PC Packet 10-18-2011 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Comprehensive Plan Designation: Community Business Zoning: B-3, General Business Surrounding Land Uses: North: Old Highway 8 SW right-of-way South: County RD D, commercial East: Long Lake RD right-of-way,restaurant West: Old Highway 8 SW right-of-way, commercial, apartments SITE PLAN ANALYSIS The applicant is proposing to construct a solar electric array that will offset approximately seven percent of the brewpub's average annual electrical use. The array is a unit intended to be built on the roof of a building, but because the brewpub's roof cannot structurally support the unit the applicant intends to mount the unit at grade on a concrete slab. The applicant proposes a 4' fence around the perimeter of the array and low growing plantings along the east and north sides of the array. The array itself measures approximately 45' x 15' or 520 square feet. The array would be located at the north end of the property and an existing access point off Long Lake Road would be eliminated. It's also likely a retaining wall will be necessary in this location based on the grade difference from the parking lot down to Long Lake Road. Lastly, the northern four feet of the dumpster enclosure will have to be removed to accommodate the array and associated concrete slab and fence. Staff provides the below analysis with regard to the applicable Site Plan standards for the proposed solar electric array: Array Setbacks REQUIRED EXISTING PROPOSED North n/a n/a n/a South 30' 92' building 206' 77' outdoor seating East 30' 16' 8'* West 3 0' 33' building 4'* 18' outdoor seating *Variance required Floor Area Ratio Being the City Attorney has advised that this proposal be reviewed like any other structure; staff felt it was appropriate to include the floor area of the array itself towards to allowable floor area ratio. Zoning Code Section 5-250 allows a floor area ratio (or F.A.R.) of 1.0. Based on the proposed survey and site plan, the area encompassing the solar electric array is approximately 520 square feet. The existing building is 1,446 square feet and the outdoor seating area is approximately 1,350 square feet. This equates to the following F.A.R.: 520 + 1,446 + 1,350 = 3,316 SF/25,385 SF =0.13 F.A.R. A F.A.R. of 0.13 if far below the 1.0 allowed in the B—3, General Business zoning district. Building Height Zoning Code Section 5-250 (1) allows a structure or building height of 36 feet or two stories, whichever is less. The proposed array is considered "low profile" in that it is less than four feet tall, far below the allowed 36 feet in the B—3, General Business zoning district.