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Business Park (BP), and a zone change to support the proposed Planned Unit Development (PUD) is required and the townhome use is supported by the Comprehensive Plan. The city has also approved three other residential PUD developments within this block since 2016 — Tall Pines, Elk River Senior Living, and Mulvaney Point Townhomes. Comprehensive Plan The Comp Plan guides this area as Mixed Use which allows a mixture of housing, jobs and/or retail services uses within proximity to each other. The area also provides another setting for high density residential land uses. The proposed use and rezoning to a residential PUD is supported by the Comp Plan. Planning Commission The Planning Commission held a Zoom public hearing on April 28, 2020. Staff received one emailed comment regarding concerns with traffic along 5"' Street NW which was read into the record. The current plans for the Highway 169 interchange improvements include a Line Avenue cul-de-sac south of the intersection with 5"' St NW. This would eliminate the traffic from this development along 5`' St. The Commission noted concerns with the private street, specifically fire access and plowing, traffic, and impacts on adjacent properties. Fire access compliance is a requirement of any project and adjustments would be made to the plans. The city will not plow the private streets and snow storage will be a concern for the property management company. The applicant completed a traffic analysis to address previously stated concerns about traffic. The Council had proposed denying this project in 2019 citing concerns with traffic along Line Ave and the unknown public improvements associated with Redefine 169. The traffic study was reviewed by the public works director who is comfortable with the findings in stating that the development will not place undo burden on the adjoining road network. Additionally, MnDOT is looking to finalize their interchange plans, which propose closing Line Ave just north of this project — directing all traffic south to Main Street. Commissioners discussed potential impacts on adjacent businesses, specifically limits on their ability to expand in the future if they are now located next to a residential area and expressed a feeling of spot zoning. They also discussed the vacant lot to the south, which would be the last developable business park lot, and said it would be difficult to develop should this project be constructed. The applicant noted that the setbacks and distances between buildings are the same as Tall Pines and West Oaks. He reiterated that the rezoning is allowed and that his request is consistent with the Comp Plan, like his first project, Tall Pines, constructed immediately south of this property. The Commission moved to deny all three applications, Zone Change, Conditional Use Permit to establish the PUD, and the Preliminary Plat. The motion passed unanimously 6-0. Since the meeting, staff has received numerous letters from residents expressing support for the project. Many of them note there are already residential units in the same block and that they would like to see more of the same types of housing options. The applicant and his representatives have also submitted additional information related to the proposal, which are included. Financial Impact None N:\Public Bodies\Agenda Packets\06-01-2020\Fina1\7.2 sr Tall Pines 21id.docx