5.9. SR 10-18-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Memo to Mayor and City Counci1jp 04--20 October 18, 2004 Page 2 U.S. Bank site. These sites are predominandy hard surface; the remainder of the site is the bluff adjacent to the Mississippi River. Analysis Approval of the preliminary plat request would allow construction of a mixed-use building as part of the Downtown Revitalization Project. This mixed-used building will include owner- occupied condominiums above first floor commercial. There will also be an underground parking facility under the building. The recendy adopted Downtown District establishes permitted and conditional uses and design standards. Staff will be responsible for reviewing the design of the structure for consistency with the newly adopted design standards. However, if staff does not believe the standards have been met, review by the Planning Commission and City Council will be required. The Downtown District does not establish minimum lot areas or setbacks for uses in order to promote the zero setback construction of ttaditional downtown areas. Transportation The proposed Revitalization Project will utilize existing streets for transportation purposes. One access point into the proposed underground parking structure is located along the westerly edge of the site. Within the last year the City implemented improvements to the Parrish Avenue/Main Street intersection to construct medians to provide clear direction for vehicle operators in order to identify left turn and right turn areas. Included in this improvement project was the construction of a median at the east end of the site. It has been observed by some that due to this lack of a free right turn to the Parrish Avenue Bridge, traffic has a tendency to backup at increased levels during certain times of the day. Staff looked at a right turn option in this area, however, there would be a loss of parking for the new commercial development. A marketing consultant has indicated that this loss of parking would be detrimental to the viability of the proposed commercial development. If appropriate, the City Council may choose to comment on the requirement for a right turn area on Main Street to Parrish Avenue. The Planning Commission discussed the transportation challenges on Main Street. Two Commissioners, Stevens and Offerman, indicated that they preferred the current configuration of Main Street as opposed to adding the right turn opportunity. Commissioner Anderson felt that the City's transportation issues in general should be addressed before approving any new developments. Grading. Drainage and Utilities The City Engineer addresses grading, drainage and utilities in his attached memo. S:\PLANNING\Case Files\2004\P 04--20 BluffBlock\10 18 04 cc memo.doc