HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-007 Inf Sh 7020 Dupont Avenue North Application Filed on 3-26-01
City Council Action Should Be
Taken By 5-25-01 (60 Days)
Planning Commission Information Sheet
Application No. 2001-007
Applicant: Anoka-Hennepin ISD No. 11
Location: 7020 Dupont Avenue North
Request: Site and Building Plan/Special Use Permit Approval
The applicant, Tom Durand on behalf of the Anoka-Hennepin Independent School District, is seeking Site and Building Plan and Special Use Permit approval for an approximate 5,600 sq.
ft. media center addition to the north side of the Evergreen Park Elementary School, 7020 Dupont Avenue North.
The property in question is zoned R-1 (One Family Residence) and is bounded on the north by single family homes facing Dupont and 72nd Avenues North; on the east by Evergreen Park; on
the south by the Evergreen Park soccer/football field, Water Tower No. 2 and Well House No. 4; and on the west by Dupont Avenue with single family homes on the opposite side of the street.
Elementary and secondary schools are special uses in the R-1 zoning district.
The proposed media center addition would be constructed to the north of the circular portion of the Evergreen Park School building and would be connected to that building by a corridor/vestibule
area. Currently the north wall of the school is set back 101 ft. from the north property line. The new addition would be located 32 ft. from that north property line. City ordinances
require minimum 15 ft. building setback and buffer strips where such a use abuts R-1 zoned land as it does in this case. The buffer strip must be landscaped and may not be used for
parking, driveways, off street loading or storage. This buffer strip has been established in the past and will not be encroached on by the proposed addition.
ACCESS/PARKING
Access to the site will continue with two existing curb cuts off Dupont Avenue leading to the site. An approximate 50 ft. green strip containing thick arborvitae and other landscaping
are provided in this area. The area is used as a bus pick up and drop off for the school and also contains parking for 29 vehicles. A shared access for the school and the Evergreen
Park soccer/football field is located further to the south. This access leads to a parking lot located mostly on the Evergreen School property containing 90 parking stalls on the school
property and an additional 18 parking stalls on City property. These stalls are shared parking for the school and the park facilities. The school, therefore, has 137 parking spaces
available for their use, with 119 of them being on school property. There is no specific parking formula in the City’s zoning ordinance relating to school facilities. We have been
advised by the school district that there are 76 regular employees at Evergreen Park Elementary. Parking on the site is certainly adequate to accommodate every day parking needs. It
should be noted that additional parking is available further to the east of the school property in Evergreen Park, which accommodates the softball fields. Joint use of these facilities
both by the school and the park users has been acknowledged in the past.
GRADING/DRAINAGE/UTILITIES
The applicant has provided us with a site grading and drainage plan as well as a utility plan, which has been reviewed by the City Engineer. The extent of the changes to the site with
respect to these items is minimal. A new seven foot wide concrete walk will be installed between the parking lot in front of the building and the new corridor/vestibule area connecting
the new addition with the existing building. This will also serve as an entrance to the school.
A new six inch sanitary sewer line will be installed adjacent to the walkway and will connect to an existing eight-inch sanitary sewer located in the 50 ft. green strip, southerly of
the circular portion of the building. The site is less than 15 acres and, therefore, no Watershed Management Commission review is required for this proposed addition. The site is bound
by existing B-612 curb and gutter and both the west and south parking lots are served by storm sewer. With the exception of some potholes in the southerly parking lot, paving on the
site is appropriate. We would recommend that there be some filling and patching of the south parking lot as part of this project.
LANDSCAPING
The applicant has not submitted a separate landscape plan with this submission. They are not proposing any additional landscaping and believe the site is adequately landscaped. They
have provided a landscape analysis of existing landscaping. This 8.24 acre site is required to provide 700 landscape points based on the landscape point system utilized by the Planning
Commission for evaluating landscape plans.
Their landscape analysis indicates that there are 2,300 landscape points based on existing landscaping at the Evergreen Elementary School site. The distribution is not in accordance
with the point system distribution for evaluating plans, but the site far exceeds that which would be required if the school was being developed at this time. Although there might be
considered a deficiency of decorative trees and shrubs, the site is well landscaped and we would not recommend requiring any additional landscaping for this project. It should be noted
that three trees, a Maple, a Basswood and another deciduous tree, will be removed along the north side of the existing school building so that the addition can take place.
BUILDING
As previously mentioned, the building addition will be to the north of the existing circular portion of the elementary school building. The exterior will be of two contrasting types
of face brick to match, as best as possible, the brick on the existing building. The floor plan shows a large media center, a computer lab, work room and restroom facilities. The vestibule/corridor
will connect the two buildings and also serve as an entrance/exit both to the east and west sides of the building.
LIGHTING/TRASH
The applicant has provided lighting calculations and cuts for the additional lighting that will be placed on the building. Two lights will be located along the north wall with one each
on the west and east walls. They note that the wall mounted fixtures will be shielded to direct light downward and to avoid glare. The lighting plan shows less than .1 foot candles
at the property line and also notes that there will be no glare from the lights.
The City’s lighting standards contained in the zoning ordinance, require that all exterior lighting shall be provided with lenses, reflectors, or shades so as to concentrate illumination
on the property. Rays of light shall not pass beyond the property lines of the premises utilizing such illumination at an intensity greater than three foot candles measured at property
lines abutting residentially zoned properties. The lighting proposed is much less than the standard established in the zoning ordinance. No glare is allowed to emanate from, or be
visible beyond, the boundaries of the illuminated premises. The type of fixture provided should prevent light glare on adjacent properties.
The plans submitted do not show trash enclosure areas. A review of the site indicates that at least two unscreened dumpsters are located at the southwest corner of the building adjacent
to the southerly parking lot. It is recommended that as a condition of the approval of this application, that the school district be required to provide screening of this dumpster area
in accordance with the requirements of city ordinances.
SPECIAL USE PERMIT STANDARDS
A public hearing is scheduled for this Special Use Permit and notices to surrounding property owners have been sent in accordance with the requirements of the City’s zoning ordinance.
Attached for the Commission’s review is a copy of Section 35-220 containing the five standards for Special Use Permits. As indicated previously, the school is a special use in the
R-1 zoning district. The existing school has been on this site for some time and we believe the expansion of the school will not be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety,
morals, or comfort. Furthermore, we do not believe that the expanded use will be injurious to other property in the immediate vicinity nor will it diminish or impair property values
within the neighborhood. We also believe that adequate measures have been taken to provide proper ingress and egress as well as parking as required as part of the Special Use Permit
process. We believe the school addition in other respects will conform to the applicable regulations of the district of which it is located.
Schools such as this located in R-1 zoning districts, typically are required to meet the service/office standards for C-1 uses. These have been applied in this case and will be met.
Two items that we believe need correcting are the screening of dumpsters and the patching and repairing of the south parking lot. With these items addressed, we believe a favorable
recommendation can be made with respect to this application.
RECOMEMNDATION
We believe the plans and the Special Use Permit are in order and approval of this application is recommended subject to at least the following conditions:
1. The 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 and utility plans are subject to review and approval by the City Engineer prior to the issuance of permits.
3. Any outside trash disposal facilities and rooftop or on ground mechanical equipment shall be appropriately screened from view.
The building addition 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.
5. The plan shall be modified, prior to the issuance of building permits, to provide proper opaque screening of the trash container area including opaque screening on any gate servicing
this area. The use of plastic slates woven between chain link is not acceptable as a means of meeting this opaque screening requirement.
6. The applicant shall provide appropriate erosion an sediment control devices on the site during construction as approved by the City Engineering Department.
7. All work performed and materials used for construction of utilities shall conform to the City of Brooklyn Center’s current standard specifications and details.
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