REVISED

PUBLIC HEARING: Consider Multiple Actions Related to 17902 Saint Francis Blvd NW (Project No. 19-101); Case of Dale and Tammy Wills

1. Request for a Home Occupation Permit to Operate a Commercial Horse Farm
2. Request for a Conditional Use Permit to Exceed Square Footage for Detached Accessory Buildings
3. Request for a Variance to Accessory Building Height and Lot Frontage Requirements

Dale and Tammy Wills (the "Applicant") have approached the City about the prospect of operating a commercial horse farm on the property located at 17902 Saint Francis Blvd (the "Subject Property").  Their vision is to provide a setting for youth to learn how to properly care for and build relationships with horses and then continue on with riding lessons, both Western and English style.  They have submitted applications for a Home Occupation Permit, Conditional Use Permit, and Variance that would be needed for their endeavor.  The Applicant is under contract to purchase the Subject Property; the current property owner has signed the Land Use Application and is aware of and supports the current proposal. 

Staff attempted to notify all property owners within 700 feet of the Subject Property of the requested Home Occupation Permit, Conditional Use Permit, and Variance requests via standard U.S. mail and published the Notice of Public Hearing in the Anoka County UnionHerald.  Staff had previously sent an invitation via standard U.S. mail to all property owners within 700 feet of the Subject Property for a Public Workshop to review the concept plan on January 3, 2019.  Received comments are attached to this case.

General Background Information
The Subject Property is located at the northern limits of Ramsey, with access off of Saint Francis Blvd.  The Subject Property is 137 acres in size, with about eighty (80) acres in Ramsey and the remainder in the City of Nowthen.  The Subject Property is zoned R-1 Residential (Rural Developing) and has been and is being used for agricultural purposes, including horse shows as recently as 2009.  The surrounding parcels (in Ramsey) are all zoned R-1 Residential (Rural Developing) and range in size from about 0.84 acres to 2.62 acres.

There is currently a home and multiple accessory buildings on the Subject Property.  The Applicant intends to reside in the existing home initially and then construct a new residence on the Subject Property within a couple years.  They would then move into the new residence and one of their children would likely move into the existing home.  This will require a lot split, but that can and will be addressed in the future.

As previously noted, the Subject Property is currently accessed from Saint Francis Blvd but there are three (3) other public roads that are stubbed to it, Potassium and Sodium Streets to the south and 179th Lane to the west.  There is actually a fourth road stubbed to it from the north (within the City of Nowthen) as well.  Ford Brook traverses the northwestern and western portions of the Subject Property.

Home Occupation Permit
The Applicant's vision for the Subject Property is to create a program to work with youth struggling with social anxiety and depression by introducing them to world of horses.  They are proposing to operate a commercial horse farm in which youth can gain experience in proper care and maintenance of horses as well as learn the skills of both Western and English style riding.  There would also be opportunities for trail riding and for boarding of horses on the Subject Property.

The Applicant is proposing to construct multiple buildings to accommodate their vision, including two (2) indoor riding arenas, indoor stalls, stables, and a hay/equipment storage barn.  The plans have been designed to accommodate up to thirty (30) horses on the Subject Property.  Based on the overall size of the Subject Property, including the land in the City of Nowthen, the Subject Property would be eligible to maintain over 130 horses.  The Applicant's plan results in a ratio of approximately 4.5 acres per horse.

The Applicant has stated that the hours of operation would be Monday - Friday 3:00pm to 8:00pm and Saturdays 8:00am to 4:00pm.  There would be the potential for eight to ten (8-10) instructors/trainers employed by the Applicant.  However, these would be part time positions and there would likely be no more than two (2) trainers/instructors on the Subject Property at any given time.  The Site Plan does indicate that twenty-six parking stalls will be installed along the west side of the riding arenas, providing ample parking customers and employees.  The parking area would consist of class V gravel, which conforms to the minimum required surfacing in this zoning district.

The Applicant is proposing four (4) larger shows/events each year for the students to showcase their newly learned skills.  It is assumed that family and friends will attend these events, but they will also be open to the public and free of charge.  These events would be subject to a Special Events Permit to ensure that our Public Safety Staff can review each on a case by case basis.

The Applicant has provided a detailed Manure Management Plan.  They have noted from the beginning that manure, if not properly managed, can be a nuisance.  Through the use of concrete surfacing and roofing, runoff can be contained and moisture can be regulated.  After the manure has been properly composted, it will be removed from the Subject Property and made available to local farmers and/or gardeners.

While the Applicant desires to maintain the existing access from Saint Francis Blvd for personal use, they are proposing that access for the Home Occupation (e.g. students and instructors) be from Potassium Street along the southern boundary of the Subject Property.  This is primarily due to the high volume of traffic on Saint Francis Blvd and the potential safety issues that could arise.  The Applicant is proposing to install a new, asphalt driveway off the end of the Potassium Street cul-de-sac leading to the future, new residence.  The drive lanes connecting the new buildings, as well as the parking stalls, would consist of class V gravel.

Conditional Use Permit
As noted, five (5) new accessory buildings are proposed, including two (2) indoor riding arenas, indoor stalls, stables, and a hay/equipment storage barn.  Four (4) of the buildings will all be connected with direct access while the fifth, the hay/equipment storage barn, will be connected only via roofline to the stables.  The cumulative area of the new buildings is 64,700 square feet, which exceeds the allowable square footage for parcels greater than forty (40) acres in size (12,000 square feet).

Based on the overall size of the Subject Property, the proposed square footage doesn't seem unreasonable.  The location of the home on the Subject Property, which was constructed sometime in the 1930s, most of the areas suitable for buildings are located nearer the front property line than the home.  Again, due to the size of the Subject Property, as long as the meet the minimum front yard setback, which they do, the location is acceptable.

The Applicant had originally proposed to construct both Riding Arenas with Clear Span fabric materials.  The reasoning for this style of construction was it allows in natural light and helps moderate temperatures somewhat, resulting in less need for artificial light and heating/cooling.  Ultimately, this would be a healthier environment for both the riders and the horses.
However, the fabric finish is very similar to membrane type hoop buildings that have consistently been denied in residential areas due to a lack of conformity with City Code.  Staff and the Applicant discussed this and feel that a workable compromise would be to consider a ‘hybrid’ type of building that would include walls made of two-tone steel, similar to the other proposed buildings, with a Clear Span fabric roof.  This would result in a sturdier (safer) building, while still incorporating some of the desired benefits (natural light and temperature moderation).

The proposed project includes multiple deviations from City Code, which are discretionary actions that the City is not obligated to approve.  However, considering the input received from the Public Workshop, the desire to maintain a more rural character within the community, and the overall size of the Subject Property (137 acres including the portion in the city of Nowthen), the project in totality seems to be desirable.  The compromise of building style on the Riding Arenas, structures that will be used exclusively for recreational purposes, seems reasonable and therefore, Staff would support Alternative 1 but would not object to Alternative 2 if modifications were identified.

The indoor stalls, stables, and hay/equipment storage barn will all consist of two-toned steel siding (attached are conceptual images/elevations for the proposed buildings).

Variance
As proposed, a variance is necessary to address the height of the accessory buildings (specifically the indoor riding arenas) and the minimum lot frontage on a cul-de-sac for the future residence. 

Lot Frontage
While a new residence is not being constructed immediately, one will be within 2-5 years.  Prior to the occurring, a lot split will be necessary and, based on current standards, the 'new' lot wouldn't meet the required lot frontage requirement for a cul-de-sac.  Since the Applicant has a purchase agreement in place for the Subject Property, they wanted to resolve this issue before closing.

The access for the new residence would be from Potassium Street.  The edge of the pavement of the cul-de-sac presently is about 15-20 feet short of the southern boundary of the Subject Property.  In order to comply with the current standard of 100 feet of frontage on cul-de-sac, the road would have to be extended about 30-50 feet north into the Subject Property.  Reviewing the aerial images and the contour data, it appears that there is a natural drainage swale that runs north from the cul-de-sac to a low spot on the Subject Property.  There is a 'valley' that is approximately eight (8) lower than either side that appears to carry runoff from the properties to the south and the cul-de-sac to a low spot southwest of the existing home.  If the cul-de-sac were extended, it would require significant grading and result in a greater loss of trees, thus eliminating some of the natural buffer between the existing neighbors and the Subject Property.

Accessory Building Height
The indoor riding arenas would both exceed allowable height for detached accessory buildings.  The Applicant has made adjustments to the other buildings to reduce their height to comply with City Code, with the exception of one side of the indoor stalls, which would need to match the arenas to tie the buildings together.  Based on the width of the indoor riding arenas (100 feet each), the ClearSpan construction, which requires a minimum roof pitch of 7/12 to meet snow load requirements, and a minimum wall height of thirteen (13) feet (to ensure safe clearance for equestrian jumping, the indoor riding arenas would have a mean gable height of twenty-seven and a half (27.5) feet and an overall height of forty-two (42) feet.

Based on the Applicant's revised layout, the indoor riding arenas will now be furthest from adjacent property boundaries (over 400 feet).  There are existing trees along both the southern and eastern boundaries of the Subject Property that will provide some screening as well.  The new configuration of the buildings is more centralized on the Subject Property, an attempt by the Applicant to address some concerns noted during a Public Workshop.

Feedback
A Public Workshop was held on January 3, 2019 and there were about 20-30 people that attended.  The majority of attendees stated that they preferred this type of use on the Subject Property compared to any type of housing development.  However, there were concerns raised about traffic through the neighborhood and the impacts to roads that the existing neighbors would be assessed for when the road(s) needed to be reconstructed.  Other concerns noted included manure management, potential contamination of Ford Brook, more screening along southern lot line, and overall traffic congestion on Saint Francis Blvd (existing conditions).

The Concept Plan was reviewed by the Planning Commission on January 3, 2019 and by the City Council on January 22, 2019.  Potential items of concern noted by the Planning Commission were the additional traffic through the existing neighborhood and potential loss of trees.  The City Council was generally supportive of the request.

Alternatives

Alternative 1: Motion to recommend adoption of Resolutions #19-042 and #19-043 approving a Home Occupation Permit and Conditional Use Permit and motion to adopt Resolution #19-044 granting a variance to lot frontage and accessory building height. 

Alternative 2: Motion to recommend adoption of modified versions of Resolutions #19-042 and #19-043 approving a Home Occupation Permit and Conditional Use Permit and motion to adopt a modified version of Resolution #19-044 only approving one aspect of the variance (height and/or lot frontage). 

Alternative 3: Motion to recommend the City Council not approve either the HOP or the CUP and motion to deny the requested variance. 

All costs related to this request are the Applicant's responsibility.

Staff recommends approval of the proposal, with the modification of a hybrid ClearSpan building.

Motion to recommend that the City Council adopt Resolutions #19-042 and #19-043 approving a Home Occupation Permit and Conditional Use Permit and motion to adopt Resolution #19-044 granting a variance to lot frontage and accessory building height.