2019.04.08 - Agenda
4141 Douglas Drive North • Crystal, Minnesota 55422-1696
Tel: (763) 531-1000 • Fax: (763) 531-1188 • www.crystalmn.gov
Crystal Planning Commission Agenda Summary
Monday, April 8, 2019
7 p.m.
Crystal City Hall
1. Call to Order
2. Approval of Minutes*
a. Monday, March 11, 2019 meeting minutes
3. Public Hearing*
a. Rezoning to Planned Development for proposed specialized care facility at
3501 Douglas Drive North (Application Number 2019-04)
4. Old Business - None
5. New Business - None
6. General Information
a. City Council actions on previous Planning Commission items:
- Approvals for Rivertree School expansion
b. Update from Council liaison
c. Staff preview of likely agenda items for Monday, May 13, 2019 meeting
7. Open Forum
8. Adjournment
* Items for which supporting materials are included in the meeting packet
Page 1 of 2
CRYSTAL PLANNING COMMISSION
DETAILED AGENDA
Monday, April 8, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.
Council Chambers, Crystal City Hall
Commissioners, please call 763.531.1142 or
email dan.olson@crystalmn.gov if unable to attend
* Items for which supporting materials are included in the meeting packet
1. CALL TO ORDER
The regular meeting of the Crystal Planning Commission convened at ______ p.m. with the
following members present:
Commissioner (Ward 1)
Sears
Commissioner (Ward 2)
Selton [Chair]
Commissioner (Ward 4)
Einfeldt-Brown [Vice
Chair]
Commissioner (Ward 1)
Heigel
Commissioner (Ward 3)
Maristany [Sec. Vice Chair]
Commissioner (Ward 4)
Johnson
Commissioner (Ward 2)
Strand
Commissioner (Ward 3)
Buck
Commissioner (At-
Large) Seffren
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES *
Moved by _______________ and seconded by _______________ to approve the minutes of
the March 11, 2019 regular meeting with the following exceptions:
Motion carried.
3. PUBLIC HEARING*
a. Rezoning to Planned Development for proposed specialized care facility at 3501 Douglas
Drive North (Application Number 2019-04):
Staff presented the following:
Page 2 of 2
The following were heard:
Planning Commission discussion:
Moved by _______________ and seconded by _______________ to recommend ______ to
the City Council of the rezoning to PD for a proposed specialized care facility at 3501 Douglas
Drive North with the conditions in the staff report.
4. OLD BUSINESS - None
5. NEW BUSINESS - None
6. GENERAL INFORMATION
a. City Council actions on previous Planning Commission items:
Approvals for Rivertree School expansion
b. Update from Council Liaison
c. Staff preview of likely agenda items for Monday, May 13, 2019 meeting
7. OPEN FORUM
8. ADJOURNMENT
Moved by _____ and seconded by ______ to adjourn.
Motion carried.
The meeting adjourned at ______ p.m.
Unapproved Planning Commission Minutes – March 11, 2019
CRYSTAL PLANNING COMMISSION
MINUTES
Monday, March 11, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.
Council Chambers, Crystal City Hall
1. CALL TO ORDER
The regular meeting of the Crystal Planning Commission convened at 7:00 p.m. with the
following members present:
X Commissioner (Ward 1)
Sears
X Commissioner (Ward 2)
Selton [Chair]
X Commissioner (Ward 4)
Einfeldt-Brown [Vice Chair]
X Commissioner (Ward 1)
Heigel
X Commissioner (Ward 3)
Maristany [Sec. Vice Chair]
X Commissioner (Ward 4)
Johnson
X Commissioner (Ward 2)
Strand
X Commissioner (Ward 3)
Buck
X Commissioner (At-Large)
Seffren
Other attendees: City Planner Dan Olson, City Council Liaison John Budziszewski, Marybeth
Nelson and Raphael Lister (Pope Architects), both representing Rivertree School, and one
Crystal resident
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Moved by Seffren and seconded by Buck to approve the minutes of the February 11, 2019
regular meeting with the clarification under Open Forum that the Crystal Ball planning
committee would be meeting one more time to discuss the event. Ayes all, except that Heigel
and Sears abstained.
Motion carried.
3. PUBLIC HEARING
a. Approvals related to the expansion of the Rivertree School at 3733 Vera Cruz Avenue
North (Application Number 2019-03):
i. Rezoning to Planned Development
ii. Amend Conditional Use Permit
Planner Olson presented a brief summary of the staff report and stated he is
recommending approval of the application with the conditions in the staff report.
Commission member Heigel asked if the students will be crossing the property at 3717
Vera Cruz to get to and from the two buildings. Planner Olson stated that students will
use the sidewalk along Vera Cruz or the street, which is not very busy.
Unapproved Planning Commission Minutes – March 11, 2019
Commission member Maristany asked why Rivertree needs a CUP in addition to the
rezoning. Planner Olson stated that schools are a conditional use in the R-1 district so a
CUP amendment is also needed for this expansion project. Maristany also asked if the
school will have a sports program. Olson stated he did not think so. This was confirmed
by Maryann Nelson from the school.
Chair Selton opened the public hearing.
A Crystal resident asked what the parking requirements are for the school. Planner Olson
explained that that use meets the parking requirements of the city’s zoning code. In
addition, most of the students are not of driving age and there is no parking allowed on the
west side of Welcome Avenue. Olson stated there will be a one-day event in June that is
held in the parking lot, causing attendees to park on the street. The resident stated the
parking has improved dramatically since the previous church use ended.
Selton also read into the record a comment letter from the property owner at 3717 Vera
Cruz dated February 28, 2019. The letter was received by city staff after the Planning
Commission agenda packets were sent out.
Commission member Maristany asked the Crystal resident how she felt about the street
parking for the one day event in June. The resident said she was okay with it, but it would
be great if the school would send a notice to the neighbors providing the date of the event.
Commission member Maristany asked the applicant about their plans to grow in size and
how students arrive at the school. Maryann Nelson stated that the maximum number of
students will be 208 and they strive to keep all of their events, including extracurricular
activities, to the week day. Ms. Nelson said currently six students drive themselves to
school.
Chair Selton asked if anyone else from the public wanted to speak. Seeing no one, the
public hearing was closed.
Commission member Buck asked what would happen if the school and the property owner
at 3717 Vera Cruz cannot come to an agreement for the school to purchase the property.
Olson stated the home would remain as is. The proposed classroom building could still be
built without that property as part of the school campus. The applicant has a purchase
agreement with that property owner.
Moved by Seffren and seconded by Sears to recommend approval to the City Council of
the rezoning to Planned Development and the amended CUP for Rivertree School, with
the conditions in the staff report. Ayes: All
Motion carried.
4. OLD BUSINESS – None
5. NEW BUSINESS
a. Update on Town Center district regulations.
Planner Olson stated that is planning to bring a draft of the town center regulations to
the Planning Commission in April or May for their review and discussion.
Unapproved Planning Commission Minutes – March 11, 2019
6. GENERAL INFORMATION
a. City Council actions on previous Planning Commission items: Planner Olson stated that
the City Council approved the Livieri Addition plat. The Council will be holding a first
reading of the UDC amendments on March 19. The Planning Commission recommended
approval of these amendments at their February 11 meeting.
b. Update from Council Liaison: City Council Liaison John Budziszewski said the Council is
working on their 2019-20 goals and is working with Public Works to ensure that spring
flooding does not occur at street intersections. Mr. Budziszewski also provided an update
on the Becker Park project.
c. Staff preview of likely agenda items for Monday, April 8, 2019 meeting.
Mr. Olson indicated that the application deadline is not until tomorrow. He is expecting an
application from A-1 Reliable Home Care for a new facility at 3501 Douglas Drive.
7. OPEN FORUM
Commission member Johnson asked what approvals were required for the theater that is
moving into 6105 – 42nd Avenue N. Planner Olson stated that the use is a permitted use in the
Commercial zoning district, so the only required approval was a building permit application.
The theater also received City Council approval for financing to install a sprinkler system.
Commission member Strand spoke about a brew-fest fundraiser on March 15 for Becker Park.
Commission member Einfeldt-Brown said he attended the New Hope Planning Commission
meeting in which a public hearing was held for the Windsor Ridge development west of
Crystal’s Ironhorse Park. He said their Planning Commission recommended approval of the
development.
8. ADJOURNMENT
Moved by Buck and seconded by Einfeldt-Brown to adjourn.
Motion carried.
The meeting adjourned at 7:47 p.m.
3501 DOUGLAS DRIVE NORTH – REZONING TO PLANNED DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION
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_______________________________________________________________
FROM: Dan Olson, City Planner
____________________________________________________________________
TO: Planning Commission (for April 8 Meeting)
DATE: April 3, 2019
RE: PUBLIC HEARING – Rezoning to Planned Development for a proposed
specialized care facility at 3501 Douglas Drive North (Application
Number 2019-04)
A. INTRODUCTION
A-1 Reliable Home Care, a for-profit company that provides health care services, is proposing
to construct a new specialized care facility on property they are proposing to purchase at 3501
Douglas Drive North, which contains six separately platted lots. The portion of the property
facing Douglas Drive is zoned Commercial (C), while the rear of the property is zoned Low
Density Residential (R-1). Specialized care facilities are a permitted use in the Commercial
zoning district. The applicant is proposing to consolidate the lots into one parcel and rezone
the property to Planned Development (C - PD). Notice of the April 8 public hearing was
published in the Sun Post on March 28 and mailed to the same property owners who received
the neighborhood notice (see attachment A).
Staff Report Attachments:
A. Site location and neighborhood notice mailing map
B. Existing zoning map
C. 2030 Comprehensive Plan planned land use map
D. Applicant’s project narrative
E. Public comments
F. Site plan (23 sheets)
PLANNING COMMISSION STAFF REPORT
Proposed Specialized Care Facility
3501 DOUGLAS DRIVE NORTH – REZONING TO PLANNED DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION
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Staff Report Organization
Section Page Number(s) Information Provided
B (Background)
Pages 2-6
Neighborhood meeting
Existing use
Surrounding land uses
Conformance to
Comprehensive Plan
C (Proposed Specialized
Care Facility
Pages 6-10
Proposed use
Facility operational
characteristics and
requirements
Facility site plan
elements
D (Rezoning to Planned
Development)
Page 10 Rezoning to C-PD
E (Requested Action) Pages 10-11 Requested Planning
Commission action
Approval conditions
B. BACKGROUND
Neighborhood meeting
The applicant held a neighborhood meeting on February 28, 2019, which was attended
by the city planner, 21 area residents, and three Planning Commission members (one of
whom lives within the neighborhood notice area). The purpose of the meeting was to
provide information on the proposed project to property owners near the facility.
Attendees asked questions about how A-1 will operate the facility, their state licensing
requirements, and types of residents the facility will serve. Attachment E are public
comments received for this proposed development after the neighborhood meeting.
Existing Use
The site contains two existing buildings, with an associated surface parking lot:
3501 Douglas Dr N – The property contains an existing 8,300 square foot
(approximately 4,000 square feet per floor) office building constructed in 1965.
3505 Douglas Dr N - The property contains a single-family home, constructed in
1948, which is currently vacant. The home had previously been rented out for
residential purposes.
Surrounding Land Uses
The following are the existing zoning districts and land uses surrounding A-1’s proposed
site:
North: Directly north of the subject property is vacant land zoned Low Density
Residential (R-1) and guided as “Neighborhood Commercial” in the
3501 DOUGLAS DRIVE NORTH – REZONING TO PLANNED DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION
PAGE 3 OF 11
Comprehensive Plan. Directly north of this vacant property across Bassett Creek
is a commercial building with an associated surface parking lot zoned Commercial.
East – Across Douglas Drive are single-family homes zoned R-1 and an eight-unit
residential condominium building zoned Medium Density Residential (R-2).
West – Across the unimproved Edgewood Avenue right-of-way is a mixture of
vacant lots and single-family homes zoned R-1.
South – Directly south of the existing office building is a vacant property owned by
the city’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) that is zoned Commercial.
South of the EDA property is an eight-unit townhome development that is zoned
R-2.
Conformance to Comprehensive Plan
According to the city’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan, the site has two designations on the
planned land use map (attachment C):
Neighborhood commercial: The portion of the site facing Douglas Drive has
this commercial designation, which is described as “small-scale commercial uses
embedded within or adjacent to residential areas”. Prior to the 2018 zoning code
update, these properties were zoned as Neighborhood Commercial, but they
were rezoned to Commercial with that update.
Medium density residential: The portion of the property behind the existing
office building has this residential designation.
According to the Comprehensive Plan, the site is also designated as a redevelopment
area called Special Area Plan B. This area extends along Douglas Drive from 27th to
36th Avenues. The plan states that no plat approval, rezoning, conditional use permit,
site plan approval, or other similar city approval shall be granted by the City Council for
any structure, use or subdivision of land in this area unless it is fully consistent with the
following guidelines. Staff response to each of these guidelines as it relates to A-1’s
proposal is provided below:
1. Development shall be consistent with the density limits established for the
residential uses shown on the 2030 Planned Land Use map. If a development site
includes areas guided for different densities, the developer may request that the city
average the guided density on a pro-rated basis over the entire site. However, the city
may require the developer to conform to each guided density instead of a pro-rated
average.
Staff response: This guideline is not applicable to A-1’s proposal since the
development is for an institutional use, not a residential use that is subject to
density requirements.
2. Development shall not reduce the development potential of other parcels by
impeding access or leaving undeveloped any adjacent small, isolated, difficult-to-
develop parcels.
Staff response: As shown below, there are three vacant platted parcels adjacent
to A-1’s proposed site that have access challenges. These three parcels are
3501 DOUGLAS DRIVE NORTH – REZONING TO PLANNED DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION
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addressed as 3443, 3449, and 3455 Edgewood. The property at 3443 Edgewood
is owned by the city’s Economic Development Authority (EDA). The properties at
3449 and 3455 Edgewood are owned by the same private party.
The three properties are located adjacent to the Edgewood Avenue street right-
of-way. Because of grade differences which make installing street and utility
infrastructure difficult, Edgewood has not been constructed north of 34th
Avenue. Since the three Edgewood Avenue properties are already landlocked
because they do not front on a constructed public street, A-1’s proposed
development does not create or add to the challenge of providing access to
these three lots.
3. Development shall include additional right-of-way for Douglas Drive or other public
streets as necessary to preserve and enhance the transportation system.
Staff response: No new public streets are proposed for A-1’s development. Since
Douglas Drive is under Hennepin County’s jurisdiction, only they have the
authority to request additional street right-of-way. The County will have the
opportunity to provide preliminary comments on the final plat for the lot
consolidation application. At that time the County may request additional street
right-of-way, but since the proposed building is located approximately 126 feet
3501 DOUGLAS DRIVE NORTH – REZONING TO PLANNED DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION
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from the property line along Douglas Drive, this request would not affect the
location of the proposed building.
4. Development shall preserve an open space corridor along Bassett Creek for the
purposes of flood prevention, open space preservation and a possible future public trail.
Staff response: This guideline is not applicable to A-1’s proposed development
since Bassett Creek is not located within the site boundaries. However the
Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission requires that the applicant
receive approval of their stormwater management plan. The watershed
commission’s application process works to ensure there are not negative
impacts to Bassett Creek.
5. Development shall be compatible with adjacent land uses and systems, including
but not limited to issues of traffic, parking, noise, buffering, screening, impervious
coverage, building size, form and materials. The preferred residential development
style would be townhomes or similar structures where each unit has a private entrance
instead of apartment-style buildings where residents share a common entrance.
Staff response: The proposed development is to add an institutional building
behind an existing office building, and reconfigure the surface parking lot. The
following is a description of potential impacts, as listed above, on adjacent land
uses for this development:
1. Traffic: Douglas Drive is a county road classified as a minor arterial
street in the city’s Comprehensive Plan. These roadways are designed
to provide a balance between traffic flow and access connections from
local streets. According to traffic volume forecasts completed by the
County in 2016, average daily traffic volumes for this stretch of Douglas
are projected to increase to 8,350 vehicles per day in 2040. This
forecast volume would be 60% of the roadway’s design capacity of
15,000 vehicles per day. The addition of this facility will not cause the
roadway to exceed design capacity. In addition, the only traffic to and
from the proposed facility will be employees and visitors to the
property, not the residents themselves.
2. Parking: The applicant is reconfiguring the existing parking lot to
provide the required number of parking spaces for the existing and
proposed buildings. Further information about the parking plan is
found in section C.
3. Noise: The proposed secure facility is not expected to generate
excessive noise. There are no windows in the building facing the
homes to the west.
4. Buffering/screening: The applicant is installing landscaping to screen
the parking lot. There will be no rooftop mechanical to screen. Further
information about the screening plan is found in section C.
a. Impervious coverage: The site currently has 49% of impervious
coverage (buildings, parking lot, driveways, and sidewalks). This is
3501 DOUGLAS DRIVE NORTH – REZONING TO PLANNED DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION
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being reduced to 41%. The maximum permitted impervious surface for
this development is 85%.
b. Building size, form and materials: The proposed 33’ tall building meets
the city’s height limit of 60’ or 5 stories, whichever is less, for the
proposed underlying Commercial zoning district. Moreover the
building will be located in a lower elevation of the site, giving the
appearance of a shorter height as viewed from the residential
properties to the west. The building is oriented to have its main
entryway face north, away from residential uses. The building is
designed to be compatible with the existing office building and will be
constructed using exterior brick and fiber cement lap siding, with an
aluminum material as an entryway accent.
6. Certain office-type commercial uses may be compatible in areas guided Medium
Density Residential or High Density Residential adjacent to Douglas Drive. In no event
shall a commercial use be permitted that is found to be incompatible with adjacent land
uses.
Staff response: There are single-family homes located west of A-1’s site, and east
across Douglas Drive. These homes have co-existed with the office building on
this property since 1965 when the building was built. This property is large
enough to accommodate an additional commercial (institutional) building that
meets the city’s zoning requirements, such as building setbacks and height,
parking, and lot coverage. Compatibility of this proposed use with the
neighborhood is discussed in 5, above.
7. The city reserves the right to deny any application for development that it
determines to be incompatible with these guiding principles or any other part of the
Comprehensive Plan.
Staff response: As discussed in this section, A-1’s proposed specialized care
facility meets these guidelines.
C. PROPOSED SPECIALIZED CARE FACILITY
Proposed Use
The proposed uses for the site are found in the table on the next page. The specialized
care facility is defined in the city’s unified development code (UDC) as:
Any facility where the primary function is the provision, on a continuing basis, of
nursing services and health-related services for treatment and in-patient care,
such as nursing homes, memory care facilities, and hospices. This does not
include senior housing or the residence of any individual who cares for another
family member.
3501 DOUGLAS DRIVE NORTH – REZONING TO PLANNED DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION
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Address Proposed use
3501 Douglas Dr N The existing office building will remain as an office for A-1 and other
tenants. As A-1’s business grows, it may ultimately use the whole
building.
3503 Douglas Dr N The applicant is proposing to construct a new three-story, 33’ tall,
20,000 square foot specialized care facility. Each floor, including the
basement, contains approximately 5,000 square feet.
3505 Douglas Dr N This single-family home will be used by A-1 as rental housing for their
employees.
Facility Operational Characteristics and Requirements
Attachment D describes the proposed facility, which will house individuals with brain injuries and
those with diagnosed mental health conditions. The table below provides a summary of the
different government entities that will regulate this facility.
Government entity How facility is
classified
Relevant
regulations
Summary of
regulations
City of Crystal – Planning
Specialized care
facility
Unified Development
Code (UDC)
Zoning requirements
such as parking,
building setbacks, and
landscaping
City of Crystal – Building
Inspections
Institutional (I-2) State Building Code City enforces building
and fire code
regulations for the
construction of A-1’s
facility. After
construction, staff
recommends that A-1
be required to obtain a
rental license with an
annual property
maintenance
inspection.
MN Dept. of Health A-1 is licensed as a
Comprehensive Care
Provider; facility
would be registered
as Housing with
Services
State Statute 144D The license
requirement provides
for periodic review of
A-1’s programs. The
State registers the
facility but does not
inspect it.
3501 DOUGLAS DRIVE NORTH – REZONING TO PLANNED DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION
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The applicant has provided details about the day-to-day operations of the proposed
facility in attachment D. The applicant is licensed by the State of Minnesota as a
Comprehensive Care Provider, which requires state oversight of the programs offered
by the applicant. The housing with services registration allows the state to track the
location of facilities offering services. Neither the licensure nor the registration includes
a state inspection of the facility.
The applicant has provided five examples in attachment D of larger facilities in
Hennepin County that they believe are similar to the proposed A-1 facility in Crystal.
Staff has contacted these facilities to determine if they are regulated as Housing with
Services by the State of Minnesota, but has only been able to confirm that one of the
examples (Eden Residential Program) is not regulated as a Housing with Services
facility. Therefore staff cannot confirm that the examples provided by the applicant are
similarly regulated as the Crystal facility would be.
The following is further information of two notable operational issues:
Building security. The building will have four security personnel who will staff
the building on rotating shifts, and at least one will be on site at any given time.
The Crystal Police Chief has reviewed this security information in attachment D
and found it adequate. If the facility requires an excessive number of police
calls, there is a provision in city code (Disorderly Properties) that allows the city
to take corrective action, as for any property in the city. Staff recommends as a
condition of approval that A-1 retain qualified security personnel for the facility.
Building inspections. As noted above, the State of Minnesota would not conduct
inspections of the facility. Staff recommends a condition of approval of the
rezoning to C-PD that the applicant secure a rental license for this facility in the
same manner as a 30-unit apartment building. As part of the license city staff
will complete an annual property maintenance inspection of the facility.
The West Metro Fire Rescue District (WMFRD) has reviewed this proposal and has
provided information to the applicant relating to building and fire codes they will be
required to adhere to for the facility. WMFRD has requested that the applicant relocate
the fire department connection so that a handicapped parking space in front of the
proposed building will not need to be moved. This has been made a condition of
approval of the rezoning.
Facility Site Plan Elements
The properties included in the Planned Development consists of six platted lots. The
applicant has submitted a lot consolidation application that will replat these lots into one
parcel. According to the UDC, a lot consolidation application is approved by the City
Council without the need for a public hearing. The following are the notable site plan
elements for the proposed building:
Building setbacks. The proposed building meets setback requirements in the
proposed underlying Commercial district:
Front property line: 126’ (requirement is 30’)
South property line: 169’ (requirement is 10’)
3501 DOUGLAS DRIVE NORTH – REZONING TO PLANNED DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION
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North property line: 149’ (requirement is 10’)
Rear (west) property line: 30’ (requirement is 10’)
The proposed building is not located in a drainage or utility easement.
Parking. The applicant is proposing to reconfigure the existing parking lot, which
contains 75 parking spaces. The number of required spaces based on the
requirements for all three buildings is 29, and the number of spaces provided in the
new parking lot is 43.
Stormwater management and erosion control measures. The applicant has
provided a stormwater management plan, which provides for a stormwater
infiltration basin north of the proposed parking lot. Due to the scope of the project,
the stormwater plan is subject to review and approval by the Bassett Creek
Watershed Management Commission. This review and approval has been made a
condition of approval of the rezoning to C-PD. The percentage of impervious
surface on the property will be reduced from 49% to 41%. During building
construction, the city will require erosion control techniques to be used on-site
including silt fences, inlet protection, rock construction entrance, and erosion
control blankets.
Utilities. The proposed building will connect with existing water and sanitary sewer
mains. It will have two water connections; one in Douglas Drive and another in the
Edgewood Avenue right-of-way This will provide two alternate sources of water for
this health care facility. Existing overhead utilities are located along Douglas Drive
and along the west side of the property. These utilities will be located in drainage
and utility easements that are dedicated with the new lot consolidation plat. If
those lines are relocated or extended, then the lines and extensions must be buried
underground. New private utility services to the proposed building, such as Xcel
Energy, Century Link and Comcast, will be buried underground.
Access and circulation. The city’s Public Works department and the West Metro
Fire Rescue District staff have reviewed this traffic circulation plan and found it
adequate to meet vehicle movement into and within the site, including fire trucks.
The applicant has provided a traffic circulation plan (attachment F) that shows how
larger vehicles, such as garbage or delivery trucks, will enter and exit the property.
Traffic to and from the facility is discussed in section B, above.
Building elevations. The proposed major exterior building material is brick veneer
and fiber cement lap siding, with an aluminum material as an entryway accent.
These materials meet the city’s requirements. A color rending of the proposed
building is attachment F. There are no windows facing the single-family homes to
the west of the property.
Landscaping. The landscape plan shows 10 existing trees to be removed to
accommodate the proposed building. The site plan calls for 36 new trees to be
planted: “northern catalpa”, “swamp white oak”, “coffee tree”, “american
sycamore”, “redbud”, serviceberry”, “black hills spruce”, “red pine”, “Norway
spruce”, and “douglas fir”. The applicant proposes to plant four varieties of shrubs,
including those that will screen the proposed building foundation from street view.
Screening. There is an existing dumpster enclosure on the property, which the
applicant will replace with a new enclosure. The applicant is proposing an outdoor
recreational area for the residents on the south side of the building. This area will
be screened and secured using a combination of landscaping, retaining wall, and
an 8-foot tall chain-link fence.
3501 DOUGLAS DRIVE NORTH – REZONING TO PLANNED DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION
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Exterior Lighting. There are three existing light poles in the parking lot. These light
poles will be replaced with five new light poles in the reconfigured parking lot. There
will be three exterior lighting fixtures on the proposed building: two on the north
side of the building and one on the west side near the outdoor recreational area.
This lighting meets the city’s requirements.
Pedestrian connections. There is an existing sidewalk along Douglas Drive that
allows for pedestrian connections to the existing office building. Pedestrian access
will be provided between the existing and proposed buildings.
D. REZONING TO PLANNED DEVELOPMENT (C - PD)
The applicant is requesting that the consolidated properties be rezoned to Planned
Development (C - PD), which allows some flexibility in zoning requirements when
planning campus-type land uses. The main reason for the rezoning request is to allow
more than one principal building on the property, which is not allowed in any of the city’s
base zoning districts. The underlying zoning for the property would be Commercial.
The proposed development is 1.89 acres in size. The minimum lot size for a PD is 2
acres, but the UDC provides an exception to this requirement if at least one of three
criteria are met. The relevant criteria that is met by this development is as follows:
Criteria: The property is located in a transitional area between different land use
categories or it is located on an arterial street as defined in the Comprehensive
Plan.
Staff response: As described in section B of this staff report, A-1’s site is
located in Special Area Plan B, which is a redevelopment area transitioning
some of the properties facing Douglas from a low or medium density
residential use to a higher density or commercial use. In addition Douglas
Drive is defined as a minor arterial street in the Comprehensive Plan.
E. REQUESTED ACTION
The Planning Commission is being asked to make a recommendation to the City
Council to either deny or approve the rezoning to Planned Development for the addition
of a specialized care facility at 3501 Douglas Drive North. This recommendation should
include findings of fact either for or against the proposal. The Commission may
reference the findings for approval in sections B, C, and D, above. Staff recommends
approval of the rezoning to Planned Development with the following conditions of
approval:
1. Site Plan. The development shall be constructed according to the site
plan in attachment F. Prior to disturbing the site, the applicant shall:
a. Receive approval by the City Council of lot consolidation and
easement vacation applications to combine the applicant’s six
properties at 3449, 3501, and 3505 Douglas Drive and 3442, 3456,
and 3500 Edgewood Avenue into one parcel, vacate drainage and
3501 DOUGLAS DRIVE NORTH – REZONING TO PLANNED DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION
PAGE 11 OF 11
utility easements, and provide new easements on the final plat
document.
b. Receive approval of the stormwater management plan by the Bassett Creek
Watershed Management Commission.
c. Sign a site improvement agreement with the city and provide an
escrow to guarantee installation of the parking lot, infiltration basin,
and landscaping plan.
d. Submit revised site plan sheet(s) to show the relocation of the fire
department connection to the satisfaction of the West Metro Fire
Rescue District.
2. Security personnel. The applicant shall retain qualified security personnel
who are employed by a private or public security company for the building
at 3503 Douglas Drive, with one such person on site at any given time.
3. Rental license and inspection. Before A-1 receives a certificate of
occupancy from the city for the specialized care facility, they shall secure
a rental license from the city, and renew this license annually as required
by the city. The required rental licensing shall be the same as for a 30-
unit multiple-family apartment dwelling, which includes an inspection to
verify that the facility meets the property maintenance regulations of
Crystal city code section 425, as may be amended by the City Council.
4. Building permit. The applicant shall apply for a building permit for the
proposed building within one year from the date of City Council decision.
The applicant may request a one-year extension from the City Council of
this deadline date if the request is made in writing no later than March 17,
2020.
If the Planning Commission recommends that the rezoning application be
denied, they should continue the item until the May 13, 2019 Planning
Commission meeting, and request that staff and the city attorney prepare
findings of fact for the denial. The Commission will then review those findings at
the May meeting.
If approval is recommended by the Planning Commission, City Council action is
anticipated on April 16, 2019 with the first reading of the rezoning of the property
to C-PD. If the Council approves first reading, then second reading of the
rezoning ordinance would be considered at a future regularly scheduled Council
meeting in which the lot consolidation and easement vacation requests will also
be considered.