Consider Sketch Plan for Emerald Estates, Located on 181st Avenue NW, West of Xenolith Street (Project No. 24-123): Case of Alan and Joni Greenwaldt

The City has received an application for Sketch Plan review from Landform (the "Applicant"), on behalf of Alan and Joni Greenwaldt (the "Property Owner"), for the property located on 181st Avenue, west of Xenolith Street, and known as PID #s 04-32-25-22-0001 & 05-32-25-11-0001 (together, the "Subject Property"). 

The Subject Property is approximately thirty-eight (38) acres in size.  The Property Owner also owns approximately thirty-nine (39) acres that abut the Subject Property to the west, but is not a part of this Land Use Application.  The Subject Property is zoned Rural Residential and is guided as Rural Developing in the 20240 Comprehensive Plan.  All surrounding properties, at least south of 181st Avenue (north of 181st Avenue is in the City of Nowthen), are zoned and guided the same as the Subject Property.  There are two (2), approximately 20-acre, vacant parcels south of the Subject Property, and as previously noted, the approximately 39-acre parcel west of the Subject Property is vacant as well.  The parcel to the east, which is approximately 4.80 acres in size, does have an existing single family home on it.

The Applicant is proposing a single family residential development, consisting of thirteen (13) lots.  The proposed lots range in size from 2.71 acres to 2.86 acres in size and are each at least 200 feet wide.  The minimum lot size required in the Rural Residential District is 2.5 acres and the minimum lot width required is 200 feet.  There are no roads proposed for this development.  Rather, all lots will have driveways directly onto 181st Avenue (also known as County Road 64).  The City did send the Sketch Plan to Anoka County Highway Department (ACHD) for review and comment since it is on a County Highway.  ACHD has stated that, while they do not have specific spacing guidelines for driveways or any specific policy or regulation prohibiting the proposed development, they believe a cul-de-sac or frontage road would provide a safer environment rather than having thirteen (13) new driveways added on to a 55 mile per hour road.   It is unclear what sort of wetland impacts a cul-de-sac or frontage road may have.  City Staff did suggest the potential of shared driveways which could possibly reduce the number of accesses by nearly half.  All proposed lots will be served with individual septic systems and private wells.

The primary concern City Staff noted was that the driveway for Lot 7 curves to the east, onto Lot 8, to avoid the wetland and wetland setback area.  Alternatives should be explored, including having the driveway cross a small portion of the wetland (depending on the amount of wetland impact, this may not require any wetland replacement if it meets the diminimus exemption rules).  This would require a variance to the wetland setback requirement of 16.5 feet.    

The Subject Property is heavily wooded and contains significant wetlands and areas of floodplain as well.  However, as proposed (again, without any proposed public roads), it does not appear that there would be any wetland impacts.  Essentially, the only tree loss would be for the houses, driveways, stormwater management purposes, and septic systems.  A tree inventory and preservation plan will be required at the time of the Preliminary Plat submittal.  The Sketch Plan does include the required sixteen and a half foot (16.5') setback from the delineated wetland boundary, which is encumbered by drainage and utility easement.

Sketch Plans provide an opportunity for the Planning Commission to provide feedback and direction for the Applicant prior to them investing financially in development of the civil plans.  

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

Provide feedback and direction to the Applicant on the Sketch Plan.

No formal action is required on a Sketch Plan.