Adopt Resolution #25-107, Approving a Preliminary and Final Plat for Bunker Lake Crossing at the northeast corner of Sunwood Drive and Armstrong Boulevard

The City of Ramsey received an application from Capital Real Estate, Inc. (the "Applicant") requesting Preliminary and Final Plat approval for a three-lot subdivision on the property generally located on the east side of Armstrong Boulevard, between Bunker Lake Bouelvard and Sunwood Drive, and legally described as Outlot D, Waterfront Village, Anoka County, Minnesota (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 and the Public Hearing held by the Planning Commission on May 22, 2025. A notice of the Public Hearing was published in the Anoka County Union Herald, the City's official newspaper. A "proposed development" sign was placed on the property.

Subject Property
The Subject Property is a 7.46-acre outlot that was last platted as part of the Waterfront Village development. It is generally located along the east side of Armstrong Boulevard, between Bunker Lake Boulevard and Sunwood Drive. The Subject Property is zoned COR-2b, Commercial Subdistrict.  Properties to the east (in the Waterfront Village neighborhood) are zoned COR-4b, Neighborhood Subdistrict. Properties to the west (across Armstrong Bouelvard) are zoned B-2, Community Business District. Properties to the south (across Sunwood Drive) are also zoned COR-2b. The Subject Property and all surrounding properties are guided for Mixed Use in the City's 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

Preliminary Plat
The proposed Preliminary Plat consists of three buildable lots oriented along Armstrong Boulevard and one outlot for an existing wetland. The Preliminary Plat depicts several easements on the property, including the following:

• A 32-foot-wide drainage and utility easement along Armstrong Boulevard on the west side of the plat and along Sunwood Drive on the south side of the plat (this was widened from the original 30 feet to accommodate an existing storm sewer pipe);
• A 10-foot-wide drainage and utility easement to follow the private access road along the east side of the three buildable lots, co-located with proposed water and sewer lines to serve all three lots.
• An existing right-of-access easement along Armstrong Boulevard, of which a 40-foot-wide section is proposed to be vacated by Anoka County to allow for a right-in-only access off of northbound Armstrong Boulevard, straddling the lot line between Lots 1 and 2;
• An existing drainage, utility, sloping, sidewalk, trail, snow storage and signing easement (to be vacated by Anoka County).

Lot 1 (the northernmost lot) will be for Taco Bell (which is being reviewed in a separate case at tonight's meeting) will be approximately 1.32 acres and features a long 30-foot-wide extension up to Bunker Lake Boulevard to accommodate a shared multi-tenant sign for the overall development. This sign will be reviewed administratively in alignment with the newly-adopted sign code regulations and would require an encroachment agreement.  Lot 2 (the middle lot) will be approximately 1.11 acres. Lot 3 (the southernmost lot) will be for Chipotle (scheduled for the June Planning Commission meeting) is approximately 1.58 acres and stretches along Sunwood Drive to include the private road's full access to the roundabout at Sunwood Drive and Ramsey Parkway. Outlot A will be approximately 3.46 acres and will stretch across the northeast part of the Preliminary Plat to cover the existing wetland on the Subject Property.

Final Plat
The Final Plat has been reviewed by City staff and has been found to be in alignment with the Preliminary Plat. At the time of writing this case, Anoka County's staff are reviewing the Final Plat. On June 3, 2025, the Anoka County Transportation Committee officially approved the release of Easement (Document Number 527007.004) and approved the decision to open restricted access along the east right-of-way of Armstrong Boulevard (CSAH 83) for the northbound right-in-only access to the site.

Utilities and Site Access
As noted above, the Applicant is proposing a drainage and utility easement along the east side of the lots to cover a water line serving all three lots. This water line will be located under a shared private road providing vehicular access to all three lots. Sanitary sewer lines will also connect to all three lots, though Lots 2 and 3 will tie into a service line parallel to the water line along the east sides of each parking lot, and Lot 1 will tie into a service line at the northwest corner of that building pad.

The internal private access road will connect to the north side of the roundabout at Sunwood Drive and Ramsey Parkway. A secondary vehicular entrance will be built along northbound Armstrong Boulevard, functioning as a right-in-only access for northbound traffic. The Applicant is working with Anoka County to construct a right-turn lane and shift the existing trail to the east to accommodate safe access to this secondary entrance. All traffic exiting the development will have to use the roundabout at Sunwood and Ramsey Parkway. All three lots will have pedestrian connections to the existing trail along Armstrong Boulevard, as required by the COR Design Framework.

Additional Considerations
The City retained ownership of the Subject Property after the Waterfront Village plat was recorded, with the intent of selling the land to a developer to bring commercial users to the COR. The EDA has reviewed and recommended approval of a purchase agreement with the Applicant for a proposed three-lot commercial development. Ramsey's Economic Development staff have collaborated with Planning staff and the Applicant to bring this project through the Planning Commission and City Council process for entitlement requests.

Additionally, as the Commission may be aware, the Subject Property is also the location of two upcoming Site Plan Reviews: Taco Bell on Lot 1, and Chipotle on Lot 3. The future tenant for Lot 2 is yet to be determined, but it will be subject to a formal Site Plan Review and other potential entitlements once a tenant is selected. This phase of the request is solely focused on the Preliminary Plat, though the Applicant has provided construction details and site plans of what the development will look like once completed.

Lastly, it should be noted that the Preliminary Plat documents show the locations of proposed freestanding signs throughout the development. These are shown as placeholders to ensure the locations will be suitable based on utility locations, setbacks, and soil conditions. All signs will be reviewed and approved administratively, in accordance with the newly-adopted Chapter 108 of City Code.

Alternatives

1. Approve the Preliminary and Final Plat as recommended by Planning Commission and Staff.
2. Approve the Preliminary and Final Plat with modifications based on discussion.
3. Deny the Preliminary and Final Plat based on supporting findings of fact.

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

At their regular meeting on May 22, 2025, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the Preliminary Plat.

Motion to adopt Resolution #25-107, Approving a Preliminary and Final Plat for "Bunker Lake Crossing".