Consider Landscape Plan for Bunker Lake Park 2nd Addition

The City has received an application for Final Plat and Site Plan for a new industrial building to be located within the Bunker Lake Industrial Park (BLIP).  The submittal package includes a Landscape Plan per the requirements of City Code Section 117-124.  Based on the initial tree removal for the entire BLIP project area, which consists of approximately forty-five (45) acres, there are also reforestation requirements that must be satisfied as well. 

The property is currently legally described as Outlot A Bunker Lake Industrial Park (the "Subject Property") and is located within the E-3 Employment District.  Landscape requirements (quantity of trees and shrubs) are based on the lineal footage of the perimeter of a property or the square footage of the proposed building footprint, whichever is greater.  Also, for every ten (10) parking stalls, an additional tree is required.  The minimum required plantings, based on the square footage of the building footprint (59,200) and parking stalls (125), are seventy-one (71) trees and 197 shrubs.  The Landscape Plan is deficient of the minimum required number of shrubs.

The mix of species, which includes both coniferous and deciduous trees, is acceptable.  Planting sizes appear to meet the minimum requirements.  Staff has added a comment to the Staff Review Letter requesting that the Planting List be amended to clarify shrubs be at least twenty-four (24) inches in size rather than 5-gallon container size (this is clarified in the Planting Notes but would be better in the Planting List).

The Landscape Plan indicates that a combination of sod and seed will be used to establish vegetation.  The seed mix includes about a half dozen native grasses (e.g. Little Bluestem, Side Oats Grama, Prairie Dropseed, etc.), which are acceptable.  Sod is required in all boulevard areas (as a means of immediate erosion control) and that comment has been added to the Staff Review Letter.

The Landscape Plan indicates that an in-ground irrigation system will be installed.  Staff has requested additional details on the system be added to the plan set to ensure that the system contains one or more water efficient technologies (e.g. smart controller with soil moisture sensors).

As part of the initial review of the BLIP and the mass grading work, the tree removals exceeded the allowable threshold in City Code and thus, the overall project area (approximately 45 acres) is subject to reforestation.  Base landscaping requirements can count toward the reforestation.  Staff is working with the City Attorney to complete a Reforestation Agreement that outlines the requirements.  This standard can be satisified by 1.25 inches of new trees planted for every 1 inch removed beyond the threshold, payment of $125 per each inch beyond the removal threshold, or some combination thereof.  The developer was aware of this requirement as BLIP was originally reviewed and agreed to work with the City to comply with these requirements.

The overall Landscape Plan is acceptable with the revisions outlined in the Staff Review Letter.

All costs associated with this request are the responsibility of the Applicant.

Motion to recommend approval of the Landscape Plan contingent upon compliance with the Staff Review Letter.