HomeMy WebLinkAbout1990-03-13 NAC Ltr to MWCC Re CUP & Variance I Northwest Associated Consultants , Inc .
AC
URBAN P L A N N I N G • DESIGN • MARKET RESEARCH
13 March 1990
Mr. Timothy Keegan
Metropolitan Waste Control Commission
Mears Park Centre
230 E . 5th Street
St . Paul, MN 55101
RE: Oak Park Heights - MWCC CUP and Variance
FILE NO: 798 . 02 - 90 . 02
Dear Mr. Keegan:
'__ . _ ant to the discussions at last evenings Oak Park Heights
City Council meeting, enclosed please find a copy of the City' s
landscaping requirements . Of particular importance is item 7b,
required fencing and screening. This provision is the
requirement that is to be satisfied along your property' s north
border (adjacent to Sunnyside Condominiums ) . With regards to the
balance of the property, a landscaping plan must be prepared in
accordance with item 7d. Within this provision, general
landscaping parameters are given along with minimum plant sizes .
As also stated last evening and in item 7d, a mandatory landscape
plan must be approved by the City prior to issuance of building
permits . An additional condition applied by the Council is that
the landscape plan receive approval from the Sunnyside Home
Owners Association. In order to verify this, the City would ask
that you document the Home Owners Association approval in a
letter from them upon your submission of the landscape plan to
the City.
If you have any questions regarding the enclosed materials,
please do not hesitate to call .
Very truly yours ,
NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS, INC.
Curtis L. Gutoske
Senior Designer
CLG/nd
cc : LaVonne Wilson
4601 Excelsior Blvd.• Suite 410• Minneapolis, MN 55416• (612) 925-9420• Fax 925-2721
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7. Fencing, Screening and Landscaping.
a . Permitted Fencing and Screening.
( 1) No fence shall exceed six and one-
half ( 6 1/2) feet in height and in
the case of grade separation such
as the division of properties by a
retaining wall , the height shall be
determined on the basis of
measurement from the average point
between the highest and lowest
grade.
( 2) No fence , other than a chain link
or woven wire fence with openings
between one and five-eighths ( 1
5/8) inches and two ( 2) inches and
forty-eight (48) inches or less in
height, and/or no structures or
planting of trees or shrubs shall
be permitted within twenty (20)
feet of any corner formed by the
intersection of street property
lines or the right-of-way of a
rail:•:ay intersecting a street. The
twenty ( 20) feet referred to above
shall be in the form of a triangle
with two sides formed by the
property lines and the third site
formed by a straight line
connecting the two ( 2) twenty (20)
foot . points on both sides of the
corner.
( 3) Except as provided in (2) above,
fences less than three feet in
height may be located on any part
of a lot.
( 4) Except as provided in (2) above ,
fences may be erected on any part
of a lot which is behind the front
line of the principal building.
b. Required Fencing and Screening.
Where any business or industrial use
(i .e . , structure , parking or storage)
abuts property zoned for residential
use, that business or industry shall
provide screening along the boundary of
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the residential property. Screening
shall also be provided where a business
or industry is across the street from a
residential zone, but not -on that side
of a business or industry considered to
be the front (as determined by the
Building Official) . All the fencing and
screening specifically required by this
Ordinance shall be subject to Section
401 . 03 . B. 7 . a and shall consist of either
a fence or a green belt planting strip
as provided for below.
( 1) A green belt planting strip shall
consist of evergreen trees and/or
deciduous trees and large shrubs
and shall be of sufficient width
and density to provide an effective
visual screen. This planting strip
shall contain no structures other
than supplementary fencing . Such
planting strip shall be designed to
provide complete visual screening
to a minimum height of eight (8)
feet. Earth mounding or berms may
be used but shall not be used to
achieve more than three ( 3) feet of
the required screen. The planting
plan and type of plantings shall
require the approval of the Gity
Council based upon a recommendation
of the City staff.
(2) A required screening fence shall be
constructed of masonry, brick , wood
or metal. Such fence shall provide
a solid screening effect and not
exceed eight (8) feet in height or
be less than six (6) feet in
height. The design and materials
used in constructing a required
screening fence shall be subject to
the approval of the City Council
based upon a recommendation by the
City staff.
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c . Required Landscaping - General
Residential.
The lot area remaining after providing
for off-street parking , off-street
loading, sidewalks , driveways , building
site and/or other requirements shall be
landscaped using ornamental grass ,
shrubs , trees or other acceptable
vegetation or treatment generally used
landscaping . Fences or trees placed
upon utility easements are subject to
removal if required for the maintenance
or improvement of the utility. Trees on
utility easements containing overhead
wires shall not exceed twenty ( 20) feet
in height. (The planting of large trees
is not recommended under overhead
wires . )
d . Required Landscaping - Semi-Public and
all income producing property uses.
Prior to approval of a building permit,
all above referenced uses shall be
subject to a mandatory landscape plan
requirement. Said landscape plan should
be developed with an emphasis upon the
following areas:
The boundary or perimeter of the
proposed site at points adjoining
• another existing or proposed site
or sites; the immediate perimeter
of the structure or building at
points of its placement on the
site ; and the public boulevard
areas at points of interface with
streets or sidewalk areas of the
City.
All landscaping incorporated in said
plan shall conform to the following
standards and criteria:
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( 1) All plants must at least equal the
following minimum sizes :
Balled &
Potted/Bare Root or Burlapped
Shade Trees* 1 3/4 in. dia . 2 in.dia.
Half Trees (Flowering
Crab , Russian Olive ,
Hawthorn , etc . ) 6-7 ft . 1 1 /2 in.dia.
Evergreen Trees 3-4 ft .
Tall Shrubs and Hedge
Material 3-4 ft . 3-4 ft.
(evergreen or deciduous)
Low Shrubs-deciduous 18-24 inches 24-30 in.
- evergreen 18-24 inches potted 24-30 in.
- spreading
evergreens 18-24 inches potted 18-24 in.
Type and mode are dependent upon time of planting
season , availability and site conditions (soils ,
climate , ground water , man-made irrigation ,
grading, etc. )
*All boulevard trees must be at least 2 1/2 inches
• caliper.
(2) Spacing.
(a) Plant material centers shall
not be located closer than
• three ( 3) feet from the fence
line or property line and
shall not be planted to '
conflict with public plantings
based on the judgement of the
City Administration.
(b) Where plant materials are
planted . in two or more rows ,
plantings shall be staggered
in rows unless otherwise
approved by the City
Administration.
(c) Deciduous boulevard trees
shall be planted not more than
forty (40) feet apart.
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(d) Where massing of plants or
screening is intended , large
deciduous shrubs shall not be
planted more than four ( 4)
feet on center , and /or ,
evergreen shrubs shall not be
planted more than three ( 3)
feet on center.
( 3) Types of Boulevard/Street Trees.
(a) Suitable Trees include:
Quercus (Varieties) Oak
Acer platanoides Norway Maple (and
(and Varieties) Schwedler , Emerald
Queen , etc. )
Acer saccharum Sugar Maple
Celtis accidentalis Hackberry
Betula (Varieties) Birch
Gleditsia triacanthos Honeylocust (Imper-
(Varieties) ial , Majestic Sky-
line, Sunburst, and
Thornless)
Tilia cordata (and Little Leaf Linden
Varieties) (and Redmond ,
Greenspire , etc . )
Tilia americana Basswood (American
Linden)
Fraxinus pennsylvanica Green Ash (and
lanceolata Summit, Marshall ' s)
, Ginkgo biloba (male Ginkgo
tree only)
Gymnocladus dioicus Kentucky Coffee Tree
(b) Trees specifically prohibited
within the public right-of-way
include:
Acer negundo Box Elder
Acer rubrum Red Maple
Acer Saccharinum Silver Maple
Ulmus (Varieties) Elm
Populus (Varieties) Poplar (including
Cottonwood)
Salix (Varieties) Willow
Ailanthus altissima Tree of Heaven
Catalpa speciosa Northern Catalpa
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(4) Design,
(a) The landscape plan must show
some form of designed site
amenities, (i .e . , composition
of plant materials , and/or
creative site grading ,
decorative lighting, exterior
sculpture , etc. , which are
largely intended for aesthetic
purposes) .
(b) All areas within the property
lines (or beyond , if site
grading extends beyond) shall
be treated. All exterior
areas not paved or designated
as roads , parking, or storage
must be planted into
ornamental vegetation (lawns ,
ground covers , or shrubs ) ,
unless otherwise approved by
the City.
(c) Turf slopes in excess of 2: 1
are prohibited.
(d) All ground areas under the
building roof overhang must be
treated with a decorative
• mulch and / or foundation
planting.
(e) All buildings must have an
exterior water spigot to
insure that landscape
maintenance c a n be
accomplished.
(5) Landscape Guarantee. All plants
shall be guaranteed for one ( 1)
full year from the time planting
has been completed. All plants
shall be alive and in satisfactory
growth at the end of the guarantee
period or be replaced.
•
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