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