09-17-2018 Planning Commission Packet

Home Browse Search

60 -Day Review Period: Not Applicable — Sketch Plan To: Chair Thiesse and Planning Commission Members Dustin Rief, City Administrator From: Jeremy Barnhart, Community Development Director Date: September 17, 2018 Subject: #LA18-000079, Lakewest, LLC; 3245 Wayzata Blvd W, Sketch Plan Application Summary: The applicant is requesting comments related to the review of a sketch plan for a proposed apartment building on vacant, former landfilled property on the west side of Orono Staff Recommendation: While no formal action is required, this memo will serve as a foundation for the discussion of issues to be addressed when the formal preliminary plat application is submitted. Background In March 2016, the property owner applied for Preliminary Plat, Comprehensive Plan Amendment, and Zone Change for a 29 acre parcel that included 13.6 acres of wetland, 5.2 acres of developable land, and 10.2 acres of buried construction materials. This application was processed as Case 16-3822 and is known as Eisinger Meadows. The property owner received conditional approval of the Comprehensive Plan (Resolution 6637) and conditional approval of the General Concept Plan and the preliminary plat (Resolution 6655) in July of 2016. These approval conditions included Metropolitan Council approval of the Comprehensive Plan Amendment, approval of the Final Master Plan, and the Final Plat. 2016 Application materials contemplated future development of an apartment site to the south of the townhome development, however, those approvals did not include any specific plan and were not included in the calculations for density for the Comprehensive Plan, were not included in the preliminary plat, and were not included in any detail for the General Concept Plan. Since this project would require a plat, a Comprehensive Plan Amendment, and the RPUD zoning, a sketch plan is requested. Proposal The apartment project is planned for the 10.2 acre parcel to the south of phase one, and lies generally between two wetlands to the east and west, north of Highway 12. The applicants have provided a narrative describing their project, attached as Exhibit D. The applicant proposes a 4 story structure for 192 apartments/ senior living. The building will be U shaped, with the opening to the north. The height of the building has not been calculated, but 4 stories typically exceed 30 feet in defined height. The narrative suggests a brick and cement board sided building, generally similar to the attached elevation (shown as Exhibit C).