Consider Natural Resources Aspects of Proposed Site Plan and Plat for Bunker Lake Industrial Park (Project No. 23-106); Case of PSD, LLC

The City has received an application from PSD, LLC (the "Applicant") for a Site Plan and Plat for the remaining land in Bunker Lake Industrial Park (BLIP), located south of Bunker Lake Boulevard and east of Puma Street (the "Subject Property").

Project Overview
The Applicant is proposing to plat the Subject Property into two (2) parcels and construct an 84,000 square foot building on the western parcel (this would be BLIP building 5) this year.  The intention would be to construct buildings 6 & 7 in the next 1-2 years, which would complete the buildout of Bunker Lake Industrial Park.  Buildings 6 & 7 would each be approximately 71,000 square feet in size, at least conceptually (they are future builds).  There will be four (4) access points off of Bunker Lake Boulevard and an access off of the cul-de-sac on 147th Lane.  The accesses off of Bunker Lake Boulevard will generally keep truck traffic separate from vehicle traffic.

Natural Resources Inventory and Minnesota Land Cover Classification System
The City's Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) does not identify any native plant communities within the Subject Property.  The land cover is categorized as Dry Grassland according to the Minnesota Land Cover Classification System (MLCCS).  There are very few existing trees on the Subject Property and those that are present will be preserved (along the western edge of the property).

Wetlands and Floodplain
According to the National Wetland Inventory (NWI), there are no wetlands present.  Similarly, there are no designated floodplains on the Subject Property either.

Tree Inventory and Preservation Plan
There are seventeen (17) young trees on the Subject Property, all along the western boundary.  All of these trees will be preserved.  However, as part of the original mass grading of the Bunker Lake Industrial Park, all existing trees were removed.  Staff has been tracking the replacement (reforestation) plantings as the BLIP land has been developed, to determine compliance with the tree preservation standards.  A total of 2,528 caliper inches of newly planted trees is required over the entirety of the BLIP land.  The Applicant did donate a significant number of smaller red cedar trees to the Anoka Conservation District for use in bank stabilization efforts along the Rum River, which Staff agreed to credit toward the reforestation requirements.  Thus, 1,996 caliper inches of reforestation were required across the entire BLIP site.  The landscaping installed with BLIP buildings 1-4 included 848 caliper inches of new trees (plus 799 shrubs).  The remaining 'balance' of caliper inches required (to satisfy tree preservation standards) over the remaining BLIP land is 1,148.  As part of this current project, fifty-three inches (53") of existing trees are being preserved and 332 caliper inches will be planted (along with another 431 shrubs), bringing the total caliper inches of reforestation still required down to 763 (1,148 - 53 = 1,095; 1,095 - 332 = 763").  This is the equivalent of still another 305 additional trees (assuming 2.5" caliper trees) or a payment of $95,375 (763" x $125).  There is not space, even over the full forty-five (45) acres of BLIP, to accommodate 305 additional trees.  The Applicant does own the land to the east, between 14799 Jackal Street and Armstrong Boulevard, and has indicated that another industrial development is in the planning stages (would be BLIP building 8).  While not part of the original BLIP industrial park, this land abuts BLIP, and it would be reasonable to allow landscaping for that site to count toward the reforestation standards, should that be of interest to the Applicant.

Landscape Plan
The submittal does include a Landscape Plan not only for Lot 1, where building 5 will be constructed, but also for Lot 2 as well (not currently slated for building improvements).  The proposed species are generally acceptable and the proposed plantings meet the canopy cover requirements for the E-3 Employment District.

The property does abut existing residential homes along the western boundary of the plat and thus, a bufferyard is required.  However, in the early stages of both BLIP and Riverstone North, the Applicant worked with Capstone (developer of Riverstone North) to proactively account for future industrial development by providing not only the space for the berm, but the material as well.  The Site Plan does provide the required bufferyard width of sixty (60) feet and, in fact, provides much greater separation as there is a stormwater pond near the western boundary as well.  Thus, there is about 150 feet separating the boundary of residential from the parking and maneuvering area of building 5. 

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

Motion to recommend approval of the natural resources aspects of the proposed plat and site plan, contingent upon compliance with Staff's review comments.