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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL JANUARY 27, 201410 <br /> <br />Associate Planner Bachler <br />stated that in December 2012, the City Council approved Planning <br />Case 12-019 for a Master and Final Planned Unit Development (PUD) at 1201 County Road E. <br />This planning case allowed the reuse of the existing building on the property for 74 residential <br />apartment units and approximately 20,000 square feet of retail space. A Certificate of Occupancy <br />for the building was issued in October 2013. The City Council later approved a Certificate of <br />Completion for the E Street Flats project in November 2013, which acknowledged that the <br />developer had completed certain site improvements as required by the Development Agreement. <br /> <br />Associate Planner Bachler <br />indicated that the approved Master PUD consists only of the <br />redevelopment of the existing building on the property and the completion of site improvements. <br />A previous land use application (PC #11-011) submitted by the applicant and approved by the <br />City Council in 2011, included a preliminary plat proposal that would have subdivided the <br />property into two parcels. Approval for this land use application expired prior to the City taking <br />action on Planning Case 12-019. <br /> <br />Associate Planner Bachler <br />reported that the Development Agreement states that the property <br />owner intends to develop the eastern two acres of the site into retail or other commercial uses and <br />that any future development will require a separate application to the City. Also included in the <br />Agreement is the provision that any significant changes to the approved plans require a review by <br />the Planning Commission and approval by the City Council. Staff has determined that the <br />proposed project qualifies as being significant and that an amendment to the existing Master PUD <br />is required. <br /> <br />Associate Planner Bachler <br />explained that since 1201 County Road E would continue to be a <br />single parcel of property, the proposal has been evaluated based on whether the entire site will <br />meet the zoning requirements once the new development is completed. It should be noted that the <br />site plan was designed so that the two-acre development site would be in conformance with <br />zoning regulations independent of the entire parcel in terms of building and landscape lot <br />coverage. <br /> <br />Associate Planner Bachler <br />stated that the project is being reviewed through the PUD process, <br />which allows the City to grant flexibility within the typical zoning code requirements. Because of <br />this, deviations are not considered variances and the review criteria typically used for variance <br />requests do not apply. The City is not required to grant the requested deviations if there is a <br />rational basis for denial. Additionally, any conditions imposed by the City must have a rational <br />basis related to the expected impacts of the development. <br /> <br />Associate Planner Bachler <br />noted that the applicant has proposed constructing a 17,743 square <br />foot retail building that would be located on the undeveloped two acre eastern portion of 1201 <br />County Road E. TAT Properties has been working with Goodwill Industries and plans to sign a <br />long-term lease with the company for use of the building. If the proposal is approved, work on the <br />site is expected to begin in April or May of 2014, with an anticipated construction completion <br />schedule of six months. <br /> <br />Associate Planner Bachler <br />indicated that the building would be situated at the southeast corner <br />of the lot and would be accessed using the easterly driveway on the property that currently <br />services E Street Flats. Slightly more than half of the building area would be used for retail sales, <br />