Consider Natural Resources Aspects of Lennar Preliminary Plat (Project No. 21-122)

The City has received an application for a Comprehensive Plan Amendment, Zoning Amendment, and Preliminary Plat from Lennar (the "Applicant") for a proposed residential development on the property generally located west of Armstrong Boulevard, south of 151st Lane, and north of Bunker Lake Boulevard (the "Subject Property").

General Project Overview
The Subject Property is approximately thirty-four (34) acres in size and has a split zoning of R-1 Residential (MUSA) - 80 (about 6 acres) and R-3 Residential (High Density).  The Applicant is proposing fifteen (15) single family residential lots with a width of sixty-five (65) feet (would require a rezoning to R-1 Residential (MUSA) - 65) and 129 attached townhomes (based on density, requires a rezoning to R-2 Residential (Medium Density)).  The Subject Property is guided for High Density (8-15 units per acre) in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.  In addition to the Preliminary Plat, the Applicant is also seeking a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to re-guide the Subject Property to Medium Density Residential (4-8 units per acre) and a Zoning Amendment to rezone from R-1 Residential (MUSA) - 80 to R-1 Residential (MUSA) - 65 and from R-3 Residential (High Density) to R-2 Residential (Medium Density).

As part of the Sketch Plan review, the Planning Commission directed the Applicant to incorporate a second access into the project.  This project abuts County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 83, also known as Armstrong Boulevard, so the plans have been routed to Anoka County Highway Department, along with the request to allow a second access.  Furthermore, since there is a Comprehensive Plan Amendment as part of this application, City Council has also preliminarily provided feedback on the project, including their desire to keep the single family lots at eighty (80) feet in width rather than the proposed sixty-five (65) foot wide lots.  Thus, the Applicant is working on some plan revisions.

Natural Resources Inventory
The City's Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) identifies two semi-natural plant communities, one categorized as Native Species Present in an Altered/Non-Native Plant Community and one as Altered/Non-Native Plant Community.  These designations are affiliated with a linear wetland that is part of the Lake Itasca Greenway.  The Minnesota Land Cover Classification System (MLCCS) identifies the wetland area as Wetland Shrubland and the remainder of the site as Planted or Cultivated Vegetation (currently used as agricultural land).  All proposed development is situated north and east of the linear wetland.

Wetlands and Floodplain
As noted above, there is wetland that spans much of the southwestern 1/3 of the Subject Property.  As laid out, there do not appear to be any proposed impacts to the wetland.  Furthermore, it appears that the plans do include the required sixteen and a half foot (16.5') setback from the wetland boundary.  More information is required to verify that the proposed stormwater ponds also include a sixteen and a half foot (16.5') setback that would be encumbered by drainage and utility easement.

There are no floodplains identified on the Subject Property.

Tree Inventory and Preservation Plan
A Tree Inventory and Preservation Plan has been prepared and submitted.  Most of the site is devoid of trees as it is farmland.  The trees that are present are situated along the northern boundary of the Subject Property and then also around the perimeter of the wetland.  Based on the information provided, the project would comply with the tree preservation requirement of retaining at least forty percent (40%) of the significant tree DBH inches on site.

Landscape Plan
A Landscape Plan has also been submitted.  There are two components of the Landscape Plan, one is for the base landscaping requirements (a combination of 2 trees per lot for the single family residential lots and the canopy cover formula for the multi-family portion of the project) and the second is to address Density Transitioning.

Base Landscaping
The single family home portion of the development is required to have two (2) front yard trees per lot.  Preferably, at least one of the trees would be installed in the boulevard area.  Currently, the plans only show one (1) tree per lot and will need to be revised accordingly.

The multi-family portion of the project is subject to the canopy cover formula, which results in the need for at least 290,295 square feet of canopy cover.  The plans include 294,413 square feet of canopy cover, achieved through a combination of overstory trees, evergreen trees, and ornamental trees.  However, a portion of these proposed trees are intended to address density transitioning (addressed below).  But, even when factoring out trees for density transitioning, based on the amount of trees being preserved on site, it does appear that the base landscaping is being satisfied.

Density Transitioning
The Subject Property abuts existing, single family residential parcels that are zoned R-1 Residential (Rural Developing) to the west and north.  Thus, density transitioning will apply.  The Applicant is proposing landscaping as the tool to accomplish this.  Per City Code, the Applicant could accomplish this with either a forty-five (45) foot wide corridor, held in common ownership, with eight (8) overstory trees, eight (8) evergreen trees, and eight (8) ornamental trees per every 100 feet of property boundary with the impacted uses, or a thirty-five (35) foot wide corridor, held in common ownership, with a berm and four (4) overstory trees, four (4) evergreen trees, and four (4) ornamental trees per every 100 feet of property boundary with the impacted uses.

Revisions are needed to meet the density transition requirement.  This would include additional plantings as well as incorporation of a berm, which must extend vertically above the existing grade at the plat boundary to achieve the intended additional screening for the existing neighborhoods to the west and north.



 

All costs associated with this request are the Applicant's responsibility.

Motion to recommend approval of the Landscape and Tree Preservation Plans with the following contingencies:

• Revise all applicable plan sheets to provide either the 45 foot wide corridor and required number of plantings or a 35 foot wide corridor with a berm and required plantings to ensure compliance with the density transitioning standards.
• Provide a separate planting schedule for the density transitioning plantings and the base landscape plantings.