminated. However, the City Council had indicated that no variances would be considered for this development, and the City's Code limits cul-de-sacs to a maximum of 500 feet. McDonnell indicated that another impact is the need to maintain 30 foot front yard setbacks for the plat although the Shoreland Ordinance provide for 20-foot front yard setbacks. McDonnell pointed out that the 30-foot front yard setback pushes the homes further from the street and impacts how the grades in the backyards can be handled. With a 20-foot front yard setback, the need for retaining walls would be reduced. -8-