Letter from Plowshares 12-30-04
PLOWSHARES
DEVELOPMENT, LLC
December 30, 2004
City Council Member
City of Chanhassen
7700 Market Blvd
Chanhassen, MN 55317
Re: Pinehurst Prelirninary Plat
Dear City Council Member,
On January 10t\ 2005 we will be presenting our Preliminary Plat for the Pinehurst
Subdivision. We have worked hard with City Staff and the Planning Commission to create a
quality neighborhood that ",rill be a wonderful addition to the city. Below you will find an
explanation of a few of the remaining items for discussion onJan 10th, We appreciate your
time consideration and look forward to a successful project.
Condition 0: A standard cui-de-sac turnaround for emergency vehicles will be
required at the north end of Street B.
This recommendation by the Planning Commission elirninates the connection between the
Pinehurst and Shively neighborhoods. City Staff and Plowshares Development believe the
connection should be made and is vital for the following reasons: (Exhibit A)
1. City Staff is requiring a road connection to the Shively Addition based upon the
Transportation policy in the Comprehensive Plan:
a. "As part of platting, each development should provide dedication and improvement of
public streets comistent with the standards found in city ordinances. The city will promote
the provision £lfstreet and pedestrian connection to maximum scifèty and ease if access." P.
55
b. "It is the city's poliçy to require interc01l1tections between neighborhoods to foster a seme £If
community, to improve scifèty and to provide convenient access for residents." P. 76
2. It makes sense to plan for the future. Eventually, the properties along Crestview
Drive will redevelop into a more intensive use - at which time the road connection
will be important to the City in order for it to provide essential city services.
3. If the City Council determines that a connection is not justified, Plowshares would
ask that the design alternative (Exhibit B) with a private street and cul-de-sac be
approved in its place. This design elirninates a road connection, but incorporates the
trail connection and an easement for a sewer connection.
CITY OF CHANHASSEN
RECEIVED
DEC 3 0 2004
CHANHASSEN PLANNING DEPT
In the business ofbuJ'ing, selling, and develoPing land
PLOWSHARES
DEVELOPMENT, LLC
Condition P: Eliminate Lot 27 and shift proposed pond to the north to eliminate
some of the retaining wall.
Plowshares Development disagrees with Staff and the Planning Commission on this
recommendation for the following reasons:
1. Lot 27 conforms to all city ordinances and does not require a variance.
a. Lot size 18,232 sq ft - City ordinance requires a 15,000 sq ft minimum. Lot
27 is rougWy 20% larger than City requirements.
b. Front, rear and side setback meet or exceed City requirements.
c. Drainage and slope ratios meet or exceed City engineering standards.
2. The site has been designed to maximize tree preservation and to provide for regional
ponding. Elirninating Lot 27 does not significandy reduce the retaining walls and
saves no additional trees. At City Staffs request, the proposed pond has already
been oversized to incorporate both the Pinehurst and Shively addition
developments.
3. Plowshares Development and Lundgren Brothers have a long hist01'Y of quality
home building. We would not propose a lot that had potential liability issues. We are
confident in the design and stand behind our proposal. In additional we are
proposing the following to alleviate staffs concerns:
a. Westwood Professional Services (the project engineer) has finalized an
engineering report and illustration that demonstrates how site drainage will
work. This will alleviate Staffs concerns related to drainage. See Exhibit C
&D.
b. Plowshares proposes to have the sodded and landscaped lot surveyed to
ensure compliance with the final engineered plan.
Condition Q: The applicant shall work with staff to further investigate the feasibility
of a sewer connection before action is taken to delete the western sanitary line; all
sanitary sewer must drain to Manchester Drive.
Plowshares Development agrees with the Planning Commission on this recommendation for
the following reasons:
1. Without the sewer connection to Lake Lucy, the depth of the sewer in the Pinehurst
development will be excessively deep (40-45'). Under this scenario the proposed
sewer line will be difficult to access and expensive to maintain.
2. Staff had raised concerns about accessibility of the proposed line for cleanout and
maintenance. Since the Planning Commission meeting, Plowshares has worked with
staff to provide an alternative that alleviates their concerns. 'Ims alternative avoids
40-45' deep sanitary sewer and provides easily accessible maintenance of the sewer
line.
In the business ofbuJ'ing, selling, and develoPing land
PLOWSHARES
DEVELOPMENT, LLC
Condition 8: The applicant will work with staff to incorporate a tot lot or similar
playground facility within this development which will help preserve trees:
Plowshares Development disagrees with the Planning Commission recommendation for the
following reasons:
1. City Staff and the Park Board did not recommend a tot lot or park in the Pinehurst
neighborhood. Therefore, City Staff has indicated that they are not interested in
providing a parkland dedication credit for the Pinehurst Development.
2. '111C City's Park Plan does not indicate a park in the location of d1e Pinehurst
neighborhood. This is primarily due to the close proximity of the following park and
recreation areas:
a. MÙznetollka West A1iddle School is immediately adjacent to the Pinehurst
Development. The middle school provides ample ball fields and tennis
courts.
b. PheaJant Hill Park is within a % mile of the neighborhood and within the Yz
mile standard of city park spacing. Pheasant Hill provides a large open space
and tot lot/playground equipment.
c. Lake iVIÙmewashta Regional Park is within a % mile of the neighborhood.
3. Plowshares Development and Lundgren Brothers have a long history of building
quality neighborhoods within the City of Chanhassen and have a deep understanding
of our buyer profile. Our combined experiences suggest that the families of d1e
Pinehurst neighborhood will prefer private backyard playground equipment over a
tot lot.
4. Plowshares Development is willing to donating 2.8 acres (Oudot A) to the City that
could be used for parkland or tot lot at a future date.
Condition 9. Provide an access trail &om this neighborhood to Minnetonka West
Middle School.
Plowshares Development agrees with the Planning Commission and Staff recommendation.
Staff and Minnetonka School District have indicated that the best location for the trail access
is through the Shively addition to the north. This connection will provide excellent access to
the middle school amenities and furthers the rational of connecting the Shively and
Pinehurst neighborhoods. See Exhibit A & B.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Plowshares Development, LLC
1851 Lake Drive West, Suite 550
Chanhassen, MN 55317
952-361-0832
In the business of buying, selling, and develoPing land
1851 Lake
CRESTVIEW LANE CONNECTION...--·
PROPOSED PLAN
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LOT 27 CROSS SECTION/ELEVATION
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DRAINAGE SWALE
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See final plans for actual details.
are conceptual and for illustrative purposes only.
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ProfeS3lonal$eIVIc:e!:,lnc.
Westwood Professional Services, Inc.
PLANNING. ENGINEERING. SURVEYING
"T
December 30, 2004
7599 Anagram Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
EXHIBIT D
Phone: 952-937-5150
Fax; 952-937-5822
Toll free: 1-888-937-5150
E-mail: wps@westwoodps.com
TWIN CITIES/METRO
ST. CLOUD
City Council BRAINERD
City ofChanhassen
7700 Market Bvld.
P.O.Box 147
Chanhassen, MN 55317
Re: Lot 27, Block 1 Engineering Performance Review Pinehurst Development Ref: 20041064
Dear Chanhassen City Council Members:
Based on discussions with staff and comments made at the Planning Commission meeting, the main concern on lot
27 is drainage and more specifically drainage from the back yards of lots 24-26.
The CitylWatershed requires that the lowest opening of structures adjacent to a pond, as is the case with Lot 27, be a
I1Únimum of3 feet above the lOO-year high water level of the pond, Lot 27's lowest opening exceeds the city's
requirements at 3.1 feet above the lOO-year high water level mark.
Lowest openings also need to be set a I1Únimum of 2 feet above the emergency overflow of the pond. Lot 27 is
proposed to be 3 feet above the emergency overflow which exceeds the requirements of the City and Watershed.
To facilitate proper drainage, a catch basin is proposed on the side lot line. Intercepting water from the swale will be
the primary function of the inlet to prevent runoff across the driveway, over the curb and gutter, and over sidewalk
within the street right-of-way.
Since the Planning Commission meeting, a check on the depth of water that would be in the swale on the side lot
line of Lot 27 was made. The approach was conservative. It was assumed that the front and back halves of the
building areas from lots 24, 25, and 26 would enter the proposed swale on the side of Lot 27. Typically, the front
half of homes drain to the street. The drainage area used for the calculation is overstated by incorporating additional
area not normally included. Based on the conservative approach, the computed depth of water during a lOO-year
event flowing in the swale would be less than 2 inches based on a 3' wide swale.
Staff had a concern in previous meetings that the swale on the side of Lot 27 would not get constructed properly.
Normally, a record grading plan would be required after the mass grading operation is complete and then once again
immediately after the home is constructed. In addition to this requirement, Plowshares and Lundgren Brothers have
asked Westwood to survey the lot after the landscaping and sodding is complete to ensure to the homeowner and the
City that the drainage will not be altered from the design on the grading plan.
The grades around the building pad are designed to convey all surface water away from the building. This is
standard practice for grading design and prevents surface water from infiltrating down a foundation wall and into a
basement.
Lot 'P is proposed as a properly functioning and desirable lot based on solid design and drainage verification. The
lot is in conformance with City codes for area, setbacks, elevations above the 100-year high water level of the pond,
and general drainage away from the building pad. From an engineering perspective, Lot 27 meets and exceeds City
requirements and standard engineering practices. Westwood has designed and overseen the construction of many
lots with sil1Úlar design and sees no cause for alarm related to this lot. As Project Manager for the Pinehurst
Designing the Future Today...since 1972
Chanhassen City Council Members
December 30, 2004
Page 2
Development, I am confident that the combined experience of Plowshares Development, Lundgren Brothers, and
ourselves will ensure that Lot 27 is properly designed and constructed.
Sincerely,
WESTWOOD PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, INe.
cd /H~
Chris Moehrl, PE, LSIT
Project Manager