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CONSENT ITEM – 5I City of Arden Hills City Council Meeting for March 28, 2016 P:\Planning\Planning Cases\2016\PC 16-007 - Red Fox Business Center PUD Amendment\Memos_Reports_16-007 Page 2 of 5 for the development that addressed amongst other things the façade materials to be used on the two (2) buildings. The approved development plan set indicates where windows and doors will be located, areas where decorative metals and aluminum will be used, and where different colors and aggregate techniques will be used to reduce the monotony of the large tilt-up panels and to provide architectural interest. Overview of Request The applicant is requesting a PUD Amendment in order to incorporate the changes that occurred to the façade on Building 1 during the construction of the Red Fox Business Center. If the request is approved the window section and corresponding façade enhancements around the window opening area that were to be constructed on the west elevation of Building 1 would be omitted from the Elevation Plan A3.1 (Attachment D). The change to the design of Building 1 can be compared to the approved Elevation Plan A3.1 (Attachment E) which includes the window section and enhancements around the window opening area. Within the project narrative (Attachment C) provided by the applicant it explains that the decision to modify the façade occurred when Xcel Energy finalized the gas and electrical meter locations. In the narrative the applicant states that the only alternative location for the gas and electrical meters was in front of Building 1 along Red Fox Road. Knowing that the meters, if placed along Red Fox Road, would detract from the property’s curb appeal the applicant decided to have the meters placed in the northwest corner of Building 1. The placement of the utility meters in this area resulted in the omission of the window section and associated enhancements as a non-combustible barrier would have been needed to be constructed between the meters and the window section. In order to mitigate these changes the applicant has elected to revise the approved Landscaping Plan in order to enhance the screening coverage of the affected area based on the comments received by the Council during the Work Session on February 29, 2016. The approved Landscaping Plan would be modified to include; three (3) Spruce trees and American Ivy immediately adjacent to the affected area where the window section and façade enhancements were omitted (Attachment F); and eight (8) Lilac trees along the western property line adjacent to the property occupied by United Technologies (Attachment G). The proposed Landscaping Plan would remove one (1) Swamp White Oak and one (1) Princeton Elm along the northwest side of Building 1 in order to alleviate concerns that their root systems would interfere with the utilities in this area. The trees to be removed from the Landscaping Plan are labeled as B and D respectively within Attachment F. In this case, the Princeton Elm is being replaced with three (3) Spruce trees as indicated above. Staff has included a condition that requires the Swamp White Oak to be replaced with a different tree species with a shallow root system or with shrubs that will not interfere with the utilities below grade. In addition, three (3) shrubs in the corner of Building 1 are being relocated further west to accommodate the concrete