04-18-2016 Planning Commission Packet

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16-3822 April 14,2016 Page 8 of 13 - Front Setbacks. Front yard setbacks as measured from the front lot line to the nearest corner of each house are proposed at a range of 10'-25' where the RPUD standard is 25' minimum. One of the reasons for the 25' standard is to accommodate off-street parking. The proposed offset lot shapes and side-loading garages would tend to allow for off-street parking. With an average of 30-35' between adjacent driveway entrances, on-street parking will be minimal. Snow storage is a potential issue that will have to be addressed. Sidewalks are not proposed. - Lot Coverage vs. Floor Area Ratio�FAR�. Zoning Code Section 78-1403, the 15% Lot Coverage limit for lots less than 2 acres in area, states that the 15% limit applies to all zoning districts; it doesn't make an exception for RPUD. However, the RPUD District does not specifically establish a `Lot Coverage by Structures' limit. Instead, the RPUD standards limit individual lots to 50% hardcover and an individual lot Floor Area Ratio (FAR= gross area of all floors divided by�ross lot area) of 0.5. This means a 14,000 s.f. lot is allowed 7,000 s.f. of total floor space. Please review the applicants' Narrative (Exhibit B) for an analysis of their request for a relaxation of the FAR standards. - Hardcover. By virtue of the RPUD zoning, per 78-1701(4)(a) the property is assigned to Hardcover Protection Tier 4, which allows up to 50% hardcover of the gross lot area. Applicants note that this standard will be met overall for the area of the property being developed, but certain individual lots will exceed 50% under the current layout. They note that because wetland buffers are being placed in Outlot A for wetland/buffer management purposes, some lots are very small. Again, see Exhibit B. Staff supports the concept of having wetlands and their buffers as part of the commons/outlot area. Site Grading See Exhibit C, Sheet 7 of 12. In order to prepare homesites for the proposed homes, the high ground adjacent to Wayzata Boulevard will be excavated as much as 6-10 feet, leaving the homes at an elevation 4-6 feet above the highway crown. Parts of the developing area will be filled to allow for acceptable road grades and basements. The City Engineer's review comments are attached as Exhibit E. From the preliminary plans it appears no driveways will be excessively sloped. Road Layout and Standards The internal road system serving the development is proposed to be private. This is inconsistent with the provisions of the CMP Transportation Plan in Urban Transportation Policies, which states: 1. Loca[streets in the urban area will be owned and maintained by the Ciry. Because the land use and street use densiry of the urban neighborhoods is relatively high, the City will provide public street access to all urban properties. City responsibiliry for proper maintenance levels will ensure passable, all-weather streets available at all times for emergency vehicles and for general public ingress and egress. Due to the number of units to be served, and given the density of the proposed development, the internal road system would appear to qualify to be public. However, the unusual lot configuration; the proposed 40' road corridor where 50' would normally be required; and proposed road width of 28 feet where a public road serving this many homes would have to be 32' wide; are factors that support the idea that this should be a privately owned and maintained road, similar to that of the Stonebay development.