6.3. SR 06-15-1998~ity of
Item #6.3.
iver
MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
Mayor & City Council
Scott Harlicker, Assistant Planne~~
June 15, 1998
SUBJECT:
Request by Dynamics Design & Land
Company for Preliminary Plat Approval
(Barsody Hills), Public Hearing
Case No. P 98-2
Request
Consider a request for prehminary plat to subdivide 92 acres into 8 single
family lots.
Location
North side of County Road 21 and 217th Avenue alignment
Zoning/Land Use
A1 (Agricultural Conservation) ME (Mineral Extraction Overlay) / A
(Agricultural)
Attachments
· Location map
· Prehminary plat
· Memo from Building and Zoning Administrator, dated 5/26/98
Overview
This prehminary plat request involves an area 92 acres in size. The property
includes an existing farmstead and a single family home. The farm will be
made part of a 30 acre lot and the single family home will be on a 12 acre lot.
The site has been mined. Characteristics of the site include wetlands, some
fiat areas that were part of the floor of the gravel mine, sloped areas that are
a result of the reclamation process and wooded areas that have not been
mined. The topography rises 60 feet from the west to the east; the west being
13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490 · Elk River, MN 55330 · TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425
City Council Memo
P 98-2
June 15~ 1998
the area that has been mined and the east area not affected by the gravel
mining.
Background
The property is within the Mineral Extraction Overlay District; a gravel
mining operation has been an ongoing process for many years. The mining on
the majority of the property is finished and is in the process of going through
the reclamation process. Some small scale gravel mining will continue in the
southwest corner of the plat on the 30 acre parcel. However, access to the
area that will be mined will be off of County Road 21 through the 30 acre lot.
Mining traffic will not go through the subdivision. Once the mining is
finished the area will go through the reclamation process.
Lot Size
The A1 district requires a minimum lot size of 10 acres or a density of 4 lots
per 40 acres. The applicant selected the density option. In determining the
number of lots to be included in this plat the acres of wetlands (8 acres) was
subtracted from the total acres (92 acres). The remaining 84 acres could be
divided into 8 lots; each of the lot had to have a minimum lot size of 2.5 acres.
The 8 lots range in size from 4 acres to 30 acres.
Streets
The proposed road off of County Road 21 will continue through the plat to the
western boundary. The street will be a 32 foot wide rural section with
bituminous curbs. The street will terminate in a temporary cul-de-sac with
the right-of-way extending to the western edge of the plat. The right-of-way
is shown in the most likely location for the future connection based on the
site conditions of the parcel to the west. That property is also included in the
ME district but has not been mined yet so extension of the road is not likely
to happen for some time. For this reason it is suggested the developer either
construct the proposed road to the plat's western boundary or provide the city
payment to install class v and bituminous at a later date.
Septic Systems
Providing for septic systems on this site is a unique challenge. Each lot is
required to provide suitable room for 2 septic systems, one primary location
and one for a replacement system. Typical septic systems need to be located
on undisturbed land. Since property was part of a gravel mine, most of it
has to be considered disturbed. Lots 7 and 8 have existing houses and
conventional septic systems; lot i has not been mined so it should not be
City Council Memo
P 98-2
June 15, 1998
difficult to identify a suitable location for a conventional system; lots 2, 3
and 4 may be able to support conventional systems depending on where the
house is located. Lots 5 and 6 will not be able to support a conventional
system because the neither lot has an area that has not been disturbed. It
appears that there are alternative systems available that would work on
these two lots. The Building Department investigated these alternative
systems; attached is a memo from the Building and Zoning Administrator
summarizing the septic system options.
Outlots
There are 2 outlots with this plat. Outlot A is located on the south side of the
road opposite Lot 1. It includes a .92 acres between the right-way and a
wetland. In order to ensure that someone is responsible for the property,
outlot A should be made part of Lot 8. Outlot B is located on the south side of
Lot 7. It will be made part of an adjacent lot, not included as part of this
plat, that also owned by the applicant.
Planning Commission Meeting
At the Planning Commission meeting held on May 26th, no one spoke at the
pubhc hearing. The Commission's discussion included the extension of the
right-of-way to the east boundary of the plat, the need to make improvements
to the right-of-way and possible future plating of the 30 acre parcel.
Recommendation
The Planning Commission recommended the City Council approve this
prehminary plat request by Dynamics Design and Land Company to
subdivide 92 acres into 8 single family lots with the following conditions:
A developers agreement outhning the terms and conditions of the plat
approval and necessary road construction be prepared and executed prior
to releasing the plat for recording.
2. All the comments of the City Engineer be addressed.
3. A letter of credit in the amount of 100% of the cost of public improvements
be provided prior to releasing the plat for recording.
A surety bond in the amount of 25% be provided to the City upon
completing public improvements for a one year period to guarantee
quality of work.
City Council Memo
P 98-2
June 15~ 1998
5. Surface water management fee in the amount of $550.64 be paid prior to
releasing the plat for recording.
6. Park dedication fee in the amount of $3900.00 be paid prior to releasing
the plat for recording.
7. A seal coating fee to be determined by the City Engineer paid prior to
releasing the plat for recording.
8. Streetlights be provided per Elk River Utilities recommendation.
9. Applicant shall obtain all necessary permits prior to any wetland
disturbance.
10. The developer grade and seed the proposed road to the plat's western
boundary and provide the city payment to install class v and bituminous
at a later date.
11. If individual sewage digesters are used, the homeowners must
continuously have a maintenance agreement with professionals to service
the digesters and remote monitoring of the pump is required to ensure it
is operational.
12. Outlot A be made part of Lot 8 and Outlot B be combined with the
adjacent parcel to the south.
13. A deed restriction be filed with the county restricting further subdivision
of the 30 acre parcel until such a time that the zoning is changed to allow for
smaller lot sizes.
LOCATION
-i
i i
i
LEGEND
z
:y of
'ver
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
Memorandum
PLANNING COMMISSION
BUILDING AND ZONING
ADMINISTRATOR, STEPHEN ROHLF
MAY 26, 1998 ~
SEPTIC SYSTEMS IN BARSODY
HILLS
A great deal of the land included in the plat of Barsody Hills has been reclaimed from
gravel mining. The previous gravel mining raises concerns regarding on site sewage
treatment (septic systems). Typically, land that has been disturbed can not support a
standard septic system.
Individual sewage digester systems have been proposed by the developer as one option to
address this issue. The tank for the septic system aerobically treats the sewage by
introducing oxygen prior to it being discharged to the drainfield. A typical septic tank
only eliminates solids from entering the drainfield.
Staff has researched this system with MPCA and it is an acceptable alternative. With the
normal amount of drainfield, the sewage treatment described is considered a standard
septic system, even on disturbed ground.
To work properly the above system must be maintained properly. Staff is
recommending that if the individual sewage digesters described are used, that the
home owners must continuously have a maintenance agreement with professionals
to service the digesters. In addition, a pump to force oxygen into the digester is
required. Staff further recommends that remote monitoring of the pump is required
to ensure it is operational.
The state rules on septic systems are likely to change this fall. Staff anticipates the rules
for septic systems on disturbed land will be performance based. In other words, the
ground will be tested and the system designed appropriately. Standard septic systems not
being allowed on disturbed land is somewhat arbitrary. Standard systems most likely
could be designed for this plat.
The digester system proposed gives a definite answer to the question of septic systems in
the plat of Barsody Hills so this should not be an issue with the plats approval. However,
individual digesters should not be the only systems allowed if the rules change in the
future and other systems can be approved.
13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490 · Elk River, MN 55330 · TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425