Review Sketch Plan for Parcel Owned by Village Bank located at 6080 Highway 10 NW;
Case of Village Bank

The purpose of this case is to review a submitted Sketch Plan for a seven (7) lot single family subdivision that is immediately adjacent to Rivlyn Avenue that will extend an existing cul-de-sac. The site is located on the easternmost border of the City, adjacent to the City of Anoka. The purpose of the Sketch Plan is to review the general layout of the proposed lots, street/cul-de-sac and overall use of the property. This is the first step prior to submittal of a preliminary plat and affords the Commission the opportunity to provide input on the design prior to detailed plans are developed.

The Technical Review Memo provides a brief overview of the Sketch Plan with revisions and additional materials that will be required with the preliminary plat.

In addition to the subdivision (plat) application, the request will also require a Comprehensive Plan Amendment, Zoning Amendment, and Easement Vacation. The site is currently guided as Business Park and is located within the E-1 Employment District. A portion of the site is located within the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area (MRCCA).

Staff attempted to notify all Property Owners within 700 feet of the Subject Property via Standard US Mail. A Public Hearing and Notification is required as part of Preliminary Plat (next stage).

The Applicant is requesting to develop a currently undeveloped portion of the Subject Property as seven (7) single family lots, with the extension of Rivlyn Drive. Generally speaking, the request complies with the minimum standards of the R-1 Residential (MUSA) District. There are, however, some potential deficiencies in the request: 1) minimum lot width, 2) side yard setbacks, and 3) length of cul-de-sac. The Applicant is proposing to utilize Planned Unit Development (PUD) provisions of City Code to address these deficiencies. The Applicant will be required to better define the public benefit required of a PUD as part of Preliminary Plat Review.

The site is currently impacted by the Highway 10 Access Planning Study currently initiated by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT). Initial alternatives for frontage road systems would have been in conflict with the proposed plat. However, Mn/DOT, and its consulting engineer Bolton and Menk, Inc., are currently working on alternatives that address comments by this Property Owner, but surrounding Property Owners as well. This planning study will not be complete until later this summer. It is anticipated that the Access Planning Study can work around the current sketch plan concept.

Additionally, the site is further impacted by the Mississippi River Trail construction, currently underway and commencing construction on this site later this spring. The current sketch plan was revised to accommodate the approved alignment of this trail. The trail was awarded a federal grant, and the construction contract has been awarded and construction is already underway. It is not feasible to expect that the trail alignment and construction can be modified at this point without exposing the project to contractor damage issues or unnecessary contract delays as part of the grant award. The sketch plan can accommodate the alignment of the trail; however, there are potential grade/elevation conflicts that will need to be explored in more detail with the Preliminary Plat.

The proposed plat contemplates fill within identified floodplain boundaries. It does not appear that any fill is being proposed within floodways. By introducing fill within a floodplain boundary in order to create building pad sites, a Letter of Map Revision approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) shall be required.

The Applicant has requested that the City consider constructing the required Stage I and Stage II Improvements (public improvements such as streets and utilities) as a City Improvement Project, then assessing the costs back to the benefited properties. The City Council will be considering this request parallel to this subdivision request. An Assessment Agreement as part of the standard Development Agreement shall be required.

All costs associated with processing the Application are the responsibility of the Applicant.

Staff recommends that the Applicant proceed to preparing the Preliminary Plat, acknowledging that there are potential conflicts as identified in the Staff Review Letter that will need to be reviewed and coordinated in greater detail with the Preliminary Plat. Given the number of lots, surrounding built environment, and lack of significant opposition from the surrounding area, the general concept of the proposed subdivision appears to be acceptable provided that the details identified can be mitigated.

By consensus, direct the Applicant to begin preparing a Preliminary Plat for review.