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Page 3 of 4 Valentine Road. The project also aligns the access points on both the west side and the east side of the school site. A single intersection is proposed on the west side of the site, providing access to both the school drop-off/pick-up on the south and to the parking lot on the north. On the east, a single intersection provides access to the accessible parking lot on the south and the parking lot on the north. Right turn lanes are also provided at both the east and west access points to improve traffic operations and to allow for any queuing needs to occur in a dedicated turn lane. Left turn lanes on eastbound Lake Valentine Road are provided for access at both entrances to the north parking lot. A left turn lane on westbound Lake Valentine Road is also provided for access into parent drop-off area on the south side of the road. Overall, the proposed improvements are expected to improve safety and mobility for pedestrians, Lake Valentine Road thru traffic, and traffic entering/exiting the Mounds View High School Site. Attachment C is a color rendering of the proposed improvements, while Attachment D includes the plans. These plans have been reviewed by the City Engineer and consultants. 3. North Parking Lot Improvements The north parking lot, at 1901 Lake Valentine Road, was originally the site of the First Student bus garage. The Applicant is proposing to reconstruct the existing parking lot and stripe it for more efficient car parking. The existing building on the site will be used for School District maintenance equipment. 4. Zoning Code Review A. Landscaping – Section 1325.05, Subd. 1 – Flexibility Granted The Zoning Ordinance requires planting islands in parking lots to visually break up expanses of hard- surface parking areas, to provide safe and efficient traffic movement, and to define rows of parking. Planting islands must occupy at least ten (10) percent of the parking area, and must be edged with concrete curbs. Parking lot planting islands are also required to be a minimum of 150 square feet in area, be of appropriate width and length, and include at least one tree meeting the requirements of this ordinance. The approved PUD plan does not include any planting islands, and the City Council granted flexibility to this provision. The proposed plan (Attachment E) includes some planting islands, equaling approximately 6% of the parking area. B. Drainage – Section 1325.05, Subd. 2 – Meets Requirements The drainage plan approved as part of the original PUD directs stormwater runoff to a large stormwater pond located north of Lake Valentine Road, west of Janet Court, and east of the existing bus storage building. This pond has been constructed, and should be sized appropriately to meet the drainage criteria. The parking lot grading plan must be approved by the City Engineer and the Rice Creek Watershed District prior to any construction. C. Lighting – Section 1325.05, Subd. 3 – Meets Requirements The plan proposes new lighting in the parking lot on the north side of Lake Valentine Road. The Applicant submitted a photometric plan (Attachment F) that indicates the lighting does not exceed 0.4 foot candles at the property boundary, which is consistent with ordinance requirements. D. Parking Requirements – Section 1325.06 – Flexibility Requested The required parking for Mounds View High School is 622 spaces. Before construction of the additions and use of the north lot, the school included 517 parking spaces. The approved PUD plan included 500 parking spaces on the north lot, for a total of 710 parking spaces. The reconfiguration of the lot to accommodate the new driveways and the landscape island reduces the number of spaces on the north lot to 381 spaces, for a total of 591 parking spaces. Although this number is less than the required 622, it