HomeMy WebLinkAboutBentley Village pre plat application narrative 1-28-19 (003) 1
We Build Consumer Inspired Homes and Communities to Make Lives Better
“Bentley Village”
APPLICATION FOR:
PRELIMINARY PLAT, REZONING, EASEMENT VACATION
LAKE ELMO, MINNESOTA
January 25, 2019
Introduction
Pulte Homes of Minnesota, LLC (“Pulte”) is pleased to be submitting this application.
Our company mission statement is “Building Consumer Inspired Homes and Communities
to Make Lives Better”. We currently operate under three distinct brands of homebuilding
throughout the country: Pulte Homes, Centex Homes, and Del Webb. Pulte’s Minnesota
Division has an office in Eden Prairie. We sold approximately 500 homes in the Twin Cities in
2018, all under the Pulte Homes brand.
Pulte will act as both developer of the property and builder of the homes. The primary contact
for Pulte is:
Paul Heuer, Director of Land Planning & Entitlement
7500 Flying Cloud Drive, Suite 670
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
952-229-0722
Paul.Heuer@PulteGroup.com
The owner of the property is:
DPS - Lake Elmo, LLC – Alan Dale
6007 Culligan Way
Minnetonka, MN 55345
952-288-2201
adale@stonehenge-usa.com
The surveyor, civil engineer, and landscape architect is:
Alliant Engineering
Primary contact: Mark Rausch
733 Marquette Ave Ste 700
Minneapolis, MN 55402-2340
(612) 767-9339
mrausch@alliant-inc.com
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The Property
Legal Description:
That portion of the East Half of the Southwest Quarter and that portion of the West Half of the
Southeast Quarter, both in Section 34, Township 29, Range 21, Washington County,
Minnesota, described as follows:
Commencing at the West Quarter corner of said Section 34; thence South 00 degrees 00
minutes 40 seconds East, along the West line of said Section 34, a distance of 472.55 feet;
thence North 89 degrees 57 minutes 32 seconds East, a distance of 1315.91 feet to the West
line of said East Half of the Southwest Quarter; thence South 00 degrees 02 minutes 55
seconds West, along said West line a distance of 714.99 feet to the point of beginning; thence
North 89 degrees 55 minutes 22 seconds East, a distance of 212.38 feet; thence Southeasterly
along a tangential curve concave to the Southwest having a central angle of 29 degrees 05
minutes 37 seconds, a radius of 1100.00 feet for an arc distance of 558.56 feet; thence South
60 degrees 59 minutes 01 seconds East, tangent to said curve, a distance of 224.27 feet;
thence Southeasterly along a tangential curve concave to the North, having a central angle of
68 degrees 21 minutes 23 seconds, a radius of 760.00 feet for an arc distance of 906.71 feet;
thence North 50 degrees 39 minutes 36 seconds East, a distance of 410.97 feet; thence
Northeasterly along a tangential curve concave to the Southeast, having a central angle of 20
degrees 49 minutes 17 seconds, a radius of 1060.00 feet for an arc distance of 385.20 feet;
thence North 71 degrees 28 minutes 52 seconds East, tangent to said curve, a distance of
202.22 feet to the East line of said West Half of the Southeast Quarter; thence South 00
degrees 01 minutes 13 seconds West, along the East line a distance of 1089.33 feet to a line
hereinafter referred to as Line ‘X’; thence South 89 degrees 40 minutes 54 seconds West, along
said Line ‘X’ and its westerly extension, a distance of 1324.76 feet to the East line of said East
Half of the Southwest Quarter; thence South 00 degrees 06 minute 31 seconds West, along
said East line a distance of 15.85 feet to the North line of the South 675.00 feet of said East Half
of the Southwest Quarter; thence South 89 degrees 53 minutes 57 seconds West, along said
North line a distance of 1314.35 feet to said West line of the East Half of the Southwest Quarter;
thence North 00 degrees 02 minutes 55 seconds East, along said West line a distance of
774.53 feet to the point of beginning.
Line ‘X’ is described as follows:
Commencing at the southwest corner of said West Half of the Southeast Quarter; thence North
00 degrees 06 minutes 31 seconds East, assumed bearing, along the west line of said West
Half of the Southeast Quarter, a distance of 82.86 feet to the north line of Parcel 29C of
Minnesota Department of Transportation Right of Way Plat No. 82-43; thence North 89 degrees
18 minutes 27 seconds East, along said north line, a distance of 40.00 feet; thence North 00
degrees 06 minutes 31 seconds East, a distance of 607.73 feet to the point of beginning; thence
North 89 degrees 40 minutes 54 seconds East, a distance of 1284.76 feet to the east line of
said West Half of the Southeast Quarter, and said Line ‘X’ there terminating.
Property Identification Number:
34-029-21-34-0006 west property
34-029-21-43-0003 east property
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Address:
9450 Hudson Boulevard, Lake Elmo, MN 55042 – west property
East property has no address
Key Facts
• Existing zoning is R2-PUD
• 2030 Comprehensive Plan indicates Urban Medium Density with a density range of 4.5
to 7 units/acre
• 2040 Draft Comprehensive Plan indicates Urban Medium Density with a density range of
4 to 8 units/acre
• Proposed zoning is MDR Urban Medium Density Residential
• Proposed use is 240 attached townhomes with homeowner’s association maintenance
• Gross calculations:
o West property = 839,837 square feet = 19.28 acres
o East property = 971,593 square feet = 22.30 acres
o Total = 1,811,430 square feet = 41.58 acres
o Gross density = 240 units/41.58 acres = 5.77 units/acre
• Net calculations:
o Gross area = 1,811,430 square feet = 41.58 acres
o 5th Street ROW dedication = 294,126 square feet = 6.75 acres
o Net area = 1,517,304 = 34.83 acres
o Net density = 6.89 acres
• Dimensions/Setbacks
o 25-foot front setback
o 25-foot rear setback
o 15-foot corner/side setback
o 20-foot side internal setback (building separation)
• Public utilities and streets
• Local streets are 28-feet wide within a 53-foot right-of-way
• Right-of-way area:
o Local = 291,556 square feet = 6.69 acres
o Collector (Road G) = 32,278 square feet = 0.74 acres
o 5th Street = 294,126 square feet = 6.75 acres
o Total = 617,960 square feet = 14.19 acres
• Open space area:
o Open space (public outlots B,H,I) = 138,438 square feet = 3.18 acres
o Open space (private outlots A,C,D,E,F,G) = 455,577 square feet = 10.46 acres
o Open space total = 594,015 square feet = 13.64 acres
• Open space/unit requirement = 500 sf
• Minimum open space/unit provided = 557 sf
• Impervious surface requirement = 50% maximum
• Impervious surface provided = 739,433 square feet = 49.8%
Neighborhood Vision
This property is in a very attractive location. It is conveniently located near freeways, parks, and
retail. However, its proximity to I-94 (as near as 700 feet) leads to higher levels of noise. This, in
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addition to having a commercial property immediately to the south is an indicator that this
property is not a strong candidate for detached homes. The ideal use for this property is
attached housing as a natural transition between commercial properties to the south and single-
family properties to the north. Townhome buyers tend to be more tolerant of freeway noise and
more intensive land uses.
Our vision is to create an attractive townhome neighborhood with a focus on convenient access
to regional amenities and privately owned recreational amenities within the neighborhood. Key
neighborhood traits are:
1. Access – Bentley Village is very short drive to I-94 and 494, leading to high level of
convenience for homeowners.
2. Parks – Lake Elmo Park Reserve is just over one mile from Bentley Village, offering a
wide variety of recreational opportunities such as walking trails, swimming, archery,
fishing, horseback riding, camping, and cross-country skiing. A City park with a
playground is just to the north of 5th Street North with trail access connecting the park to
5th Street North. 5th Street North has a trail along the north side and a sidewalk along the
south side. Bentley Village has a wide range of recreational opportunities nearby.
3. Retail – A wide variety of retail properties are just blocks away from the neighborhood,
including restaurants, Target, Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Cabela’s, and many others.
4. Private Amenities – We are planning the incorporation of private amenities for the use
of Bentley Village residents. Not only are such amenities attractive for homebuyers, but
they also help to create a sense of neighborhood identity and to facilitate social
interaction in a neighborhood.
Neighborhood Design
We have carefully studied the market, the City’s Comprehensive Plan, the property, and the
surrounding uses and have worked diligently to create a neighborhood layout that is ideally
suited for this property. We are very pleased with how our vision and the resulting plan have
come together. Below is a description of the various traits and strategies utilized in designing
the neighborhood.
Access
The trunk transportation network serving this property is in place. What remains is to connect to
the existing network at the safest locations.
We are making two connections to 5th Street North directly across from Jasmine Road North
and Junco Road North. By connecting at these locations, we will avoid the introduction of
additional connection points to 5th Street North. This results in the safest possible access to 5th
Street North.
We are also planning for a 100-foot wide right-of-way to accommodate a future planned
collector street which will connect 5th Street North to the commercial properties to the south and
ultimately to Hudson Boulevard North. We plan to build the portion of collector street that runs
through the subject property and to connect to this street to serve both the west and east
properties.
Combined, both the west and east properties have two safe access points with strong internal
connectivity between the access points.
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Physical Constraints
Near the west edge of the west property, a natural gas pipeline bisects the property. Buildings
cannot be placed within this existing 50-foot wide easement. We have designed the
neighborhood to comply with these requirements.
On the north side of the west property, an existing overland drainage and utility easement
exists. We will extend storm sewer to collect this water and will provide new drainage and utility
easements. The old easement will be vacated. We have included an exhibit with this application
to facilitate vacation.
Near the east edge of the east property, an existing temporary 21-inch diameter storm sewer
pipe within an existing 30-foot wide easement runs through a portion of the property. This storm
sewer will be realigned and the easement will be vacated. We have included an exhibit with this
application to facilitate vacation.
Parks
It is our understanding that the parks and open space dedicated within properties to the north of
5th Street North satisfy park needs for the area. Therefore, we anticipate paying park dedication
fees to satisfy our park requirements. The incorporation of private recreational amenities within
Bentley Village will reduce the demand/need for public parks and recreational amenities in the
area.
Building Orientation
One important design attribute that can make a townhome neighborhood feel more “livable” is to
vary the orientation of the buildings. This prevents the feeling of “barracks” that can sometime
occur if attention is not given to how the geometric layout of the neighborhood impacts how it
“feels.” We are utilizing this strategy most powerfully at the primary intersection of 5th Street
North and the future collector road. Additionally, we have purposely created internal streets that
do not run in parallel, thereby preventing the “barracks” feel.
Private Amenities
A key part of creating new neighborhoods is understanding our customers and anticipating their
desires. This property is in an attractive location, surrounded by a variety of recreational, retail,
and convenience-oriented amenities. Still, many people desire private, social gathering places
to form bonds with their immediate neighbors. This is an important priority for many of our
customers, and the size of the neighborhood is large enough to economically sustain such
amenities. Based on our early market research, we are planning the following private amenities,
all to be owned and maintained by a professionally managed home owners association:
• Swimming pool – Early market research is not conclusive regarding a pool. It is possible
that we may replace the pool with a dog park or other amenity.
• Playground/tot lot – Although a public tot lot exists north of 5th Street North, this street
will increasingly become a barrier as traffic volumes increase. Inclusion of a private tot
lot will be desirable.
• Open play areas – We are planning some open play area in both the east and west
sides. Residents will find many uses for these versatile spaces.
• Trails
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Parking
Adequate parking in a townhome neighborhood is critical and we have a great deal of
experience in this area. We have designed the neighborhood to have a significant amount of
guest parking (see parking plan). In addition, the parking lot for the pool area is available for
overflow parking. It is our understanding that homeowners living in the existing townhome
neighborhood to the east have complained about lack of guest parking in their neighborhood.
Please be assured that our design differs from the adjacent neighborhood, which primarily
includes narrow private streets that do not allow parking. We are utilizing wider public streets
that accommodate parking on one side throughout the neighborhood. The difference in guest
parking accommodation is substantial.
Changes Since Sketch Plan
The Planning Commission provided comments on the sketch plan application on October 22,
2018. The City Council provided comments on the sketch plan application on November 7,
2018. In addition, City staff provided comments via review memos.
We carefully considered the comments received from all parties and have responded by
revising it:
1. Widened right-of-way – One engineering comment was that the 50-foot right-of-way may
not be wide enough to easily accommodate the necessary public infrastructure. We
worked with the City Engineer to establish a right-of -way width that works well (53 feet)
and we have incorporated this into the new neighborhood design.
2. Snow storage – Another engineering comment was that there may not be enough room
for snow storage at the end of the two cul-de-sacs. We revised the plan to create a large
open area for snow storage at the end of the east cul-de-sacs. The west cul-de-sac was
eliminated. See below item 10.
3. Intersection angle – We straightened an intersection to result in it being at a 90-degree
angle, which is desirable from an engineering standpoint.
4. Relocated the pool – The old pool location was in a remote area that could cause
difficulties related to maintenance. We relocated the pool to a location that will provide
much more convenient access for maintenance. It will also increase the attractiveness of
the neighborhood by placing the pool in a highly visible location from the streets.
5. Created wider, more beautiful entrances – It is important to us to have neighborhood
entrances that are beautiful and welcoming. Entrances set the tone and character of a
neighborhood. We have created entrances with landscaped center islands that provide a
sense of arrival, beauty, and security and we have utilized standards provided by the
City Engineer.
6. Increased perimeter setbacks – We increased the perimeter setbacks from the east,
south, and west property lines from the required 20 feet to 25 feet to provide additional
space for accommodating drainage and landscaping.
7. Added playground/tot lot – We heard a suggestion to add a private tot lot. After
contemplating how busy 5th Street N could be in the future, we felt that a neighborhood
of this size would find a private tot lot to be desirable.
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8. Added trails – We heard a suggestion to add more private trails. We also heard
engineering describe how sidewalks have sometimes been required in Lake Elmo to
have sidewalks on both sides of the street. This is a somewhat unusual policy. However,
we came up with a solution to both comments. Instead of a secondary (duplicate)
sidewalk along the streets, we created a separate private trail system that allows
pedestrians to walk or bike through the neighborhood from end to end. The result is a
more attractive and functional pedestrian system and less public infrastructure for the
City to maintain.
9. Parking – We have heard positive feedback from neighbors about our new
neighborhood. However, we have heard complaints within the townhome neighborhood
to the east that they lack adequate guest parking. As described above and demonstrated
in our parking plan, we are providing a significant amount of guest parking within the
neighborhood.
10. Pipeline driven revisions – As we completed preliminary engineering, it became
apparent that our storm sewer in the west end of the property would conflict with the
existing gas pipeline running through the property. To resolve this conflict, we were
forced to move the west pond from the west side of the pipeline to the east side. This
resolved the conflict. By bringing the pond into the neighborhood, it also resulted in
making the neighborhood feel more open and less dense.
Ordinance Revision Required
As discussed during the sketch plan review process, there is currently a contradiction between
the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance. The 2030 Comp Plan allows a density of
4.5 to 7 units/acre. (The 2040 draft Comp Plan allows a density of 4 to 8 units/acre.) The current
zoning ordinance requires a minimum lot area of 4,000 square feet for this land use. These
regulations conflict with each other and cannot be reconciled without changing either the Comp
Plan or the ordinance.
It is not uncommon for cities to experience this type of contradiction. Typically, the Comp Plan is
the “leading” document and ordinances are revised to align with the Comp Plan. We
recommend that the ordinance be revised in parallel with processing this application.
Adjacent Land Uses
There are no conflicts with adjacent land uses. Traditionally, townhomes and other multifamily
residential land uses are utilized as transitional buffers between more intensive uses and less
intensive uses. In this case, single family homes lie to the north. However, 5th Street North lies
between these two land uses, providing a significant existing buffer. To the east of the
neighborhood lies similar townhomes. To the west lies industrial uses. Properties to the south
are guided for Mixed Use – Commercial, a somewhat higher intensive land use. A townhome
neighborhood is the ideal transitionary land use for this location.
Natural Resources
There are no wetlands or significant tree stands on the subject property.
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Justification that Services have Capacity
The subject property is in an area of the City that has recently been developing. In conjunction
with the adjacent development, new infrastructure has been designed and extended to and
through the area to adequately serve the area.
A new sanitary sewer has been extended through the subject property with service stubs
extended into the property. This sewer serves Phase 1 of the Regional Sewer Staging Plan and
it discharges to the MCES WONE Interceptor. Our application includes land uses and densities
consistent with the Comp Plan, so the sewer has been designed to accommodate this
neighborhood.
Water main has previously been constructed along 5th Street North. According to the City
engineer memo from the sketch plan review, “the existing water system has sufficient capacity”.
Our application includes land uses and densities consistent with the Comp Plan, so the water
has been designed to accommodate this neighborhood.
Storm water quantity is traditionally handled on site by limiting post development flows to be
equal to or less than predevelopment flows. Due to sandy soils found on site, we will be
infiltrating storm water to meet City and Watershed quality requirements. The ponds designed to
serve the neighborhood are of sufficient size to serve the new neighborhood.
5th Street North has been recently designed and constructed to serve a fully developed area.
The land use and density proposed with this application is consistent with the Comp Plan.
Therefore, all past and current long-term planning for fire, public safety, parks, and schools are
unchanged by this application.
Our Homes
Pulte Homes is known for the extraordinary steps that we take to ensure that we are designing
and building homes that meet the needs and desires of home buyers. We continually reach out
to the public and Pulte homeowners to get feedback to improve our home designs. W e call this
Life Tested®. Through this intensive process, we have conceived of and incorporated many
innovative home design features such as the Pulte Planning Center, Everyday Entry, Super
Laundry, Oversized Pantry, and the Owner’s Retreat. This exhaustive process has played a
major part in Pulte’s success in “Building Consumer Inspired Homes and Communities to Make
Lives Better.”
Townhome Design
Our overall approach in designing the exterior of these two-story townhomes was to
“individualize and stylize” each unit. The result is individual units which differ in architecture from
all other units within the same building and which vary in color scheme. The result is that each
unit will appear unique and distinct within each building and to a substantial degree within the
new community. Attached you will find photos of the buildings to be constructed.
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Innovative Approach to Rowhome Floor Plans
It is worth noting that our approach to “individualized and stylized” rowhome units extends to the
interior as well. Buyers can choose from a range of options that were not typically seen in the
previous generation of townhome floor plans:
a. 3 bedrooms with an option for a 4th
b. 1st floor sunroom addition with 2nd floor owner’s suite bathroom expansion
c. Loft
d. Rooftop terrace
We find that this versatile townhome appeals to a much broader spectrum of demographics than
the previous generation of townhomes. This two-story townhome appeals to young, first time
homebuyers, young families, and empty nesters in search of homeowner’s association
maintenance of the yard, snow removal, and exterior of the buildings.
Phasing & Schedule
The following preliminary schedule for development is envisioned based on current projections
and information.
2019 Development of Phase 1
2020 Development of Phase 2
2021 or 2022 Development of Phase 3
2022 or 2023 Development of Phase 4
2024-2026 Full build out
We have created a detailed Phasing Plan that is included with this application. We put a
considerable amount of thought into balancing the infrastructure issues and coming up with a
workable Phasing Plan. Please also note that the Phasing Plan includes a brief listing of the
infrastructure and amenities included within each phase.
This submittal includes:
• Land Use application
• Application fee/escrow of $16,255
o Preliminary plat = $1,850 fee + $10,000 escrow
o Zoning amendment (rezoning) = $1,245 fee + $2,500 escrow
o Vacation of two drainage and utility easements = $1,030
• This narrative
• Parcel info/mailing labels
• Survey, engineering, and landscape architecture, phasing, and parking exhibits
• Neighborhood rendering
• Example home photos
• Example home floor plans