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HomeMy WebLinkAbout17-3903 ExD PC Minutes 02-21-2017 draftMINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday, February 21, 2017 6:30 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 1 of 11 8. #17-3903 UGORETS 8098 LLC, 2520 SHADYWOOD ROAD, CONCEPT PLAN, 7:52 P.M. – 8:40 P.M. Tom Goodrum, on behalf of Ugorets 8098, LLC, was present. Barnhart noted this is a sketch plan review request for a 49-unit apartment building located at 2520. This request would require a zone change. The access will be off of Shadywood Road via a shared drive with the Freshwater Business Center. This driveway will line up with the driveway servicing the church across Shadywood. Ultimately the plan is to have the shared driveway line up with the new Shadywood Circle access as part of the Shadywood Villas project and will likely remain as a right-in and right-out driveway. Hennepin County supports the proposed access. The proposal provides for 100 parking spaces, which is more than two parking spaces per unit. Fifty-one of those spaces will be located under the building and 49 surface spaces are proposed. Two parking spaces per unit are required by City Code. Staff expects the hardcover on the site to meet the requirements since the lot lines can be reconfigured to adjust the hardcover. One of the issues for discussion tonight is the height of the structure. The height of the proposed building will be between 31 and 54 feet. At this time elevation drawings have not been provided to accurately analyze the height. The building from the front will appear as a three-story, flat-roofed building plus a penthouse over a portion of the building. From the wetland, the building will appear to be four stories in addition to the penthouse. Barnhart noted in the past the City has stayed away from projects higher than three stories but Orono Woods does have a portion of building that is three stories. The building is proposed to be 35 feet back from the Shadywood Road right-of-way line and is about 35 feet from the new side lot line to the north. The building will be 75 feet from the wetland. Each unit will have a balcony. The building as shown includes brick, steel, and glass with stucco accents. The mechanical units will need to be shielded from public view. Council Exhibit D 17-3903 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday, February 21, 2017 6:30 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 2 of 11 Currently the site slopes toward the east/southeast, away from the street, dropping 12 feet in the first 119 feet. It appears that a substantial amount of fill will need to be brought in to accommodate the project. In addition, the site is wooded and the grading for the building, parking lot, and stormwater management will require the removal of most of the trees outside of the wetland. The project will be served by municipal water and sanitary sewer. Barnhart stated while this is not a public hearing, Staff has received one public comment expressing a concern regarding the number of units being proposed. The property is currently zoned B-4 Office Professional but is guided for mixed use with a prescribed density of 6-15 units per acre. The Comprehensive Plan suggests mixed use to include senior assisted living, townhomes, condominiums, or apartment buildings. From a use standpoint, the proposal is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. In addition, the proposed density does allow the City to offset lower density in other areas. Barnhart noted the proposed project is slightly higher than 15 units per acre. Thiesse asked where West Lafayette Road is located. Barnhart indicated it is south of this property off of Shadywood. Thiesse noted that is where the public comment was received from and that the person’s property is outside of the 350-foot zone. Barnhart stated one of the concerns expressed by that person related to traffic in addition to the density. Since it is likely some type of development will happen on the site, the question is whether what is being proposed is appropriate for the site. Barnhart stated currently there is quite a bit of traffic on Shadywood, with residential generating a substantial amount of that traffic, but that the overall traffic situation hamstrings redevelopment of the site. Lemke stated he has a concern that no one from the public is here. MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday, February 21, 2017 6:30 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 3 of 11 Barnhart noted this is a sketch plan review and that a formal public hearing has not been noticed. Barnhart indicated this is basically an opportunity for the applicant to hear from the Planning Commission and City Council on what they envision for the site. Thiesse stated one of his concerns is the three stories and a penthouse, especially since it will be five stories from the back. Olson asked how many units would be in the building if the density is reduced down to 15 units per acre. Barnhart noted the applicant is proposing 15.75 units. Barnhart stated the Comprehensive Plan lists a range of appropriate densities and that it is up to the City to determine what they would like to see on this site. Olson asked if a traffic study would be able to determine the traffic levels between different uses. Barnhart indicated that can be done, and given the higher density, a traffic study would be very appropriate. Lemke asked whether this proposal has been discussed with Hennepin County. Barnhart stated Hennepin County is comfortable with the proposed access. Barnhart illustrated the location of the shared driveway and the surrounding access points. Schoenzeit stated in his view it would be important to hear from the Fire Chief to see whether they would be able to fight a fire at this location given the height of the building. Schoenzeit stated the City is in need of higher density and that the City should not shy away from the higher density, especially since this is an area the City is hoping to redevelop to help bring in additional customers for the existing businesses. Thiesse commented in his view this is a perfect spot for this type of building but that it might be difficult to get approval for a five-story building and 15 units per acre. Landgraver asked if there are any trails planned for this area. MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday, February 21, 2017 6:30 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 4 of 11 Barnhart stated the developer is not proposing any trails but that there is an easement along Shadywood to hopefully someday provide a connection to the trail further up the road. Thiesse asked if any park land will be dedicated or could be required. Barnhart stated generally a residential development will trigger that requirement and that it will need to be reviewed. Leskinen asked if the soils have been tested to see whether underground parking is doable on the site given the wetlands in the area. Barnhart indicated that will be part of the due diligence the developer will do, but at this stage of review it is not required. Schoenzeit stated if the water table permits it, the first floor could be pushed further into the ground to help alleviate some of the concerns with the height of the structure. Tom Goodrum, Senior Planner with Westwood Engineering, stated he is representing Alex Ugorets tonight who is currently out of state. Goodrum indicated he has worked with Alex Ugorets on a number of projects throughout the years and that Alex would like to let the Planning Commission know that he is excited about being part of the redevelopment of the Navarre area. One of the reasons Alex Ugorets purchased the Freshwater building is because he wants to be part of what is happening in the Navarre area. Goodrum noted Mr. Ugorets also purchased the land next to the Freshwater building as well another nine acres for a total of 12 acres, which gives him quite a bit of land to move things around to make things work. Goodrum stated if the 9-acre parcel is added to this parcel, they would be down to 4.75 units per acre. Goodrum indicated they could work with the density somewhat but that it comes down to whether this is a good fit for the site. Goodrum stated they are interested in hearing what the Planning Commission thinks about the proposed project. MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday, February 21, 2017 6:30 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 5 of 11 Goodrum stated they looked at the character of the neighborhood when designing the building and that they knew traffic, density, and the height of the building would be concerns. Goodrum noted they do have a traffic engineering component to their company and that they have already met with representatives from Hennepin County. A formal traffic study has not been completed at this point but an internal memorandum regarding the traffic has been completed within the company. Goodrum stated if these are market rate, full family units, it is anticipated there will be 23 AMP trips on the county road, which is less than three percent of the total traffic in the area. Goodrum stated they are well within acceptable parameters for traffic in the area. Goodrum stated they are also looking at a higher market-end rate building and that they expect more seniors and more retired people to live in the building, which will help reduce traffic even further. As far as fitting this building in with the neighborhood, the plan as presented proposes very minimal grading impacts to the site and works with the actual grade on the site. Goodrum stated the building in the front would be 30 feet in height, with three stories in the front. Goodrum stated they are basically following the grade as it goes down. Goodrum stated what is being seen from the back side are the three stories and the penthouse, which matches the front, and the added height is the garage level. Thiesse noted the people in the back will see five stories. Goodrum concurred it will be a taller building but that they are working with the topography instead of bringing fill in. Goodrum indicated they can bring a bunch of dirt in to cover the bottom level, which does not make a lot of sense, since it can be screened with landscaping. Goodrum stated they are also looking at how this building will compare with the neighboring Freshwater building. This building will have 31 feet at the front when facing Shadywood Road and the penthouses are toward the back on the north side, which raises it to approximately 40 feet. The 54 feet is from the back side from the bottom of the garage to the top of the penthouse. Goodrum pointed out the Freshwater building on the adjoining site has the same heights. Goodrum stated they took the height of the Freshwater building at its highest point, matched it on this building, and then dropped it off to 30 feet in the front, which is the same as the Freshwater building. Goodrum indicated they tried to match what already exists on the Freshwater site and that they are not putting a tall building MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday, February 21, 2017 6:30 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 6 of 11 next to a short building. Goodrum noted there is another 400 feet before the first residential house with 40-foot tall trees in between. Goodrum stated they also attempted to locate the building where it would not have a huge visual impact to the residential properties in the back. The building is tilted and located further back off of Shadywood, with only one corner being up against the 35-foot setback. The rest of the building will be further back. Goodrum stated for someone coming down Shadywood, there will not be that tunnel effect since that building will be 100 feet back from the road. The plan also incorporates berms and landscaping to help break the appearance of the building up. Goodrum noted no headlights will be seen from the residents’ homes and that the building is tucked into the site. Goodrum stated they took the neighbors into consideration when designing the building. Goodrum stated in their view they have put together a well thought out plan and that they also looked at the zoning for the properties across the street to make sure this development would fit in. One of the objectives with the plan is to help bring people down to the Navarre area. Reconstruction of the Freshwater building has resulted in a number of positive comments and activity. Goodrum noted they require the 50 units to make this project economically feasible and that it fits in well with the neighborhood. Goodrum noted they also met with representatives from the Watershed District and that they are happy with the fact that they can meet the wetland buffers and setbacks. Goodrum stated the building height is a little scary when you hear five stories, but that if you walk through the plan and look at the various elements, that fear is alleviated. Schoenzeit asked if the building would be precast concrete with 8-foot ceilings. Goodrum indicated the architects have not decided on that yet and that this is a concept plan at this time. Schoenzeit stated if wood is used for the framing, the building would be even higher. Thiesse asked about the ordinary high water level. MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday, February 21, 2017 6:30 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 7 of 11 Goodrum stated they have not done any soil borings for this site at the present time but that soil borings were done on the Freshwater site and they did not hit groundwater at 14 feet. Goodrum indicated they also took a look at the wetland delineation that was done in the past. Goodrum stated they are confident they will not be getting water underneath the building but that borings have not been done at this site yet. Thiesse asked if they are considering spread footings for the building and not pile footings. Goodrum indicated they would be spread footings. Thiesse asked about access for fire trucks. Goodrum noted they have a shared driveway in the lower area where the garage will be located and that they will have to take a look at the fire codes to see whether access is needed all the way around the building. Barnhart stated from past experience he would expect the fire chief to require a hard surface so they can be within 150 feet of any portion of the building. Barnhart stated that might require the driveway to be extended somewhat. Lemke asked if there is a number on the units that would be a deal breaker. Goodrum indicated they would need between 45 and 55 units to make things work and that they started with a 50-unit building. Goodrum stated he realizes the density is at 15.75 but that they could add some land to this parcel if necessary. Landgraver asked how many units the penthouses are. Goodrum indicated they would be between two and four depending on how big the units are. Landgraver asked if the penthouses will be rented out at a higher rate than the other floors. Landgraver stated he is not sure if there is a Plan B of what it would look like without the penthouse suites but that it MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday, February 21, 2017 6:30 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 8 of 11 might be something to consider if there is a lot of resistance to the height. Landgraver stated he likes the rationale that the Freshwater building is 54 feet in height. Goodrum stated the penthouse part is being proposed due to market demand and that they also help out with the economics of the building. Thiesse asked if any variances would be required as currently proposed. Barnhart stated it depends on the zoning and that a PUD would likely lessen the number of variances that would be required. Barnhart stated he would recommend going that route but that this review helps provide direction to the applicant to make it approvable. Lemke asked if there would be a demand for this many units. Goodrum stated they have not done a formal market analysis, but from what they are hearing there is a demand for housing in this area. Schoenzeit asked what type of rent they are looking at and square footage of the units. Goodrum indicated he does not have that information. Leskinen asked if they are anticipating older clientele. Goodrum commented it would be higher market rate but that it has not been determined what age group to market to at this time. Goodrum stated they are hearing more from older people who would like to remain in the area and that there appears to be a demand for both ownership and rental. Thiesse stated the City has heard there is a demand for smaller units. Landgraver commented empty nesters like to stay in the area. MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday, February 21, 2017 6:30 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 9 of 11 Gaffron noted there are two other buildings in Orono of this magnitude. One is the senior housing located at Brown and Wayzata Boulevard. From an architectural standpoint, the Council was very adamant that those buildings have pitched roofs rather than a flat roof. Thiesse noted the Freshwater building next door has a flat roof as well as a number of other buildings in Navarre. Lemke stated he likes the idea of a continuous project on these parcels. Lemke noted there already is some massing in the area with the Freshwater building and that this project continues that massing, which he is not opposed to. Lemke stated he also likes the contemporary design and that in his view the building helps to upgrade the Navarre/Orono area. Lemke stated the traffic in the area concerns him but that it sounds like that will be addressed. Lemke stated in his view this project will help revitalize the Navarre area. Lemke stated the main concern he has is the nearby residential neighborhood. Lemke noted the City has run into a number of public hearings with the neighbors and that there are a number of single-family homes in this area and now all of a sudden they are proposing throwing in a major development. Lemke suggested the developer hold some neighborhood meetings to get them on board with what is being proposed for the site. Goodrum stated Staff has made them aware of that and that they are ready to send a letter out to the neighborhood in the near future. Goodrum stated they wanted to hear from the Planning Commission first. Thiesse stated the people across the road will have different concerns and that they might want to split them into a different group. Landgraver commented planting some evergreen trees might also be beneficial to the residential properties. Goodrum stated it comes down to approximately four homes that will have the biggest impact and that they will do their best to appease them. MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday, February 21, 2017 6:30 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 10 of 11 Council Exhibit C 17-3903 Lemke noted very little vegetation is being shown around the building and that from a visual standpoint, some vegetation would help soften the building a little. Goodrum indicated they will create some 3D illustrations but that the trees are pretty dense near the property line and wetland area. As a result, there is a pretty good buffer but that he likes the idea of planting more evergreens. Landgraver stated he does not mind the density being slightly over target and that aligning the entry and exit is good so they are further away from the intersection. Landgraver stated he does have a concern about the height from the back but that he likes how the building is angled off the street. Goodrum stated the third property to the south will be most impacted. Leskinen asked if those properties are lower in elevation than this building. Thiesse indicated the land starts to go back up at that point. Barnhart suggested they create a graphic depicting the elevation of the building as well as the trees and berms. Olson stated he agrees with being consistent on the flat roofs. Olson stated if there is a way to warm up the building somehow, that would be good, and that he would like to soften up the appearance of the building somehow. Olson stated it would be hard to change the roofline given the other office buildings in the area since it would not be consistent. Lemke stated in one of the renderings it almost looks like a green roof, and that if it is not going to be a green roof, it might be a little misleading. Goodrum stated they are entertaining that but that it comes down to pricing. Goodrum stated the flat roof adds a nice feature to the penthouses and for water treatment. MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday, February 21, 2017 6:30 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 11 of 11 Thiesse stated he likes the sketch plan a lot but that he would caution the applicant that the next time they meet there will likely be a full house. Thiesse suggested the applicant also meet with the Navarre business owners in the area as well. The Planning Commission took no formal action on this item.