6.12. SR 07-19-1999
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Item# 6.12.
MEMORANDUM
Mayor and City Council
FROM: Stephen Wensman, Planner;;J
DATE:
July 19, 1999
SUBJECT:
Request by Elk River Country Club
for a Conditional Use Permit, Public
Hearing Case No. CU 99-23
Request
Please consider a request by the Elk River Country Club for a conditional use
permit to construct a maintenance building, and modify the golf course.
Location
20015 Elk Lake Road, Elk River, MN, (SE ~ of Section 20)
. Zoning/Land Use
RIa (Single Family Residential) / OS (Open Space)
Attachments
. Location map
. Site plan
. Alternate berming and landscape plan
. Park concept plan
. Proposed land exchange
Overview
The Elk River Country Club, located directly south of Woodland Trails Park,
would like to improve the golf facilities in keeping with their Golf Course
Master Plan. This plan includes the construction of a maintenance building
east of the driving range with an access drive from the Woodland Trails Park
entrance drive and the construction of a larger driving range tee with several
practice tees and greens near Elk Lake Road. To accommodate these plans, a
land and easement exchange are also being requested under a separate
. application. Golf Courses are a conditional use in the RIa zoning district and
13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490 · Elk River, MN 55330 · TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425
Memo to City Council/CD 99-23
July 19, 1999
Page 2
.
any proposed changes to the course require Planning Commission review and
City Council approval.
Proposed Imvrovements
Maintenance Building
The Country Club proposes a new 48 ft x 112 ft maintenance building to be
located east of the driving range. The building will be a pole barn style with
walls with the color, Light Stone, and the roof with the color, Forest Green.
The building will be used for the storage and maintenance of equipment and
a small office and lunch room for the maintenance crew. The Country Club
indicated that roughly 5-8 maintenance workers would come and go from the
building each day for the golf season and only one or two workers would use
the building in the winter months. Sales calls and material deliveries would
also be made to the maintenance building during operation hours.
On-Site Septic and Well
.
Because the maintenance building will be used as a meeting place and office,
a well and on-site septic is required. The submitted plans show locations of a
well and both a primary and secondary septic field locations.
Lighting
Site lighting is addressed by wall mounted security lights on the north side of
the proposed building (facing the park). There are no lights shown on the
other 3 walls. Lighting should be down-cast and vandal proof. Glare from
the lighting shall not be visible from beyond the limits of the immediate site.
Maintenance Yard
Surrounding the maintenance building is a gravel surface maintenance yard
large enough to contain parking for 12 cars, storage of sand and gravel, a
trash enclosure and vehicle movements. The Country Club indicated that the
existing brush and wood debris will be cleaned up and in the future any
storage of wood debris will be located elsewhere on the golf course.
Access Road
The Country Club proposes to construct a 22 foot wide access road to the
proposed maintenance building across park property to the park entrance
drive. The road will be paved from the park road to the top of the hill to
. minimize gravel run-off onto the park road and the between the top of the hill
f:\shrdoc\planning\stevewen\ccmmo\cu99-23.doc
Memo to City CounciUCU 99-23
July 19, 1999
Page 3
.
and the maintenance shed will be Class V gravel. This access road has been
the most difficult issue for staff and the Park and Recreation Commission.
Various locations and width of the road were proposed prior to the
compromise location now shown on the site plan. The compromise location
has a perpendicular connection to the park drive so as to appear as a
secondary road and not part of the park road. Also, the access drive is located
in the lowest possible elevations between existing hills and crosses the
driving range. For safety reasons, the golf course will extend a net across the
range to minimize conflict between vehicles and balls. For security reasons,
the access road will be gated and locked when the golf course is closed and a
sign posted stating, "golf course employees only."
Grading and Drainage
To accommodate the building, yard and drive, significant grading will occur.
The grade will be lowered (cut) roughly 9 feet on the west end of the
maintenance yard and raised (fill) roughly 5 feet on the east end of the
maintenance yard.
The access drive will necessitate some filling near the park drive and some
cut over the driving range.
. Golf Ball Netting
As part of the compromise, the Country Club will install ball netting between
the driving range and the park. The netting will significantly reduce the
number of balls on park property and will provide greater safety and lessen
the potential damage to property.
Greens and Tees
As part of the Country Club Master Plan, the golf course proposes to expand
the driving range tee to the north and add a practice chipping green and tees
The proposed driving range tee will direct golf balls away from the park and
will accommodate a greater number of golfers. The practice chipping tees
will be located near Elk Lake Road on park property proposed to be
exchanged.
Park Issues
As part of the Park and Recreation Commission's Park of the Month process,
a concept plan for Woodland Trails Park was prepared which identifies a
future picnic shelter on the hilltop just east of the parking lot and adjacent
. the golf course. The Country Club's proposed maintenance building will be
f:\shrdoc\planning\stevewen\ccmmo\cu99-23.doc
Memo to City Council/CD 99-23
July 19, 1999
Page 4
.
visible from this location with out proper screening. Furthermore, the
proposed access drive to the maintenance building will cross park property
with access from the Woodland Trails driveway. This location has been the
object of greatest concern to the Park and Recreation Commission, however,
after great consideration of alternatives and an effort to meet the needs of the
Country Club, the location shown on the site plan has been recommended for
approval. The specific issues the Commission discussed include:
.
. Aesthetic concerns with the maintenance building and access drive in
view from the park.
. Potential conflicts with the ski club and high school cross country races.
. The effect on the location of the proposed picnic shelters.
. Golf balls on park property.
. Security of the service road and maintenance building if accessed from the
park.
. Maintenance responsibility of a shared park entrance drive.
. Pedestrian and bicyclist safety and enjoyment of the park with increased
use of the park entrance drive.
. The Country Club's need for a maintenance building with better proximity
and access to the golf course for mowing and maintenance, and greater
separation from golfers and high use areas.
. The Country Club's need for an expanded driving range and desire to
improve the area near Elk Lake Road.
Park and Recreation Commission Action
On June 9,1999, the Park and Recreation Commission reviewed the proposal
by the Elk River Country Club. Several different building and access drive
locations were discussed. The Commission made the recommendation to:
TO ACCEPT THE ROAD CONCEPT FOR ACCESS TO THE MAINTENANCE BUILDING AS
PROPOSED BY STAFF, CONTINGENT UPON FIELD VERIFICATION.
.
On June 22, 1999, after field verification, members of the Park and
Recreation Commission reached a compromise location for the building and
access road. The compromise is reflected on the site plans, however after
more review, staff and some members of the Commission believe that the
quantity of landscaping on the site plan may be unnecessary and that
adequate buffering can be obtained with berming and with conifers planted
in two rows on the berm, near the proposed maintenance building.
Furthermore, the landscaping shown on the site plan would create a barrier
that would limit the use of some usable park space between it and the
maintenance building (See attached alternative berming and landscape
plan).
f:\shrdoc\planning\stevewen\ccmmo\cu99-23.doc
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Planning- Commission
At the June 22, the Planning Commission tabled this item to the July 13,
Planning Commission workshop in order for the applicant to provide more
information. On July 13, the Commission considered this request and in
general concurred with the recommendations of staff and the Park and
Recreation Commissions. However, the Commission did recommend two
additional conditions as follows:
. THAT OUTDOOR STORAGE BE LIMITED TO THE MAINTENANCE YARD AREA
IDENTIFIED ON THE SITE PLAN.
. THAT THE ENTIRE MAINTENANCE YARD AND ACCESS DRIVE BE PAVED WITH
BITUMINOUS.
No one from the public spoke for or against this item.
Recom men da tion
Staff and the Planning Commission recommend that the City Council
approve the Elk River Country Club's request for conditional use permit
with the following conditions:
1. THAT SCREENING BE ACCOMPLISHED BY BERMING AND PLANTING
CONIFERS BETWEEN THE MAINTENANCE BUILDING AND PARK. AND THAT
THE BERMING AND THE TREE LOCATIONS ARE TO BE STAKED AND
INSPECTED BY STAFF AND PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION
MEMBERS PRIOR TO PLANTING.
THAT THE MAINTENANCE BUILDING CONFORM TO BUILDING STANDARDS
AND ANY CONCERNS OF THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
THAT COMMENTS OF THE CITY ENGINEER BE ADDRESSED.
THAT THE ACCESS DRIVE BE A MINIMUM WIDTH OF 20 FEET AS REQUIRED
BY THE ELK RIVER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THAT THE ACCESS DRIVE BE SIGNED FOR GOLF COURSE EMPLOYEES
ONLY.
THAT GOLF BALL NETTING SPECIFICATIONS BE PREPARED AND APPROVED
BY STAFF PRIOR TO INSTALLATION.
THAT THE ACCESS DRIVE TO THE MAINTENANCE BUILDING BE GATED AND
LOCKED WHEN THE GOLF COURSE IS CLOSED.
THAT THE MAINTENANCE OF THE PARK ENTRANCE ROAD BE MAINTAINED
BY THE CITY AND THAT THE GOLF COURSE SHARE IN THE EXPENSE OF
THAT MAINTENANCE.
Memo to City Council/CD 99-23
July 19, 1999
Page 6
.
9. THAT A .86 ACRE EASEMENT BE PLACED OVER PARK PROPERTY FOR THE
USE OF THE GOLF COURSE FOR THE EXISTING DRIVING RANGE AND
ACCESS ROAD ONLY.
10. THAT A 62.22 ACRE EASEMENT BE PLACED OVER COUNTRY CLUB
PROPERTY FOR PARK PURPOSES AND LIMITED TO SKI TRAILS ONLY.
11. THAT 2.82 ACRES OF COUNTRY CLUB PROPERTY BE EXCHANGED FOR 1.20
ACRES OF CITY PROPERTY PRIOR TO THE CONSTRUCTION GREENS AND
TEES.
12. THAT OUTDOOR STORAGE BE LIMITED TO THE MAINTENANCE YARD AREA
IDENTIFIED ON THE SITE PLAN.
13. THAT THE ENTIRE MAINTENANCE YARD AND ACCESS DRIVE BE PAVED
WITH BITUMINOUS.
.
.
f:\shrdoc\planning\stevewen\ccmmo\cu99-23.doc
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LOCATION
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13065 Orono Parkway. P.O. Box 490
Elk River, MN 55330
CASE:
CU 99-.23
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--1________
ELK RIVER COUNTRY CLUB
ELK RIVER, UN
PROPOSED LAND EXCHANGE
FOR RANGE /SHOP REMODELING
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John auv.r &. A..ool.t.., /no.
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680 Dodge Avenue
BUt: River. Minnesota 66330
(ff'Z)44'-Z07.2 (FAX)44'-6ffff6
ZO/ If. Trav,ler, 2'rai~ Suit, ZOO
B'U1"n8'Ville. Mtnnesota. 66337
(ff/2)894-3045 (FAX)894-3049
I her. certify that this pion was DATE:
pre me or under my dirt'lct
superv' d that I am a duly DESIGN BY: JK
Register ~eSSionOI En9i.neer under DRAWN BY: TGL
the lows e. A ~te of t.hnnesoto.
/ .A CHECKED BY' JK
1'.11 I DWG, ER-AREA.DWG
, '1.1,1;;} TEXT: NONE
Reg, No'r}-- flLE NO.: 7743.10-03
Signed:
Dote: X
5/21 /99
REV
NO.
DESCRIPTION
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