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Planning Case No.477-97 D.W. Jones PUD Project April28, 1997 • Page 8 whether they are placed to work with the topography of the site. Staff has included a requirement that a detailed drainage analysis be submitted by the applicant and approved by the City Engineer before the development stage plan is approved. Natural Features and Open Space: This proposed development would replace what is now vacant land with commercial and residential uses, preserving the wetland that is present on this site. The wetland itself will not be altered in any way as a result of this project, although the applicant has indicated a willingness to remove debris and deepen the wetland Wit would improve its ecology. Much of the site is covered in prairie-type grasses and scrub trees, although there are a number of significant trees as well. The developer has incorporated many of the significant trees into the design and landscaping of the project. Staff has included a requirement that a walking path around the wetland be evaluated when the development plan is submitted, and be built by the developer if required by the City, in addition to the boardwalk and overlook proposed by the applicants. The SRF study indicated that a pedestrian way around the wetland and over the St. Paul Waterworks would be desirable. Encroachment into the Wetland Buffer: Both the Planning Commission and Staff are concerned with the degree to which the senior building and the office building at the east end of the site encroach into the wetland buffer. The applicant has calculated that 45% of the buffer area is proposed to be in impervious coverage(either building or paving). Staff contacted surrounding communities to determine how other cities regulate wetland buffers and to what extent. Of the • eleven cities contacted, only two (Maplewood and Blaine) had a wetland buffer ordinance; the other nine did not. Maplewood's buffer requirements range between 10 and 100 feet depending upon the type and class of water involved. Blaine's buffer is 100 feet. The following cities had no buffering requirement: New Brighton, Spring Lake Park, Fridley, Coon Rapids, Shoreview, Arden Hills, Little Canada, White Bear Lake and Vadnais Heights. Park Dedication Requirements: The applicant will need to provide a park dedication payment in an amount required by the City's subdivision ordinance as a condition of this PUD. The fee for the residential component is 10 percent of the land value given the ratio of 10.3 residential units per acre, less the wetland acreage. The fee for the commercial and office uses are also based upon 10 percent of the land value. The applicants have indicated a willingness to satisfy this requirement. Provision for Common Open Space: The site plan does not designate any specific area for common open space. The Zoning Code establishes criteria for PUD approval, one of which is that a sufficient amount of"usable" open space is provided. The Zoning Code does not include standards as to what is considered sufficient. In addition, the Zoning Code requires 625 square feet of usable open space be provided for each multiple family residential unit. (This requirement could be modified through the PUD, and some modification may be warranted since residents of the building will be senior citizens rather than families, and there is an extensive visual open space by virtue of the wetland on the property.) The usual requirement for the 83-unit apartment • building would be 1.2 acres of useable open space. The site plan dated 4-22-97 shows approximately 30 feet of open space in the form of the wetland buffer behind the senior complex