2024.08.19 CC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Frenchman Place 5th Addition Page 2 unit three story approximately 100,000 square foot apartment building including attached and detached parking garages. The footprint of the building is approximately 46,000 square feet. The applicant is requesting a CUP for the apartment use. Apartments are allowed the multi-family zoning district with a CUP. The applicant is requesting a preliminary plat of the property to have the apartments on a separate parcel from a proposed public park. The applicant is requesting a variance to allow the apartment building to be 39 feet in height, where 35 feet is allowed by the ordinance. The property is approximately 13 acres with some wetlands on site. The buildable acreage 8.9 acres. Because the density the density of the proposed land use and zoning district only allows ten units per buildable acre the plans shall be revised to have only 89 units in the apartment. 3. CONTEXT: A. Surrounding Land Use and Zoning The property to the north is zoned Medium Density Multiple Family Residential (R-5) and is occupied by an apartment. The property to the east, south, and west are zoned General Business (C-2) and is occupied by a medical office buildings and a daycare. The property to the west is zoned Planned Unit Development (PUD) and is occupied by a grocery store, restaurant, and retail uses. B. Existing Site Characteristics The property is vacant and has some wetlands on site. The property is bisected diagonally by a 50-foot wide utility transmission line easement. The property also has a sanitary sewer easement running north to south through the site. 4. BACKGROUND: The applicant proposed the rezoning and a different plan with the sketch plan review process in late 2022. The EDA, Planning Commission, and City Council all commented on the plans and rezoning of the property from commercial to multi-family residential. The EDA generally agreed that a multi-family residential use on the property may be more viable than commercial uses, since the visibility is not great. They stated that there is commercial along CSAH 8 and it does fulfill the vision of the City to have commercial uses along CSAH 8. They stated that the property is the back side of the commercial uses and would allow residents to walk to the adjacent commercial uses. The Planning Commission and City Council generally felt comfortable with an apartment use on the commercially zoned property. They did have concerns about the sketch plan in regard to building placement, circulation, and access points. They stated this is an important location in the area. The existing development in the area is well planned and has quality architecture and building materials. They encouraged the creation of a plan that blends in with the surrounding development. The proposed plans seem to have addressed the concerns the Commission and Council expressed.