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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 4 - CC Item #4 4-1-14PLANNING COMMISSION DATE: 3/24/14 AGENDA ITEM: 4A – PUBLIC HEARING CASE # 2014-13 ITEM: Family Means Conditional Use Permit Amendment SUBMITTED BY: Nick Johnson, City Planner REVIEWED BY: Kyle Klatt, Community Development Director Jack Griffin, City Engineer Rick Chase, Building Official Greg Malmquist, Fire Chief SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUESTED: The Planning Commission is being asked to hold a Public Hearing to review an amendment to the Conditional Use Permit for the Cimarron Manufactured Home Park. The proposed amendment to the CUP is to allow for the construction of a 4,000 square-foot youth center to serve as an accessory use to the existing manufactured home park. The youth center will be run by the Family Means organization to accommodate after-school and summer programming for young residents of Cimarron between the ages of 6-18. Staff is recommending that the Planning Commission recommend approval of the CUP amendment request. GENERAL INFORMATION Applicant: Family Means (Arba-Della Beck); 1875 Northwestern Avenue, Stillwater, MN 55082 Property Owners: Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc. (Kate Yunke); 901 Lake Elmo Avenue North, Lake Elmo, MN 55042 Location: Part of Sections 36, Township 29 North, Range 21 West in Lake Elmo, immediately east of Lake Elmo Avenue (CR-17) and immediately south of 10th Street (CSAH 10). PID Number: 36.029.21.21.0001. Request: Conditional Use Permit (CUP) Amendment Existing Land Use: Manufactured Home Park w/various accessory uses Existing Zoning: MDR – Urban Medium Density Residential Surrounding Land Use: North – gasoline station and neighborhood convenience store, and Tartan Meadows rural single family neighborhood; west – Midland Meadows rural single family neighborhood; south – vacant land guided for Urban Medium Density Residential (MDR) and Business Park (BP); east – Oakland Jr. High School and vacant/agricultural land guided for Urban High Density Residential (HDR). PUBLIC HEARING 4A – ACTION ITEM 2 Surrounding Zoning: RS – Rural Single Family (west and north); CC – Convenience Commercial (north); RT – Rural Development Transitional District (south and east) Comprehensive Plan: Urban Medium Density Residential History: Property was given approval through a Special Use Permit to operate a manufactured home park in 1967. As part of the approval for the manufactured home park, various accessory uses were also permitted, including a golf course, utility buildings, and a community center. As the park proceeded with the construction of the various accessory uses, such as the golf course in 1988, the City processed that additional uses via a Conditional Use Permit. Therefore, the proposed community center related to the Family Means youth programs is being processed as an amendment to Cimarron Park’s existing Conditional Use Permit. It should be noted Special Use Permits have been replaced by Conditional Use Permits in current land use law or best practice. Deadline for Action: May 1, 2014 (60 day time deadline per State Statute) Applicable Regulations: §154.106 Conditional Use Permits REQUEST DETAILS The City of Lake Elmo is in receipt of a proposed amendment to the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the Cimarron Manufactured Home Park. The CUP amendment has been submitted by Family Means, a non-profit organization that runs after-school and summer programming for youth in the Cimarron Manufactured Home Park. Family Means currently runs similar programming inside the existing clubhouse and office of Cimarron Park. However, due to a lack of space (900 square feet) within the existing facilities, the applicants have noted that they are unable to expand programming in Cimarron Park to provide a greater variety of programs and services. Due to this limitation, Family Means is proposing to construct a 4,000 square-foot youth center in the southeast corner of the existing parking lot that serves the clubhouse and office. As guided by the established procedure of adding other accessory uses to the manufactured home park in the past, the proposed use requires an amendment to Cimarron’s existing CUP. BACKGROUND The building proposed by Family Means is intended to increase capacity for after-school and summer programming for youth within the Cimarron manufactured home park. Family Means is currently providing some programming within a 900 square-foot space in the basement of the existing clubhouse/office of Cimarron Park. However, as stated in the provided narrative, they would like to expand their capacity and programming to serve greater numbers of youth with expanded activities. The proposed youth center would allow them to accomplish these goals. The applicants first met with staff in 2012 to discuss this proposal. At the meeting, staff instructed the applicants that the review of the youth center would be processed as an amendment to their existing CUP (formerly Special Use Permit). As instructed by staff, the applicants are now moving forward with their proposal by submitting an application for an amendment to the existing CUP. The applicant’s submission to the City includes the following components: PUBLIC HEARING 4A – ACTION ITEM 3 • Narrative. The attached narrative includes a general overview of the project with additional background information regarding the organization and the intended use of the structure. The structure will have a teen area and a children’s area, as well as additional space for quiet study, computer stations and a commercial grade kitchen. The applicants have noted that there is adequate parking for the facility with 108 total parking spots at the end of construction. In addition, the narrative provides important details about how the structure will be served by the domestic sanitary sewer and water systems within Cimarron Park. Finally, it is noted that the project will result in an overall reduction in the amount if impervious surface. • Lease Agreement. Family Means have entered into a 30-year lease agreement with Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc., the owners of Cimarron Park, to lease the area needed for the construction of the new youth center. In addition, the lease also provides access to common areas surrounding the building, including the dedicated parking spots for the facility. • Plan Sets o Lease Description Sketch. The sketch includes a description of the area to be leased for the youth center, as well as information relating to existing conditions and topography. o Grading, Drainage, Erosion Control and Utility Plan w/Details. The grading and utility plan shows the proposed grading as well as the proposed utility connections. The sanitary sewer service for the building will connect to the existing 6” service line for the clubhouse and office. The proposed water service will be connected via a 6” service line on the northern side of the structure. The plan also show a proposed rain garden on the east side of the site to address updated conditions related to drainage and storm water runoff. It is the City’s understanding that the applicant has prepared the submitted plan in coordination with the Valley Branch Watershed District. Finally, the plan includes measures to address erosion and sediment control. o Landscape Plan. The Landscape Plan includes the species and location of a variety of plantings proposed for the site. The plan includes 6 trees and multiple varieties of shrubs and perennials. Upon review of the City’s landscape ordinance, Staff found the proposed landscape plan to be consistent with the City’s requirements. o Building Plans and Elevations. The applicants have provided elevations from the south and west sides of the proposed youth center, as well as the out or storage building. Building plans are also provided, showing how the interior space will be utilized in the youth center. o Site Plan Sketch. The Site Plan Sketch shows consistent information that supports the other documents in the plan sets. The sketch also demonstrates how the resulting parking lot will be striped in order to accommodate adequate parking facilities. The sketch and narrative note that 108 parking stalls will result from the redesign. However, when counting the stalls on the sketch, staff counted 95 parking stalls. Staff would request that the applicant verify the final number of parking stalls in advance of the building permit being approved. In reviewing the submitted materials, staff has determined that the applicants have provided a complete and thorough application to review the proposed amendment to Cimarron’s CUP. In order to further review the proposed use, staff reviewed the application in accordance with the City’s PUBLIC HEARING 4A – ACTION ITEM 4 ordinance pertaining to conditional use permits. In addition, staff did review the history of the site to better understand how to process the request. STAFF REVIEW COMMENTS: In terms of the history of the manufactured home park, Cimarron Park was granted a Special Use Permit by the Town of East Oakdale in 1967 (Attachment #4). As part of this approval, various accessory uses were identified that could be constructed accessory to the manufactured home park at a later date. These accessory uses included a nine-hole golf course and a community center/office. In reviewing this application, staff has determined that the proposed youth center is an accessory use that is consistent with the original approval of the park. It should be noted that cities no longer issue special use permits, as these types of approvals have been replaced by conditional use permits (CUPs). In reviewing the proposed amendment to the CUP, staff reviewed the request according to the required finding of the City’s CUP Ordinance. The required findings include 12 findings that relate to minimizing potential impacts or nuisances associated with the proposed use. For the convenience of the Planning Commission, staff has provided the 12 required findings in Attachment #5. In reviewing the 12 required findings for granting a conditional use permit, or an amendment to that permit in this case, staff has found that the proposed use meets all of the required findings. In the judgment of staff, the proposed use is an expansion of a use that is currently occurring within the Cimarron clubhouse/office that will positively impact the community. In addition, there are no nearby land uses in close proximity that would be negatively impacted by the construction of the youth center in this location. After reviewing the required findings, staff finds that the proposed use would not conflict with the City’s requirements for granting an amendment to the existing Conditional Use Permit. For these reasons, staff is recommending that the Planning Commission recommend approval of the proposed amendment to the CUP. To facilitate the review by the Planning Commission, staff can address any questions related to specific findings if needed. The Fire Chief also reviewed the proposed youth center. The site will contain a fire hydrant in close proximity, and the structure will be sprinkled. The Fire Chief also wanted to know whether or not the facility could serve a dual purpose as an additional storm shelter in cases of extreme weather. Staff will follow up with the applicants and representatives of the manufactured home park to discuss any possibilities. RECCOMENDATION: Staff is recommending that the Planning Commission recommend approval of the proposed amendment to the Conditional Use Permit for the Cimarron Manufactured Home Park to allow the construction of a 4,000 square-foot youth center through the following motion: “Move to recommend approval of the Conditional Use Permit Amendment submitted by Family Means to allow for the construction of a 4,000 square-foot youth center at the Cimarron Manufactured Home Park” ATTACHMENTS: 1. Location Map PUBLIC HEARING 4A – ACTION ITEM 5 2. Application Form & Narrative 3. Youth Center Plan Sets 4. Cimarron Park’s Approved Special Use Permit 5. CUP Required Findings (§154.106.A) ORDER OF BUSINESS: - Introduction ........................................................................................ Planning Staff - Report by Staff ................................................................................... Planning Staff - Questions from the Commission ............................ Chair & Commission Members - Open the Public Hearing .................................................................................. Chair - Close the Public Hearing .................................................................................. Chair - Discussion by the Commission .............................. Chair & Commission Members - Action by the Commission ..................................... Chair & Commission Members PUBLIC HEARING 4A – ACTION ITEM Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, i-cubed, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping,Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GIS User Community Data Scource: Washington County, MN3-19-2014 Location Map: Family Means CUP Amendment K 456717 456710 Project Location901 Lake Elmo Ave N 0 400 800200 Feet 1"=400' Cimarron ManufacturedHome Park 10th St N Lake Elmo Ave N City of Lake Elmo 3800 Laverne Avenue North Lake Elmo, MN MN 55042 03/03/2014 REVISED -03/18/14 Application for Conditional Use Amendment: Cimarron Community Building 901 Lake Elmo Avenue North, Lake Elmo, MN 55042 Cimarron Park Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. Kate Yunke, Property Manager 901 Lake Elmo Avenue North, Lake Elmo, MN 55042 651-436-6188 Owners/Lessees: Arba-Della Beck, President FamilyMeans 1875 Northwestern Avenue Stillwater, MN 55082 651-439-4840 Architect: Brian Larson, AIA Larson Architects, LLC 807 N. 4th Street Stillwater MN 55082 651-430-0056 Project Background FamilyMeans is a private nonprofit social services agency founded in 1963 by Stillwater area community leaders. Their Youth Development Initiative provides on-site after-school and summer enrichment programs for Cimarron children and teens. FamilyMeans has 20 years of experience providing high quality youth programs. Local law enforcement and Equity LifeStyle Properties (ELS) management have publically credited their Cimarron program as instrumental in reducing juvenile crime within the community. The Cimarron youth programs have outgrown their existing space, located in the basement of the Cimarron golf clubhouse and business office. This 900 square-foot space limits the number of youth who can participate, as well as the variety of programming that can be offered. FamilyMeans and ELS have entered a 30-year lease agreement, allowing FamilyMeans to construct a new 4,000 sf one-story building and 500 sf outbuilding at the south end of the Cimarron clubhouse parking lot. The larger building will support and allow for the growth of Cimarron’s youth programming. Youth currently have the opportunity to explore art, science, music, sports, cooking and computer skill-building in an open free-choice environment. Expanded summer programming offers a soccer club, bike program and entrepreneurial garden project. Activities also include field trips and community service efforts. Help with school work is available daily, and teens explore post-secondary education options. Project Narrative As noted above, the proposed Cimarron Community Center building is located near the community entrance and existing offices and golf clubhouse. The new building and its yard occupy one end of an existing parking lot adjacent to existing playground and court areas, and are a short distance from the offices and the community pool. With its rear yard greenspace, the project reduces the overall impervious area of the site, and its location allows shared use of the existing parking lot. When striped as indicated, the remaining parking lot could provide 108 parking spaces ( including the 15 spaces needed for this new facility) . The plans have been developed in consultation and with support from the ELS/Cimarron local staff, who have concluded that this number of spaces will be more than adequate for all parking needs. The main building is a gable-roofed, slab-on-grade wood-framed structure with porches on both sides. Adjacent to the main building is an outbuilding with a seasonal bike shop and storage areas for outdoor recreation. The two buildings form edges to an outdoor play area bounded on the remaining sides by a earth berm and the playground areas. The main building’s plan is symmetrical, with a teen area and a children’s area on each side separated by a movable wall partition . Each side has its separate entrance from the parking lot/drop-off area to the north, as well as direct access to the outdoor play area to the south. In the center of the building are large activity multi-use spaces , with high (12’-0” ) ceilings. The center movable wall partition can be folded into a pocket, allowing the entire center area to be opened for special events. There are also quiet rooms to the south, facing the play yard, for study, art or small group activities. A central commercial-grade kitchen will be used for preparing food and for teaching purposes. On both the north and south sides of the building there are outdoor porches protecting entrances and providing space for small gatherings out of the elements. The site development of the building and yard will result in removal of some existing parking , and a net gain in pervious green space. As part of the reconfiguration of parking lot stormwater systems, a raingarden/bioswale is proposed that can help infiltrate and treat stormwater runoff from site and building. Smaller nearby raised bed gardens may be constructed to support the program’s gardening and produce initiative. A new 6” PVC line sanitary sewer service for the new building will be connected to the existing 6” sanitary sewer line running from the existing clubhouse/office building to the sanitary main in the street. Most of the usage from toilets, sinks, kitchen and other wastewater will be simply transferred from the program’s current use in the existing building to the new building. Any increase in usage from the new facility should easily be accommodated: according to the Chris Chvala, Cimarron Utility Director, the Cimarron wastewater treatment facility has an average flow of 72,000gal. with a capacity of 120,000 gal. The water service to the new building will via a new 4” line connected to the existing water service near an adjacent fire hydrant. Chris Chvala indicated that water pressure in this area is good, with few other sites using the existing 6” main in the street. Once a sprinkler contractor is engaged, water flow rates at the site will be verified. Summary The primary use of the proposed new Community Building for after-school and summer programs (currently housed by the existing clubhouse) appears to conform and be compatible with uses in the immediate area. Its scale, appearance and character differentiates enough to provide its own identity, but is also compatible with the existing office/clubhouse and the surrounding residential neighborhood. No additional parking will need to be created, with the existing parking lot providing all of the spaces needed. The overall net impervious surface area will decrease as a result of this project, with the addition of green space in the rear yard. FINDINGS OF FACT: CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT All applications for Conditional Use Permits in the City of Lake Elmo shall be reviewed according to the following required findings (§154.106.A): 1. The proposed use will/will not be detrimental to or endanger public health, safety, comfort, convenience or general welfare of the neighborhood or city because:____________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ 2. The use or development does/does not conform to the City of Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan because: ____ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ 3. The use or development is/is not compatible with the existing neighborhood because: __________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ 4. The proposed use does/does not meet all specific development standards for such use listed in Article 7 of the Zoning Ordinance because:____________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ 5. If the proposed use is in a flood plain or shoreland area, the proposed use does/does not meet all specific standards for such use in §150.250-257 (Shoreland Ordinance) and Chapter 152 (Flood Plain Management) because: ________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ 6. The proposed use will/will not be designed, constructed, operated and maintained so as to be compatible in appearance with the existing or intended character of the general vicinity and will/will not change the essential character of the area because: _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ 7. The proposed use will/will not be hazardous or create a nuisance as defined under this Chapter to existing or future neighboring structures because: ________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ 8. The proposed use will/will not be served by adequate public facilities because: ________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ 9. The proposed use will/will not create excessive additional requirements at public cost for public facilities and services and will/will not be detrimental to the economic welfare of the community because: _________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ 2 10. The proposed use will/will not include excessive production of traffic, noise, smoke, fumes, glare or odors because: ________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ 11. Vehicular approaches to the property will/will not create traffic congestion or interfere with traffic on surrounding public thoroughfares because: ____________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ 12. The proposed use will/will not result in the destruction, loss or damage of a natural or scenic feature of major importance because: _________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ Revised 3-20-14