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15-3770 460 Orchard Park Road October 7, 2015 Page 2 dry buildable acreage within each lot while establishing desirable homesites and incorporating suitable sites for on-site sewage treatment systems. The property includes a considerable amount of delineated wetland in 4 distinct basins, scattered among low hills. Most of the property is open fields, with scattered trees near the homestead and along wetland edges. PLEASE REVIEW THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMO & EXHIBITS Planning Commission Review Minutes of the August 17 Planning Commission meeting are attached. Planning Commission reviewed the proposal and found that it appeared to be compliant with code requirements, with the exception that the defined width of proposed Lot 1 as measured at the 100’ front setback line is approximately 110’ where 300’ is normally required. The practical difficulty for this variance is the shape of the underlying property, with its relatively minimal frontage on Orchard Park Road yet comprising over 23 acres in total area. Planning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the preliminary plat subject to the following: 1. Conservation Design Report must be submitted for review by staff prior to Council review of the application. (Conservation Design Report has now been submitted – see Exhibit B) 2. Applicant shall agree to construct the shared driveway as a development improvement rather than waiting for home construction to begin. 3. Address City Engineer comments and recommendations prior to Council review. (Revised plans – see Exhibit A – were submitted on October 5 but have not yet been reviewed by the City Engineer) 4. Adhere to recommendations of Fire Marshal as to individual driveway width and configuration. (See comments below) 5. Approval of the lot width variance for Lot 1. Topics for Discussion Wetland Impacts. The wetland boundaries have been confirmed by the MCWD. The applicants’ engineer has provided revised plans that detail the proposed wetland impacts of the proposed driveway to serve the residence on Lot 1. This access drive makes use of an existing field road, but its expansion to a 10-12’ width will require some filling of wetland and establishment of an appropriately-sized culvert. This will require review and approval by the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, and may require mitigation. The proposed shared driveway as well as the driveway for Lot 1 appear to encroach the required 35’ City wetland setback for structures and hardcover in a few areas, due to the wetland locations. Where feasible, the driveway should be adjusted to meet the 35’ setback; where not feasible, a variance to that setback would appear to be necessary.