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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1987 01-15 PCP Planning Commission Information Sheet Application No. 87001 Applicant: Construction 70, Inc. Location: Earle Brown Drive (south of 6040 office building) Request: Site and Building Plan/Special Use Location/Use The applicant requests site and building plan and special use permit approval to construct a 6,016 sq. ft. Learning Tree day care center on the vacant parcel of land south of the office building at 6040 Earle Brown Drive. The land in question is zoned C2 and is bounded on the north by a four storey office building, on the east by Highway 100, on the south by vacant C2 zoned land (the southerly 3 acres of this 3.93 acre site is to be subdivided off) and then the Park Nicollet Medical Clinic, and on the west by Earle Brown Drive. The proposed day care center is a special use in the C2 zoning district. The proposed site would be a newly subdivided tract, approximately 122' x 309'+. Access/Parking Access to the site is to be gained via a single driveway off Earle Brown Drive. The applicant has proposed the driveway at the center of the site. Staff recommend that the driveway be shifted slightly southward to line up with the southerly driving lane on the site. Traffic is expected to move in a circular fashion on the site around a central island. Staff are concerned that the turning movement into the site be as smooth as possible to facilitate this flow. The plan calls for 24 parking stalls and six (6) proof-of-parking stalls in a central island in the parking lot to meet the parking requirement of one space per 200 sq. ft of gross floor area. Delineation of the six proof-of-parking stalls would remain if the center island had to be converted to parking. Landscaping/Screening The proposed landscape plan documents five existing trees along the south side of the office building site to the north. The plan calls for two Emerald Green Maples and two Sparkler Crabs in the front greenstrip. Two additional Maples and Dwarf Amur Maple and Bar Harbor Juniper shrubs are indicated in the center island. Three more Sparkler Crabs and various shrubs are proposed along the green area immediately in front of the building. The rear third of the site is devoted to play areas. Five additional Maple trees are scattered through this area. There are three defined areas in the rear portion of the site: a fenced in interior play area with a small (8' x 8' ) sand box, a larger area defined by landscape timbers with sand and play apparatus, and open sodded area that will be fenced along the perimeter of the site. There is also a concrete walk and patio area immediately behind the building. Underground irrigation is noted for all sodded areas between the building and property lines. The proposed fencing is a vinyl-coated cyclone fence. This does not meet the requirements of Section 35-412 subsection 7 regarding outside play areas at day care centers. Such play areas are to be separated from parking and driving areas by a wood fence not less than 4' in height. In addition, outdoor recreational areas are not to be located in any yard abutting a major thoroughfare unless buffered by a device such as a "noise wall or noise berm constructed by MNDOT, or where the City Council finds that excess right-of-way mitigates the effects of traffic, noise, dust and fumes." (Section 35-400 footnote 10) . In this case, Highway 100 is not buffered by any of these devices. Staff have recommended at minimum screening of 1-15-87 -1- Application No. 87001 continued Highway 100 from the play yard by a dense row of coniferous trees. However, upon further review of the ordinance, we have concluded that the site layout must simply be overhauled to completely eliminate the abutment of the play yard with Highway 100. There is presently a cyclone fence slightly within the highway right-of-way. Staff recommend that the applicant seek permission from MNDOT to connect up with this fence rather than erect a separate fence on the property line and leave an unmaintained area in between. Grading/Drainage/Utilities The grading plan at this point is very sketchy. Essentially, the rear portion of the site would drain toward the highway right-of-way. Drainage on the front portion of the site will collect in to catch basins (one on either side of the center island) and be conveyed by storm sewer to the City storm sewer in Earle Brown Drive. Staff recommend that roof drainage also be collected and conveyed to the storm sewer system. Building The proposed building would contain five classrooms of varying sizes around the perimeter and a core area containing kitchen, restrooms, utilities and storage. Proposed enrollment is 125. The occupant load under the Building Code is 171. The exterior of the building would be a 5/8" cedar plywood with vertical scoring 6" on center. Some earth berming is proposed along the front and side elevations. The roof is a modified hip roof. Lighting/Trash No lights are labeled on the site plan. The trash dumpster is to be located in a enclosure in front of the building off the driveway at the front drop-off area. Special Use Criteria The proposed day care center is subject to the standards set forth in Section 35- 220.2 and in Section 35-322.3q (attached) . The applicant's representative has submitted a letter in which he assures the City, on a point-by-point basis, that the standared contained in Section 35-220.2 will be met by the proposed day care center. There is no real attempt to explain how those standards will be met and the standards from Section 35-322.3q have not been addressed at all. Staff would offer the following observations relative to the standards: a) the proposed use will serve a demand for day care in the commercial and industrial park around I-694. b) we foresee no positive or negative impact on the value of adjacent properties. c) the scale of the proposed development is somewhat out of step with that of surrounding land which is occupied mostly by high-rise developments. If the day care operation does not succeed, the proposed building and parcelization will impede the full utilization of the land along the lines characteristic of the district. However, the use itself should not impede development of the remainder of the vacant site, to the south. d) the access and driveway layout should provide for smooth movement into the site to avoid any possible backup on Earle Brown Drive during peak hours. (Note: the peak hours of nearby office development will coincide with the peak hours of the day care center.) 1-15-87 -2- Application No. 87001 continued e) compliance with Section 35-412.7 is not achieved by the proposed plan. Further landscape screening and berming should be installed to provide an acceptable buffer to Highway 100. Relative to the standards in Section 35-322.3q: 1) The proposed day care center is fairly compatible with adjacent land uses. It should not produce any effects that will be detrimental to the functioning of the office building, the high- rise apartment building or most commercial developments that are possible on the vacant parcel to the south. Staff's main concern regarding the relation of this use to neighboring properties is one of scale. It would be, by comparison, a small building on a small parcel, surrounded by large buildings on large parcels. In terms of the three dimensional geometry of this area, the proposed day care center appears to be out of proportion, if not incompatible. The main thrust of these standards is use compatibility. The scale of a use as opposed to its activity is no doubt a secondary concern and should be addressed more appropriately by lot minimums than by usage standards. 2) The day care use is complementary to adjacent land uses in that it provides a service close to a concentration of office workers, many of which will "consume" that service. 3) The intensity of the day care center use is generally within the range of activity of other uses permitted in the C2 zoning district such as educational uses and office uses. 4) The design of the site should provide for smooth entrance and exit of the site through one access drive. 5) Traffic generated on the site is separated from the outside play area by the building. After fully reviewing the day care center proposal, staff have concluded that the use is acceptable in this location. However, the present site layout does not meet R the requirements of Section 35-41 subsection 7 which prohibits recreational areas in yards abutting a major thoroughfare, unless buffered by a frontage road, noise wall or noise berm constructed by MNDOT. This is clearly not provided in this case. Staff would point out that City neighborhood parks which abut the interstate and Highway 100 with exception of Lions Park are buffered by noise walls. The activity in these parks is also significantly less, on the average, than would be the case in the play yard at the day care center. We must also point out that the proposed development would take only a portion of a larger vacant parcel. Now is certainly the time to redesign the site and propose new property lines rather than after a development takes place on the vacant land to the south. We, therefore, recommend that both the site and building plan and plat applications be tabled with direction to the applicant to redesign based on Section 35-410.7 of the Zoning Ordinance. The Commission may, however, wish to give the applicant an informal indication of how it views the proposed use. We realize that the tabling action will cost the applicant time. Moreover, staff have spent some time reviewing the proposal and suggesting changes without recognizing the conflict with Section 35-412.7• We apologize for being less than timely in pointing out this requirement, but we feel there is ample flexibility to address the requirement and that it should not be ignored. We, therefore, recommend redesign of the site. 1-15-87 -3- 1 1 Planning Commission Information Sheet Application No. 87002 Applicant: Construction 70, Inc. Location: Earle Brown Drive (south of 60140 office building) Request: Registered Land Survey The applicant requests preliminary R.L.S. approval to subdivide into two tracts the parcel of land between the Park Nicollet Medical Center and the four storey office building at 60140 Earle Brown Drive. The land in question is zoned C2 and is bounded on the northeast by the office building, on the southeast by Highway 100, on the southwest by the clinic, and on the northwest by Earle Brown Drive. The purpose of the subdivision is to create a separate parcels for the proposed Learning Tree day care center and the remaining vacant land. The existing parcel is 3.936 acres. The area of the day care center site (Tract A) is .8814 acres. The balance is contained in the proposed Tract B which is 3.052 acres. The entire parcel is very flat, the grade varying in elevation less than 2 feet overall. No easements are indicated on the preliminary R.L.S. survey. An existing nonconforming sign is located near the northeast corner of Tract B advertising the Earle Brown Farm Commercial and Industrial Park. This sign should be removed prior to release of the final R.L.S. for filing. The proposed subdivision is tied directly to the site development plan for the proposed day care center. Until the site plan for the day care center is revised to provide a play area that does not have direct abutment with Highway 100, it would be premature to approve the R.L.S. We, therefore, recommend tabling of this application until the issues related to the site plan are resolved. Planning Commission Information Sheet Application No. 87003 Applicant: Federated Department Stores Location: 2501 County Road 10 Request: Site and Building Plan Location/Use The applicant requests site and building plan approval to construct a two-storey 73,189 sq. ft. department store on the old Plitt Theatre site at 2501 County Road 10. Along with the existing theatre, the old Dayton's Garden Store and Gas Station buildings will be demolished and a consolidated 7.02 acre site will support the proposed development. The land in question is zoned C2 and is bounded on the north by County Road 10, on the southeast by Highway 100, on the west by Brookdale and the Ground Round restaurant. A department store is a permitted use in that zoning district. The proposed development will require the consolidation of land on three existing parcels. A new registered land survey to create tracts consistent with lines of development is proposed under Application No. 87004. Access/Parking The primary access to the site will be off the private perimeter road serving Brookdale, in the area northeast of Dayton's. A secondary access will also be provided off this road. The legal rights to such access presumably already exist, but the applicant should confirm this right prior to filing of the proposed R.L.S. There is also a proposed access off County Road 10, approximately 100' east of the existing access to the theatre, which will be closed. The access off County Road 10 would be just 22' wide, is designed as an entrance only and is angled to the east to allow a smooth turning movement for delivery vehicles. A one-way customer entrance drive to the front of the building will also be created off this access. Staff recommend a slight increase in the radius at the beginning of the customer entrance to allow easier access for fire trucks. The main access off the perimeter road, unfortunately does not and cannot line up with the main entrance point to Dayton's off that road. It does, however, line up reasonably well with the driving lanes to the south. The main access would be divided by a median with an opening at the entrance to the Ground Round. The parking plan calls for 491 spaces to be installed and 32 additional spaces as proof-of-parking for a total of 523 potential spaces. This meets the requirement of the retail parking formula for the Main Street store (451 spaces) plus 72 additional spaces for the Ground Round. These spaces are required to meet the parking requirement for the restaurant and are presently accounted for on a tract of land lying between the restaurant and the existing theatre which has served parking needs of both uses for the past 10 years. An easement agreement establishing these parking rights covers the existing tract. As the parcel is combined with other land by the new R.L.S. , the legal right to the required spaces must be transferred to the new parcel. Landscaping The proposed landscape plan calls for 20 shade trees, 12 Honeylocust around the building and 8 Greenspire Linden on the perimeter parking lot islands. Decorative trees and shrubs are employed in the perimenter greenstrips and along the main entrance drive. Species include: Russian Olive, Armur Chokecherry and Profusion Crab trees, Winged Enonymus and Russian Peashrub, Hughes Juniper and Prince of Wales Juniper. The point total on the landscape plan is 477.5 which slightly exceeds the 1-15-87 -1- Application No. 87003 continued 460 required for the site under the landscape point system. Staff have recommended additional trees in the greenstrip along Highway 100 to further screen the loading dock area at the northeast corner of the site and wide, open views of the main parking lot. A power line easement limits the height of trees in this area. Staff also recommend that a pedestrian link be provided between the City's walkway along the outer edge of the Brookdale perimeter road and the building. The logical place for this walkway would be in the area of the first row of parking south of the main access drive. Further green space in this area would also provide more capacity for snow storage that is not available in the proposed 6' wide strip between entrance drive and parking. We would be prepared to recommend proof-of-parking credit for this additional green area and walkway. Drainage/Utilities The site of the proposed development is 7.02 acres and abuts a portion of the 100 year flood plain in the southeast corner of the Brookdale site where the perimeter road crosses Shingle Creek adjacent to Highway 100. As such, it is subject to the water purification and storm detention requirements of the Shingle Creek Watershed Management District. The grading plan calls for five main detention areas on the site: one in the northerly parking lot, two in the westerly lot near the Brookdale perimeter road, the roof of the building, and the loading dock area. These detention areas all flow via a 12" storm sewer pipe to a special structure in the greenstrip between the west parking lot and the Brookdale perimeter road. That structure will skim oil and floatable debris from the runoff before it enters Shingle Creek. The City Engineer has indicated that the structure needs to be enlarged and left open to the air for easier maintenance. The storm detention and purification plan for the development must be reviewed and approved by the Shingle Creek Watershed Management Commission. It will not be formally considered by that body until February 12, 1987. Approval by that body is necessary prior to the issuance of permits. The utility plan calls for two hydrants close to the northwest and southwest sides of the building. The loading dock area at the northeast portion of the building is furthest from a hydrant. A single water line (probably 8" diameter) would enter the building from amain in County Road 10 and then divide for domestic and fire lines. Some existing storm sewer lines on the site will be abandoned or capped as necessary because of the placement and size of the new buildings. The City Engineer is presently evaluating the possible need for a public watermain project through the site to connect the on-site service for the hydrants with a main serving Brookdale. The existing line does not provide adequate pressure for all the demands it will be required to serve. Building The proposed building elevations call for a square patterned brick (cocoa color) along the base of all four elevations and around the two main entrances. The remainder of the wall faces will be a tan colored synthetic plastic also in a square pattern. A 10' 8" high screen wall with consistent treatment is proposed to screen the loading dock area (note: this height is from finished floor; the height above the base of the dock would be approximately 14' -- enough to fully screen trailors) . No floor plan details have been submitted other than exits and stairs at the corners of the building. Two handicapped ramps are indicated on the site plan. A least one additional ramp should be provided south of the westerly building entrance. 1 -15-87 -2- Application No. 87003 continued Lighting/Trash A separate lighting plan has been submitted with the development proposal. A memo by Carol Chaffee dated December 30, 1986 addresses the subject of site lighting. She explains that the surrounding area is well lighted and that on-site lighting should be provided by "low brightness cut-off luminaires positioned for uniform illumination." Entry and roadway lighting is to be provided by 175 watt Metal Halide lamps on 15' high poles. Parking areas are to be lighted by 400 watt Metal Halide lamps on 25' poles. Wall mounted lights will illumine parking areas behind the building. The recommended light fixtures are cylindrical in shape and focus light downward. Staff recommend additional lighting along the walkway next to the perimeter road, especially at the southwest corner of the site. No outside trash storage has been indicated. Recommendation Altogether, the plans are generally in order and approval is recommended, subject to at least the following conditions: 1. Building plans are subject to review and approval by the Building Official with respect to applicable codes prior to the issuance of permits. 2. Grading, drainage, utility and berming plans are subject to review and approval by the City Engineer, prior to the issuance of permits. 3. A site performance agreement and supporting financial guarantee (in an amount to be determined by the City Manager) shall be submitted prior to the issuance of permits. 4. Any outside trash disposal facilities and rooftop mechanical equipment shall be appropriately screened from view. 5. The building is to be equipped with an automatic fire extinguishing system to meet NFPA standards and shall be connected to a central monitoring device in accordance with Chapter 5 of the City Ordinances. 6. An underground irrigation system shall be installed in all landscaped areas to facilitate site maintenance. 7. Plan approval is exclusive of all signery which is subject to Chapter 34 of the City Ordinances. 8. B612 curb and gutter shall be provided around all parking and driving areas. 9. The applicant shall submit an as-built survey of the property prior to release of the performance guarantee. 10. The new R.L.S. for the property shall receive final approval and be filed at the County prior to the issuance of permits. 11. The storm water purification and detention plan shall be reviewed and approved by the Shingle Creek Watershed Management Commission prior to the issuance of permits. 1 -15-87 -3- Application No. 87003 continued 12. On-site traffic control signery shall be provided in accordance with the recommendations of the Director of Public Works. 13. The location of hydrants and fire lanes on the property shall be subject to approval by the Fire Chief. 14. The plans shall be modified, prior to consideration by the City Council, in the following manner: a) The radius of the entrance drive off County Road 10 as it branches off to the front of the building shall be increased (widened) to allow movement of a fire truck through this access to the front of the building. b) Additional trees shall be provided in the greenstrip adjacent to Highway 100 to provide better screening of the parking lot and the loading dock area. c) An additional handicapped ramp shall be provided southeast of the southwest entrance to the building. d) A pedestrian walkway and widened greenstrip for snow storage shall be provided in the area of the first row of parking south of the main entrance drive. 15. Plan approval acknowledges proof-of-parking for up to 60 parking spaces (including those referred to in 14d above) . The applicant shall execute an agreement prepared by the City Attorney to install said parking spaces upon a determination by the City that they are necessary for the proper functioning of the site. This agreement shall be filed with the title to the property at the County prior to the issuance of permits. 16. Storage of trailors on the site, other than at the loading dock is expressly prohibited. 17. Relocation of the access of County Road 10 is subject to review and approval by Hennepin County. 1-15-87 -4- Planning Commission Information Sheet Application No. 87004 Applicant: Federated Department Stores Location: 2501 County Road 10 Request: Preliminary R.L.S. The applicant requests preliminary R.L.S. approval to resubdivide the land east of Shingle Creek in the Brookdale area, including the existing Plitt Theatre site. The land in question is zoned C2 and is bounded on the north by County Road 10, on the southeast by Highway 100, and on the west by the Shingle Creek culvert. Excepted from this area is the Ground Round site, which is not altered by the proposed subdivision. The purpose of the proposed subdivision is to create a new parcel for the proposed Main Street store that includes the land from the old Plitt Theatre site, a common parking lot for the theatre and the Ground Round, the old Dayton's Garden Store and the old Oasis Petroleum Gas Station. The proposed R.L.S. contains three tracts: the proposed Main Street site (Tract B) , a tract covering the easterly portion of the Dayton's parking lot (east of the creek culvert) and the adjacent perimeter road (Tract A) , and a portion of the southbound entrance ramp from County Road 10 to Highway 100 (Tract C) . The lot areas are as follows: Tract A: 283,280 sq. ft. (6.503 ac.) Tract B: 305,980 sq. ft. (7.024 ac.) Tract C: 47,884 sq. ft. (1.099 ac.) A number of easements exist over the land in this proposed R.L.S. , but are not shown. Easements and physical information have been shown on a survey accompanying the development plans. That survey does not as yet include information on most of the area west of the Brookdale perimeter road. Topographic information and information on the size and elevation of the culvert as well as other utilities should be provided for this area. The survey of the development area for Main Street shows a number of existing easements as follows: -A 20' wide sewer and watermain easement from City lines in County Road 10 (running north-south) to the Ground Round site. -A 10' wide Northwestern Bell Telephone Company easement from the Ground Round site to Highway 100 which will have to be relocated as it runs through the proposed location of the new store. -An 80' wide NSP easement for high transmission lines adjacent to Highway 100. -An easement for ingress and egress from the intersection of County Road 10 and Shingle Creek Parkway along the Brookdale perimeter road to the location of the main entrance drive serving both Main Street and the existing Ground Round restaurant. This easement document may have to be amended to take account of the additional access further south. -There is also a nonexclusive easement for parking over Tract B, R.L.S. No. 1430 which grants the Ground Round 71 parking stalls. This parking right will have to be transferred over to the newly created Tract B (of a new R.L.S.) , the site of the Main Street store. 1-15-87 -1- Application No. 87004 continued The City is presently planning a possible watermain project through the Main Street site (Tract B) . The design of the potential watermain must be approved and the necessary easement document executed prior to approval of the final R.L.S. Finally, as part of the approval of the Main Street grading and utility plan, easements for storm detention areas must be obtained. Altogether, the proposed R.L.S. is generally in order and approval is recommended subject to at least the following conditions: 1. The final R.L.S. is subject to review and approval by the City Engineer. 2. The final R.L.S. is subject to the provisions of Chapter 15 of the City Ordinances. 3. The applicant shall execute an easement for storm detention areas consistent with a drainage and utility plan approved by the Shingle Creek Watershed Management Commission prior to release of the final R.L.S. for filing. 4. The applicant shall update the following easements as necessary prior to final R.L.S. approval: a) a nonexclusive easement granting the Ground Round site (Tract A, R.L.S. 1430) parking rights to 71 stalls on the new Main Street site, in accordance with City ordinance requirements. b) ingress and egress easement over the perimeter road portion of the proposed Tract A to both the Main Street site and the Ground Round site. c) ingress and egress easement over the proposed Tract B to the Ground site. d) relocation of the Northwestern Bell easement. e) City watermain proposed through the site. 5. The applicant shall provide topographic and utility information, for the proposed Tract A, including the size, and location of the existing Shingle Creek culvert, prior to final R.L.S. approval. 1-15-87 -2-