Review Natural Resources Aspects of a Proposed Site Plan for Oppidan Holdings LLC (Project No. 21-104)

The City has received a Preliminary Plat and Site Plan application for the construction of three (3) new industrial buildings located on the north side of Bunker Lake Boulevard at the intersection with Jackal Street (the "Subject Property").  The Subject Property is zoned E-3 Employment District and is approximately 43.50 acres.  The project would split the Subject Property into three (3) buildable lots and an outlot.  Lots 1 and 2 would each have a building footprint approximately 147,000 square feet in size and Lot 3 would have a building footprint of approximately 111,300 square feet.  The project is being reviewed as a single project rather than three separate reviews (one per parcel).

Natural Resources Inventory

The Subject Property is classified as being dry grassland and wetland shrubland in the Minnesota Land Cover Classification System (MLCCS).  The City's Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) identifies the wetland shrubland areas as having some natives species present in an altered non-native plant community.  The project is proposing to plat the northern portion, including the wetland shrubland area, as an outlot without any disturbance.  This area is also part of the Lake Itasca Greenway Corridor that traverses from The COR northwest to Lake Itasca.  

Tree Inventory and Preservation Plan

The majority of the Subject Property is dry grassland.  Outside of the area being platted as outlot, there are very few trees (3 that meet the definition of significant tree).  These trees will be removed.  However, the existing tree cover in the northern portion of the Subject Property will be undisturbed and preserved.

Wetlands and Floodplains

There are no designated floodplains on the Subject Property.  As previously noted, there is wetland in the northern portion of the Subject Property.  A delineation has been completed.  The final plat will need to include drainage and utility easements that extend out at least a sixteen and a half foot (16.5') beyond that delineated edge.

Landscape Plan

The submittal does include a Landscape Plan that appears to conform with the current planting requirements of the E-3 Employment District.  There is a heavy emphasis on plantings viewable from the public street, and a mix of shrubs and trees within and adjacent to the parking areas.  There is a good mix of evergreens and deciduous trees proposed and a sufficient variety of plants overall.  Several minor revisions have been identified, including updating minimum shrub size and adding a couple notes related to the irrigation system and topsoil.

Bufferyard 

North of the Subject Property is an existing single family residential neighborhood.  Per the per standards of the E-3 District, a sixty foot (60') wide bufferyard with additional plantings is required.  The project is proposing a bufferyard width of over 300 feet along the northern lot line (even more in the western half, where there will be storm water ponds creating even more separation).  While much of this bufferyard is wetland, there is also existing tree cover scattered throughout this corridor as well.  There also appears to be decent tree cover in the rear yards of the existing residential neighborhood.  The Landscape Plan does include some plantings between the storm water ponds and the wetlands.  Considering the fact that the proposed bufferyard is at least five (5) times the required width, Staff believes that the existing tree cover and proposed plantings satisfy the bufferyard requirement. 

All costs associated with this request are the Applicant's responsibility.

Motion to recommend approval of the Landscape Plan for Oppidan Holdings LLC.