Review Sketch Plan for All Day Retail - NW Corner of Armstrong Boulevard and 147th Avenue NW.

All Day Retail (the applicant) is proposing a coordinated retail development across the three parcels north of 147th Avenue between Armstrong Boulevard and Ferret Street NW (including the 14700 Armstrong Blvd building).  It is all of the remaining property south of the Kwik Trip site.  The development will create five parcels for retail, restaurant, and service uses and one outlot to accommodate the development's storm water management.  Since this plat contains more than three parcels, it is considered a Major Plat by Chapter 117.  The first step in a Major Plat review is a Sketch Plan--a high-level review that identifies any potential issues and provides direction to the applicant prior to developing the more costly and involved Preliminary Plat submittal.  

The site is approximately 7.5 acres in area and is zoned B-2 Community Business District.  The sketch plan contemplates a fast-food restaurant, a car wash, and an auto service business, all of whom the applicant has been working with, and two sites that could be speculative multi-tenant retail buildings or a day care.  These uses are allowed in the B-2 district.  Many of these uses would need their own conditional use permit (CUP) reviews should the development move forward. All the sites will access an internal shared private driveway, though driveways are permitted to Ferret Street and the western portion of 147th Avenue.  All Day Retail would coordinate the site and common elements (private road, utility extensions, and storm water management) while the end users would seek the approvals independently.  

Issues known for discussion purposes:

1.  Access.  The sketch plan shows one full-movement access to Ferret Street, one right-in-right-out on 147th Avenue, and one right-in-only on Armstrong Boulevard.  Anoka County Highway Department controls access from Armstrong Boulevard and they have not committed to this access yet.  All Day Retail's engineer, Kimley-Horn, has prepared a traffic memo to assist ACHD is making their access decision.  The memo notes that the proposed access would not be detrimental, especially with a right-turn lane constructed, to traffic operations on Armstrong Boulevard.  The Armstrong Bouleveard access is also meant to assist with internal traffic flow.  In the event the right-in is not granted, access should not be too detrimental since customers traveling southbound will be able to make a right at 147th Avenue then a quick right into the site.  The 147th Avenue right-in-right-out may be acceptable as a full movement or as just a right-in-only to prevent U-turns or incorrect left turns out of the site.  This might require the second east-to-north left turn lane to be striped on 147th Avenue to reduce back-ups.  More analysis will be conducted for the preliminary plat review.  

2.  Existing Building.  There is an existing building at 14700 Armstrong Boulevard that houses a contractor.  This building and site improvements will be removed with the development.  

3.  Pedestrian Access.  With the plat, a sidewalk will be required along Ferret Street, continuing the sidewalk that Kwik Trip is building.  A multi-use trail will be required along Armstrong Boulevard to continue the trail from the north.  In each of the CUP/Site Plan Reviews, a connection to the buildings will be provided. Appropriate right-of-way or separate easement documents will be required.

4.  Individual Site Plans.  The site plans shown for the various users are conceptual.  Each of them will be reviewed in greater detail for compliance with Zoning Code requirements in the future.  Staff has provided some high-level comments regarding parking calculations on several sites and building/drive-through orientation for the fast food user.  

A mailed notice was sent to property owners within 700 feet of the site.  "Proposed development" signs were placed on the property.  Sketch plans are not public hearings, though the Chair can invite any members of the public to provide feedback as well.  Public hearings will be noticed for the preliminary plat and conditional use permit phases of review.  

All costs associated with this development are the responsibility of the applicant.  

There is no recommendation at this time.  Please provide direction or comments on the sketch plan to aid the applicant in preparing a preliminary plat submittal.  

Please provide direction to the applicant.