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10. Recomended Amendments to the Subdivision RegulationsPage 1 of 3 City of Scandia 14727 209th St. N. PO Box 128, Scandia, Minnesota 55073 Phone (651) 433-2274 Fax (651) 433-5112 http://www.ci.scandia.mn.us MEMORANDUM DATE: December 7, 2021 TO: Planning Commission FROM: Ken Cammilleri, City Administrator RE: Ammending the Development Code to allow Street and Road Dedication for Minor Subdivisions and to Ammend the Minnimum Subdivision Design Standards to Limit Environmental Impacts The following are two areas the Planning Commission is suggested to consider amendments to in order to accommodate recent changes in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. I am currently still drafting this ordinance, and should have it available later this week. At the public hearing, the Commission is encouraged to consider any amendments as desired. Also, should you wish to make any adjustments to this proposal, I will amend it accordingly and include it with the draft legislation. Here is a summary of the proposed changes: Minor Subdivision Improvements for the 2040 Comprehensive Plan The City’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan, adopted in December of 2019, suggests that future growth and development of the Community should be concentrated within the designated Rural Center, “AKA” the Village Center. The idea behind this element is to preserve agricultural and open spaces while maintaining an opportunity to support residential and commercial growth opportunities (See Chapter 2 Land Use. Pgs 9-10). Given that a significant amount of the area intended for higher density is within the Village Center’s existing developed areas, it is reasonable to expect that “in fill” opportunities will likely be needed to accomplish this goal over the long term. The minor subdivision ordinance, in current form, limits the opportunity for infill by preventing the addition of new road and right-of-way within the minor subdivision process. This limitation presents changes because only one principle structure is allowed per a lot, short of a planned unit development. The provision of the code in question states, “(SDC Ch.3 Section 6.2 (8)) No new public rights-of- way or streets shall be necessary for or created by the subdivision.” This limitation forces what would be possible through a minor subdivision to move to a major subdivision procedure, which is more intensive and costly. Thus potentially discouraging to will to under take infill. This prohibition is unusual, and is not found in many other communities, such as Afton, who is also seeking to maintain similar densities to Scandia. Although I have been unable to confirm this, I suspect this limitation may have been intentionally included to provide further limitations to growth and development in rural areas, which is a logical objective that can be achieved with such a restriction. So, I am recommending that provision be reworded to set forth the following revised requirement, “No new public roads or streets shall be allowed for minor subdivisions created under this section that Page 2 of 3 City of Scandia 14727 209th St. N. PO Box 128, Scandia, Minnesota 55073 Phone (651) 433-2274 Fax (651) 433-5112 http://www.ci.scandia.mn.us are proposed to be outside of rural center designated areas within the City’s Comprehensive Plan, or when dedicating right of way to existing prescriptive easement right-of-way.” The Commission may also recommend removing this prohibition entirely, as it is not likely to increase the frequency of minor subdivision requests. Most often, lot size requirements and the 4 buildable lots for every 40 acre original quarter-quarter section rule tends to be the most frequent hinder to minor subdivision requests. The density standards are not can NOT be granted a variance. This means that such requests would require a zoning district map amendment. Given most zoning is consistent with the future land use map, there is also the added layer of obtaining an amendment to the future land use map from the City and Metropolitan Council. Additionally, it makes sense that the ordinance empowers the City to require dedication of roads, easements, rights-of-way for the purposes of meeting compliance of state, city, or watershed requirements. Subdivisions should always require the dedication of rights-of-way abutting existing prescriptive easement held streets and roadways that meets minimum design standards as required by City Code. The existing language suggests that this is not possible, which is extremely problematic. Recommended Changes to Minimum Design Standards (SDC Ch.3 Sec. 13) The City maintains a set of standards for roadways constructed both in urban and rural areas. These standards, combined with the City’s Engineering Standards and Detail Specifications, are conducive to making sure that developers provide adequate roadways to serve their developments and to buildout roadways that will eventually meet Municipal State Aid Road standards, when the City eventually qualifies for program participation. Eligible state aid roadways must maintain rights-of-way that are at least 60 feet in urban areas and 66 in rural areas. Minimum lane width requirements vary between 11-12 feet., and shoulders of between 1-4 feet based on average daily traffic on a road. However, not all of the City’s roadways will ultimately become eligible for this financing mechanism. Future requirements should also consider attempting to meet conformity with State Fire Code Requirements, which do require that fire access roads to be at a minimum width of 20 feet for unobstructed 2-way traffic. State Fire code also suggests 120-foot for Hammerheads, or 96-foot diameter cul-de-sacs As our 2040 Comprehensive Plan suggests, we should also consider changes that take into account environmental sensitivity. In keeping with supporting infill activity requirements that mandate the widening of existing roads to wider standards in environmentally sensitive areas limit low density infill and encourage environmental impacts that could otherwise be avoided. Ch. 2 Land Use under the 1st goal sets the following objective, “Conduct development in a manner that is sensitive to the impact upon natural features and to environmental constraints, including but not limited to scenic views, surface water, wetlands…” I therefore recommend the following amendment: “Exception to rural design standard road widths for Existing Roads – The City Council may approve the extension of road to service a minor subdivision with a minimum road width of 20 feet and maintaining existing shoulder widths, if such request is in areas of environmental sensitivity that include existing public roads adjacent within surface water, wetlands, slopes, woodlands, existing drainage ways, shorelands, wetlands, and flood areas. This exception may only be applied to one new minor subdivision.” Page 3 of 3 City of Scandia 14727 209th St. N. PO Box 128, Scandia, Minnesota 55073 Phone (651) 433-2274 Fax (651) 433-5112 http://www.ci.scandia.mn.us Cul-du-sacs also present environmental impact in the form of impervious surface displacement of stormwater and limiting ground water recharge. Current cul-du-sacs are uniformly required to be at 90 feet in diameter. However the minimum standard is often 80 feet of diameter of roadway. The standard is increased when larger vehicles are intended to access the cul-du-sac. I suggest that an additional change be made to allow 80 ft diameter road surfaces depending on the zoning classification of road. For example Industrial Parks and commercial permitted areas, cul-du-sac widths should remain at 90 feet in diameter, but 80 feet diameters should be required as the minimum for residential areas. As it relates to cul-du-sacs, right-of-way dedication should be twice that of the road width. Shoulders for rural design roads are often necessary to hold up road beds, but these should be required to be at the City’s engineered standard rather than just at 4 feet, unless in a commercial or industrial zoning district. However, if the development suggests the need for on-street parking, engineering standards should require a 4 feet. I am working on preparing the draft legislation for this ordinance, and should have it available later this week. Please let me know if you have any questions.