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ARDEN HILLS PLANNING COMMISSION – May 3, 2017 2 <br /> <br />Johanna Fire Station, which closed in April of 2017. The applicant is requesting approval for a <br />project that would result in the redevelopment of the property for four single-family homes. <br /> <br />Senior Planner Bachler explained the property at 3246 New Brighton Road is zoned R-2 – <br />Single & Two Family Residential District, and is guided for Public Institutional uses in the City’s <br />2030 Comprehensive Plan. The adjacent properties to the north, east, west and south are zoned <br />R-2 District and are guided for Low Density Residential uses in the Comprehensive Plan. The <br />property to the northwest is occupied by Trinity Lutheran Church, and is zoned R-2 District and <br />is guided for Public and Institutional uses in the Comprehensive Plan. <br /> <br />Senior Planner Bachler reported the site is bordered to the north, east and south by single <br />family detached homes. Generally, the topography of the site along New Brighton Road is <br />relatively flat while the rear of the property drops off about 28 feet to a wetland. This wetland is a <br />land locked basin and does not have an overland connection to Lake Johanna. <br /> <br />Senior Planner Bachler indicated the site is approximately 3.12 gross acres in size and located <br />near the intersection of New Brighton Road and Jerrold Avenue and is within the block bounded <br />by New Brighton Road to the west, Beckman Avenue to the north, and Lake Johanna Boulevard <br />to the east, creating a triangular shaped block. The site is comprised of one parcel which has <br />existing structures of the closed fire station that would be demolished as part of the project. Five <br />separate driveways on New Brighton Road currently provide access to the property and the <br />various fire department structures and parking lots. After accounting for the right-of-way area <br />that extends into New Brighton Road and the flood wetlands areas located on the site, 1.54 acres <br />of net buildable area exists on the site. The applicant is requesting approval to subdivide the site <br />into four single-family lots. In this case, the applicant is proposing four driveways from New <br />Brighton Road in order to provide access to the residential lots. This is a decrease of one <br />additional driveway from the existing conditions. <br /> <br />Senior Planner Bachler stated in addition to the Preliminary and Final Plat for the subdivision, <br />a Variance is required for the reduced lot width from the required 85 feet to the requested 81.75 <br />feet. A Comprehensive Plan Amendment is also required to change the designation of the <br />property to VLDR Very Low Density Residential from its current designation as P/I Public and <br />Institutional. <br /> <br />Senior Planner Bachler explained the application submitted included the Preliminary Plat, Final <br />Plat and Variance requests, but did not include the Comprehensive Plan Amendment. The Public <br />Hearing Notice for the May 3, 2017 Planning Commission meeting only included the Preliminary <br />Plat, Final Plat and Variance items. Those items can be reviewed at the May 3 meeting, but not <br />the Comprehensive Plan Amendment. The Public Hearing for the Comprehensive Plan <br />Amendment will be scheduled for the June 7, 2017 Planning Commission meeting. Staff is <br />requesting that the Planning Commission open the Public Hearing and take testimony from the <br />public and the applicant, but following the testimony, the Planning Commission should table <br />Planning Case 17-010 to the June 7 meeting. <br /> <br />Site Data <br />Future Land Use Plan: P/I Public Institutional <br />Existing Land Use: Fire Station <br />Zoning: R2 – Single & Two Family Residential