12/10/2003 P&Z Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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• • • Eagle Brook Church page 4 point, the property stretches from 20th Ave. to Peltier Lake. The site consists of several individual parcels. (These should be combined into one tax parcel as a condition of approval should the application be approved.) The site has been used for crop production. The western part of the site includes some wetland along and near the lake. Another wetland is n the northeast corner of the site. These are discussed further below. County Ditch 72 runs through the site into one of the wetlands. The stormwater management design is one of the most important aspects of the project from an environmental perspective. This is discussed below. The lake is in the Regional Park Reserve. Land between the proposed church site and the lake is owned by the City of St. Paul Water Services, but is likely to be purchased by the County to add to the park reserve. The EAW raised the possibility of trail connections to the park reserve. However, the land there is primarily wetland and the County has no plan for trails through it. Existing House: A house, garage, barn, and silo exist in the south central part of the site. The proposal is for these to remain. This is not an environmental issue , and did not come to light during the EAW review. However, it is a site design issue and must be addressed now. The existence of two principal structures on one lot is not allowed under our zoning ordinance except with a planned unit development (PUD). There must be some justification for the flexibility allowed with a PUD. Alternatively, a separate 10 -acre lot would need to be created for the house. The two uses would be sharing a driveway, which would require shared access easements and possibly other legal arrangements. Such a design is not acceptable under normal development requirements. If a unique arrangement is to be made, it should be proposed so the City can review it. Conservation Easement: The second largest heron rookery in the Metro area is on the island in Peltier Lake. The birds forage for nesting material on the shores of the project property. The church has agreed to cooperate with environmental groups, including the Mn DNR and Anoka County Parks, to manage the shore area in a way that supports the foraging activity. The church is proposing a conservation easement in the southwest part of the property. This would include the wetland area there as well as land betwee the wetland and the lake. The proposed holder and terms of this easement have not been explained. Building: The proposed church is a two -story structure. The first floor footprint would include 57,463 sf. The second floor has 26, 894 sf, for a total of 84, 357 sf. (These data replace inaccurate totals in the table on the floor plan sheet.) The worship area includes seats on both the first and second levels, for a total of 2100. The building also includes six classrooms and seven childcare rooms.