Adopt Resolution #25-003 Approving the Preliminary Plat for Emerald Estates, a Single Family Residential Development Located on 181st Avenue, West of Xenolith Street (Project No. 24-123); Case of Landform Professional Services, LLC

The City has received a Land Use Application from Landform Professional Services, LLC (the "Applicant") for a proposed Preliminary Plat of thirteen single family residential lots located along 181st Avenue, west of Xenolith Street (the "Subject Property").

Staff attempted to notify property owners within 700 feet of the Subject Property, as reflected in the Anoka County Property Records, of the request for Preliminary Plat review by the Planning Commission on December 19, 2024.  A "proposed development" sign was placed on the Subject Property and a notice was also published in the Anoka County Union Herald Newspaper.  

General Project Overview
The Subject Property is approximately 35.93 acres in size.  The owners of the Subject Property (the "Property Owners") also own the forty (40) acre parcel west of the Subject Property.  However, that parcel is not subject to this Land Use Application.  The Applicant is proposing to plat the Subject Property into thirteen (13), single family residential lots along the south side of 181st Avenue.  Each lot will be served by a private well and septic system and each lot will have direct access on to 181st Avenue.  There are no roads proposed to be constructed.  The Applicant has provided a memorandum, which is attached to this case, outlining why they have opted not to incorporate a service road or cul-de-sac into the project in an attempt to reduce the number of direct accesses to 181st Avenue (as had been requested by the Planning Commission as part of their review of the Sketch Plan).  Individual stormwater basins are proposed for each lot, rather than a single, larger pond for the overall development (this results in less land disturbance, but will require individual Stormwater Maintenance Agreements to be recorded against each of the lots).

Zoning and Guidance
The Subject Property is zoned Rural Residential and is guided as Rural Developing in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.  The Rural Residential zoning district requires a minimum lot size of 2.5 acres and a minimum lot width of 200 feet.  Each of the proposed lots meets or exceeds these standards.  Staff has requested an exhibit to verify that Lots 12 and 13 meet the buildability standard (a 60-foot by 100-foot area that excludes wetland, wetland setback, Floodway, and/or steep slopes). 

The surrounding parcels to the east, west, and south are all zoned Rural Residential and are all guided as Rural Developing in the Comprehensive Plan as well.  181st Avenue represents the border between Ramsey and Nowthen, so the parcels north of the Subject Property are located in the city of Nowthen.  Surrounding parcels range in size from about 4.8 acres to about 40 acres (this parcel is also owned by the Property Owners, but is not a part of this application).

Streets and Access
The Preliminary Plat essentially mirrors the Sketch Plan that the Planning Commission previously reviewed, including no new proposed roads.  Each lot would have a driveway directly to 181st Avenue.  The Applicant has included a driveway bump-out or turn-around for each driveway, so that rather than backing out on to 181st Avenue, one can easily turn their vehicle around and pull forward on to 181st Avenue.  The Applicant has provided a narrative/memorandum supporting the layout as proposed rather than incorporating a service road or cul-de-sac to reduce the number of direct accesses onto 181st Avenue.  The narrative states, among other things, that a covenant will be filed against each lot requiring a driveway turn-around.  Furthermore, while the City of Ramsey and Anoka County do not have driveway spacing standards, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) does have an Access Management Manual, which includes driveway spacing recommendations based on the type of roadway and speed limit.  181st Avenue, also known as County Road 64, is categorized as a Type 2 Rural Road and has a posted speed limit of 55 miles per hour.  Based on this data, the MnDOT Access Management Manual recommends a minimum spacing of 100 feet between driveways, which this plan meets and, in some cases, even exceeds.

The Applicant has modified the driveway configuration for Lot 7 after the review of the Sketch Plan. It was noted that this driveway curved on to Lot 8 to avoid the wetland and wetland setback area.  However, the configuration has been modified now so that it stays outside the wetland and wetland setback to the west and provides a five (5) foot driveway setback along the eastern boundary.

Staff forwarded the Preliminary Plat submittal, including the memorandum/narrative addressing the driveways, to the Anoka County Highway Department (ACHD) for review and comment.  Their review comments, from both the Sketch Plan and Preliminary Plat, have been attached to this case for reference.  

The existing conditions, from Armstrong Boulevard to just west of the Subject Property, are similar to what is proposed.  There are presently thirteen (13) homes having driveways directly onto 181st Avenue (between Xenolith Street and Armstrong Boulevard).  So, Staff looked at the existing MnDOT crash data and the Average Daily Trips (ADT) for this stretch of 181st Avenue to see if there was any sort of pattern of safety concerns.  The most current ADT information for 181st Avenue is from 2022, and is 3,096 vehicles per day, which is fairly low for a county highway (for comparison, the ADT of Nowthen Boulevard, at the intersection with 181st Avenue, is 7,302).  The available crash data from MnDOT's Crash Mapping Analysis Tool shows that there have been six (6) accidents on 181st Avenue, between Armstrong Boulevard and Xenolith Street, dating back to 2017.  Five (5) of those were single-car accidents resulting from either hitting an animal or sliding off the road due to wet/slippery conditions.  In the past seven years, there's only been one accident that involved multiple vehicles on 181st Avenue.  

Natural Resources
The Subject Property is heavily wooded and nearly half of it consists of wetland.  There are some areas designated as floodplain as well (although the vast majority of floodplain is contained within wetlands, and there are no proposed impacts to wetlands).  The submittal includes both a Tree Inventory and a Landscape Plan.  More information is needed regarding the Tree Inventory, as noted in the review comments in ProjectDox (and attached to this case).  However, due to the amount of tree cover and the fact that the Applicant intends for each lot to be custom designed and built, it appears that this project will comply with the tree preservation standards.

Existing vegetation may satisfy the planting requirement for most, if not all, lots.  But, since the Tree Inventory lacks certain information (such as which trees are slated for removal and preservation), Staff requested a Landscape Plan be submitted.  However, it is clear that minor revisions will be needed (e.g. the Plant Schedule includes Black Ash, but with the destruction that Emerald Ash Borer [EAB] is causing, no species of ash will receive credit towards the planting requirements). 

The Environmental Policy Board reviewed the natural resources aspects of this project at their December 16, 2024, meeting and recommended approval, contingent upon compliance with Staff's review comments.

The Planning Commission held a Public Hearing at their December 19, 2024, meeting.  One resident spoke on the project, and his comments focused primarily on concerns about potential degradation of the natural features (wetlands) resulting from development.  By a 4-1 vote, the Planning Commission recommended approval of the Preliminary Plat, contingent upon compliance with Staff's review comments.  The opposing vote was cast due to safety concerns about adding thirteen (13) driveways directly on to 181st Avenue.

Alternatives

Alternative 1: Motion to adopt Resolution #25-003 approving the Preliminary Plat for Emerald Estates, contingent upon compliance with Staff's review comments.  All thirteen (13) lots meet the bulk standards for the Rural Residential District.  As proposed, there will not be any direct impacts on wetlands and floodplain areas, and tree loss should also be fairly minimal (since each lot will be custom designed and built).  The Applicant has provided a reasonable option (driveway turn-arounds) to address the safety concerns raised by ACHD.  Furthermore, if a road of any sort were required, it would result in greater impacts on existing natural resources, including additional tree loss and likely wetland impacts as well.  Staff supports this alternative.

Alternative 2: Motion to adopt Resolution #25-003 approving the Preliminary Plat for Emerald Estates, with modifications identified and specified by City Council.

Alternative 3: Do not approve the Preliminary Plat for Emerald Estates based on specific findings.  The lots meet the bulk standards for the zoning district and this configuration appears to have the least impact on natural resources on the Subject Property.  Staff does not support this alternative. 



 

The Applicant is responsible for all costs associated with this application.

The Planning Commission recommended City Council approve the Preliminary Plat (4-1 vote).

Motion to adopt Resolution #25-003 approving the Preliminary Plat for Emerald Estates.