Commission recommends approvals for Astoria Oak Marsh senior cooperative project with variances and site plan conditions

The City of Oakdale Planning Commission voted April 3 to recommend approval of a variance, preliminary/final plat and site plan for Astoria Oak Marsh, a proposed 89-unit senior cooperative at 8001 Fourth Street North.

Planning staff told the commission the development site is roughly 5.1 acres within a larger roughly 20-acre plat that also includes the existing Oak Meadows senior facility; the project proposes a four-story building with one level of underground parking, approximately 17 dwelling units per acre, and 139 parking spaces (114 underground, 25 surface). Staff recommended approval with conditions, and commissioners voted to recommend all three enrollment items — variance, plat and site plan — with the conditions listed in the staff resolutions.

Planning staff summarized the requested variances and the rationale: the R-5 zoning district limits building height to 40 feet, but the proposed building has an average height of about 46 feet with a single portion rising to about 62 feet; a small bump-out would reduce a required setback in one northwest corner to roughly 35 feet where 46 feet would be required; and the minimum lot-size requirement (calculated by unit mix) called for about 6.15 acres but the proposed Lot 1 is about 5.1 acres after accounting for wetlands and required outlots. Staff said the property’s irregular shape, wetlands, slopes and mature trees create unique circumstances and noted other recent planned-unit developments in the city had exceeded similar standards.

Other conditions and site details the commission reviewed include: preservation of two wetland areas as outlots to be deeded to the city; construction of sidewalks along the east side of Ideal Avenue and the south side of Fourth Street per the city’s bicycle and pedestrian plan; installation of signage to prohibit parking on the mountable curb emergency access; provision of details and screening for rooftop and ground mechanical equipment and exterior trash enclosures; a lighting photometric plan to meet zoning standards; and required approvals from outside agencies and the city engineer.

Planning staff also presented tree and landscape information: the developer’s inventory identified 505 "significant" trees and proposes removal of about 270, roughly 49% of the significant trees on site. The developer’s landscape plan calls for 144 new trees, which staff said exceeds the replacement schedule by about 51 trees.

Developer representatives from LEAP Development and Astoria Cooperative addressed the commission. Josh Cowman, representing the developer, described the cooperative model and the multi-year process, saying, "It's been quite a process" and expressing optimism about presales and moving the project forward. Cowman and the project team answered commissioner questions about trash logistics; the team said trash and recycling will be housed inside the building and moved to the lower-level garage for pickup by trucks via the ramp.

At public comment, Alexander Pavlison, a nearby tenant at 7825 Third Street North, asked about traffic and pedestrian safety at nearby intersections and called for environmental considerations related to tree removal and stormwater. Planning staff said the city engineer reviewed traffic impacts and recommended no intersection improvements at this time, that on-site stormwater basins and coordination with the watershed district are expected, and that staff will work with the developer on tree replacement and other mitigation.

The commission moved, seconded and voted to recommend approval of the variance, then the preliminary/final plat, and finally the site plan; each motion passed on the record. The recommendations include the conditions enumerated in the staff resolutions in the agenda packet and will proceed to required final approvals and permitting steps.