10-11-21-R - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Page 6 of 17 Section 1325.05 Subd. 8, E of the Arden Hills City Code states “at least fifty percent (50%) of the largest building on each site shall be constructed at the front setback line.” The Applicant is requesting flexibility on this requirement. The front setback in the B-3 District is 50 feet from the property line. The proposed bank/dental clinic building will be 19.2 feet from the property line abutting Lexington Avenue and +/- 138 feet from the property line abutting Grey Fox Road. The Aldi building will be 74 feet from the property line abutting Grey Fox Road. As shown in the above table, the Applicant is seeking flexibility for both buildings on the setback requirements in the B-3 District. B.Exterior Materials –Flexibility Requested At least seventy-five (75) percent of the exterior building materials should be made of brick masonry, tile masonry, natural stone or its synthetic equivalent, decorative concrete plank, transparent glass or any combination thereof. Trim and other accent or decorative features may be metal, wood, split faced block, EIFS, or stucco. Undesirable materials include simulated brick, vinyl or aluminum siding, sheet or corrugated metal siding, plain concrete blocks or panels, brightly colored metal roofing or canopies, pre-cast tilt-up walls, and mirrored or reflective glass. The Applicant is proposing to construct the two buildings of similar materials and design features which is intended to harmonize the development and maintain the City’s focus on high quality and timeless materials. The proposed building elevations consist of masonry, cedar fiber cement panels and aluminum composite panels with metal coping. For the Aldi building, the Developer is proposing to use a product called Spec-Brik for the masonry material. Spec-Brik is said to be a concrete masonry unit that provides a brick like texture in colors that replicate a traditional clay brick. The masonry face will be 4’ wide by 8’ high and then 12’ wide by 8’ high on the cart wall only. Installation is similar to a brick and mortar process. The image to the right is from a different manufacturer that Aldi had noted in their original submission as Alternate No. 2. This manufacturer is no longer being requested as part of this review, but it is a comparable product to Spec-Brik. Staff is providing this as a general illustration of the difference between traditional brick and the proposed concrete masonry product. The Developer is seeking flexibility for approval of the masonry product for the Aldi building towards meeting the desired materials as brick masonry in combination with fiber cement boards and aluminum composite panels. The City Council should review whether or not these buildings materials would be considered acceptable in meeting the 75% threshold with desired materials on all four elevations. Additionally, the City Council is asked to provide comment on the extent of the aluminum composite panel in the building design. On the anchor building for Aldi, the use of aluminum panels ranges from 23% of the east elevation to 14% on the south elevation as a focal design element around the Aldi signage on the building facades. The non-primary facades consists of primarily masonry and cement panels of the total façade area. Image Source: Quik-Brik