HomeMy WebLinkAbout#13 - Bentley VillageSTAFF REPORT
DATE: 03-19-19
REGULAR
TO: City Council
FROM: Ken Roberts – Planning Director
ITEM: Bentley Village – Zoning Map Amendment and Preliminary Plat
REVIEWED BY: Ben Prchal, City Planner
Jack Griffin, City Engineer
BACKGROUND:
Pulte Homes of Minnesota is requesting City approval of two land use applications for a townhouse
development to be known as Bentley Village. They include:
1. A zoning map amendment from RT (rural development transitional) to MDR (medium density
residential); and
2. Preliminary Plat to create the lots and streets for 240 unit townhouse development.
On November 6, 2018, the City Council reviewed and commented on the 239-unit sketch plan for this
site.
On February 25, 2019, the Planning Commission held a public hearing and recommended approval of
Bentley Village subject to the conditions listed in the staff report. (Please see the attached meeting
minutes for more information about the public hearing).
ISSUE BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL:
The applicant and City staff are asking the City Council to review a zoning map amendment and the
proposed preliminary plat for a townhouse development to be called Bentley Village.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Applicant: Paul Heuer, Pulte Homes, 7500 Flying Cloud Drive, Ste 670, Eden
Prairie, MN 55344
Property Owners: Alan Dale, 6007 Culligan Way, Minnetonka, MN 55345
Location: Part of the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 13,
Township 29 North, Range 21West. West PID: 34.029.21.34.0006,
East PID 34.029.21.43.0003
Requests: Zoning Map Amendment and Preliminary Plat
Development Site Area: 41.58 gross acres.
Existing Land Use: Vacant
Existing Zoning: RT – Rural Development Transitional
Surrounding Area: North – Savona (Urban Low Density Residential); West –Multi-tenant
strip mall and Lampert’s lumber yard (Commercial); East – Vacant
land (Commercial) and Savona townhomes (Urban Medium Density);
South – Vacant land (Rural Development Transitional guided Mixed
Use Commercial in draft 2040 Comprehensive Plan)
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Comprehensive Plan (2040): Medium Density Residential (4-8 units per acre)
Proposed Zoning: Urban Medium Density Residential (MDR)
History: Vacant property
Deadline for Action: Application Complete – 01/25/2019
60 Day Timeline – 03/24/2019
Extension Sent – N/A
Applicable Regulations: Article XII – Urban Residential Districts
Chapter 153 - Subdivision Regulations
Section 150.270 – Storm Water, Erosion and Sediment Control
PROPOSAL REVIEW/ANALYSIS:
Pulte Homes of Minnesota is proposing Bentley Village as a medium density townhouse development to be
located on the south side of 5th Street, west of Keats Avenue and west of the Savona townhouse
neighborhood. The developer is proposing a variety of townhouse styles and amenities in 4-6 unit
buildings along with ponding areas, an on-site tot lot/playground, trails and sidewalks and an open play
space for the residents.
Since the City’s sketch plan review in 2018, the developer has made several changes to the proposed
development. The applicant outlines the proposed changes on pages 6 and 7 of their project narrative. The
proposed changes include widening the public street rights-of-way to better accommodate all the public
improvements, providing room for snow storage, relocating the pool (now since deleted), increasing the
perimeter setbacks, adding a playground/tot lot, adding trails and providing areas for guest parking.
They also revised the layout of the west end of the development because of design conflicts with the
existing pipeline running through the site. The plans now show the storm water pond on the east side of the
pipeline (instead of on the west side) with a redesigned street and lot layout in this area to work with and
around the new pond location.
Land Use. The proposed land use within the development is single family attached homes (townhomes),
which are a permitted use within the Urban Medium Density Residential zoning district.
Zoning Map Amendment. In order for this development to proceed, the City will need to approve a
zoning map amendment (rezoning) for the property from RT – Rural Development Transitional to MDR –
Urban Medium Density Residential. This proposed designation allows for attached housing (townhouses)
and is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan designation (MDR) for the site.
Site Data.
As proposed, Bentley Village consists of 240 attached single-family homes (townhouses) on a 41.58 acre
site. The maximum lot size shown for a townhouse is 1,951 square feet while the minimum lot size is
1,788 square feet.
Total Site Area: 41.58 acres
Residential Areas: 13.75 acres
Outlots: 13.64 acres
Rights-of-way: 14.19 acres
Gross Density: 5.77 units per acre
Net Density: 6.89 units per acre
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Density. The proposed development includes 240 units. The site is a total of 41.58 acres with no wetland,
proposed parkland, or arterial right-of-way. The calculation of net density is as follows: 41.58 acre site –
6.75 acres (5th Street ROW) = 34.83 acres. 240 units divided by 34.83 acres = 6.89 units per acre. The net
density is therefore 6.89 units per acre. This meets the City’s density requirements for the Medium Density
land use of 4-8 units per acre.
Outlots. The proposed preliminary plat, if approved by the City, would create a separate lot for each
townhouse unit, rights-of-ways for the public streets and outlots for the areas around the townhouse lots
(the common areas) and for the ponding areas. Outlots A, C, D, E, F, and G are shown for the common
areas, Outlot B is shown for the ponding area on the east end of the site and Outlots H and I are for the
ponding/infiltration areas in the western part of the development. All outlots would be owned and
maintained by a homeowner’s association. Drainage and utility easements are required over all of each
Outlot to provide for maintenance of the storm sewer system and storm water ponding by the City.
Buffer Areas. The project is not located in an area that will be subject to required buffering. However, the
Zoning Code typically requires developers to provide screening between more intensive and less intensive
land uses. Because the property to the north of 5th Street is single family residential, the City would usually
require this development to provide screening along its north edge (along the south side of 5th Street)
consisting of either a masonry wall or fence in combination with landscape material to form a screen at
least six feet in height and not less than 90% opaque on a year-round basis. The City’s Landscape
Architect, however, is not recommending this level of screening/planting along 5th Street because of the
separation (distance) between the two different neighborhoods and because such a plan would be difficult
to install along the north side of the site while maintaining the design and visual appeal of 5th Street through
the area. (Please see his project review comments about this element of the project design).
Park Dedication. The proposed development is within a Neighborhood Park search area of the
Comprehensive Plan. Savona Park meets the needs of this search area, as it is located just over 500 feet
from the northern edge of the proposed development. The developer is proposing and Staff recommends
that fees in lieu of land be paid in order to satisfy the park dedication requirements. As per the City’s
Subdivision Regulations, the required cash equivalent payment shall be an amount equal to the fair market
value of the percentage land dedication for the zoning district in which the subdivided property is located
(the MDR zoning district requires 10% of the total acreage being developed), and the amount is to be
determined by reference to current market data, if available, or by obtaining an appraisal from a licensed
real estate appraiser. In summary, the developer will be required to 10% of the value of land as park
dedication.
Parks Commission Review: At its February 20, 2019 meeting, the Parks Commission reviewed the
proposed subdivision. The Parks Commission recommended the City require the developer make a cash
contribution for the parks fund rather making a land dedication to the City for a public park.
Sidewalks and Trails. The applicant is proposing six-foot-wide sidewalks on one side of each street (on
the inside of each street loop). They also are showing several 8-foot-wide trails on the plans. They would
be in the center of each block - near the ponding area in Outlot H, behind Lots 1-9 of Block 5 (in Outlot F)
behind Lots 63-71 in Block 1 (in Outlot A) and in the open play area in Block 3. The plans also show a 10-
foot trail on the west side of the proposed north/south street (Road G) in the center of the development and
behind Lots 19-23 in Block 1 to provide access to the north end of the storm water pond. (See sheets 8 and
9 of the project plans for the locations of the proposed sidewalks and trails).
Because of the proposed sidewalks and the overall design of the site, there may not be a need for three of
the 8-foot-wide trail segments shown on the proposed plans. They include:
The trail on the north edge of the proposed ponding in Block 6 generally running east/west in
behind Lots 1-20;
The trail behind (south of) Lots 1-9, Block 5; and
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The trail behind (south of) Lots 63-71, Block 1 connecting Road D and Road F.
Staff will review all the final development plans including grading, streets, trail and sidewalk plans as part
of the City’s final plan approval. It appears that removing these three trail segments would decrease the
amount of impervious surface on the site, would decrease the length and size of retaining walls and should
make grading the site easier to accomplish without having to accommodate the trails.
The City’s trail plan indicates the need for a trail connecting 5th Street North to Hudson Boulevard North so
having a trail along the new north/south street (Road G) is consistent with this requirement.
Amenities. The developer plans to provide private amenities within the development. The original plans
showed a swimming pool with guest parking in Block 3. The applicant recently changed the plan to now
have a dog park instead of a pool in Block 3. They also are showing an open play area in Block 3, a tot
lot/playground in Block 6 (near Outlot H) and trails and sidewalks throughout the site. These are proposed
to private amenities that will be owned and maintained by the neighborhood Homeowners’ Association.
Townhome Design. According to the applicant, their approach is to “individualize and stylize” each
townhouse unit. This means each unit will differ in architecture and will vary in color scheme from all
other units within the same building. Staff has attached photos of examples of the townhouses to this
memo. Buyers also will be able to choose from a range of options for floor plans that will include three
bedrooms with the option of four; a first floor sunroom addition with second floor owner’s suite bathroom
expansion; a loft; and a rooftop terrace.
All of the building exterior designs and materials will need to conform to the design standards in the Lake
Elmo Design Guidelines and Standards Manual including those regarding building facades, rooflines,
colors entries, lighting and exterior building materials. At first review, it appears that all the building styles
and materials will meet or exceed the City’s design standards for townhouses. City staff will need to
verify the proposed exterior designs and materials will meet the city’s design standards before issuing
building permits for the townhouses. Homeowners’ association fees will include maintenance of the yard,
snow removal and the exteriors of the buildings.
Restrictive Covenants. The development will be encumbered by several restrictive covenants for the benefit
of the residents including architectural guidelines, use restrictions, exterior storage requirements, vehicle
parking (RV, etc.). The applicant is proposing to develop the HOA documents incorporating any concerns
that might arise during the development review process and submitting them to the City for approval before
final plat approval.
Access. The proposed plans show two access points into the site from 5th Street North that would line up
directly with existing cross streets - one directly across from Julianne Avenue North and one directly across
from Junco Road North. An additional access to the site will be provided from a new north/south street
(Road G) connecting to 5th Street and ultimately Hudson Boulevard North. The location of the proposed
north/south street was a planned connection point between 5th Street North and Hudson Boulevard North.
The developer should either construct the portion of this street adjacent to the development with a
temporary turnaround or work with the development to the south to construct the planned street to make a
full connection from 5th Street North to Hudson Boulevard North. The applicant’s original project plans
showed Road G in a 100-foot-wide right-of-way – which is consistent with the City’s standards for this
street.
Restrictive Easements. There is a 50-foot wide natural gas pipeline easement that bisects the western
portion of the property in which buildings cannot be placed. There are no lots proposed within this
easement. There is also a 21-inch diameter storm sewer pipe with a 30-foot wide easement on the eastern
edge of the property. The sketch plan showed some of this storm sewer and easement to remain in place
and some to be realigned.
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As noted earlier, the developer has revised project plans since the sketch plan review to better ensure their
proposed project site and grading plans will work with and around the existing pipelines and the pipeline
easement.
Streets. Bentley Village is proposed with several new public streets in a 53-foot-wide right-of-way with
28-foot wide street pavement. The applicant will be required to provide a cross section detailing the
proposed 53 foot right-of-way with the revised preliminary plat plans, as City engineering standards
typically call for a 60-foot right-of-way with 28-foot wide streets in residential areas. If streets are 28-feet
wide, parking will be allowed on both sides of the streets (except where lanes are separated by a median).
The City engineer is recommending that new north/south street (Road G) be designed and constructed in a
100-foot-wide right-of-way to accommodate drive lanes, a center turn lane, trails and utilities while having
enough room for right-hand turn lanes in the future. (Please see the attached design cross section for Road
G.) Additionally, all portions of the 5th Street right-of-way that are located on the applicant’s property will
need to be dedicated with the final plat. Other general review comments from the City Engineer
concerning streets are as follows:
• Ten (10) foot-wide utility easements are required on both sides of the public street right-of-way
and are to be preserved for small utility installation (except for along Road G). The plans must be
revised to eliminate all encroachments into the utility corridors. No boulevard trees can be placed
in the 10-foot-wide (or any) utility easements.
• Six (6) foot concrete sidewalks must be provided along all continuous residential streets and along
other streets as may be required for connectivity.
• All street intersections must be at 90 degrees and maintain 50 feet of tangent with maximum
slopes of 2.5% for first 100 feet.
• Residential maximum longitudinal grade is 8% with no sidewalks, 6% where there are sidewalks.
It appears these design requirements have been met with the proposed plans.
• Minimum diameter cul-de-sac is 90 feet with 120-foot right-of-way.
5th Street North Right-of-Way. As noted by the City Engineer, 5th Street North was constructed within a
permanent roadway easement. The developer/applicant must dedicate this easement area to the City as
public right-of-way on the final plat(s) as part of this development approval.
Street Names. The developer has not proposed any final street names with this plat. The street names will
need to meet the requirements of the City’s Street Naming Policy. To meet this policy and to be consistent
with the street name pattern in the area, staff is proposing the following street names:
Road A and Road D – 4th Street North (from Lots 20 and 51 on the west end to the cul-de-sac on
the east end).
Road A – 4th Street Lane N. (from Lot 10, Block 5 to Lot 35, Block 5)
Road B – Julianne Avenue North
Road F – 4th Street Lane N. (from Lot 21, Block 3 and Lot 42, Block 1 to Lot 62, Block 1).
Road A (n/s) – Jean Avenue North (from Lot 36, Block 5 to Lot 50, Block 5).
Road E and Road F – Junco Road North (from 5th Street to Lot 42, Block 1)
Road G – June Avenue North
Transportation Improvements. The City Engineer commented that there is a need for additional
transportation review to evaluate if additional turn lanes should be required on 5th Street North including an
eastbound right turn lane at Julianna Avenue and west bound turn lanes at Junco Road and/or Julianna
Avenue. He also noted that the proposed development will increase traffic movements at the intersection
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of CSAH -19 and 5th Street North and CSAH-19 and Hudson Boulevard. A financial contribution to traffic
signal and turn lane improvements by the developer to one or both of these intersections should be
considered by the City Council.
Development Phasing/Grading Phasing. The applicant has submitted a phasing plan showing the
construction of the development occurring in four phases. Phase 1 would be constructed in 2019 and would
include the new north/south street in the center of the site the area to the east of the new street with 63
units, the dog park and the eastern stormwater pond. Phase 2 would complete the eastern part of the
development in 2020 with 70 units and a street connection to 5th Street North. For Phase 3, the applicant
would continue the project to the west of the new north/south street with 43 units and the west pond in
2021 or 2022. The final phase, Phase 4, would complete the western end of the site in 2022 or 2023 with
64 units, a tot lot and another street connection to 5th Street North. The applicant notes in their project
narrative that they expect full build out by 2026 but the pace of the phasing will be driven by market
demand for the townhouses.
The grading, utility, street, sidewalk and trail construction for each phase will be subject to the approval of
the City Engineer.
Utilities – Municipal Water Supply and Municipal Sanitary Sewer. The City Engineer’s review memo
provides a review of the municipal sewer and water considerations for this development. Public water and
sanitary sewer service are available in this area of Lake Elmo and the developer will be extending them into
and through the site. As noted in the City Engineer’s review, the preliminary plat plans include utility
plans that generally meet City engineering standards. He noted the following:
The applicant will be responsible for extending municipal water into the development at its sole
cost and will be required to construct a looped watermain network with multiple connection points.
The applicant will be responsible to place hydrants throughout the property at the direction of the
fire Department. All fire hydrants shall be owned and maintained by the City.
All utility plans will be subject to the final approval of the City Engineer.
Grading. All grading plans and activities shall meet the approval of the City Engineer. The grading plans
show extensive grading in the pipeline easement to accommodate the proposed ponding area. This grading
activity will require written approval from the pipeline company be submitted to the City. The grading
plans also show a very small or no backyard area for Lots 24-42 of Block 1 and for Lots 32-47, Block 5.
There are a variety of retaining walls shown on the plans including a 3-foot-tall to 8-foot-tall wall for Lots
6-15, Block 1. All retaining walls are to be privately owned and maintained. None of these design
elements are necessarily prohibited by the City Code, but they demonstrate how tight and difficult the site
is and will be for the applicant to develop.
Impervious Surfaces. The applicant is proposing to develop the site with 49.8 percent impervious surface
coverage. The maximum allowed by the City Code is 50 percent so the current proposed plans would meet
the City’s maximum impervious surface coverage standard. As the applicant revises the project plans to
meet the requirements of the City Engineer or for any other review agency or permit, they will need to
ensure the overall project does not exceed 50 percent impervious surface coverage.
Storm Water Management. The proposed development site is in the Valley Branch Watershed District
(VBWD). The design of the storm water management systems must be compliant with the requirements of
the State, VBWD, the City of Lake Elmo Storm Water Management Ordinance, and the City of Lake Elmo
design standards manual. The applicant is advised to fully read and comprehend the City’s storm water and
erosion control ordinance since these standards are different, and in some cases more stringent, than the
watershed district.
In his project review, the City Engineer noted the following:
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The storm water facilities must be platted as Outlots and they must fully incorporate the 100-year
HWL, 10-foot maintenance bench and all maintenance access roads.
The storm water ponds will not be allowed to encroach on to adjacent private lots.
The storm water ponds must be constructed meeting City standards. This includes providing
designated maintenance access roads, 20 feet wide, for all storm water facilities that extend from the public
right-of-way to the maintenance bench with grades not exceeding 10 percent. Basin grading also must
provide a maintenance bench from the access road to all storm sewer inlets and outfall pipe locations.
The City Engineer’s review memo further addresses the stormwater management considerations
and requirements for this development.
Environmental Review. An Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) is not required for a
development under 375 attached units in a city within the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area that
has adopted a comprehensive plan under Minnesota Statutes. Because Lake Elmo meets this description
and because the proposed development includes only 240 attached units, an EAW is not required.
City Engineer Review. The City Engineer’s review comments are found as part of the attachments to this
report and are incorporated throughout the report.
Standards for Single-Family Attached Dwellings (Townhouses), MDR District. The following outlines
standards for single-family attached dwellings as well as explanation as to how these standards are met
within the proposed preliminary plat:
1. A maximum of 8 units shall be permitted within a single building. Buildings with more than 8
units may be allowed as a conditional use.
• The maximum number of units proposed within a single building is six.
2. Townhouses shall be located on lots in such a way that each individual unit has a minimum of
15 feet of street frontage. No parking shall be located in the front yard or between the front
façade and the street.
a. Townhouses that do not meet the minimum requirements for frontage along a street or
that have frontage along a private street may be allowed as a conditional use.
• It appears that each unit has at least 25 feet of street frontage.
3. The primary entrance shall be located on the façade fronting a public street unless the
townhouses are approved as a Conditional Use under division §154.454 (G) (2) (a) above; an
additional entrance may be provided on the rear or side façade.
• Public streets are being proposed, and it appears the primary entrance for each unit
front a public street.
4. New housing types should be introduced in limited quantities to increase diversity and housing
choice, not to replace whole blocks of existing housing. Therefore, no more than 1/4 of the
lineal frontage of a developed block (measured around the entire block perimeter) may be
converted to townhouse units, and no further townhouse, two-family or higher-density
development is permitted once this threshold is reached.
• This is a new development not replacing existing housing.
5. Townhouse units shall be designed to reflect the general scale and character of existing
buildings on surrounding blocks, including front yard depth, height and roof pitch, primary
materials, facade detailing and size and placement of window and door openings.
• The townhomes are comparable in scale and character of the existing Savona
townhomes to the east and provide architectural interest with a variety of townhome
styles that will vary with each unit within each building.
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6. Common open space for use by all residents or private open space adjacent to each unit shall
be provided. Such open space shall comprise a minimum of 500 square feet per unit.
The project narrative states there will be 557 square feet of open space per unit.
Lot Dimensions and Bulk Requirements. The proposed preliminary plat provides a lot layout for the
townhouse units along with the areas for street rights-of-way, for on-site ponding and for common
space. As shown, each townhouse would be on a separate lot ranging in size from 1,781 square feet to
1,951 square feet. The proposed preliminary plat appears to the meet many of the lot dimensions and
bulk requirements for the Medium Density Residential (MDR) zoning district, as shown below:
Standard Required Proposed
Minimum Lot Area 4,000 square feet per unit 1781-1951 square feet
Minimum Lot Width 25 feet per unit 24-25.5 feet
Maximum Impervious
Surface
50% 49.8%
Minimum Front Yard
Setback
25 feet Narrative indicates this will
be met
Minimum Interior
Sideyard Setback
(principal buildings)
10 feet Narrative indicates this will
be met
Minimum Interior
Sideyard Setback
(accessory structures)
5 feet Narrative indicates this will
be met
Minimum Corner
Sideyard Setback
15 feet Narrative indicates this will
be met
Minimum Rear Yard
Setback
20 feet Narrative indicates this will
be met
While the total lot area of each townhouse lot in Bentley Village would be less than 4,000 square feet, it is
staff’s opinion the City should be most concerned with the overall project density and how that relates to
the Comprehensive Plan. It is the total number of units and the potential impact those residents would have
on public services and facilities that should be of the most importance to the City. In this case, the
proposed development, with 6.9 units per acre, is well within the density range of 4-8 units per acre the
City has established by the comprehensive Plan for medium density housing for this part of Lake Elmo.
If the City wants to accommodate medium density residential development, then the City should change the
zoning code standard for the minimum lot size for single-family attached housing (townhouses) and for
multi-family dwellings from 4,000 square feet to 2,000 square feet or to have no minimum lot sizes for
these types of housing. This smaller lot size would accommodate building pads for each unit while
allowing land for common areas and street rights-of-ways in an attached housing or multi-family housing
development. The Planning Commission reviewed a first draft of a proposed ordinance amendment to make
this change to the zoning code on March 11. They are recommending that the City make the change to the
zoning ordinance as suggested by staff.
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Issues with Setbacks and Building Placement
The original project plans the applicant submitted were not clear in showing that all of the proposed
buildings and lots would meet all the required setbacks. Staff has included a detail from Sheet 7 of original
the project plans that has a typical townhome lot layout showing the proposed lot lines and the building
placement. However, staff has identified several locations on the original plans where it appears that
corners of the proposed townhouses (or their patios) might encroach into required setbacks and/or
easements or would be too close together to meet the City’s 30-foot-spacing requirement to accommodate
underground utilities (including storm sewer). These include:
Block 6 – Lots 27 and 51, Lot 28 and Lot 1
Block 1 – Lots 1, 11, 12, 23, 35, 39 (rear corners), Lots 18 and 19, Lots 29 and 30, Lots 34 and 35,
spacing between Lots 38 and 39, Lots 42 and 43, Lots 58 and 59 and between Lots 66 and 67, the
rear of Lot 71.
Block 2- Rear of Lots 1, 9 and 10, spacing between Lots 10 and 11 and between Lots 16 and 17.
Block 3 Lots 16 and 17 and Lots 20-21.
Block 4 – Lots 18, 19 and 28 (rear corner setbacks).
Block 5 – Lot 1 (rear corner setback)
Staff met with the developer after the Planning Commission meeting to further review the project plans in
more detail. It now appears that all the structures, as shown on the original development plans, will meet
all the required setbacks from property lines and rights-of-way. There are, however, some of the units on
the original plans that would be set only 20 feet apart instead of 30 feet apart that the City Engineer
requires when there is underground utilities running between the buildings. The developer has indicated to
staff that they are revising the project plans to meet all City requirements for setbacks and building spacing.
Staff is recommending the developer submit any and all revised project plans to staff that clearly show that
all the units will meet all setback requirements and all spacing requirements for underground utilities.
Because of the extensive changes City staff has identified that the applicant needs to make to the plans to
meet all City requirements, City staff is recommending the applicant revise all necessary project plans (plat,
utilities, grading and drainage, etc.) and then submit the revised project plans to the City for review and
approval before the City accepts a final plat application for the first phase of the development.
Lot Easements. The City requires 10-foot-wide drainage and utility easements along all public rights-of-
way and rear property lines, five-foot-wide easements along all side property lines and other easements for
stormwater management and public utilities as may be needed. The City will require the developer to show
all easements (drainage, front, rear and side yard) on the revised preliminary plat (and the final plat) to
meet City requirements.
As noted by the City Engineer, these easements must be reserved for small utilities without encroachment
by other design elements (storm sewer pipe, retaining walls, buildings, landscaping, storm water retention).
It appears there are several locations on the project plans where the design elements are shown in these
required easements. As such, the applicant will need to revise the project plans to ensure the easements are
reserved and protected for the intended uses (small utility installation).
Landscaping. The applicant provided tree preservation and proposed landscaping and tree planting plans
for the site. The City’s landscape architect has reviewed these plans and provided the City with several
comments about them. (Please see his attached review memos). In summary, he lists in his memo several
findings about the proposed plans including how they are incorrect or deficient including the number and
type of proposed trees and plantings as required by the City Code. As such, the applicant will need to make
revisions to these plans to meet all City Code standards. They also will need revising to reflect the changes
to the site and utility plans as required by the City to meet building setbacks and spacing and the all
changes required by the City Engineer.
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The City should require the applicant to revise the landscape plans and then submit the revised plans at the
time they submit all the revised Preliminary Plat plans. These plans will need to adhere to reflect all the
changes required by the City’s landscape architect and to meet the City’s Landscape Requirements.
Landscape (retaining) Walls. Throughout the development, the developer has proposed landscape
(retaining) walls to control grades. These walls may cross residential property lines and HOA property and
some are shown within public rights-of-ways and the outlots. Staff recommends that any walls that cross
residential property lines or residential property lines and HOA property be owned and maintained by the
HOA. Staff also recommends that the walls shown within public rights-of-way be moved to HOA owned
outlots and all retaining walls be owned and maintained by the HOA.
Subdivision Signs. Section 154.212(G) (1) (c) of the Zoning Code allows each residential subdivision to
have one subdivision identification sign per entrance. The maximum size for subdivision identification
sign is 32 square feet in area for the main entrance and a maximum sign area of 24 square feet per sign for
all other locations. The developer has not yet proposed any signs and any signs would require a permit
from the City.
Parking. The City’s Zoning Code requires one parking space per studio and 1 bedroom unit, two parking
spaces per 2 and 3 bedroom unit and an additional 10 percent of the total spaces for visitor parking. With
the proposed mix of 240 units, the City Zoning Code requires the developer to provide at least 528 parking
spaces (480 plus 48) on site. In this case, the developer is proposing 480 garage spaces (2 per unit) and 480
driveway spaces (2 per unit) for off-street parking for a total of 960 off-street parking spaces. Their
parking plan also plan shows 125 spaces on the streets for parking for a total of 1,085 parking spaces within
the development.
Fire Chief and Building Official Comments. The Fire Chief and Building Official provided the following
comments:
• All aspects of this project must meet the 2015 MN State Fire Codes as applicable.
• Determination of sprinkler requirements per code.
• Location of fire hydrants (will be subject to Fire Department approval). Parking spaces that affect
required clearances near fire hydrants will not be allowed.
• Roads – private or public, ensure proper widths, allowable parking, proper signage?
• Ensure proper access for emergency vehicles.
• Need details about chemical storage for pool.
• Any additional items identified as the project moves forward.
• All state building code, fire code and city regulations regarding drive lanes, fire lanes, no parking
zones and signage shall be met.
Easement vacations. There are two drainage and utility easements on this site that the applicant will be
asking the City to eventually vacate as part of the development approval. A vacation is an action taken by
the City Council to give up the City’s interest and need for the right-of-way (or an easement) and turning
the ownership and responsibility for the corresponding land back to the adjacent or underlying property
owner(s). Since the developer will be constructing new utilities (in different locations) and dedicating new
easements to the City with the final plat(s), the City will not have a use for the existing easements. The
City should review and consider the easement vacation requests as part of their consideration of the final
plats for each phase of the development. The City will require the applicant to record the easement
vacation resolution with the corresponding final plat.
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CITY COUNCIL OPTIONS
As noted in this report and by reference with the comments and conditions of approval from the City
Engineer and the City Landscape Architect, the City will be requiring the applicant to make many changes
to the proposed development plans. As such, the City Council could:
1. Adopt Ordinance 08 –____ approving the Zoning Map Amendment (rezoning) and adopt the
Resolution approving the Bentley Village preliminary plat with the conditions of approval based on
the findings. This approval would be subject to the applicant revising their preliminary plat application
and plans to meet all the conditions of approval listed in this report and requiring the applicant to
submit the revised preliminary plat and construction plans for City approval. Staff would recommend
the approval of the revised preliminary plat occur before the City would accept a final plat application
for any phase of the development. This process would ensure the applicant has met all city and other
agency requirements before proceeding with the construction or final plat of any phase of the
development.
2. Deny approving the Ordinance to change the zoning map and deny Resolution 2019 - ___ approving
the preliminary plat and direct staff to prepare a Resolution for denial to be brought back at a future
meeting.
Recommended Findings for Rezoning (Zoning Map Amendment):
That the proposed rezoning from RT (rural development transitional) to MDR (medium density residential)
for the Bentley Village development would be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
Recommending Findings for Preliminary Plat:
Staff and the Planning Commission recommend that the City Council approving the Preliminary Plat for
Bentley Village. This approval would be based on the following findings:
1. That the City reviewed the Bentley Village Sketch Plan on November 5, 2018 and the submitted
preliminary plat is generally consistent with the city-approved sketch plan.
2. That the Applicant has submitted all application requirements outlined in Section 154.759:
Application Requirements for Preliminary Plat.
3. That the Preliminary Plat is consistent with the intent of the Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan and the
Future Land Use Map for this area.
4. That the proposed Preliminary Plat meets the general intent of the medium density zoning district
with modifications.
5. That the Preliminary Plat generally meet the City’s Subdivision regulations.
6. That the Preliminary Plat is generally consistent with the City’s engineering standards with
exceptions as noted in the City Engineer’s memorandum dated February ___, 2019.
7. That the Planning Commission held a public hearing on February 25, 2019, took testimony from 2
neighbors and recommended approval of the development, subject to conditions.
Recommended conditions of approval for Bentley Village. If the City Council wants to
approve this proposal, staff recommends the following conditions of approval:
1. That the City approves a Zoning Map Amendment to rezone the site from RT (Rural Development
Transitional) to MDR (Medium Density Residential).
2. That the preliminary plat includes parcels with the PID#s 34-029-21-34-0006 and 34-029-21-43-
0003.
3. That all comments and conditions of approval in the City Engineer’s Memorandum dated February
17, 2019 be addressed and included with the revised project plans for City approval.
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4. That revised preliminary plat plans include an overall tree planting and landscape plans for each
phase of the development. Landscaping must not conflict with utilities and with pond maintenance
access. Boulevard trees are not allowed in the 10-foot-wide drainage and utility easements along
the public streets. All landscaping and tree plans shall incorporate the comments and conditions in
the Landscape Architect’s memos dated February 15, 2019 and March 6, 2019 and shall be
approved by the City’s Landscape Architect.
5. That the developer shall incorporate each phase of Bentley Village into the Common Interest
Agreement concerning management of the common areas and establish a homeowner’s association
that shall be submitted in final form to the Planning Director before the City will issue a building
permit for any structure in any phase of the development. Said agreement shall comply with
Minnesota Statues 515B-103, and specifically the provisions concerning the transfer of control to
the future property owners. The HOA documents shall include required maintenance of all private
amenities including open space and trails.
6. The applicant shall enter into a landscape license and maintenance agreement with the City that
clarifies the individuals or entities responsible for any landscaping installed for each platted phase of
the development.
7. That the HOA be responsible for the ownership and maintenance of all landscape (retaining) walls
within the development.
8. That the developer shall install an HOA owned and maintained children’s play structure or other
similar improvement on Outlot H as shown on the preliminary plat submittal.
9. That the developer provide the City fees in lieu of park land dedication as required by 153.15 of the
City Code with each final plat.
10. That the revised preliminary plat plans include a parking area for the HOA pool/recreation area (if
the developer constructs the pool) that meets all applicable standards.
11. That the HOA documents include architectural requirements that require 4-sided architecture on all
buildings and garage doors shall not have flat panels. The City encourages the builder to include
windows and/or other architectural features in all exterior doors and garage doors. City staff shall
approve all building exterior designs including colors and materials before the City issues building
permits for the town houses.
12. That the developer submit a sidewalk and trail phasing plan to be approved by City Staff and that
the developer/contractor construct the public sidewalks and trails within each phase before the City
issues building permits for that phase of development.
13. That the developer install a six-foot-wide concrete public sidewalk on one side of every street in
the development.
14. That the Applicant place storm water ponds within outlots including the 100-year high water flood
level and all maintenance access. All outlots are to be owned and maintained by the HOA with
drainage and utility easements placed over all of each Outlot.
15. All storm water facilities shall be publicly owned and maintained. A storm water maintenance and
easement agreement in a form acceptable to the City shall be executed and recorded with the final
plat.
16. That if the applicant/developer wants to reuse storm water for private irrigation within the
development that the project engineer submit details to the City about the proposed storm water
reuse system and ongoing operations that will be subject to approval by the City. The applicant
must clearly define the proposed ownership, maintenance and ongoing operational responsibilities
for the proposed system and City acceptance of storm water reuse will be contingent upon the City
agreeing to the ongoing ownership, maintenance and operation plan, including the execution of a
storm water maintenance agreement that addresses storm water reuse. In addition, all storm water
system plans and specifications shall be subject to approval by the City Engineer and must address
recommended reuse water quality, stormwater pond pump intake design, pond draw down
guidelines, filtration recommendations, backflow prevention design, and potable water back-up
supply design.
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17. The Preliminary Plat approval is conditioned upon the applicant meeting all City standards and
design requirements unless specifically addressed otherwise in these conditions.
18. The revised preliminary plat and Final Plat(s) shall include all necessary public right-of-way and
easements for 5th Street North and for Road G.
19. The revised preliminary plat plans shall include a stormwater management plan including a
summary report describing the overall management plan and performance criteria for all required
storm events.
20. That the applicant shall obtain all necessary permits including but not limited to all applicable city
permits (building, grading, sign, etc.), NPDES/SWPPP permits and Valley Branch Watershed
District approval before starting any grading or construction activities.
21. That the preliminary plat plans be approved by Valley Branch Watershed District and that the
applicant provide the City evidence that all conditions attached to a Valley Branch Watershed
District permit will be met before the starting any grading activity on the site.
22. The applicant must provide the City a letter of approval from the owner of the gas main to perform
the proposed work in the gas pipeline easement as a condition of preliminary plat approval and
before the contractor starts any site work or site grading.
23. The applicant shall provide the City with a copy of written permission for any off-site grading
work and storm sewer discharges to adjacent properties before starting any site work, grading and
as part of any final plat application.
24. That the applicant or developer address all the comments of the Fire Chief and the Building
Official with final site and building plans including the placement of buildings and fire hydrants,
street and driveway design, on-street parking and emergency vehicle access within the site.
25. That the applicant revise the project plans to show storm sewer easements and effective
maintenance areas with a minimum width of 30 feet with a minimum of 15 feet of clearance from
the pipe centerline. This includes locations where underground pipes run between buildings.
26. That there shall be no encroachments into drainage and utility easements and corridors other than
those reviewed and approved by the City Engineer and upon execution of an easement
encroachment agreement. Prohibited encroachments include, but are not limited to trees,
landscaping, retaining walls, buildings and storm water retention.
27. That the developer prepare exhibits for City staff approval that clearly identifies the property lines,
easements, proposed building locations and the required and proposed setbacks for each of the lots
and each building site within the development.
28. That all garage doors be setback at least 25 feet from the street right-of-way to provide off street
parking on the driveway to allow vehicle parking without blocking a public sidewalk.
29. That the applicant update the preliminary plat plans to include street names that are consistent with
the City’s street naming policy with the names listed herein. All street names shall be approved by
the City Council.
30. The Applicant(s) or developers shall submit a photometric plan for the development for staff
review and approval. All lighting must meet the requirements of Sections 150.035-150.038 of the
City Code.
31. Before to the installation or construction of any subdivision identification signs or neighborhood
markers within the development, the developer shall submit sign plans to the City for review and
obtain a sign permit from the City.
32. That the applicant provide the City a detailed construction and staging plan with the construction
plans and final plat for each phase of the development. These plans are to clearly indicate the
phasing of the site grading, the phasing of the construction of each public infrastructure component
(including required turn lanes, trails and sidewalks) and shall address access to that phase of the
development for construction purposes and for residents. The City may require temporary cul-de-
sacs at the end of streets with the first and third phases of the development.
33. Before the execution and recording of a final plat for any phase of the development, the developer
or applicant shall enter into a Developer’s Agreement with the City for that phase or project. The
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Developer’s Agreement must be approved by the City Attorney and by the City Council. Each
such Developer’s Agreement shall delineate who is responsible for the design, construction and
payment for the required improvements with financial guarantees therefore.
34. The applicant or developer shall enter into a separate grading agreement with the City before
starting any grading activity in advance of final plat approval. The City Engineer shall review any
grading plan that is submitted in advance of a final plat, and said plan shall document extent of any
proposed grading on the site.
35. That the applicant submit revised preliminary plat and project plans meeting all conditions of
approval for City review and approval. The revised applicant/developer project plans shall meet all
of the above conditions before the City will accept a final plat application for any phase of the
development and before the start of any clearing or grading activity on the site.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There would be no fiscal impact to the City at this time, as the developer would be required to pay for any
amendments needed to accommodate the increase in REC units. The Sketch Plan approval did not afford the
applicant development rights. When the property develops, it will have urban services and will pay sewer
and water connection charges, building permit fees and the like.
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Staff and the Planning Commission are recommending that the City Council approve the zoning map
amendment (rezoning) with the following motion:
“Move to adopt Ordinance 08-224 , approving of the proposed Zoning Map Amendment as requested by
Pulte Homes of Minnesota for the site of the Bentley Village development on the south side of 5th Street
North from RT (rural development transitional) to MDR (medium density residential) with
recommended conditions of approval.”
Staff and the Planning Commission also are recommending approval of the proposed Bentley Village
Preliminary Plat with the following motion:
“Move to adopt Resolution 2019 -020 approving the Bentley Village Preliminary Plat subject to the
findings and conditions of approval listed in the staff report.”
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Preliminary Plat Application Materials with Project Narrative dated 1-25-2019
2. Updated Project Application Narrative dated March 11, 2019
3. City Maps
4. Colored Site Plan
5. Parking Exhibit
6. Phasing Plan
7. Preliminary Plat and Plans (11x17) (electronic only)
8. Typical Townhouse Lot Detail
9. Building Elevations
10. City Engineer Review Memorandum 2-17-19
11. Road G Design Cross Section
12. Landscape Architect Review dated 2-15-19
13. Landscape Architect review dated 3-06-19
14. Planning Commission minutes dated 2-25-19
15. Ordinance 08- 224 approving Zoning Map Amendment
16. Resolution 2019 - 020 approving the Bentley Village preliminary Plat
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We Build Consumer Inspired Homes and Communities to Make Lives Better
“Bentley Village”
APPLICATION FOR:
PRELIMINARY PLAT & REZONING
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.
9
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 $15,595
o Preliminary plat = $1,850 fee + $10,000 escrow
o Zoning amendment (rezoning) = $1,245 fee + $2,500 escrow
• This narrative
• Parcel info/mailing labels
• Survey, engineering, and landscape architecture, phasing, and parking exhibits
• Neighborhood rendering
• Example home photos
• Example home floor plans
Example Photos of Elevations
Example Photos of Elevations
Example Photos of Elevations
Example Photos of Elevations
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Floor plans, Elevations and Options will vary from Community
to Community and may not reflect current changes. Dimensions shown are approximate.
&RS\ULJKW2016 Pulte Homes, Inc.
2407.902-Rainier-(FL-GE-KC)-MN-Base-BROC.dwg - BRO COVER
2407.902-Rainier-MN-Base-24' (2 Story) Unit-06152016
Rainier
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
First Floor
9'-0" Ceiling
Floor plans, Elevations and Options will vary from Community
to Community and may not reflect current changes. Dimensions shown are approximate.
&RS\ULJKW2016 Pulte Homes, Inc.
2407.902-Rainier-(FL-GE-KC)-MN-Base-BROC.dwg - 6-FL1-N-L
2407.902-Rianier-MN-Base-24' (2 Story) Unit-06152016
2 CAR GARAGE
18'-3" x 19'-7"
KITCHEN
FOYER
PR
OPT PATIO
8'-6" x10'-0"
POPTGATHERING ROOM
12'-10" x 17'-3"CAFE
10'-2" x 11'-5"
OPT.
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
First Floor Options
9'-0" Ceiling
Floor plans, Elevations and Options will vary from Community
to Community and may not reflect current changes. Dimensions shown are approximate.
&RS\ULJKW2016 Pulte Homes, Inc.
2407.902-Rainier-(FL-GE-KC)-MN-Base-BROC.dwg - 6-OP10-N-L
2407.902-Rainier-MN-Base-24' (2 Story) Unit-06152016
Fireplace Option Gourmet Kitchen Option
KITCHEN
GATHERING ROOM
OPTChef's Kitchen Option
KITCHEN OPTMechanical on Slab
HVAC
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Second Floor
8'-0" Ceiling (Opt. 9'-0" Ceiling)
Floor plans, Elevations and Options will vary from Community
to Community and may not reflect current changes. Dimensions shown are approximate.
&RS\ULJKW2016 Pulte Homes, Inc.
2407.902-Rainier-(FL-GE-KC)-MN-Base-BROC.dwg - 6-FL2-N-L
2407.902-Rainier-MN-Base-24' (2 Story) Unit-06152016
OWNER'S SUITE
12'-9" x 13'-10"
OPT TRAY CLG
SITTING
5'-3" x 6'-5"
WIC
LAUN
L
OPT. OPT.
BATH 2
OWNER'S
BATH
BEDROOM 3
10'-2" x 10'-11"BEDROOM 2
10'-1" x 11'-6"OPT. TECH CENTER
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Second Floor Options
8'-0" Ceiling (Opt. 9'-0" Ceiling)
Floor plans, Elevations and Options will vary from Community
to Community and may not reflect current changes. Dimensions shown are approximate.
&RS\ULJKW2016 Pulte Homes, Inc.
2407.902-Rainier-(FL-GE-KC)-MN-Base-BROC.dwg - 6-OP20-N-L
2407.902-Rainier-MN-Base-24' (2 Story) Unit-06152016
Stacked W/D Option Shower Option at
Bath 2
Owner's Bath
Option 2
Owner's Bath Option 1
LAUN
OPT
OPT
BASE
CABS
BATH 2
L
L
OWNER'S
BATH
OWNER'S
BATH
SEAT
Stairs w/ Habitable
Attic OptionOPT. TECHCENTER
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Habitable Attic Option
8'-0" Ceiling
Floor plans, Elevations and Options will vary from Community
to Community and may not reflect current changes. Dimensions shown are approximate.
&RS\ULJKW2016 Pulte Homes, Inc.
2407.902-Rainier-(FL-GE-KC)-MN-Base-BROC.dwg - 6-OPHA10-N-L
2407.902-Rainier-MN-Base-24' (2 Story) Unit-06152016
STORAGE
SLOPED
LOFT
18'-8" x 17'-7"
PR 3
Beverage Center 2
Option
Powder Room 3
Option
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Habitable Attic w/ Bedroom 5/ Bath 4 Option
8'-0" Ceiling
Floor plans, Elevations and Options will vary from Community
to Community and may not reflect current changes. Dimensions shown are approximate.
&RS\ULJKW2016 Pulte Homes, Inc.
2407.902-Rainier-(FL-GE-KC)-MN-Base-BROC.dwg - 6-OPHA20-N-L
2407.902-Rainier-MN-Base-24' (2 Story) Unit-06152016
STORAGE
SLOPED
BATH 4 WIC
L
BEDROOM 5
18'-8" x 12'-0"
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Habitable Attic w/ Rear Terrace Option
8'-0" Ceiling
Floor plans, Elevations and Options will vary from Community
to Community and may not reflect current changes. Dimensions shown are approximate.
&RS\ULJKW2016 Pulte Homes, Inc.
2407.902-Rainier-(FL-GE-KC)-MN-Base-BROC.dwg - 6-OPHA30-N-L
2407.902-Rainier-MN-Base-24' (2 Story) Unit-06152016
LOFT 2
18'-8" x 17'-11"
STORAGE
SLOPED
REAR TERRACE
19'-8" x 10'-0"
REAR TERRACE
PR 3
Beverage Center 2
Option
Powder Room 3
Option
Sliding Glass Door Option
19'-8" x 10'-0"
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Habitable Attic w/ Rear Terrace and
Bedroom 8/ Bath 5 Option
8'-0" Ceiling
Floor plans, Elevations and Options will vary from Community
to Community and may not reflect current changes. Dimensions shown are approximate.
&RS\ULJKW2016 Pulte Homes, Inc.
2407.902-Rainier-(FL-GE-KC)-MN-Base-BROC.dwg - 6-OPHA40-N-L
2407.902-Rainier-MN-Base-24' (2 Story) Unit-06152016
STORAGE
SLOPED
REAR TERRACE
19'-8" x 10'-0"
BEDROOM 8
13'-1" x 12'-2"
BATH 5 WIC
L
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Floor plans, Elevations and Options will vary from Community
to Community and may not reflect current changes. Dimensions shown are approximate.
&RS\ULJKW2016 Pulte Homes, Inc.
2467.902-Denali-(FL-GE-KC)-MN-Base-BROC.dwg - BRO COVER
2467.902-Denali-MN-Base-24' (2 Story) Unit-06152016
Denali
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
First Floor
9'-0" Ceiling
Floor plans, Elevations and Options will vary from Community
to Community and may not reflect current changes. Dimensions shown are approximate.
&RS\ULJKW2016 Pulte Homes, Inc.
2467.902-Denali-(FL-GE-KC)-MN-Base-BROC.dwg - 6-FL1-N-L
2467.902-Denali-MN-Base-24' (2 Story) Unit-06152016
2 CAR GARAGE
18'-3" x 19'-7"
KITCHEN
FOYER
PR
OPT PATIO
8'-6" x10'-0"
POPTGATHERING ROOM
12'-10" x 17'-3"CAFE
10'-2" x 11'-5"
OPT.
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
First Floor Options
9'-0" Ceiling
Floor plans, Elevations and Options will vary from Community
to Community and may not reflect current changes. Dimensions shown are approximate.
&RS\ULJKW2016 Pulte Homes, Inc.
2467.902-Denali-(FL-GE-KC)-MN-Base-BROC.dwg - 6-OP10-N-L
2467.902-Denali-MN-Base-24' (2 Story) Unit-06152016
Fireplace Option Gourmet Kitchen Option
KITCHEN
GATHERING ROOM
Rear House Extension Option
GATHERING ROOM
OPT PATIO 2
12'-10" x10'-0"OPTChef's Kitchen Option
KITCHEN OPTMechanical on Slab
HVAC
SUNROOM
9'-2" x 9'-6"
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Second Floor
8'-0" Ceiling (Opt. 9'-0" Ceiling)
Floor plans, Elevations and Options will vary from Community
to Community and may not reflect current changes. Dimensions shown are approximate.
&RS\ULJKW2016 Pulte Homes, Inc.
2467.902-Denali-(FL-GE-KC)-MN-Base-BROC.dwg - 6-FL2-N-L
2467.902-Denali-MN-Base-24' (2 Story) Unit-06152016
OWNER'S SUITE
OPT TRAY CLG
WIC
WIC
WIC
BATH 2
OPT
OPT
LAUN
OPT
OWNER'S
L
OPT OPT
BATH
OPT
UPPER
CABS
BEDROOM 2
11'-3" x 11'-5"
BEDROOM 3
11'-3" x 10'-0"
13'-5" x 14'-7"
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Stacked W/D Option
Second Floor Options
8'-0" Ceiling (Opt. 9'-0" Ceiling)
Floor plans, Elevations and Options will vary from Community
to Community and may not reflect current changes. Dimensions shown are approximate.
&RS\ULJKW2016 Pulte Homes, Inc.
2467.902-Denali-(FL-GE-KC)-MN-Base-BROC.dwg - 6-OP20-N-L
2467.902-Denali-MN-Base-24' (2 Story) Unit-06152016
Shower Option at Bath 2
Owner's Bath Option 1
BATH 2
OPT
OPT
LAUNOPT
L
OPT
WIC
WIC
OWNER'S
BATH
OWNER'S
BATH
OPT
UPPER
CABS
SEAT
Stairs w/ Habitable
Attic Option
WIC
LAUN
OPT
OPT
BEDROOM 3
11'-3" x 10'-0"
Owner's Bath 2 Option
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Second Floor Options
8'-0" Ceiling (Opt. 9'-0" Ceiling)
Floor plans, Elevations and Options will vary from Community
to Community and may not reflect current changes. Dimensions shown are approximate.
&RS\ULJKW2016 Pulte Homes, Inc.
2467.902-Denali-(FL-GE-KC)-MN-Base-BROC.dwg - 6-OP21-N-L
2467.902-Denali-MN-Base-24' (2 Story) Unit-06152016
Rear House Extension
Option
WIC
WIC
OWNER'S SUITE
OPT TRAY CLG
OWNER'S
BATH
L
18'-0" x 14'-8"
Owner's Bath 1 Option at
Rear House Extension
OWNER'S
BATH
SEAT
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Habitable Attic Option
8'-0" Ceiling
Floor plans, Elevations and Options will vary from Community
to Community and may not reflect current changes. Dimensions shown are approximate.
&RS\ULJKW2016 Pulte Homes, Inc.
2467.902-Denali-(FL-GE-KC)-MN-Base-BROC.dwg - 6-OPHA10-N-L
2467.902-Denali-MN-Base-24' (2 Story) Unit-06152016
STORAGE
SLOPED
LOFT
18'-8" x 17'-7"
PR 3
Beverage Center 2
Option
Powder Room 3
Option
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Habitable Attic w/ Bedroom 5/ Bath 4 Option
8'-0" Ceiling
Floor plans, Elevations and Options will vary from Community
to Community and may not reflect current changes. Dimensions shown are approximate.
&RS\ULJKW2016 Pulte Homes, Inc.
2467.902-Denali-(FL-GE-KC)-MN-Base-BROC.dwg - 6-OPHA20-N-L
2467.902-Denali-MN-Base-24' (2 Story) Unit-06152016
STORAGE
SLOPED
BATH 4 WIC
L
BEDROOM 5
18'-8" x 12'-0"
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Habitable Attic w/ Rear Terrace Option
8'-0" Ceiling
Floor plans, Elevations and Options will vary from Community
to Community and may not reflect current changes. Dimensions shown are approximate.
&RS\ULJKW2016 Pulte Homes, Inc.
2467.902-Denali-(FL-GE-KC)-MN-Base-BROC.dwg - 6-OPHA30-N-L
2467.902-Denali-MN-Base-24' (2 Story) Unit-06152016
LOFT 2
18'-8" x 17'-11"
STORAGE
SLOPED
REAR TERRACE
19'-8" x 10'-0"
REAR TERRACE
PR 3
Beverage Center 2
Option
Powder Room 3
Option
Sliding Glass Door Option
19'-8" x 10'-0"
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Habitable Attic w/ Rear Terrace and
Bedroom 8/ Bath 5 Option
8'-0" Ceiling
Floor plans, Elevations and Options will vary from Community
to Community and may not reflect current changes. Dimensions shown are approximate.
&RS\ULJKW2016 Pulte Homes, Inc.
2467.902-Denali-(FL-GE-KC)-MN-Base-BROC.dwg - 6-OPHA40-N-L
2467.902-Denali-MN-Base-24' (2 Story) Unit-06152016
STORAGE
SLOPED
REAR TERRACE
19'-8" x 10'-0"
BEDROOM 8
13'-1" x 12'-2"
BATH 5 WIC
L
1
We Build Consumer Inspired Homes and Communities to Make Lives Better
“Bentley Village”
APPLICATION FOR:
PRELIMINARY PLAT, REZONING, EASEMENT VACATION
LAKE ELMO, MINNESOTA
March 11, 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
2
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
3
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 = 292,918 square feet = 6.72 acres
o Collector (Road G) = 25,809 square feet = 0.59 acres
o 5th Street = 294,126 square feet = 6.75 acres
o Total = 612,853 square feet = 14.07 acres
• Open space:
o Open space area = 750,926 square feet = 17.24 acres
• Open space/unit requirement = 500 sf
• Minimum open space/unit provided = 557 sf
• Impervious surface requirement = 50% maximum
• Impervious surface provided = 721,557 square feet = 47.66%
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
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
4
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 an 80-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.
5
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 market research, we are planning the following private amenities, all to
be owned and maintained by a professionally managed home owners association:
• Dog park – This type of amenity is becoming very popular with our buyers. The
convenience of having a dog park within a neighborhood is very attractive to a wide
variety of our buyers.
• 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.
6
• Trails
Parking
Adequate parking in a townhome neighborhood is important 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). 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.
7
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.
Update on March 8, 2019 – We recently revised the site plan in response to the review memo
prepared by the City Engineer. Although it is difficult to notice the minor revisions made, the
current site plan complies with requirements related to easement widths and many other
comments.
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.
8
Natural Resources
There are no wetlands or significant tree stands on the subject property.
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 the eastern part of the
site, we will be infiltrating storm water to meet City and Watershed quality requirements. The
pond on the western part of the site will act as a storm water reuse pond. Storm water from this
pond will be used to irrigate the grounds in the western part of the neighborhood. This is a
commonly used strategy which has environmental advantages such as preserving potable
water. The ponds designed to serve the neighborhood are of adequate 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.”
9
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.
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
10
• Neighborhood rendering
• Example home photos
• Example home floor plans
OPEN PLAY AREAROAD AROAD B
ROAD AROAD AROAD AROAD DROAD DROAD EROAD FROAD FROAD D
ROAD G
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1BLOCK 3BLOCK 4BLOCK 6BLOCK 5ROAD AOPEN PLAY AREABLOCK 5BLOCK 1INFILTRATION BASIN BINFILTRATION BASIN AOUTLOT FDOG PARKBENTLEY VILLAGE - PARKING EXHIBITLAKE ELMO, MINNESOTAPARKING SUMMARY LEGEND: