PUBLIC HEARING: Consider a Preliminary Plat and Site Plan for Waterfront Village - Centra Homes

The purpose of this case is to review a Preliminary Plat and Site Plan for a proposed 110-unit detached townhome development in the COR, to be located at the southwest corner of Bunker Lake Boulevard and Zeolite Street (the "Subject Property"). Centra North LLC, the "Applicant", is seeking approval for the Preliminary Plat and Site Plan. The Planning Commission may recall this project, as the Applicant submitted a sketch plan for this project back in October 2023 for review.

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 the Preliminary Plat and Site Plan Review, as well as the Public Hearing to be held by the Planning Commission on January 25, 2024. A notice of the Public Hearing was published in the Anoka County UnionHerald newspaper. A "proposed development" sign was placed on the property.

General Project Summary
Centra Homes has submitted a Preliminary Plat and Site Plan for a proposed detached townhome development in the COR. This follows their previous submission of a sketch plan for the proposed development, which was reviewed by the Planning Commission at their meeting in October 2023. The Subject Property is 27.96 acres in size, but only 16.59 acres of the Subject Property is planned for the detached townhome development. Outlots G and H will be set aside for future retail and multifamily development, respectively.  It should be noted that the shape of Outlot H does take into account the Home2Suites site that was carved off in 2023.  

Zoning and Land Use Guidance
The City's new zoning map was approved by City Council in November 2023. With this new zoning map, the subject property was rezoned to COR-4b: Neighborhood Subdistrict to accommodate residential development. Detached townhomes are permitted in the COR-4b subdistrict, allowing a density of up to fifteen (15) units per acre. The Subject Property is guided as Mixed-Use in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which allows a density of anywhere between five (5) and seventy-five (75) units per acre. The proposed development includes 110 detached townhomes on 16.59 acres, resulting in a proposed density of 6.63 units per acre. The proposed density complies with both the zoning designation and the comprehensive plan guidance for the Subject Property.

Architecture
Building elevations and colored renderings have been submitted and are attached to this case. The exterior finish of each townhome unit will vary between three primary models, each consisting of vinyl lap siding, shake siding, decorative shutters, gabled roofs, and stone veneer. These units are similar to the units Centra built in the "Cottages at the COR" development, located at the southwest corner of Ramsey Boulevard and Bunker Lake Boulevard. Each unit will have a front porch and front door, with a rear-loaded garage served by a network of private streets throughout the development. All units are two stories in height. For the exposed end units fronting a public street, private street, or cut-through walkway, the applicant will be required to add more architectural interest to the exposed sides than the sides of the existing units, as "four-sided" architecture is specified in the COR Framework. The applicant has acknowledged this requirement, and is developing updated elevations to satisfy the requirement for these units.

Site Plan
The interior roads are all 25-foot-wide private roadways to be maintained by the homeowner's association for this development. Four areas are shown with parking bump-outs. Other areas of the private roadway will need to be signed as "No Parking - Fire Lane". All driveways are wide enough to accommodate parking for two cars, plus each unit has an attached garage designed to accommodate parking for two additional cars. This satisfies the zoning requirement of having at least two parking spaces per townhome unit. Zeolite Street and Ramsey Parkway are expected to be constructed in 2024 with on-street parking available for daytime use.

There is one dead-end stub street at the northwest corner of the site, which is similar to other private roadways in the COR. The design has been reviewed and approved by the Fire Department, contingent upon approval of turning radius exhibits submitted by the applicant. A series of walkways are shown to provide access from the parking areas to the front doors of each unit. Some of the walkways will be shifted to maintain pedestrian connectivity while accounting for landscaping and utility placement. The units have been designed to conform with a 15-foot build-to line along Zeolite Street, Ramsey Parkway, and Bunker Lake Boulevard.

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.  The EPB is scheduled to review the landscape plan on January 22.

Plat
The preliminary plat assigns each of the 110 units to its own lot. These lots are divided into 12 blocks. Additionally, there are seven outlots within the development. Outlot A is designated to contain all the private streets in the development. Outlots B, C, and D are designated for pedestrian connections between the private street network and the trail along Bunker Lake Boulevard; these outlots are located between rows of townhome units to provide "cut-through" access for residents and visitors. Outlot E is designated as usable open space for the development. Outlot F is designated for the portion of the existing wetland that borders the development. Outlot G contains the rest of the aforementioned wetland, as well as developable land to be retained by the City.

Alternatives
Alternative 1: Motion to recommend the City Council approves the Preliminary Plat and Site Plan with the modifications as recommended by staff.  

Alternative 2: Motion to recommend the City Council approves the Preliminary Plat and Site Plan with modifications the Planning Commission sees appropriate.

Alternative 3: Motion to recommend the City Council not approve the Preliminary Plat or Site Plan based on certain findings. 

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

The Applicant is purchasing this property from the City.  As a part of the sale, the Applicant will be contributing a portion of the costs to construct the extension of West Ramsey Parkway.  

Staff recommends approval of the Preliminary Plat and Site Plan, contingent upon compliance with Staff's review comments (this contingency is incorporated into the attached Resolution).

Motion to recommend the City Council adopt Resolution #24-041, Approving the Preliminary Plat and Site Plan Review for Waterfront Village.