Consider Natural Resources Aspects of Home2Suites Site Plan

The City has received an application from Ramsey Properties, LLC (the "Applicant") for a proposed new hotel to be located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Sunwood Drive and Zeolite Street (the "Subject Property").  The application includes both a plat and a site plan.

General Project Summary
The Applicant is proposing a four (4) story, ninety-eight (98) room hotel, that will include amenities such as a pool, laundry facilities, and a fitness center.  The Subject Property is located in the COR-2b subdistrict, where lodging facilities are a permitted use.  The Subject Property is just shy of thirty-one (31) acres in size; however, the project includes a proposed plat that would create a separate parcel for the hotel that would be about 2.85 acres in size.

Natural Resources Inventory and Land Cover Classification
The City's Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) does not indicate any native plant communities on the portion of the Subject Property where the hotel would be located.  There is an 'altered/non-native' plant community (a wetland) in the northwest corner of the Subject Property, but that area will not be disturbed as part of this project.  The majority of the Subject Property is categorized as 'urban with little vegetative cover' per the Minnesota Land Cover Classification System (MLCCS).  There is a linear wetland in the northwest corner and another small wetland in the central part of the Subject Property, but again, these areas are outside of the proposed improvements.  The Subject Property has no designated floodplains. 

Tree Inventory and Preservation Plan
There is no tree inventory or preservation plan included with the submittal.  There are scattered aspen trees and Siberian elms across the Subject Property, but none that meet the definition of a significant tree. There are existing boulevard trees along Sunwood Drive; however, those will remain and tree save fencing will be in place to protect them throughout construction.

Landscape Plan
The Landscape Plan is generally acceptable.  It provides a mix of trees, shrubs, decorative grasses and perennials around the building and within the parking lot.  Staff has recommended shifting the trees along Sunwood Drive into the boulevard (presently, they are proposed on the north side of the sidewalk) area to be consistent with the COR Design Framework.  Additionally, the plan needs to be modified to include a ten (10) foot wide sidewalk to match the existing conditions on the south side of Sunwood Drive.  But, rather than matching the single tree planter beds, which are approximately 4' x 10', Staff has suggested matching the existing planter beds on the south side of Sunwood Drive, but just east of Zeolite Street.  These are approximately 4' x 55' and provide significantly greater soil/rooting volume, which is more beneficial for the trees.  The planter beds would each include two (2) trees, three (3) shrubs, eight (8) reed (decorative) grasses, eight (8) hosta, and twenty-four (24) daylillies, creating a consistent feel with the existing planter beds further east along Sunwood Drive.

Zeolite Street will be reconstructed in 2024.  It was initially constructed as a temporary road to create a north/south connection between Sunwood Drive and Bunker Lake Boulevard.  Staff is working with the Applicant regarding boulevard trees along Zeolite Street.  Due to the known street reconstruction project, Staff and the Applicant are discussing alternatives to installing trees in this area.  The likely solution will be in the form or an escrow or assessment where the Applicant would submit payment to the City for these plantings, but the City would ultimately install them as part of the road project. 


 

The Applicant is responsible for all costs associated with this request.

Motion to recommend approval of the natural resources aspects of the proposed plat and site plan for Home2Suites.