#16 - Highpointe Crossing Preliminary Plat and OP PUD

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Highpointe Crossing - 2298 Inwood Ave N – Lake Elmo – Preliminary Plat Narrative June 7, 2024 Page 9 9 Neighborhood Meeting On April 3, 2024 we held a neighborhood meeting. Approximately 35 people attended the meeting. We gave a presentation about the neighborhood, similar to what we will give to the Planning Commission and City Council. In general, we described our proposal in detail and then clarified a number of facts about the neighborhood and its surroundings. At the end of our presentation there were a number of questions and concerns raised by the neighbors. These are summarized below with our general response and how we have or have not addressed them with revisions included in our preliminary plat. • Density - In general we heard from several residents from neighborhoods to the north and south of our proposed neighborhood that they would prefer to see a neighborhood that was more aligned with the lots sizes and density found in their neighborhoods. Lots within the two neighborhoods to the north and south are about 2.5 acres in size which would yield about 30-32 lots on the 78-80 Eberhard parcel about ½ of what is being proposed. o Response – Our response in general is that we are proposing a neighborhood that seeks to meet the principals of the OP-PUD zoning district and within the allowed density of the Comprehensive Plan. This neighborhood permanently conserves over 50% of the 78 acres as permanent open space. This includes a 200’ buffer around the entire site. There will be no active uses within the open space besides a few walkers on grass trails. No sheds, pools, cars, RV’s or any storage within 200’ or more of neighbors’ homes anywhere surrounding the site. Homes will be clustered and the lotted area as proposed only occupies 22 acres or 28 % of the total property. The homes proposed are targeted toward empty nesters which will make for quieter neighbors even if there are more homes. This neighborhood will have a community treatment system that is professionally operated and maintained vs numerous individual treatment systems that are often more prone to failure. There will also be a shared irrigation system that will to irrigate lawns and portion of the open space. This system utilizes pond water reducing the burden on the City water system. City water will be provided to residents within the neighborhood vs numerous individual wells. This will reduce the number of people directly and individually using water from an aquifer already contaminated with PFAS. The Comprehensive Plan mentions a number of times the City’s desire to have open space neighborhoods, neighborhoods like what is being proposed here that protect large areas of open space. • Traffic – There were concerns raised about the additional traffic that could go through the adjacent neighborhood to the north and about the additional traffic that would use Inwood. Many neighbors felt that there is too much traffic on Inwood today and that the speed on Inwood is too high making an already unsafe roadway more unsafe. o Response – Since the neighborhood meeting we have completed a traffic study which is included in our preliminary plat submittal. That study shows that little to no traffic will travel north through the adjacent neighborhood. The only times that the north access would be used would be in the very rare occasions when the access to Inwood was