Consider the Natural Resources Aspects of a Proposed Site Plan for Northstar Truck & RV Parking LLC (Project No. 24-122)

The City has received a Land Use Application from Nikolay Babkin (the "Applicant") for a Site Plan and Zoning Amendment to accommodate a proposed truck and RV parking operation on the property known as 15861 Jarvis Street NW (the "Subject Property").

Project Summary
The Applicant is proposing to establish a business on the Subject Property to provide an option for drivers of semi-trucks and RVs to lawfully park their vehicle (this could assist in reducing the number of code enforcement calls received by the City, as parking of semi-trucks in residential neighborhoods tends to generate complaints).  The Subject Property actually straddles not only a municipal boundary (Ramsey and Elk River), but also a county boundary (Anoka and Sherburne).  The Applicant attempted to have the portion of the Subject Property in Ramsey annexed into Elk River, but the Ramsey City Council did not support that approach.  So, the Applicant is now working with both Ramsey and Elk River to get approval of a Site Plan for this business operation.  Since the two cities have different zoning designations and requirements, the Applicant has included a request for a Zoning Amendment to rezone the entire parcel (in both cities) to a Planned Unit Development (PUD), so that at least as far as the proposed use is concerned, similar standards could be applied between the two communities (typical site improvements, such as landscaping, stormwater management, etc. will still depend on the corresponding communities zoning codes).

This review focuses only on the portion of land within Ramsey city limits.  Overall, the Subject Property is about eleven (11) acres in size, with about 7.3 acres being in Ramsey. The project will result in most of the Subject Property being paved with asphalt and concrete curb and gutter.  A stormwater basin is proposed in the southern part of the Subject Property.  The project does include a sixty (60) foot wide bufferyard along the northern boundary, to provide some screening between the existing residential home to the north and this proposed truck parking business.  There are also plantings (combination of shrubs and trees) around the perimeter of the Subject Property.

Zoning & Land Use Designation
The Subject Property is currently zoned I-1 Light Industrial and is guided as Business Park in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.  The Subject Property abuts an existing residential property to the north (most similar to the Rural Residential zoning district but is technically zoned as a Planned Unit Development), the Links at Northfork Golf Course to the east (zoned as Parks and Open Space), and the BNSF railroad tracks to the south.  West of the Subject Property (in Elk River), parcels are zoned general industrial.  The requested Zoning Amendment, which would rezone the portion of the Subject Property in Ramsey from I-1 Light Industrial to PUD (Planned Unit Development), would allow for the proposed use.

Natural Resources Summary
The City's Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) does not identify any native plant communities on site.  In fact, the Subject Property is essentially devoid of any tree cover, which is why there was no Tree Inventory and Preservation Plan.  There are no wetlands or floodplains on the Subject Property either.  The Minnesota Land Cover Classification System (MLCCS) categorizes the entirety of the Subject Property in Ramsey as 'Urban with Vegetative Cover'.

Landscape Plan
The submittal does include a Landscape Plan for the project.  While there is a request to rezone the Subject Property to a PUD, which has no specific standards, the proposed use is most similar to that of an industrial use, and therefore, the minimum required plantings are to be determined using the canopy cover formula.  As submitted, the Landscape Plan needs to be revised to include at least another 27,370 square feet of canopy cover.  If, for example, the Applicant were to add a species such as American Elm, Bur Oak, and/or White Oak, this could be accomplished with as few as seven (7) additional trees.  All the plantings along the eastern boundary are shown to be on the adjacent golf course property (on top of the existing berm).  Staff has informed the Applicant that they need to provide the city with a copy of the written authorization from the adjacent property owner for the plantings to be on the golf course property.

The Landscape Plan does include a sixty (60) foot wide bufferyard along the northern property boundary, which abuts an existing residential property.  Within the bufferyard, the Applicant is proposing a combination of deciduous overstory trees (Red Maple), evergreen trees (Green Giant Arborvitae), and a six (6) foot tall wooden privacy fence.  Typically, a bufferyard would need to be landscaped with an additional thirty percent (30%) of the required plantings.  However, the inclusion of the privacy fence reduces the amount of required plantings in the bufferyard by fifty percent (50%).  Thus, an additional 6,320 square feet of canopy cover is needed and again, depending on the species chosen, could be accomplished with as few as two (2) additional trees. 

City Code does provide standards for parking lot landscaping (one tree for every ten parking stalls).  However, neither Ramsey nor Elk River Staff consider this to be a typical parking lot.  This, in essence, simply serves as a storage area for larger vehicles.  The landscape requirements for parking lots are intended to ensure there is some shade available for customers and/or employees (they are parking for shorter periods of time) and to create some visual relief.  The users of this site will be parking their vehicle and essentially storing it on the Subject Property for longer periods of time.  Additionally, it is worth noting that the plantings along the eastern boundary are directly adjacent to the easternmost row of stalls and thus, will provide some shade for those areas. 

 

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

Staff recommends approval of 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.