02-27-08 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS, INC. 4800 Olson Memorial Highway, Suite 202, Golden Valley, MN 55422 Telephone: 763.231 .2555 Facsimile: 763. 231 .2561 plenners @nacplanning.com MEMORANDUM TO: Little Canada Planning Commission FROM: Stephen Grittman DATE: February 8, 2008 RE: Little Canada — Express Image Printing PUD FILE NO: 758.09 — 08.02 Background and Analysis Express Image is seeking a PUD Permit to allow for an expansion of its facility at 2942 Rice Street. The building is located to the east of the Ali- American Recreation building, north of the Market Place shopping center. The current facility is 18,000 square feet in floor area, and the applicants are seeking an addition of 10,000 square feet, added to the west side (front) of the existing building. The addition will allow the applicants to formalize parking and circulation on the site, and enhance the site aesthetics. Moreover, the addition is an appropriate time to make drainage improvements to the site, which are included as a part of this submission. The existing building is a concrete block building with few architectural features. The proposed addition is shown as tip -up textured concrete panels with horizontal banding and a horizontal canopy over the primary entrance. The building plans do not include color samples — these should be added for City review. Although the proposed building addition has limited architectural features, it is largely screened from Rice Street public views. Planning staff would recommend that a colored concrete panel be used, rather than grey. Landscaping has been added along the front building wall, consisting of a mix of perennials and low shrubs. Three overstory trees (Maples) are shown adjacent to the west property line in a planting bed of rock mulch. Three additional overstory trees are shown to the south of the building, but are not marked. These may be existing trees this should be verified with the applicants. Planning staff would recommend a small amount of additional landscaping be ltq; considered as a part of the plan. In the west planting area, a few lines of low shrubs, .ol :; 1, would enhance the view of the site, and create a better delineation between this 11