Planning commission recommends approval for Huntington National Bank drive‑through at 525 Commons Drive

The Woodbury City Planning Commission on Oct. 20 recommended approval of a conditional use permit and site and building plan for a new Huntington National Bank at 525 Commons Drive, voting to forward the project to the City Council public hearing on Oct. 22.

City planning staff said Allegro Veil Engineers is proposing to demolish the existing building on the southeast corner of Hudson Road and Commons Drive and construct a roughly 5,000‑square‑foot bank with a drive‑through. The site is in the B‑2 General Business District and is guided on the land use plan as “places to shop.” Staff recommended approval subject to the conditions in the staff report and to several edits proposed by commissioners at the meeting.

Commissioners and staff said the proposal meets zoning requirements but asked for added clarity in conditions to protect adjacent residents and ensure long‑term maintenance. The commission combined two staff conditions related to snow removal and site maintenance, added a requirement that all construction staging and parking remain on site, and amended landscaping conditions to require evergreen low‑level screening adjacent to the drive‑through to mitigate headlight glare.

The applicant proposes to retain existing vehicle access points from Commons Drive, with the northern access as the main two‑way entry and the southern access dedicated as a one‑way entrance serving the ATM and drive‑through. The proposed site plan provides 26 parking spaces, which matches the zoning requirement for financial institutions (one stall per 200 square feet) and, according to staff, also matches the applicant’s operational needs. The angled employee parking (nine stalls) will be signed for employees only to reduce conflicts with customer parking.

Staff said landscaping must meet a 25% canopy coverage requirement; the applicant proposes 12 new trees, 72 shrubs and perennials and preservation of some on‑site trees. Staff also recommended low‑level, snow‑tolerant plantings in the buffer area adjacent to the drive‑through to screen headlights. Stormwater will be handled with two biofiltration basins that discharge to the adjacent sewer system; engineering review of basin design and landscaping is required prior to demolition and land disturbance permits.

Architect Erin Hobel of Vocon said Huntington is prioritizing energy efficiency and sustainable design features including improved windows and lighting control systems tied into building management, though she could not compare the new building directly to the 30‑year‑old structure on site. Applicant representative Austin Hahn explained the biofiltration basins will be concrete or membrane lined systems with a biomix soil layer and perforated outlet pipe; the plan includes a low ornamental metal safety fence around basins where the depth creates a fall hazard.

Commissioners asked about pedestrian connectivity and snow removal. Staff said the applicant will construct a trail within the city right‑of‑way along Commons Drive and extend a sidewalk from the trail to the bank entrance; staff described the trail alignment as a future multimodal connection to Lifetime Fitness and Tamarack. Snow storage and removal will be addressed in a site‑specific plan required prior to permits; staff indicated low‑lying BMPs, landscaped medians and southern property edges are anticipated storage areas and that sidewalk maintenance on private property would be the bank’s responsibility while most of the trail will be in public right‑of‑way and maintained by the city after dedication.

Several commissioners pressed for details on screening, asking staff to require evergreen shrubs at a height reasonable to block headlight glare (staff referenced a typical headlight height of 3 to 4 feet and agreed to revise landscaping conditions to require low‑level evergreen plantings that meet the intent of headlight screening). Commissioners also asked that lighting meet the zoning standard of near‑zero foot‑candles at the property line; staff said LED fixtures and shielding will be used and the applicant must meet the lumen and site average standards in the code.

After the discussion the commission moved to recommend approval with the combined snow/maintenance condition, the construction‑parking requirement that all staging and parking occur on site, and the amendment to require low‑level evergreen screening adjacent to the drive‑through; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. The recommendation will be heard by the City Council during its public hearing on Oct. 22.

The commission’s action is a recommendation; any changes requested by the council or conditions required by permitting departments will be reviewed during the building permit and land disturbance permit processes.