HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-010 Inf Sheet Humboldt Avenue, North of 59th Avenue Application Filed on 7-5-02
City Council Action Should Be
Taken By 9-3-02 (60 Days)
Planning Commission Information Sheet
Application No. 2002-010
Applicant: ISD No. 286 (Brooklyn Center School District)
Location: Land Lying East and West of Humboldt Avenue, North of 59th Avenue
Request: Special Use Permit/Site and Building Plan Approval
The applicant, Independent School District No. 286 (Brooklyn Center), is seeking a special use permit and site and building plan approval to construct a new 141,000 sq. ft. Earle Brown
Elementary School and the reconfiguration of Grandview Park.
The properties under consideration are the current Earle Brown Elementary School site, addressed as 5900 Humboldt Avenue North; Grandview Park, addressed as 1600 59th Avenue North; and
a portion of Humboldt Avenue right of way lying between 59th and 60th Avenues that is proposed to be vacated as a public street. The property is zoned R-1 (One Family Residence) and
is bounded on the west by T.H. 100; Humboldt and 60th Avenues on the north; Fremont Avenue on the east and 59th Avenue on the south. Single family residential dwellings surround the
site on the north and east and single family residential dwellings, two churches, and an apartment complex on the south. Public and private elementary schools and parks are both special
uses in the R-1 zoning district.
New lot configurations for the school and park sites are being created through the platting comprehended under companion Application No. 2002-009.
Generally, the school and park will exchange locations. The new 141,000 Earle Brown Elementary School will be located where the existing baseball field (Cohen Field), softball/football
field, sliding hill and park shelter are located. With the demolition of the Earle Brown Elementary School, upon completion of the new school construction, a new baseball field, soccer/football
field, sliding hill and parking areas will be in this location. The existing tennis courts will remain in their present location with new bituminous basketball courts to be added west
of the tennis courts. A seasonal hockey rink, pleasure skating rink and warming house are planned to be located south of the tennis courts. The bituminous walk path running parallel
with T.H. 100 will remain in the same location. Various hard surface play areas and soft play areas along with various play stations will be located as part of the school facilities
west of the new elementary school. It should be noted that the City’s Park and Recreation Advisory Commission has reviewed this plan on 6-18-02 and has unanimously recommended approval
of the plan to the City Council.
ACCESS/PARKING
The plan calls for four access points on 59th Avenue and an access off Humboldt Avenue, north of 60th which will serve a new 20 stall parking facility. The most westerly access on 59th
Avenue serves an expanded parking lot containing 99 parking spaces designed primarily for staff parking related to the school. This access is located between James and Irving Avenues.
The second 59th Avenue access is a student drop off access (or circle) serving the main entrance to the elementary school and is located west of Humboldt Avenue. The other two 59th
Avenue accesses are easterly of Humboldt, one of which serves an 89 stall parking lot and the other (the most easterly) a separate bus loop access to the school. Also, angled parking
on the south side of 60th Avenue accommodating 31 parking spaces is being provided for additional park parking.
There are no specific ordinance parking requirements or parking formulas for school or park parking. The amount of available parking with the new plan will exceed that provided for
the current Grandview Park and Earle Brown Elementary School. It appears to be adequate parking to meet the needs of both facilities and will be shared parking to accommodate activities.
A loading dock and turn around area along the westerly side of the elementary school are proposed as well.
GRADING/DRAINAGE/UTILITIES
The applicant has provided preliminary grading, drainage and utility plans which are being reviewed by the interim city engineer and written comments are anticipated and will be attached
with this report. Three prominent grading features are shown on the plans, two storm water retention ponds, one on either side of the student drop off area and a sliding hill to be
located at the southeast portion of the site close to the intersection of 59th and Fremont Avenues North. The drainage and ponding plan is subject to review and approval by the West
MississippiWatershed Management Commission.
No erosion control plan has yet been submitted showing silt fencing around the site, however, general notes do indicate that a plan for erosion control has been considered. The notes
indicate that silt fence will be installed and maintained through the entire process.
B-612 curb and gutter is to be provided around all driving and parking areas to assist in site drainage. Storm sewer will be installed to collect storm water run off and direct it to
the two storm water retention ponds located on either side of the student drop off area. An 8 in. water main will be looped around the new elementary school building and tied into existing
water main in 59th Avenue North. Sanitary sewer will also be tied into 59th Avenue North.
LANDSCAPING
The applicant has submitted a landscape plan showing proposed landscaping for the new elementary school and the park. It should be noted that the landscape point system does not address
schools or park facilities specifically in the evaluation criteria. The combined sites are 21.6519 acres and the applicant’s architect has listed a planting schedule indicating points
for the various trees and shrubs. Their analysis shows total points of 2,590.5 based on our point system.
A service/office land use, which requires the highest point value, would require 1,500 landscape points for a comparable size service/office development. A restaurant/retail/service
development would require 1,080 landscape points. The points proposed exceed by over 1,000 points the greatest landscape requirement contained in our landscape point system.
The plan calls for a majority of the landscaping to be in shade trees. Boulevard trees such as Prairie Dome Ash are to be planted in the green strip area along 59th Avenue North. Additional
Pin Oak trees will surround the staff parking lot and American Linden are proposed for the west side of the elementary school building in the play station areas as well as the north
side of the building separating the warming house and school building. The large landscape area in front of the elementary school (59th Avenue side of the building) will contain Skyline
Honey Locust, River Birch and Majestic Maple. Other shade trees include Green Spire Linden, River Birch and Emerald Luster Maple surrounding the general or shared parking area and bus
loop. Summit Ash will line the 60th Avenue North green strip and Humboldt Avenues adjacent to the northwest parking lot and the proposed location for the hockey rink.
Decorative trees include Pink Spire Crab and Spring Snow Crab at the entrance to the building and also lining the student drop off area. Coniferous trees such as Colorado Blue Spruce
and Colorado Green Spruce are proposed in the area northwest of the hockey rink and also surrounding the sliding hill. Shrubs such as Hughes Juniper, Scandia Juniper and Dark Green
Spreading Yew serve as foundation plantings at various locations around the school building and in the student drop off area.
Overall the landscape plans appears to be more than adequate for the sites.
BUILDING
The new building will consist of concrete masonry unit insulated walls with brick veneer. The windows will be energy efficient insulated glass with aluminum frames and exterior doors
will be aluminum as well. The building elevations show a two story building with peaked roofs over the southwest portion of the building. A gymnasium will be located on the north end
with the cafeteria in the middle of the building. Two floors of classrooms, an office, media and multi purpose areas are to be provided.
Construction on the new Earle Brown Elementary School will begin as soon as possible following grading to take place this fall. Once the elementary school is completed, the old Earle
Brown Elementary School will be demolished and the various park improvements undertaken.
The plans do not indicate any trash enclosure areas, however, it is assumed that trash areas will be in the loading dock turn around location along the west side of the building. Sufficient
space should be devoted to trash and an enclosure complimentary to the building material should be constructed and noted on the site plan.
LIGHTING
The applicants have submitted a lighting plan showing the location of lighting standards for the parking lots and drive lanes as well as lighting standards for the soccer and baseball
fields. Parking lot lighting will be at 25 ft. in height while the ball field lights will be 70 ft. The photometric plan shows foot candles to be in the range of lighting in residential
areas.
Section 35-712 of the City Ordinances requires that all exterior lighting shall be provided with lenses, reflectors or shades so as to concentrate illumination on the property. No glare
shall emanate from or be visible beyond the boundaries of the illuminated premises. The ordinance also requires that the illumination shall not be of a greater intensity than 3 ft.
candles measured at property lines abutting residentially zoned property. The foot candles indicated on the lighting plan are within these parameters.
SPECIAL USE PERMT STANDARDS
As indicated previously, the elementary school and park facilities are special uses in the R-1 zoning district and are subject to the standards for special use permits contained in Section
35-220 of the City Ordinances (copy attached). These standards for special use permits require that the proposed special use permit will promote and enhance the general public welfare
and not be detrimental to or endanger the health and safety of the public; not be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other property in the immediate neighborhood, nor substantially
diminish or impair property values; not impede the normal and orderly development of surrounding property; be designed so as to minimize traffic congestion on the public streets; and
conform with the applicable regulations of the district in which it is located.
The staff would comment that we believe the continuation and expansion of the Earle Brown Elementary School and redevelopment of Grandview Park at the proposed location will not be detrimental
to or endanger the public health, safety, morals or comfort. Furthermore, we do not believe that the use will be injurious to other property in the immediate vicinity nor will it diminish
or impair property values within the neighborhood. In fact a new elementary school and park facilities can be considered a positive factor with respect to property values and property
development. We also believe that adequate measures have been or will be taken to provide proper ingress and egress and that the parking on the site is adequate for the uses provided.
We do not see traffic congestion on public streets to be created with this redevelopment.
Some concern has been expressed regarding the vacation of Humboldt Avenue and the ability to provide emergency vehicles in the area. Comments have been made and no anticipated problems
are expected by either the police or fire department with respect to emergency response times.
We also believe that the site and building plans submitted conform with the applicable regulations of the district in which they are located. Finally, we believe the proposal meets
all of the standards for special use permits contained in the City’s Zoning Ordinance and recommend approval of the application.
A public hearing has been scheduled with respect to this special use permit and notices have been sent to surrounding property owners.
RECOMMENDATION
Again, we believe the plans are in order and approval is recommended subject to the following conditions:
The building plans are subject to review and approval by the Building Official with respect to applicable codes prior to the issuance of permits.
Grading, drainage, utility and erosion control plans are subject to review and approval by the City Engineer prior to the issuance of permits.
Any outside trash disposal facilities and/or rooftop mechanical equipment shall be appropriately screened from view.
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’s Ordinances.
B-612 curb and gutter shall be provided around all parking and driving areas.
An as built survey of the property, improvements and utility service lines shall be submitted to the City Engineering Department.
All work performed and materials used for construction of utilities shall conform to the City of Brooklyn Center’s current standard specifications and details.
The final plat and Humboldt Avenue street right of way vacation shall be approved by the City Council and filed with Hennepin County prior to the issuance of building permits for the
construction of the elementary school.
Special use permit is granted for the construction of a new Earle Brown Elementary School and the redevelopment of Grandview Park. Any expansion or alteration of the facilities not
comprehended by the approval shall require and amendment to the special use permit.
The developer shall provide appropriate erosion and sediment control devices on site during construction as approved by the City Engineering Department.
The storm water drainage system and ponding area shall be approved by the West MississippiWatershed Management Commission prior to issuance of permits.
7-25-02
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