CCP 07-26-1999 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ARDEN HILLS PLANNING COMMISSION - JULY 7,1999 r ro- .j1 ,....-. 1r n~ r' iii [rJ II;' >., I' U'.) U , "". o;;! 8 The lot coverage by structures for small business sites ranges from 30 percent to 40 percent, with the minimum landscape lot coverage from 25 percent to 35 percent. Unless the Planning . Commission directs otherwise, the Staff would propose to keep these lot coverage limitations within the stated range. Included in the staff report, as Exhibit A, was a list of possible specific uses for the Neighborhood Business District. These uses were listed out specifically so that, if there were some items that the Planning Commission felt were inappropriate, they could be removed. It is not unusual to find in any given zoning district, such as the Gateway Zoning District, that retail uses are allowed and a special section which defines what particular retail uses are allowed or prohibited. Columns were included in the handout to allow the Planning Commission to designate which uses should be permitted, permitted under special use, or not permitted at all. If there is a category in which a group of uses, which are permitted, would fall under, these could be grouped into a broader category such as office. With regard to office uses, Commissioner Rye asked, if a building meets the district requirements, how is the leasing for uses of building controlled. Mr. Ringwald stated that this control would be no different than for any other zoning district. In a commercial setting the leasing agent will contact the City to determine what is allowed and any other issues related to the site. If this does not occur, one point at which the City would have contact with the new tenant is that they will want signage, which requires a permit. Additionally, if a tenant wants to make tenant improvements, they would have to be in contact with the City. Chair Erickson asked how the height of a residential structure is measured. Mr. Ringwald stated . that the measurement is the average height of the building. He noted that most single family homes are less than 35 feet, particularly the homes adjacent to the identified sites. Chair Erickson stated that he was not sure that the Planning Commission would want to limit the sites to single story. Some may lend themselves better to single story. However, considering the options ofthe adjacent zoning districts, it would be appropriate to create a set of design guidelines, which are as close to the adjacent resident districts as possible. He would not want to create any additional hardships on the future development of the identified sites. Mr. Ringwald concurred. Chair Erickson noted that the proposed Neighborhood Business District is a hybrid of a zoning district with a planned unit development overlay. With a planned unit development the City can give guidelines for items such as materials to be used on buildings. Therefore, it would be appropriate to give direction and allow a future developer to request slight differences, as long as it meets with the standards for a high quality development. Chair Erickson stated that a 35-foot building with a sloped roof should be acceptable for a commercial structure adjacent to residential uses. He would not want to allow three story structures and he noted that the floor to area ratio would limit the height of a structure. Commissioner Galatowitsch stated that she would not want to limit the sites to one story buildings since some of the lots are so small, they would have no choice but to build up in order . to gain sufficient square footage for a business. She noted that because of the topography, it is not always obvious that a building is multiple stories. Mr. Ringwald agreed and noted this is similar to a single family home with a walkout. The home may appear to be a two story, however, with a sloping yard, there could be a walk-out at the third level.