Consider Request for Sketch Plan, Zoning Amendment, and Comprehensive Plan Amendment Related to a Proposed Second School Campus for PACT Charter School on the Property Located at 7633 161st Ave NW (Project No. 22-107); Case of PACT Charter School

The City has received an application from JB Vang Partners (the "Applicant"), on behalf of PACT Charter School, for a Sketch Plan related to a proposed new, second school campus to be located at 7633 161st Avenue NW (the "Subject Property"). The Subject Property is presently owned by The Church of Saint Katharine Drexel (the "Property Owner"). The application also includes requests for a Zoning Amendment and a Comprehensive Plan Amendment based on the proposed use and current zoning and future land use guidance.

Staff attempted to notify property owners within 700 feet of the Subject Property, as reflected in the Anoka County Property Records, of the request for Sketch Plan, Zoning Amendment, and Comprehensive Plan Amendment and the Public Hearing held by the Planning Commission on February 24, 2022. The mailing also included an invitation to a Public Open House, also on February 24, 2022, where property owners can learn more about the project and ask questions of the Applicant in a less formal setting. Finally, a notice of the Public Hearing was also published in the Anoka County UnionHerald, the City's official newspaper.
 

Background Information
The Subject Property is approximately thirty-three (33) acres in size and is currently zoned R-1 Residential (MUSA) - 80 and guided as Low Density Residential. The Subject Property is at the northwest corner of Variolite Street and 161st Avenue and abuts Central Park to the west. Properties to the east (across Variolite Street) are zoned R-1 Residential (MUSA) - 80, range in size from about 0.31 acres to 1.46 acres, and are guided Low Density Residential. The properties to the north and south (across 161st Avenue) are zoned R-1 Rural Developing, range in size from about 1.1 acres up to about 2.57 acres, and are guided as Rural Developing in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The property to the west (Central Park) is about 37 acres in size, is zoned Public/Quasi-Public and is guided as Public.

The Sketch Plan would create a single, buildable lot  (18 acres in size) and two outlots (approximately 8 acres and 6.5 acres).  The eighteen (18) acre parcel would be for PACT Charter School to develop a new 6-12 grade campus.  The two outlots would be reserved and retained by the Property Owner for a future home of a new church.  The Zoning Amendment and Comprehensive Plan Amendment are only applicable to the eighteen (18) acre parcel.

Natural Resources Information
Wetlands and Floodplain: There do not appear to be any floodplain areas within th Subject Property.  There is a wetland present in the northeastern corner of the Subject Property.  The majority of the wetland is within the northern outlot and thus, protected from any building activity associated with the school (per the Sketch Plan / Concept Plan).  The City's Wetlands Inventory identified this wetland as a Manage 3 (low functioning) wetland. 

Natural Resources Inventory: The City's Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) does identify two (2) Moderate Quality natural plant communities on the Subject Property. The first is an Aspen Forest with Saturated Soils, which is in the northeast corner of the Subject Property (within the northern outlot).  The second is an Oak Forest, which is along the eastern edge of what would be the school property.  The wetland area, as well as all of the southern outlot, were identified as an Altered/Non-Native Plant Community in the NRI.

Based on the Sketch Plan / Concept Plan, no part of the wetland or aspen forest would be impacted by the proposed improvements.  The Concept Plan does indicate a potential for track and field improvements that could infringe or impact the western edge of the oak forest.  This cannot be determined without more detailed plans, which would be prepared if the Zoning Amendment and Comprehensive Plan Amendment are approved by City Council.

Traffic Impacts and Site Access:  The Subject Property is located at the intersection of Variolite Street and 161st Avenue, both of which are designated as Municipal State Aid (MSA) roads.  MSA roads are generally designed or intended to handle higher volumes of traffic than standard local roads. Just to the west of the Subject Property is County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 83, also known as Armstrong Boulevard.  Again, a road designed for higher volumes of traffic.

A full Traffic Study will be necessary if this project moves to the next stage.  The Traffic Study will need to account for both the school as well as the potential future church (would be on the southern outlot) and should include assessments of surrounding intersections.  It is likely that turn lanes would be required on Variolite Street and potentially 161st Avenue.  Furthermore, a ten (10) foot wide bituminous trail would be required along the north side of 161st Avenue from Variolite Street over to the Central Park property.

There are two (2) proposed access points off of 161st Avenue and one proposed access point off Variolite Street.  Per the project narrative, buses would utilize the accesses off 161st Avenue; parent drop-off would utilize the Variolite Street access for both ingress and egress; and student drivers would utilize the western access off 161st Avenue for both ingress and egress.

Bufferyard:  This project includes a request for a Zoning Amendment to rezone the 18 acre parcel from R-1 Residential (MUSA) - 80 to Public/Quasi Public.  The Public/Quasi Public District does not include bulk standards (setbacks, lot sizes, etc.), it only identifies permitted and conditional uses.  Thus, this project will be reviewed under the B-1 General Business District standards, similar to how the Brookside Elementary School was reviewed in 2017.  

The northern boundary of the 18 acre parcel abuts existing residential lots in the R-1 Residential (Rural Developing) district.  City Code Section 117-364 (Landscaping) requires a forty (40) foot wide bufferyard when a B-1 type use is proposed adjacent to an existing R-1 neighborhood.  Thus, a bufferyard, with an additional 30% of required plantings, will be necessary along this northern boundary.  Existing trees, if preserved, can be credited toward the bufferyard planting requirements (as long as they fall within the 40 foot wide corridor).

Tree Preservation and Landscaping: This project will be required to provide a Tree Inventory and Preservation Plan of all significant trees on site.  A Landscape Plan will also be required.  If the project does not retain at least thirty percent (30%) of the existing significant tree inches, the Landscape Plan will need to include reforestation plantings of 1.25 inches for each one (1) inch removed beyond the 30% threshold (or resitution of $125 per each inch over the removal threshold).  

Stormwater Management: As with any proposed development, the project will need to address stormwater in accordance with both City regulations as well as the Lower Rum River Watershed Management Organization's (LRRWMO) standards.  Furthermore, the wetland delineation must also be reviewed and approved by the LRRWMO.

Next Steps
Typically, the Environmental Policy Board would review a Comprehensive Plan Amendment request prior to the Planning Commission conducting a Public Hearing.  However, as a result of needing to reschedule the February meeting (due to Presidents Day), the Public Hearing was held on February 24, 2022.  The Sketch Plan, Zoning Amendment, and Comprehensive Plan Amendment are tentatively scheduled for consideration by the City Council on March 8.  If the City Council were to approve the Comprehensive Plan Amendment, Staff would then prepare and submit a formal application to the Metropolitan Council.

At the Sketch Plan step, there are not detailed engineering plans.  The Sketch Plan step allows an applicant to bring forward a general layout of a proposed project(e.g. lot configuration, roads, etc.) to get feedback before making a significant investment in plan development.  Action on the Zoning Amendment and Comprehensive Plan Amendment informs the Applicant whether or not to proceed with drafting civil plans.

Based on the lot configuration, it appears that most, or potentially all, of the two existing natural plant communities would be protected (within an outlot, which is unbuildable without being re-platted).  As with any development, there would be impacts to existing tree cover.  But, as previously noted, the project would be subject to the Tree Preservation standards and if removals exceeded the allowable threshold, reforestation (or restitution) would be required.
 

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

Motion to recommend City Council approve / not approve the Comprehensive Plan Amendment to re-guide the Subject Property from Low Density Residential to Public/Institutional.