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ARDEN HILLS PLANNING COMMISSION – July 6, 2016 2 unanimously recommended approval. Following the Planning Commission review, the City Council approved the Master PUD and Final PUD for Phase 1 of the development on June 27, 2016. City Planner Streff commented that the Land O’Lakes campus is comprised of approximately 49 acres and is generally located north of Interstate 694, east of Hamline Avenue North, south of County Road F, and west of Lexington Avenue North. Currently, the site contains two principal buildings situated towards the center of the property: the corporate headquarter building and a research and development building. Between these two facilities, the campus includes 263,800 gross square feet of building space. Additional improvements on the site include a surface parking lot with approximately 931 parking stalls and regional stormwater facilities. The remainder of the property is covered by wooded and open lawn areas. City Planner Streff reported that the applicant is requesting approval of a major addition to their campus that would allow the company to consolidate their Arden Hills and Shoreview locations into one headquarters facility at their existing Arden Hills property. The proposal includes the construction of a four-story, approximately 155,000 gross square foot office building just to the north of the existing principal buildings. Land O’Lakes is incorporating sustainable best practices into the design of the building and will seek a minimum of LEED Gold certification for the project. Other site improvements would include the expansion of the surface parking lots to provide approximately 1,677 parking stalls and the provision of extensive native landscaping areas to enhance the overall character of the site. City Planner Streff explained that Land O’Lakes currently leases office facilities in Shoreview at the southeast corner of Lexington Avenue North and County Road F. Approximately 900 employees now work at this location and would be relocated to the Arden Hills campus with the completion of the new building. The company estimates that 2,100 employees will work on the site after consolidation in late 2018. City Planner Streff indicated that Land O’Lakes will be completing the new office building and site improvements over two phases. Phase I was approved by the City Council on June 27, 2016, and includes the expansion and reconfiguration of the visitor parking lot on the south side of the existing buildings. Phase 2 of the project would consist of the remaining components of the expansion project, including the new office building and the expansion of the employee surface parking lot on the north side of the buildings. Phase 2 is expected to be complete by December 31, 2018. At this time, Land O’Lakes is requesting City approvals for the Final PUD for Phase 2 of the project. City Planner Streff stated that the PUD process is a tool that provides additional flexibility for development that an underlying zoning district would not otherwise allow. For example, a PUD may make exceptions to setbacks, lot coverage, parking requirements, signage, building materials, or landscaping requirements. It is intended to overcome the limitations of zoning regulations and improve the overall design of a project. While the PUD process allows the City to negotiate certain aspects of the development, any conditions imposed on the PUD must have a rational basis related to the expected impact of the development. A PUD cannot be used to permit uses that would not otherwise be permitted in the underlying zoning district.