3E - Variance to Exceed 25 Percent Impervious Coverage Limit and Variance from Buffer Zone Vegetation Requirements

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PRI DAN Builder of taw l Creator of value. 5125 COUNTY ROAD 101 #100 MINNETONKA,MN 55345 PHONE:952/294.0353 FAX:952/294.0151 • WEB:www.oppidan.com July 20,2009 Ms.Dawn Bittner,Zoning Administrator City of Pequot Lakes 4638 County Road 11 Pequot Lakes,MN 56472 RE: Variance Application Grocery Store Development—Pequot Lakes,MN Dear Dawn: This letter shall serve as the narrative for the Variance Application related to the proposed Grocery Store Development on Highway 371,in Pequot Lakes,MN. Oppidan,Inc.is proposing to construct a grocery store and additional retail on approximately 4.5 acres of land. Project highlights include: • Current Zoning for the property is Commercial. • A grocery store of approximately 30,000 s.f. • Additional retail space of approximately 3,000 square feet,connected to the main building on the south side. • Gas canopy and pumps on the east side of the site. • New parking lot surface and lighting,designed to minimize the impact to adjoining properties. • New Landscaping around the entire site,including larger buffers to the adjoining properties. There is one requested Variance for the development. This request is for the impervious surface of a site in a Commercial Zoning District. The requirement for a Commercial development is to have no more than 25%impervious surface,which can be increased to 50%with a CUP. The development will have approximately 75%of the surface as impervious and 25%pervious,thus requiring the variance. After review of the site and the Zoning Ordinance of the City,we feel that the Commercial Zoning Impervious coverage of 25%,with an increase to 50%with certain conditions(one of which is providing a storm water retention plan to accommodate certain requirements)is inconsistent with the overall zoning districts in the city. The Downtown Mixed Use(DMU)designation allows 50%impervious coverage if the site is not hooked into a storm sewer system and 90%if the site is connected to a storm sewer system. The intent is that is there is a system to handle storm water management(both the volume of runoff caused by the impervious surface and the quality of water being placed back into the system,then the amount of impervious surfaces can be increased.