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ft d City Council Planning Case No. 452-96: New Apostolic Church (Conditional Use Permit) October 10, 1996 Page 3 III seating in the church is 98 people; the current congregation is 55 people. Because the use is a church, rather than residential homes, it is not anticipated to create a demand on parks or schools. Both water and sewer service adequate to support this use is available to the site. The site is served by two streets, County Road H and Pleasant View Drive. Given the limited number of services and the size of the congregation, the amount of traffic is anticipated to be low and will occur on weekends or evenings rather than during peak commute times. The City Engineer has reviewed the applicant's drainage proposal and indicated that the rate of runoff should not be a problem and the grass treatment areas will provide enough water quality treatment. Drainage will now be directed to County Road H and will flow through grassed areas to allow sediments to percolate before runoff water leaves the site. The Rice Creek Watershed District has indicated to staff that a permit from them is not required. (4) The use, in the opinion of the City Council, is reasonably related to the overall needs of the City and to the existing land use. (6) The use is not in conflict with the Comprehensive Plan of the City. The Zoning Code does envision the development of churches in residential neighborhoods, and there are five other churches in Mounds View. The applicant has testified that a number of the members of this church are from the Mounds View area, and desire to locate the church closer to their homes. Present day staff is not amiliar enough with the City's Comprehensive Plan to comment on whether this use is in conflict with its als and policies, but will be prepared to address this issue at the City Council meeting on October 29. (2) The use will be sufficiently compatible or separated by distance or screening from adjacent residentially zoned or used land so that existing homes will not be depreciated in value and there will be no deterrence to development of vacant land. (3) The structure and site shall have an appearance that will not have an adverse effect upon adjacent residential properties. (5) The use is consistent with the purposes of the Zoning Code and the purposes of the zoning district in which the applicant intends to locate the proposed use. According to the Zoning Code, "the purpose of the R-1, single family district is to provide for low density single-family detached residential dwelling units and directly related, complementary uses." Churches are allowed in all residential districts in Mounds View, and one could conclude from this allowance that they are regarded as complementary uses. They require, however, approval of a conditional use permit. The conditional use permit process requires a public hearing be held by the City Council before making its decision, and that property owners within 350 feet of the site be notified. Churches, therefore, are regarded as complementary uses which require special, discretionary review. The R-1 district is intended for low density, i.e. low intensity uses. The difficulty presented by the applicant's proposal is the size of the structure and parking lot, in contrast to the typical pattern of development on residential lots in this neighborhood. Most of the homes on Pleasant View Drive and elsewhere in the neighborhood are single story residences, estimated at 1200-1400 square feet in size, set on wooded lots. The proposed church is 1-1/2 stories, with a footprint of 2025 square feet. Many of the existing mature trees in the center of the lot will be cleared. New landscaping is proposed around the perimeter of the site which in time will mature. It is possible to develop a 211 1 square foot home on a lot in this neighborhood. It just is not usual situation in the immediate vicinity, Illr is having a parking lot a usual improvement in a residential district. The site will look much more barren an it does now if the church is built until the landscaping grows.