09-18-2017 Planning Commission Packet

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FILE#17-3964 18 Sept 2017 Page 2 of 3 The project as proposed will require approval of a subdivision with some level of flexible zoning approvals to account for the lack of contiguous dry buildable area for the southern 2 lots. Road/Right of Way Dedication: A 20 foot right-of-way dedication is shown along Togo Road. However,the sketch drawings do not include a dedication of additional right-of-way for Northern Avenue. Northern Avenue was originally created as part of the plat of Townsite of Langdon Park in 1893, being 66 feet in width adjacent to the north boundary of the 100-foot wide Great Northern Railroad right-of way. In 1912 Northern Avenue was vacated by the town board for unknown reasons. Today, Northern Avenue exists as a 20' paved width public road half on the railroad right-of-way and half on the adjoining properties. As part of the plat of Southview Estates in 1983,the City was able to recover a 30'corridor near the western end of the vacated right-of-way. Since then,the Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority has acquired the railroad right-of-way and has a recent history of attempting to eliminate encroachments on its potential commuter/light rail corridors. With half of Northern Avenue's traveled road on the railroad right-of-way, itis in the City's interest (and by extension, area residents)to regain the necessary right-of-way outside the rail corridor for potential relocation of Northern Avenue should the need arise. Property subdivision is one of the few opportunities the City has to acquire necessary road rights-of-way. Direction is provided in the Subdivision Code Section 82-281(2)as follows: (2) Rights-of-way. Rights-of-way shall be in accordance with the following performance standard: a. Minimum 6:J-it-of-way widths. Category of Road Required Width Principal arterial,intermediate As recommended by the State Department of arterial Transportation Minor arterial 80 feet Collector 70 feet Local 50 feet Parkway 100 feet Culs-de-sac 50 feet radius b. Rights-of-way are needed for future roadways in the opinion of the city. c. Right-of-way widths or additional widths in existing rights-of-way in excess of the standards designated in this chapter when,due to topography,additional width is necessary to provide adequate earth slopes. Such slopes shall not be in excess of 3:1. Both Northern and Togo are local roads,suggesting the need for 50 feet of right-of-way(25 feet on each side of Togo, 50 feet north of the rail line for Northern). Dedication of 50 feet of right- of-way would make the southern two lots unbuildable.The Northern Oaks addition to the west along Northern was required to dedicate additional right-of-way,to get to 30 feet. Staff recommends a minimum of 15 feet beyond the existing blacktop be dedicated.The Planning