HomeMy WebLinkAboutComment letter 4-22-2020
April 22, 2020
Don Gamble III
10704 Water Lily Lane VIA EMAIL
Woodbury, MN 55129 Bgamble48@gmail.com
Re: Carman Street Subdivision
As requested, I have reviewed the ordinance as it applies to potentially subdividing 2474 and 2480 Carman Street.
For each lot created, the following are to be reviewed:
1. Lot area, 2. Lot width, 3. Access, 4. Utilities, 5. Buildable site
You have proposed creating 4 lots.
1. Lot Area. As you know, the zoning for the southern 1/3 of the property is LR-1B, which requires a 1 acre lot
size. The definitions follow, with pertinent sections highlighted:
Lot area, minimum, means minimum area required for each proposed lot as prescribed in chapter 78. In
rural zones not served by sanitary sewer, each lot must contain a minimum of two acres of contiguous
dry buildable land exclusive of wetlands, public and private rights-of-way, vehicular or pedestrian
easements, surface areas below the ordinary high water mark of any surface water or areas at or below
the floodplain elevation for a specific property. All rural lots must comply with chapter 58, article II. In
urban areas served by sanitary sewer, each lot must contain contiguous dry buildable land equal to the
minimum areas as prescribed in chapter 78 or half-acre, whichever is less (exclusive of public and
private rights-of-way, vehicular or pedestrian easements, surface areas below the ordinary high water
mark of any surface water wetlands or areas at or below the floodplain elevation for a specific
property), and have legal access to the building site without encroachment of a wetland or floodplain
area.”
Lot area means the area of a lot in a horizontal plane bounded by the lot lines, but not including any
area occupied by the waters of a duly recorded lake or river or wetland or area which has been
dedicated as public right-of-way.
Assuming all four sites are to be served by municipal sewer, the southern lots need to have at least one-half
acre of dry buildable land each, defined as:
Dry buildable land means land area occurring within the property lines of a parcel or lot, excluding
drainageways, flowage areas, floodplains, wetlands, marshland or slopes of 18 percent or greater.
Assuming service by municipal sewer, and some land dedicated for access to the eastern lot, both lots appear to
meet the area requirement, based on the careful review of the definition, though the flood elevation and
wetlands may impact the area calculated. To get to the 1 acre threshold, a portion of land north of the inlet
will need to be included in the lots south of the inlet.
The new lots north of the lagoon appear to meet the requirement also, although the presence of a wetland and
possible flowage areas will need to be accounted for, potentially reducing the observable lot area.
Additionally, stormwater management resources will likely reduce the usability of the parcel.
2. Lot width. Non-lakeshore lots north are required to be 100 feet wide, it appears that they can meet the
requirement, though scaled, dimensions plans need to be prepared to verify.
The lots south are to be 140 feet wide, measured at both the OHWL and 75 feet back. It does not appear that
these lots can meet that requirement.
3. Access. Access to the south lots are via a provide easement. Neither new lot south of the inlet will have
access via an outlot, which is the requirement now.
The northern lot access will be via a single driveway off of Shoreline. The County recommended that access
come via the commercial property to the east; they will require both parcels to share a curb cut.
4. Utilities. It is assumed that the lots will be served by municipal sanitary sewer. Extension of that sewer will
be at the developers expense, and engineering will be required to ensure city standards are met. Stormwater will
also need to be managed on site.
5. Buildability. Without a plan illustrating the boundaries, and applicable setbacks, I cannot comment on the
buildability of each site.
For me to provide more complete comment, I must receive a to-scale, dimensioned plan that shows topography,
floodplain, wetlands, and proposed lot boundaries of all lots. Recognizing that issues such as lot width and
access were not discussed at length at the Council, I can bring those questions to the Council, but will not do so
without complete plans. If your plan includes mitigation of a wetland, I’ll need some support for this proposal
by the MCWD prior to review by the City Council.
Please feel free to contact me at 952.249.4626 or by email at jbarnhart@ci.orono.mn.us if you have any questions
on the above requirements.
Sincerely,
CITY OF ORONO
Jeremy Barnhart, AICP
Community Development Director