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Memo to the Mayor and City Councfl/P 97-7 <br />July 21, 1997 <br />Page 2 <br /> <br />Hillside Crossing plat along with minutes from each of those meetings to help <br />the City Council piece together the history regarding this property. <br /> <br />The primary issues in considering this plat and concept plan relate to: <br /> <br />Creating a development that respects the natural characteristics of the <br />site (i.e., Protect ridge and buffer to residential). <br /> <br />Types of businesses (uses) expected to be developed on the site based on <br />the current zoning of C3 Highway Commercial. <br /> <br />· Traffic/access and assessing the current conditions along with long range <br /> forecasts based on future uses and ultimate build out in this area. <br /> <br />Natural Characteristics <br /> <br />The property has a varying topography and for the most part, is wooded with <br />a large wetland complex to the south and two smaller wetlands on both the <br />east and west side. As part of the staff review, Steve Rohlf has noted that the <br />property is identified on the Minnesota Biological Survey as an oak forest/dry <br />sub-type. <br /> <br />One of the main features discussed in previous reports is the natural ridge <br />line that basically parallels the south boundary of the plat. This ridge line <br />was originally discussed in 1991 when the property was rezoned from PUD <br />(Planned Unit Development) to C3 (Highway Commercial), residents in <br />Deerfield Addition had requested the ridge line be protected to act as a <br />natural buffer between the residential and commercial to the west. This <br />same issue was presented to the Planning Commission and City Council <br />during the applications of Oak Park Plaza in the early part of 1994 and with <br />Hillside Crossing South in the latter part of 1994. Approval of Oak Park <br />Plaza plat included maintaining a 30 foot drainage and utility easement <br />along the ridge line in an attempt to protect this area from future <br />development considerations. Subsequently, the replatting of this property as <br />part of the Hillside Crossing South application included moving the plat <br />limits further south closer to the wetland complex and the bottom of the <br />ridge. Also, the easement was vacated leaving no protection of the ridge line. <br /> <br />Concept Plan <br /> <br />A concept plan illustrating how the property may be developed has been <br />submitted by the developer. This was a condition of plat approval for Hillside <br />Crossing South. The purpose for submitting this plan was to give the city an <br /> <br />s:\council\p97-7x.doc <br /> <br /> <br />