09-18-2017 Planning Commission Packet

Home Browse Search

16-3807 February 11,2016 Page 5 west is the Dumas Orchard which is similarly guided for future Medium-High Density Residential use at 7-10 units per acre; and to the immediate north across Wayzata Boulevard is the Orono Schools Campus. Property across the intersection to the northeast is guided and developed for office uses. Given the commercial, industrial, institutional and transportation uses that surround the site on three sides, the proposed medium density(3-7 units per acre) residential use would appear as an appropriate fit for this site as a transition to the 2-acre zoning located south of the Highway 12/Railroad corridor. 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 homes once stood. The property is very flat with shallow wetlands delineated in the west central portion of the property. The property is located just outside the Shoreland Overlay District. Soils on the site include Glencoe silty clay loam, Dundas silt loam, and Le Sueur loam, all of which exhibit high water tables and make development with basements challenging. Conservation Design The applicants have submitted a Conservation Development report prepared by Kjolhaug 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 documented corridor; Natural Resources Inventory including review of the MLCCS Land Cover Classification data, wetland delineations (approved by the MCWD), tree inventory, and review of existing drainage patterns; and outlining of a Basic Conservation Design Master Plan, which appears on pages 4-5 of the report(Exhibit 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 existing wetlands and then draining naturally 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 trees will be preserved where feasible, and the landscape plan indicates 226 trees will be planted as mitigation and for screening purposes throughout the site. - Wetlands will be avoided with the exception of a small degraded wetland at the northerly road entrance to the site which will be completely impacted, requiring an anticipated approximately 20,000 s.f. of mitigation. Applicant's initial discussions with MCWD suggest this mitigation will occur offsite — a final determination has apparently not been made. Wetland buffers are proposed including buffer averaging intended to meet MCWD requirements. - No Ecologically Significant Natural Resource Corridors or Conceptual Greenways are found on the site. Wetland and hydrologic connections to the west will be maintained. - The Rural Oasis Study conducted by DSU Inc. for the City in 2005 noted that views into the site were generally negative, i.e. an unkempt pasture. Applicants have proposed a landscaping plan that includes perimeter berming and screening as visual buffers to the development.