Item 4.1 - Norhart3601 Thurston Avenue
Anoka, MN 55303
763.231.5840
TPC@PlanningCo.com
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MEMORANDUM
TO: Otsego Planning Commission
FROM: D.Daniel Licht
DATE: 1 September 2022
RE: Otsego – Norhart (R. Lefebvre Property); PUD Concept Plan
TPC FILE:101.02
BACKGROUND
Norhart has submitted a PUD Concept Plan for a 254 unit multiple family building as the first
phase of a mixed‐use development located between TH 101 and Parrish Avenue (CSAH 42)
north of 90th Street (CSAH 39). The subject site consists of three parcels having an area of
33.69 acres.
PUD Concept Plan applications are processed in accordance with Section 11‐36‐4.C of the
Zoning Ordinance to provide comment to the developer as to the acceptability of the land use.
The City requires that PUD Concept Plan reviews include a public hearing before the Planning
Commission so that surrounding property owners have an opportunity to be informed about
the project and ask questions or provide comment. A public hearing to consider the PUD
Concept Plan application was held at the Planning Commission meeting on 15 August 2022.
The Public Hearing was closed.
A concern raised during the public hearing and by the Planning Commission during discussion of
the PUD Concept Plan is traffic generation for the proposed use and impacts to existing and
planned roadways. The Planning Commission discussion noted that the capacity of area
roadways to accommodate traffic generated by the proposed development would dictate their
response to the other issues related to density and building height and the overall acceptability
of the project. Section 11‐3‐2.F.4 of the Zoning Ordnance establishes that the streets serving a
property must have adequate capacity to accommodate a proposed development as a criteria
for approval of a Zoning Map amendment necessary for the project to develop.
Item 4.1
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As stated in the Planning Report dated 12 August 2022, which is available on the City website,
City staff and Wright County had jointly determined that a traffic study will be required should
the developer move forward with applications for a preliminary plat and PUD Development
Stage Plan to evaluate potential traffic impacts related to development of the entire property
and not just the apartment use. Such a traffic study would evaluate the current capacity of the
existing street serving the property, including the functionality of intersections, estimate traffic
generated by the proposed development and surrounding regional increases in traffic over
time, and make recommendations as to any improvements that would be required concurrent
with the proposed development if approved to maintain capacity and functionality of the area
roadways.
The developer volunteered at the Planning Commission meeting on 15 August 2022 that they
had already engaged an engineering consultant to complete a traffic study for the proposed
development and that a preliminary report would be available within a few weeks. Wanting to
consider the findings and recommendations of the traffic study report, the Planning
Commission tabled consideration of the PUD Concept Plan. The developer has advised City
staff that the preliminary traffic study may be available as soon as 2 September 2022. In order
to have the opportunity for City staff and Wright County to review the traffic study, it will be
necessary to delay consideration of the PUD Concept Plan to future Planning Commission
meeting.
CONCLUSION
This memorandum is provided for update purposes and no action is required regarding the PUD
Concept Plan application. There will be no discussion of the PUD Concept Plan application at
the Planning Commission meeting on 6 September 2022.
c. Adam Flaherty, City Administrator/Finance Director
Audra Etzel, City Clerk
Ron Wagner, City Engineer
David Kendall, City Attorney
Sara Buermann, Wright County Traffic Engineer
Marybeth Wise, Norhart