09-08-14 Special WS - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—SEPTEMBER 8, 2014 6 Building 1 would have a northwest orientation facing the I-694/Hwy 51 interchange, and Building 2 would be oriented to face east towards the Northwoods Office Building and Red Fox Road. City Planner Streff noted that parking would be provided on surface parking lots. The preliminary figures show that between 148 and 152 parking stalls would be required depending on the proposed footprint area of Building 1. Both site plans accommodate more than the required amount of parking for the proposed development. Option 1 would provide 229 stalls and Option 2 would include 187 stalls. City Planner Streff stated that the property at 1235 Red Fox Road is located in the I-Flex Zoning District. The purpose of this district among other things is to attract new development that is compatible with existing development in the district in terms of use, performance, character, quality and appearance of buildings and sites. Currently, this district is primarily comprised of a mix of office and light industrial buildings. Examples of businesses in the I-Flex District include li Smiths Medical, IntriCon, and International Paper. City Planner Streff explained that office and manufacturing uses are permitted as principal uses in the district, retail sales and services are allowed as an accessory use, and warehousing is permitted as a conditional use. Warehousing is allowed by Conditional Use Permit only if the use occupies no more than 50 percent of the gross floor area of the building in which it is located. City Planner Streff noted that proposals for new construction in the I-Flex District are required to use the Planned Unit Development or the Conditional Use Permit process. In this case, Roberts Management Group would be required to apply for a PUD in order to allow for two principal buildings on the property. In addition, a Conditional Use Permit application would be processed concurrently to allow for warehousing uses in the proposed buildings. Mayor Grant asked if the developer had any comments. Mr. Roberts asked if the warehouse portion of the building could be made an accessory use instead of a conditional use. City Planner Streff explained that this would require a zoning change or code amendment. Councilmember Holden was not in favor of making a zoning change or a code amendment. She had concerns with the proposed development as the City has a great deal of office space in close proximity. She feared how traffic would be impacted along Northwoods Drive. Mr. Roberts discussed how the dock areas were shared between the two buildings, noting the truck traffic would flow to Red Fox Road. It was his hope to keep truck traffic to the west and away from Northwoods Drive. Mayor Grant recommended that the dock area be screened along the property line. He wanted to see a high quality building constructed on all sides as it would be viewed from the adjacent office buildings.