Review Sketch Plan for River Walk Village Located at 6080 Highway 10; Case of Village Bank (Project #18-163)

The purpose of this case is to review a Sketch Plan submitted by Village Bank (the "Applicant") for 6080 Highway 10 NW (the "Subject Property") for a 14 lot residential subdivision. Sketch Plan Review is a high level review of a concept of a proposed development. This step affords the City to provide high level feedback, identify any red flags, and identify pending questions the City would like answered on a more formal review. This step is intentionally more abstract than detailed review. There are multiple steps before project approval. There are no approvals or entitlements provided with this step.

The applicant has proposed 50-foot wide, R-2 Detached Villa lots. The purpose of Sketch Plan is to provide the applicant high-level feedback and pertinent information to inform and expedite the Preliminary Plat process.  The the project would require a rezoning and a comprehensive plan amendment - both of which are discretionary actions, meaning the City Council has the right to approve or deny the request.

City Staff attempted to notify all property owners within 700 feet of the Subject Property of the request via U.S. mail and published a notice of sketch plan the Anoka Union Herald, the City's official newspaper for the March 7, 2019 Planning Commission meeting. The Planning Commission met on March 7, 2019 to discuss the sketch plan. 

Summary/Zoning
The Subject Property is located in the E-1 Employment, with a small portion in the R-1 Residential (MUSA) District (Single Family Detached Homes). The site is currently two separate parcels. The developer is proposing to rezone the property to R-2 Residential District (Detached Villas) and is proposing 50 foot wide lots with detached single family homes. The homes would be served by City utilities. Lot 1, Block 4 does not meet the minimum depth requirement for lots, which require 100 feet of depth for at least 60 feet. This lot will need to be removed.

Previous Proposal
The City saw a similar proposal in the past, which was halted due to the cost of removing the construction debris onsite. The applicant is proposing to remove all the debris with the construction of this project. A debris removal plan will be required with Preliminary Plat submittal. It is assumed that there are no hazardous materials. However, there is approximately an acre of disturbance as deep as 14 feet. The site was utilized as an unapproved landfill for construction materials. This material must be mitigated as part of the project.

Roads/Access
The applicant is proposing to extend Rivlyn Avenue which would terminate at a public cul-de-sac. The total cul-de-sac length would be approximately 950 feet, based on aerial photos. Staff would need this exact measurement with the submittal of the preliminary plat, and the Planning Commission would need to grant a variance to total cul-de-sac length in order for the project to move forward. The road would be a public road, and sidewalks will be required on at least one side of the road (which is not currently shown on the plan set). Staff will seek a Parks and Recreation recommendation on sidewalks. The applicant is not proposing access onto Highway 10, though the City Police Department has requested an emergency access from the north, potentially a trail with breakaway barriers.

Landscaping
The site will require density transitioning to the adjacent properties to the west, which are located in the R-1 Residential District. The site layout is challenging, so additional discussions are required. A tree preservation and a landscaping plan will be required with Preliminary Plat submittal. The density transitioning requirements will likely cause some of the lots to shift in order to meet the requirements. Staff has also requested landscaping along the northern edge of the property for the homes abutting the commercial properties to the north. Staff will need additional discussions with the Developer on this topic.

Planning Commission
The Planning Commission met on March 7, 2019 and discussed the sketch plan. Staff did receive verbal comments and input from residents at the meeting who felt it was appropriate to require density transitioning and felt more comfortable with 12 lots than 14. Residents also expressed concern over the private dock due to low water levels in that area, as well as increased foot traffic.

The Planning Commission recommended the City Council view the sketch plan and supported Staff's recommendation of moving forward to preliminary plat with increased landscaping, density transitioning, and a reduction of 2 lots. Based on the Planning Commission's feedback, the Applicant updated their proposed sketch plan to include density transitioning. Please see the attached plan set (original), updated plan set (includes density transitioning) and an overlay of the two plan sets.

All costs associated with processing the Application are the responsibility of the Applicant. There are no requests for financial assistance from the City at this time. However, given the amount of construction debris cleanup, the project is seeking cleanup funds from the State of Minnesota. This may require some sort of local match. These discussions will occur at future stages of the project.

Staff seeks broad policy direction on the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Amendment requirement. This is a discretionary action. Staff does not object to the project if the City desires to move forward, contingent upon compliance with Staff Review.

Staff seeks broad policy direction on the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Amendment requirement. This is a discretionary action. Staff does not object to the project if the City desires to move forward, contingent upon compliance with Staff Review.