Oakdale council approves Astoria Oak Marsh senior co-op with zoning variances

The City of Oakdale City Council on April 22 approved three resolutions authorizing a variance, preliminary and final plats, and a site plan for Astoria Oak Marsh, a proposed 89-unit senior living cooperative at 8001 Fourth Street.

City planning staff told the council the development would occupy about 5 acres of a larger, roughly 20-acre subdivision that also includes the adjacent Oak Meadows site and that the proposal is consistent with the city’s high-density residential guidance. Luke McClanahan, City of Oakdale planner, said staff found the variance requests meet the ordinance criteria and recommended approval subject to the conditions listed in the resolutions.

The approvals clear several deviations from the R-5 high-density multifamily zoning standards: an average building height of about 46 feet where the R-5 limit is 40 feet (with an architectural gable truss reaching roughly 62 feet); a reduced setback in a northwest building bump-out (down to 35 feet from the ordinance-derived 46-foot setback); and a requested density below the standard minimum lot-size calculation (the ordinance-calculation called for about 6.15 acres given the proposed unit composition while the developer proposes roughly 5 acres). The council approved the variance resolution 2025-34, the preliminary/final plat resolution 2025-35, and the site-plan resolution 2025-36, each with conditions.

Among conditions spelled out in the plats and site-plan approvals: the two wetland areas must be platted as outlots and deeded to the city for future ownership and maintenance; park-dedication payment is required; the developer must execute a development agreement and obtain outside permits and agency approvals; sidewalks must be installed along the east side of Ideal Avenue and the south side of Fourth Street; an emergency access off Ideal Avenue (a mountable concrete curb) requires signage prohibiting parking; and the developer must provide finalized civil construction plans, rooftop/mechanical screening details, trash-enclosure screening, and a photometric plan that complies with city standards.

On trees and landscaping, staff said the city’s tree ordinance allows removal of up to 35% of significant trees without council approval. The developer proposes to remove about 49% of on-site significant trees but committed to plant 51 additional trees beyond the ordinance replacement schedule as part of the landscaping plan.

On parking, McClanahan noted the city’s code requires one parking space per dwelling unit — with a lower permitted ratio (0.5 spaces per unit) sometimes used for senior housing — while the developer proposes 1.5 spaces per unit. The project also includes two stormwater basins and retains a walking path that serves both Oak Meadows and the Astoria Oak Marsh residents.

During council questions, Council member Moore sought more detail on why other building designs were infeasible. Josh Common, the developer’s representative from Pella, Iowa, said the design team studied lower-rise alternatives and found vertical construction with a wood-frame structure kept costs and density manageable: “it’s really important for us to stick with wood frame, over steel,” he said, adding that spreading the proposed 87 units plus two guest suites across fewer stories would require so large a footprint that it became cost-prohibitive. He summarized the unit count as “87 units with 2 guest suites, making it 89 units.”

The planning commission held a public hearing on April 3 and recommended approval. The city opened a public hearing during the council meeting but recorded no public testimony on the item before closing the hearing and moving to council action.

Council members adopted each resolution by voice vote; the meeting record shows no roll-call tallies tied to individual council members. With the approvals, the developer must satisfy the listed conditions before final plat recording and construction permits are issued.

Next steps identified in the resolutions include execution of the development agreement, final civil plan approval, recording instructions per the city attorney’s plat opinion, establishing required easements (including a 10-foot easement along the easterly lot line of Lot 2, Block 1, and an access/maintenance easement for the north stormwater basin), and receipt of outside-agency permits and approvals required for construction.