7.5 SR 02-18-2025 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Background/Discussion The developer, Capstone Homes, has submitted a series of applications to support their proposed development on the property commonly referred to as the Specht Farm. The site is approximately 250 acres in size and includes a significant area of frontage along the Mississippi River. The area currently includes three different zoning districts (FAST, R-1d, and Business Park) and is guided by the Comprehensive Plan for residential and commercial uses. The development proposal includes 533 new single-family parcels, and 5.17 acres slated for future commercial uses. Approval of the project requires amendments to the Comprehensive Plan (Land Use), zoning amendments to create a PUD for the residential areas and rezone the commercial areas to C-3 (Highway Commercial, and an ordinance amendment establishing the standards for the PUD areas.) Currently, the developer is seeking approval of the PUD to establish the framework for the project. Future applications and reviews by the Planning Commission include a preliminary plat, which will provide more details on the grading, stormwater, utility work, and engineering for the development. Discussions and conditions from the commission should seek to achieve a cohesive project with a series of standards that the developer will follow as the project progresses towards final design. Comprehensive Plan The Comprehensive Plan currently guides the site for Mixed Residential and Highway Business uses. The proposal maintains the same land use classifications but re-aligns the areas to match the property lines proposed with the project. The proposed commercial areas and future uses align with the land use guidance, and realigning the land use plan to follow the proposed uses is supported by staff. The mixed residential category supports a range of housing types, with the goal of a gentle increase in density when compared to a typical single-family neighborhood. While the proposal doesn’t include townhomes or multifamily uses, the smallest single-family parcels are 50-feet wide, which increases the overall density of the area. Access and Streets The development is located between Highway 10 and the river and abuts the Oliver Kelley Farm historic site along the southern boundary. The main access to the site will be from an improved access point at Highway 10 and 165th Ave. This is the current location of the driveway serving the property. City staff and the developer have been working with MnDOT to design this access, which is anticipated to require signalization and a possible j-hook. Development of this project is contingent upon MnDOT’s approval of this access. Additional access to the development includes an extension of the existing Yale Street dead-end on the north end of the project and a frontage road along Highway 10. The project reserves land for a future interchange, but that is not part of this project. It is anticipated that the improvements at 165th Ave will provide access for the foreseeable future and the interchange will be constructed when funding and traffic demands allow. Internal circulation is provided by public streets, there are no private drives included in the project. A sidewalk is included on one side of each residential street, including the frontage road. The developer has requested a narrower street section for many of the interior streets. A typical city street is 34-feet wide, and Page 112 of 227