Consider Site Plan for Delta ModTech (Project #19-108); Case of Delta ModTech

The purpose of this case is to review a Site Plan for a large industrial buliding approximately 186,000 square feet in size which would contain 50,000 square feet of office space and 136,000 square feet of warehouse space. 

A future expansion would consist of an additional 20,000 square feet of office space and an additional 68,000 square feet of warehouse space.  Future expansion would require future site plan approval.
 

Letters were sent as notice of this review via Standard US Mail to all Property Owners within 700 feet of the Property. The Property Owner List was generated by the Anoka County Tax Database. The Public Hearing Notice was also published in the Anoka County Union Herald.
 

The subject property is approximately 87 acres and is privately owned. The applicant is considering a large industrial building, approximately 136,000 square feet with 50,000 square feet of office space on approximately 20 acres of the Subject Property. The site is zoned E-3 and guided for business park in our comprehensive plan update (2040). The current Developer/Buyer plans to purchase approximately 43 acres of the overall site.

The Applicant has requested Site Plan Review by the City.  The Final Plat request will go directly to the City Council.  It should be noted that during Staff's review of the submitted site plan it was identified that as proposed there is not adequate setback from an adjacent residential property to the west (setback to adjacent residential neighborhoods). There is a single parcel/home adjacent to the site. The City has requirements for buffering and distance between an industrial building and a residential home (southwest of the proposed building on the corner of Puma and Bunker). The Applicant will need to either amend the site plan to adhere to the required 60 foot buffer (site plan currently shows 40 feet) or apply for a variance to that requirement which would require an additional public hearing at a future Planning Commission meeting. However, the adjacent parcel has been discussed as a potential Zoning Amendment to E-3 Employment, consistent with surrounding properties. The City Council excluded this parcel from the original Zoning Amendment to allow that Property Owner more time to evaluate and provide a request to the City. Said request has not yet been received. It would be appropriate to reconsider this adjacent parcel for Zoning Amendment to E-3 Employment, negating the need for a Variance on this parcel.

With the exception of the buffer yard standard the site plan as proposed appears to adhere to the City's bulk standards for the E-3 Employment District.

Alternatives:

Alternative 1: Recommend approval of the requested Site Plan for Detla ModTech contingent upon Staff Review.  Staff will work with the Applicant on whether or not a variance will be pursued or the site plan adjusted to achieve the 60 foot buffer yard requirement. Staff is supportive of Alternative 1.

Alternative 2: Table the request until the 60 foot buffer yard issue is resolved and updated plans can be brought before the Planning Commission.  It is Staffs opinion that we can work with the Applicant to resolve the issue which will result in the site plan shifting or the application for a variance which would ultimately trigger review by the Planning Commission.

Alternative 3: Recommend denial of the requested site plan for Detla ModTech due to the nonconformance to the buffer yard setback.  Again as stated Staff believes this issue to be one that can be resolved. Staff does not support this alternative.

All costs associated with processing the Application are the responsibility of the Applicant/Developer. The Developer is responsible for standard Development Fees.

The Applicant has requested assistance for the project in the form of Tax Increment Financing (TIF). The City Council has scheduled a public hearing to review that requst.
 

Staff recommends approval of the site plan contingent upon compliance with the 60 foot residential buffer yard setback either through a revised site plan or through a variance as well as overall compliance with Staff Review comments.
 

Motion to recommend approval of the site plan contingent upon compliance with the 60 foot residential buffer yard setback either through a revised site plan or through a variance as well as overall compliance with Staff Review comments.