Xcel Chanhassen - Site Project NarrativesXcel Energy - Chanhassen Service Center Project
Project Narrative
Xcel Energy is currently seeking required approvals to construct a new service center in
Chanhassen on a 23-acre parcel located at 1891 Arboretum Blvd. The approximately 100,000
square foot facility will serve as the new service center for electric distribution operations,
replacing the existing Shorewood and Waconia Service Centers. The purpose of the facility is to
serve Xcel Energy field employees and associated engineers and operation personnel. The site
will not be open to the public or Xcel Energy customers.
Replacing the aging service centers located in Shorewood and Waconia is a critical need for Xcel
Energy Electrical Distribution Operations serving the Southwest Metro Area. Xcel Energy
determined a strategically located, consolidated site would be more efficient and cost effective for
the company, customers, and municipalities located in this area.
Several key requirements were considered when identifying this site as our preferred location for
the new facility:
· Maintain appropriate response times to customers
· Location within the territory relative to the larger customer base
o Located closer the higher-populated east end of territory
· Quick and safe access to highways
o Proximity to the MN State Highway 5 corridor
· Adequate parcel size to meet current and future needs
o 15-20+ acres
· Zoning – Industrial Zoning District/Planned Unit Development
o Currently zoned AG (Agricultural), identified as IOP (Industrial Office District) in
the City Land Use Plan, Proposed PUD (Planned Unit Development) in
submission
Xcel Energy hired a nationally recognized real estate firm to assist in the site search. During the
2+ year search, several parcels were identified, but none met the required search criteria noted
above. The subject property was the only site identified that met the core parameters of the site
search. The site is one of the last remaining undeveloped Industrial Zoned use properties in the
targeted search area. Attached is a map highlighting the area this site will serve. Xcel Energy
does not have existing excess land in its portfolio to meet the needs of this site, making land
acquisition a requirement of the project.
Xcel Energy has met several times with City of Chanhassen Staff and has received positive
feedback regarding the proposed project. Xcel Energy intends to work cooperatively with all
stakeholders to design and construct a facility that is both an asset to the company and the
surrounding communities we serve.
Xcel Energy - Chanhassen Service Center Project
Architectural Narrative
North Portion of Facility (2-story)
Office Area, Upper Level – 18,226 SF: This level includes office space for engineering
and operations staff with supporting conference room space and restrooms. There is
also a break room and training room located on this level, and mechanical space to
support the majority of the facility on the western side of this level. This level is accessed
directly off the upper lot and primarily serves as office space for the service center. The
area includes both open offices and private offices, as well as the many auxiliary spaces
needed for a successful office building; including but not limited to, conference rooms,
break rooms, mail rooms, print/copy spaces, and restrooms.
The other main use of this floor is the main Mechanical and Electrical rooms. To prolong
the life of their mechanical equipment, it is Xcel Energy’s standard to place any and all
mechanical and electrical equipment inside. This means that there will be very few
pieces of equipment up on the roof or outside adjacent to the building.
Crew Area, Lower Level – 21,920 SF: Accessed directly off the yard, this level includes
crew spaces that support the daily functions of the service center. Two locker rooms with
attached restrooms and showers, and large meeting rooms are included on this level to
accommodate start and end of the field crew’s days. There is also a Warehouse space
directly adjacent on the west side that provides the crews with their job materials and a
tool crib space to store and maintain any specialty equipment and tools the crews may
need on a job-by-job basis.
Southern Portion of Facility (1-story)
Vehicle Storage– 39,844 SF: This portion of the facility is a tempered 1-story space
housing 32 parking bays for the Xcel Fleet vehicles. Down the center of the room is a 15’
aisle to allow circulation of both the pedestrian (crew personnel) and forklift traffic (job
materials being loaded on to trucks from the adjacent warehouse).
Fleet Maintenance Building (1-story with mezzanines)
High and Low Bay Garage with Office Support – 17,580 SF: This is a separate building
directly south from the Office/Crew/Vehicle Storage building, which will provide (6) service
bays for the Xcel Fleet. 4 low bays and 2 high bays with an overhead bridge crane allowing
Xcel Energy to inspect and service their 55’ bucket trucks. This building also will have a
small employee space which will include a break room, toilets, and an office space. On
the very south end of the building, adjacent to the high bay, is a high mechanical
mezzanine and a vehicle wash bay. The mezzanine will hold both wash bay equipment as
well as most of the mechanical equipment for the building.
Xcel Energy - Chanhassen Service Center Project
Exterior Yard
Open Yard Space, Cold Storage Building and covered storage structures: 3.60
acres: The Service Yard is located in the SE portion of the site and will provide covered
storage on the north, cold storage structures (fully enclosed) on the east and south
perimeters, and open yard storage in the center area.
Outdoor storage areas will include organized utility pole storage of various lengths
(approximately 5’ height), transformers (approximately 5’ height), cable reels
(approximately 5’ height), and other general use items that will be stored at ground level.
Any racking of materials will not exceed the height of cold storage buildings. Hazardous
materials such as waste oil, transformer oil, spray paint cans, batteries, and light bulbs will
be located in specified locations within the storage yard. Photos of other Xcel Service
Center storage yards have been included in the application.
Semis and trailers will be temporarily parked onsite for loading and unloading purposes
only. No permanent semi or trailer parking will occur onsite. A maximum of 10 company
vehicles will be parked outside at any given time.
This Facility was located on this site in a very specific design to facilitate the functional
aspects required by Xcel Energy and the aesthetic requirements requested by the City of
Chanhassen. These include:
· North Portion of Facility (2-story): These are the ‘people’ spaces, and the
location of these spaces will provide natural daylight and views for the occupants.
In addition, the 2-story building will provide a visually pleasing architectural façade
along the Highway 5 corridor. The north/south orientation of this portion of the
facility will also provide visual screening of the ‘day-to day’ functions of the service
yard area below (approx. 22 feet below the Highway 5 corridor).
· Remainder of Facility: Based on the location of the North portion of building, the
remaining portions of the facility (Vehicle Storage and Fleet Maintenance) needed
to connect and/or align with this portion of the facility to maintain the functional
relationships between spaces. Based on this functional need, the SE corner of the
site was the natural location for the yard and covered storage areas. This is the
only portion of the site that provided enough usable land area for the service yard
needs, while maintaining a continuous paved connection between service yard
area and the Vehicle Storage, Warehouse and Fleet Maintenance areas.
Exterior Building Materials
The exterior building materials for this facility will meet the City Code for Articulation,
Fenestration, and Material Design.
North Portion of Facility – Office/Crew (2-story)
This 2-story portion of the facility will have the following architectural material treatments (please
refer to the exterior elevations and 3D renderings for specific information):
· Insulated Precast Panel with Architectural White Finish – This exterior building
material will have an integral white color with a sand-blasted finish to provide a subtle
Xcel Energy - Chanhassen Service Center Project
texture to the panel and expose a portion of the rock substrate. The integral color will
provide a long-lasting finish that will not require any periodic applied finishes. Horizontal
and vertical joints are added to each panel to break down the overall scale of the panel
and provide a visual connection to adjacent materials.
· Insulated Precast Panel with Architectural Charcoal Finish - This exterior building
material will have an integral charcoal color with an acid-etched finish to provide a smooth
texture to the panel, providing a contrast to the white precast panel with color and texture.
The integral color will provide a long-lasting finish that will not require any periodic applied
finishes. Horizontal and vertical joints are added to each panel to break down the overall
scale of the panel and provide a visual connection to adjacent materials.
· Curtain Wall Glazing – This exterior building material will be provided in the areas of the
facility where the building occupants will be located throughout the course of the day. The
curtain wall framing will be a black anodized aluminum with 1” insulated clear glazing units.
There will be a minimal amount of Xcel Energy ‘Red’ used on selective vertical mullions in
the location of the Break Room/Training Room area to provide a color accent.
· Prefinished Composite Metal Panels - This exterior building material will be provided in
the NE portion of the building to provide an architectural finish to the ceiling area of the
exterior patio and provide a canopy for the main employee entrance on the east side of
the building. The panel material will have a smooth architectural finish with no ribbing,
corrugation or oil canning. The majority of the metal panel will have a charcoal color finish,
with a small portion of Xcel Energy ‘Red’ to be used for vertical column covers at the
exterior patio.
· Translucent Glazing - This exterior building material will be provided in areas of the
facility that people will occupy intermittently, in this case the mechanical/electrical area
(Level 1) and the warehouse (Level 0). This system will provide natural light to these
spaces while also providing a relatively high R-value to the exterior walls. This exterior
wall treatment provides an aesthetic interest to the exterior elevations while providing a
functional use to the interior spaces.
Southern Portion of Facility – Vehicle Storage (1-story)
This 1-story portion of the facility will have the following architectural material treatments (please
refer to the exterior elevations and 3D renderings for specific information):
· Insulated Precast Panel with Architectural White Finish – This exterior building
material will have an integral white color with a sand-blasted finish to provide a subtle
texture to the panel and expose a portion of the rock substrate. The integral color will
provide a long-lasting finish that will not require any periodic applied finishes. Horizontal
and vertical joints are added to each panel to break down the overall scale of the panel
and provide a visual connection to adjacent materials.
· Insulated Precast Panel with Architectural Charcoal Finish - This exterior building
material will have an integral charcoal color with an acid-etched finish to provide a smooth
texture to the panel, providing a contrast to the white precast panel with color and texture.
The integral color will provide a long-lasting finish that will not require any periodic applied
finishes. Horizontal and vertical joints are added to each panel to break down the overall
scale of the panel and provide a visual connection to adjacent materials.
· Translucent Glazing - This exterior building material will be provided on the south
elevation. This system will provide natural light to this area while also providing a relatively
Xcel Energy - Chanhassen Service Center Project
high R-value to the exterior walls. This exterior wall treatment provides an aesthetic
interest to the exterior elevations while providing a functional use to the interior spaces.
· Exterior Overhead Doors - This exterior building material will be provided at each truck
bay. Each door will have prefinished insulated white metal panels with (3) rows of insulated
vision glazing.
Fleet Maintenance Building (1-story)
This 1-story portion of the facility (with multiple heights) will have the following architectural
material treatments (please refer to the exterior elevations and 3D renderings for specific
information):
· Insulated Precast Panel with Architectural White Finish – This exterior building
material will have an integral white color with a sand-blasted finish to provide a subtle
texture to the panel and expose a portion of the rock substrate. The integral color will
provide a long-lasting finish that will not require any periodic applied finishes. Horizontal
and vertical joints are added to each panel to break down the overall scale of the panel
and provide a visual connection to adjacent materials.
· Insulated Precast Panel with Architectural Charcoal Finish - This exterior building
material will have an integral charcoal color with an acid-etched finish to provide a smooth
texture to the panel, providing a contrast to the white precast panel with color and texture.
The integral color will provide a long-lasting finish that will not require any periodic applied
finishes. Horizontal and vertical joints are added to each panel to break down the overall
scale of the panel and provide a visual connection to adjacent materials.
· Translucent Glazing - This exterior building material will be provided on the north. east
and west elevations. This system will provide natural light to this area while also providing
a relatively high R-value to the exterior walls. This exterior wall treatment provides an
aesthetic interest to the exterior elevations while providing a functional use to the interior
spaces.
· Exterior Overhead Doors - This exterior building material will be provided at each service
bay, wash bays and service door to the Storage space in the NW corner. Each door will
have prefinished insulated white metal panels with (3) rows of insulated vision glazing.
Cold Storage and Covered Storage Structures
These structures will have the following architectural material treatments (please refer to the
exterior elevations and 3D renderings for specific information):
· Prefinished Horizontal Ribbed Metal Panel – This exterior building material will have a
charcoal gray color, and will be the main material of the exterior elevations. This material
will start and stop between the steel structure (which will be painted light gray), and will
provide relief and visual interest along these elevations.
· Architectural Concrete Base – this will be a light concrete base for each structure and
will have a hand-rubbed finish on the exterior for a smooth finish, providing a nice contrast
to the horizonal ribbed panels above. The concrete base will be required for two reasons
– it provides soil retainage at most locations, and it also provides a durable base for these
heavy-equipment areas.
· Prefinished Metal Standing Seam Roofing - This exterior building material will have a
charcoal gray color, and will provide a nice contrast to the light gray painted steel structure
below.
Xcel Energy - Chanhassen Service Center Project
Requested City Actions:
Rezoning Approval
The applicant is requesting approval to rezone Carver County Parcel ID Number 250150300 as
part of the proposed project. The current zoning of the parcel is A2 – Agriculture Estate District.
This application proposes to rezone the property to PUD – Planned Unit Development which is
consistent with existing zoning of adjacent properties. We believe this proposed service center
will fit well within this zoning as the site is identified as Office Industrial in the City of Chanhassen
2040 Land Use map. Automotive repair shops, offices, utility services, and antennas are all a
permitted use in this district.
Existing Zoning:
A2 – Agriculture Estate District.
Proposed Zoning:
PUD – Planned Unit Development.
Overlay District:
HC-2 – Highway Corridor District.
Site Plan Approval
The applicant is requesting site plan approval for the above mentioned project. Plans have been
included in support of the application and its consistency with the proposed Planned Unit
Development Zoning classification and Highway Corridor Districts can be summarized as follows:
Setbacks Requirements:
HC2 – Highway Corridor District.
Minimum Setback from Highway 5 =70 feet from Highway Right of Way.
Maximum Setback from Highway 5 =150 feet from Highway Right of Way.
Building Setbacks Provided
Front Yard Setback=34 Feet.
West Side Yard Setback=185 Feet.
East Side Yard Setback=85 Feet.
Setback from Highway 5 =70 feet from Highway Right of Way
Parking Setbacks Provided
Front Yard Setback=100 Feet.
West Side Yard Setback=100 Feet.
East Side Yard Setback=27 Feet.
Setback from Highway 5 =78 feet from Highway Right of Way
Xcel Energy - Chanhassen Service Center Project
The proposed site layout places the tallest building well within the building setback lines on the
west, east, and south to exceed the required setback requirements for the Highway Corridor
District. The layout also has the office component of the project set at the minimum setback
requirement from Highway 5 to comply with the intent of the Highway Corridor District.
Building Coverage and Lot Coverage:
Total Property Area (Gross)= 23.56 Acres (1,026,095 SF)
Right of Way Area= 1.82 Acres
Buildable Property Area (Net)= 21.74 Acres
Proposed Building Area= 2.420 Acres (11.1%)
Proposed Impervious Parking Area= 1.082 Acres (5.0%)
Proposed Remaining Site Impervious Area= 5.913 Acres (27.2%)
Proposed Total Impervious Area= 9.415 Acres (43.3%)
Lot coverage percentages are based on the Net Buildable Property Area (excluding Right of Way
Area). The proposal meets the maximum lot coverage of 70%.
Building/Antenna Height:
Proposed Maximum Building Height for PUD =65’ for the Fleet Maintenance Building
Proposed Maximum Antenna Height for PUD = 150’ for monopole + 20’ for antenna extensions
= 170’ total
The proposed building height for the Fleet Maintenance building is a requirement due to Xcel
Energy’s need to inspect and service their bucket trucks and associated mast extensions year-
round to ensure the safety of the work crews and the public during service calls.
The existing and proposed topography allows for a significant portion of the proposed building to
be below the existing street elevation of Highway 5 and Coulter Boulevard. Existing and proposed
vegetation along with proposed fencing and structures provides a significant buffer and screening
from the public views. The building materials will meet the City Code for Articulation, Fenestration,
and Material Design. Perspective images have been provided as part of this application.
Antenna:
The proposed Chanhassen Service Center telecommunications tower will be located almost
center of the property at coordinates LAT: 44°51’39.7”, LONG: 93°34’06.4” and at a ground
elevation of 952.5 feet above sea level. The tower will be a silver galvanized steel material, 150-
foot-tall monopole design with antenna side arm supports near the top. This color and material
were selected for durability of finish, and also to blend in with the ever-changing color of the sky.
The structure’s main requirement is to support two 20-foot-tall, fiber-glass whip style antennas to
be located at the top of the structure, similar to the existing Shorewood Service Center site. There
is no FAA lighting requirement currently for this antenna, but this will be confirmed during the final
design.
These antennas are for Xcel Energy’s private Land Mobile Radio network (LMR), which supports
Xcel Energy’s Electric Operations voice communications for remote field personnel to dispatcher.
Also, this structure will provide future antenna space for electrical grid wireless networks. This site
Xcel Energy - Chanhassen Service Center Project
is one of eight LMR metro area tower locations that is precisely geographically located to provide
a 15-mile radius of radio coverage to support Chanhassen and surrounding communities. This
site was selected due to its site separation requirement from Xcel Energy’s other LMR sites. Also,
the ground elevation is favorable to maintain the shortest possible structure. Below is a
comparison of Xcel Energy’s existing and proposed new telecommunications tower sites.
Existing Shorewood Tower: 150’ Height @ 961’ ground elevation.
New Chanhassen Tower: 170’ Total Height @ 952.5’ ground elevation, difference of 11.5’.
Only ~3 miles south from existing site. This maintains the site separation requirement from our
Burnsville, Downtown Minneapolis, and Young America LMR sites. No radio coverage changes
are anticipated.
Refer to the letter from Xcel regarding exploration of co-locating to an existing tower. In summary,
after technical review it was determined that co-locating was not feasible.
Landscape:
The required landscape for this project is calculated using Section 20-25 of the City Code. The
landscape tree and shrub quantities are a calculation of two separate areas including the vehicle
use area, and four (4) buffer yards. Based on these calculated areas the following landscaping
is required:
Required canopy trees = 147
Required understory trees = 138
Required shrubs = 283
Xcel is proposing the following landscaping as part of this project:
Provided canopy trees = 255 Trees (Existing & Proposed)
Provided understory trees = Proposed understory and Existing
trees to Remain Fulfill requirement
Provided shrubs = 284 Shrubs
In addition to meeting the landscape required by city code for canopy trees and shrubs, Xcel
Energy has sustainable site design guidelines that encourage site design that is environmentally
conscious. See the Sustainability section below for more information regarding site and landscape
design.
Lighting:
A lighting and photometric plan has been submitted as part of this application. The proposed
lighting is a combination of wall mounted fixtures and pole mounted fixtures which complies with
the requirements of cut-off fixtures and for light cast on adjacent property and roads not exceed
½ foot candle measured at the property line.
Xcel Energy - Chanhassen Service Center Project
Fencing and Screening:
Screening for this proposed project is an important aspect with the proposed outdoor storage.
Screening of the proposed site usage is summarized as follows:
The existing trees along the westerly and southerly property line provide significant screening
from the commercial properties to the west, the residential properties to the southwest, and
Coulter Boulevard. Strategic placement of the proposed buildings and fencing also help screen
the outdoor storage component of the project.
Similarly, views from the north on Highway 5 will include the proposed office component of the
service center. This placement along with proposed landscape and significant grade change will
provide screening of the parking lot and the outdoor storage.
Placement of fencing, landscaping, and the cold storage building along the south side of the
property line will provide screening of the outdoor storage and parking lot from Coulter Boulevard
and properties just south of the Xcel parcel.
A combination proposed trees and shrubs along the easterly property line, placement of the
proposed cold storage buildings, and fencing significant screening from the properties to the east,
the commercial facility to the southeast, and Coulter Boulevard.
Xcel will utilize an 8’ high, black vinyl chain link fence for security purposes around the storage
yard and fleet vehicle maneuvering areas. Cold storage buildings and the fleet maintenance
building will be strategically used in lieu of fencing where feasible to provide security to these
areas.
Please refer to the 3D renderings for visual representations of these areas.
Mechanical Equipment Screening:
It is Xcel Energy’s standard and preference to have all mechanical equipment inside the building.
It is also standard practice to include a 42” minimum parapet which will provide screening for any
equipment that is not able to located inside. As the mechanical equipment layout progresses, any
mechanical equipment that cannot be located indoors will meet the requirements stated in Sec
20-116. Plans will be updated to show more detail for the mechanical equipment and associated
screening for City review and approval prior to issuance of building permits.
Street and Access:
The project is proposing two access points from Coulter Boulevard which are about 335 feet apart.
The easterly access is 26 feet wide and would be the primary access office component for the
service center. The westerly access point is 30 feet wide and will serve as the primary access to
the yard storage and maintenance garages. Two access points allows for the separation of truck
traffic and car traffic but also allows for manageable slopes up to the upper office and lower garage
levels which are approximately 22 feet in elevation difference.
Parking:
Review of the required parking for this project is difficult and unique as the City of Chanhassen
doesn’t have a specific requirement for a service center. The City does have parking required for
all components that make up the service center which was the basis for our initial parking
calculation. Components of the code used to calculate this initial parking required were as follows:
Xcel Energy - Chanhassen Service Center Project
Lobby Space, Office/Workstations, Common Rooms and Support Spaces=1 Parking Stall/200 SF
Warehouse (Up to 10,000 SF)=1 Parking Stall/1000 SF
Warehouse (Over 10,000 SF)=1 Parking Stall/2000 Additional SF
Warehouse (Xcel Vehicles)=1 Parking Stall Per Vehicle
Vehicle Maintenance (8 Bays)=4 Parking Stalls plus 2 Stalls Per Bay
Vehicular Storage/Wash Bay (34 Bays)=4 Stalls plus 2 Stalls Per Bay
The results of these initial calculations indicated a need for about 307 parking stalls. This number
of parking stalls is significantly more than what Xcel usually constructs for similar service centers.
After review of these initial calculations, our opinion is that reviewing the number of parking stalls
in this manner doubles and triples up the required parking spaces in most cases. For instance, all
Xcel Staff going to this facility is accounted for in the Office/Workstation/Common Room required
stalls. However, we are assuming the Warehouse and Vehicular Maintenance/Storage parking
requirements include Staff considerations as well. Similarly Warehouse and Vehicular
Maintenance/Vehicular Storage requires parking stalls required for Xcel Vehicles onsite and stalls
per bay. The majority of Xcel Vehicles onsite will be parked in the Vehicular Maintenance/Storage
when they are not in use.
The project proposal uses a more appropriate parking stall calculation based on anticipated
number of employees utilizing the facility at any given time. Full-time staff is anticipated to be 68
employees. The building will have 12 hotel work stations for employees from other facilities that
will occasionally be working at the proposed facility. 1 stall has been provided for each employee.
40 additional stalls are provided for anticipated future growth and training events for employees
from other Service Center locations. The total parking provided is 120 stalls.
Constructing only the number of stalls required to make this facility operate successfully is a
benefit to the City of Chanhassen and to Xcel Energy as it reduces impervious area on site by not
constructing unneeded parking stalls and drive aisles.
Parking Required Per Code Analysis=307 Stalls.
Proposed Parking Provided=120 Stalls.
Trails:
There is an existing City Sidewalk that runs along Coulter Boulevard and City Trail system on the
southwest corner of the site. Sidewalk access through the site will be provided from Coulter
Boulevard to the main building so staff can easily access the City of Chanhassen trail system.
The proposed facility has locker rooms with showers so Staff can make use of the trail systems
during the day while Staff living in close proximity to the trail system can bike, walk, or run to work.
Drainage/Stormwater Management:
A detailed Hydrology Report with supporting calculations to show that the project meets the Riley
Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District and City of Chanhassen stormwater management
requirements has been submitted as part of this application. The proposed project consists of clay
material which doesn’t allow for infiltration of stormwater runoff. The site is classified as a
restricted as it relates to stormwater management. The requirements set forth by the City and
Watershed District for this project are as follows:
Xcel Energy - Chanhassen Service Center Project
1. Rate Control – Match existing rates for the 2-year, 10-year, and 100-year storm event rate,
as well as 100-year, 10-day snowmelt event.
2. Volume Control – 1.1-inch infiltration over the new impervious surface. 0.55-inches when
D soils are encountered.
3. Quality Control – Treatment to remove the equivalent of at least 60 percent annual total
phosphorus and at least 90 percent annual total suspended solids, as well as no net
increase in TSS or TP loading.
Since the project cannot meet the abstraction requirements with infiltration due to existing soil
conditions, a stormwater reuse system is being included in the design. Stormwater runoff will be
collected from the Office/Warehouse, Vehicle Storage, and Fleet Maintenance buildings’ roofs
and diverted to an underground holding tank. Stormwater from this tank will be re-used in the
wash bay within the building. Two wet ponds will also be included in the stormwater treatment
train to provide the required volume to meet stormwater runoff rates off the site. Water from the
northern pond will be pumped out and reused for irrigation of landscaped areas.
The stormwater management systems proposed meet the City of Chanhassen stormwater
management requirements while providing an additional benefit by minimizing the amount of
potable water being used for irrigation and washing vehicles in the wash bays. Detailed
calculations have been provided in the Hydrology Report demonstrating how the project meets
all stormwater management requirements set forth by the City and Watershed District.
Utilities:
The proposed building will be served by existing sanitary and watermain service stubs adjacent
to the property from Coulter Boulevard. Watermain layout indicates a looped system with hydrants
to provide adequate fire protection. A service stub to the adjacent property to the east is proposed
to provide additional future looping of watermain. Additional existing services to the site that are
not being used will be removed as part of this project.
Sustainability:
· EV Charging Stations (Level 2): Initially, Xcel Energy will be providing (1) dual head
charging location in the upper NE employee parking lot (two stalls total) and (1) dual head
charging station for Fleet Vehicles in the parking stalls on the west side of the site (2 stalls
total). No charging stations are proposed in the lower employee lot as employees and
visitors will be able to utilize the charging stations within the upper lot. This project will also
be installing conduit from the main electrical room to accommodate (3) future dual head
EV charging stations (six stalls total) at each exterior location. As the project develops,
Xcel will also consider implementing EV charging within both the Vehicle Storage and
Fleet Maintenance buildings - exact quantities to be determined as the design is finalized.
Xcel Energy is moving toward a fleet of electric vehicles and the quantity will be significant.
All EV charging will be Level 2 charging.
· Solar Photovoltaic Panels: Our Design Team will be providing the structural capacity in
the Vehicle Storage Building to support a future installation of solar photovoltaic panels.
We will also be providing space in the main electrical room to accommodate the required
panels and switchgear for this future system.
Xcel Energy - Chanhassen Service Center Project
· Solar Wall: Xcel will be providing a solar wall system which will be mounted on the south
wall of the Fleet Maintenance building. This solar wall acts as a chimney, taking in cold air
at the bottom of the system and warming the air as it rises through the dark metal panels
that have accepted solar energy. This warm air is then introduced into air handling units,
thereby reducing the amount of energy used to further warm the air before being dispersed
into the building.
· Water Reclamation System: Xcel will be providing a Water Reclamation System as a
component to this project. This system will collect rainwater from the roof areas of the
Office/Warehouse, Vehicle Storage, and Fleet Maintenance buildings. This roof water will
be collected and stored in an underground tank between the Vehicle Storage and Fleet
Maintenance buildings. The reclaimed water will be used for the vehicle wash bay. Water
stored within the northern pond will also be pumped out and reused for site irrigation. The
estimated water savings per year is forecasted to be 4,579,550 gallons.
· Xcel Site Design Guidelines: Xcel Energy has sustainable site design guidelines that
encourage site design that is environmentally conscious. The goal of these sustainable
site design practices is to encourage the thoughtful consideration of how People, Water,
Vegetation, and Materials, are incorporated into Xcel Energy facilities. For this site the
following elements are proposed to be included:
o Outdoor patio with direct connections to interior public spaces to enhance the
connection to nature. The patio will encourage people to gather, eat, and work
together outdoors.
o Electric vehicle charging stations
o Bicycle parking near facility entrance
o Stormwater features are designed as amenities. The stormwater features will
function as natural ecosystems with native prairie plantings.
o Building upon the existing habitat surrounding the creek and wetland by
incorporating new prairie, pollinator, and tree plantings to create a greenway
corridor and habitat for wildlife.
o Prairie ground cover to include a pollinator mix designed to provide an ideal
feeding habitat for the endangered Rusty Patched Bumble Bee.
o Minimizing areas of turf through the use of pollinator and prairie plantings along
with no mow turf
o Using large scale (6"-12") decorative stone to minimize the amount of plant
material and maintenance while still providing an aesthetically pleasing landscape.
Wetland Alteration Approval
Wetlands:
Two separate delineated wetlands exist on the property. A small wetland is located on the
southwesterly portion of the site. A larger wetland drains into an eroded creek bed is located on
the northeasterly portion of the site. Xcel proposes to fill the smaller wetland and a portion of the
larger wetland to accommodate the required improvements needed on the site. The majority of
the larger wetland (78% by area) will be preserved, and all required mitigation will be done at a
2:1 ratio with the purchase of wetland credits. In addition to a completed City Wetland Alteration
Permit Application included in this submittal, a Minnesota Joint Notification Application for fill and
Xcel Energy - Chanhassen Service Center Project
replacement of aquatic resources has been submitted. Refer to the Minnesota Joint Notification
Application for a detailed analysis of wetland impacts.
Compensatory storage has also been included in the design per City and Watershed
requirements to mitigate the loss of flood storage by filling the existing wetland areas.