2019.01.15 Planning Commission - Laserfiche WebLink

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Special Use Permit & Variances – Irondale High School Planning Commission Report; 1-15-19 Page 14 (cont.)  Parking Space Shortage: The site is limited in area and abutted by the Rice Creek wetland to the east. The Ordinance requires a stall per classroom and one stall for every 4.5 students. The school is already does not meet the required number of spaces needed. This calculation would require 488 onsite parking spaces and the site currently only has 426, creating a deficit of 62 parking spots. With the proposed additions, the school would need to meet 517 parking stalls. The school plans to use an existing practice field as a new parking lot to create new spots along with expanding the existing parking lots to create 496 parking stalls total. The proposal would lower the deficit to 21 spots under the city parking requirement  Parking Setbacks: The site is limited in area and abutted by the Rice Creek wetland to the east. The School would like to expand the existing south parking lot to within 5 feet of the 30- foot side street setback, relocate the drive connecting the south lot to the east lot to within 27 feet from adjacent residential property line, and expand the west parking lot to within 12 feet from the property line to the Church. And the new north parking lot will go onto the Ramsey County Parks property Test Part 1: Does the applicant propose to use the property in a reasonable manner not permitted by the zoning ordinance? Applicant Input:  Auditorium Height: Schools are a special permitted use within a residential zone, and auditoriums are a typical part of a high school to provide an educational tool for students to learn the performing art and technology that goes along with it. The auditorium will allow the school to be capable of assembling an entire class together in one place for large group presentations. Various groups within the community also use these facilities to put on performances or have large gatherings. The new auditorium will meet building setback requirements by being located over 200 feet from the nearest residential lot line.  Parking Space Shortage: The proposed parking lot additions will be approximately the same percentage short as the site currently is. The school sells permits to students to park within the lot, limiting the number of students who drive to school already  Parking Setbacks: The school is looking to add as many parking stalls to the site due to of the classroom additions and city requirements. The School sells permits to students to control the number of students that drive to school Staff Analysis: The site plan as proposed is reasonable given the conflicting interests of code for this type of site. To best serve the public, the high school is being upgraded with modern facilities which take up room on a parcel that has limited options for expansion. With this plan, the architects have sought to balance the overall needs of the school (including the existing practice fields) with the requirements of code for parking, stormwater management, setbacks, and the like. The parking deficit of 62 spaces is being reduced to 21 overall, so parking (the #1