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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA006 - Council Action Form dated May 24, 2016 ITEM #: 45 DATE: 05-24-16 COUNCIL ACTION FORM SUBJECT: PRELIMINARY PLAT FOR CRANE FARM SUBDIVISION (896 500TH AVENUE) BACKGROUND: Pinnacle Properties LLC representing the property owners of 896 S 500th Avenue request approval of a Preliminary Plat subdividing a 52.36 acre site. The property is located at the west end of Mortensen Road and north of Highway 30, east of South 500th Avenue. The City Council approved a rezoning request from Agricultural (A) zoning to Suburban Residential Low Density (FS-RL) and Suburban Residential Medium Density (FS-RM) with a Master Plan on April 26, 2016. (See Attachment B — Master Plan). Currently there is one Agricultural zoned lot that makes up the area of the proposed Preliminary Plat. The City approved a rezoning request from Agricultural (A) to Suburban Residential Low Density (FS-RL) and Suburban Residential Medium Density (FS-RM) with a Master Plan on April 26, 2016. (See Attachment B — Master Plan). The proposed Preliminary Plat (See Attachment C) includes 50 lots for single- family detached homes, 4 lots for single family attached homes, 3 large lots for apartment development and three additional outlots for open space and storm water detention. The single family detached lots will have access from Rowling Drive, Wilder Boulevard and Bradbury Court. The single family attached homes will have access from Lawrence Avenue and the apartment buildings from Mortensen Road. There is a generally consistent size range in the single family lot areas from .2 acres to .5 acres in size in the FS-RL portion and a size range of 7.4 to 8.8 acres in size in the FS-RM portion. All lots meet minimum size requirements and frontage requirements for the FS-RL and FS-RM zoning districts. Additionally, there will be a path connection from Rowling Drive south to Mortensen Road along lots 35 and 36 thru Outlot A. Three outlots in the proposed subdivision total 5.25 acres. Outlots A and C, which include 4.59 acres, will function as open space, utility easement areas and part of the storm water system. Outlot B is a parcel of land that will function as only open space and utility easement area. The rezoning of the site in April 2016, included a Master Plan (See Attachment B - Master Plan) defining the general arrangement of uses and conditions for development of the site. The Preliminary Plat must be found to conform to the Master Plan land use descriptions. Staff finds that the Preliminary Plat is consistent with the approved Master Plan proposed layout, proposed uses, and use types. Due to the arrangement of outlots within the proposed subdivision, the project meets the minimum density requirement at 3.83 units per acre and provides for 10% of the site as required open space. The primary design issues for the preliminary plat are the allowances for through lots and street block length as they related to adjacent properties and Mortenson Road as a minor arterial street. There are additional transportation issues for transit improvements both in the short term and long term, as well as a need for long term transportation improvements for the future connection and improvements at Lincoln Way and 500th Avenue. Cy-Ride has an interest in relocation of the bus turnaround at Miller Avenue further west into the subject property. Cy-Ride has stated they will not continue to operate the Purple Line along Mortenson without a satisfactory turnaround once two-way traffic begins on Mortenson. The bus turnaround is typically a Cy-Ride or developer obligation and is not part of city infrastructure; however, the City has an interest in facilitating the relocation of the turnaround and has reviewed various options with the developer and Cy-Ride to meet this interest. Staff has a condition included with the preliminary plat that identifies that a bus turnaround may be accommodated within an outlot of the project, but its improvement is not a city cost. The intent is for permanent turnaround to be constructed at the end of Mortenson, similar to the California/Ontario turnaround. It should be noted that the developers have indicated a willingness to construct the bus turnaround at their cost as part of a development agreement. The traffic study identifies that future operations of Lincoln Way and 500th Avenue require the provision of a number of lane improvements. The recommendations of the traffic study are for the City to be responsible for four lanes of improvements and for four additional lane improvements related to the development of the site and extension of Mortenson. These improvements are projected to be needed in the mid-term of the current LRTP, which staff estimates as the year 2030. A condition is included in this report for the developer to contribute to the cost of lane widening with final estimates and cost estimates by the City's Municipal Engineer. The current estimate in 2016 costs is approximately $135,000. Planning and Zoning Commission Recommendation. On May 10, 2016 the Commission considered the Preliminary Plat for Crane Farm Subdivision. No one from the public spoke at the hearing. The Commission recommended approval of the Preliminary Plat by a vote of 7 to 0. The proposed project is located within the Southwest I Allowable Growth Area (See Chapter 6 of the LUPP) and, therefore, is also within an Incentivized Growth Area. Per the Land Use Policy Plan, this area is eligible for a developer to request cost sharing in the "over sizing" costs related to development of the project. City Council has the discretion to participate in the over sizing costs when it determines that the improvements are necessary to meet planning objectives of the LUPP and that is fiscally responsible. In this situation, the developer has requested that the City share in roughly 1/3 of the cost of the construction of Mortenson Road as a Minor Arterial Street. The developer has met with staff and reviewed cost estimates for such an improvement and staff believes that the "over sizing" cost for greater width and depth of paving is approximately $535,000. The developer could also request the "over sizing" costs of Wilder Avenue as a residential collector street. The developer desires to enter into a development agreement prior to final platting of the first phase of the subdivision to share in the costs of "over sizing". The development agreement request will be brought back separately for City Council consideration prior to the approval of the Final Plat. ALTERNATIVES: 1. The City Council can approve the preliminary plat for Crane Farm Subdivision with the following conditions: A. Provide an easement on the final plat for Outlot B that allows for development of a public bus turnaround in a design similar to that of California Avenue. B. The Developer may provide for a bus turnaround on Outlot B in conjunction with the construction of Mortensen Road to the west end of the property in phase one with adjustments of lot size on lots 25-28. C. Prior to final plat of Phase 3, the Developer shall request a waiver of frontage improvements with cash in lieu or financially secure construction of the frontage improvements along 500th Avenue (County Line Road). D. Prior to final plat of Phase 1, the Developer shall provide, in a form acceptable to the City, financial security for the improvements of four turn lanes at the intersection of Lincoln Way and 500th Avenue. The final cost estimate shall be made by the City's Municipal Engineer. The current estimate is for $135,000 in 2016 construction costs. E. Provide an easement with a minimum width of 10 feet on Outlot B for the construction of a sidewalk to the north. 2. The City Council can deny the preliminary plat for Crane Farm Subdivision 3. The City Council can defer action on this request and refer it back to City staff and/or the applicant for additional information. MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION: The proposed project has achieved the lot and street development requirements of the Ames Subdivision and Zoning regulations and conforms to the approved rezoning Master Plan. Further this development is in a desired location for development as part of the Southwest I Allowable Growth Area. The construction of the bus turnaround on outlot B is necessary for Cy-Ride to continue and extend service to this area to accommodate the developer's interest to serve their apartment phases. The developer has agreed to shrink the size of lots 25 through 28 to enlarge outlot B to help accommodate adequate space for the bus turnaround. In the event that the developer does not construct the turnaround, the area would remain as common open space. The project has identified infrastructure improvement costs for offsite improvements and frontage improvements that staff has added conditions to the approval of the preliminary plat. With these improvements, staff believes the project conforms to the criteria of the Subdivision Code for approval of the preliminary plat. Therefore, it is the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council act in accordance with Alternative #1, and approve the preliminary plat for Crane Farm Subdivision with conditions. It should be emphasized that, because this project is located within an Incentivized Growth Area, a development agreement outlining the financial responsibilities of the City and developer for infrastructure improvements will be finalized prior to the approval of the final plat. ADDENDUM Project Description. The Preliminary Plat of "Crane Farm Subdivision" includes 57 lots for development, (public street right-of-way to be dedicated to the City) and, three Outlots (Outlots A, B, C,). Outlot A (1 .38 acres) is to be used as public open space and includes a storm water feature. Outlot A also includes a walking path around the perimeter of the Outlot that connects to the sidewalk and shared use path along Mortensen Road and provides cross connection to Outlot C. Outlot B (0.66 acres) is indicated as an open space with a sidewalk along the east and north perimeter of the lot and Outlot C (3.21 acres) is shown as open space with a walking path and a stormwater detention feature utilized from an existing pond on the Preliminary Plat. (See Attachment C - Preliminary Plat) The main access for the development is Mortensen Road. The proposed Plat includes the construction of Lawrence Avenue, which provides access to the four single-family attached lots and one corner lot for a detached single-family home. Lawrence Avenue provides for a future access to the north as well. Lawrence Avenue is designed to allow for the north extension of the roadway without causing the current homes along Clemmons to become unintended corner lots. There will be space to allow for future single-family home lots between the existing homes and the street extension. The remaining 50 single-family lots will gain frontage and driveway access from Rowling Drive, Wilder Boulevard and Bradbury Court. The proposed subdivision contains 10 double frontage through lots, which are located between Rowling Drive and Mortensen Road as well as Bradbury Court and Mortensen Road. The double frontage lots can be justified in this case as Mortensen is a minor arterial and as such Sec. 23.401(3)(b) allows for a reverse or double frontage style lot to separate residential development or to overcome specific challenges with regard to topography. Given the current limited layout of nearby north-south streets thereby limiting north to south access thru the subdivision to a current connection and the location of an existing large water main along the proposed route of Mortensen Road, staff deemed the double frontage lots along Rowling Drive and Bradbury Court as acceptable to provide for the most logical subdivision design. Density. The total development area of single-family homes is 14.09 acres with lots that range in size from .12 acres to .57 acres. Density calculations have been based on net area consistent with the allowance for the FS-RL zone, by subtracting out of the gross lot area the total area to be held as Outlots and land in the subdivision that will be dedicated to the city as public street right-of-way for the proposed streets. With a total net area of 14.09 acres the net density of 54 proposed single family homes is 3.83 dwelling units per net acre. This meets the minimum required net density of 3.75 dwelling units per net acre of the FS-RL Zone. Density cannot be calculated for the FS-RM lots as no specific project has been proposed at this time. Public Improvements. The north portion of the FS-RL zoned site will include single- family lots fronting on Rowling Drive and Wilder Boulevard with private driveways. Bradbury Court, a small residential cul-de-sac, will serve 9 lots between Mortensen Road and Rowling Drive with private driveways. The far western portion of the site will include attached homes fronting Lawrence Avenue with private driveways. Rowling Drive and Lawrence Avenue are local residential streets with an expected low level of vehicle traffic. Wilder Boulevard is a residential collector street with an expected moderate level of traffic and only has driveway access on the east side of the street for 8 lots. Bradbury Court is a small residential cul-de-sac with an expected low amount of traffic. Mortensen Road is a minor arterial that will provide a future connection to 500th Avenue. A future connection to 500th Avenue is anticipated thru property located to the north and west of the crane subdivision upon future annexation of said property and its development. At such time as Mortensen Road is connected to 500th Avenue, it is anticipated an additional 250 vehicles a day will utilize Mortensen Road. Therefore, at such time as Mortensen connects to 500th Avenue the City would likely require 500th Avenue to be paved from its intersection with Mortensen Road to Lincoln Way. A Traffic Impact Study found that traffic volumes from the proposed development would result in a traffic increase. This increase in traffic results in the need for some traffic mitigation to provide for effective operations and increased safety. The study considered recommended improvements for existing conditions and planned 2040 "no build condition" compared to the "build condition" of the project in 2016 and 2040. The study found that there are no project specific impacts in the 2016 build condition beyond general recommendations from the no build scenario. The report did conclude that a future projected traffic impact would require eventual improvements at Lincoln Way and 500th Avenue based on growth patterns of the area the development of this site. The traffic study identified that the intersection will need additional turn lanes and that it become a 4-way stop intersection to meet intended vehicular level of service standards of "C." Given that future improvements will be needed at Lincoln Way and 500th Avenue with traffic numbers from existing and proposed Crane Farm Development traffic as well as future overall traffic projections, a development agreement is recommended for fulfilling the developer's obligations for contributing towards costs of the future mitigation improvements. Per the recommendation of the study, the developer has been conditioned to contribute to the cost of 4 of the 8 lanes improvements needed at the intersection. Additionally, the site has approximately 100 feet of frontage along S 500th Avenue. Although the development proposed no street access with the preliminary plat, the Subdivision Code standards require full street improvements along the frontage of a site and the developer will be responsible for said improvements or potentially provide a cash in escrow for future improvements. Water. An existing water main transverses the site along the proposed route of Mortensen Road. The city previously constructed this water line through this site. The developer will extend service lines off of this main into the developable areas of the site. Sanitary Sewer. A sanitary sewer main connection is available at the east end of the proposed plat along Mortensen road which will provide sanitary sewer service to the entire development. The City resolved on April 26th during the rezoning of the site that sanitary sewer capacity will be available to serve development in 2017. Transit. Cy-Ride requires a bus turnaround location along Mortensen Road in the proposed Crane Subdivision due to the dead end nature of the street extension. The current turnaround to the east at the Miller intersection will not be appropriate once two- way traffic begins on Mortenson. Cy-Ride has indicated that without permanent solution it is unlikely that the Purple Route would continue to operate along this part of Mortenson Road. The developer has proposed a turnaround point on the north side of Mortensen Road at the west end of the subdivision on Outlot B in conjunction with the full construction of Mortensen Road to the west end of the subdivision in phase one of the development. Staff estimates that a permanent turnaround would require roughly an 80 x 180 foot area. Lots 25 thru 28 can be reduced in size to accommodate and enlargement of outlot B. City staff has agreed to this proposal and the turnaround will be constructed at the expense of the developer. An easement or dedication of right-of-way is needed with the final plat to accommodate bus turnaround in the future. Sidewalks, Pedestrian Trails and Street Trees. A street tree planting plan has been submitted that includes street trees planted along all proposed streets within the development. No specific landscape plan for the outlots or private rear yards along Mortenson have been proposed by the developer. Chapter 23 of the Municipal Code, requires street trees for residential subdivisions along both sides of the street at a spacing of 30-50 feet on center to allow for the growth of the tree canopy, however, adjusted spacing is permitted by the code for obstructions in the right of way including driveway locations, underground utilities, and the location of street lights. Adequate spacing is available in most areas for street tree planting on the proposed plat. Sidewalks are proposed on both sides of all proposed streets as well as a shared use path along the south side of Mortensen Road that can be accessed from the north connecting to the rest of the sidewalk network of the development. Open Space and Pedestrian Connections. Open Space areas are proposed by the applicant for the subdivision with the creation of the two Outlots for a total of 2.04 acres of open space proposed for the development. The FS zoning requires that 10% of the gross development area be designated as common open space which is intended for usable outdoor area for the residents of the development. Outlot A will feature a sidewalk around the perimeter of the outlot that connects with Mortensen Road with access to the shared use path and sidewalks along Mortensen Road as well as cross neighborhood access to the north to Rowling Drive. Outlot B contains sidewalk along the east perimeter of the lot. Staff would consider Outlots A and B as usable open space for the development for a total of 2.04 acres or 12% of the gross area of the development which meets the minimum requirement. The plan shows the routing of a sidewalk through Outlot B, staff recommends the routing of this sidewalk be determined a at a late date, but that an easement is in place to ensure that it connects to the north in the future. Staff prefers that an easement Outlot C is accessible for the residents of the single family home FS-RL portion of the development. but is not included in the total open area calculation as Outlot C is located in the FS-RM zone. A residential sidewalk is planned for the area along the property lines of Lot 36 and 37 within a 10-foot pedestrian access easement from Outlot A north to Rowling Drive with a cross connection to the north side of Rowling Drive located just east of the location where the sidewalk intersects with Rowling Drive. Storm Water Management. The Public Works Department has reviewed the submitted Storm Water Management Plan for this subdivision and has determined that the storm water detention as proposed will be sufficient for the projected needs of the development. The stormwater from the proposed development area will be handled via three separate wet detention basins located on Outlot A, Outlot C and on the southeast corner of Lot 55. Applicable Law. Laws pertinent to the proposal are described on Attachment D — Applicable Law. Pertinent for the Planning and Zoning Commission are Sections 23.302(3) and 23.302(4). Public Notice. Notice was mailed to property owners within 200 feet of the subject site and a sign was posted on the subject property. As of this writing, no comments have been received. Attachment A: Location and Current Zoning ui S-GA .THACKtRAYDR t } y P ul w3 DER } ly E z 3 Q S y� Diu { ,x �( Subject Property 996 S. 600th Avenue b" C KEATS ST RTENS£a�R� � L M1 RHR ` < CCR Agricultural Zone"rA"(sec 29.600) Suburban Residential Zone ResidentialLowDens4 FS-RL'(5ee29.1202(4)-1) Suburban Residential Zone Residential Medium Density"FS-Rkl- (sec 29.1202(4}-2) f Residential Low Density Zone'RL"(see 29.701) a Residential H igh Den s4 Zone"RH"(see 29,704 CommundyCommerdair'R aside ntiel"CCR"(see 29.806) G4vernmenG't+rRprt Distr d"S-GA (see 29.1002) ae . r Proposed Zoning Map 895 S. 500th Avenue Attachment B: Master Plan told? 500TH AVENUE ol Z5 "M t5 Sgg gR �%g 00 S Z CT 0 Z rTJ 0 - N-0 C4 0 z AH z IH-19 6 WILDER BLVD. s-Livin 91V8OddO3 Uft JO AJJO Hu:9NIISIX3 Attachment C: Preliminary Plat J _ J ao CL J d h Y_, \ Q U 1� Z , ♦ ♦ Z Z Z F. $ r ,< Olt ZEE n� � x L �2 Attachment D: Applicable Subdivision Law The laws applicable to this Preliminary Plat Subdivision include, but are not limited to, the following: (verbatim language is shown in italics, other references are paraphrased): Code of Iowa Chapter 354, Section 8 requires that the governing body shall determine whether the subdivision conforms to its Land Use Policy Plan. Ames Municipal Code Chapter 23, Subdivisions, Division I, outlines the general provisions for subdivisions within the City limits and within two miles of the City limits of Ames. Ames Municipal Code Section 23.302(3): (3) Planning and Zoning Commission Review: (a) The Planning and Zoning Commission shall examine the Preliminary Plat, any comments, recommendations or reports assembled or made by the Department of Planning and Housing, and such other information as it deems necessary or desirable to consider. (b) Based upon such examination, the Planning and Zoning Commission shall ascertain whether the Preliminary Plat conforms to relevant and applicable design and improvement standards in these Regulations, to other City ordinances and standards, to the City's Land Use Policy Plan, and to the City's other duly adopted Plans. Ames Municipal Code Section 23.302(4): (4) Planning and Zoning Commission Recommendation. Following such examination and within 30 days of the regular meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission at which a complete Application is first formally received for consideration, the Planning and Zoning Commission shall forward a report including its recommendation to the City Council. The Planning and Zoning Commission shall set forth its reasons for any recommendation to disapprove or to modify any Preliminary Plat in its report to the City Council and shall provide a written copy of such reasons to the developer.