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Item No: 7 <br />Meeting Date: May 1, 2000 <br />Type of Business: WK <br />WK: Work Session; PH: Public Hearing; <br />CA: Consent Agenda; CB: Council Business <br />City of Mounds View Staff Report <br />To: Honorable Mayor & City Council <br />From: James Ericson, Planner <br />Item Title/Subject: Discussion Regarding Wetland Buffer Permit to <br />allow for the Construction of a Twinhome at 7654 <br />Woodlawn Drive. <br />Date of Report: April 27, 2000 <br /> <br /> <br />Background: <br /> <br />For many years, Victor Loeffler, the owner of 7654 Woodlawn Drive, has been <br />actively seeking buyers for his property, which is located between Bronson Drive and <br />Woodlawn Drive, adjacent to the Sunrise United Methodist Church property. There <br />are wetlands present on the site which has until recently made the property <br />somewhat less desirable for development. <br /> <br />In October of 1998, the property owner contracted with Summit Envirosystems to <br />perform a wetland delineation of the site in preparation of an eventual sale of the <br />property. Rice Creek Watershed District inspectors have reviewed the wetland <br />delineation report and approved the delineation subject to their revision. <br /> <br />Mr. Loeffler has a potential buyer for the property and is seeking City approval of a <br />buffer permit to allow for the construction of a Twinhome on this R-2 zoned lot. <br /> <br />Discussion: <br /> <br />The City reviews all development that occurs within wetlands and their buffers <br />because of the important role that wetlands play in maintaining the ecosystem and <br />the area hydrology, in that they are critical to the present and future health, safety <br />and general welfare of the land, animals and people within the City. Chapter 1010 <br />of the City Code outlines the permitting process for work occurring within a wetland <br />buffer. The intent of the buffer permit requirement is not to prohibit development <br />within 100 feet of a wetland, but rather to allow the City an opportunity to review <br />the work in relation to the potential impacts to adjacent wetlands. Buffer permits do <br />not allow for any alteration of a wetland—only those areas surrounding a wetland. <br /> <br />The boundaries of the wetland on the subject property cover the northwest corner of <br />this irregularly shaped lot. The attached survey shows the location of the wetland <br />(as adjusted by RCWD staff) and the footprint of the proposed twinhome. At its <br />nearest point, the westernmost-corner of the twinhome is approximately 10 feet <br />from the wetland. The southernmost corner of the building would be approximately <br />55 feet from the delineated boundary of the wetland.