03-09-1994 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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forced to leave the community at a time when their benefits to the community can be most readily realized. The proposal from Pratt Homes would help to fill in that market. The City services required for this project are very restricted in all areas including street maintenance, park land, and utilities, whereas the property tax payments from housing in this value range are high. The density is well below what the Comprehensive Plan, or any of the applicable ordinances would permit. At 1.48 dwelling units per acre, it is almost identical to the single family development across Twin Lake, which is at 1.46 dwelling units per acre for development in the Twin Lake Shores subdivisions. With regard to impacts on the land and the lake, the developer estimates that a single family development on the Mitchell property would disturb much more land and vegetation than would the proposed townhouses. This estimate is not inconsistent with our experience in other communities which have shown as much as 40% less disturbed area for townhouse projects than comparable single family projects, depending on the topography of the site. Since the development will be restricted to the single lake access, and considering the style of housing and market, a townhouse project would be expected to have significantly less impact on the lake itself. Visually, the development is architecturally designed similar to single family housing. With the reduced clearing of vegetation, the visual impact to the south should be significantly lessened as well. Other Issues • Water. The development will require water from Vadnais Heights. This will require review by both Cities' engineers. • Annexation /Detachment. It would appear that the western -most units are proposed to be located at least partially in Vadnais Heights. This issue will have to be addressed prior to final approvals • Access. The development will require approval of Ramsey County regarding placement of the access drive from Vadnais Boulevard. • Further Processing. The project will require a number of additional reviews and approvals. The Development and Final Stages of the PUD will be necessary, as will Preliminary and Final Plats. As a part of these approvals, the developer will be asked to submit landscaping plans, a tree preservation and replacement plan, proposed Homeowners' Association bylaws, and more detailed engineering data. 3 Page 23