02-16-2016 Planning Commission Packet

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/ • 1��! �ebruary 11,2016 Page 5 west is the Dumas Orchard which is simi�arly guided for future Medium-High Density Residential use at 7-10 units per acre; and to the immediate north across Wayzata Boulevazd is the Ozono Schools Campus. Property across the intersection to the noi-theast is guided and developed far office uses. Criven the cammercial, industriat, institutional and transportation ases that surround the site on three sides,the proposed medium density(3-7 units per acre)residential use would appeaz as an apprapriate fit for this site as a transition to the 3-acre zoning locat�ed south of the Highway 12IRaikoad comidor. General Site Characteristics The site is generally open, a majority of it being former cropland,with a few mature trees located at the southeast and northeast corners where single family hames once stood. The property is very flat with shallow wetlands delineated in the west central portion of the property. The property is loca,ted just outside the Shoreland Overlay I?istrict. Soils on the sitte include Glexicoe si�ty clay loam, Dttndas silt Ioam, and Le Sueur Ioaxn, a11 of which exhibit high water ta.bles and make development with basements challengi.ng. Conservation Design The applicants have submitted a Conservation Development report prepazed by Kjothaug Environmental Services Co. pursuant to the City's Conservation Design ordinances. Key elements of the report include a review of the Rural Oasis Study of which this site was a d.ocumented corridor; Natural Resources Inventory including review of the MLCCS Land Cover Classification data, wetland delineations {agproved by the MCWD), tree inventory, and review of existing drainage patterns; and autlining of a Basic Conservation Design Master Plan, which appeazs on pages 4-5 of the report(Eahibit G). The Master Plan is summarized as follows: - Runoff will be managed by creation of two ponds and a filtration basin, each discharging to the �isting wetlands and then dra,ining natnrally westward per the existing area drainage pattern. Rate, volume and sediment control are addressed. - Dead, damaged and diseased trees will be removed. Where buckthorn exists, it will be required to be removed. - Although the existing site has only minimal tree cover with few significant trees, those significant tcees will be preserved where feasible, and the landscape plan indicates 226 trees will be planted as mitigation and£or screening putposes throughout the site. - Wetlands will be avoided with the exception of a small degraded wetland at the northerly road entrance ta the site which will be completely impacted, requiring an anticipated approximatety 20,000 s.f. of mitigatian. Applicant's initial discussions with MCWD suggest this mitigation will occur offsite — a fulal determinatian has apparently not been made. Wetland buffers aze proposed including buffer averaging intended to meet MCWD requirements. - No Ecologically Significant Natural Resource Conidors or Conceptual Greenways ate found on the site. Wetland and hydrologic connectians to the west will be mxintained. - The Rura1 Oasis Sludy conducted by DSti Inc. for the City in 2005 noted that views into the site were generally negative, i.e. an unkempt pastuxe. Applicants have proposed a landscaping plan that incZudes perimeter berming and screening as visual buffers to the development.