Consider Natural Resources Elements of the Waterfront Village Site Plan and Plat (Project No. 23-116); Case of Centra North LLC

The City has received an application for Site Plan and Preliminary Plat review from Centra North LLC (the "Applicant") for a proposed detached townhome product south of Bunker Lake Boulevard and west of Zeolite St (the "Subject Property").

Project Overview
The Applicant is proposing 110 detached townhomes across the Subject Property.  The product will be very similar to the existing detached townhomes at the southwest corner of Bunker Lake Boulevard and Ramsey Boulevard (completed by the same developer).  There will be two (2) points of access into the community, one off of Zeolite Street and one off of Ramsey Parkway.  All roads within the community will be private and there will be community greenspace in the center of the development.  There will be trails internal to the Subject Property, as well as along the southern side of Bunker Lake Boulevard.

Natural Resources Inventory and Minnesota Land Cover Classification System
The City's Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) does not indicate any native plant communities within the Subject Property.  Similarly, the Minnesota Land Cover Classification System (MLCCS) only notes 'Urban with Little Vegetative Cover' as a cover type.  There is a wetland, but that is west of the proposed townhomes and will not be impacted by this project (platted as separate outlots, F & G).  

Tree Inventory and Preservation Plan
The Environmental Policy Board may recall that Staff provided an update several months back regarding earthwork occurring within the Subject Property, including tree removal outside the boundaries of delineated wetlands.  Thus, there are no existing trees remaining on the Subject Property.  City Staff will be tracking reforestation efforts among the various projects coming forward in the near future (including this one) to ensure that the City remains in compliance with the tree preservation standards (this project alone is proposing 257 trees).

Landscape Plan
The submittal does include a Landscape Plan.  Species and sizes are acceptable.  The project includes a little over 200 new 'boulevard' trees (but the majority will be privately maintained as they are along private streets) plus another roughly forty (40) trees installed in common areas and rear yards.  Staff noted some rather minor corrections that were needed, with the most significant one being to shift the eastern most row of trees to the boulevard along Zeolite Street (these would ultimately be maintained by the city).  Otherwise, there will not be sufficient space to install trees in this boulevard.

 

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

Staff recommends approving the Landscape Plan, contingent upon compliance with Staff's review comments.

Motion to recommend approval of the Landscape Plan, contingent upon compliance with Staff's review comments.