Joe Ellingson with DSGW Architects (the "Applicant") has submitted a Land Use Application on behalf of Garage RE LLC/Take 5 Oil Change (the "Permittee") for the development of a 1.16-acre parcel in the COR, bounded by Armstrong Boulevard to the west, ALDI to the north, and buildings and driveways within Northstar Marketplace to the south and east. The project will consist of an 1,860 square foot retail building with three drive-through bays for quick-service oil changes. Additional site improvements include 12 parking stalls for Take 5's building, 19 parking stalls along Northstar Marketplace (along the former alignment of Sunwood Drive), and sidewalks to connect pedestrians to ALDI, Northstar Marketplace, and Sunwood Drive. In order to accommodate the proposed development, the Applicant is requesting a Conditional Use Permit for a Motor Fuel Station in the COR-2b Zoning District. It should be noted that while no gasoline or diesel will be available for sale at this location, Ramsey City Code's definition of Motor Fuel Stations includes motor oil sales.

Staff attempted to notify property owners within 350 feet of the Subject Property, as reflected in the Anoka County Property Records, of the request and the Public Hearing to be held by the Planning Commission. 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 along the shared driveway into Northstar Marketplace.

Subject Property
The Subject Property, 7990 Sunwood Drive NW, is located in the COR, bounded by Armstrong Boulevard to the west, ALDI to the north, and buildings and driveways within Northstar Marketplace to the south and east. The Subject Property is currently zoned COR-2b. It is guided for Mixed-Use in the City's 2040 Comprehensive Plan, and is approximately 1.16 acres in size. Surrounding properties are also guided for Mixed-Use.

Site Plan
The proposed building has a footprint of 1,860 square feet, and is parallel to Sunwood Drive and the north-south entrance to Northstar Marketplace. Due to the slope of Armstrong Boulevard, and the location of the proposed Take 5 building, the build-to line requirement cannot be met as stated in the COR Framework. The proposed development has 3.68 percent building coverage and 38.56 percent hard surfacing coverage (including pavement, sidewalks, and the trash enclosure) on the lot, resulting in 42.24 percent impervious surfacing coverage on the lot. Other developments of this scale in the COR have similar percentages.

The building is designed to have the main pedestrian entrance in the northwest corner of the building, facing the parking lot. Additionally, three vehicular entrances for customers will be located along the west side of the building (facing Armstrong Boulevard), with the exits located on the east side of the building. A one-way driveway will facilitate vehicular traffic into and out of the building in a west-to-east pattern, with 61 feet of stacking space for vehicles waiting for service. Vehicular access to the Subject Property will come from two driveways: a shared driveway into the ALDI parking lot to the north, and a shared driveway onto the north-south driveway into Northstar Marketplace at the southeast corner of the lot, which then connects to Sunwood Drive. There will also be a bypass lane constructed along the south side of the building.

Minimum parking requirements for the site include 3 stalls per service bay (3 bays total), and 1 stall per employee (a maximum of 5 employees per shift), resulting in a total parking requirement of 14 parking stalls. 12 stalls will be located in a standalone parking lot northwest of the proposed building. Additionally, the Applicant will be constructing a driveway and 19 parking stalls within the former footprint of Sunwood Drive, paralleling the Northstar Marketplace buildings to the south. These parking stalls will help the Applicant satisfy their parking requirements for Take 5 and satisfy requirements in the Purchase Agreement. It is anticipated by both City Staff and the developer that some of the external parking stalls will be shared throughout the day, as is common in mixed-use developments.

The proposed use only takes up approximally half of the site.  The applicant provided a concept plan to show how another user could occupy the western portion of the site.  The other user will come forward for land use approvals with more detailed plans as it is identified.  

Architecture and Building Elevations
The building's exterior will consist of exterior insulated finishing system (EIFS) in shades of red, gray, and tan, a brick veneer, and storefront window-style overhead garage doors. The building's design minimizes blank wall space, as mentioned in the COR Framework. The trash enclosure will be west of the building, facing west toward the internal shared driveway, and will be wrapped in brick veneer on three sides, and will have a solid metal gate on the fourth side.

Signage
The following signs are proposed to be installed on the building and site:

• A 30-square-foot sign mounted on the ALDI pylon sign at the corner of Armstrong Boulevard and Ramsey Parkway/Sunwood Drive;
• Two directional signs (one showing "Enter", and one showing "Exit Only") near each respective driveway on the site, each measuring 4 square feet per sign face and 3.33 feet in height;
• Solid illuminated panels with the "Take 5" logo on the west and east sides of the building, each measuring 26.19 square feet in area;
• Channelized letters that say "OIL CHANGE - STAY IN YOUR CAR" on the west and east sides of the building, each measuring 47.59 square feet in area;
• Channelized letters that say "OIL CHANGE" on the north and south sides of the building, each measuring 17.91 square feet in area.

The total proposed signage is 183.38 square feet for wall signage, divided between 6 total signs, and 60 square feet of display area on the pylon sign.  Signage specs from the Coon Rapids location is attached to the Architectural Plan Set in this staff report, and the Applicant has expressed their intent to use the same signage design for Ramsey's location. It is recommended that the proposed sign package be approved with the Conditional Use Permit.

Landscape Plan
As noted in the Environmental Policy Board's (EPB) staff report from June 17th, the COR Design Framework emphasizes the streetscape over internal plantings.  However, as previously noted, the Subject Property does not have any frontage along Sunwood Drive.  The Applicant still included a Landscape Plan, which does include a nice mix of evergreens and deciduous trees and shrubs.  All species are acceptable and meet the minimum size requirements.  The Landscape Plan also includes turfed areas both east and south of the building. 

Lighting Plan
Section 106-310 of City Code provides lighting regulations for all developments in the City. All photometric readings will measure less than 0.5 footcandles at the property line and will measure at least 1.0 footcandle throughout the parking lot in compliance with City Code.  The lighting plan includes a mix of freestanding and wall-mounted light fixtures to illuminate the site. All lighting will be downcast and shielded. 

Utilities
The building will be connected to municipal water and sewer via stubs along the south edge of the property. The site will tie into an existing storm sewer pipe that crosses the property and dumps into a pond behind Northstar Marketplace's southwest building.

Additional Considerations
An additional component of the Applicant's request involves vacating part of a drainage and utility easement along the south property line to accommodate the building footprint. This easement vacation request will be brought directly to City Council on July 9 in accordance with Section 106-260 of Ramsey City Code.

Also, it should be noted that the west half of the lot will remain undeveloped for now, though the Applicant submitted a conceptual site plan to show a future commercial use on that part of the lot. That conceptual use is not included in this request, and any development on the west half of the lot would have to be reviewed and approved by Planning Commission and City Council.

Alternatives
Alternative 1: Recommend approval of the Conditional Use Permit, as recommended by Staff.
Alternative 2: Recommend approval of the Conditional Use Permit with modifications based on discussion.
Alternative 3: Recommend denial of the Conditional Use Permit, based on supported findings of fact.

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

The property is City-owned and the Applicant would be purchasing the property.  Development fees will be calculated at the time of Development Agreement.

Staff recommends approval of the Conditional Use Permit.

Motion to recommend the City Council approve Resolution #24-166, Approving a Conditional Use Permit for a Motor Fuel Station in the COR-2b Zoning District at 7990 Sunwood Dr NW.