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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC RES 03-081 A RESOLUTION RELATING TO THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT, APPROVING THE PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND THE PRELIMINARY PLAT FOR THE ENTIRE PROJECT AREA AND THE FINAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND FINAL PLAT FOR THE RETAIL AREA Meeting Sheet IIIIIIVIIIVIIIVIIIVIIIVIIIIIIIIIII 104570 Box: 31 Folder: RES 2003 Document: CC RES 03-081 A RESOLUTION RELATING TO THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT, APPROVING THE PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND THE PRELIMINARY PLAT FOR THE ENTIRE PROJECT AREA AND THE FINAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND FINAL PLAT FOR THE RETAIL AREA ,i CITY OF ST. ANTHONY VILLAGE RESOLUTION 03 -081 A RESOLUTION RELATING TO THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT,APPROVING THE PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND THE PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT PLAT FOR THE ENTIRE PROJECT AREA AND THE FINAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND FINAL PLAT FOR THE RETAIL AREA WHEREAS, in August, 2003,Apache Redevelopment, LLC, submitted a Planned Unit Development (PUD)application to the City and consultants Dahlgren Shardlow and Uban(DSU); and WHEREAS, after review, said application was found to be complete(see attached DSU document dated August 28, 2003); and WHEREAS, on September 16,2003,the St. Anthony Planning Commission held a public hearing on the preliminary development plan and preliminary plat for the entire project area and the final development plan and final plat for the retail portion of the Northwest Quadrant area; and WHEREAS, the following conditions and findings were presented to the Planning Commission by DSU(document dated September 8, 2003 attached hereto): • Findings of Fact: 1. Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan The proposed PUD is consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan identifies the Apache Plaza area as a commercial redevelopment opportunity and states that the City desires to take an active role in guiding its design. The Comprehensive Plan includes a Commercial Mixed Use land use plan category, which is applied to all property in the PUD area. This designation allows for retail uses as well as light industrial, office, warehouse, and residential uses and maintains the maximum amount of flexibility that an outmoded site such as Apache Plaza requires for redevelopment. 2. Consistency with Zoning The subject property is currently zoned Commercial. The application for PUD approval requests a change in zoning from Commercial to a PUD District. At the most basic level, the Comprehensive Plan designates commercial mixed use, so the PUD zoning provides the means by which to approve the mixed use. The Planned Unit Development section of the Zoning Ordinance allows for the implementation of a flexible development program, including the following aspects: a. Variety: Within a comprehensive site design concept, a mixture of land uses, housing • types and densities. • The proposed PUD contains this variety of elements. b. Sensitivity: Through the departure from the strict application of required setbacks, yard areas, lot sizes, minimum house sizes, minimum requirements and other performance standards associated with traditional zoning, a PUD can maximize the development potential of land while remaining sensitive to its unique and valuable natural characteristics. The PUD District will allow the development of a mixed-use urban village that departs from the strict application of dimensional and performance standards found in traditional zoning districts. As a result, the PUD will restore natural features and open space into the subject property and creates links to the surrounding community, through opportunities for trail and transit connections. c. Efficiency: The consolidation of areas for recreation and reductions in street lengths and other utility-related expenses. The redevelopment will boast an impressive central parkfacility that will act as the focal point of the development and a strong amenity for the whole St. Anthony community. • This integrated system of open space throughout the development will fulfills both aesthetic and functional purposes. The network will serve to connect the various elements of the development to each other and will also help foster connections at the edges of the development with the rest of the community. d. Density Transfer: The project density may be clustered, basing density on a number of units per acre in place of specific lot dimensions. The subject property contains approximately 45.05 acres of land. The proposed PUD includes approximately 662 dwelling units,for an overall density of 14.69 dwelling units per acre. This density is being clustered in the western portion of the property, in the form of townhomes, apartments and urban flats. e. District Integration: The combination of uses which are allowed in separate zoning districts, such as mixed residential uses to allow densities and unit types to be varied within the project; mixed residential uses with increased density based upon the greater sensitivity of PUD projects to regulation; and mixed land uses with the integration of compatible land uses within the project. The proposed PUD includes a mix of residential density and unit types, in proximity to open space, retail uses, and transit opportunities. The inhabitants of the residential portion of the property, along with the citizens of St. Anthony in general, will be able to • take advantage of the commercial, transit, and open space uses on the site. • 3. Consistency with NW Quadrant Redevelopment Plan In 2000, the City of St. Anthony Village began to proactively pursue a planning process for the redevelopment of the "Northwest Quadrant" of the City, an area of approximately 250 acres extending from Silver Lane on the north, Silver Lake Road on the east, the railroad tracks north of 37th Avenue on the south and Stinson Road on the west. The city appointed a twenty-six member project steering committee comprised of local residents to meet regularly with the city and its planning consultants and provide input and direction to the process. The role of the steering committee was to: • Represent a broad cross-section of community opinion; • Serve as the primary working group for the Northwest Quadrant planning project; • Serve as the sounding board and reaction panel for the consultants and the City Council; • Review, comment and advise the Planning Commission and City Council on key issues, plan alternatives, and policy questions. The City hired planning, redevelopment, and fiscal consultants to assist in the creation of a plan and selection of a qualified developer. In July 2001, the City adopted the Northwest Quadrant • Redevelopment Plan for the entire 250 acres that incorporated the planning goals. The goals of the planning process included: • Involving the community in determining the best type of redevelopment for the northwest section of the city; • Redeveloping a mostly vacant,market-obsolete, first generation regional mall facility; • Determining the most cost effective method of redevelopment for Apache Plaza: demolition, clean-up and site preparation versus adaptive reuse; • Exploring innovative and watershed-wide techniques for surface water management to improve Silver Lake's condition; • Providing additional employment opportunities for residents within walking distance of transit and other uses; • Determining the housing needs of the city, in particular, for life cycle and affordable housing; • Increasing opportunities for transit use and providing more amenities to encourage walking and biking; • Working cooperatively with adjacent and/or affected units of government; • Developing a trail system around Silver Lake to provide public open space. The Plan included a Master Framework Plan to illustrate the overall vision for redevelopment of the area and to provide acceptable site planning and design principles and standards to guide the design of all features of the site and create a consistent character for the site that would be • compatible with surrounding development. Planning for the NW Quadrant culminated in a developer selection process in early 2002. This development team has created the Village at St. Anthony Preliminary Development Plan for the subject area. The PUD Plan as been guided by the NW Quadrant Master Framework Plan and complies with its guiding principles, as described below. a. Identity, Character and Diversity: The Northwest Quadrant should develop with extraordinary identity, character and diversity. It should create places and uses that are known throughout the community and region as outstanding and interesting examples of planning and design. The Village at St. Anthony creates a village character by establishing a main street commercial area, complete with ornamental lighting and pedestrian friendly streets and sidewalks; and by including high quality residential buildings flanked by trees and placed adjacent to narrow streets. b. Integration with Community: The new development conceived for the site is unlike most of the existing building stock in the village and the redevelopment area is physically separated from the community to a significant degree. Each of these factors will make it challenging to physically integrate the new development into the community. Creating the • feeling that the new neighborhood is part of the community will be an important consideration. A development of the size and nature of the Village at St. Anthony benefits greatly from possessing a number of governing design elements that identify each component of the project as being part of the same new neighborhood. These common features come in the form of related architectural treatments, streetscape elements, and site planning guidelines. The Village at St. Anthony Design Framework Manual sets forth the vision for the overall design and character of the Village at St. Anthony. The Manual contains guidelines for site design, architecture, streetscape, signs, lighting and landscaping that have guided the design of the Preliminary Development and will continue to steer the implementation phases of development. The Manual should be used as a tool by the City to evaluate design elements and as a resource for landowners to achieve a consistent design character and level of quality; it is not the intent of the Manual to require future improvements to be exactly like the samples shown. Another way of integrating the PUD into the community will be through the use of the retail and open space elements by citizens that don't work or live in the development. The PUD will encourage residents from other parts of St. Anthony to frequent the new development to take advantage of the new commercial opportunities and the new open space connections. • c. Integration of Uses Remaining In and Around Development Area: In order to maximize • the potential for redevelopment on the mall site certain additional properties will need to be included in the project. Not all of the properties included in the Preliminary Development Plan will necessarily be included in the final redevelopment, as depicted. The Plan shows redevelopment occurring on sites adjacent to the Apache Mall property itself. All uses along the west side of Silver Lake Rd from the railroad tracks north to Silver Lane are shown as being redeveloped. The Plan also shows those uses located on the east side of Stinson Blvd from 37th Ave NE to 39th Ave NE and along both sides of 39th east of Stinson, which in fact may not be immediately developed. Uses that would not be redeveloped include the Apache office building at the corner of Stinson Blvd and Silver Lane, the Equinox apartment complex and the Cub food store. The Cub food store serves as the focal point for a commercial hub north of the new east- west roadway. The new discount retail store will serve as the focal point for a commercial hub south of the new east-west roadway. These uses will be grouped to create a sense of closure and space, rather than a strip of separate buildings and parking lots. • Access to the existing Equinox apartment complex may ultimately tie into the street grid pattern, and attempts will be made to connect and integrate these apartments with the rest of the development, although the existing garage structures effectively fence them in, providing a stark edge rather than an inviting opening. The garages may be able to be screened or softened with extensive landscaping or other elements of the streetscape. All other businesses and buildings that will not be redeveloped will be integrated into the overall development plan through the use of landscaping, lighting, coordinated access points, signage, and other means. d. Use of Existing Access Points: The regional mall heritage of the site has provided it with two signalized and two non-signalized entrances. In reforming the interior automotive circulation system first consideration should be given to maintaining these four entrances as the primary and secondary access points to the site. The redevelopment area currently has a very poor circulation pattern. In order to maximize the potential for the core area of the site, a new central roadway has been designed, traversing the site east-west. This new street links the existing signalized intersections of Silver Lake Rd and Stinson Blvd with 39th Avenue NE. It also maintains access along Silver Lake Rd north of the Taco Bell, and along Stinson Blvd at 38`h Avenue (for the residential portion, only). • e. Development of Roadway Spine Through Site (39th Avenue Extension): In order to • maximize the potential for the core land-locked area of the site a new major east-west roadway traversing the site will be required. This new street can begin and end at the signalized intersections of both Silver Lake Rd and Stinson Blvd with 39th Avenue NE. As stated in item d, a new central roadway has been designed, traversing the site east- west. This new street links the existing signalized intersections of Silver Lake Rd and Stinson Blvd with 39th Avenue NE and will connects commercial, residential, and park uses and provides access into commercial parking lots and residential streets. The roadway will also have an important symbolic value providing a gateway entrance point in the new development, and will visually tie together the various land uses along it. f. Reintroduction of Grid Within Site: The site is large enough to require an internal network of streets to provide sufficient access to residents and visitors. A network or grid will insure numerous alternatives for automobile traffic throughout the site and provide convenient spacing for pedestrian movement. An internal network of streets has been designed to provide sufficient access to residents and visitors. The primary route through the site is the site is the parkway along 39Th Avenue NE. This boulevard will provide connections between commercial, residential • and park uses for vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists. It will serve as the principal village street, encouraging pedestrian movement and calmed traffic. Gateways into the development and access roadways leading to parking lots and service areas will include landscaping, lighting and pedestrian amenities. Connections into the residential areas will be made through Parkway. Secondary residential streets will provide access to the residential parking lots and underground garages. g. Sidewalks and Pedestrian/Bicycle Paths: Integral to the function of this new neighborhood is the development of an integrated system of sidewalks, pedestrian paths and bicycle paths. Bicycles will be accommodated on the network of neighborhood and village type streets that will be created as part of the redevelopment. Bicycle racks will be provided at key locations. All streets will accommodate pedestrian movement either with sidewalks, trails, or wide village-type streetscape areas. In addition, pedestrian connections to the existing Cub Foods store and to the proposed discount retailer will also be provided. h. Transit Linkages: The site should offer the opportunity to enhance existing transit service in a number of ways. The addition of a significant number of residents to the site has the potential to increase ridership over current levels if adequate facilities are provided, while the extension 39th Avenue as a new central parkway will offer a cleaner, more direct • route through the site. • The Apache Plaza site is currently served by MetroTransit bus routes 4, 25, and 801. Routes 4 and 25 connect the site to downtown Minneapolis and to the City of New Brighton and Northtown Mall (respectively). Route 801 connects the site by limited stop to Rosedale Mall and to the Brookdale Transit Center, which serves cities west of the river. The Village at St. Anthony will continue to accommodate these three routes with stops along 39th Avenue, which will provide an easier crossing of the site for routes 4 and 25. i. Development of Key Central Open Space/Network of Open Spaces: The development of a high amenity central open space approximately in the center of the redevelopment site is considered to be a key early implementation step. The creation of a key central open space is just one of the elements required to assure a high level of pedestrian friendliness and an inviting atmosphere. The redevelopment will boast an impressive central parkfacility that will act as the focal point of the development and a strong amenityfor the whole St. Anthony community. In addition to the new east-west parkway, it is a major organizing element of the interior of the site. Removal of the shopping center will alter the current image of the site and the development of the park facility will be a focal point for the new development. Leading • away from the park will be a series of trails, sidewalks and connected open spaces that will link the site internally and enhance connections with the surrounding neighborhoods. This integrated system of open spaces throughout the development fulfills both aesthetic and functional purposes. The network will serve to -connect the various elements of the development to each other and will also help foster connections at the edges of the development with the rest of the community. j. Silver Lake Water Quality: The water quality of Silver Lake is a critical issue to the neighborhoods surrounding the lake and redevelopment on this site should do its part to preserve and improve that water quality through careful handling of storm water and enhancements to the surface water management system. The development will directly contribute to the improvement of water quality in nearby Silver Lake. Currently, a portion of the Apache Plaza Mall roof and parking lot drains directly into pipes and into Silver Lake without treatment. Some of the ponds on site right now are too small to offer very much treatment. As proposed in the PUD, all of the drainage will be directed into ponds that are redesigned and expanded to meet the Rice Creek Watershed District's standard of 60% phosphorus removal. The City has also submitted a grant application to Rice Creek to fund a chemical treatment cell in a segment of the pond that would remove almost all of the phosphorus. (This grant is pending.) • The park and open space system is also designed to function as a storm water treatment • and retention basin. This pond will be surrounded by green spaces which will provide additional treatment of stormwater routed from parking lot areas through the buffer and into the stormwater treatment basins. As a condition of approval, the developer will be required to obtain a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit and a Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWD) permit. The NPDES is regulated by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and includes guidelines and requirements that the developer will follow to reduce sediment discharge off the construction site. The RCWD reviews development and grading plans through their permitting process. The developer will be detailing the erosion control plans for the site through these permitting processes. k. Integration of Stormwater Management into Open Space Network: The open space network will serve as the location of an integrated stormwater management system that will connect through the site, which can be built up during the different phases of the redevelopment, as long as it is planned and well integrated as a whole. The redevelopment area will include an open space that will function as an integrated stormwater management system connected through the site. The network is not planned is as an upfront implementation step, as is the central park, but rather will be phased and integrated as the site develops. Where possible, stormwater will be kept above ground and open to the air, in ponds, fountains, and other water features that will allow for maximum penetration of surface water into the ground and maximum benefit as an amenity to existing and future development. 1. Site Planning/Building Characteristics: The NW Quadrant Redevelopment Plan included a Master Framework Plan to illustrate the overall vision for redevelopment of the area and to provide acceptable site planning and design principles and standards to guide the design of all features of the site and create a consistent character for the site that would be compatible with surrounding development. Building on the Master Framework Plan, the Village at St. Anthony includes a Design Framework Manual specific to this development site. A development of the size and nature of the Village at St. Anthony benefits greatly from possessing a number of governing design elements that idents each component of the project as being part of the same new neighborhood. These common features come in the form of related architectural treatments, streetscape elements, and site planning guidelines. This Manual sets forth the vision for the overall design and character of the Village at St. Anthony. The Manual contains guidelines for site design, architecture, streetscape, • signs, lighting and landscaping that have guided the design of the Preliminary Development Plan and will continue to steer the implementation phases of development. O The intent of the guidelines is to establish a level of quality for the all of the design elements within the development. The Manual provides representative photos and graphics of landscaping, lighting, signage, and other design elements, based on local and national sources that illustrate the quality that is to be achieved at the Village at St. Anthony. This manual should be used as a tool by the City to evaluate design elements and as a resource for landowners to achieve a consistent design character and level of quality. It is not the intent of this manual to require future improvements to be exactly like the samples shown. 4. Consistency with Livable Communities Objectives This project directly complies with the following Livable Communities objectives: • The development creates connected places that support auto, pedestrian, and bike travel, are linked to transit, and will build capacity for future transit. • The development balances residential, commercial, workplace, and public/green spaces within and adjacent to the site. • The development maximizes the potential of existing infrastructure, buildings, facilities and Odevelopment centers,particularly along existing transportation corridors. • The development expands housing options, especially close to jobs. • The development fosters distinctive community places and promotes community identity. • The development considers the natural environment, including restoring natural features and managing stormwater. 5. Consistency with Smart Growth Objectives The overall NW Quadrant area was selected as one of six Opportunity Sites for the Metropolitan Council's Smart Growth Twin Cities initiative to promote a new and sustainable model for growth in the metropolitan area. The principles upon which the smart growth initiative are based include planning for compact and mixed land use patterns that are sensitive to the environment and that offer greater transportation choices, designing human scale communities with people's needs and preferences foremost in mind, and creating community-based plans and designs using innovative public involvement methods. The City of St. Anthony Village opportunity site was selected because it offers the potential to develop a mixed-use community of neighborhood scale and to serve as a regional model for redirecting obsolete retail sites to meet contemporary needs. The Village at St. Anthony PUD meets these objectives. 0 That the Planning Commission recommend that the City Council approve the application for the Village at St. Anthony PUD Preliminary Development Plan and Preliminary Plat, as well as the Final Development Plan and Final Plat of Subdivision for the r6tail portion of the PUD, subject to the following conditions of approval: i 1. The PUD shall be developed in accordance with the following exhibits, which are incorporated by reference to the Village at St. Anthony PUD: a. PUD General Concept Plan and Preliminary Plat Submission, dated August 8, 2003 b. Design Framework Manual, dated August 19, 2003 c. Final Development Plan Site Plan, dated September 3, 2003 d. Final Development Plan Watermain and Sanitary Sewer Plan, dated September 3, 2003 e. Final Development Plan Storm Sewer Plan, dated September 3, 2003 f. Final Development Plan Finish Grade Plan, dated September 3, 2003 g. Final Landscape Plan, dated September 3, 2003 h. Final Plat, dated September 3, 2003 2. The PUD shall be developed in accordance with a Planned Unit Development Agreement, to be entered into by the City and the developer. 3. The developer shall provide an Erosion Control Plan, subject to the review and approval by the City Engineer,prior to recordation of the Final Plat. 4. The developer shall secure an NPDES Permit,prior to recordation of the Final Plat. 5. The developer shall secure a Rice Creek Watershed District Permit, prior to recordation of • the Final Plat. WHEREAS, in addition to the conditions and findings set forth above and listed in the attached DSU document dated September 8,2003,the Planning Commission recommended Council approval of the condition"that the applicant or a related entity purchase the property known as the CUB Foods Store property"as stated in the attached letter from Malkerson Gilland Martin LLP,dated September 16,2003 (CUB Foods Store project property condition). NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of St. Anthony hereby approves the Preliminary Development Plan and Preliminary Plat for the entire project area and the Final Development Plan and Final Plat for the retail portion of the Northwest Quadrant Redevelopment,as presented at a public hearing on September 16, 2003 to the St. Anthony Planning Commission and as set forth in the documents attached hereto, and specifically adopts the findings and conditions of approval presented to the Planning Commission by DSU and the Cub Foods Store project property condition. Adopted this day of 2003. Mayor ATTEST: � City Clerk Reviewed for Administration: ty Man er r