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ARDEN HILLS PLANNING COMMISSION – July 6, 2016 5 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. City Planner Streff explained that the first step in the PUD process is the Master PUD, which is a detailed concept plan for the entire development proposal, often outlining individual phases for development over a specified period of time. The second step is the Final PUD for each phase, which is a more detailed review as each development phase moves forward. During the Master PUD stage, the City works with the applicant to set an overall design framework or standard for a proposed development. These standards are then written into a development agreement which generally includes the design standards, a list of conditions, the size of the development, and what, if any, deviations from the underlying zoning district will be permitted. Once the Master PUD is approved, the applicant then creates a development that conforms to the development agreement for each subsequent Final PUD phase. The level of detail is guided by the type and scale of the development as well as the guidance or flexibility within the Zoning Code. Site Data Land Use Plan: I/O – Light Industrial and Office Existing Land Use: OFC – Office Zoning: I-1 – Limited Industrial District Current Lot Sizes: 47.37 Acres (2,063,577.7 square feet) Topography: Fairly Flat City Planner Streff reviewed the surrounding area, the Plan Evaluation along with the Sign Code Review.