Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-164 RESOLUTION NO. 2015-164 RESOLUTION ADOPTING FINDINGS OF FACT, CONCLUSIONS AND ORDER RELATED TO A 19 LOT RESIDENTIAL PRELIMINARY PLAT AND ASSOCIATED VARIANCES, ZONED RB:TWO FAMILY RESIDENTIAL,ALL FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1902 WILLIAMS ST N. CASE NO.2015-22 BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of Stillwater, Minnesota that the Finding of Fact, Conclusions and Order related to 19 Lot Residential Preliminary Plat and Associated Variances,Zoned RB:Two Family Residential,all for property located at 1902 Williams St N., as on file with the City Clerk,is hereby approved and authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to sign the said Findings of Fact, Conclusions and Order. Adopted by the Stillwater City Council this 15th day of September, 2015. Ted Kozlowksi,Mayor ATTEST: /2ega;ze Diane F.Ward,City Clerk STATE OF MINNESOTA CITY OF STILLWATER COUNTY OF WASHINGTON BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL In Re: The Application of Fairway Development, LLC (Landowner) FINDINGS OF FACT CONCLUSIONS AND Case No. 2015-22 ORDER The City Council convened the Public Hearing scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on September 1, 2015 at the Council Chambers in City Hall on the Application of Fairway Development, LLC ("Applicant") for approval of(i) a preliminary plat for 19 single family lots; and (ii) a variance from the cul-de-sac length requirements of the City Subdivision Code in the RB, Two Family Residential District. The matter was before the Planning Commission on August 12, 2015 when a Public Hearing was also held. Upon conclusion of the Public Hearing,the Planning Commission recommended denial of both requests. At the Public Hearings,the City Council and Planning Commission considered the reports of Bill Turnblad,City Community Development Director,testimony and exhibits submitted by the Applicant,the Staff Report and Minutes of the Planning Commission,maps,testimony of adjacent neighbors of the property in question, and the Planning file prepared by City Staff for the Application. NOW, THEREFORE, based upon the documents that have been made a part of this file, upon the testimony of all those who offered it, and upon all the files, records and proceedings berein,the City Council makes the following: FINDINGS OF FACT 1. This site is located at 1902 North William Street and is legally described on Exhibit "A 2. The neighborhood is known as the Dutchtown area of the City and has a variety of home styles and lot sizes. Immediately adjacent to the east, a development of large homes on 2.5 acre lots abuts the property; on the north is the Brown's Creek State Trail and the Brown's Creek ravine;to the west and south of the land is the Stillwater Golf Club. In this setting,the proposed 19 relatively small lots,ranging in size from 0.20 acres to 0.74 acres,are out of character with the neighborhood. 3. The proposed development requires a variance to Chapter 32, subd. 6(3), of the Stillwater City Code to allow for the construction of a cul-de-sac that exceeds 600 feet in length. Measured from North 5th Street(the beginning of the single outlet street serving the property),the length of the cul-de-sac is approximately 1, 440 feet long. 4. One of the principle reasons for establishing a maximum cul-de-sac length is related to public safety. In general, the longer a single outlet street is, the greater the chances are that something could block access to homes for emergency or other vehicles. Homes at the end of the proposed cul-de-sac would be required to drive up to 1,440 feet before reaching the first opportunity to take a second route out of the neighborhood. This is well over double the intended distance. 5. In order to exit Dutchtown, the development's residents will travel predominantly along Hazel Street to State Highway 95. This route includes streets that are narrower than preferred by current Subdivision Code standards. Moreover, the steep hill on Hazel Street east of 2nd Street crosses Brown's Creek State Trail at a blind intersection causing public safety concerns. The increased traffic of the 19 homes exacerbates this unsafe condition. CONCLUSION OF LAW 1. That this matter was properly before the City Council pursuant to the procedure set forth in the City Code. 2. That a cul-de-sac length longer than the standard 600 feet with no other exit would create a risk of harm to the public. 3. That the purpose of the design regulations is to protect the health, safety and community welfare. ORDER IT IS HEREBY ORDERED 1. The variance required for the length of the cul-de-sac is hereby denied. 2. The application of preliminary plat approval is denied. Adopted by unanimous vote of the City Council this 15th day of September, 2015. Te ozlowski, Mayor A EST:, Diane F. Ward, City Clerk Exhibit A