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_____________________________________________________________________________________________ City of Arden Hills Planning Commission Meeting for April 3, 2019 P:\Planning\Planning Cases\2018\PC 18-014 - Mounds View School District - 1900 & 1901 Lake Valentine Road\Memos Reports Page 5 of 13 Section 1325 – General Regulations A. Landscaping and Tree Preservation – Section 1325.05 Subd. 1 and 1325.055 Minimum Caliper Inches and Tree Ratio – Exceeds Requirements The Zoning Code requires that a minimum number of caliper inches of trees be provided based on the gross square footage of the building on the property. The proposed additions have a 76,300 square foot footprint, and are generally 2-stories, so the minimum caliper inches required for the landscaping plan is 477 inches. There are currently a total of 3,134 caliper inches of trees on the site. The planned removal is 1,884 caliper inches, and new landscaping includes 273.6 caliper inches to be planted throughout the site. This totals 1,523.6 caliper inches on the site. Tree Preservation – Flexibility Required Caliper Inches Number of Trees Existing Significant Caliper Inches 2622 138 Proposed Significant Tree Removal 1637 83 Allowable Removal (10%) 260 -- Mitigation Requirement 689 -- Proposed Tree Plantings 243 14 Based on the ordinance requirements, an additional 446 caliper inches is required. The applicant has the option of providing the additional trees on the site, or subject to City approval, plant additional trees off-site or provide cash in lieu of replacement. There is some need for additional screening between the athletic fields and the single family houses to the south. It would be beneficial to plant some of the additional required caliper inches along this area to provide an additional buffer. Other trees could also be planted along the east side of the site. Trees along Street Frontage – Exceeds Requirements The Zoning Ordinance requires a minimum of one tree along the right of way for every fifty (50) feet of public street frontage. The proposed plan exceeds this requirement. Perennials and Shrubberies – Meets Requirements The Zoning Ordinance also requires 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. The proposed landscaping plan exceeds this requirement.