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1 <br /> <br /> STAFF REPORT <br />DATE: 10/1/2024 <br /> <br /> Regular <br />TO: Lake Elmo City Council <br />FROM: Nathan Fuerst, AICP, Consulting Planner <br />AGENDA ITEM: Oak Land Middle School Improvements - Conditional Use Permit, Minor <br />Subdivision, and Variances <br />REVIEWED BY: Jason Stopa, Community Development Director <br /> Sophia Jensen, City Planner <br /> <br /> <br />BACKGROUND: <br />The City of Lake Elmo received a request from the Stillwater Area Public School District, ISD 834, to <br />expand the existing Oak Land Middle School building. Enrollment is projected to increase from 1040 <br />students to 1250 students. In a 2023 special election, the Stillwater Area School District successfully <br />received approval of a bond request to finance this expansion. The improvement proposed to the Oak <br />Land Middle School building includes 8 new classrooms and a new gymnasium that will also serve as a <br />storm shelter for the building. Other site improvements include more parking space and a service road <br />behind the building to meet emergency service access requirements. <br /> <br />The following applications were required for this project: <br />1. Conditional Use Permit (CUP) – The Stillwater Area School District does not have a <br />conditional use permit for this site. The Public Facilities zoning district requires a CUP for this <br />use, a public school, and the requirement is triggered by an expansion of the existing use. The <br />CUP will cover the entire site. <br />2. Minor Subdivision – The School District’s use of the Oak Land middle school site spans across <br />two parcels. The unaddressed western parcel is landlocked, and has a track and other sports <br />fields. For the entire site to meet impervious surface requirements, the two parcels need to be <br />combined. Some right-of-way (ROW) is also needed for this site to conform with the County <br />comprehensive plan for the two abutting county road corridors. ROW can be dedicated through <br />the minor subdivision process. <br />3. Variance – A variance to the maximum lot area in the PF District of 20 acres is required. The <br />lots will be combined through the minor subdivision process, requiring a variance to this <br />standard. <br />4. Variance – A variance to the buffer requirement in the PF District from 150 feet to 50 feet is <br />required. The school building is limited in the direction that it can be expanded, and still meets <br />the building setback. <br /> <br />ISSUE BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL: <br />Should the City Council approve the CUP, Minor Subdivision, and Variance requests to allow the Oak <br />Land Middle School Expansion? <br /> <br />