#15 - Inwood 8th Add Prelim Plat, PUD & Comp Plan Amend

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Land Use(s). The City’s zoning map indicates that the subject property is zoned High Density Residential (HDR) with a PUD overlay. The proposed land uses, Multifamily Residential and Single Family Attached (townhomes), are permitted with conditions in the underlying HDR zoning district. After a review of the Inwood PUD ordinance and approvals, staff have concluded that no PUD flexibilities or other standards were created for this part of the overall Inwood Development Project. Therefore, the zoning requirements for this property are all determined based on all current applicable standards from Lake Elmo City Code. Environmental Review. This project is covered under an existing Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) originally prepared for the Inwood Development at the time of the Inwood Preliminary Plat. Staff have reviewed the EAW and determined it accounted for the number of units and intensity of development proposed in this phase of the Inwood development. Furthermore, this project does not trigger a mandatory EAW on its own under Minnesota state rules. No further environmental review is required. Project Phasing. As proposed, the Townhome portion of the development would be constructed in three separate phases, with the first phase beginning in 2025. A phasing plan will be submitted to the City after revision of preliminary plat plans. PUD Minimum Requirements. The Developer is proposing private drives, which are allowed through a Conditional Use Permit by ordinance, but which create a need for other flexibilities based on the lack of street frontage to the residential units. A PUD is a negotiated zoning district, and according to the Lake Elmo Zoning Code Article 18, Planned Unit Development Regulations, zoning flexibility can be granted to better utilize site features and to obtain a higher quality of development. City Code establishes minimum thresholds a project must meet in order to qualify as a PUD. Staff has found that the proposed development does meet the following minimum requirements of a PUD: a. Lot Area: The site area exceeds the minimum lot area for of five acres for a PUD development. b. Open Space: The PUD ordinance indicates that at least 20% of the development area not within roadway corridors is to be reserved as open space. c. Street Layout: In existing developed area, the PUD should maintain the existing street grid, where present, and restore the street grid where it has been disrupted. In newly developing areas, streets shall be designed to maximize connectivity in each cardinal direction, except where environmental or physical constraints make this infeasible. All streets shall terminate at other streets, at public land, or at a park or other community facility, except that local streets may terminate in stub streets when those will be connected to other streets in future phases of the development or adjacent developments.