2003 Planning Commission Packets

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� _ Item No: 5 Meeting Date: Dec 3, 2003 Type of Business: Commission Business City of Mour�ds l/iew Staff Report To: Mounds View Planning Commission From: James Ericson, Community Development Director Item Title/Subject: Consideration of Resolution 745-03, A Resolution Recommending Denial of a Preliminary Plat for the Longview Estates Major Subdivision; Planning Case MA03-001 Introduction: Eichi, Inc., represented by Martin Harstad, has submitted an application for a major subdivision of the land between Silver Lake Road and Longview Drive, north of Woodcrest Park and south of County Road H2. The legal description of the property to be subdivided is Lot 4, Block 1, MuellerAddition. The proposed subdivision would create 15 lots from the wooded 7.14-acre parcel, of which half is delineated wetland. Eight lots would take access from Longview Drive and seven lots would access Silver Lake Road. While all of the proposed lots satisfy the City's expanded subdivision requirements within a wetland zoning district, the applicant would need to obtain Rice Creek Watershed District approval and a wetland alteration permit approval by the City Council. Previous Submittal: The City processed a request for a major subdivision of this land in 2001, ultimately denying a variance and the subdivision as not conforming to the City's subdivision standards. The original submission contemplated an eleven-lot development with each lot fronting Longview Drive. No lots were platted fronting Silver Lake Road. The issue with the original plat was that in a wetland district, there are minimum lot widths that exceed the standard widths, such that instead of eleven possible lots, only eight were allowable. The applicant applied for a variance which was denied due to lack of perceived hardship. Finally, the plat was revised to show 26 lots, well in excess of what is allowed, and the plat was denied. Discussion: The area known as Longview Estates is zoned R-1, Single Family Residential. The proposed subdivision would be consistent with the existing zoning of the property. All the lots shown on the preliminary plat satisfy the minimum requirements of 125-foot lot width and 20,000 square foot lot area. Of the 15 proposed lots, nine would require filling of wetlands to create a building pad. On lots where no wetland fill is necessary, most of the land available beyond the building pad is used for wetland mitigation purposes. No proposed home would have any significant backyard area except Lots 1 and 2, which would have 30 feet of filled wetland backyard. Many of the homes would be 15 feet or less from the delineated wetlands or mitigated wetlands.