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Messiah Lutheran Church Expansion Staff Report April 20, 2000 Page 8 Wetland Buffer: While the building expansion itself will not fall within the 100-foot wetland buffer setback, the parking lot expansion and proposed stormwater holding pond do encroach into the buffer area. As a result, Messiah has applied for a wetland buffer permit. Rice Creek Watershed District is also reviewing the applicant’s plans and has administratively authorized approval of the project subject to conditions which should be met once the Church has entered into an agreement with an appropriate building contractor. Approval of Messiah’s conditional use permit, development review and wetland buffer permit will be subject to Rice Creek Watershed permit approval. Planning Commission Action: The Planning Commission reviewed this request at three meetings—March 15, April 5 and April 19, 2000. In total, hours of discussions took place during which every aspect of the development was studied and addressed. At each of the meetings, public testimony and comment was asked for and received, while other residents expressed their interest and concerns in phone conversations with staff. Three issues were of particular concern to the residents expressing an opinion regarding the expansion: encroachment & screening, tree loss, and lighting. Encroachment: To facilitate the proposed expansion of the Church, two single- family homes would be removed. These homes were purchased by the Church with the forethought and intention of using the land for such an expansion. Since being purchased by the Church, the homes have been rented to families in need. There have been problems in the recent past with these properties and the families living within them such that their removal is seen as a benefit by the neighbors. The trade-off, however, is that property owners at 7215 Knollwood and 2816 County Road H2 would neighbor the expanded church rather than another home. These owners, as well as others in the area, have expressed a desire that suitable screening and landscaping be provided to minimize the impact of the expansion. The Planning Commission accepted the landscape plan submitted by the Church, yet commented that additional landscaping would be advantageous for all parties. The Church has agreed to meet with residents in an effort to resolve any other issues regarding landscaping and screening. Tree Loss: Every resident commenting about the proposal expressed concern with regard to the extent of the tree loss on the site and the dramatic change to the area as a result. The City does not have a tree replacement policy or any explicit landscaping guidelines; each landscape plan is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Excluding the dwarf japgarden shrubs, as many as 90 trees will be planted to replace those to be removed. While it may take a few years for the trees to achieve significant coverage on the site, staff and the Planning Commission believes the landscape plan provided by the Church satisfies the Cities landscaping requirements.