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2017-03-02 Planning Commission Agenda Packet
CITY OF CORCORAN *Includes Materials - Materials relating to these agenda items can be found in the House Agenda Packet by Door. Corcoran Planning Commission Agenda March 3, 2017 -7:00 pm 1. Call to Order / Roll Call 2. Chair and Vice-Chair Election 3. Pledge of Allegiance 4. Agenda Approval 5. Open Forum 6. Minutes a. Minutes – January 5, 2017* 7. Unfinished Business 8. New Business a. Ravinia 8th Addition Final Plat and PUD Final Plan on Schwalbe property at 6635 County Road 101 (city file 17-002)* i. Staff Report ii. Commission Discussion & Recommendation b. PUBLIC HEARING. Sunrise Solar IUP, Variance and Preliminary Plat east of County Road 19 and North of Pioneer Trail (City file 17-003)* i. Staff Report ii. Open Public Hearing iii. Public Comment iv. Close Hearing v. Commission Discussion & Recommendation 9. Reports/Information a. Planning Project Update* b. Comprehensive Plan Update – Upcoming Meetings i. March 16th Commission/Council Kickoff ii. April 17th Community Open House c. City Council Report* – Council Liaison Thomas d. Other Business 10. Commissioner Liaison Calendar City Council Meetings 03/09 03/23 04/13 4/27 5/11 5/25 Russel Jacobs Schultz Theis Wu Russel 11. Adjournment CITY OF CORCORAN Corcoran Planning Commission Minutes January 5, 2017 -7:00 pm The Corcoran Planning Commission met on January 5, 2017 at City Hall in Corcoran, Minnesota. Present were: Chair Jacobs, Vice-chair Schultz, Commissioner Russell, Commissioner Wu, and Commissioner Theis. Also present were: City Administrator Martens, City Planner Lindahl, Code Compliance Official Pritchard, and Council Liaison Ron Thomas. 1.Call to Order / Roll Call Chair Jacobs called the meeting to order at 7:00pm 2.Pledge of Allegiance 3.Agenda Approval Motion made by Schultz seconded by Theis to approve the agenda with the addition of Item 7b. Annual Report. Voting Aye: Jacobs, Russell, Wu, Theis, and Schultz. (Motion carried 5:0) 4.Open Forum – None 5.Minutes a.Minutes – December 1, 2016 Motion made by Wu seconded by Russel to approve the minutes with the addition of public notice procedure discussion during the public forum and correction of the voting record for item 7a. Voting Aye: Jacobs, Russell, Wu, Theis, and Schultz. (Motion carried 5:0) 6.Unfinished Business – None 7.New Business a.PUBLIC HEARING. Site Plan and Conditional Use Permits for Motor Cafe at 23030 Highway 55 (city file 16-033) i.Staff Report – City Planner Lindahl presented her staff report. ii.Open Public Hearing – Chair Jacobs opened the public hearing. iii.Public Comment – Mr. Tim Laurent, Motor Café owner/applicant, submitted new renderings and clarified the changes to the plans. Changes including adding Hardi- board siding to the office, adding Pella windows and shutters, 2 foot gable overhangs and 3 foot eaves as well as a pillared porch covering, and upgraded roofing and siding. He stated that the steel siding and roofing would be a 12” wide high ridge as opposed to the typical low profile 9’” width and that the roofing and siding would have a high grade coating with a 50 year warranty and stainless steel fasteners. He also stated that the building would be guttered and the overhead doors would be painted to match and would have lights (windows). Mr. Laurent requested credit for existing landscaping and to stripe only customer and employee parking, and leave the display areas unmarked. He also asked for clarification on flags and banners. iv.Close Hearing Motion made by Theis seconded by Schultz to close the public hearing. Voting Aye: Jacobs, Russell, Wu, Theis, and Schultz. (Motion carried 5:0) v.Commission Discussion & Recommendation – The Commission discussed screening requirements. Staff clarified that damaged cars must be stored inside. The commission inquired if it was burdensome to require inside storage. Staff stated that the CUP standard could be changed, but would require an amendment and that the applicant was not requesting outside storage. 6a. Paving requirements for the North and East overhead doors was clarified. A concrete apron and gravel drive would be allowed on the North door but that expansion of gravel would require a variance. The Commission discussed striping requirements. They agreed that as long as the drive aisles were maintained and display areas were marked, individual display stalls would not need to be marked. This would allow the applicant to adjust and move their display depending on inventory. Staff commented that the display in the R.O.W. is not allowed. Staff clarified that US flags are exempt from signage requirements, but banners, streamers, etc. are prohibited by the Sign ordinance. The applicant asked to lower his wainscoting height to 40”. The reasoning is to match up with the window sill. The Commission agreed that allowing a 40” wainscoting height, with the addition of shutters and other upgrades, and the location/height of the windows made sense. The Commission directed staff to work with the applicant regarding landscaping. The Commission deferred to the Council regarding his striping request. Motion made by Schultz seconded by Wu to recommend approval of the resolution for conditional Use Permit and Site Plan with an amendment to condition 10d to allow 40” wainscoting and revisions to condition 9 as needed. Voting Aye: Jacobs, Russel, Wu, Theis, and Schultz. (Motion carried 5:0) b. Annual Report. 2016 Update and 2017 Priorities i. Administrator Martens asked the Commission to review the draft memo and share recommendations by January 20th. Commissioner Wu volunteered to present the Commission’s report. 8. Reports/Information a. Planning Project Update – Information Only b. City Council Report – Council Liaison Hank updated the Commission on City council activities. c. Other Business – None 9. Commissioner Liaison Calendar City Council Meetings 01/12/17 01/26 02/09 02/23 03/09 03/23 04/13 Jacobs Schultz Theis Wu Russel Jacobs Schultz 10. Adjournment Motion made by Schultz seconded by Russell to adjourn Voting Aye: Jacobs, Russel, Wu, Theis, and Schultz. (Motion carried 5:0) Meeting adjourned at 8:46pm. Submitted by Mike Pritchard Code Compliance Official 105 South Fifth Avenue Suite 513 Minneapolis, MN 55401 Tel: 612-252-9070 Fax: 612-252-9077 www.landform.net Landform®, SensiblyGreen® and Site to Finish® are registered service marks of Landform Professional Services, LLC. TO: Corcoran Planning Commission FROM: Mary Matze through Kendra Lindahl, Landform DATE: February 22, 2017 for the March 02, 2017 Planning Commission Meeting RE: Final PUD Development Plan and Final Plat for U.S. Home Corporation (dba Lennar) for Ravinia 8th Addition at 6635 County Road 101 (City File 17-002) 120-Day Review Deadline: May 10, 2017 1. Application Request Lennar submitted a request for approval of a final plat and final PUD development plan for “Ravinia 8th Addition” to allow 20 single-family detached home lots and one outlot on 5.97 acres. This parcel is proposed as an addition to the “Ravinia” subdivision, which was originally planned for a total of 426 single family detached home lots on 266.57 acres. Only the final PUD development plan is reviewed by the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council. The City Council is expected to take action on the final PUD development plan and final plat for the 8th Addition on March 23, 2017. 2. Context Level of City Discretion in Decision-Making The City’s discretion in approving a final PUD development plan is limited to whether or not the proposed plan is in substantial conformance with the approved preliminary PUD development plan. If it meets these standards, the City must approve the final PUD development plan. The City’s discretion in approving a final plat is limited to whether or not the proposed plat meets the standards outlined in the City’s subdivision and zoning ordinance and the conditions of preliminary plat approval. If it meets these standards, the City must approve the final plat. Background The City Council approved the Ravinia rezoning to PUD (Planned Unit Development), Preliminary PUD Development Plan and Preliminary Plat on December 23, 2013. The Final PUD Development Plan and Final Plat for Phase I was approved by City Council on April 24, 2014. Agenda Item: _8.a. Lennar Final PUD Development Plan – Ravinia 8th Addition (17-002) 2 March 2, 2017 On September 22, 2016, the City Council approved a request for a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to reguide this property from Existing Residential to Low Density Residential contingent upon Metropolitan Council review. The Metropolitan Council letter dated October 13, 2016 notes that the change is consistent with regional plans and was approved. The City Council approved a Rezoning to PUD (Planned Unit Development), Preliminary PUD Development Plan and Preliminary Plat for this property on November 21, 2016. 3. Analysis of Request Staff has reviewed the application for consistency with the approved preliminary plans, as well as City policies. The City Engineer’s comments are incorporated into this staff report and resolution and the detailed comments are included in the attached engineering memo dated February 21, 2017. Staff has included a condition that the applicant must comply with the memo. Final Plat The applicant is requesting approval to plat 20 lots and one outlot in Ravinia 8th Addition. Lot Configuration The minimum lot width and minimum lot area for the underlying RSF-2 District is 80 feet and 11,000 square feet, respectively. As part of the Ravinia original final PUD approval, the approved plan allowed lots widths of 60, 65 and 75 feet. A PUD amendment to allow 55-foot lots was approved in April of 2016 for Ravinia 4th Addition, which is directly south of this site. In 2016, the City Council approved the PUD amendment to add this property to the Ravinia PUD and to allow 55-foot lots on this site. The proposed plan includes lot widths at the setback line ranging from 55 to 90.7 feet 14 of the 23 lots are less than 60 feet wide). The lots range from 7,632 – 19,926 square feet (5 of the 21 lots exceed 11,000 square feet). The smaller, less expensive home provides some housing choice in the Wayzata School District in Corcoran. This subdivision would expand the Ravinia development by 5.97 acres and 20 units as follows: • Phase 1 = 38 Units • Phase 2 = 36 units • Phase 3 = 27 units • Phase 4 = 43 units • Phase 5 = 47 units • Phase 6 = 23 units Total Units = 214 units (of 437 approved) Ravinia 8th Addition = 20 units Lennar Final PUD Development Plan – Ravinia 8th Addition (17-002) 3 March 2, 2017 The Ravinia total increases from 437 to 447 units and 268.07 gross acres to 274.07 gross acres. The revised PUD plans show 20 lots and one outlot. This is consistent with conditions of the preliminary approvals for this phase in Resolution 2016-89 and 2016-90, which required the applicant to replace the cul-de-sac with a hammerhead turnaround at the end of 66th Avenue and provide a trail easement. The proposed lot widths are consistent with the approved preliminary PUD plan. Park Dedication The preliminary approvals required a trail easement to the future County Road 101 trail on Outlot A between Lots 1, Block 2 and Lot 1, Block 3. This is consistent with Condition #6 of Resolution 2016- 90 that requires a trail connection as part of the PUD flexibility. Plan notes indicate that there is a trail easement on Outlot A, however, the trail and easement area are not clearly shown on the plans. The applicant will be required to grade the area for the trail. Staff has included a condition that the applicant show the location of the trail and the trail easement. The trail easement document must be submitted for review and approval prior to release for recording at Hennepin County. The applicant will be required to grade the trail base for the City to pave at a future date when a connection to a trail on County Road 101 is possible. The Commission recommends that this trail easement be considered one of the PUD benefits and no park dedication credit be given. The dedication of this trail easement and the preparation of the trail base in addition to the park dedication cash payment for the 20 new lots are PUD benefits to the City in exchange for the development flexibility requested by the applicant. Drainage and Utility Easements The final plat shows a drainage and utility easement over all of Outlot A and a 20-foot utility easement across Lot 1, Block 3, as well as 10-foot utility easements around the lot lines as required by Section 945.060 of the Subdivision Ordinance. Final PUD Development Plan – “Ravinia 4th Addition” The PUD offers enhanced flexibility to develop the site through the relaxation of most typical zoning district standards. The PUD allows for a greater variety of land uses, construction phasing and a potential for lower development costs. In exchange for this flexibility, the City expects a higher level of design, a more sensitive development than might normally be the case or other benefits. The final PUD development plan must be reviewed for compliance with the preliminary PUD approvals. Staff finds that the final PUD development plan is generally consistent with the approved preliminary plans. Product Type Lennar is requesting final PUD plan approval for 20 “Discovery” homes. Lennar Final PUD Development Plan – Ravinia 8th Addition (17-002) 4 March 2, 2017 The Discovery series is a smaller home (2,100 – 2,600 sq. ft.) than some of the products currently offered in Ravinia and will have 2-car garages. The target market for these homes is young families. The homes will be part of the master association but will not have the association maintained components that are planned in the villas. Staff finds that the proposed homes are consistent with vision for this PUD and that it will add variety to the housing stock within this the community and the neighborhood. Architecture The applicant submitted a series of house plans and color palettes for the project with the preliminary PUD development plan. Each house plan will be reviewed by the City prior to building permit to ensure that the ordinance standards as modified by the PUD are met. However, because this development will be constructed over a period of time, we expected that new or modified house plans will be added to the product line and would be administratively reviewed and approved by the City. The City must review the new product line to make sure that the homes are compatible with the standards in the original approvals for both design and materials. Mail Delivery One centralized mailbox location should be shown on the landscape plans. Condition 19 of Resolution 2014-19 requires that the location of mailboxes be approved by the US Postal Service. The applicant will need to provide proof of the approved location to the City. Signage The preliminary PUD approvals allow two development signs at the main County Road 101 entrance, one sign at the Hackamore entrance and 7 smaller sub-neighborhood signs within the project. No sub-neighborhood signage is proposed in this addition. Streets Access to the site is provided from Bridle Path (formally White Tail Trail) on a new public street (66th Avenue North and Cedar Lane North) that will be stubbed to the northern boundary where the road could be extended north when the parcels to the north develop in the future. The applicant’s narrative notes that after discussion with staff, plans have been revised to show a hammerhead turnaround at the end of 66th Avenue North, which is consistent with Condition # 10 of Resolution 2016-90. Sidewalks It is the City’s policy to provide parking on the same side of the street as the sidewalk. The plans show a sidewalk on the south side of 66th Avenue, which is consistent with city standards. Lennar Final PUD Development Plan – Ravinia 8th Addition (17-002) 5 March 2, 2017 Landscaping The landscaping is consistent with what was proposed in the preliminary development plan. It appears that the applicant revised the plans to add an additional 40 understory shrubs along County Highway 101, however, it appears as though there is a typo on the planting plans. The plant schedule code for Bud’s Yellow Dogwood does not match the code shown on the plan. Staff has included a condition to revise the plans to correct the error. The plans were also revised to diversify the mix of street trees to protect against insects and disease. After the typo is corrected, the updated plan satisfies condition Condition # 7 and Condition #9 of Resolution 2016-90. The applicant has been working with the City engineer to provide the required stormwater management. The City engineer’s memo includes conditions that will also allow preservation of the large oak tree in the northwest portion of the site. This tree was originally planned to be removed and can now be saved. Final Plat The applicant is requesting approval of a final plat to create 20 lots and 1 outlot. The final plat is consistent with the approved preliminary plat. • The final plat is reviewed only by the City Council. The development contract will also be reviewed by the City Council. The Planning Commission will not provide a recommendation on the Final Plat. Conclusion Staff has reviewed the plan for consistency with the applicable standards outlined in the preliminary approvals, Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Ordinance. The final plat will be presented to the City Council at the March 23, 2017 with the final PUD development plan for “Ravinia 8th Addition.” However, the final plat is not subject to Planning Commission review—the Planning Commission will only make a recommendation on the final PUD development plan. 4. Recommendation Move to recommend approval of the following: a. resolution approving the Final PUD Development Plan Attachments a. Draft Resolution approving the final PUD development plan b. Location Map c. Engineer’s Memo dated February 21, 2017 d. Applicant’s narrative dated January 30, 2017 e. Site Graphics dated January 10, 2017 f. Final Plat January 10, 2017 City of Corcoran March xx, 2017 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota RESOLUTION NO. 2017-xx Page 1 of 3 Motion By: Seconded By: APPROVING FINAL PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT (PUD) PLAN FOR THE LENNAR CORPORATION ON THE 5.97-ACRE SCHWALBE PROPERTY AT 6635 COUNTY ROAD 101 (PID 36-119-23-140-001) (CITY FILE 17-0002) WHEREAS, The Lennar Corporation (“the applicant”) has requested approval of a preliminary plat for 20 single family homes and one outlot on a 5.97-acre parcel legally described as: That part of the Southeast Quarter of the Northeast Quarter of Section 36, Township 119, Range 23, West of the 5th Principal Meridian, described as follows: Commencing at the Southeast corner of said quarter, thence North along the East line of said quarter quarter distance 621.2 feet to the actual point of beginning; thence continuing North along said East line 360 feet; thence West at right angles 759 feet; thence South parallel with said East line 360 feet; thence East to the point of beginning, except road, Hennepin County, Minnesota. WHEREAS, the Planning Commission has reviewed the plan at a public meeting and recommends approval, and; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORCORAN, MINNESOTA, that it should and hereby does approve the request for a final PUD development plan, subject to the following conditions: 1. A final PUD plan is approved to allow the creation of 20 single family lots and one outlot in accordance with the application materials and plans received by the City on January 10, 2017 and the narrative received January 30, 2017, except as amended by this resolution. 2. Approval is contingent upon City Council approval of the final plat and development contract. 3. The application shall comply with all conditions in the City Engineer’s memo dated February 21, 2017. 4. Development is subject to the preliminary approvals in Resolutions 2016-89 and 2016-90. 5. The development shall be subject to all conditions of the “Ravinia” preliminary PUD development plan approval and all amendments. City of Corcoran March xx, 2017 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota RESOLUTION NO. 2017-xx Page 2 of 3 6. The PUD is hereby approved to allow 55-foot wide lots in this plat. All platted residential lots shall comply with the following: 55-foot lots Front, From County Road 101 60 feet Front, From all other streets 20 feet Front Porch (≤ 120 square feet) 15 feet Side (living) 5 feet Side (garage) (Minimum separation between structures on adjacent parcels shall be 10 feet.) 5 feet Rear 25 feet Maximum Principal Building Height 35 feet 7. PUD flexibility is provided to allow the face of the garage to exceed 55% of the building face. In exchange for flexibility: a. Garage door colors shall be compatible with the building colors. b. Architectural elements shall be added above the garage to de-emphasize the garage doors. c. Garage doors shall be architecturally styled (this includes details such as raised panels, accent color, windows, etc.) to match the exterior of the home. 8. The approved PUD standards are hereby approved to specifically allow flexibility from the Zoning Ordinance requirement that “Each elevation facing a street or park shall have a minimum of 50% comprised on natural material consisting of brick, stone, stucco, hardi- board, redwood, cedar or other similar materials. A minimum of two different materials is required, except that brick may be used on the entire elevation.” a. Homes shall be allowed to have vinyl siding on the front elevation. b. The front elevation shall have a minimum of two different materials, which may include vinyl and stone/brick. c. A variety of vinyl siding styles are encouraged on all elevations (lap siding, board and batten, shake, etc.). 9. The mailbox locations shall be approved by the US Postal Service and proof of the approved locations provided to the City, prior to release of the final plat for recording. 10. No sub-neighborhood signage is requested or approved in this phase. 11. Prior to building permit, the applicant shall revise the landscape plan so that the planting schedule key code matches the code labels on the planting plan. 12. Park dedication is required as follows: a. The applicant shall revise plans and the plat to dedicate a 20-foot wide trail easement connecting Road 1 to County Road 101. b. The trail base shall be graded by the developer. c. No park dedication credit will be given for the proposed trail easement or grading work as the trail dedication is a benefit of PUD flexibility. d. Park dedication shall be cash in lieu of land for the 20 new lots. City of Corcoran March xx, 2017 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota RESOLUTION NO. 2017-xx Page 3 of 3 13. As part of the 2014 Ravinia PUD approvals, the City and developer entered into a Recapture and Reimbursement Agreement dated April 24, 2014 for reimbursement of the cost of certain required off-site infrastructure improvements. The agreement required “Benefitted Properties” to pay the City a Recapture Fee in the amount of sanitary sewer TLAC fees and those fees shall be passed onto Lennar. However, since the Benefitting Property is Lennar, the City will waive TLAC fees on this site in lieu of the payment/recapture anticipated. This change is reflected in the development contract for Ravinia 8th Addition. VOTING AYE VOTING NAY Thomas, Ron Thomas, Ron Bottema, Jon Bottema, Jon Dejewski, Brian Dejewski, Brian Keefe, Mike Keefe, Mike LaFave, Tonya LaFave, Tonya Whereupon, said Resolution is hereby declared adopted on this XX day of March 2017. ________________________________ Ron Thomas - Mayor ATTEST: ____________________________________ City Seal Jessica Beise – City Clerk/Administrative Services Coordinator Hennepin County Property Map Date: 2/20/2017 Comments: 1 inch = 200 feet PARCEL ID: 3611923140001 OWNER NAME: U S Home Corporation PARCEL ADDRESS: 6635 Co Rd No 101, Corcoran MN 55340 PARCEL AREA: 5.99 acres, 261,138 sq ft A-T-B: Abstract SALE PRICE: $147,500 SALE DATA: 11/1991 SALE CODE: Warranty Deed ASSESSED 2015, PAYABLE 2016 PROPERTY TYPE: Residential HOMESTEAD: Homestead MARKET VALUE: $375,000 TAX TOTAL: $5,452.10 ASSESSED 2016, PAYABLE 2017 PROPERTY TYPE: Residential HOMESTEAD: Homestead MARKET VALUE: $386,000 This data (i) is furnished 'AS IS' with no representation as to completeness or accuracy; (ii) is furnished with no warranty of any kind; and (iii) is notsuitable for legal, engineering or surveying purposes. Hennepin County shall not be liable for any damage, injury or loss resulting from this data. COPYRIGHT © HENNEPIN COUNTY 2017 Technical Memo Wenck Associates, Inc. | 1800 Pioneer Creek Center | P.O. Box 249 | Maple Plain, MN 55359-0249 Toll Free 800-472-2232 Main 763-479-4200 Email wenckmp@wenck.com Web wenck.com - To: Charlie Wiemerslage, P.E. From: Kevin Mattson, P.E., Kent Torve, P.E., Kirby Templin, P.E. Date: February 21st, 2017 Subject: Ravinia 8th – Plan Review Comments A plan set, dated (signed) 1/6/17, has been received for the proposed Ravinia 8th Addition. The following comments are in regards to the plans submitted and should be considered in revisions to next submittal. General 1. Updated City standard detail plates will be provided. Incorporate updated plates as appropriate including those details shown on individual sheets throughout the plan set. 2. Submit a list, and the status of, all permits required for the project. Sanitary Sewer & Watermain 3. Wet tap connections are not allowed if other construction means are available. Therefore, the contractor shall cut in a tee fitting at the water connection to the 14” HDPE watermain along CSAH-101. 4. Relocate the watermain connection to CSAH-101 via Outlot A. Avoid high points along the utility corridor. The side yard setbacks between Lots 1 & 2, Block 3 can be reduced. Adjust storm sewer pipe alignments and grading as needed. 5. Install a gate valve north of the tee at the watermain loop connection to CSAH-101 in Road 1. 6. Review future sewer cover and pipe grades to the north. Will it work to stub out the sanitary sewer pipe to the north or will those future lots need to be serviced to the north? 7. Adjust sewer and watermain alignments near Sta. 2+10 to avoid watermain installation directly below CBMH-2. 8. Update general sewer and water plan notes – specifically Note 3 Services and risers shall be SCH 40. Charlie Wiemerslage, P.E. February 21, 2017 2 \\MSPFSV02\Studios\Planning & Urban Design Studio\City of Corcoran\COR17002 - Ravinia 8th\2017-02-21 City Engineer Comments Ravinia 8th_Revised.docx Storm Sewer 1. The Maple Grove drainage would overwhelm the filtration basin as designed and cause aesthetic issues for residents and complaints to City Hall. Therefore, reroute the existing stormwater drainage flows coming from underneath CSAH-101 (Maple Grove) southwesterly towards Pond 4 in Ravinia 1st/4th. Additional grading in the rear yards of Lots 1-4, Block 3 is required. a. Review modified stormwater treatment plan with city engineer to maintain compliance with watershed requirements. Modifications of future ponds may be necessary. b. Combine the two parallel stormsewers into one system. This will require removing existing pipe, which was installed with the understanding that future modification may occur upon development of Schwalbe parcel. Filtration Basin 1. Provide a minimum of 15-foot access for maintenance to and around the filtration basin. The preferred path is from the Bridle Path cul-de-sac. 2. Pretreatment is required, and forebays with rip rap at basin inlets which have 10% of the water quality volume excavated below the FES. 3. Add additional catch basins at the low points in the road near stations 0+35 to collect road drainage and provide necessary water quality treatment. 4. Adjust the OCS skimmer elevation so the 100-YR event passes through the OCS. 5. Provide a sump invert to CBMH’s 2 & 8 (3-foot minimum). 6. All outlet control structures should have a 4-foot sump invert from bottom of inlet pipe. 7. Provide a minimum of 1.0% grade across storm sewer leads (see pipe runs CBMH-9 to CB-14 & CBMH-2 to CB-3). 8. Relocate the EOF for the filtration basin closer to OCS 15 so that the over land discharge is located at the property line to the north. 9. Provide sump connections for all parcels that do not abut wetlands or ponds. Review with city engineer possible connections to storm sewer installed as part of Ravinia Phase 4. 10. Install draintile cleanouts to the sump connection system upstream of all 45-degree bends or wye connections. (90-degree bends will not be accepted.) Charlie Wiemerslage, P.E. February 21, 2017 3 \\MSPFSV02\Studios\Planning & Urban Design Studio\City of Corcoran\COR17002 - Ravinia 8th\2017-02-21 City Engineer Comments Ravinia 8th_Revised.docx Modeling 11. Submit the stormwater model information for review. Additional information is required to verify the pass-through drainage from culvert underneath CSAH-101. Review design options to reroute these flows. 12. Submit complete watershed maps that cover the whole watersheds that fall wholly and partially within the Schwalbe Property project boundaries. The watershed maps should be for existing and proposed conditions. On the maps, show the project boundary, label watersheds with IDs that correlate to the HydroCAD model, include watershed areas, and the watershed CN. 13. Provide storm sewer plans with outlet details for control structures. 14. Add elevations to EOF’s at all street and trail crossings. 15. Verify inlet capacity requirements are meet. Grading 16. The low opening of Lot 2, Block 1 does not meet the 2-foot separation requirement from the EOF. 17. The low openings of Lot 1, Block 2 & Lots 1-3, Block 3 do not meet the 2-foot separation requirements from the EOF for the future road extension conditions. If the existing stormwater flows can be rerouted towards Ravinia 1st/4th, the issue is resolved. 18. Regrade the stormwater treatment area to protect the large oak tree located west of OCS-15. Coordinate with city engineer. 19. Identify and label all EOF locations and elevations. 20. Verify minimum of 15-foot access routes for all general maintenance requirements to and around ponds, utilities, etc. Streets 21. Stub streets to have permanent traffic barriers per standard template as provided by City Engineer. 22. Install concrete curbing along the north end of the street to prevent surface water runoff from impacting the adjacent property. 23. Verify vertical and horizontal curves meet typical standards including sight distance requirements. Charlie Wiemerslage, P.E. February 21, 2017 4 \\MSPFSV02\Studios\Planning & Urban Design Studio\City of Corcoran\COR17002 - Ravinia 8th\2017-02-21 City Engineer Comments Ravinia 8th_Revised.docx 24. Pedestrian ramps shall meet current ADA requirements and include information related to cross-slopes, approach grades, truncated dome orientation, and general layout. Provide details. 25. Identify any proposed retaining wall locations. 26. Label draintile cleanout locations on the plans. Draintile should be shown up grade from CBMH-9 consistent with city standards. 27. Construct concrete sidewalk along the boulevard to match actual road length (north end). Plat 28. Verify easements over utilities, ponds, wetlands, etc. provide sufficient coverage for access and maintenance activities. 29. Verify 10-foot future trail easement along CSAH-101 to match the Ravinia Development. End of Comments s.f.0.24acres s.f.s.f.0.24acres +/-l.f. s.f.0.22acres s.f.s.f.0.22acres +/-l.f. s.f.0.24acres s.f.s.f.0.24acres +/-l.f. s.f.0.24acres s.f.s.f.0.24acres +/-l.f. s.f.0.22acres s.f.s.f.0.22acres +/-l.f. s.f.0.21acres s.f.s.f.0.21acres +/-l.f. s.f.0.20acres s.f.s.f.0.20acres +/-l.f. s.f.0.31acres s.f.s.f.0.31acres +/-l.f. s.f.1.89acres s.f.s.f.1.89acres s.f.0.24acres s.f.s.f.0.24acres +/-l.f. s.f.0.24acres s.f.s.f.0.24acres s.f.0.36acres s.f.s.f.0.36acres +/-l.f. s.f.0.46acres s.f.s.f.0.46acres +/-l.f. s.f.0.34acres s.f.s.f.0.34acres +/-l.f. s.f.0.26acres s.f.s.f.0.26acres +/-l.f. s.f.0.20acres s.f.s.f.0.20acres +/-l.f. s.f.0.20acres s.f.s.f.0.20acres +/-l.f. s.f.0.19acres s.f.s.f.0.19acres +/-l.f. s.f.0.18acres s.f.s.f.0.18acres +/-l.f. s.f.0.18acres s.f.s.f.0.18acres +/-l.f. s.f.0.18acres s.f.s.f.0.18acres +/-l.f. s.f.0.23acres s.f.s.f.0.23acres +/-l.f. s.f.2.76acres s.f.s.f.2.76acres s.f.0.10acres s.f.s.f.0.10acres +/-l.f. s.f.0.10acres s.f.s.f.0.10acres s.f.1.27acres s.f.s.f.1.27 acres s.f.6.27acres s.f.s.f.6.27 acres Total4,216 0 4,216 OUTLOTGROSS AREA WETLAND AREANET AREA WIDTH @ SETBACK A4,216 0 4,216 0 BLOCK 2GROSS AREA WETLAND AREANET AREA WIDTH @ SETBACK Total10,559 0 10,559 RAVINIA 8TH ADDITION Corcoran, Minnesota 272,9560272,956 TOTALGROSS AREA WETLAND AREANET AREA R/W 55,313 0 55,313 GROSS AREA WETLAND AREANET AREA Lot 119,860 0 9,860 65.9 Total120,323 0 120,323 Lot 219,924 0 19,924 55 Lot 314,615 0 14,615 55 10,559 75.5Lot 110,559 0 Lot 115,527 0 15,527 66 952-476-6000 BLOCK 1 Contact:David Pemberton Project #5401-676 Date January 5, 2017 Contact:Joe Jablonski Sathre-Bergquist, Inc. 150 Broadway Ave. S. Wayzata, MN 55391 1000 Plymouth Road Plymouth MN 55446 Lennar of Minnesota Prepared by:Prepared for: 8,924 10,491 GROSS AREA NET AREA Lot 1 0 tel:tel: 13,625 82,545 10,491 9,710 10,587 60 13,625 82,545 Lot 8 Total 10,512 9,550Lot 5 Lot 6 Lot 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 57 57 60 WIDTH @ SETBACK 65.8 9,550 9,146 9,710 10,587 10,512 0 WETLAND AREA 57 57 Lot 2 Lot 3 Lot 4 Lot 411,232 0 11,232 59.3 Lot 58,872 0 8,872 58 9,146 8,924 75.3 BLOCK 3GROSS AREA WETLAND AREANET AREA WIDTH @ SETBACK Lot 68,626 0 8,626 58 Lot 78,183 0 8,183 58 Lot 107,632 0 7,632 55 Lot 87,908 0 7,908 59 Lot 97,944 0 7,944 59.6 7699 Anagram Drive Eden Prairie, MN 55344 PHONE 952-937-5150 FAX 952-937-5822 TOLL FREE1-888-937-5150 105 South Fifth Avenue Suite 513 Minneapolis, MN 55401 Tel: 612-252-9070 Fax: 612-252-9077 www.landform.net Landform®, SensiblyGreen® and Site to Finish® are registered service marks of Landform Professional Services, LLC. TO: Corcoran Planning Commission FROM: Mary Matze through Kendra Lindahl, Landform DATE: February 22, 2017 for the March 2, 2017 Planning Commission Meeting RE: Public Hearing. Interim Use Permit, Variance and Preliminary Plat for Community Solar Garden at (PID 30-119-23-44-0003 and 29-119-23-33-0001) (City File 17-003) 60-DAY REVIEW DEADLINE: April 9, 2017 1. Application Request Sunrise Solar submitted a request for approval of an interim use permit, variance and preliminary plat to combine an outlot and an unplatted parcel to create one 43.97-acre lot and one 57.82-acre outlot for the purpose of constructing a community solar garden. 2. Parks and Trails Commission The Parks and Trails Commission reviewed the application at the February 21, 2017 meeting. The Commissioners generally approved of the location and width of the proposed trail easement, and felt that the trail would serve an interpretive function. They reviewed the location for a potential open space park (OSP) on the east side of Jubert Lake, but felt that an OSP is more likely to be dedicated on the south side. Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend a combination of land and cash in lieu of land for park dedication. 3. Context Level of City Discretion in Decision-Making The City’s discretion in approving or denying an interim use permit is limited to whether or not the proposed request meets the standards outlined in the City Code. If it meets these standards, the City must approve the interim use permit. The City’s discretion in approving or denying a variance is limited to whether or not the proposed project meets the standards in the Zoning Ordinance for a variance. The City has a higher level of discretion with a variance because the burden of proof is on the applicant to show that the variance standards have been met. The City’s discretion in approving or denying a preliminary plat is limited to whether or not the proposed plat meets the standards outlined in the Comprehensive Land Use Regulations. If it meets these standards, the City must approve the preliminary plat. Agenda Item: 8.b. Sunrise Solar IUP, VAR, PP (17-003) 2 March 2, 2017 Zoning and Land Use The property is guided Rural / Ag Residential and zoned RR (Rural Residential). Surrounding Properties The surrounding properties are guided Rural / Ag Residential and zoned RR (Rural Residential). Natural Characteristics of the Site The site is currently used for farming and there are no buildings on the site. Jubert Lake borders the eastern boundary of the property. The 2030 Comprehensive Plan shows a Greenway Corridor Overlay on the eastern edge of the property and a potential Open Space Park near Jubert Lake. The Natural Resource Inventory Areas map in the Comprehensive Plan shows the area around Lake Jubert as a high quality natural community. The areas on this site are primarily wetlands and oak forest uplands. The applicant provided a wetland delineation report, but the wetland delineation will not be reviewed by Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission (ECWMC) until Spring. Background On August 25, 2016 City Council adopted a solar ordinance that allows multiple types of solar facilities in the City. Community solar gardens produce energy that is channeled into the local power grid. While the energy produced by the community solar garden is used locally, it is technically purchased by subscribers that reside in Hennepin County or a neighboring county. While the ordinance includes provisions for many types of solar installations, Community Solar Gardens are the largest scale systems that are allowed in the new ordinance. The ordinance allows the City to approve community solar gardens via an Interim Use Permit in the RR District. The applicant met with City staff to discuss the proposed solar garden on this site. Staff requested that the applicant consider alternative layout to the solar panels that would minimize the visual impact of the panels from the lake. 4. Analysis of Request Staff has reviewed the application for consistency with Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Ordinance and City Code requirements, as well as City policies. The City Engineer’s comments are incorporated into this staff report. Interim Use Permit The applicant is requesting approval of an Interim Use Permit to allow construction and operation of a five megawatt (MW) community solar garden on County Road 19, immediately east of Jubert Lake. Community solar gardens are a result of state-mandated legislation that requires Xcel to generate a percentage of their energy from alternative energy sources. The community solar Sunrise Solar IUP, VAR, PP (17-003) 3 March 2, 2017 program allows subscribers within the same county or neighboring counties of the community solar garden to purchase energy produced by the community solar garden. Zoning and Land Use Section 1060.110 (Solar Energy Systems) of the Zoning Ordinance allows the City to approve Interim Use permits for Community Solar Gardens for property in the RR District if the ordinance standards are met. Glare Section 1060.110, Subd. 3, 4 of the Zoning Ordinance requires the applicant to submit a glare study from Sandia National Laboratories that analyzes the potential for temporary after-image resulting from placement of solar panels. The tool categorizes the potential for eye damage into three categories: “low potential for temporary after-image,” “potential for temporary after-image” and “potential for permanent eye damage.” If the results of the study demonstrate that there is “potential for temporary after-image”, the ordinance requires that the applicant install panels with anti-reflective coating or textured glass. If the results of the study demonstrate that the panels will result in potential for permanent eye damage, they are not permitted. The applicant provided a glare study that shows there will be no glare or “low potential for temporary after-image” at several observation points that were placed on adjacent residential homes, primarily immediately to the west of the solar garden, as shown in Figure 1. Staff feels that glare has the most nuisance potential for residents that live nearby and for adjacent roadways. There is one additional home to the north of the property that does not have a study point. There does not appear to be any additional nearby homes or structures to the north of the property. However, property owners to the north and the south could subdivide the land for residential units, and staff feels that additional study points on adjacent properties would provide a better understanding of the visual impacts of the panels on nearby properties. • Planning Commission should discuss if additional glare study points should be provided by the applicant and should direct the applicant where they should locate the study points. Power and communication lines The facility does not require any sewer or water connection and will connect to the existing electrical infrastructure. Section 1060.110, Subd. 3, 5 of the Zoning Ordinance provides standards for power Figure 1 Glare Study Points Sunrise Solar IUP, VAR, PP (17-003) 4 March 2, 2017 and communication lines. Specifically, the standard notes that lines running between banks of solar panels and to electric substations or interconnections with buildings shall be buried underground and that all new power lines shall be buried consistent with Section 945.060 (Other Utilities) of the Subdivision Ordinance. Section 945.060, Subd. 1 states that whenever existing utility facilities are located above ground, except when existing on public roads and right-of-way, they shall be removed and placed underground. Plans show that all power lines comply with these standards. Setback Standards Section 1060.110, Subd. 3. A. 6. of the Zoning Ordinance provides standards for solar setbacks. The proposed project meets or fails to meet these setbacks as follows: Dimensional standard Required (RR District) Proposed From residential dwelling units 100 feet Setback is greater than 100 feet (approximately 300 feet from the nearest home) complies Principal Front Setback 50 feet Setback is greater than 50 feet complies Side 25 feet 25 feet complies Rear 25 feet 25 feet complies Minimum lot area 2 acres 43.97 acres (Lot 1, Block 1) 57.82 acres (Outlot A) complies Minimum lot width 200 feet 164.57 feet (Lot 1, Block 1) 122 feet (Outlot A) Does not comply Minimum lot depth 300 feet Greater than 300 feet (approximately 3,652 feet) complies Shoreland Overlay District The proposed lot and outlot are both located in the Shoreland Overlay District. Section 1050.020, Subd. 5 requires a 150-foot setback from the Ordinary High Water Level (OHWL) for all structures. The Wetland Delineation report states that the OHWL is at 969.1 feet. The proposed panels are over 200 feet from the OHWL. Section 1050.020, Subd. 11 of the Zoning Ordinance states that impervious surface coverage of lots must not exceed 25% of the lot area. Plans received by staff do not indicate impervious surface area. Staff has included a condition that the applicant provide impervious surface calculations for staff review. Field verification of the wetland delineation has not been verified. Staff has included a condition that the applicant update plans to show the Shoreland Overlay District Boundary and that should the OHWL change, plans should be revised to comply with the requirements of the Shoreland Overlay District. Section 1050.020, Subd. 6 requires Shoreland Vegetative Buffers. Staff has included a condition that when the delineation is approved, the applicant shall revise plans to provide vegetative buffers and buffer monuments according to the standards of 1050.020, Subd. 6. Sunrise Solar IUP, VAR, PP (17-003) 5 March 2, 2017 Panel Height The applicant’s narrative states that panels will meet the height requirements of the district, however, a detail of the solar panel has not been provided with the packet. It is staff’s understanding that the industry standard for panel height is significantly less than the code’s height restriction of 12 feet. Staff has included a condition that the applicant submit a panel detail for staff review prior to building permit. Screening/Landscaping Section 1060.110, Subd. 3. A. 8. of the Zoning Ordinance provides standards for landscaping. Applicants must install a mix of pollinator and native groundcover mix beneath panel arrays that provide native perennial vegetation and foraging habitat beneficial to gamebirds, songbirds, and pollinators and reduces stormwater runoff and erosion at the solar generation site, subject to the standards of Minnesota State Statutes §216B.1642. The state statute specifically refers to the Minnesota DNR’s “Prairie Establishment & Maintenance Technical Guidance for Solar Projects” which provides general guidelines for plantings. The applicant’s landscape plans demonstrate compliance with the standards provided in the DNR’s manual. Applicants are also required to provide a minimum of one coniferous or shade tree per 15 lineal feet of security fence and one tall shrub or hedge material per 10 lineal feet of security fence to buffer the solar energy system from adjacent properties and public rights-of-way. The ordinance allows Council to grant exceptions to buffering standards if the existing natural landscape provides screening from public right-of-ways and neighboring properties. The applicant has provided a landscape plan in compliance with the ordinance standards showing landscaping around the majority of the solar panels. In the areas where there is no natural screening, the applicant has provided a landscape buffer consisting of a mix of coniferous and deciduous trees and shrubs (340 trees and 510 shrubs) to screen approximately 5,000 feet of security fence. The plans meet the required number of trees and shrubs for areas proposed to be screened. A portion of the southeastern half of the site has a stream with a wooded area located partially on Outlot A where no landscaping is proposed (see Figure 2, below). The applicant is requesting City approval to use these existing trees to provide the required screening. However, in the previous solar application the City did not allow the applicant to count off-site trees to meet this requirement because the applicant cannot ensure that the trees will not be removed. Sunrise Solar IUP, VAR, PP (17-003) 6 March 2, 2017 Figure 2 Location of proposed screening and existing natural screening. Staff finds that the trees located on this wetland may be appropriate screening, as it is unlikely that the trees surrounding the stream will be removed for future development. However, if they are damaged by storms, the applicant cannot be required to replace off-site vegetation. • The commission should review the request and provide a recommendation to the Council. The draft resolution includes approval of the request as condition #7B, but the commission could modify that condition as they wish. The placement of the panels on the east side of the site will sit on a 48-foot hill that faces Jubert Lake. It is unclear from the plans submitted whether or not the screening provided will mitigate views of the panels from the Lake. Staff notes that when trees are young, there will be less screening for the panels at the top of the hill and that over time the trees will grow taller and may screen the panels when at a level distance from the Lake. • Planning Commission should discuss whether there is sufficient screening of the solar facility from Lake Jubert, one of the most significant natural resources in the City. Planning Commission may require the applicant to provide sections of the site and the lake that show views of the site from the lake. Section 1060.080, F. 3. states that fences over 6 feet in height shall meet all building setback requirements for the zoning district in which it is located. The applicant has not provided a fence detail, however, the location of the fence is within the setback. Section 110.31 of National Electric Code requires a 7-foot tall fence with one-foot barbed wire at the top for facilities operating at more than 600 V. Staff has included a condition that the applicant provide a detail of the barbed wire fence for staff approval prior to building permit and show compliance with the setback requirements. Sunrise Solar IUP, VAR, PP (17-003) 7 March 2, 2017 Erosion and Sediment Control The applicant is proposing limited site grading for the access routes. The City Engineer memo dated February 21, 2017 notes that the applicant will need to submit an exhibit identifying offsite drainage paths. Staff has included a condition that the applicant comply with the City Engineer’s memo. Decommissioning Plan Section 1060.110, Subd. 4 of the Zoning Ordinance requires the applicant to provide the City with a decommissioning plan prepared by a professional engineer or a contractor outlining the financial resources available to pay for decommissioning and system removal, means for disposing, re-using, or recycling project components, and site restoration. This section also states that “The city may at its discretion require the owner and/or operator of the commercial or utility scale system to provide financial security in the form of a cash escrow, bond, or irrevocable letter of credit in an amount to be determined by Council.” The applicant has provided a decommissioning estimate in the amount of $510,829 for demolition and site restoration. This is consistent with the estimate provided by Minnesota Solar. Staff has included a condition that Sunrise Solar provide a performance bond for the full cost of estimated decommissioning. This is the same financial security that the Council required of Minnesota Solar. Access/Traffic The applicant is proposing an entrance on the northwest corner of the property from County Road 19. Hennepin County was provided with a copy of the plans, but has not yet provided comments. The applicant will need to comply with any conditions from Hennepin County. No new public streets are proposed. Parking and Driveway The proposed community solar garden will have no on-site employees and does not allow public access, therefore no on-site parking is required. The applicant is showing a 20-foot wide access road along the northern edge of the site. The Public Safety Committee reviewed the plans on February 16, 2017.The Committee is concerned that emergency access vehicles would not be able to maneuver on the numerous right angles in the road. Their recommendations include an exhibit showing where plans should be revised to include hammer head turnarounds and detailed information showing that the required turning radii are met. Staff has included a condition that the applicant comply with the requirements noted in the Public Safety Committee memo. Site Lighting The applicant is not proposing any lighting. Sunrise Solar IUP, VAR, PP (17-003) 8 March 2, 2017 Signage The applicant is not proposing any signage. However, the public safety review requires an address sign or other small sign identifying the location of the solar garden to be installed at the entrance of County Road 19. The sign installed must be in compliance with ordinance requirements. Maintenance The community solar garden will not have any employees on site. With the proposed native landscaping, minimal maintenance of the site will be required, and the applicant’s narrative states that the site will be visited once a month by a technician to check the controls. The site will be mowed approximately two times a year. Staff has included a condition that details about the maintenance plan, including how the perennial landscaping will be maintained must be submitted for review and approval by the city prior to issuance of permits. Preliminary Plat The applicant is proposing to create one lot and one outlot. Development Rights The property has five development rights on parcel # 30-119-23-44-0003 and four development rights on parcel # 29-119-23-33-0001. They have not indicated how the development rights are proposed to be allocated between the two parcels. Staff assumes four will be applied to the 43.97- acre lot and five to the 57.82-acre outlot. The applicant should provide a written response if their agreement with the landowner includes a different allocation. Lot standards The project does not meet the minimum lot width required by the Zoning Ordinance. Section 1040.030 of the Zoning Ordinance requires a minimum lot width of 200 feet, measured at the front lot line. Section 1020.020 of the Zoning Ordinance states that the front lot line is considered “that boundary of a lot which abuts an existing or dedicated public street or private drive easement.” Plans show that the proposed front lot line for Lot 1, Block 1 is 164.57 feet and the front lot line for Outlot A is 122 feet, neither of which meets the minimum lot width requirements for the Rural Residential District. The applicant has requested a variance from the minimum lot width requirement. The variance is discussed later in the staff report. Wetlands The applicant has submitted a plan showing several wetbacks on the project site, however, the wetland boundaries have not been confirmed in the field. Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission (ECWMC) will not review the delineation report until the wetland boundaries have been reviewed and approved in the spring (normally after May 15th). Section 1050, Subd. 5 of the Zoning Ordinance requires wetland buffer strips and setbacks for lots of record created after March 23, 2004 based on the quality of the wetland. Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission (ECWMC) also has standards for wetland buffers. The applicant shall be required to comply with Sunrise Solar IUP, VAR, PP (17-003) 9 March 2, 2017 the more restrictive standard. The application could be conditionally approved contingent upon ECWMC approval. Wetland buffer requirements in the City vary based on the quality of the wetland. The applicant shall provide a Minnesota Rapid Assessment (MnRAM) that identifies the quality of wetlands. Staff has included a condition that the plans be revised to show the wetland buffer, buffer setbacks, and monuments. Wetland buffer monuments must be installed prior to issuance of a building permit. Section 1050.10, Subd. 5 requires that buffers around wetlands are planted with vegetation in accordance with Section 1050.10, Subd. 8, Buffer Strip Vegetation Performance Standards. Staff has included a condition that will require the applicant to revise the plans and provide details to comply with these standards. Park Dedication The 2030 Comprehensive Plan shows an off-road trail generally on the western half of the site. The applicant’s plans show a trail easement dedication on the eastern half of the site, adjacent to the wetland. The trail would likely encroach on the wetland buffers required by the City and ECWMC so the exact location should be determined as part of the final plat after the delineation is approved. Section 1050.010, Subd. 5. F. of the Zoning Ordinance allows trails to be placed in a wetland buffer if the City determines that the trail serves an interpretive function. Parks and Trails Commissioners felt that the trail would serve an appropriate function. When not adjacent to the road, Section 945.030, Subd. 1 B of the Subdivision Ordinance requires an 8-foot-wide trail. Plans show a 30-foot wide trail easement. In the past, the City has typically required a 20-foot easement for trail dedication, but because of its location, the Parks & Trails Commission recommended acceptance of the 30-foot trail easement. The City should generally accept park dedication in the form of land where shown on the maps; however, the City may choose to accept cash or a combination of cash and land. The City may accept cash-in-lieu of land at 3% of the estimated market value of the land. The following table titled “Park Dedication Analysis” provides an analysis of the amount of land and required dedication for both a 20-foot trail easement and a 30-foot trail easement. Sunrise Solar IUP, VAR, PP (17-003) 10 March 2, 2017 Park Commission recommends land for an 8-foot wide trail and 30-foot wide trail easement as shown on the plans, and cash in lieu of land. Drainage and Utility Easements Section 945.060, Subd. 2 of the Subdivision Ordinance requires 10-foot drainage and utility easements around the perimeter of the lot. Plans are showing a 5-foot drainage and utility easement around the perimeter of the property. Staff has included a condition that the preliminary plat be revised to show a 10-foot drainage and utility easement. The preliminary plat also shows drainage and utility easements over the wetland areas consistent with the requirements of Section 945.040 (Drainage and Water Quality). Staff notes that the applicant will be required to update the preliminary plat when the wetland delineation is approved. Variance – Lot Width Section 1040.030 of the Zoning Ordinance requires a minimum lot width of 200 feet, measured at the front lot line. Section 1020.020 of the Zoning Ordinance states that the front lot line is considered “that boundary of a lot which abuts an existing or dedicated public street or private drive easement.” Plans show that the proposed front lot line for Lot 1, Block 1 is 164.57 feet and the front lot line for Outlot A is 122 feet, neither of which meets the minimum lot width requirements for the Rural Residential District. Section 1070.040 of the Zoning Ordinance provides standards for variances. The burden of proof is on the applicant to show that all of the following criteria have been met: Park Dedication Analysis Site Data Approximate net developable area 32.37 acres Total required land dedication (3% of 32.37) 0.97 acres Land Dedication Provided Additional Land Required Additional Cash Required** 30-Foot Trail Easement 0.55 Acres 0.42 acres (0.97 acres-0.55 acres) $52,500 (0.42 acres x $125,000) **Cash in lieu of land was calculated using the 2016 Assumption for Commercial Value of Land, according to the revised Park Dedication standards approved in 2016. The estimated market value for commercial properties is $125,000 per net buildable acre. Sunrise Solar IUP, VAR, PP (17-003) 11 March 2, 2017 1. That there are practical difficulties in complying with the Zoning Ordinance. The applicant argues that there are practical difficulties in complying with the Zoning Ordinance, because the existing lot is an irregularly shaped lot and the property owners want to retain the southern portion of the parcels. However, staff notes that the western parcel currently complies with the ordinance lot width requirements and if the Community Solar Garden were located on that existing parcel, no subdivision would be required. The preliminary plat is requested to allow the solar developer to purchase the north portion of these two parcels and creates the need for the variance. 2. That the conditions upon which a petition for a variation is based are unique to the parcel of land for which the variance is sought and were not created by the landowner. The existing western parcel is uniquely shaped. If the property were developed as a rural residential subdivision, a new public or private street would be constructed to provide access to the lots. The variance is needed because the applicant is requesting a subdivision to develop a community solar garden on the northern portion of the parcels, which does not require a new street. Due to the unique shape of the parcel, it cannot be split east to west as requested by the applicant and maintain the required lot width without creating a non-conforming Outlot. In order to approve the variance, the Commission must find that the conditions upon which a variation is based is unique to the parcel of land for which the variance is sought and were not created by the landowner. 3. That the granting of the variation will not alter the essential character of the locality. In order to grant approval of the Commission must find that granting the variation will not alter the essential character of the locality. Staff notes that community solar gardens are an interim use in the rural residential district, which is primarily intended for single family homes on large lots. The commission could find that allowing a community solar garden on this parcel of land adjacent to Lake Jubert and the adjacent natural resources will alter the essential character of the locality. 4. The proposed variance would be in harmony with the general purposes and intent of the Ordinance. The proposed variance for Lot 1, Block 1 is generally in harmony with the general purposes and intent of the Ordinance, which allows subdivisions of land in the RR District. Both parcels have development rights and the subdivision would allow the property owners to sell the property to develop a community solar garden, which is a permitted interim use in the RR District. However, staff notes that the variance would create a non-conforming lot and a non-conforming outlot. Sunrise Solar IUP, VAR, PP (17-003) 12 March 2, 2017 5. The variance is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. The variance is not consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. Chapter 5 A states that “The community must balance the desire all residents have for this rural experience with the needs of individual property owners in this area who may need to realize the value of their property now,” the subdivision would limit the potential for the property owner to maximize the five development rights on proposed Outlot A and any future development on Lot 1, Block 1. The Commission should review the variance standards in detail. If the Commission finds that all of the variance standards have not been met, the City should deny the variance. If the variance is denied, the preliminary plat and IUP must also be denied. Interim Use Permit Standards Section 1070.030 of the Zoning Ordinance establishes standards for an Interim Use Permit as follows: A. Meet the requirements of a conditional use permit set forth in Section 1070.020, Subd. 3. Section 1070.020 Subd. 3 of the Zoning Code provides seven factors that the Planning Commission should consider when evaluating a conditional or interim use permit as follows: i. Compliance with and effect upon the Comprehensive Plan, including public facilities and capital improvement plans. The application demonstrates compliance with the Comprehensive Plan goals for solar access and with the goals for public facilities and capital improvement plans. However, it is not consistent with the Natural Resources goals and policies. Chapter 3 of the Comprehensive Plan, Goal 1, Policy 2 guides policy makers to require development to be designed to preserve and be compatible with the important natural features of the development site. Goal 1 states several policies that emphasize preserving views and protecting natural resources. Jubert Lake and its surrounding area has significant natural resources, and the Commissioners could find that the panel array layout is not compatible with the Natural Resource goals for the area. ii. The establishment, maintenance or operation of the conditional use will promote and enhance the general public welfare and will not be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, morals or comfort. The establishment, maintenance or operation of the use will promote and enhance the general public welfare. The impact to the to public health, safety, morals or comfort of the community may be detrimental. Community solar gardens do not produce nuisance conditions such as noise or pollution and need minimal maintenance. The community solar garden will enhance the general public welfare because the Zoning Ordinance requires the applicant to provide a Sunrise Solar IUP, VAR, PP (17-003) 13 March 2, 2017 mix of vegetation beneath the solar array that provides beneficial habitat for gamebirds, songbirds, and pollinators and that reduces stormwater runoff and erosion at the solar generation site. However, the location of the solar garden is adjacent to Lake Jubert and the natural resource corridor. The solar garden does not appear to have been located to try to preserve the views from this natural amenity. The Commission should review the plans to ensure that these natural features are adequately protected and not negatively impacted by the proposed construction of the community solar garden as proposed. iii. The conditional use will not be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other property in the immediate vicinity for the purposes already permitted, nor substantially diminish and impair property values within the neighborhood. The use will have no known impact to property values on property in the immediate vicinity of the proposed location. Generally speaking, there is limited information available on the impact of solar gardens on adjacent property values. Studies are primarily limited to placing solar panels on the rooftops of homes. Rooftop solar is shown to increase property values. Staff found one appraiser commissioned by the solar industry in North Carolina that evaluated solar gardens adjacent to residential and agricultural properties that found “no impact in sale price for residential, agricultural or vacant residential land that adjoins existing or proposed solar farms.” The surrounding properties gain much of their value from their location next to Jubert Lake. Because the panels are situated on a hill, the visibility of the panels is increased which may diminish the value of the lakefront properties. iv. The establishment of the conditional use will not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of surrounding property for uses permitted in the district. The community solar garden will not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of surrounding property for uses permitted in the district. The surrounding properties are also in the RR District which is primarily agricultural uses today and can be developed with single family homes. v. Adequate public facilities and services are available or can be reasonably provided to accommodate the proposed use. The community solar garden does not require public facilities or services, therefore this condition is met. Sunrise Solar IUP, VAR, PP (17-003) 14 March 2, 2017 vi. The conditional use shall, in all other respects, conform to the applicable regulations of the district in which it is located. The use generally conforms to the applicable regulations of the RR District and to the performance standards of Section 1060.110 (Solar Energy Systems), except that the current application includes a plat that requires a variance from the minimum lot width requirements. vii. The conditional use and site conforms to performance standards as specified by this Chapter. The use and site conforms to the performance standards specified by this Chapter. B. The use is allowed as an interim use in the respective zoning district. Community solar gardens are allowed as an interim use in the RR District. C. The date or event that will terminate the use can be identified with certainty. The Zoning Ordinance requires that the Interim Use Permit expire 30 years from the date of issuance. D. The use will not impose additional unreasonable costs on the public. The use will not impose any additional costs on the public. E. The user agrees to any conditions that the City Council deems appropriate for permission of the use. The draft resolution includes a number of conditions to ensure that the development would comply with the purpose and intent of the ordinance. 5. Summary The Planning Commission does have discretion when reviewing this application. The commission should carefully review the application to ensure that the preliminary plat, variance and IUP standards have been met. • If the Commission finds that ordinance standards have not been met, they should recommend denial of the request. • If the Commission finds that the ordinance standards have been met, they should recommend approval of the draft resolutions approving the request. Sunrise Solar IUP, VAR, PP (17-003) 15 March 2, 2017 6. Recommendation Move to recommend one of the following: a. Approval of the resolution denying the Variance, Preliminary Plat, and Interim Use Permit OR b. Approval of the resolution approving the Interim Use permit and the resolution approving the Variance and Preliminary Plat. Attachments 1. Draft resolution denying the Variance, Interim Use Permit and Preliminary Plat 2. Draft resolution approving Variance and Interim Use Permit 3. Draft resolution approving Preliminary Plat 4. Site Aerial Location Map 5. 2030 Natural Resources Inventory 6. Natural Resource Communities Quality Ranking Map 7. 2030 Parks & Trails Plan 8. City Engineer’s memo dated February 21, 2017 9. Public Safety Memo dated February 16, 2017 10. Applicant’s Narrative dated February 8, 2017 11. Plans and exhibits dated February 1, 2017 and February 8, 2017 City of Corcoran March xx, 2017 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota RESOLUTION NO. 2017-xx Page 1 of 2 Motion By: Seconded By: DENYING VARIANCE, PRELIMINARY PLAT AND INTERIM USE PERMIT (IUP) FOR SUNRISE SOLAR ON A 101.97-ACRE SITE LOCATED ON COUNTY ROAD 19 (PID 30-119- 23-44-0003 AND 29-119-23-33-0001) (CITY FILE 17-003) WHEREAS, Sunrise Solar (“the applicant”) has requested approval of a variance, preliminary plat and IUP to create one 43.97-acre lot for a community solar garden and one 57.82-acre outlot on property legally described as follows: Outlot A, DONITA, Hennepin County Minnesota. AND Government Lot 1 of Section 29, Township 119, Range 23, Hennepin County, Minnesota. WHEREAS, the Planning Commission has reviewed the plan at a duly called Public Hearing and recommends denial, and; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORCORAN, MINNESOTA, that it should deny the request for a preliminary plat, variance, and Interim use permit, subject to the following findings: 1. The applicant submitted an application for a preliminary plat, variance and interim use permit, in accordance with the application materials and plans received by the City on January 17, 2017 and revisions received on February 8, 2017. 2. The requested variance to allow a 164.57-foot lot width for Lot 1, Block 1 and a 122-foot lot width for Outlot A where 200 feet is required is denied based the finding that the variance standards have not been met. Specifically: a. The City finds that the following standards for approving a variance have not been met: i. There are not practical difficulties in complying with the Zoning Ordinance. The western parcel currently complies with the ordinance lot width requirements and if the Community Solar Garden were located on that existing parcel, no subdivision would be required. The preliminary plat is requested to allow the solar developer to purchase the north portion of these two parcels and creates the need for the variance. ii. The conditions upon which a variation is based is not unique to the parcel of land for which the variance is sought and were created by the landowner. The landowner could develop or subdivide the land in an alternative configuration that would maintain the existing street frontage. iii. The variance is not consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. Chapter 5 A states that “The community must balance the desire all residents have for this rural City of Corcoran March xx, 2017 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota RESOLUTION NO. 2017-xx Page 2 of 2 experience with the needs of individual property owners in this area who may need to realize the value of their property now.” The variance would create two nonconforming parcels of land that would severely limit the potential for the property owner to develop residential uses land. Outlot A would retain five development rights, but would have limited opportunities to develop the land. b. The preliminary plat is denied based on the finding that the minimum lot width standards are not met. c. The Interim Use Permit cannot be approved as proposed because it is contingent upon approval of the preliminary plat and variance, which have been denied. VOTING AYE VOTING NAY Thomas, Ron Thomas, Ron Bottema, Jon Bottema, Jon Dejewski, Brian Dejewski, Brian Keefe, Mike Keefe, Mike LaFave, Tonya LaFave, Tonya Whereupon, said Resolution is hereby declared adopted on this XX day of March 2017. ________________________________ Ron Thomas - Mayor ATTEST: ____________________________________ City Seal Jessica Beise – City Clerk/Administrative Services Coordinator City of Corcoran March xx, 2017 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota RESOLUTION NO. 2017-XX Page 1 of 5 Motion By: Seconded By: APPROVING AN INTERIM USE PERMIT FOR SUNRISE SOLAR FOR A COMMUNITY SOLAR GARDEN ON COUNTY ROAD 19 (PID 30-119-23-44-0003 AND 29-119-23-33-0001) (CITY FILE 17-003) WHEREAS, the Minnesota Solar has requested approval of an interim use permit to allow a Community Solar Garden at property legally described as follows: Outlot A, DONITA, Hennepin County Minnesota. AND Government Lot 1 of Section 29, Township 119, Range 23, Hennepin County, Minnesota. WHEREAS, the Planning Commission has reviewed the interim use permit at a duly called Public Hearing and recommends approval, and; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORCORAN, MINNESOTA, that it should and hereby does approve the request for an interim use permit, subject to the following findings and conditions: 1. An interim use permit is approved to allow a community solar garden, in accordance with the application received by the City on January 17, 2017 and revisions received on February 8, 2017, except as amended by this resolution. 2. An interim use permit to allow for a community solar garden is approved, subject to the finding that the project meets the ordinance standards in Section 1070.020, Subd. 2 and Section 1060.110 of the Zoning Ordinance. Specifically: a. The application demonstrates compliance with the Comprehensive Plan and with the goals for public facilities and capital improvement plans. Chapter 4, Section 8 of the Comprehensive Plan states that the “City of Corcoran will protect [solar] access by requiring minimum standards for lot sizes, amounts of open space, yard setbacks, and maximum height of buildings for urban residents that create the opportunity for all building owners to develop solar energy facilities if desired. b. The establishment, maintenance or operation of the use will promote and enhance the general public welfare and will not be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, morals or comfort. Community solar gardens do not produce nuisance conditions such as noise or pollution and need minimal maintenance. The community solar garden will promote and enhance the general public welfare because the Zoning Ordinance requires the applicant to provide a mix of vegetation beneath the solar array that provides beneficial habitat for gamebirds, songbirds, and pollinators and that reduces stormwater runoff and erosion at the solar generation site. City of Corcoran March xx, 2017 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota RESOLUTION NO. 2017-XX Page 2 of 5 c. The use will have no known impact to property values on property in the immediate vicinity of the proposed location. Due to the passive nature of the solar farm (it does not generate noise, pollution, change in climate), there is limited data to suggest that property values would be negatively impacted. d. The establishment of the use will not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of surrounding property for uses permitted in the district. The surrounding properties are also in the RR District which is primarily agricultural uses today and can be developed with single family homes. e. The community solar garden does not require public facilities or services. f. The use conforms to the applicable regulations of the RR District and to the performance standards of Section 1060.110 (Solar Energy Systems), except that the current application includes a plat that requires a variance from the minimum lot width requirements. g. The use and site conforms to the performance standards specified by the Solar Ordinance. 3. Approval of the IUP is contingent upon approval of the preliminary plat and variance. 4. The Zoning Ordinance allows Community Solar Gardens as Interim Uses in the RR Zoning District. 5. No approvals are granted for impacts to wetlands. The applicant is responsible for coordinating with Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission for any required wetland of stormwater permits. 6. The application is subject to the review and approval by Hennepin County for access permits and impacts in County right-of-way. The applicant shall comply with any conditions of approval from the County. 7. Notwithstanding any provision in the zoning regulations to the contrary, the interim use for a community solar garden shall terminate upon any of the following events, whichever occurs first: a. The IUP shall terminate 30 years from the date of approval by City Council; b. Upon violation of the conditions under which the permit was issued; c. The redevelopment of the use and property upon which it is located to a permitted or conditional use as allowed within the respective zoning district; d. The solar garden is abandoned or ceases operation for a continuous period of 12 months. 8. Prior to release of the resolutions for filing, the applicant shall: a. Submit revised plans showing compliance with the wetland and shoreland buffer standards for review and approval by staff. City of Corcoran March xx, 2017 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota RESOLUTION NO. 2017-XX Page 3 of 5 b. Submit revised plans showing landscape details. c. Provide proof of ECWMC approval of the wetland delineation. d. Provide impervious surface calculations showing compliance with the shoreland overlay district standards. 9. Prior to building permit, the applicant shall: a. Provide proof of ECWMC approval of the wetland buffer locations and any wetland impacts. b. Install Wetland and Shoreland buffer monuments and vegetative plantings according to the standards of 1050.020, Subd. 6. and approved plans. c. Submit revised landscape plans to provide any additional screening required by Planning Commission for review and approval by the City. d. Submit detailed drawings of photovoltaic panels and associated infrastructure for review and approval by the City. e. Provide a fence detail of the proposed fencing of the project for review and approval by the City. f. Revise the plans to show fencing setbacks have will be met. g. Demonstrate compliance with the conditions of the City Engineer Memo dated February 21, 2017. h. Provide an updated maintenance plan describing how native vegetation will be maintained throughout the lifetime of the facility for staff review and approval. i. Comply with all conditions in the Public Safety memo and exhibit dated February 16, 2017. 10. Prior to beginning the site work, the applicant/landowner must: a. Record the approving resolution at Hennepin County and provide proof of recording to the City. b. Submit electronic files of the survey and site plan prepared by E.G. Rud to the City in AutoCAD format. c. Enter into a site improvement performance agreement and provide the required financial guarantee for construction of the site. d. Provide a performance bond for the full estimated cost of decommissioning. 11. Approval shall expire within one year of the date of approval unless the applicant commences the authorized use and completes the required improvements. City of Corcoran March xx, 2017 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota RESOLUTION NO. 2017-XX Page 4 of 5 City of Corcoran March xx, 2017 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota RESOLUTION NO. 2017-XX Page 5 of 5 VOTING AYE VOTING NAY Thomas, Ron Thomas, Ron Bottema, Jon Bottema, Jon Dejewski, Brian Dejewski, Brian Keefe, Mike Keefe, Mike LaFave, Tonya LaFave, Tonya Whereupon, said Resolution is hereby declared adopted on this XX day of March 2017. ________________________________ Ron Thomas - Mayor ATTEST: ____________________________________ City Seal Jessica Beise – City Clerk/Administrative Services Coordinator City of Corcoran March xx, 2017 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota RESOLUTION NO. 2017-xx Page 1 of 3 Motion By: Seconded By: APPROVING PRELIMINARY PLAT AND VARIANCE FOR SUNRISE SOLAR ON A 101.97- ACRE SITE LOCATED ON COUNTY ROAD 19 (PID 30-119-23-44-0003 AND 29-119-23-33- 0001) (CITY FILE 17-003) WHEREAS, Sunrise Solar (“the applicant”) has requested approval of a preliminary plat to create one 43.97-acre lot and one 57.82-acre outlot on property legally described as follows: Outlot A, DONITA, Hennepin County Minnesota. AND Government Lot 1 of Section 29, Township 119, Range 23, Hennepin County, Minnesota. WHEREAS, the Planning Commission has reviewed the plan at a duly called Public Hearing and recommends approval, and; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORCORAN, MINNESOTA, that it should and hereby does approve the request for a preliminary plat, subject to the following conditions: 1. A preliminary plat and variance is approved to allow the creation of one lot and one outlot, in accordance with the application materials and plans received by the City on January 17, 2017 and revisions received on February 8, 2017, except as amended by this resolution. 2. A variance is approved to allow a 164.57-foot lot width for Lot 1, Block 1 and a 122-foot lot width for Outlot A where 200 feet is required, subject to the following findings: a. There are practical difficulties in complying with the Zoning Ordinance. The existing lot is an irregularly shaped lot and the property owners want to retain the southern portion of the parcels. b. The existing western parcel is uniquely shaped. If the property were developed as a rural residential subdivision, a new public or private street would be constructed to provide access to the lots. The variance is needed because the applicant is requesting a subdivision to develop a community solar garden on the northern portion of the parcels, which does not require a new street. Due to the unique shape of the parcel, it cannot be split east to west as requested by the applicant and maintain the required lot width. c. Granting the variation will not alter the essential character of the locality. The applicant is not proposing to construct a house on Lot 1, Block 1, and there are no plans for development of Outlot A. Therefore, the appearance of the area will largely remain unchanged. d. The proposed variance would be in harmony with the general purposes and intent of the Ordinance, which allows subdivisions of land in the RR District. Both parcels City of Corcoran March xx, 2017 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota RESOLUTION NO. 2017-xx Page 2 of 3 have development rights and the subdivision would allow the property owners to sell the property to develop a solar farm, which is a permitted interim use in the RR District. e. The variance is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. Chapter 5 A states that “The community must balance the desire all residents have for this rural experience with the needs of individual property owners in this area who may need to realize the value of their property now.” The subdivision will preserve many of the rural characteristics of the district while allowing the property owner to realize the value of their land. 3. Approval is contingent upon City Council approval of the variance to allow reduced lot width for the lot and the outlot. 4. Four development rights will be applied to Lot 1, Block 1 and five development rights will be applied to Outlot A. 5. The application shall comply with all conditions in the City Engineer’s memo dated February 21, 2017. 6. The application is subject to the review and approval by the Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission. The applicant shall comply with any conditions of approval from the watershed. 7. The application is subject to the review and approval by Hennepin County for access permits and impacts in County right-of-way. The applicant shall comply with any conditions of approval from the County. 8. The development shall be subject to all conditions of the site plan, interim use, and variance approval. 9. Park dedication shall be a combination of land and cash in lieu of land and shall be due with the final plat. a. Following approval of the wetland delineation, the applicant shall provide revised plans showing the net and gross land area of the trail easement. This information must be submitted with the final plat application. b. Park dedication credit shall be given for the net trail area. c. The remainder of the park dedication shall be cash in lieu of land prior to release of the final plat for filing. 10. Prior to submission of the final plat application, the applicant shall: a. Obtain approval for a wetland delineation from Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission (ECWMC). b. Revise plans to show the Shoreland Overlay District Boundary, buffers, setbacks and buffer monuments. City of Corcoran March xx, 2017 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota RESOLUTION NO. 2017-xx Page 3 of 3 c. Revise plans to show the wetland buffers, setbacks and buffer monuments. d. Update plans to show impervious surface calculations for review and approval by staff. e. Provide a 10-foot drainage and utility easements on the property lines, as required by Section 945.060, Subd. 2 of the subdivision ordinance. f. Update drainage easements over the wetlands to reflect the approved wetland boundaries. 11. Prior to release of the final plat for recording, the applicant shall install Wetland and Shoreland buffer monuments and vegetative plantings according to the standards of 1050.020, Subd. 6. Revised plans shall be submitted for review and approval by staff. 12. Approval shall expire within one year of the date of approval unless the applicant has filed a complete application for approval of a final plat. VOTING AYE VOTING NAY Thomas, Ron Thomas, Ron Bottema, Jon Bottema, Jon Dejewski, Brian Dejewski, Brian Keefe, Mike Keefe, Mike LaFave, Tonya LaFave, Tonya Whereupon, said Resolution is hereby declared adopted on this XX day of March 2017. ________________________________ Ron Thomas - Mayor ATTEST: ____________________________________ City Seal Jessica Beise – City Clerk/Administrative Services Coordinator Hennepin County Property Map Date: 1/27/2017 Comments: 1 inch = 800 feet PARCEL ID: 3011923440003 OWNER NAME: Donita Properties Lp Et Al PARCEL ADDRESS: 52 Address Unassigned, Corcoran MN 00000 PARCEL AREA: 61.64 acres, 2,684,822 sq ft A-T-B: Abstract SALE PRICE: SALE DATA: SALE CODE: ASSESSED 2015, PAYABLE 2016 PROPERTY TYPE: Farm HOMESTEAD: Homestead MARKET VALUE: $411,900 TAX TOTAL: $2,871.34 ASSESSED 2016, PAYABLE 2017 PROPERTY TYPE: Farm HOMESTEAD: Homestead MARKET VALUE: $359,800 This data (i) is furnished 'AS IS' with no representation as to completeness or accuracy; (ii) is furnished with no warranty of any kind; and (iii) is notsuitable for legal, engineering or surveying purposes. Hennepin County shall not be liable for any damage, injury or loss resulting from this data. COPYRIGHT © HENNEPIN COUNTY 2017 ^_ ^_ !( !( !(ROAD SCHUTTE GLEASON ROAD JUBERT LAKE MEISTER ROAD O L D S E T T L E R S R D HORSESHOE TRAIL STI E G R D WI L L O W D R I V E HACKAMORE ROAD TR A I L H A V E N R O A D CA I N R O A D OAKDALE D R STREHLER ROAD PI O N E E R T R COUNTY ROAD 117 RO L L L I N G H I L L S R D LARKIN RD CI T Y O F G R E E N F I E L D CI T Y O F M A P L E G R O V E SCOTT LAKE BE C H T O L D R O A D EiGH EsGH E¢GH IïKL IöKL EiGH E¼GH EsGH MORIN LAKE GOOSE LAKE COOK LAKE RUS H C R E E K October 7, 2009 Natural Resource Inventory Areas I:/504/50408144/GIS/ComPlan/Maps/Final Maps/NRI.mxd 4 3,000 0 3,0001,500 Feet City ofCORCORAN 2030 Comprehensive Plan Figure 4 City Limit ^_Natural Community of Statewide Significance !(Rare Species Occurence -Potential Connections to Adjacent Resource Areas High Quality Natural Community NOTE: Due to limitations of map scale, distribution and proportion of Natural Community types within each colored area are approximate. Uplands Wetlands Natural Plant Communities Open Water Wet Prairie Emergent Shrub Floodplain Forest Floodplain (Reed Canary Dominant) Streams Savanna/Pasture Maple/Basswood Oak Forest Disturbed Woodland Old Field CITY OF MAPLE GROVE CITY O F H A N O V E R CO RD NO 101 LARKIN RD STATE HWY NO 55 ROLL L ING HILL S RD CO RD NO 50 CO RD NO 19 CO RD NO 117 PIONEER TR BROCKTON LA N T R A I L OAKDALE DR CAIN ROAD TRAIL HAVEN R0AD HACKAMORE ROAD W ILL OW DR IVE STIEG LA HORSESHOE TRAIL O L D S E T T L E R S R D MEISTER ROAD LAKE JUBERT STREHLER ROAD GLEASON ROAD SC HUT TE R OAD SCOTT RD C O R D N O 10 O A K D A L E D R CO RD NO 19 LAKE CO RD NO 19 CO RD NO 116 STREHLER ROAD CO RD NO 50 CO RD NO 10 O A K D A L E D R CO RD NO 30 CO RD NO 117 CO RD NO 116 CO RD NO 30 OLD SE TT LERS RD S O U T H R U S H C R E E K C O R R I D O R MAPLE/BASSWOOD FOREST ZONE NORTH RUSH CREEK CORRIDOR Streams Potential Natural Resource Corridor Base Map New Natural Resource Corridor Upland Community Wetland Community Quality Ranking High Medium Low NOTE: Due to limitations of map scale, distribution and proportion of Natural Community types within each colored area are approximate. Natural Resource Communities 4000 0 4000 8000 Feet i:\504\50403115\cad\gis\av_projects\nri_quality.apr March 2003 City ofCORCORAN Quality Ranking N EW S ROAD SCHUTTE GLEASON ROAD JUBERT LAKE MEISTER ROAD O L D S E T T L E R S R D HORSESHOE TRAIL STI E G R D WI L L O W D R I V E HACKAMORE ROAD TR A I L H A V E N R O A D CA I N R O A D OAKDALE D R STREHLER ROAD PI O N E E R T R COUNTY ROAD 117 RO L L L I N G H I L L S R D LARKIN RD (62ND AVE N) TOWNSHIP OF HASSAN CI T Y O F G R E E N F I E L D CI T Y O F M A P L E G R O V E CITY OF MEDINA SCOTT LAKE BE C H T O L D R O A D $+ $+ $+ $+ $+ $+ $+ $+ MORIN LAKE GOOSE LAKE COOK LAKE RUS H C R E E K OSP OSP OSP OSP T OSP OSP NP CP NP NP OSP NP NP NP OSP OSP OSP NP OSP ASA ASA ASA ASA T Parks & Trails Plan 4 3,000 0 3,0001,500 Feet 2030 Comprehensive Plan Figure 12 Existing Parks and Trails Proposed Parks and Trails Regional Trail Proposed County Bike Trail Existing On Road Trail Proposed On Road Trail City Hall/Memorial Park Community Park Existing Ball Fields/School Property Existing Park (Private/Lion's Park) Golf Course Open Water Wetlands Off Road Trail Off Road Trail outside 2030 Development Area Horseback Trail Proposed County Road 50 Natural Gas Pipeline Easement Trail (Potential) ASA - Athletic Search Area City Square OSP/Nature Park Neighborhood Park Trailhead Search Area Greenway Corridor (Bonus Eligible Resource Corridor) ASA OSP NP *Proposed park and trails locations represent the general search areas for parks and trails.The City will work with developers and landowners to identify the exact location and size of parks and trail alignments as development or park acquisition is proposed. City Limit 2030 MUSA Updated October 2013 Adopted June 2011 City ofCORCORAN 19 10 30 50 19 10 116 101 Technical Memo Wenck Associates, Inc. | 1800 Pioneer Creek Center | P.O. Box 249 | Maple Plain, MN 55359-0249 Toll Free 800-472-2232 Main 763-479-4200 Email wenckmp@wenck.com Web wenck.com - To: Kendra Lindahl From: Kevin Mattson, P.E., Kent Torve, P.E. Date: February 21st, 2017 Subject: Sunrise Solar – Plan Review Comments A concept figure, dated 2/2/17, has been received. The following comments are in regards to the plans submitted and should be considered in revisions to next submittal. General 1. Comply with any watershed and MPCA requirements for stormwater regulations. It appears that there are proposed wetland impacts on the project site. 2. Resubmit construction plans for review prior to construction. 3. Provide required letter of credit or surety prior to construction. 4. Hold preconstruction meeting prior to construction, provide City 48 hours notice. Grading 5. Submit an exhibit that identifies offsite drainage flow paths. Maintain existing flow paths unless otherwise identified, calculations provided, and approved by City. 6. Identify and label all EOF locations and elevations. Roads 7. Expand the access road to provide a 20-foot wide emergency access to the facility. 8. Modify the T radii, hammerhead, etc. per Public Safety review memo. 9. Obtain driveway access approval from the County and submit documentation to City. 10. Road section shall be a minimum of 12” aggregate base and pass a roll test after placement of materials as observed by City Engineer. End of Comments CITY OF CORCORAN 8200 County Road 116, Corcoran, MN 55340 763.420.2288 E-mail - general@ci.corcoran.mn.us / Web Site - www.ci.corcoran.mn.us Memo To: Planning (Planner Lindahl) From: Public Safety Director Gottschalk Date: February 16, 2017 Re: Pouliot/Sunrise Solar A Public Safety review meeting for the proposed Sunrise Solar project was held on 02/16/2017. In attendance were: Director of Public Safety Gottschalk, Lt. Burns, Fire Chief Leuer, Fire Marshal Kohnen, and Code Compliance Official Pritchard. The following are comments from the meeting: 1. The access road should be constructed to Fire Code specifications and in accordance with the City Engineer’s memo. The road shall maintain at least a 20-foot width throughout, pass a roll test as observed by a City engineer, meet City prescribed hammerhead specifications as designated on the attached map, and meet corner radius specifications for a 40-foot firetruck as designated on the attached map. 2. The site shall clearly display the address in 6” numbers visible from County Road 19. 3. The entrance to the site shall contain an information plaque with 24-hour site manager contact information. 4. City specified DAMA box(es) shall be installed at all secured/gated entrances. 5. Move the fence located on the northern edge of the solar panels to the North side of the roadway. 6. All fence gates across the roadway shall be at least 20 feet wide. 7. Property landscaping shall be maintained as to prevent overgrowth. 8. Access must be maintained throughout the site year-round. 9. An emergency plan should be in place. This shall include emergency contact information, shut-off locations, first responder shut-down procedures, and general site information. Submitted to the City of Corcoran Application for Preliminary Plat, Variance and Interim Use Permit 601 Carlson Parkway, Suite 1050, Minnetonka, Minnesota 55305 601 Carlson Parkway, Suite 1050, Minnetonka, Minnesota 55305 612‐293‐9900 dean@Sunriseenergyventures.com February 1, 2017 Elected and Appointed Officials City of Corcoran 8200 County Road 116 Corcoran, Minnesota 55340 Re: Plat, Variance and Interim Use Permit Application to Develop a Community Solar Garden Dear Members of the Parks Commission, Planning Commission and City Council: SEV MN 1, LLC (“Sunrise”), a subsidiary of Sunrise Energy Ventures, is pleased to present this application to the City of Corcoran to develop and operate a community solar garden. This 5 megawatt array of photovoltaic panels will generate electricity that will be purchased by Xcel Energy under a 25-year contract. The solar garden will not generate any carbon or other harmful emissions, will be created from an inexhaustible source, the sun, will help Xcel Energy meet the State’s mandate for use of renewable energy sources, and will align with the City’s goals for sustainability. In addition, Xcel customers may subscribe to a share of the electrical output from the project, thus supporting this clean source of energy. SEV MN 1, LLC will own and operate the development for its lifetime. It is important to us to be a good corporate citizen and work cooperatively with each local community. This helps us respond to any concerns with conditions that create a successful energy development while supporting the City’s community development objectives. Please give our application your approval so that we can all benefit from this wise new source of electricity for our homes and businesses. Sincerely, 601 Carlson Parkway, Suite 1050, Minnetonka, Minnesota 55305 612‐293‐9900 dean@Sunriseenergyventures.com Dean Leischow Chief Executive Officer Contents Existing Conditions ....................................................................................................... 1 Site Location .....................................................................................................1 On‐Site and Nearby Land Use ..........................................................................2 Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Zoning......................................................2 Zoning ..............................................................................................................2 Topography ......................................................................................................3 Vegetation ........................................................................................................3 Soils for Solar Arrays.........................................................................................3 Soils for Farming ..............................................................................................3 Wetlands and Streams .....................................................................................3 Development Proposal ................................................................................................ 6 Site Plan ............................................................................................................6 Preliminary Plat ................................................................................................7 Dimensional Variance ......................................................................................9 Wetlands and Streams ...................................................................................10 Ecological Resources Impact..........................................................................10 Cultural Resources Impact .............................................................................11 Duration..........................................................................................................12 Site Access ......................................................................................................12 Traffic ............................................................................................................12 Grading, Drainage and Erosion Control .........................................................13 Visual Compatibility and Screening ...............................................................13 Solar Energy Panels ........................................................................................15 Glare Analysis..................................................................................................16 Power and Communication Lines; Connection to the Xcel Line....................16 Tree Protection ..............................................................................................16 Ground Cover .................................................................................................16 Perimeter Fence.............................................................................................16 Sign..................................................................................................................16 Construction ................................................................................................................ 17 Operations and Maintenance ...................................................................................... 20 De‐Commissioning, Restoration and Re‐powering ...................................................... 22 Noise Emissions ........................................................................................................... 25 Appendices Appendix A: Wetland Delineation Report Appendix B: Ecological Resources Review Appendix C: Cultural Resources Review Appendix D: Planting Plan Appendices E: Glare Analyses Appendix F: De‐Commissioning Cost Estimate Conditional Use Permit Application i City of Corcoran Existing Conditions Site Location The 100 acre site is located along the eastern side of County Highway 19 between County Highway 50 and Pioneer Trail and west of Lake Jubert. The property identification numbers are 30-119-23-44-0003 and 29-119-23-33-0001. Figure 1: site Location and Parcels Looking east from CR 19 Looking west from midpoint of the site Looking east toward Lake Jubert View of wetland Search Area 2 Conditional Use Permit Application 1 City of Corcoran On‐Site and Nearby Land Use Land uses near the site are agricultural, open or rural residential as shown by Figure 1. The pattern of nearby parcels is also shown by Figure 1, above. Comprehensive Land Use and Road Plans The 2030 Comprehensive Plan guides the site as Rural / Agricultural-Residential. No arterial or collector roads are planned through the site. County Highways 19 (to the west) and 50 (to the north) are designated as A Minor Connectors. Zoning Figure 3 indicates that the site is zoned Rural Residential District Finally, the City’s growth management system has allocated 11 Building Rights to this site. Figure 3: Building Right Map Figure 3: Orderly Annexation Area Boundary Figure 2: City of Corcoran Zoning Map Conditional Use Permit Application 2 City of Corcoran Topography The development site is fairly hilly and slopes down to the unnamed creek. Vegetation On-site vegetation includes row crops, trees and shrubs. Trees are confined to windrows and the creek corridor. Soils for Solar Arrays Outside of the wetlands, the soils are sufficient to support the piers of a solar array. Soils for Farming Approximately 25 percent of the soils on the portion of the site where the solar garden is proposed are ranked as prime for farming by the USDA Soil Survey of Hennepin County. The soils on the solar garden portion of the property are: Table 1 Major Prime and Non-Prime Soils on the Site Soil Name Prime for Farming? Approximate Percentage of the Solar Garden Site Lester loan 6 to 12 percent No Lester loam 12 to 18 percent No 75 % Angus loam Yes Hamel Yes 25 % Source: Soil Survey of Hennepin County. See Hamel NW and Rockford NE sheets. Wetlands and Streams Emmons and Olivier Resources, Inc., a professional water resources firm, has conducted a “desktop” review of hydrology, soils, topography and historic aerial photography of the entirety of both parcels that constitute the site. That study will be submitted submit to the Elm Creek Watershed Management Organization (WMO) for review. Wetlands will be delineated and verified in Spring of 2017, and the WMO will provide a written opinion on those delineation results. The conclusion and recommendations of the desktop review are: Search Areas 2 and 3 likely contain wetlands Search Areas 1 and 4 do not contain wetlands Search Area 2 is considered a low quality wetland Field verification will not be not required for Search Areas 2 and 3 because they are clearly wetlands according to the BWSR criteria. Field verification will be required for Search Areas 1 and 4 because they might actually turn out to be wetlands even though the desktop review indicated otherwise. Lake Jubert, located east of the site, is a DNR Public Water with an Ordinary Highway Water Level of 969.1 feet Outside the development portion of the property: o Search Areas 5, 6 and 9 likely contain wetlands o Search Areas 7 and 8 do are not contain wetlands Conditional Use Permit Application 3 City of Corcoran o Field verification will not be required for Search Areas 7 and 8. The Search Areas referenced are illustrated by Figure 4. The complete desktop wetland study is attached as Appendix A. See pages 9 and 10 of the report for the conclusions and recommendations. Figure 4: Wetland Areas on the Property Potential Wetland Areas and Criteria The study area is largely dominated by soils that are mapped as being partially hydric with the exception of Area 1 which is mapped as all hydric. Partially hydric soils are those soils in which more than 33 percent to less than 67 percent of the soil components are considered hydric. All hydric means that all components listed for a given map unit are rated as being hydric. Partially hydric or all hydric soils located on topographically lower positions on the landscape often support wetland hydrology sufficient to maintain wetland vegetation. The presence of wetland signatures in more than 30 percent of years reviewed for Search Areas 2, 3, 5, 6 and 9 provides the needed evidence to suggest that at least five separate wetlands exist within the cropped portion of the project boundary. All five of the potential wetlands were located on topographic low points on soils mapped as being partially hydric. Field verification is not required for Areas 2, 3, 5, 6 and 9 unless there is the potential to impact these wetlands; these areas should be considered wetlands in accordance with BWSR’s Wetland Determination Form Decision Matrix. The presence of wetland signatures in less than 30 percent of years reviewed for Areas 1 and 4 suggests that these areas are not likely wetlands. Field verification is required for Areas 1 and 4 because both were identified by Hennepin County as potential wetlands. Furthermore, the soils within Area 1 are mapped as all hydric. A tile drain located at the center of the concave depression within Area 1 is likely responsible for the lack of wetland signatures observed. The presence of wetland signatures in less than 30 percent of years reviewed for Areas 7 and 8 suggests that these areas are not likely wetlands. Measures should be taken to first avoid and Conditional Use Permit Application 4 City of Corcoran secondarily minimize any potential impact to these wetland areas during construction of the solar array. A formal level two delineation should be conducted if the developer of the solar array believes that there is the potential to have a partial or complete impact on these resources. Non‐Wetland Areas and Criteria Non-wetland areas within the cropped portion of the property were delineated using a combination of historical aerial photo review, LiDAR data analysis and review of potential wetlands according to results from the offsite wetland delineation according to BWSR’s 2015 guidance document. Figure 5 shows the areas that were deemed as “wetland-free” non- wetland areas. The total non-wetland area on the entire property is 70.15 acres. Figure 5 was used to prepare the layout of the solar arrays, as shown by Figure 6, Site Plan, on the next page. In particular, Search Areas 2 and 3 were avoided. After field verification of Areas 2 and 3 in the Spring, the layout may change slightly. . Figure 5: Non-Wetland Areas on the Property Conditional Use Permit Application 5 City of Corcoran Development Proposal Site Plan The preliminary site development plan for the community solar garden is shown by Figure 6. Large prints of this graphic have been submitted so that it can be read. Figure 6: Solar Garden Site Plan Conditional Use Permit Application 6 City of Corcoran Preliminary Plat The preliminary plat creates Lot 1, Block 1, for the solar garden, plus Outlot A and an easement for a municipal trail near Lake Jubert. See Figures 7 and 8. Large copies of the plat have been submitted to the City. Figure7: Preliminary Plat, Western Portion Conditional Use Permit Application 7 City of Corcoran Conditional Use Permit Application 8 City of Corcoran Figure 8: Preliminary Plat, Eastern Portion Dimensional Variance A variance application for a reduced lot width in the Rural Residential District is required for the proposed preliminary plat. Section 1040.030 of the Zoning Ordinance requires a minimum lot width of 200 feet, measured at the front lot line. Section 1020.020 of the Zoning Ordinance states that the front lot line is considered “that boundary of a lot which abuts an existing or dedicated public street or private drive easement.” Plans show that the proposed front lot line for Lot 1, Block 1 is 164.57 feet and the front lot line for Outlot A is 122 feet, neither of which meets the minimum lot width requirements for the Rural Residential District., which is 200 feet. Criteria for a Variance “The City Council shall not approve any variance application unless they find failure to grant the variance will result in practical difficulties on the applicant, as defined by Minnesota Statute 462.357. Economic considerations alone do not constitute practical difficulties. Practical difficulties include, but are not limited to, inadequate access to direct sunlight for solar energy systems. The burden of proof is on the applicant to show that all of the following criteria have been met:” Our application meets the criteria for a variance as stated in Section 1070.040, Subdivision 2.B as follows: 1. That there are practical difficulties in complying with the Zoning Ordinance. The parcel abuts a public road in two locations, which measure 164 and 122 feet. These two dimensions were defined by subdivisions approved by the City in the past to create three parcels for houses abutting County Highway 19. Thus, the practical difficulty is that the parcel frontage along County Highway 19 cannot be widened. 2. That the conditions upon which a petition for a variation is based are unique to the parcel of land for which the variance is sought and were not created by the landowner. The conditions are unique in that they pertain only to this parcel. These two dimensions were defined by subdivisions approved previously by the City to create three parcels for houses abutting County Highway 19. They were not created by this proposed plat. Otherwise, the original parcel would have a frontage of 1,320 feet. 3. That the granting of the variation will not alter the essential character of the locality. Granting this dimensional variance will not change the existing conditions. 4. The proposed variance would be in harmony with the general purposes and intent of the Ordinance. The parcel is proposed to be divided into two parcels of 44 and 58 acres. Those sizes would be in harmony with the regulations of the Rural Residential zoning district. Conditional Use Permit Application 9 City of Corcoran 5. The variance is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. The large parcel sizes – 44 and 58 acres -- would be in harmony with the intention of the Rural / Ag Residential land use plan classification 6. The City may impose conditions on the variance to address the impact of the variance. Wetlands and Streams The community solar garden has been designed to avoid wetland impacts to the extent practicable, and any unavoidable impacts will be mitigated. Wetlands will be delineated and verified in Spring of 2017, and the WMO will provide a written opinion on those delineation results. Prior to the start of construction, the Elm Creek WMO will issue a Wetland Conservation Act Notice of Decision on behalf of itself acting as the WCA Local Governing Unit. The wetland permitting process will be coordinated with the Army Corps of Engineers, which has regulatory authority for Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources may require permits through the Minnesota Public Waters program that they administer. Avoidance and minimization of all impacts to wetlands (if any) and public waters will be incorporated into the site design and implemented. Sunrise will give the City drainage and utility easements over each protected wetland. Ecological Resources Impact Emmons and Olivier Resources, Inc., has prepared a review of the potential effects of the proposed community solar garden on rare, threatened or endangered species on or near the project site. The report is attached as Appendix B. Based on the NHIS database review, no rare features were identified within the project site. However, one rare feature was located approximately 1.5 miles southwest of the project boundary. The rare feature was a record for Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator). The MNDNR classifies this species as special concern. Based on the distance to the record and the buffer provided by Jubert Lake, it is unlikely this species will be affected by the proposed solar garden. The IPaC Trust Resources report listed two endangered mussels, one proposed endangered insect, one threatened mammal, and 21 migratory bird species that could be potentially affected by the project . The offsite wetland delineation completed for the project identified seven potential wetlands within the study area; however, all seven sites have been altered by agriculture and no perennial vegetation exists within the agricultural fields so no impacts are anticipated for the wetland-associated species on the list: American bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus), black tern (Chlidonias niger), least bittern (Ixobrychus exilis), marsh wren (Cistothorus palustris), pied- billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis), and willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii). Conditional Use Permit Application 10 City of Corcoran Similarly, no impacts are anticipated for the two endangered mussel species Higgins Eye (Lampsilis higginsii) and Snuffbox (Epioblasma triquetra) since the proposed project does not contain riverine habitat and does not directly drain to any rivers. Potential impacts to the remaining listed species in the IPaC report are discussed in the avoidance plan. Cultural Resources Impact Emmons and Olivier Resources, Inc., has prepared a review of the potential effects of the proposed community solar garden on cultural resources on or near the project site. The report is attached as Appendix C. Previous Investigations Research indicated that no archaeological surveys have been completed in the project area. The SHPO databases search indicated that no archaeological sites have been reported (not field checked), or recorded (confirmed in the field) within the project area. There are 166 sites currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Hennepin County including six sites within one mile of the project area (Figure 2). None are located within the project area; however, two historic farmsteads are located within 0.2 miles of the proposed project (Figure 3). These farmsteads will not be directly affected by the proposed project; however the proximity of the proposed solar garden to the two closest historic farmsteads could potentially impact the feeling, setting, and association of the property. All three of these elements – plus others – need to be in place for a property to retain its integrity and historic status. A proper screening plan will likely be required to reduce these potential impacts. Architecture Six historical farmsteads have been recorded and evaluated within a 1-mile radius of the proposed project area. The addresses of the six properties are shown in the full report (attached as Appendix C). However, no addition information is available for the properties listed. None of these six properties will be directly or indirectly affected by the installation of the proposed Pouliot Site Solar Garden. A review of historic aerial imagery from the 1930s into the 1970s revealed what appears to be a small farmstead on the eastern edge of the project area (Appendix A). The area where the farmstead was located was converted to production agriculture after 1970. As mentioned, the Pouliot family has been farming this parcel for over 100 years. This site should also be considered a potential archaeological site. A portion of the original residence built in the 1870’s is still standing on the Pouliot’s current residence; however this residence is south of the project boundary and will not be disturbed during construction of the solar array. Archaeology There is potential for finding archaeological resources throughout the undisturbed portions of the project area, including agricultural fields. There is potential to find pre-contact/prehistoric (pre-A.D. 1650) and contact period (post-A.D. 1650 to 1837) archaeological resources near the slight depressions located throughout the project area, although the highest potential for such Conditional Use Permit Application 11 City of Corcoran resources is under the conditions mentioned above near a significant water source (such as Jubert Lake) or on a prominent landscape feature such as the kame ridges above and east of Jubert Lake (Lensink, 1984). A kame is a short ridge, hill, or mound of stratified drift left behind following the retreat of glacial meltwater. Kames represent the type of landscape setting where you typically expect to find prehistoric archaeological sites. Pre-settlement vegetation maps published by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources indicate the study area would have been located on a transition point from Big Woods- Hardwood Forests dominated by oak, maple, basswood, and hickory trees to a Wet Prairie (Figure 5). The 1856 General Land Office original survey plat for Township 119 North, Range 23 West (Appendix B) showed no significant historical findings within close proximity to project area, as it is at present times. This map did not show any structures located near the project area. County histories consulted revealed no historically significant people, events or structures associated with the project area. Farm Service Agency aerial imagery was acquired for all available years from 1991 to 2015 and EOR contracted E Data Resources, Inc. (EDR) to conduct a search of additional historic aerial photographs, which were obtained for several years dating back to 1938 (Appendix A). Both sets of photographs show very little change over time. Some years appear to show fewer trees on the property, but given that the site is a Century Farm, the site has been used for agricultural production for at least 100 years. If present, post-contact (post A.D. 1837) archaeological deposits would be limited to ephemeral scatters, as much of the project area has been in active agricultural production since the 1870’s. Duration The community solar garden will be operated for fewer than 30 years, which is the limit stated in the City’s solar ordinance. There will be one year or less of construction, 25 years of power production under a contract with Xcel Energy and one year or less of decommissioning. Site Access Access will be via a private driveway County Highway 19. The development site -- Lot1, Block 1 -- will have 164 feet of frontage on that public road. An application will be submitted to the County for a driveway access point and a copy of the permit will be given to the City. An internal circulation drive will be extended from County Highway 19 to the furthest solar panel. This road will conform to the City’s requirements -- 20 feet in width and with a 12 inch aggregate cross-section. Traffic Traffic to and from the community solar garden will consist of one pick-up truck per month with a technician to check the controls and a truck and trailer with a mower approximately two times per year. Conditional Use Permit Application 12 City of Corcoran Grading, Drainage and Erosion Control Grading for the community solar garden will be limited to creating grass-covered service roads among the blocks of arrays and pads for the electrical inverters. The solar arrays can conform to the slopes and do not require terraces because each solar array is installed by simply drilling or pounding posts into the ground. Normal steps will be taken to control erosion during and after the installation process, and these can be specified as conditions of the Permit. Grading will be absolutely minimized, and disturbed soils will be returned closely to their original contours. The final site will be seeded with fast-growing grasses and mowed as necessary to prevent woody or noxious species from establishing. Consequently, the rate, volume and quality of the surface water runoff is expected to be improved from the present values generated by a plowed field of row crops. Emmons and Olivier Resources, Inc., will provide to the County with hydrologic modeling calculations for rate control, volume control and water quality, including proposed pond locations, if any. Visual Compatibility and Screening Please refer to Appendix D for the detailed planting plan. Existing Vegetation The existing vegetation around the perimeter of the site will be retained. Figure 10, below, illustrates that there is a substantial corridor of woods along the creek and a more open growth of shrubs and trees in the southwest corner near the adjacent Sesvold home. The Kohnen house to the northeast has a few conifers on the perimeter of the parcel. Other Screening The topography will provide additional screening. The solar arrays will begin on the opposite side of a tall ridge (1030 to 1040 elevation) that is east of the Vail home, which west and north of the site. The hill and the plantings should obscure the view from that house of the solar garden (1020 to 2028 elevation). The solar garden is not expected to be visible from County Highway 19. The view from the Sesvold house will be screened by the natural vegetation supplemented by new plantings near the fence of the solar garden. Proposed Plantings Per City of Corcoran requirements for solar garden construction, we have designed a screening plan that includes tall coniferous trees and tall native shrubs to provide a visual barrier between the proposed solar site from adjacent properties and public rights-of-way. The north property boundary of the site will be buffered with Black Hills Spruce trees planted 15 feet on-center, as well as a row of Glossy Black Chokeberry (a native deciduous shrub) planted 10 feet on-center. The Black Hills Spruce will grow to a height of 20 to 40 feet, and the Chokeberry will grow rapidly to 8 feet. The effect will be a dense visual and physical barrier on the north side. On the east, west, and south borders (shown on Appendix D), a similar plan will include Eastern Red Cedar coniferous trees planted 15 feet on-center and Glossy Black Chokeberry shrubs planted 10’ on-center outside of the site fence. The Eastern Red Cedar is a native tree Conditional Use Permit Application 13 City of Corcoran that will grow to a height of 30 to-60 feet. This is a hardy tree that requires little water or maintenance. It is especially deer- and drought-resistant, and will provide a dense visual and physical barrier around the site. We have specified a seed mix for the entire site that meets the City’s requirements for a pollinator-friendly native groundcover for solar sites. The diverse mix of native forbs and grasses will provide ample habitat for birds and pollinators and will aid in reducing erosion from stormwater runoff. The recommended seed mix shall be applied with adherence to the directions provided on the landscape drawings. The seed mix is adapted from a pilot mix currently in development by the BWSR specifically for solar sites in Minnesota. Total plantings: Eastern Redcedar = 88. Black Hills Spruce = 252. Black Chokecherry = 510. Figure 10: Location of Perimeter Plantings Conditional Use Permit Application 14 City of Corcoran Solar Energy Panels The proposed solar energy panels will be built with a fixed, unmovable angle. Fixed-angle arrays are typically 10 to 12 feet tall. Typical solar arrays are illustrated below. Figure 9: Typical Fixed‐Angle Solar Panels Figure 10: Appearance of Typical Solar Panels in a Field Glare Analysis A glare analysis was performed using the Forge Solar tool. A complete copy is attached as Appendix E. Solar Array Design Inputs Ground Mounted Fixed Tilt. 180 degree orientation – south facing. 35 degree panel tilt. Solar Panel Material – light textured glass with anti-reflective coating. Airport Glare Impacts The proposed solar array will create no FAA glare impacts. The nearest FAA sponsored airport is Anoka County – Blaine Airport Occupied Building Glare Impacts The glare analysis was performed using 12 Observation Points (occupied residential buildings) with elevations set at 15 feet (at typical eye level in a 2-story residence). Glare with low potential after image (Green Glare Classification) occurred west and southwest of the proposed Conditional Use Permit Application 15 City of Corcoran solar array and occurred between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. The proposed solar array will create between 910 and 1510 minutes of annual glare with low potential for temporary after image. Please note that the Observation Point site lines to the proposed solar array were analyzed without considering existing vegetative screening. Also, note that a control glare analysis has been performed and is available for review that analyzes the existing glare off Jubert Lake from the 12 Observation Points. Power and Communication Lines; Connection to the Xcel Line All power and communication lines will be buried, including those running between banks of solar panels to electric substations or inverters on the site or to interconnections with buildings on site,. The proposed community solar garden will connect to the Xcel Energy grid at an existing distribution line that runs along County Highway 19. The interconnection point will be on the western end of the site. The poles and wiring for this connection will conform to the requirements of the County’s solar ordinance. A schematic diagram of the interconnection is shown by Detail A on the Site Plan drawing. (Please refer to the large print for readability.) Tree Protection No trees will be removed from this site for the community solar garden. Ground Cover Native plantings will be used as ground cover. These grasses and forbs will enhance local biodiversity, consistent with the Pollinator Protection Pledge of the local solar power industry. They will be especially helpful to pollinator species such as bees and butterflies. The ground cover will be kept mowed to a workable height, and noxious weeds will not be allowed to flourish and spread into nearby farm fields. Perimeter Fence A 6 foot tall galvanized chain-link perimeter fence will be installed for safety and security. . The alignment is shown on Figure 5, Site Plan. The fence alignment is illustrated by Figure 6, Site Plan. The fence will only encompass the facility and will be located toward the interior of the site relative to existing or proposed perimeter trees and shrubs in order to maintain that vegetation and obscure the view of the fence. Sign A small freestanding identification sign will be erected near the entrance to the site. The sign will be within the height and size limits of the County sign regulations. Conditional Use Permit Application 16 City of Corcoran Construction Site Preparation Construction of the community solar garden will include stabilizing the construction entrances and exits and access road and establishing the parking and staging areas for vehicle and equipment storage / laydown and maintenance. The laydown areas will be used for pre- assembly of components and materials storage and staging. These areas will also provide construction worker parking. The site access roads will remain in place for the operational phase of the Project. The extent of grading will be determined during final design. Grading will be minimized to the extent practicable. Typically, grading will consist of small cut and fill areas needed to reshape slopes to allow for the fixed-tilt panels to be installed approximately 4 feet off of the ground. Some grading will also be required for structure foundations, but grading for access roads will be limited to removal of unsuitable soils since they will be designed and constructed at-grade when possible. Dust suppression on access roads will follow MPCA guidelines. During final design, the location of stripped and stockpiled topsoil may be removed during grading will be designated. Soil stockpiles could be as tall as 6 feet. During decommissioning, the stripped and stockpiled topsoil will be replaced following the de-commissioning plan. General facility grading will occur in entrance access areas and preparation of the staging / lay down area. The temporary staging / lay down areas will be about 4 to 5 acres and located at various locations within the facility. The staging/lay down areas will be used for storage of construction materials and shipped equipment containers, receiving construction deliveries, and temporary parking for Project related vehicles. A temporary construction office trailer will be located at the facility during construction. PV Equipment Installation Facility construction is designed for minimal site grading. Site grading and drainage will be conducted in accordance with the grading and drainage plan approved by the County and the State. The Project will be constructed using photovoltaic (PV) modules mounted on single axis trackers on embedded post foundations. Electrical Power Collection and Distribution System The solar panels will convert sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity. The PV-generated DC power will be collected from each of the multiple rows of PV modules through one or more combiner boxes and conveyed to an inverter. The inverter will convert the DC power to alternating current (AC) power, which will then flow to a medium-voltage transformer that converts the output of the inverter to 480 volts. Multiple medium-voltage transformers will be connected in a daisy-chain configuration and power will be delivered to the onsite main distribution switch gear from separate 34.5kV circuits. This switch gear acts as the primary interconnection point, after which power is transmitted to the utility-owned grid via overhead power lines. Inverters, Transformers and switchgear will be mounted on poured concrete foundations. Conditional Use Permit Application 17 City of Corcoran Conditional Use Permit Application 18 City of Corcoran Heavy Equipment Sunrise Development estimates that there will be between 15 and 35 large trucks used daily for equipment delivery during construction. Light duty trucks will also be used on a daily basis for transportation of construction workers to and from each facility. Construction equipment such as scrapers, bulldozers, dump trucks, watering trucks, motor graders, vibratory compactors, backhoes and the following will be used during construction: Skid steer loader Vibratory post driver Medium duty crane All-terrain forklift Concrete truck and boom truck High reach bucket truck Truck-mounted auger or drill rig. Table 2 Construction Timeline for the Project Day Elapsed Construction Milestones + 1 Project approval and construction begins: Installation of job facility trailers, temporary restroom facilities Grading and vegetation clearing where necessary, Preparation of roadways, staging/lay down yards, Installation of piers and racking (installation possible year round) + 60 Footings in place + 90 Primary wiring completed + 120 Control wiring completed + 150 Start acceptance testing + 180 Generation operational. Regular NPDES / SWPPP inspection during and after construction. Provide to the City an as‐built drawing for the drainage improvements Solar Equipment Installation The solar energy system (arrays, collection and distribution systems) will be installed along with access roads after site preparation. The solar facility will be constructed in blocks, and multiple blocks will be constructed simultaneously. The Project will be constructed in approximately six months. Electrical testing and equipment inspections will be conducted prior to beginning commercial operations. As portions of the Project near completion, temporary staging and lay down areas will be vacated, and disturbed areas will be reseeded and re-vegetated. Once installation is complete, the primary staging areas will be reduced in size and the supply structure and associated permanent infrastructure will be constructed. All toilet facilities are temporary; no permanent restroom facilities or septic systems are needed for operation of the Project. After construction, temporarily disturbed areas within the Project will be restored to their pre- construction condition. The Project facility will be graded to pre-construction grades where possible, and soil will be loosened and seeded with low-growing perennial grass and forb species. Once construction is complete, the permanent access roads within the Project facility will be repaired and dressed as necessary to ensure their long-term function. Erosion control methods during and after construction will depend on the contours of the land, as well as requirements of relevant permits. Sunrise anticipates that the post-construction clean-up and Facility restoration activities will last approximately two to four weeks. Telecommunication Line and Other Construction A redundant set of telecommunication lines will be installed via an overhead utility pole to the facility. This will connect and interact with the Xcel’s electrical system. Sunrise coordinates with Xcel and/or the local telecommunications utility to arrange for a connection to the existing system. Conditional Use Permit Application 19 City of Corcoran Operations and Maintenance The expected service life of the proposed facility is 25 to 30 years, and Sunrise estimates that the Project will result in one to two full-time-equivalent permanent positions to operate and maintain this Project along with other projects owned by Sunrise in the area. A maintenance plan will be created for the Project to ensure ongoing performance, including a scheduled check of the facility’s components and a predictive maintenance approach for the devices subjected to derating / degradation. Derating / degradation refer to the known process of components losing efficiency over the expected useful life. Like all technology and physical components, a certain amount, sometimes 20 percent, of this efficiency loss is unavoidable over the expected component life. Sunrise will plan for and maintain the facility to ensure the maximum performance over the expected life of the components. Once construction is complete, staff will be present on a daily basis, with potentially more personnel at the facility at intervals associated with the maintenance . All maintenance activities will be performed by qualified personnel during the day to the extent that they do not significantly disrupt energy production. Activities that have the potential for substantial noise generation will be performed during the day to minimize impacts to residents. It may be desirable to perform certain maintenance functions after sunset to minimize loss of power production. If a particular PV module, tracker row or tracker block within the community solar garden needs repairing, only that particular component will need to be disconnected and will be done by opening the combiner box circuit. The PV module can then be replaced and the combiner box circuit closed. Because of the modular way the that community solar garden components are assembled and controlled, a temporary shutdown such as this would result in only a minimal loss of energy production. Additionally, the power production circuits are separated from the tracking circuits. This allows the PV modules to operate during an unscheduled outage of the tracker system. A reserve of spare parts, components and tools for maintenance will be kept at a supply structure. Equipment Inspection Equipment inspection will occur at regular intervals, including: PV modules: visual check of the PV modules, tracking system and surrounding grounds to verify the integrity of the PV modules and racking structure, or the presence of animals and nests, etc.; Inverters, transformer and electrical panels: visual check of the devices including the connection equipment and the grounding network. Check for presence of water and dust; Electrical check: measurement of the insulation level and dispersion. Check of the main switches and safety devices (fuses); Noise: check of abnormal sounds; Cabling and wiring: visual check of electrical lines (where visible) and connection box to verify its status. Conditional Use Permit Application 20 City of Corcoran Performance Monitoring Performance monitoring will consist of a real-time and continuous assimilation of the data acquired by the facility meteorological station, energy meter and SCADA system. Operators and or maintenance personnel will be immediately notified of abnormalities so timely corrective action such as repair or replacement on: modules, racking, the collection system, and etc., can occur. Facility Maintenance Routine maintenance of the Project will include road maintenance, fence and gate inspection, and lighting system checks. Module washing is not needed on a scheduled basis. Rain keeps the modules sufficiently clean and the site is vegetated to keep dust down so that washing modules would occur infrequently and only as determined by maintenance technicians. Snow and ice removal is not needed. The trackers and modules are designed to shed rain, snow and ice. Vegetation maintenance will include scheduled mowing and spot spraying weeds using registered herbicides. Maintenance Frequency The electrical and mechanical components of the community solar garden would be checked on a regular basis to ensure safety and reliability. The maintenance schedule would range from weekly to yearly depending on the component. Conditional Use Permit Application 21 City of Corcoran De‐Commissioning, Restoration and Repowering At the end of commercial operation, Sunrise will be responsible for decommissioning by removing all of the arrays and equipment. Decommissioning of the Project at the end of its useful life, estimated to be approximately 25- 30 years. would include removing the arrays, inverters, transformers, above-ground portions of the electrical collection system, fencing, lighting, and supply structure from the Project. Standard decommissioning and restoration practices will be used, including dismantling and repurposing, salvaging, recycling or disposing of the solar energy improvements, and restoration. Land returned to agricultural production will be reclaimed to restore topsoil that may have been scraped and stockpiled from areas that are designated in the final design plan. Estimated Cost The cost of de-commissioning the project is estimated to be $510,829. A detailed cost estimate prepared by a knowledgeable professional in the filed of solar energy project development is presented by Appendix F. Project Components The activities involved in the facility closure would depend on the expected future use of the site. Certain facility equipment and features such as transmission facilities, roads, and drainage features, may be left in place for future uses. The future use will be determined at the point that decommissioning is determined to be in order. The key Project components to be affected by decommissioning activities are discussed below. The general decommissioning approach would be the same whether a portion of the Project or the entire Project would be decommissioned. Decommissioning Preparation The first step in the decommissioning process would be to assess existing site conditions and prepare the site for demolition, access roads, fencing, electrical power, and other facilities will temporarily remain in place for use by the decommissioning workers until no longer needed. Demolition debris will be placed in temporary onsite storage area(s) pending final transportation and disposal and/or recycling according to the procedures listed below. Permits and Approvals Depending on the regulatory requirements at the time of decommissioning, permits or approvals may be required for the decommissioning activities. The project will not impact waters of the United States or Threatened or Endangered species, so no federal approvals are expected. Appropriate applications for approvals would be submitted and approves issued prior to decommissioning activities. Conditional Use Permit Application 22 City of Corcoran Erosion Control Prior to commencement of decommissioning activities, erosion control measures would be implemented. The type and extent of these measures would be dictated by the regulatory requirements at the time of decommissioning. Health and Safety A Health and Safety Plan will be developed prior to decommissioning activities. The plan will be designed to ensure worker and public safety during decommissioning. A Health and Safety Manager will be assigned to the decommissioning activities to provide worker training and health and safety monitoring. PV Equipment Removal During decommissioning, Project components that are no longer needed would be removed from the site and disposed of at an appropriately licensed disposal facility. Above ground portions of the PV module supports will be removed. Below ground portions of the PV module supports will be removed entirely where practical. Those supports that are more firmly anchored (e.g., such as embedded in bedrock) may be cut off below grade, and the remaining support left in place. This will avoid impact of underground equipment on future farming activities. The demolition debris and removed equipment may be cut or dismantled into pieces that can be safely lifted or carried with the onsite equipment being used. The debris and equipment will be processed for transportation and delivery to an appropriately licensed disposal facility or recycling center. No hazardous materials or waste will be used during operation of the solar facility, and disposal of hazardous materials or waste will not be required during decommissioning. Electrical Power Connection/Distribution System All electrical equipment, including combiner boxes, inverters, transformers, and switchgear, will be de- energized and dismantled and removed. AC power equipment can be de-energized by the utility at point of interconnection and safely removed, and DC power can be de- energized by first operating the combiner box disconnects and then unplugging module leads. The cast-in-place concrete foundations will be broken up, removed and recycled. The underground distribution cables and raceways will be cut below grade and will remain in place. Roads On-site roads will remain in place to accomplish decommissioning at the end of the Project's life. At the time of decommissioning, if the City determines that some of these roads will be beneficial for future use of the site; those roads may remain after decommissioning. Roads that will not be used will be restored. Any gravel will be removed and shipped to an appropriate disposal site. Fencing Project site perimeter fencing will be removed at the end of the decommissioning project. to return the site to pre-project condition. Conditional Use Permit Application 23 City of Corcoran Conditional Use Permit Application 24 City of Corcoran Site Restoration Once removal of all Project equipment is complete, any excavated areas from post or equipment removal will be backfilled with native soil. Any areas backfilled or otherwise disturbed will be stabilized and reseeded. Future Land Use While the decommissioning plan is based upon the site being returned to a condition consistent with pre-construction use, the actual activities involved in the facility closure would depend on the actual future use of the site. Certain facility equipment may be used in the future, such as the transmission facilities and roads. Therefore, the actual extent of site closure activities would be determined at the time of the closure. Project Decommissioning Costs and Bonding For the purpose of bonding, an estimate of the cost of decommissioning the Project will be presented to the City. Funding mechanisms to cover the estimated cost of implementing this Decommissioning Plan shall be secured in the form of a corporate guarantee. Every ten years, over the life of the Project, an updated estimate of decommissioning costs will prepared by Sunrise to adjust for inflation. Decommissioning Schedule Decommissioning activities will be completed prior to expiration of the life of the community solar garden. Noise Emissions Noise Emitted by the Project During Project construction, noise will be emitted by the construction vehicles and equipment, including vibratory pile drivers for installation of piers. The equipment noise will in the 80 to 90s dBA range, which will vary based on the type of construction that is occurring on a given day. These noise impacts will be temporary during the Project construction phase. Since this is a solar photovoltaic facility, operational noise is generated during daylight periods. There will be limited maintenance noise after sunset. During Project operation, the main source of noise will be generated by the electric inverters, and to a lesser extent from the transformers and rotation of the tracking system. All electrical equipment will be designed to National Electrical Manufacturer Association (NEMA) Standards. Sunrise plans to use AE 1000NX, or equivalent, inverters. These inverters produce 65 dBA of sound at their source. The noise generated from the inverters at 30 feet away will be below the nighttime residential MPCA noise standards. Inverters are centrally located within the 1 MW-AC CSG; therefore, the noise levels from the Project equipment are not expected to be discernible from background noise levels at homes surrounding the Project. During final design, Sunrise will confirm that MPCA noise standards will be met at sensitive receiver (homes, parks, schools businesses, etc.). Mitigation Measures Noise will be mitigated during construction by maintaining engine mufflers following manufactures specifications. Sunrise plans to limit construction to daylight hours. During operation, no adverse noise impacts are anticipated. Therefore, no additional mitigation measures are proposed. Conditional Use Permit Application 25 City of Corcoran XC E L E X I S T I N G P O L E ( P O I ) SE E D E T A I L A UG M V H O M E R U N 1 2 . 4 7 k V PC S S K I D 1, 6 6 7 k W I N V E R T E R 18 0 0 k V A T R A N S F O R M E R SE E D E T A I L B SI T E A C C E S S GR A V E L R O A D 2 0 ' W I D E SI T E A C C E S S O F F H W Y 1 9 PV A R R A Y FI X E D T I L T R A C K I N G SI T E A C C E S S 1 6 ' W I D E G A T E SI T E A C C E S S 1 6 ' W I D E G A T E VE G E T A T I V E B U F F E R PE R D E T A I L 1 VE G E T A T I V E B U F F E R PE R D E T A I L 2 MV J U N C T I O N B O X UN D E R G R O U N D M E D I U M V O L T A G E AC C I R C U I T F R O M I N V E R T E R ST A T I O N T O C U S T O M E R DI S C O N N E C T . C I R C U I T D I S T A N C E S VA R Y B Y C S G P R O J E C T . XC E L E X I S T I N G P O L E ( P O I ) DI R E C T I O N A L B O R I N G RO A D C R O S S I N G 1, 6 6 7 k W I N V E R T E R PV P R O D U C T I O N M E T E R D I S C O N N E C T , AC C E S S I B L E , V I S I B L E A N D L O C K A B L E 18 0 0 k V A S T E P - U P TR A N S F O R M E R UN D E R G R O U N D M E D I U M VO L T A G E A C C I R C U I T T O UT I L I T Y A C D I S C O N N E C T 1 2 . 4 7 k V PV P R O D U C T I O N ME T E R PO W E R C O N V E R T I N G ST A T I O N ( P C S ) DA T E : DR A W N B Y : DW G N o . : DR A W I N G T I T L E PR O J E C T N o : DA T E RE V . RE V I S I O N DE S C R I P T I O N DR A W N BY CH K D . BY CH E C K E D B Y : DR A W I N G S C A L E : 1 01 . 0 3 . 2 0 1 7 LA Y O U T C H A N G E AP J C 2 01 . 1 1 . 2 0 1 7 LA Y O U T C H A N G E AP J C 3 01 . 1 4 . 2 0 1 7 LA Y O U T C H A N G E AP J C 4 02 . 0 2 . 2 0 1 7 RO A D C H A N G E VE G E T A T I V E B U F F E R AP J C SI T E P L A N Sc a l e 1 : 1 2 5 45° 4'59.26"N 93°37'31.71"W Approx. HWY 19 Corcoran, MN 55340 TB D 02 . 0 2 . 2 0 1 7 CORCORAN SOLAR P. 0 1 SI T E LA Y O U T AP A P 1" = 1 2 5 ' NO T E S DE T A I L A 60 1 C a r l s o n P a r k w a y , S u i t e 1 0 5 0 Mi n n e t o n k a , M N 5 5 3 0 5 Te l : ( 7 0 4 ) 9 7 5 - 6 5 2 9 1. F e n c e o v e r a l l h e i g h t - 7 ' f t . c h a i n li n k t y p e w i t h 2 i n c h m e s h a n d t h r e e st r a n d s o f b a r b w i r e , a c c o m m o d a t i n g re s t r i c t e d a c c e s s 2. F e n c e s h a l l m e e t t h e r e q u i r e d se t b a c k s . S e e d r a w i n g f o r d e t a i l s . 3. S i t e a c c e s s f o r c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d fo r t h e p e r m a n e n t f a c i l i t y w i l l b e l o c a t e d of f o f H W Y 1 9 . 4. S i g n a g e a n d e m e r g e n c y c o n t a c t nu m b e r s p o s t e d a t e n t r a n c e . 5. T h e p r o p o s e d s o l a r P V s y s t e m i s 10 0 0 V D C . 6. T h e i n v e r t e r p r o p o s e d h e r e i s UL 1 7 4 1 l i s t e d . 7. T h e u t i l i t y i n t e r c o n n e c t i o n me d i u m v o l t a g e i s n o t k n o w n a t t h e st a g e o f i n t e r c o n n e c t i o n a p p l i c a t i o n . 8. I n v e r t e r r e - c o m b i n e r co n f i g u r a t i o n i s T B D . 9. T h e p r o p o s e d s y s t e m i s de s i g n e d a s p e r a p p l i c a b l e c o d e s o f NE C 2 0 1 4 . FA S T S U N L L C PR O J E C T N A M E , C O O R D I N A T E S , S I T E A D D R E S S : VI C I N I T Y M A P Sc a l e 1 " = 2 5 0 0 ' SI T E NO T E S : 1. M A I N S E R V I C E M E T E R A N D X C E L D I S C O N N E C T . P O I N T O F C O M M O N C O U P L I N G W I T H X C E L E N E R G Y . P E R X C E L E N E R G Y D R A W I N G P M - 1 0 C O M P A N Y OW N E D P R I M A R Y M E T E R I N S T A L L A T I O N . M O U N T O N M E T E R P O L E . P R O V I D E P L A C A R D S T A T I N G " G E N E R A T I O N S Y S T E M C O N N E C T E D " . 2. T R A N S F O R M E R S . P R O V I D E 1 0 0 0 K V A S T E P - U P T R A N S F O R M E R , 1 2 . 4 7 k V : 3 8 0 V . P R O V I D E N E U T R A L G R O U N D I N G R E A C T O R . 3. P V P R O D U C T I O N M E T E R . P R O V I D E P O T E N T I A L T R A N S F O R M E R S A N D C U R R E N T T R A N S F O R M E R S A S R E Q U I R E D T O M E E T X C E L E N E R G Y M E T E R I N G VO L T A G E ( 1 2 0 / 2 8 0 V O R 2 7 7 / 4 8 0 V ) A N D C U R R E N T S T A N D A R D S . 4. P V P R O D U C T I O N M E T E R D I S C O N N E C T . P R O V I D E A C C E S S I B L E , V I S I B L E , A N D L O C K A B L E D I S C O N N E C T . 5. I N S T A L L A T I O N T O C O M P L Y W I T H N E C 2 0 1 4 A R T I C L E 6 9 0 A N D A L L A P P L I C A B L E L O C A L , S T A T E , A N D N A T I O N A L C O D E S O R R E G U L A T I O N S . 6. E Q U I P M E N T S H A L L B E L A B E L E D P E R N E C 6 9 0 A N D X C E L E N E R G Y R E G U L A T I O N S . 7. A C C E S S R O A D S S H A L L B E D E S I G N E D T O A C C O M M O D A T E A L L C O N S T R U C T I O N , O P E R A T I O N S , A N D M A I N T E N A N C E T R A F F I C T H R O U G H O U T T H E S I T E . DE T A I L B PV S Y S T E M C O N F I G U R A T I O N : AZ I M U T H : T R U E S O U T H ( 1 8 0 ° ) TI L T A N G L E : 3 5 ° ED G E T O E D G E R O W D I S T A N C E : 2 5 f t DI S T A N C E B E T W E E N R O W S : 1 4 . 5 f t MO D U L E W I D T H : 6 . 4 2 f t GR O U N D C O V E R A G E R A T I O : 0 . 4 2 GR O U N D C L E A R A N C E : M I N 2 4 " CO R C O R A N S O L A R 6. 7 3 M W d c / 5 . 0 M W a c SY S T E M V O L T A G E : 1 0 0 0 V MO D U L E S : T R I N A T A L L M A X P L U S 3 3 5 W QT Y : 2 0 , 0 8 8 TO T A L S T R I N G S : 1 , 1 1 6 ( 1 8 M O D U L E S T R I N G S ) IN V E R T E R S : Ti M E C 1 , 6 6 7 k W o r S I M I L A R - Q T Y : 3 IN V E R T E R S K I D S : x 3 1, 6 6 7 k W I N V E R T E R 18 0 0 k V A T R A N S F O R M E R BL O C K S : 3 MO D U L E S : 6 , 6 9 6 P E R B L O C K ST R I N G S : 3 7 2 P E R B L O C K IN V E R T E R S K I D S : 1 P E R B L O C K FI X E D T I L T G R O U N D M O U N T 2x 1 8 T Y P I C A L R A C K S : 5 5 8 DR I V E N P I E R F O U N D A T I O N LE G E N D : PR O P E R T Y L I N E - T B D PR O P E R T Y L I N E S E T B A C K FE N C E L I N E - 2 3 . 3 A C R E S UN D E R G R O U N D M V H O M E R U N PR O P O S E D N E W A C C E S S R O A D EX I S T I N G O V E R H E A D L I N E DE T A I L 1 DE T A I L 2 EOR is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer Emmons & Olivier Resources, Inc. 651 Hale Ave N. Oakdale, MN 55128 T/ 651.770.8448 F/ 651.770.2552 www.eorinc.com memo Project Name | Corcoran Solar Date | 2.6.2017 To / Contact info | City of Corcoran Cc / Contact info | Bill Weber, Mark Zweig From / Contact info | Britta Hansen, PLA (EOR), bhansen@eorinc.com Regarding | Landscaping for Solar Site Solar Site Landscape Buffer Per City of Corcoran requirements for solar garden construction, I have developed a landscape screening plan for the proposed Sunrise Energy solar project including tall coniferous trees and tall native shrubs to provide a visual barrier between the proposed solar site from adjacent properties and public rights of way. The north property boundary of the site shall be buffered with Black Hills Spruce trees planted at 15’ on center, as well as a row of Glossy Black Chokeberry (a native deciduous shrub) planted at 10’ on center. The Black Hills Spruce will grow to a height of 20-40’ and the Chokeberry will grow rapidly to a height of approximately 8’. The combined effect will be a dense visual and physical barrier on the north side of the property. On the East, West, and South borders of the solar field (as shown on the attached layout plan), a similar planting plan will consist of Eastern Redcedar coniferous trees planted at 15’ on center and Glossy Black Chokeberry shrubs planted at 10’ on center on the outside of the solar site fence. The Eastern Redcedar is a native tree which will grow to a height of 30-60’. It is a very hearty tree which requires little water or maintenance. It is especially deer and drought resistant, and will provide a dense visual and physical barrier around the site. Solar Site Seeding I have recommended a seed mix for the entire site which meets the City of Corcoran’s requirements for a pollinator-friendly native groundcover for solar sites. The diverse mix of native forbs and grasses will provide ample habitat for birds and pollinators and will aid in reducing erosion from stormwater runoff. The recommended seed mix shall be applied with strict adherence to the directions provided on the landscape drawings. The seed mix is adapted from a pilot mix currently in development by BWSR specifically for solar sites in Minnesota. If you have any questions about this planting plan or seed mix, please contact me at 651-203-6042. Sincerely, Britta Hansen, PLA Landscape Architect Emmons & Olivier Resources, Inc. 15.0'20.0'15.0' 2.0' 6.0'2.0' AC C E S S R O A D SE E D I N G A R E A CO N I F E R O U S T R E E DE C I D U O U S S H R U B FE N C E PR O P E R T Y L I N E Bl a c k H i l l s S p r u c e @ 1 5 ' O . C . Gl o s s y B l a c k C h o k e b e r r y @ 1 0 ' O . C . So l a r A r r a y 25.0'15.0' 7.0' 5.0' Ea s t e r n R e d c e d a r @ 1 5 ' O . C . Gl o s s y B l a c k C h o k e b e r r y @ 1 0 ' O . C . I H E R E B Y C E R T I F Y T H A T T H I S P L A N , S P E C I F I C A T I O N , O R R E P O R T WA S P R E P A R E D B Y M E O R U N D E R M Y D I R E C T S U P E R V I S I O N A N D TH A T I A M A D U L Y L I C E N S E D P R O F E S S I O N A L L A N D S C A P E AR C H I T E C T U N D E R T H E L A W S O F T H E S T A T E O F M I N N E S O T A . BR I T T A M . H A N S E N DA T E : 0 2 - 0 6 - 2 0 1 7 LI C E N S E # 5 3 3 0 7 Plot Date: 02/06/2017 Drawing name: X:\Clients_Private\1076_Weber_Community_Planning\0005_LA_2017\09_GIMS_ProjectName\dwg\Corcoran Solar Plant Layout R.dwg Xrefs: 1NO DA T E B Y RE V I S I O N 2 3 4 5 6 CO R C O R A N S O L A R 45 ° 4 ' 5 9 . 2 6 " N 9 3 ° 3 7 ' 3 1 . 7 1 " W Ap p r o x . H W Y 1 9 CO R C O R A N , M I N N E S O T A , 5 5 3 4 0 DE S I G N B Y D R A W N B Y BH BH EO R P R O J E C T N O . 10 7 6 - 0 0 5 SH E E T 0 1 O F 0 2 S H E E T S SU B M I S S I O N D A T E : 02 - 0 6 - 2 0 1 7 SU N R I S E E N E R G Y VE N T U R E S 60 1 C A R L S O N P K W Y , S T E 1 0 5 0 MI N N E T O N K A , M N 5 5 3 0 5 LA N D S C A P E P L A N S T A T E P R O J E C T N O . C I T Y P R O J E C T N O . Em m o n s & O l i v i e r Re s o u r c e s , I n c . wa t e r ec o l o g y co m m u n i t y 65 1 H a l e A v e n u e N o r t h Oa k d a l e , M N 5 5 1 2 8 Te l e : 6 5 1 . 7 7 0 . 8 4 4 8 ww w . e o r i n c . c o m 01 01 TY P . P L A N T I N G P L A N - N O R T H P R O P E R T Y L I N E NO T T O S C A L E N 01 02 TY P . P L A N T I N G P L A N - O U T S I D E O F F E N C E NO T T O S C A L E N GE N E R A L N O T E S 1. L A N D S C A P E C O N T R A C T O R S H A L L I N S P E C T T H E S I T E A N D B E C O M E F A M I L I A R W I T H E X I S T I N G C O N D I T I O N S R E L A T I N G T O T H E NA T U R E A N D S C O P E O F W O R K . 2. L A N D S C A P E C O N T R A C T O R S H A L L V E R I F Y P L A N L A Y O U T A N D B R I N G T O T H E A T T E N T I O N O F T H E L A N D S C A P E A R C H I T E C T DI S C R E P A N C I E S W H I C H M A Y C O M P R O M I S E T H E D E S I G N O R I N T E N T O F T H E L A Y O U T . 3. L A N D S C A P E C O N T R A C T O R S H A L L A S S U R E C O M P L I A N C E W I T H A P P L I C A B L E C O D E S A N D R E G U L A T I O N S G O V E R N I N G T H E WO R K A N D M A T E R I A L S S U P P L I E D . 4. L A N D S C A P E C O N T R A C T O R S H A L L V E R I F Y A L I G N M E N T A N D L O C A T I O N O F U N D E R G R O U N D A N D A B O V E G R A D E U T I L I T I E S A N D PR O V I D E T H E N E C E S S A R Y P R O T E C T I O N F O R S A M E B E F O R E C O N S T R U C T I O N B E G I N S . 5. L A N D S C A P E C O N T R A C T O R S H A L L R E V I E W T H E S I T E F O R D E F I C I E N C I E S I N S I T E C O N D I T I O N S W H I C H M I G H T N E G A T I V E L Y AF F E C T P L A N T E S T A B L I S H M E N T , S U R V I V A L O R W A R R A N T Y . U N D E S I R A B L E S I T E C O N D I T I O N S S H A L L B E B R O U G H T T O T H E AT T E N T I O N O F T H E L A N D S C A P E A R C H I T E C T P R I O R T O B E G I N N I N G O F W O R K . 6. L A N D S C A P E C O N T R A C T O R I S R E S P O N S I B L E F O R O N G O I N G M A I N T E N A N C E O F N E W L Y I N S T A L L E D M A T E R I A L S U N T I L T I M E O F FI N A L A C C E P T A N C E B Y L A N D S C A P E A R C H I T E C T . R E P A I R O F A C T S O F V A N D A L I S M O R D A M A G E W H I C H M A Y O C C U R P R I O R T O FI N A L A C C E P T A N C E S H A L L B E T H E R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y O F T H E L A N D S C A P E C O N T R A C T O R . PL A N T I N G N O T E S 7. N O P L A N T S W I L L B E I N S T A L L E D U N T I L F I N A L G R A D I N G A N D C O N S T R U C T I O N H A S B E E N C O M P L E T E D I N T H E I M M E D I A T E A R E A . 8. P R O P O S E D P L A N T M A T E R I A L S H A L L C O M P L Y W I T H T H E C U R R E N T E D I T I O N O F T H E A M E R I C A N S T A N D A R D F O R N U R S E R Y ST O C K , A N S I Z 6 0 . 1 . U N L E S S N O T E D O T H E R W I S E , D E C I D U O U S S H R U B S S H A L L H A V E A T L E A S T 5 C A N E S A T T H E S P E C I F I E D HE I G H T . O R N A M E N T A L T R E E S S H A L L H A V E N O ' V ' C R O T C H E S A N D S H A L L B E G I N B R A N C H I N G N O L O W E R T H A N 3 ' F E E T A B O V E TH E R O O T B A L L . S T R E E T A N D B O U L E V A R D T R E E S S H A L L B E G I N B R A N C H I N G N O L O W E R T H A N 6 ' A B O V E P A V E D S U R F A C E . 9. N O P L A N T M A T E R I A L S U B S T I T U T I O N S W I L L B E A C C E P T E D U N L E S S A P P R O V A L I S G R A N T E D B Y T H E L A N D S C A P E A R C H I T E C T T O TH E L A N D S C A P E C O N T R A C T O R . 10 . A D J U S T M E N T S I N L O C A T I O N O F P R O P O S E D P L A N T M A T E R I A L S M A Y B E N E E D E D I N F I E L D . L A N D S C A P E A R C H I T E C T M U S T B E NO T I F I E D P R I O R T O A D J U S T M E N T O F P L A N T S . 11 . P L A N T M A T E R I A L S T O B E I N S T A L L E D P E R P L A N T I N G D E T A I L S . 12 . W A T E R A L L P L A N T M A T E R I A L W I T H I N 2 H O U R S O F P L A N T I N G . A P P L Y E N O U G H W A T E R T O T H O R O U G H L Y S A T U R A T E A L L PL A N T I N G S O I L . SE E D I N G N O T E S 13 . S O W N A T I V E S E E D M I X F O R S O L A R S I T E S O N A L L D I S T U R B E D A R E A S A F T E R A L L G R A D I N G A N D C O N S T R U C T I O N A C T I V I T I E S HA V E B E E N C O M P L E T E D . 14 . A C C E P T A B L E S E E D I N G D A T E S A R E A P R I L 1 5 - J U L Y 2 0 I N T H E S P R I N G , O R S E P T E M B E R 2 0 - O C T O B E R 2 0 I N T H E F A L L . W R I T T E N PE R M I S S I O N M U S T B E G R A N T E D B Y T H E L A N D S C A P E A R C H I T E C T T O P E R F O R M S E E D I N G O P E R A T I O N S O N A N Y O T H E R D A T E S OF T H E Y E A R . 15 . U S E T E M P O R A R Y E R O S I O N C O N T R O L D E V I C E S ( S T R A W W A T T L E S , S I L T F E N C E ) A S N E E D E D T O P R E V E N T E R O S I O N P R I O R T O AN D D U R I N G S E E D E S T A B L I S H M E N T . 16 . P R E P A R E S E E D B E D P R I O R T O S E E D I N G P E R M N D O T S P E C . 2 5 7 4 . A 4 . 17 . A P P L Y S E E D I N H Y D R O - S E E D M I X T U R E W I T H A P P R O P R I A T E A G I T A T I N G E Q U I P M E N T P E R M N D O T S P E C . 2 5 7 5 . 3 . B 4 . N O T E T H A T SO L A R A R R A Y S M U S T B E P R O T E C T E D F R O M H Y D R O - S E E D O V E R S P R A Y O R C L E A N E D A F T E R A P P L I C A T I O N P E R M N D O T S P E C . 25 7 5 . 3 . E . 18 . I N C L U D E A C O V E R C R O P O F O A T S W I T H I N S E E D M I X ( @ R A T E O F 3 8 L B / A C R E ) I F S E E D I N G B E T W E E N O C T O B E R 1 5 T H A N D AU G U S T 1 S T . I F S E E D I N G B E T W E E N A U G U S T 1 S T A N D O C T O B E R 1 5 T H , S U B S T I T U T E W I N T E R W H E A T F O R O A T S A T T H E S A M E RA T E . SE E D E S T A B L I S H M E N T N O T E S 19 . M O N I T O R T H E S I T E M O N T H L Y D U R I N G T H E F I R S T T W O G R O W I N G S E A S O N S T O D E T E C T A R E A S O F W E E D C O L O N I Z A T I O N . C U T OR S P R A Y W E E D S W I T H G L Y P H O S A T E H E R B I C I D E A S S O O N A S D E T E C T E D . 20 . D U R I N G T H E F I R S T G R O W I N G S E A S O N M O W T H E E N T I R E S E E D E D A R E A O N C E E V E R Y 4 0 D A Y S . K E E P M O W E R D E C K H E I G H T BE T W E E N 5 - 8 " . 21 . D U R I N G T H E S E C O N D G R O W I N G S E A S O N M O W T H E E N T I R E S E E D E D A R E A O N C E I N M I D - J U N E A N D O N C E I N M I D - A U G U S T . K E E P MO W E R D E C K H E I G H T B E T W E E N 5 - 8 " . 22 . I F A R E A S O F B A R E G R O U N D P E R S I S T A F T E R F I R S T G R O W I N G S E A S O N B R O A D C A S T A D D I T I O N A L S E E D M I X A S N E E D E D T O A I D IN E S T A B L I S H M E N T . 23 . A F T E R T H E F I R S T T W O G R O W I N G S E A S O N S M O W N A T I V E S E E D I N G A R E A O N C E P E R Y E A R I N L A T E F A L L , O R E A R L Y S P R I N G . RA K E O U T A N D R E M O V E D O W N E D V E G E T A T I O N T O T H E E X T E N T F E A S I B L E . F O R R E V I E W SH R U B S T O B E P L A C E D S O T H A T RO O T I N G T O P S O I L B O R R O W SC A R I F Y B O T T O M A N D S I D E S O F HO L E P R I O R T O P L A N T I N G LO O S E N R O O T S O F A L L CO N T A I N E R I Z E D P L A N T S . TO P O F C O N T A I N E R S I T S F L U S H WI T H P R O P O S E D G R A D E . AF T E R P L A N T I N G . WA T E R S H R U B T H O R O U G H L Y SE T O N M O U N D E D G R A D E . RO O T B A L L S E T O N M O U N D E D S U B G R A D E HO L E P R I O R T O P L A N T I N G SC A R I F Y B O T T O M A N D S I D E S O F PE R I O D . S T A K I N G I S N O T P E R M I T T E D . PO S I T I O N T H R O U G H T H E W A R R A N T Y MA I N T A I N I N G A L L T R E E S I N A P L U M B TH E C O N T R A C T O R I S R E S P O N S I B L E F O R RE M O V E A L L F L A G G I N G A N D L A B E L I N G IN 8 - 1 2 " L I F T S A N D S A T U R A T E S O I L W I T H PL A N T I N G O P E R A T I O N S . P L A C E B A C K F I L L WA T E R T R E E T H O R O U G H L Y D U R I N G FR O M T R E E . AF T E R P L A N T I N G I S C O M P L E T E . PR U N E A N Y D A M A G E D B R A N C H E S WA T E R . D O N O T C O M P A C T M O R E T H A N NE C E S S A R Y T O M A I N T A I N P L U M B . MU L C H - 3 " D E E P - S H R E D D E D H A R D W O O D SH A L L B E S U B S T A N T I A L L Y F R E E O F M O L D , D I R T , SA W D U S T , A N D F O R E I G N M A T E R I A L A N D S H A L L NO T B E I N A N A D V A N C E D S T A T E O F DE C O M P O S I T I O N . T H E M A T E R I A L S H A L L P A S S A 4 I N C H S C R E E N A N D N O T M O R E T H A N 2 0 PE R C E N T B Y M A S S O F T H E M A T E R I A L S H A L L PA S S A . 1 I N C H S I E V E . M A X . L E N G T H O F IN D I V I D U A L P I E C E S N O T T O E X C E E D 2 0 I N C H E S . NO M U L C H T O L A Y A G A I N S T C O L L A R . 2 x R O O T B A L L W I D T H RO O T I N G T O P S O I L B O R R O W I H E R E B Y C E R T I F Y T H A T T H I S P L A N , S P E C I F I C A T I O N , O R R E P O R T WA S P R E P A R E D B Y M E O R U N D E R M Y D I R E C T S U P E R V I S I O N A N D TH A T I A M A D U L Y L I C E N S E D P R O F E S S I O N A L L A N D S C A P E AR C H I T E C T U N D E R T H E L A W S O F T H E S T A T E O F M I N N E S O T A . BR I T T A M . H A N S E N DA T E : 0 2 - 0 6 - 2 0 1 7 LI C E N S E # 5 3 3 0 7 Plot Date: 02/06/2017 Drawing name: X:\Clients_Private\1076_Weber_Community_Planning\0005_LA_2017\09_GIMS_ProjectName\dwg\Corcoran Solar Plant Layout R.dwg Xrefs: 1NO DA T E B Y RE V I S I O N 2 3 4 5 6 CO R C O R A N S O L A R 45 ° 4 ' 5 9 . 2 6 " N 9 3 ° 3 7 ' 3 1 . 7 1 " W Ap p r o x . H W Y 1 9 CO R C O R A N , M I N N E S O T A , 5 5 3 4 0 DE S I G N B Y D R A W N B Y BH BH EO R P R O J E C T N O . 10 7 6 - 0 0 5 SH E E T 0 2 O F 0 2 S H E E T S SU B M I S S I O N D A T E : 02 - 0 6 - 2 0 1 7 SU N R I S E E N E R G Y VE N T U R E S 60 1 C A R L S O N P K W Y , S T E 1 0 5 0 MI N N E T O N K A , M N 5 5 3 0 5 LA N D S C A P E P L A N S T A T E P R O J E C T N O . C I T Y P R O J E C T N O . Em m o n s & O l i v i e r Re s o u r c e s , I n c . wa t e r ec o l o g y co m m u n i t y 65 1 H a l e A v e n u e N o r t h Oa k d a l e , M N 5 5 1 2 8 Te l e : 6 5 1 . 7 7 0 . 8 4 4 8 ww w . e o r i n c . c o m 02 01 DE C I D U O U S S H R U B P L A N T I N G D E T A I L , T Y P . NO T T O S C A L E 02 02 CO N I F E R O U S T R E E P L A N T I N G D E T A I L , T Y P . NO T T O S C A L E F O R R E V I E W Landform®, SensiblyGreen® and Site to Finish® are registered service marks of Landform Professional Services, LLC. 1 MEMORANDUM 105 South Fifth Street, Suite 513 Minneapolis, MN 55401 Tel: 612-252-9070 Fax: 612-252-9077 www.landform.net DATE February 23, 2017 TO Brad Martens CC City Council, Planning Commission, Parks & Trails Commission FROM Kendra Lindahl, City Planner RE Active Corcoran Planning Applications The following is a summary of project status for current, active projects: 1.Sawgrass Preliminary Plat, Preliminary PUD Development Plan and Rezoning for on Schendel property at 20400 County Road 10 (City file 14-027). The City Council approved the request on December 11, 2014 and granted the applicant 2 years to apply for the final plat and final PUD development plan. Peachtree Partners did not buy the property, but a different developer could still proceed with the approved plan. On December 9, 2016, the applicant submitted a written request to extend the approvals for an additional year. Staff recommended that this request be reviewed by the City Council, but adequate time was not provided to place this on a Council agenda prior to expiration. Staff administratively approved an extension until February 28, 2017 so that this request for extension could be considered at the February 23, 2017 Council meeting. 2.Interim Use Permit for a Conditional Home Occupation License for an upholstery business (Designers Choice Upholstery) located at 20125 County Road 117 (PID 02-119-23-12-0005) (city file no. 16-013). The applicant is now complete and will be scheduled for a public hearing at the Planning Commission and City Council in either April or May. 3.Interim Use Permit for a solar farm at 23710 State Highway 55. (PID 31-119-23-32-0001) (City File 16-032). The City recently amended the Zoning Ordinance to allow solar farms in certain districts. The landowners have requested approval for this site. The Planning Commission recommended approval after the public hearing on December 1st and City Council approved the request on December 19th. The applicant is currently working to address the conditions of approval. The applicant has submitted a request that the Council consider revising the financial guarantee requirements. This will be considered at the March 9th Council meeting. 4.2040 Corcoran Comprehensive Plan (City file 17-001). At their January 12th meeting, the City Council authorized staff and consulting staff to begin working on the required update. Staff will be creating a Comprehensive Plan update on the City website where information about the process, including opportunities for public input, will be posted and regularly updated. Staff is working to develop a more complete media outreach plan and will begin implementing that in the next few weeks. The first meeting with be a joint City Council/Commission meeting on March 16th followed by a community open house on April 17th. 5.Lennar Final Plat, and PUD Final Development Plan for “Ravinia 8th Addition” (the Schwalbe property) (PID 36-119-23-14-0001) (city file 17-002). Lennar has submitted the application for approval. Staff is reviewing the application for completeness. The application is scheduled for review at the March 3rd Planning Commission and action at the March 23rd City Council meeting. Agenda Item ____ 9a. MEMORANDUM 2 6. Sunrise Solar IUP and Preliminary Plat for a Community Solar Garden on the Pouliot property on County Road 19 (PID 30-119-23-44-0003 and 29-119-23-33-0001) (city file 17-003). Sunrise Solar has submitted the application for approval. Staff is reviewing the application for completeness. The application is scheduled for Parks and Trails Commission review on February 21st, a Public Hearing at the March 3rd Planning Commission and action at the March 23rd City Council meeting. Also, there are a number of projects that have been approved, but are still not filed and closed out: 1. Corcoran Business Park (City file 06-005). The City Council granted a one-year extension to the final plat approval, which expired on April 12, 2011. Staff has spoken to the applicant and is still working to close out this project. Staff has spoken to the applicant and will schedule a meeting when more information is available on the Loretto sewer project. 2. Hope Ministries Conditional Use Permit for Cemetery and Vacation of Drainage & Utility Easement at 19951 Oswald Farm Road (City file 12-002). Hope Ministries submitted a request for a conditional use permit to allow a cemetery west of the existing church. The application was approved by the City Council on March 22nd and site work had begun. The letter of credit for site improvements has been released, but we are holding the escrow pending completion of the approved landscaping. The applicant has indicated that they are considering a site plan amendment application to modify the approved plans. Staff met again with Pastor Brian Lother in December to try to finalize this issue and address some other questions or concerns from him. We hope to be able to wrap this up in the near future. 3. Commercial Door Addition at 7670 Commerce Street (City file 15-010) The City received an application for approval of a building addition, which required a conditional use permit, interim use permit, variance and site plan approval. The project was reviewed at a public hearing at the June 4th Planning Commission meeting and was approved by the City Council on June 25th. The required landscaping will be finalized and constructed after the downtown infrastructure project is completed. The City will release the remaining escrow when the planting is completed. 4. “Strehler Estates” Final Plat (PID 17-119-23-32-0004) (city file no. 16-001). The applicant submitted a request for approval of a preliminary plat to create 4 lots and an ordinance amendment to allow a private drive for property at 22900 Strehler Road. The City Council approved both items on October 8th. The final plat was approved by the City Council at the January 28th meeting. A stop work order was issued last week as the developer began construction of the private drive in advance of filing the plat. The applicant is working to address the conditions of approval and then will record the final plat at Hennepin County. 5. Private Drive Ordinance Amendment (City file 16-003). The City Council approved an ordinance amendment allowing private drives in the Rural Residential district, subject to certain conditions. However, after adoption the City Council directed staff to revisit this issue and consider an ordinance amendment to eliminate the requirement that private drives off paved roads must be paved. The City Council approved the amendment on May 26th. The Council also identified additional issues that should be reviewed and discussed at a future date. 6. IUP for Commercial Kennel for Daniel Benjamin at 19520 Stieg Road (City File 16-020). Daniel Benjamin has submitted an application for an IUP for a commercial kennel. The kennel would be located on his property, would be owned and operated by him and would have employees. The Planning Commission recommended approval after the public hearing at the August 4th Planning Commission and the request was approved by the City Council on August 25th. The applicant is working to address the conditions of approval and will then apply for a building permit. 7. Park Place Storage request for Rezoning, Variance, Conditional Use Permit, Site Plan and Preliminary Plat (City file 16-002). The City Council reviewed a sketch plan last year for expansion of the existing mini-storage facility. The applicant has submitted the application, but is working to provide additional information for completeness. The Planning Commission reviewed this item at a public hearing on September 1st and voted to recommend approval. The City Council approved the request on September 22nd. The applicant has submitted a building permit, but has not yet begun work. MEMORANDUM 3 8. Lennar request for a PUD Amendment for Ravinia 7th Addition (city file 16-030). Lennar has submitted a request for a PUD amendment to allow a different mix of lot sizes in the 7th Addition than originally proposed. The Planning Commission recommended approval on December 1st and City Council approved the PUD Amendment on December 19th. The Council tabled the request for approval of an expanded grading area and Lennar subsequently withdrew that request. 9. Motor Café Conditional Use Permits and Site Plan at 23030 Highway 55 (PID 32-119-23-33-0009) (City File 16-033). The applicant is requesting approval of a Site Plan and Conditional Use Permits for Auto Sales/Repair and to allow more than 20% metal siding. The existing business was a non- conforming use that burned on May 24, 2016. The non-conforming status was lost and the code requires the building to be restored in conformity with the regulations of this Ordinance. The City Council approved the request at their January 26th City Council meeting. 10. Industrial Lot Standards. Staff received a request from the property owner at 19905 75th Avenue to consider changes to the minimum lot size standards in the Industrial zoning districts. Staff prepared a summary of the issues for City Council consideration at the August 25th meeting. At the September 8th Council meeting, the Council directed the City Administrator to work with Maxfield Research and have them include their analysis in the Market Study that they will complete soon. 9c. CITY OF CORCORAN 8200 County Road 116, Corcoran, MN 55340 763.420.2288 – Office 763.420.6056 – Fax E-mail - general@ci.corcoran.mn.us / Web Site - www.ci.corcoran.mn.us MEMO Meeting Date: March 2, 2017 To: Planning Commission From: Brad Martens, City Administrator Re: City Council Report ______________________________________________________________________ The Planning Commission last met on January 5, 2017. The following is a recap of some of the items discussed at City Council meetings since that time. A full recap can be found by reviewing the approved City Council minutes on the website January 12, 2017 Council Meeting Oath of Office o Ron Thomas completed the oath of office for Mayor o Jonathan Bottema completed the oath of office for Councilmember o Brian Dejewski completed the oath of office for Councilmember Years of Service Recognition – Steve Warren (20 Years) o Mayor Thomas thanks Officer Warren for his service and presented a 20 year plaque 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update Process o Reviewed the proposed plan; approved the preliminary work plan with amendments and directed staff to begin work Elm Creek Watershed Commissioner Appointment o Council received an update that staff was working towards finding a replacement for the Elm Creek Watershed Commission to represent Corcoran Maintenance Operator Recruitment Process o Authorized staff to begin the recruitment process Annual Appointments o Approved annual appointments with Councilmember Keefe as Acting Mayor 9c. 2017 City Council Calendar o Approved the 2017 City Council calendar as presented Goal Setting Process o Discussed the goal setting process; staff directed to coordinate a meeting date Request for Speed Study o Directed staff to request the speed study as presented Recycling Forgiveness Request o Denied the request for recycling forgiveness as recommended by staff January 26, 2017 Council Meeting Representative Jerry Hertaus o Representative Hertaus provided an overview of the current legislative session and his priorities Site Plan and Conditional Use Permits for Motor Café at 23030 Highway 55 o Approved the site plan and conditional use permit to rebuild Request for Vacation of Right-of-Way o Reviewed a request to vacate right-of-way between 7795 and 7815 Corcoran Trail West; support existed if future utility access was maintained Draft Assessment Policy o Provided staff direction on the policy and directed staff to bring some options for reducing impacts on future building rights 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update Schedule o Approved the schedule for the update as presented 2017 Legislative Priorities o Approved the 2017 legislative priorities Public Work Director/Engineer Recruitment Process o Directed staff to escalate the recruitment process schedule for consideration in March City Council Goal Setting Session o Scheduled goal setting sessions from 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm on Monday, February 27th and Tuesday, February 28th Closed Session – Attorney Client Privilege o Held the closed session and provided the City Attorney with direction February 9, 2016 Council Meeting Senator Dave Osmek o State Senator David Osmek provided an update on legislative activities Newly Elected Officials Training Report o Councilmembers Dejewski and Bottema provided an update on the conference they recently attended 9c. Draft Assessment Policy o Council provided feedback on remaining items including how to handle deferred assessments; staff directed to send to City Attorney for review Gambling Fund Allocation Policy o Council discussed allocating gambling funds; no action was taken Regional Recreation Amenity Discussion o Council discussed options for moving forward with the purchase agreement; Council directed staff to take no action at this time which would let the purchase agreement expire Code Enforcement Procedures and Goals o Council discussed options for increasing code enforcement activity; a motion was approved to streamline the process and also be proactive for some code issues including signs in the right-of-way Bring Your Own Device Policy o Directed staff to develop a policy giving Council the option to receive a stipend in lieu of receiving printed packets Elm Creek Watershed Commission Appointment o Appointed Sharon Meister as Corcoran’s representative on the Elm Creek Watershed Commission; discussed role of commissioner and need for more guidelines Economic Development Authority Discussion o Discussed the need for an active EDA; deferred action until after the goal setting session Deferment of Fees Due Request o Heard a request to defer fees from a proposed sale in the downtown area; by consensus the Council supported the request February 23, 2017 Council Meeting The following is a list of some items on the agenda for the February 23rd meeting. The report was completed prior to the meeting taking place: Planning Commission Report – Meredith Wu o Commissioner Meredith Wu provided a report on 2016 activities and goals for 2017 Parks and Trails Commission Report – Tom Anderson o Chair Tom Anderson provided a report on 2016 activities and goals for 2017 Safe City Recognition o Council received information on recent recognition as a safe city by three studies Preliminary Plat Extension Request – Sawgrass o Approved an extension of the preliminary plat until Febru ary 28, 2018 9c. Hackamore Road/Steeple Chase Lane Connection Project o Authorized staff to finalize design and obtain quotes Water System Extension Project – Western Water Loop o Authorized staff to initiate a feasibility study as recommended 2017 Capital Improvement Plan Purchases o Approved 2017 purchases including as presented Fire Service Comprehensive Growth Plan RFP o Approved the RFP and directed staff to publish Planning Commission Appointment o Approved the re-appointment of Alan Schultz to the Planning Commission Parks and Trails Commission Appointments o Approved the re-appointments of Sharon Meister, Trish Krueger, and student commissioner Karin Beck to the Parks and Trails Commission Job Offer – Accountant o Approved a conditional offer to Joe Rotz for the position of Accountant contingent upon completing the background check process Attachments: N/A