Consider Natural Resources Aspects of a Site Plan and Final Plat for The Catholic Church of Saint Katharine Drexel (Project No. 24-103); Case of Saint Katharine Drexel

The City has received an application from the Catholic Church of Saint Katharine Drexel (the "Applicant") for Site Plan review and Final Plat for a new church to be constructed at the northwest corner of 161st Avenue and Variolite Street (the "Subject Property").

General Project Overview
The Subject Property is zoned Public/Institutional and religious institutions are a permitted use in this zoning district.  The Subject Property, which is currently an outlot, was created when the plat for the PACT Charter School secondary campus was approved.  The Final Plat will not change the parcel boundaries at all.  Rather, it will simply convert an outlot into a buildable lot so that the Applicant can construct their new facility.  Access to the church will be provided off of 161st Avenue.  As the congregation grows in size, the Applicant will expand the parking area accordingly (plans currently show 'proof of parking' for full congregation), which will ultimately have shared access with the eastern ingress/egress to PACT Charter School.  The roughly northern two thirds of the Subject Property will not be impacted by construction.

Natural Resources Inventory and Minnesota Land Cover Classification System 
The City's Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) identifies an 'Altered/Non-Native Plant Community' on the southern portion of the Subject Property and a 'Moderate Quality' natural area on the northern portion of the Subject Property (again, this will not be impacted by construction).  An altered/non-native plant community implies that the site has been altered over time such that it no longer meets the criteria to be considered a native plant community.  The Minnesota Land Cover Classification System (MLCCS) classifies the Subject Property as 'Dry Grassland', even though portions of the Subject Property consist of significant tree cover (the northern portion of the Subject Property, which will remain as an outlot, also has 'Wetland Prairie' and 'Wetland Shrubland' classifications).  There are no wetlands or floodplain on the southern portion of the Subject Property, where the improvements will occur.  There is a wetland in the northern portion of the Subject Property, outside the limits of construction.

Tree Inventory and Preservation Plan
A Tree Inventory and Preservation Plan was included with the submittal.  Slightly over seventy percent (70%) of the existing DBH inches of significant trees will be preserved, exceeding the tree preservation standards (in fact, the plan includes removing some Siberian Elm, an invasive species, so the percentage of significant tree DBH inches preserved on site is likely slightly greater since the removal calculations include the DBH inches of Siberian Elm).  As the church expands parking areas in the future, there will be additional tree losses, but additional plantings would be installed, at a minimum rate of one (1) tree for every ten (10) new parking stalls.  The majority of tree removal will be done to account for stormwater ponding (exempt from removal calculations) and the building pad.

Landscape Plan
A Landscape Plan was included with the submittal.  Over 300 existing deciduous and evergreen trees are being preserved, and the Applicant is utilizing these to partially meet the landscape requirements.  They are proposing to install seventeen (17) new trees, including a combination of overstory, ornamental, and evergreen trees.  The plan also includes ninety-two (92) shrubs, including both evergreen and deciduous species.  Staff has recommended relocating some of the proposed shrubs between the trees being installed along 161st Avenue, just to provide a bit more screening for the home(s) on the south side of this road.  Ground cover will be a mixture of sod against the building and entrance, and various seed mixes (low maintenance turf and a stormwater mix). 

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

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

Motion to recommend approving the Landcape Plan and the Tree Inventory and Preservation Plan, contingent upon compliance with Staff's review comments.