Adopt Resolution #23-039 Approving Preliminary Plat and Final Plat for Lightbridge Academy

The City has received an application from Paul Otto, with Otto Associates, Engineers & Land Surveyors, Inc. (the "Applicant") for a Preliminary Plat, Final Plat, and Variance to the maximum impervious surfacing requirement in the Rum River Wild & Scenic Overlay District, on the property currently described as Outlots A and B, Rivers Bend 3rd Addition, except part of Ramsey Office Park (the "Subject Property"). The Subject Property does not currently have an address, but is generally located between St. Francis Boulevard (State Highway 47) and Xkimo Street NW, south of the Holiday Stationstore, and north of Ramsey Office Park.

It should be noted that the variance to hardcover was approved by the Planning Commission at their meeting on Thursday, January 25th, 2024. City Council will decide upon the Preliminary Plat and Final Plat in this case.

Staff attempted to notify property owners within 700 feet of the Subject Property, as reflected in the Anoka County Property Records, of the request and the Public Hearing held by the Planning Commission on January 25th, 2024. A notice of the Public Hearing was published in the Anoka County UnionHerald, the City's official newspaper. A proposed development sign was placed on the property.

Subject Property
The Subject Property is generally located between St. Francis Boulevard (State Highway 47) and Xkimo Street NW, south of the Holiday Stationstore, and north of Ramsey Office Park. The Subject Property is zoned B-2, Community Business District, on the newly-adopted zoning map, and is guided for commercial land use in the City's 2040 Comprehensive Plan. It is approximately 2.12 acres in size. Access to the lot will come from an existing curb cut onto Xkimo Street to the east. Surrounding properties to the north and south are similar in size and are also zoned and guided for commercial land uses. Properties to the west (across St. Francis Boulevard) and east (across Xkimo Street) are zoned and guided for low-density residential land use. In addition to the B-2 zoning designation for the entire Subject Property, a significant portion of the property is located within the Rum River Wild and Scenic Overlay District. With the adoption of the new zoning code, a formal Site Plan Review is not required for this case, as the Subject Property is not immediately adjacent to residential uses and the proposed use is classified as permitted. However, since the impervious surfacing regulations impact the site design, staff conducted a review of the site plan as it relates to impervious surfacing.  The proposed site plan is included in the attachments along with the preliminary grading, utility, and landscape plans.  

The Variance was approved by the Planning Commission at their meeting on Thursday, January 25th, 2024. The approved variance allows impervious surfacing on up to 52 percent of the entire lot, and up to 58 percent of the portion of the lot within the Rum River Wild and Scenic Overlay District.

Preliminary and Final Plat
The applicant proposes to plat two existing outlots into one buildable lot to accommodate a new commercial development intended for a daycare. The plat depicts several easements on the property, including the following:

• A 20-foot-wide utility easement for an existing sanitary sewer line, running west to east across the northern third of the Subject Property;
• A pedestrian trail easement that runs north to south along the west edge of the Subject Property;
• A restricted access easement along the west edge of the Subject Property to prevent access to St. Francis Boulevard (State Highway 47);
• Standard drainage and utility easements along all four sides of the Subject Property.

Alongside the proposed development, a shared-use trail will be constructed within the pedestrian trail easement along St. Francis Boulevard. It is anticipated that the City will construct the remaining segments to the north and south of the Subject Property to improve multimodal connectivity in the area. 

Alternatives
Alternative 1: Approve the Preliminary Plat and Final Plat, as recommended by Staff and Planning Commission.
Alternative 3: Approve the Preliminary Plat and Final Plat with modifications.
Alternative 4: Deny the Preliminary Plat and Final Plat, based on supporting findings of fact. 
 

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

At their meeting on January 25, 2024, the Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend the City Council to adopt #24-039, Approving a Preliminary Plat and Final Plat for Lightbridge Academy. At that same meeting, the Planning Commission unanimously voted to adopt Resolution #24-040, Approving a Variance to Impervious Surfacing Regulations in the Rum River Wild and Scenic Overlay District for Lightbridge Academy.

Motion to adopt Resolution #24-039, Approving a Preliminary Plat and Final Plat for Lightbridge Academy.