PUBLIC HEARING: Consider Multiple Items Related to Garden View Preliminary Plat; (Project 19-136)

The purpose of this case is to review a Preliminary Plat Application for Garden View (formerly Garden View Villas) by DC Ramsey LLC (The "Applicant") for a 12 acre piece of land north of 147th Ln NW and east of Center Street at PID 25-32-25-12-0067 (the "Subject Property"). The Subject Property is zoned R-2 and the Applicant has proposed eighteen (18) homes within the Detached Villa (50 foot wide) lot width designation. The proposed homes would each have individual driveways onto 147th Ln NW.

City Staff attempted to notify all property owners within 700 feet of the Subject Property of the request by U.S. Mail as reflected by Anoka County Property Records.

Summary
The Applicant has proposed eighteen (18) homes with individual driveways onto 147th Lane NW. The R-2 Residential District allows for attached townhomes or detached villas with lot widths of 50 feet. The preliminary plat appears to meet the general requirements of the R-2 Residential District. The net density of the project is approximately 5.7 units per acre when factoring only the development area and not the outlot for future development. Based on original neighborhood concerns from the existing residential to the north, Staff is supportive of locating the homes along 147th and leaving a larger outlot to the North of the homes.

The outlot to the North of the proposed lots could be developed in the future. If it comes forward in the future, it will need to be rerouted through the City's processes at time of application (e.g. Sketch Plan, Preliminary Plat, Final Plat). The area to the north may also be an opportunity to expand the existing wetland onsite, which the City and Applicant are exploring.

The proposed preliminary plat requires to no change to zoning, the City's Comprehensive Plan, or any variances from our standards.

Previous Proposal
The Planning Commission is familiar with this site as in early 2020, the Applicant submitted a Sketch Plan for Detached Villas on the Subject Property. The previously proposed project had additional units, and an internal private road running east-west through the Subject Property. The homes were on either side of the proposed road, which did not leave adequate space for Density Transitioning as required by City Code. This project is now being treated as a more traditional detached single family home project, just on smaller lots (50 foot wide lots).
 
Platting Process

1. Sketch Plan - Complete
2. Preliminary Plat - Engineering documents, formal public hearing, if approved, the project has entitlement (we are here)
3. Final Plat - Construction documents and legal agreements, only heard by City Council

Vacation
The Applicant has requested a vacation of the road right-of-way at the northeast corner of the intersection of Town Center Drive (Center Street) and 147th Ln NW. The corner of right-of-way is unneeded at the intersection and Staff is supportive of cleaning up excess right-of-way, which the City maintains, and instead platting is as a portion of a new home's lot for this proposal. It is standard that when right-of-way is vacated, it is returned to the adjacent property owner(s). This is a standard process and good planning practice.

The Applicant is responsible for all costs associated with review.

Planning Commission recommended approval of the project at their July 9, 2020 meeting.

Motion to adopt Resolution #20-002 Approving the Preliminary Plat for Garden View and introduce Ordinance #20-16 Vacating Right-of-Way