11-20-2006 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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ANALYSIS The applicant is proposing 41 detached townhome style units on a 7.71 acre site. The site is comprised of three parcels, two which are within the City of Little Canada. The southern triangular piece is within the City of Maplewood. The calculations submitted with the application indicate that the site is approximately 14 acres. However, GIS data obtained from Ramsey County indicates that the site is only 7.71 acres. The portion of the site located within the City of Little Canada is 5.49 acres. The small lot single family homes will be arranged along a north -south private drive. The site will be complimented by two ponds, a community center, and a trail system that circles through the various common open space areas. Lot Requirements and Setbacks. The underlying zoning of the site is R -1, single family residential. The following chart illustrates the lot requirements and setback requirements for the R -1 District, as well as what is proposed for the site. Approximately ten units are within the City of Maplewood, with two units crossing municipal boundaries. As such, only the units and acreage within the City of Little Canada are included in the calculations below: While some degree of flexibility to the standards of the zoning ordinance may be allowed through PUD, the requested variances are quite significant. The lot area proposed is nearly half of what is required for the R -1 District. The narrow lot width appears to create very tight conditions, with homes roughly eight feet apart. A significant front yard setback reduction is also requested, further intensifying the tight setting. Staff recommends that the applicant remove a number of units throughout the development to create larger lots with more conforming setbacks. Specifically, staff recommends that units be removed adjacent to the steep slope and in areas containing dense tree cover. Density. The proposed density for the site is approximately 6.08 units per acre. The proposed density does not appear to be appropriate for an R -1 District. The Low Density Residential land use classification allows up to 4 units per acre, and most R -1 zoned plats are hard - pressed to exceed 2.5 units per acre. The proposed small lot, high density development would likely require an R -2, Medium Density Residential District, which allows up to eight units per acre. The proposal, being surrounded by R -1 zoning and large single family parcels does not appear to maintain a compatible land use pattern with the surrounding area. 3 Required Proposed Lot Area 10,000 square feet 5,460 square feet Lot Width 75 feet 52 feet Front Yard Setback 30 feet -13 feet Side Yard Setback 7.5 feet - 4 feet Rear Yard Setback 30 feet - 38 feet While some degree of flexibility to the standards of the zoning ordinance may be allowed through PUD, the requested variances are quite significant. The lot area proposed is nearly half of what is required for the R -1 District. The narrow lot width appears to create very tight conditions, with homes roughly eight feet apart. A significant front yard setback reduction is also requested, further intensifying the tight setting. Staff recommends that the applicant remove a number of units throughout the development to create larger lots with more conforming setbacks. Specifically, staff recommends that units be removed adjacent to the steep slope and in areas containing dense tree cover. Density. The proposed density for the site is approximately 6.08 units per acre. The proposed density does not appear to be appropriate for an R -1 District. The Low Density Residential land use classification allows up to 4 units per acre, and most R -1 zoned plats are hard - pressed to exceed 2.5 units per acre. The proposed small lot, high density development would likely require an R -2, Medium Density Residential District, which allows up to eight units per acre. The proposal, being surrounded by R -1 zoning and large single family parcels does not appear to maintain a compatible land use pattern with the surrounding area. 3