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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC 07.28.22 Minutes for the Planning Commission Meeting of Thursday, July 28, 2022 Chair Kleissler called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. PRESENT: Arcand, Derr, Kleissler, Petty ABSENT: Lessard STAFF: Rachel Juba, Community Development Director Shayla Denaway, Parks Planner Pledge of Allegiance. Approval of Minutes for the Planning Commission Meeting of July 14, 2022 Commissioner Petty made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Derr to approve minutes for the meeting of July 14, 2022. Ayes: Arcand, Derr, Kleissler, Petty Motion carried. Public Hearing: Zoning Ordinance Amendment – Revisions to the Shoreland Overlay District Setbacks Staff provided a background on the proposed revisions to the Shoreland District setback ordinance. The Shoreland District is an overlay district in the City of Hugo. Overlay districts are areas within the City that have special regulations applied to them because of their unique charact eristics. Overlay districts are superimposed over the underlying zoning districts and the regulations for each apply to the subject property. The Shoreland District of the City is land that is within 1,000 feet of the ordinary high water (OHW) level of the lakes, ponds, and flowages, and within 300 feet of the OHW level of the rivers and streams listed in the shoreland classification table in the ordinance. All of the land lying within the Shoreland District are subject to the regulations in the shoreland o rdinance. Staff will be completing a larger zoning code revision to the shoreland ordinance, but wanted to start with the revisions to the structure setbacks. The larger zoning code revision will take a longer times to complete. The structure setbacks in the shoreland ordinance are more restrictive than the State Statutes regarding shoreland setbacks that the DNR uses. The setbacks are from the OHW of lakes, ponds, flowages, rivers, and streams. The setbacks vary depending on the classification of the waterbody. To have the setbacks align and match with the State Statutes, staff recommended the following revisions: July 28, 2022 PC Minutes Page 2 Dimensional Requirements for Riparian Shoreland Development Classification Existing Setbacks Proposed Setbacks Natural Environment - sewered lot 150 Feet 150 Feet Natural Environment - unsewered lot 200 Feet 150 Feet Recreational – sewered lot 100 Feet 75 Feet Recreational – unsewered lot 100 Feet 100 Feet General Development – sewered lot 100 Feet 50 Feet General Development – unsewered lot 100 Feet 75 Feet Staff recommended approval of the proposed zoning code amendments to the ordinance Section 90- 137 Shoreland District (2) to revise the structure setback requirements. Commissioner Petty asked if the primary reasoning for the revision was due to residences needing to request variances after beginning some planning with the DNR. Juba agreed and highlighted that the Board of Zoning had already been approving most of the variances that were due to the city ordinance being inconsistent with State Statutes. Chair Kleissler opened the Public Hearing at 7:05 PM. No one spoke. Chair Kleissler closed the Public Hearing at 7:06 PM. New Business: Southwind Builders, LLC – Sketch Plan for a single-family residential development located on the property at 16345 Everton Avenue North Staff provided background on the sketch plan for a proposed development that the applicant is requesting feedback for before beginning preliminary plat process. The property is currently vacant, relatively flat, and has some site constraints due to wetlands. The property is located north of the Oneka Place development at the end of Oneka Parkway. The applicant would like to receive feedback on the project in regards to general layout, lot sizes, setbacks, and road construction. The applicant is planning to develop a parcel of land that is 24.83 acres, with 3.66 acres of wetland. The plan shows 59 proposed single-family lots and a small neighborhood park. The plan also shows stormwater ponding areas, trail connections, and road connections. The development will have a stormwater reuse system for irrigation. A home owners association is proposed for the development. The applicant would be asking for flexibility for m the zoning code through a Planned Unit Development (PUD). The sketch plan was completed to get comments from the various commissions and Council prior to moving forward with the formal development approval process. The property is currently zoned July 28, 2022 PC Minutes Page 3 Future Urban Service (FUS) and is guided as Low Density Residential (LD) in the 2040 Land Use Plan. The allowed net density is up to 4 units per acre with a PUD. The development is proposed to be 2.8 units per acre, which meets the density requirements. The developer has proposed requesting approval of a PUD for the development. PUD’s offer enhanced flexibility to develop a site through the relaxation of zoning district standards. The use of the PUD zoning also allows for a greater variety of uses, internal transfers of density, construction phasing and a potential for lower development costs. In exchange for this enhanced flexibility, the City has the expectation that the development plan will result in a significantly higher quality and more sensitive proposal than would have been the case with the use of other, more standard zoning districts. The applicant is proposing flexibility on lot size, lot width, and setbacks. In exchange for the flexibility the applicant has indicated that the developmen t will have a stormwater reuse system for irrigation and the developer will be responsible for the cost and installation of the playground equipment and shelter at the proposed park. This development is in Neighborhood Park Service Area 3 which does not have any parks in it at this time. The property is not in an area identified as a greenway. Frog Hollow and Oneka Elementary are the closest recreational amenities. Due to the size of the proposed development, it is difficult to include a neighborhood park. It is likely that a more sizeable neighborhood park would be constructed to the east with future development. A future park in this location could be a part of a greenway corridor and connect to city-owned park land to the south. The developer is proposing to continue the trail and sidewalks on Oneka Parkway. They are also proposing to extend the trail on the west side of Fairoaks Avenue North and extend it to the east to connect to future trails. Sidewalks are proposed along all remaining streets. This is in keeping with the neighborhood to the south and allow for connections to future development At its July 20, 2022, the Parks Commission provided feedback on the proposed sketch plan and amenities as it is anticipated that it will become a city park. They generally liked the park layout and the proposed amenities. They recommended approval of the proposed park dedication request by the applicant. The property is located north of Empress Avenue North (constructed as part of the Oneka Place Development), south of 165th Street and east of the extension of Oneka Parkway. The applicant is proposing to extend Oneka Parkway 700 feet to the north. An existing 100-ft right-of-way exists for the construction of Oneka Parkway. The remaining portion of Oneka Parkway is proposed to be constructed as adjacent properties develop. Sewer and water is available from the south property, however a sanitary sewer lift station is required to be installed and is identified in the Comp Plan to somewhere along Oneka Parkway. It is a trunk lift station that will serve several other properties and will be designed, installed, and paid for by the City. The sanitary service coming from Fairoaks Avenue to the south has limited depth to serve the western portion of the development. A majority of the development will be served by the new lift station . July 28, 2022 PC Minutes Page 4 The developer is proposing to have a stormwater management plan through the construction of ponds within the site. Staff will be working with the developer, as this project moves forward, as it relates to stormwater management and infiltration. The developer has also indicated that they will be evaluating the potential of using stormwater, for irrigation purposes, within the development. If the system is feasible, from a water availability and design standpoint, it will require additional review and analysis as the project moves forward. Staff believes that the layout of the proposed development is generally good. The applicant has done a good job providing a park area with amenities and trail connections. The developer is also planning to evaluate a stormwater re-use system that uses water from the stormwater ponds to irrigate the development, which is a system that is fitting with the City’s “Reduce, Reuse, Replenish” initiative. The plan meets the intent of the comprehensive plan in regards to land use, parks, and transportation. Staff recommended the Planning Commission provide feedback to the applicant . The Developer, Larry Alm, 5960 Hwy 61 White Bear Township, approached the Commission for questions and feedback. Commissioner Petty asks to clarify whether the 7.5 ft side setback would mean there will be 15 ft between the principal structures on each lot, Alm verifies. Commissioner Petty asks about the routing of Oneka Parkway and whether it would be off of the property. Juba highlights that there is an existing right -of-way easement guided for the extension of Oneka Parkway. Commissioner Petty asks whether the City or the HOA will be in charge of park maintenance for the proposed park. Juba states that the City would assume responsibility and that the proposed park would be public. Commissioners Derr and Arcand say that they believe that the sketch plan is straightforward and lacking of anything unusual. Commissioner Arcand says that he thinks that stormwater reuse for irrigation is more of a requirement than a “trade-off”. Chair Kleissler asks about the possibility of a walking trail circling the wetland area. Alm says that the sloping elevation of the wetland would not make it feasible. Commissioner Derr says that the multiple access points will be a great help for traffic concerns. Alm says that they’re trying to prepare for traffic from future developments to the north. Chair Kleissler says she likes the inclusion of a shelter at the proposed park Commissioner Derr asks about the type of product that will be available. Alm responds sa ying that the development will consist of single-family homes, all of which will have basements. July 28, 2022 PC Minutes Page 5 Commissioner Petty asks if Alm has an idea of the price point of the homes. Alm responds that the market value at the time of sale will determine the price. Commissioner Petty asks whether the homes will be in the Forest Lake School District, and if that will cause issues with the nearby White Bear Lake Area Schools elementary schools. Juba highlights that WBLAS offers open enrollment, and that parents have open enrolled to the school closer in proximity in similar developments that are located in the Forest Lake School District. Old Business None Adjournment Commissioner Derr made a motion, Commissioner Petty seconded, to adjourn at 7:25 PM. All ayes. Motion carried. Respectfully Submitted, Max Gort, Associate Planner