12-11-08 Planning Comm. Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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Overall Site Design. The proposed site layout indicates one access onto Rice Street, located directly in between the proposed retail and assisted living building. Another access is proposed onto Country Drive, which would serve the office/commercial building. The two access points are connected by an internal private drive. The existing fast food building contains two accesses onto Rice Street. This is a concern because of their close proximity to the intersection of Rice Street and Country Drive. As proposed, retaining walls separate the fast food site from the proposed development site. Staff would recommend that the applicants work with the owners of the fast food building and look at the possibility of connecting the fast food site with the proposed development site, so that vehicles and pedestrians would be allowed to access either site from one another. This may allow for combining the fast food building's two accesses into one access that could be shared by the proposed development and fast food site. In the alternative, reworking the fast food site to provide access from Country Drive would be preferable to retaining an access on Rice Street. Over the long term, it seems likely that Rice Street may be reconstructed with a median that would prohibit access to the fast food site from southbound Rice Street traffic. As was stated earlier, office condominiums are located directly to the south of the proposed development. The office site was developed by the current owner of the subject site. Staff would recommend the applicants explore the possibility of establishing a connection with the site to the south. Cross easements could be established that would allow access onto both sites. Since the office project is now under condominium ownership, it is acknowledged that the City may not be able to compel this connection. The majority of the site is heavily affected by the existing wetland/pond, known as Black Tern Pond. The submitted site plan indicates the delineated wetland. There appears to be landscaping improvements proposed within the delineated wetland and possibly fill to complete a portion of the parking lot between the retail and office/commercial building. In addition, a 50 foot setback from the delineated wetland has been indicated on the site plan. The site plan indicates improved landscaping, two rain gardens/retention areas, a small portion of the parking lot, and two small portions of the office/commercial building that encroach into this setback area. The Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District will have comments related to the applicant's ability to disturb this area -the applicants have indicated that they have contacted the Watershed District in this regard. Assisted Living Facility. The senior living facility is proposed to be located in the southwest corner of the property, facing Rice Street. The 52-unit facility is proposed to have a 15,100 square foot footprint, with atwo-level appearance from the west and a three-level appearance from the east. Two outdoor spaces are proposed to serve the facility -one smaller space directly adjacent to the front of the building, and the other directly adjacent to the rear of the building, which faces the pond area. A drop off area is proposed at the front entrance. Parking is proposed between the building and Rice Street to the west and between the building and the proposed retail building to the 2