Adopt Resolution #24-060 Approving the Preliminary Plat of Harmony Farms for 57 Single-Family Lots Northeast of 167th Avenue NW and Nowthen Boulevard NW (US Home LLC/Lennar).

US Home LLC (Lennar) has submitted an application for Preliminary Plat of the undeveloped land directly south of Brookside Elementary School.  The property is zoned R-1A, a single-family zoning district with a minimum 80-foot wide lot and 10,000 square feet in area.  

The Planning Commission reviewed a sketch plan of the property in September 2023.  At that time, the proposed Zoning Code was in the final stages of review.  The Planning Commission recommended a proposed zoning map showing the R-1B district (65-foot lots) in this location and the applicant had prepared a sketch plan accordingly.  The City Council subsequently determined that the R-1A district would be a better fit for this site and then adopted the new Zoning Code and map in November.  The proposed plat has the same roadway configuration as the sketch plan, but has been revised to show the R-1A (80-foot) lots.    

Mailed notices were sent to property owners within 700 feet of the site.  A notice was placed in the February 9, 2024, Anoka Union Herald Newspaper legal section.  A "proposed development" sign was placed on the property.    

Lots
The proposed plat contains 57 detached single-family lots, all of which meet the minimum areas and widths of the R1-A zoning district (80-foot width and 10,000 square feet in area).  The density of the site is 2.50 units/acre.  The proposed subdivision is short of the 3.0-4.0 units/acre density required by the Comprehensive Plan.  In discussing the situation with our Sector Representative, the Metropolitan Council looks at the aggregate density of all developments in the community in a given year.  With anticipated townhome and multi-family projects this year, the proposed density is not an issue.  

Roadways
The plat dedicates a network of local roadways.  Access to the site will be in two locations.  The western access to Nowthen Boulevard NW, 168th Avenue NW, is shown as a right-in-right-out per Anoka County's spacing guidelines.  A right turn lane will be constructed on Nowthen Boulevard.  The southern access will be constructed across a City-owned outlot that was dedicated with the previous plat of Harmony Farms in 1997 that was intended to be a future roadway.  This roadway, Coquina St. NW, is opposite existing Coquina St. south of 167th Avenue.  This connection provides full movement access to the site as needed by the public safety departments.  Across the outlot, the applicant is proposing to construct the roadway as a rural section road as essentially a temporary roadway.  The adjacent property owners have not indicated a desire to subdivide at this time, so sanitary sewer and utility services will necessitate digging up this roadway in the future should those subdivisions occur.  

All of the internal local roadways are shown at the standard 32-foot widths within standard 60-foot rights-of-way.  The proposed street names follow the Anoka County naming system, with two required adjustments: Ebony Lane should be Street and the northern 168th Avenue should be Lane.  

At the northeast corner of the site, 168th Lane is stubbed to provide a connection to the property to the east should that landowner decide to subdivide someday.  This connection point would make a convenient pedestrian connection to Brookside Elementary School and for the potential ability to severe it with existing utilities (other properties along Zirconium Street will need sanitary sewer extended from the southeast which is several years away).  

Pedestrian Connections
All the internal roadways will have a sidewalk on one side of the street per City standards.  The site is within the required walking distance of Brookside Elementary School.  A cut-through walkway is proposed to provide a direct pedestrian connection to the school.  The applicant is working with the School District on construction logistics.  

No pedestrian connection is shown to Nowthen Boulevard, however, because there is no trail or sidewalk along the east side of the roadway.  There is a trail along the west side of Nowthen Boulevard, though crossing Nowthen Boulevard to get to it from 168th Avenue is not advised due to the speed of the roadway and the presence of a ditch between the trail and roadway.  When the Coquina Street connection is reconstructed from a temporary design to a permanent design, it will include a sidewalk.  

Grading and Drainage
There is a small area of wetland in the central portion of the south end of the site.  No impacts to the wetland are proposed and the required buffers will be in place.  Just northwest of the wetland will be the storm water basin for the site.  The storm water plan will be reviewed by the Lower Rum River Watershed as part of the typical process.  Slight adjustments may be required after their review, which is after City Council review of the preliminary plat.  

The site is being graded to accommodate split-entry or split-entry/walk-out house pads.  

Utilities
The site is within the MUSA and municipal sanitary sewer and water lines will be installed.  Water will be looped through the Coquina Street connection to the water main along 167th Avenue to provide adequate pressure.  Sanitary sewer, however, will not be extended under the temporary Coquina Street roadway.  It will need to be extended in the future should the adjacent property owners decide to subdivide.  Both water and sanitary sewer will be extended to the east end of the site via 168th Lane to provide extension to the eastern property should that owner decide to subdivide in the future.  

Landscaping and Screening
From the EPB's report for February 12, it was noted the only existing trees on the site are along the northern boundary and adjacent to the wetland in the southern portion of the site.  The proposed tree removal exceeds the removal threshold (allowed to remove up to sixty percent [60%] of the significant tree DBH inches; this project is proposing to remove seventy-six percent [76%] of existing significant tree DBH inches).  This requires reforestation of at least 331 inches of newly planted trees.  The Landscape Plan includes 500 inches of new trees, which does satisfy the reforestation requirement. Landscape Plan The Landscape Plan provides a minimum of two (2) trees per lot, with the lots abutting Nowthen Boulevard and some of the lots abutting the elementary school parcel having additional plantings in the rear yards.  Additionally, there are extra trees proposed in the rear yards that back up to the proposed storm water basins.  There is a healthy mix of deciduous and evergreen trees with no genus constituting more than twenty percent (20%) of the overall plantings.  All species and sizes are acceptable.  The Planting Schedule indicates that some trees will be three (3) inches in size at the time of planting.  The total proposed inches being planted should be updated, as it was based on all trees being 2.5 inches (meaning the reforestation is actually higher than the proposed 500 inches).  Staff has also recommended that fencing, in addition to the proposed plantings, be installed now on the lots backing up to Nowthen Boulevard to assist with screening and possible noise reduction.  

Park Dedication
Park dedication is required with this plat.  Cash in lieu of land is recommended as adjacent Brookside Elementary School serves the park function for the area.  
 

All costs associated with the development are the responsibility of the applicant, including costs of constructing the Coquina Street connection and the Nowthen Boulevard access.  

At its meeting on February 22, the Planning Commission recommended approval of the preliminary plat with the conditions that are listed in the attached resolution.  

Motion to adopt Resolution #24-060 for the Preliminary Plat of Harmony Farms.