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City of Arden Hills Planning Commission Meeting for April 6, 2016 P:\Planning\Planning Cases\2016\PC 16-003 - Arden Square Master & Final PUD - 1160 County Road E\Memos_Reports_16-003 Page 9 of 11 8. The proposed Master and Final PUD is in conformance with the Guiding Plan for the B-2 District. 9. The proposed Master and Final PUD is in substantial conformance with the requirements of the City’s Sign Code. The applicant has requested flexibility to install a monument sign that exceeds the height, sign copy area, and total sign area requirements for Sign District 4. 10. The proposed Master and Final PUD is in conformance with the City’s Comprehensive Plan. 11. The PUD process allows for flexibility within the City’s regulations through a negotiated process with a developer. Where the plan is not in conformance with the City’s Zoning or Sign Code, flexibility has been requested by the applicant and/or conditions have been placed on an approval that would mitigate the nonconformity. 12. The proposed Master and Final PUD is not anticipated to create a negative impact on the immediate area or the community as a whole. Recommendation Staff is supportive of the request for flexibility to reduce landscape coverage on the property. The applicant has noted that providing additional parking stalls on the site will help with marketing the vacant space in the building. Moreover, based on the staff analysis, Arden Square is proposing only two additional parking stalls than what would be required by the Zoning Code if the tenant space were to be leased to a retail use and American Red Cross continues to operate in the building. The increase in impervious coverage would be mitigated by the new tree and perennial plantings in and around the parking lot and the upgraded stormwater management system, which will improve upon existing conditions. In this case, staff is not supportive of the proposed monument sign on County Road E. There are no site conditions that would necessitate a larger sign for visibility reasons and the building includes only two tenants that would need advertising space on the sign. Additionally, the City recently adopted new standards for freestanding signs in Sign District 4 and in order to maintain consistency of signage along the County Road E corridor staff believes flexibility should be granted only in unusual circumstances. As a condition of approval, staff is recommending that the County Road E monument sign conform to the Sign Code standards. Based on the submitted plans and findings of fact, staff recommends approval of Planning Case 16-003 for a Master and Final PUD at 1160 County Road E West. If the Planning Commission votes to recommend approval of Planning Case 15-016, staff is recommending the following ten (10) conditions of approval: 1. The project shall be completed in accordance with the submitted plans as amended by the conditions of approval. Any significant changes to these plans, as determined by the City Planner, shall require review and approval by the Planning Commission and the City Council.