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Mounds View Planning Commission November 7, 2001 <br />Regular Meeting Page 6 <br />________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Commissioner Miller indicated that the Planning Commission is charged with making sure that <br />the hardship requirements are met in order to grant a variance. She then said she does not feel <br />those requirements have been met in this case. <br /> <br />Chair Stevenson indicated that the Commission has before it a resolution showing it meets the <br />requirements and one showing that it does not. He then said that the criteria are very subjective. <br /> <br />Commissioner Hegland indicated that granting the variance is not appropriate in this case <br />because the Ordinance was created specifically for this type of situation. He then indicated that, <br />if there were something unique about the property, he could see a consideration being made but, <br />since there is not, he feels the 125-foot lot width should remain. He further indicated that the <br />City is responsible for local protection of the wetland because the state and federal regulations <br />are broad based and general and may not cover the City’s specific situation. <br /> <br />Mr. Harstad indicated that, technically, because the lots are fronted on two roads and back up to <br />a wetland they could be considered a unique situation. He also commented that someone at the <br />City arbitrarily determined that lot widths should be 125 feet wide in a wetland area. <br /> <br />Commissioner Johnson asked if Mr. Harstad was filling in as much wetland as he would be <br />allowed to fill. <br /> <br />Mr. Harstad indicated he was not. <br /> <br />Commissioner Johnson commented that the next developer could fill the wetland to the <br />maximum. He then indicated that Mr. Harstad has made concessions by not filling the wetland <br />as much as he could, has agreed to allow a drainage swale, and agreed to allow the trees to <br />remain and that will make a much nicer development for the existing neighborhood and the City. <br /> <br />Commissioner Zwirn indicated that he felt that since the City was dealing with the protection of <br />its wetlands there would have been research or study involved in setting the minimum lot width <br />at 125 feet. He then indicated that he feels the 125-foot lot width needs to be maintained while <br />working with the developer to develop the land. He further indicated that he feels that eight (8) <br />lots is a workable solution. <br /> <br />Commissioner Johnson indicated he did not think that eight (8) lots would be workable because <br />the developer could not afford all the things that need to be done for the eight (8) lots versus the <br />11 lots. <br /> <br />Mr. Harstad explained to the Commission that he could change the plat around and using the <br />magic number of 20,000 square feet per lot and create triangular lots that front on Silver Lake <br />Road and Longview Road which would result in more lots for him but would mean the trees <br />would all be leveled. He then indicated that he has proposed a quality development that respects <br />the wetland. <br /> <br />Commissioner Miller asked whether the lots ran all the way to Silver Lake Road.