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HomeMy WebLinkAbout#18 Royal Golf Comp Plan AmendmentMAYOR AND COUNCIL COMMUNICATION DATE: 12/06/2016 Regular ITEM #: 18 AGENDA ITEM: Royal Golf Development Comprehensive Plan Amendment SUBMITTED BY: Ben Gozola, Consulting Senior Planner THROUGH: Kristina Handt, City Administrator REVIEWED BY: Stephen Wensman, Planning Director Title of Item: COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT: Application from HC Golf Course Development, LLC requesting approval of a comprehensive plan amendment to facilitate the proposed redevelopment of the former Tartan Park Golf Course. Summary: In late 2016, the City Council reviewed a proposed PUD Concept Plan for redevelopment of the former Tartan Park Golf Course brought forward by HC Golf Course Development, LLC. As part of that review, Council voiced support (in concept) of a comprehensive plan amendment to facilitate the proposed land use changes. This follow up application examines potential ways the plan could be changed. Three options for Council consideration resulted from the Planning Commission’s deliberation on the request. Option 1 – Establishment of the Village Transition Area between the Old Village and 10th Street to the east of Lake Elmo Avenue. This was the option discussed during Concept Plan review, and was the initial option recommended by staff. Option 2 – Creation of a “Golf Course Community” land use designation. The Planning Commission requested creation of this option out of concern that Option 1’s Village Transition Area may open up the corridor for too many potential expansions of the municipal service system. If implemented, a follow up process to create a corresponding zoning district would be needed. City Council Meeting 12/6/2016 Regular Agenda Item #18 Page 2 Option 3 – Establishment of a limited Village Transition Area only around the Tartan Park area proposed for development. This is the option that was ultimately recommended by the Planning Commission. The City Council is asked to review all three options, and make a determination as to which (if any) should be approved at this time. Guidance:  The City Council has its greatest level of decision making discretion when it comes to the comprehensive plan. There are no specific criteria binding Council to a certain decision. Council must review the request, and determine whether one of the proposed options is in the best interest of the City. Each option is accompanied by a cover sheet which provides a summary of the option and things to consider. Each option includes comments accompanying the proposed text edits to explain why the proposed changes are recommended. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Option 1 – Full Village Transition Area Creation 2. Option 2 – Golf Course Community Land Use Designation Creation 3. Option 3 – Partial Village Transition Area Creation Comprehensive Plan Amendment Option #1 Creation of a Village Transitional District Summary: Option #1 follows the directive of Council coming out of the Royal Golf Club PUD Concept Plan Review. This option would create the “Village Transition Area” in-between the old Village and 10th Street within which an extension of sewer would be considered in two scenarios: 1. Individual parcels (or a group of parcels) could request an extension of services if they had a failing septic and doing so was necessary to protect health, safety, and welfare; or an extension could also be made with the successful petition of an entire neighborhood following standard City practices. 2. Land could be DEVELOPED utilizing municipal services if (and only if) there was a minimum of 40 acres of land planned for development, at least half of said land was subject to Shoreland regulations which could be successfully met, development was completed as a PUD, and the development picked up 100% of the utility extension costs. Relation to the Proposed Royal Golf Project: This option would allow Royal Golf to move forward as a PUD much like the other single family developments that have recently been approved around the Old Village. As part of the development, the City would link the golf course and the residential areas as integral components of the overall PUD. Findings for the PUD would conclude that but for the golf course/open space, the proposed residential densities would not have been approved. Any proposal to change the use of the golf course in the future would then require an amendment to the PUD, and it would be hard for a future council to approve such an amendment when the stated foundation of the PUD IS maintaining the golf course/open space. To strengthen things further, we would also update the future land use map (in conjunction with the PUD approval) to show the underlying land use of the residential areas as Village Urban Low Density, and the underlying land use of the golf course remaining Public/Park. Under this Comp Plan amendment option, the VTA district on the land use map is simply a polygon that identifies where special provisions apply. The underlying land use guidances are still visible and applicable, so we will maintain the higher standard of a comp plan amendment for future golf course changes as well. Relation to other lands in the Corridor: This option proactively recognizes that the city will receive requests for municipal services from properties in the Lake Elmo Avenue corridor over time, and sets up criteria by which those requests will be judged: 1) Must be necessary to address an eminent environmental threat against the health, safety, or welfare of the community (i.e. a failing septic site with no reasonable on-site options for replacement); or 2) A neighborhood must successfully petition the City for an extension of services, and assume all costs as may be required by City policy. The dotted outline on the map would identify the new “Village Transition Area” within which the extension of sewer would be considered under a specific set of circumstances outlined on the following two pages. Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan Chapter III – Land Use Plan III – 13 Design Standards Following completion of the Comprehensive Plan, the City will adopt design standards to ensure the look and feel of future development is compatible with the community vision of a small town within a rural setting. Standards for building materials, building articulation, design variety and other requirements should be upheld to ensure the quality of the built environment is distinctly Lake Elmo. Preservation of Rural Character One of the main benefits of the official land use plan is that the long range planning objective to retain a permanent rural identity is achieved. Under the memorandum of understanding with the Metropolitan Council, a vast majority of the City will be allowed to maintain its rural character and existing land uses. Furthermore, concentrating urbanization adjacent to I-94 and within the Old Village will result in clear boundaries between the urban and rural portions of the community. Beyond that, the City’s desire to protect its sensitive park lands is also achieved. Both Lake Elmo Regional Park and Sunfish Lake Park will continue to be surrounded by agricultural lands and will not be impacted by encroaching urbanization. Future Land Use Boundaries The curved lines separating future land uses on Map 3-3 midway between I-94 and 10th Street indicate one possible alignment of a future east/west collector roadway envisioned to serve the new development in this area of the City. Future development proposals and their associated engineering studies will ultimately determine the exact alignment of this collector roadway. The final boundary between the proposed different land uses shall ultimately be set by the final location of the east/west collector roadway, whether or not this roadway deviates from the approximate location shown. Buffering/Land Use Transitions The City’s Land Use Plan calls for a diverse range of development types, from very low density agricultural and rural residential uses to high density urban residential and commercial development. In order to provide for a transition between the existing and planned rural development and future urban development, the Land Use Plan creates a lower density urban residential district. This low density urban district is planned for areas near existing rural development areas, and will provide for an area of transition between higher density residential development and either existing or planned rural development areas. Certain areas designated as Public/Park on the Future Land Use Map (Map 3-3) have been established to provide a green belt/buffer between areas developed under a previous Comprehensive Plan at rural development densities and areas planned for residential development at higher densities. This green belt will be incorporated as part of any development plans for new development with a minimum width of 100 feet. The green belt may be incorporated as part of the greenway envisioned in the Lake Elmo Comprehensive Park and Recreation Plan (Chapter IX). And finally, it is recognized that land north of 10th Street, east of Lake Elmo Avenue, and south of the Old Village is uniquely situated between the City’s two main urban centers. This area has been identified as the Village Transition Area (see Map 3-3) in recognition of the area’s varied residential lot sizes (ranging from 0.31 acres to 57.22 acres), and the fact that all properties in this area have (or will likely have) Commented [BGA1]: This first paragraph identifies why the City is establishing a Village Transition District: it’s an area uniquely situated between the City’s two urbanizing areas that will, over time, have affordable and easy access to sewer. Accordingly, it is in the City’s best interest to acknowledge that hook up requests will be made, and to establish the criteria under which such extensions may be granted. Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan Chapter III – Land Use Plan III – 14 direct access to municipal sewer services over time. Within the Village Transition Area, the City may treat a parcel (or grouping of parcels) as being guided for Village Urban Low Density if at least one of the following criteria are satisfied and no further development of the property is proposed: 1. The land in question is subject to a failing septic system, and extension of the sanitary sewer system is deemed necessary to protect the health, safety, or welfare of adjacent properties. 2. The parcel (or parcels) in question have petitioned the City requesting an extension of municipal services, and the extension project has been approved by the City Council. Additionally within the Village Transition Area, the City may treat a parcel (or group of contiguous parcels) as being guided for Village Urban Low Density for the purpose of development if ALL of the following criteria are satisfied: 1. A minimum of forty (40) contiguous acres is considered for development at one time or is planned for phased development; 2. A minimum of one-half of the gross acres proposed for residential development is within a Shoreland District; 3. All Shoreland district requirements for development can be successfully met without variances; 4. Development is completed as a Planned Unit Development that conforms with the allowable density range established for the Village Urban Low Density land use classification; 5. The development incurs all costs for the extension of municipal services, the cost for oversizing as may be needed for further extensions into the Village Transition Area, and/or for upgrades to the existing municipal system as may be needed to service the proposed development. Open Space Preservation The City will encourage the preservation of open space within new developments through the dedication of public parkland and the clustering of lots within urban residential districts. The specific zoning development standards for the City’s urban residential districts will allow the platting of smaller lots that will allow open space to be set aside in each development while still achieving the overall minimum density guidance for each land use area. Staging Plan/Memorandum of Understanding The City of Lake Elmo entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Metropolitan Council prior to the preparation of its 2005 Land Use Plan and this MOU remains in effect to ensure the City’s conformance to metropolitan system statements as required by state law. This MOU has since been revised; however, to take into account a severe downturn in the housing market and to grant the City of Lake Elmo additional flexibility in meeting the population, household, and employment targets from the original MOU. Table 3-C summarizes the updated development staging plan that will be used to measure conformance to the MOU. This table is broken down into five year increments starting in 2010 and continuing forward to the end of the planning period in 2030. Commented [BGA2]: This first component of the district recognizes that parcels (or neighborhoods) over time may be near existing sewer, and may request the ability to hook up to the municipal system. In such an event, the landowners would follow the City’s standard process to petition for (and pay for) improvements, and if approved, the City could complete the public improvements without having to amend the comprehensive plan to change the underlying land use guidance. The two criteria before sewer could be extended are the need to address health/safety/welfare concerns, OR addressing a legal petition brought forward by an individual land owner or neighborhood. Both of these scenarios WILL arise in the coming years as landowners and neighborhoods weigh the cost of replacing aging septic systems against the cost of municipal services. This language will ensure the City can consider their requests. Commented [BGA3]: The second component of the proposed language acknowledges that some land within the Transition Area is developable, and that sewered development is in the City’s best interest when certain criteria exists: -- Given the City’s history with communal septic systems, larger developments (i.e. in excess of 40 acres) should be considered for sewer if/when available; -- Protecting the City’s shorelands is a major priority of the City, so a minimum of one-half of the gross area proposed for residential development must be within the Shoreland district, and all Shoreland provisions must be met; -- Development could only occur via a PUD within the allowed density range established for the Village Urban Low Density land use category; -- All costs for extending municipal services would be born by the developer Comprehensive Plan Amendment Option #2 Creation of a New Land Use Category: Golf Course Community Summary: Option #2 follows the directive of the Planning Commission following their initial review of Option #1. While the Commission was not opposed to Option #1, they expressed concern about whether or not the Village Transition concept would actually control the expansion of municipal services, so they also wished to explore the creation of a new land use category specifically drafted for this very unique and unexpected circumstance (the closing and redevelopment of Tartan Park). The new land use district would be accompanied by a new zoning district (not yet drafted) to govern development of the 400+ acres in and around the former Tartan Park. The zoning would provide incentives such as increased density and access to municipal sewer in return for maintaining and improving upon the golf course amenity. Relation to the Proposed Royal Golf Project: This option would involve creation of a tailored zoning district to accommodate the proposed redevelopment of the Tartan Park Golf Course. In creating such a district, staff would establish controls (as Council may deem necessary) to govern future requests to change the golf course into different land uses. Updating the City’s future land use map to require a comprehensive plan amendment for any such change would add another level of protection. Relation to other lands in the Corridor: This option would not provide an option to extend sewer beyond the boundaries of the Village Transition Area. Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan Chapter III – Land Use Plan III – 8 This section of the Land Use chapter establishes the City’s official land use categories and the official Future Land Use Map. The map assigns planned land use types to all parcels within the community to guide current and future planning and development through the year 2030, and is the official land use designation map for the City. The assigned land use designations are intended to shape the character, type and density of future development according to sound planning principles. Any new development, redevelopment, change in land use or change in zoning is required to be consistent with the official land use guidance for each parcel. The official land use plan categories are as follows: RURAL AREA DEVELOPMENT – This category represents the large areas of rural residential development within the City. Common uses found in these areas include working farms, alternative agricultural uses as defined by City Code, and rural single family detached residences. Development in these areas requires 10+ acres, or a conditional use permit to authorize a cluster development meeting the City’s Open Space Preservation regulations. Densities are allowed up to 0.45 dwelling units per buildable acre when planned as part of an Open Space Preservation development. No new areas of rural area development are being established by the official land use plan. [Corresponding Zoning District(s): A, RR, OP] RESIDENTIAL ESTATE – This category defines areas developed specifically for large lot single family detached housing typically on 2+ acres of land. No new areas of residential estate are being established by the official land use plan. [Corresponding Zoning District(s): RE] RURAL SINGLE FAMILY – This category defines a large portion of the City that was historically platted for conventional subdivision prior to 2005, but has been and will continue to be serviced by private on-site well and septic systems. Limited locations within this classification are allowed to have two-family dwellings based on zoning. [Corresponding Zoning District(s): R-1, R-2] URBAN LOW DENSITY – The Urban Low Density land use category is intended primarily for single-family detached housing serviced by public sewer and water. This category allows net residential densities from two and one-half (2.5) to four (4) units per acre. Significant new areas of urban low density are guided both within the Old Village and along I-94. [Corresponding Zoning District: LDR] URBAN MEDIUM DENSITY – The Urban Medium Density land use category allows net residential densities from four and one-half (4.5) to seven (7) units per acre; with greater densities only allowed if deemed appropriate and approved through the PUD process and that meet incentives for density bonus as allowed under the PUD ordinance . This category allows for a variety of housing types including single-family detached, duplexes, townhomes, and small two- and three-story apartment buildings and/or senior living centers. Significant new areas of urban medium density are guided both within the Old Village and along I-94. [Corresponding Zoning District(s): R-3, MDR] Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan Chapter III – Land Use Plan III – 9 URBAN HIGH DENSITY – The Urban High Density land use category is intended for higher density, compact urban residential development. This category allows for a net residential density range of seven and one-half (7.5) to fifteen (15) units per acre; however zoning may allow a greater net density if approved through the PUD process. The appropriate building height will vary by development and depend upon the characteristics of the development and its surroundings. In addition to residential development, a small proportion of supportive retail and service is also appropriate in this land use category. Retail, service and office beyond those supporting the residential development would only be permitted as part of a mixed-use planned unit development. Significant new areas of urban high density are guided both within the Old Village and along I-94. [Corresponding Zoning District(s): HDR] GOLF COURSE COMMUNITY – In recognition that a Golf Course on the land known as Tartan Park is a local and regional amenity the City wishes to maintain, this specialized land use category has been crafted to maximize the likelihood that a golf course can be maintained on the prope rty should a development proposal for the land come forward. [Corresponding Zoning District(s): GCC] LIMITED BUSINESS – This category defines areas within the City that are allowed to host commercial land uses at a more restricted level than would typically be allowed within a commercially guided area and in areas that are not planned for public sanitary sewer services. No new areas of limited business are being established by the official land use plan. [Corresponding Zoning District(s): LB, LC] COMMERCIAL – This category is intended to accommodate a wide range and scale of commercial uses (such as retail, service, entertainment, and office) throughout the City’s planned urban centers. Commercial uses can range from small neighborhood convenience nodes, to community retail areas along major roadways, to large shopping centers, to auto-related commercial uses along freeways. Residential uses are also appropriate as part of a mixed-use commercial development where allowed, with unit densities being determined by either the identified range within the comprehensive plan or to a level deemed appropriate by a planned unit development process. Significant new areas of commercial land use are guided both within the Old Village and along I-94. [Corresponding Zoning District(s): C, CC, GB] BUSINESS PARK – The Business Park land use category is intended to encourage the creation of significant employment centers that accommodate a diverse mix of office and light industrial uses and jobs. Specific desired attributes of this land use include a diversity of jobs, high development densities and jobs per acre, high quality site and building architectural design, and increased tax revenues for the community. Office, office showroom/warehousing, research and development services, light and high- tech electronic manufacturing and assembly, and medical laboratories are typical uses appropriate for this land use category. Some retail and service uses may be allowed as supporting uses for the primary office and light industrial uses of the employment center. In addition to the Eagle Point Business Park, much of the land between Manning Ave and Keats Ave adjacent to I-94 is guided for this land use classification. [Corresponding Zoning District(s): BP] Commented [BGA1]: The new land use category of “Golf Course Community” would be added to the listing of land uses within the City. Here we acknowledge that the intent of the new category is to facilitate the preservation and enhancement of the City’s lone golf course. Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan Chapter III – Land Use Plan III – 10 PUBLIC/PARK – This category defines lands that include publicly owned facilities, places of worship, public parks, and privately owned recreational facilities. The scale and types of uses allowable on public/park lands are controlled by the city’s conditional use permit process. No new areas of public/park space are currently designated by the new land use plan, but it is recognized that such areas will be created during the development process, and the land use map will need to be updated accordingly. [Corresponding Zoning District(s): P, OSP] ROAD R.O.W.s – This category encompasses all areas dedicated specifically for use as road right-of-way. It should be noted that not all roads in Lake Elmo are on platted right-of-way, but are rather accommodated by easements over other land use categories. Accordingly, there is more land dedicated to use by roads than is depicted on the existing/planned land use table. New development will be required to dedicate right-of-way to accommodate the proposed road network. OPEN WATER – This category includes all land area in Lake Elmo covered by open water lakes and ponds as identified in the DNR Public Waters Inventory. No new areas of open water are by the official land use plan. The distribution of planned land uses on the official Future Land Use Map is shown on Map 3-3 and is summarized in Table 3-B: Mixed Uses Within the Old Village and in areas south of 10th Street, specific areas are targeted for potential mixed- use development; however, this designation means different things in both districts. Mixed Uses within the Old Village The mixed use designation on property within the Old Village indicates development must adhere to the specific zoning requirements established for mixed use development within the City Code. This type of development will typically see residential, commercial, office, and/or similar uses combined in complimentary ways within the same building. Mixed Uses south of 10th Street The mixed use designation on property south of 10th Street is intended to spur development by providing maximum flexibility on future land uses, thereby allowing a development proposal to cater to existing market conditions. In the areas designated as possible mixed-use on the Future Land Use Map (Map 3-3), the City’s planning process has identified that either the base land use or the adjacent land use designation would be appropriate for the site. These mixed-use areas may be zoned in accordance with the base land use category, or the adjacent land use category provided that: • Any such zoning will only be allowed if it is contiguous to property in an adjacent land use category; and • The Urban Low Density Residential land use category will not allowed as an alternative land use within mixed-use areas. Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan Chapter III – Land Use Plan III – 11 Alternatively, a combination of the uses allowed within the base land use category and future land uses adjacent to a mixed use area may be allowed through a planned unit development process. Table 3-B Existing and Planned Land Use Table Land Use Residential Density (units/acre) Existing Land Use (acres) Planned Land Use (acres) Planned Land Use Changes (anticipated acreages in 5 year increments)3 Change (acres) Min Max City wide (Village)1 2012 to 2015 2015 to 2020 2020 to 2025 2025 to 2030 R E S I D E N T I A L Rural Area Development n/a 0.1 7094.24 5249.9 6640.66 6157.06 5703.53 5249.9 ‐1844.32 Residential Estates 0.1 0.4 771.26 793.71 776.87 782.49 788.10 793.71 22.45 Rural Single Family 0.66 2.0 1665.92 1666.41 1666.04 1666.16 1666.28 1666.41 0.49 Urban Low Density 2.5 4 0.00 496.39 124.10 248.20 372.29 496.39 496.39 Urban Medium Density 4.5 7 176.08 390.49 229.68 283.29 336.89 390.49 214.41 Urban High Density 7.5 15 0.00 157.67 39.42 78.84 118.25 157.67 157.67 Village Urban Low Density 1.5 2.49 0.00 244.11 61.03 122.06 183.09 244.11 244.11 Village Urban Medium Density 2.5 4.99 0.00 119.11 29.78 59.56 89.33 119.11 119.11 Golf Course Community 1.5 2.49 0.00 424.39 0 424.39 424.39 424.39 424.39 C O M M E R C I A L 2 Business Park 7.5 15 120.65 329.69 172.91 225.17 277.43 329.69 209.04 Commercial 4.5 7 99.86 208.33 126.98 154.10 181.22 208.33 108.47 Limited Business – – 111.41 66.16 100.09 88.78 77.47 66.16 ‐45.25 Village Mixed Use 5.0 10.0 0.00 164.40 41.10 82.20 123.30 164.40 164.40 P U B L I C / S E M I P U B L I C / O P E N S P A C E 3 Public/Park – – 3298.94 2944.93 3309.04 2924.72 2934.78 2944.93 -354.01 Greenbelt Corridor4 – – 0.00 82.67 20.66 41.34 62.01 82.67 82.67 Road ROWs – – 890.93 890.93 890.93 890.93 890.93 890.93 0.0 U N D E V E L O P E D Open Water – – 1355.29 1355.29 1355.29 1355.29 1355.29 1355.29 0.0 TOTALS: – – 15,584.58 15,584.58 15,584.55 15,584.55 15,584.55 15,584.55 0.0 1 Residential uses within the “Business Park” and “Commercial” land use designations can only occur in areas specifically designated for mixed use on the planned land use map 2 It is recognized that both park and road ROW areas will expand as new development occurs, but such acreage is accounted for in the respective development land use types as such land areas must contribute towards required development densities. 3 The staging plan for future development is fluid and will allow development to occur as market conditions dictate. Because of this, specific timing for development of any specific land use category is not possible. For the purposes of this table, the anticipated acreage changes are incrementally broken down into four periods of time showing a consistent rate of change between now and 2030. 4 The acreage of the greenbelt corridor areas, which are portions of the Village Open Space Overlay, that are adjacent to urban zoning districts were calculated to account for the remaining acreage in the Village. The other portions of the Village Open Space Overlay are accounted for through the base land use guidance (i.e. Rural Area Development or Rural Single Family). Commented [BGA2]: Because we are adding a land use category, Table 3-B must be updated accordingly. The changes shown here reflect existing planned changes along with a reduction in Public/Park land for the new Golf Course Community District. As part of this amendment, Map 3-3 would be updated to guide the Tartan Park Golf Course area and the Emerson property as “Golf Course Community” “Golf Course Community” added to the legend Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan Chapter III – Land Use Plan III – 13 Design Standards Following completion of the Comprehensive Plan, the City will adopt design standards to ensure the look and feel of future development is compatible with the community vision of a small town within a rural setting. Standards for building materials, building articulation, design variety and other requirements should be upheld to ensure the quality of the built environment is distinctly Lake Elmo. Preservation of Rural Character One of the main benefits of the official land use plan is that the long range planning objective to retain a permanent rural identity is achieved. Under the memorandum of understanding with the Metropolitan Council, a vast majority of the City will be allowed to maintain its rural character and existing land uses. Furthermore, concentrating urbanization adjacent to I-94 and within the Old Village will result in clear boundaries between the urban and rural portions of the community. Beyond that, the City’s desire to protect its sensitive park lands is also achieved. Both Lake Elmo Regional Park and Sunfish Lake Park will continue to be surrounded by agricultural lands and will not be impacted by encroaching urbanization. Preservation of Community Amenities Lake Elmo Regional Park, Sunfish Lake Park, and other public lands covered by conservation easements will be centerpieces of the City in the decades ahead, and are accordingly guided for public/park land uses by this comprehensive plan. One community amenity that does not share the same certainty of continuance is the Tartan Park Golf Course formerly owned by 3M. As a 50 -year fixture both for Lake Elmo and the eastern metro, the Tartan Park Golf Course has become a destination within the community that is worth saving if at all possible. To that end, the City has guided nearly 430 acres of land in and around the present golf course as “Golf Course Community.” This special land use guidance is intended to provide incentives—such as increased residential density and access to municipal sewer— to future landowners who are willing to maintain and improve upon the golf course amenity rather than develop the land as a standard OP rural development. A new “Golf Course Community” zoning district will establish the development standards for this land use classification. Future Land Use Boundaries The curved lines separating future land uses on Map 3-3 midway between I-94 and 10th Street indicate one possible alignment of a future east/west collector roadway envisioned to serve the new development in this area of the City. Future development proposals and their associated engineering studies will ultimately determine the exact alignment of this collector roadway. The final boundary between the proposed different land uses shall ultimately be set by the final location of the east/west collector roadway, whether or not this roadway deviates from the approximate location shown. Commented [BGA3]: Here we are suggesting the City adopt “preservation of community amenities” as a new goal which will further support the establishment of the Golf Course Community District. We acknowledge in this section that the City has multiple legacy destinations (areas the City wants to maintain and has no reason to plan for changes). Given the recent ownership change of Tartan Park, the Golf Course Community designation was created to help facilitate this goal. Comprehensive Plan Amendment Option #3 Creation of a PARTIAL Village Transitional District Summary: Option #3 is a slimmed-down version of Option #1 with two main differences: 1. Language allowing for individual parcels (or groups of parcels) to request an extension of services has been removed; and 2. The district boundary would be limited to the immediate area of Tartan Park and adjacent lands which also plan to develop (i.e. the Emerson property). This option would not require the creation of a new zoning district, but would allow the Tartan Park area to develop as a PUD similar to other lands guided for Village Urban Low Density development. The residential densities allowed by the PUD would be linked to maintaining and improving the golf course, and the PUD would need to explicitly spell out that golf course land may only be used as open space should if a golf course is not being operated. Relation to the Proposed Royal Golf Project: Like Option 1, this option would allow Royal Golf to move forward as a PUD much like the other single family developments that have recently been approved around the Old Village. As part of the development, the City would link the golf course and the residential areas as integral components of the overall PUD. Findings for the PUD would conclude that but for the golf course/open space, the proposed residential densities would not have been approved. Any proposal to change the use of the golf course in the future would then require an amendment to the PUD, and it would be hard for a future council to approve such an amendment when the stated foundation of the PUD IS maintaining the golf course/open space. To strengthen things further, we would also update the future land use map (in conjunction with the PUD approval) to show the underlying land use of the residential areas as Village Urban Low Density, and the underlying land use of the golf course remaining Public/Park. Under this Comp Plan amendment option, the VTA district on the land use map is simply a polygon that identifies where special provisions apply. The underlying land use guidances are still visible and applicable, so we will maintain the higher standard of a comp plan amendment for future golf course changes as well. Relation to other lands in the Corridor: This option would not provide an option to extend sewer beyond the boundaries of the Village Transition Area. The dotted outline on the map would identify the new “Village Transition Area” within which the extension of sewer would be considered under a specific set of circumstances outlined on the following two pages. Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan Chapter III – Land Use Plan III – 13 Design Standards Following completion of the Comprehensive Plan, the City will adopt design standards to ensure the look and feel of future development is compatible with the community vision of a small town within a rural setting. Standards for building materials, building articulation, design variety and other requirements should be upheld to ensure the quality of the built environment is distinctly Lake Elmo. Preservation of Rural Character One of the main benefits of the official land use plan is that the long range planning objective to retain a permanent rural identity is achieved. Under the memorandum of understanding with the Metropolitan Council, a vast majority of the City will be allowed to maintain its rural character and existing land uses. Furthermore, concentrating urbanization adjacent to I-94 and within the Old Village will result in clear boundaries between the urban and rural portions of the community. Beyond that, the City’s desire to protect its sensitive park lands is also achieved. Both Lake Elmo Regional Park and Sunfish Lake Park will continue to be surrounded by agricultural lands and will not be impacted by encroaching urbanization. Future Land Use Boundaries The curved lines separating future land uses on Map 3-3 midway between I-94 and 10th Street indicate one possible alignment of a future east/west collector roadway envisioned to serve the new development in this area of the City. Future development proposals and their associated engineering studies will ultimately determine the exact alignment of this collector roadway. The final boundary between the proposed different land uses shall ultimately be set by the final location of the east/west collector roadway, whether or not this roadway deviates from the approximate location shown. Buffering/Land Use Transitions The City’s Land Use Plan calls for a diverse range of development types, from very low density agricultural and rural residential uses to high density urban residential and commercial development. In order to provide for a transition between the existing and planned rural development and future urban development, the Land Use Plan creates a lower density urban residential district. This low density urban district is planned for areas near existing rural development areas, and will provide for an area of transition between higher density residential development and either existing or planned rural development areas. Certain areas designated as Public/Park on the Future Land Use Map (Map 3-3) have been established to provide a green belt/buffer between areas developed under a previous Comprehensive Plan at rural development densities and areas planned for residential development at higher densities. This green belt will be incorporated as part of any development plans for new development with a minimum width of 100 feet. The green belt may be incorporated as part of the greenway envisioned in the Lake Elmo Comprehensive Park and Recreation Plan (Chapter IX). And finally, it is recognized that land north of 10th Street, east of Lake Elmo Avenue, and south of the Old Village is uniquely situated between the City’s two main urban centers which will likely result in requests to extend municipal services over time. In recognition of this fact, the City studied the corridor in 2016 to identify areas where an extension of municipal services could presently be supported given the existing location of service lines, the overall development potential of land within the corridor, and the need for Commented [BGA1]: Whereas CPA Option One would create a full Village Transition Area between the Old Village and 10th Street, this option would recognize that the corridor was studied in 2016, and the only area that met the City’s criteria for inclusion in a Village Transition Area was the area in and around Tartan Park. Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan Chapter III – Land Use Plan III – 14 services to protect the environment or environmentally sensitive lands. The area in and around the former Tartan Park was determined to be the only area that the City would consider for immediate extensions within the corridor, and it was therefore placed into a special district known as the Village Transition Area (see Map 3-3). Within the Village Transition Area, the City may treat a parcel (or group of contiguous parcels) as being guided for Village Urban Low Density for the purpose of development if ALL of the following criteria are satisfied: 1. A minimum of forty (40) contiguous acres is considered for development at one time or is planned for phased development; 2. A minimum of one-half of the gross acres proposed for residential development is within a Shoreland District; 3. All Shoreland district requirements for development can be successfully met without variances; 4. Development is completed as a Planned Unit Development that conforms with the allowable density range established for the Village Urban Low Density land use classification; 5. The development incurs all costs for the extension of municipal services, the cost for oversizing as may be needed for further extensions into the Village Transition Area, and/or for upgrades to the existing municipal system as may be needed to service the proposed development. With each full update of the comprehensive plan, the City will review the corridor to determine if expansion of the Village Transition Area is appropriate given the changes in land use over time and the potential need for services to address failing septic sites. Open Space Preservation The City will encourage the preservation of open space within new developments through the dedication of public parkland and the clustering of lots within urban residential districts. The specific zoning development standards for the City’s urban residential districts will allow the platting of smaller lots that will allow open space to be set aside in each development while still achieving the overall minimum density guidance for each land use area. Staging Plan/Memorandum of Understanding The City of Lake Elmo entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Metropolitan Council prior to the preparation of its 2005 Land Use Plan and this MOU remains in effect to ensure the City’s conformance to metropolitan system statements as required by state law. This MOU has since been revised; however, to take into account a severe downturn in the housing market and to grant the City of Lake Elmo additional flexibility in meeting the population, household, and employment targets from the original MOU. Table 3-C summarizes the updated development staging plan that will be used to measure conformance to the MOU. This table is broken down into five year increments starting in 2010 and continuing forward to the end of the planning period in 2030. Commented [BGA2]: The criteria for development within the Village Transition Area are identical to Option One. Commented [BGA3]: Here we recognize that with each full comprehensive plan update, the City will consider what changes have occurred over time to determine if expansion of the Village Transition Area is appropriate. Commented [BGA4]: Ending this section by acknowledging that expansion of the VTA may be used to address failing septic sites gives the City flexibility in the future to use the VTA as a tool to address environmental problems that may arise in this corridor.