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To:Chris Bollis and Planning Commission Members <br />Adam Edwards, City Administrator <br />From:Laura Oakden, Community Development Director <br />Date:November 18, 2024 <br />Subject:#LA24-000050, RLA Family LP, 1449 Shoreline Drive, Variance and <br />Commercial Site Plan Review-Public Hearing <br />Background <br />The applicant made a site plan review application to allow a new parking lot configuration for the <br />site at 1449 Shoreline Drive. The parcel has lake frontage on 3 sides acting as a peninsula. North <br />Shore Drive (CSAH 15) bisects the property. The existing marina has boat slips and pedestrian <br />access to docks located on both sides of the county road. The property was impacted by <br />Hennepin County’s Tanager Bridge project. As part of the Tanager Bridge project the county <br />used the area in question for construction staging and it was eventually vacated by the County and <br />combined with the applicant’s property. The property owner has now utilized the construction <br />staging areas for new parking to support their existing marina business. The marina business was <br />granted approval for additional boat slips by the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District in <br />September 2024. With the additional boat slips and the high traffic area, the applicant is <br />requesting approval of the new parking lot, hardcover, and fencing within the 75’ lakeshore <br />setback on the west side of the property where the same improvements are not permitted. <br />Practical Difficulties Analysis <br />Applicant Submittal Information <br />The applicant has identified the proposed lake frontage, peninsula shape, county road location, <br />and safety issues as practical difficulties. They indicate that the parking lot and fencing on the <br />site are critical to supporting safety and facilitating pedestrian access for the commercial business. <br />There is no conforming location for a parking area due to the shape and limitations of the parcel. <br />Planning Staff Analysis: <br />Staff acknowledges the site constraints of the lot, the unique shape of the parcel, and the amount <br />of lakeshore on the parcel limits a reasonable building envelope for improvements. The parking <br />lot and fencing location with in the 75 foot lakeshore setback are reasonable for the use of the <br />site. The marina is a water-oriented business which is a permitted use within the B-2 business <br />district. There are few locations where marina businesses are permitted on Lake Minnetonka. It <br />is anticipated that a marina business would require improvements within the lake yard setback to <br />support accessibility, maneuverability, and safety for the site. Allowing a parking lot on the west <br />side of the marina would improve safety for customers accessing docks and would reduce <br />pedestrian crossings on the county road. Additionally, it is outlined in the City Code that parking <br />for access to docks should not be separated by a public roadway. This application would correct <br />a current nonconformity with the site Staff is in support of the application as proposed. Any <br />additional intensification beyond the scope identified by the submitted plans will require an <br />additional Site Plan Review. <br />Application Summary: The applicant is requesting hardcover, fencing, and parking lot setback <br />variances in addition to a site plan review relating to establishment of a new parking lot for an <br />existing marina. <br />Staff Recommendation: Planning Department Staff recommends approval. <br />34