07-06-2016 PC - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

a. Per Ordinance 1325.05 Subsection 8 – Additional Design Standards for New Development in B2/B3 districts, the purpose of these additional design standards is to promote a high level of architectural, landscaping, and site design in the business districts of Arden Hills. The City seeks to create a unified, harmonious, and high-quality environment to foster a distinct, positive, and successful image for the City. The materials of the new corporate building and site will be designed to comply with many of these standards even in an I-1 Limited Industrial District. b. Per Section D, buildings shall be constructed of materials that are enduring, timeless, and well-detailed. The design of the new building will likely use the same brick as the original building a long with high quality, energy efficient glazing and architectural metal wall panels. c. Per Section E, the arrangement, massing, materials and colors shall work to create a high quality development that is responsive to existing buildings, site features, and site design on adjoining sites in the district. With the use of the original brick used on the existing corporate buildings for the new corporate building, a cohesive campus aesthetic will be created. Zoning Actions Zoning Action Item #1: The Land O’Lakes corporate headquarters expansion project will be requesting flexibility thru the Final PUD planning process (for identified South Parking lot in Phase 1) for Section 1325.05, Subd. 1, F. Minimum Landscape Requirements, Perennials and Shrubberies. The identified requirements states at least ten (10) percent of the total landscaped area shall be covered with perennials and/or shrubbery and be planted within the perimeter of private parking, building, and driveway areas. Based on our current design for the south parking lot (Phase 1) we have provided approximately 36,221 sf. of planting areas, for a total of 2.53%. The primary justification for flexibility thru the approved PUD related to the Minimum Landscape Requirements for Perennials and Shrubs are identified below: 1. The overall design intent for the south parking lot is to provide enough parking stalls, without impacting the existing natural areas and character, to meet the overall parking requirements of 1676 stalls on the entire campus site (as identified in the Master PUD submission). The south parking lot serves as the primary guest entrance to the campus, so a balance was desired to limit to overall impervious parking areas, while trying to maintain the existing natural features (wetlands, wooded areas and lawns). The design accomplishes this by focusing the perennial plantings and shrubs adjacent to the entrance roadway to frame and extend the drivers entry experience as you enter towards the campus buildings. The parking lot areas are buffered from the entrance roadway (a min. 20’ wide landscape boulevard has been provided) by the ground level plantings and over story trees to extend the “natural” character all the way up to the building entrances. Subsequently, perennials and ground covers are limited at the parking lot outer edges to allow visitors un-interupted views into the adjacent natural areas. The areas adjacent to the parking lot edges will be planted with a combination of a native turf (approximately 18,900 sf.) and a woodland seed/plug plant mix (26,000 sf.) to enhance these edges and provide long-term vegetated cover. 2. As part of the future proposed work in Phase 2, we have defined approximately 176,778 additional sf. of perennial and shrub plantings which equate to approximately 14.26% of the Phase 2 project area. This proposed Phase 2 landscaping, in combination with the Phase 1