Laserfiche WebLink
04/11/02 11:31 FAX 952 937 5822 WESTWOOD PROF. SERVICES ~002 <br /> <br />Westwood Professional Services, mc. <br />PI-,~NNING · ENGINeErING - SU~¥EYING <br /> <br />April 1 I, 2002 <br /> <br />W <br /> <br />Michelle McPherson <br />City Planner <br />City of Elk River <br />13065 Orono Parkway <br />Elk River, MN 55330-0490 <br /> <br />Re: MARSI:IES OF TROTT BROOK FAR3[S <br /> <br />Dear Michelle: <br /> <br />7599 Anagram Drive <br />Eden Praire, MN 553~4 <br /> <br />Phone: 9=;2-937-5150 <br />Fax: 952-937-5822 <br />Toll flee: 1-888-937-5150 <br />E-mail: wps~we~oodos.com <br /> <br />~IN ClTIESIMETRO <br /> <br />ST, CLOUD <br /> <br />On behalf of D.R. Horton, htc. we are very pleased to submit this application for the development of The <br />Marshes of Trott Brook Farms for your review and approval. The original PUD included single-family <br />homes and a cluster of town homes similar to those being offered in other Trott Brook Farms <br />neighborhoods. Tl-te Marshes will offer the Traditions Townhome, which is a new row to~vx~home <br />product that will provide a different housing style to the public. The action that is being requested is an <br />amendment to the Trott Brook Farms PUD that would include the change in unit .type, addition of 6.31 <br />acres (highway remnant parcel), increase in overall units from 615 to 648 (including 10 on the remnant <br />parcel), and revision to a portion of the remaining single family neighborhood. <br /> <br />The amendment area consists of approximately 53.95 acres including 17.57 acres of single family to be <br />reconfigured, and 42.64 acres of the Marshes of Trott Brook Farms. With the exception of the 6.3 l-acre <br />highway remnant parcel, the property is currently guided and zoned for PUD development. <br /> <br />The existing Approved PUD is for the development of 615 homes (349 S/F, 118 Coach, and 148 Villa). <br />This request is to develop a total of 648 homes with a slightly different mix (325 S/F, 105 Coach, 108 <br />Villa, and 110 TraditionaI Row). While a total of 33 additional homes are being requested, only 23 (an <br />increase of 3.7%) are located within the original PUD area. The remaining 1.0 homes are located on the <br />highway remnant parcel. <br /> <br /> DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT <br />The Marshes neighborhood and adjacent single-family area is being redesigned in response to both site <br />conditions and the projected market place for townhomes in the Elk River community. The townhomes <br />originally suggested on the western portion of the site were large two story units that were conceptual in <br />design. Their footprint was large and, upon close review of grading studies, was found to cause more tree <br />removal than was desired. The development of single-family homes to the north of this area also caused <br />significant tree removal to engineer as originally designed. <br /> <br />Through the use of a smaller to~vnhome footprint, the use of private roadways in the more difficult and <br />wooded portions of the site, and by reworking the drainage and ponding plans, a total of approximately <br />.89 additional acres of trees and woodlands have been preserved. <br /> <br />The net density of the tow'nhome area of the Marshes will be 3.6 homes per acre, or approximately 12,000 <br />s.f. per home. <br /> <br />While the market for the existing D.R. Horton multiple produces remains strong, an additional home type <br />is viewed as a benefit to the Trott Brook neighborhood and Elk River community alike. The surrounding <br />open space will set this cluster of townhomes apart from others in this area of the city, and the <br /> <br />Designing the Future Today,,.~ince 1972 <br /> <br /> <br />