Consider the Natural Resources Aspects of a Preliminary Plat for Riverstone South 6th Addition (Project No. 24-127); Case of Development Consulting Services, LLC

The City has received an application from Development Consulting Services, LLC (the "Applicant") for a Preliminary Plat for Riverstone South 6th Addition, a proposed single family residential development to be located on Outlot C, Riverstone South (the "Subject Property").  The Subject Property is located south of Riverdale Drive, between 148th Avenue and Pearson Street.  Revised plans have been received, but have yet to be fully reviewed.  The attached plan sheets with Staff's comments represent what was reviewed at the time of the writing of this case.  It is possible that additional comments will be added before the review is complete.

Project Overview
The Applicant is proposing a residential development of fourteen (14) single family residential lots that will be accessed by the extension of 147th Avenue to the west and north.  There will also be an outlot abutting Riverdale Drive that will be owned and maintained by the Riverstone South Home Owners Association.  The extension of 147th Avenue terminates in a cul-de-sac rather than connecting to Riverdale Drive, due to spacing concerns (from 148th Avenue and Pearson Street), the fact that Riverdale Drive is an MSA road (designed to carry higher volumes of traffic than a standard local road and oftentimes have a higher speed limit than a standard local road), and that the intersection, if the roads connected, would be on a curve along Riverdale Drive.  All lots will be served by municipal water and sanitary sewer.  

Subject Property Information
The Subject Property is approximately 6.16 acres in size.  It is zoned R1-B and is guided as Low Density Residential in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.  The R1-B district requires a minimum lot size of 6,500 square feet and a minimum lot width of sixty-five (65) feet.  Additionally, each lot is required to have a minimum of forty-five (45) feet of frontage along a public road.  Surrounding parcels to the west are zoned R1-B and P (Parks and Open Space), the land south of the Subject Property is zoned as P (Parks and Open Space), and the parcels to the east are zoned R1-C.  The land north of Riverdale Drive is zoned B-2 (Community Business District).  The Subject Property also falls within the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area (MRCCA), and thus, it must comply with those standards as well.

Natural Resources Summary
The City's Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) does identify a low-quality native plant community in the southern part of the Subject Property.  There is also an Altered/Non-Native plant community found in the central portion of the Subject Property.  Per the Minnesota Land Cover Classification System (MLCCS), the Subject Property is categorized as upland forest (southern part of property), dry grassland (central portion of property), and planted or cultivated vegetation (northern part of property).  Much of the upland forest area will be protected (discussed more under Tree Inventory and Preservation), with the bulk of the disturbance occurring outside the native plant community.  There are no wetlands or floodplain on the Subject Property.

As previously noted, the Subject Property is within the MRRCA, which has additional standards.  However, the Subject Property is in the 'Separated from River' district (it is not actually on the banks of the river), which, for the most part, defers to the underlying zoning district standards.  However, the project will have to comply with the vegetation management standards of the MRRCA, as the upland forest is also designated as a Significant Existing Vegetative Stand.  This upland forest is part of a larger, connected woodland on a parcel that is owned by the City.  So, while a small portion of the upland forest will be removed to accommodate the proposed development, the remaining stand will still provide wildlife habitat and serve as an important wildlife corridor.  Staff has forwarded the plans to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for review and comment.  As of the writing of this case, Staff has not received a response.

Tree Inventory and Preservation Plan
The submittal does include a Tree Inventory and Preservation Plan.  The site is dominated by bur oak, but also includes white oak, American elm, red cedar, and some Siberian Elm (invasive).  Approximately forty-six percent (46%) of the existing diameter at breast height (DBH) inches will be preserved, which satisfies the tree preservation standards.  However, some of the removal work involves oaks.  Therefore, in an attempt to minimize the potential introduction of oak wilt into the area, any clearing work involving oaks needs to be done before April 15 or after July 15.

Landscape Plan
The Landscape Plan includes plantings within the boulevard, on the outlot along Riverdale Drive, and in the rear yards of a few of the lots.  All proposed species and sizes are acceptable.  The Applicant is proposing a six (6) foot tall vinyl privacy fence that parallels Riverdale, consistent with what was installed further east along Riverdale Drive (still within Riverstone South).  The Landscape Plan calls for portions of the outlot to be sodded with other portions being seeded with a native seed mix.  Staff is recommending that the ground cover between the privacy fence and the existing trail be turf grass rather than a native seed mix.  This will be more consistent with the established landscape to the east (installed with earlier additions of Riverstone South).  Additionally, a native seed mix is also being proposed in the rear yards of Lots 9 and 10.  Again, Staff is recommending that these areas be finished with sod.

The Applicant is providing some trees along the western boundary of the plat (rear yards of Lots 9 & 10, as well as part of Outlot A) to offer some screening for the existing home to the west (although it is zoned the same, so no screening or density transitioning is required).  Staff has suggested that some of the rear yard plantings be moved into the boulevard area to create a more consistent spacing of street trees.  Otherwise, the Landscape Plan is generally acceptable.



 

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

Staff recommends approving the plans contingent upon compliance with Staff's review comments.

Motion to recommend approval of the plans, contingent upon compliance with Staff's review comments.