Review Preliminary Plat and Density Transitioning for Northfork Meadows, Case of Lennar (Project #20-135)

The purpose of this case is to review a request from Lennar (the "Applicant") for a Preliminary Plat application for Northfork Meadows. The Subject Property is located east of Puma/Okapi Street and south of Alpine Drive and is approximately thirty-three (33) acres. The Subject Property has a split zoning with R-1 Residential (MUSA - Detached Single Family Homes) (80 foot wide lots) along the eastern and southern boundary, with the remainder of the property zoned R-1 Residential (MUSA - Detached Villas) (65 foot wide lots).

The City attempted to notify Property Owners, as reflected in the Anoka County Property Records, within 700 feet of the Subject Property of the request.

The Public Hearing Notice was also properly posted in the Anoka County UnionHerald, the City's Official Newsletter. 

Summary
This project is a culmination of a few years of work with the property owner and Applicant. Staff worked with the Planning Commission, City Council, and Property Owner to amend the zoning and comprehensive plans to meet the Property Owner's vision for this area. City Staff has worked with the neighborhood directly to the east throughout that time, and this project represents a compromise scenario that both property owner, applicant, City Council, and residents were comfortable with at time of rezoning and preliminary plat.

Below is a summary of the project:

• Site Acreage: Approximately 33 acres
• Proposed Number of Lots: 88 lots (41 80-foot wide lots, 47 65-foot wide lots)
• Current Zoning: R-1 Residential (MUSA - Detached Single Family Homes) 80-foot wide lots (eastern and southern boundary), and R-1 Residential (MUSA - Detached Villa) 65-foot wide lots (remainder)
• Proposed Density: 3.35 units per acre

The Preliminary Plat appears to meet all of the bulk standards of the current zoning districts and does not propose a change to the Comprehensive Plan or approved zoning districts. The proposed plat also falls within the approved density range for low density residential subdivisions, from 1 - 4 units per acre.

Roads and Access
The proposed preliminary plat includes public roads with access points off of Puma Street (likely renamed Okapi Street in the future) to the west and an access off Alpine Drive to the north.

Density Transitioning
The attached plans show a berm separating the 80 foot wide lots on the eastern edge of the Subject Property from the adjacent, existing residential neighborhood. All adjacent residential units will be buffered with landscaping and a berm; however, as proposed, the plantings are deficient of the minimum requirement in City Code.  The minimum width of the transitioning corridor shall be thirty-five (35) feet (reduced from 45 feet with inclusion of a berm) and it shall contain at least four (4) evergreen trees, four (4) overstory trees, and four (4) ornamental trees (12 trees total) per every 100 feet of common boundary with the existing, adjacent R-1 Residential (Rural Developing) neighborhood.

The Applicant has objected to the required number of plantings within this transitional corridor, stating concerns with mortality, maintenance costs, and aesthetics all related to condensed planting area.  They have provided an updated plan sheet with increased plantings, plus included information about existing trees that will be preserved (note that only those preserved trees within the 35 foot corridor shall be credited toward the transitioning requirements).  Furthermore, some of the adjacent, existing residential lots have significant tree cover along the rear lot lines, which provides additional buffering (note that the Applicant is not including any 'off-site' existing trees in their tree count calculation). Nonetheless, the proposal is still deficient in terms of required trees.

Density transitioning is a zoning tool.  It is intended to help 'transition' between existing, larger lot, lower density neighborhoods and new, smaller lot, higher density development.  There are other tools that could be used to satisfy this requirement, such as matching lot sizes along the common boundary line(s).  However, landscaping is typically the tool developers opt to use.  Different from other, more typical landscape requirements, which are more about aesthetics, stormwater management, traffic calming, etc., landscaping for density transitioning is intentionally designed to be more dense.  This helps create a buffer or transition immediately, rather than 10-20 years into the future (as trees grow), for an adjacent, existing neighborhood.

Next Steps
Next steps in the platting process include formal approval of the preliminary plat by the City Council, then final platting which allows for building on the property. 

City Code Sections

• Section 117-110: Residential Development Transitioning
• Section 117-111: R-1 Residential (MUSA - Detached Single Family Homes) and (MUSA - Detached Villa) (Existing and Proposed Zoning)
• Section 117-588: Major Plat
• Section 117-614: Subdivision Design Standards

This is the Environmental Policy Board's (EPB) opportunity to provide input on the density transitioning proposal for this project.  While the adjacent neighborhood was generally accepting of the proposed layout (several years back), it was with the understanding that density transitioning would meet and/or exceed the minimum requirements of City Code.

Staff is seeking feedback from the EPB regarding the proposed planting plan for density transitioning.  More specifically, should more plantings be incorporated to meet the minimum requirement?  Or, does the EPB think the updated plan (attached) is sufficient when considering future growth of the trees?

The Applicant is responsible for all costs associated with project review.

The Planning Commission recommended that the plans be amended to meet the minimum planting requirements for density transitioning.

Motion to recommend plans be amended to provide at least the minimum number of required trees within the transitioning corridor 

-or-

Motion to recommend the proposed planting plan be approved for density transitioning