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4.a 2 Scandia Elementary CUP-Variance NarrativeJune 22, 2017 City of Scandia Brenda Eklund 14727 209' Street North Scandia, MN 55073 Re: Scandia Elementary CUP/Variance Application Dear Ms. Eklund, :. LOUCKS On behalf of the Forest Lake Area Schools, we are applying for a Conditional Use Permit and Variance to replace the existing retaining wall south of the building on the existing Scandia Elementary School site. The school district will be constructing a building addition t0 the school to upgrade mechanical and electrical systems which also frees up some space inside the existing school to rearrange some classrooms, etc. The project also includes grading and storm sewer upgrades to help fix some existing drainage issues. We started this project last summer when we surveyed the property. At that time, there was an existing retaining wall south of the school. The retaining wall was non -conforming since it is closer to the property line than the allowed 50 feet. The retaining wall was in bad shape and beginning to fall forward. Knowing that we were planning to replace the crumbling wall, the school district decided last fall to remove the wall and re -grade as an interim solution for safety reasons. We are proposing to re -build the two-tiered retaining wall in the same location as the previous wall. This results in the need for a variance since the code states that any non -conforming structure once re -built must meet the code. Our rationale for the variance is detailed below: • There was an existing retaining wall in the same location that was un -safe. The wall needs to be re -built for safety. • If we re -grade to eliminate the retaining wall we would need to remove trees to the property line. We do not want to remove more trees since it provides a nice buffer between the properties. I have included an exhibit showing the location of the existing walls from our 2016 survey as well as photos of the condition of the retaining wall. If you have any questions, or need additional information, give me a call at 763.496.6720. Sincerely, LOUCKS cki VanDell P Project Civil En neer PLANNING I CIVIL ENGINEERING I LAND SURVEYING I LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE I ENVIRONMENTAL www.loucksinc.com 1 55 East Fifth Street, Suite 910, Saint Paul, MN 55101 1 763.424.5505