Summergate Development, applicant, and R & J Breeggemann Partnership, property owners, have proposed a Planned Unit Development (PUD) District and a Preliminary Plat for property located north of LaTour Avenue (adjacent to the SPU water tower in the Windermere neighborhood) and west of Zumbro Avenue.

The applicant has proposed a single family residential subdivision (Bluff View Addition) that would develop approximately 85 acres with a net development area of approximately 60 acres. The development would consist of 127 50’ wide single family lots and 95 60’ wide single family lots.

With the request for lots less than 60’ wide (R-1B Zone min. width), the applicant is also requesting 5’ side yard setbacks (7.5’ min. for R-1B Zone side yards). A stipulation of the PUD is that the applicant is required to provide a minimum of fifteen percent open space as landscaped area or areas available for the common use of and accessible by all residents or occupants of the buildings within the planned unit development.

This open space requirement will be met with the proposed land and trails located along the north area of this project, adjacent to the bluff which has been earmarked as a future lineal park and trail corridor as part of the regional trail and park system presently being implemented in this area of the community.

The property is presently zoned Agricultural Preservation (AG) Zone, and is guided Suburban Residential (3-6 units/acre) and Park & Open Space. The proposed project is consistent with the existing guiding. This site was also included in the approved Western Shakopee Areawide AUAR, and this proposal is generally consistent with that AUAR.

City departments, Scott County and other outside agencies were given the opportunity to review and provide comments regarding this application. City Engineering, SPU and Planning staff have provided memos/comments that have been incorporated into the draft Ordinance. SPU commented that the applicant shall work with them to connect to the existing water and electric utilities to provide comprehensive services to this property and adjacent properties.

The applicant has also submitted a Preliminary Plat. Staff has stipulated that street & utilities are not available to this site at this time – should this plat receive approval, proceeding with grading and/or Final Plat approval would be conditioned on sewer, water, and roadway being extended to it from the adjacent property to the east.

There has been significant discussion on the extension of services and 17th Avenue to CR 69 with the City, County, and the four (4) property owners (and potential developers), but there has not been a consensus about moving forward at this time with the street and utility work.

Should this PUD be approved, a condition of approval will be that their homes shall provide higher standards/designs and development aesthetics that exceed the current design standards, such as providing a variety of house styles with no structures of the same design/appearance next to each other within this development, exceeding the minimum window percentage, utilizing LP or Hardie Plank siding with stone wainscoting on the front elevations, and no garage dominant designs.

The following findings have been determined to meet the required criteria:

1. The proposed development is consistent in all respects with the comprehensive plan.

2. The proposed development, including deviations from design standards, is compatible with surrounding land uses. The only design standard deviation is with the 50 ft. wide lots and 5’ side yard setbacks, which are found in several of the nearby Windermere subdivisions.

3. The proposed development provides adequate open space, circulation, pedestrian orientation, parking, recreation, screening, and landscaping, as exemplified by the proposed linear park/trail system adjacent to the future bluff park.

4. The primary function of the PUD is to encourage development which will preserve and enhance the worthwhile, natural terrain characteristics, and it should not force intense development to utilize all portions of a given site in order to arrive at the maximum density allowed. Staff believe that this proposed project meets the required standards.

5. There exists an overall compatibility of land uses and overall appearance and compatibility of individual buildings to other site elements and to the surrounding development.

6. The proposed PUD plan would afford a greater general public benefit than would be realized under the underlying zoning district and/or general zoning provisions as previously mentioned (additional open space and trail network).